Abstract:
A meter box lid includes electronic meter reading equipment that may be disposed in areas of the meter box lid, so as to prevent the equipment from becoming damaged when the lid is removed. A transmitter antenna may be mounted to the meter box lid to deliver a signal to data collection device and may remain intact whether or not the meter box lid is removed from a meter box. A solar panel may provide an extended battery life, and a tamper switch may provide notification of removal of the meter box lid.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/195,570 filed Jul. 22, 2015, entitled “METER BOX LID,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The disclosure relates generally to meter box assemblies used to house electronic meter reading equipment. In particular, the disclosure relates to meter box assemblies for public utilities or similar applications. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Meter box assemblies are used in public electric and water systems to provide a vehicle for frequently reading electric consumption and water consumption of residences and businesses. The ability to frequently read meters provides a means of closely monitoring consumption so that utility service billing may become more accurate. Historically, utility meters have been located outside of buildings or along roadsides. These utility meters have been buried at ground level or at a shallow underground depth near residences and businesses that require utility services. Further, utility meters have been housed inside of protective enclosures, often bottomless, which typically include a vault or housing and a cover or lid. Generally, the cover or lid is disposed at or near the ground surface to provide easy access to underlying utility meter equipment. 
         [0004]    For many years, utility meters have also included analog and digital displays that can be visually read by an employee of a utility company by lifting the lid from the meter box. In recent years, these utility meters have been equipped with electronic meter reading equipment that enables utility providers to more easily collect consumption data. Today, modern electronic meter reading equipment is generally incorporated into utility meters as one of two types, both types including a transmitter in hard-wired communication with a metering device connected in-line to a water conduit. The first type of electronic meter reading equipment transmits a signal, such as by radio frequency, to a remote data collection device that may be stationary or mobile, for example, a remote data collection device mounted into a truck. The second type of electronic meter reading equipment transmits a signal to a handheld device through contact, commonly known as a touch read system. In all known meter box assemblies and systems, electronic equipment is formed as part of the meter or attached to the lid of the meter box. As such, problems occur when meter box lids are removed to provide access to internal meter box equipment. Further, electronic equipment attached to the lid can become damaged when employees do not carefully rest the meter box lid on the ground after removing the lid, and/or fail to exercise caution when removing or replacing the lid. It is estimated that in many large utility systems, up to 20% of electronic meter reading equipment is non-functional, at any given time, due to improper handling. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a meter box lid including electronic meter reading equipment that may protect the equipment from damage, in particular, a meter box lid that may include a transmitter that may deliver a signal to a data collection device. Embodiments of the present disclosure also may provide a transmitter that may be formed as part of the meter box lid and may be safely removed from the meter box. Further, a meter box lid according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a tamper switch. The tamper switch may instantly notify a utility company when a meter box lid is opened or removed from the meter box. Additionally, a solar panel may be provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure that may be mounted, formed or attached to the top of the meter box lid, thereby providing extended battery life to the transmitter. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide access for service or maintenance of internal utility equipment, and a utility meter that may not expose the transmitter to damage. 
         [0006]    An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a meter box lid that may include a top side that may be arranged to face away from a meter box. The top side may include a solar panel that may be mounted, formed, or attached to the top side. A transmitter antenna may be mounted below the solar panel on the top side, and the transmitter antenna may be removable, arranged to deliver a signal to a data collection device, and may be arranged to automatically read a meter. The meter box lid may include a bottom side that may be arranged to close the meter box. The bottom side may include a battery pack that may be mounted in a portion of the bottom side, and may include utility equipment that may be mounted via opposite sidewalls of the bottom side. The transmitter antenna may have a ground plate and a radiator plate that may be stacked above the ground plate. The solar panel may be disposed in a cutout of a holder of the top side and may maintain a flat surface of the top side. The flat surface may be proximate the solar panel in a mounted position and may be free of any protrusions. A tamper switch may be disposed in an outer lip of the meter box lid. A transmitter board may be connected to the tamper switch via a plurality of connection wires. A tamper switch may be disposed on the top side or the bottom side of the meter box lid. A tamper switch may be configured to provide a notification when the meter box lid is displaced from the meter box. The solar panel may extend a battery life of the transmitter antenna. The solar panel may extend the battery life of the transmitter antenna by at least 50 percent. The solar panel may be a rectangular shape or a circular shape. The transmitter antenna may include a transmitter that may be an epoxy applied over the transmitter antenna and the solar panel. The transmitter antenna may be disposed in a cutout of a holder of the top side and may maintain a flat surface of the top side. The flat surface may be proximate the transmitter antenna in a mounted position and may be free of any protrusions. 
         [0007]    An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a meter box assembly that may include a meter box lid, and the meter box lid may be a transmitter. The meter box assembly may further include a solar panel that may be mounted to a top side of the meter box lid, and a transmitter antenna that may be mounted below the solar panel. Utility equipment, a tamper switch, and a battery pack may be disposed in the meter box lid. The meter box assembly may include a bottom side that may be arranged to close the meter box assembly. A latch system may be provided underneath the bottom side and may secure a cover to the bottom side. The cover may tightly close and may protect contents of the bottom side. The cover may include a smooth surface and may provide the meter box assembly with the ability to lie flay against a resting surface. The solar panel may be disposed in a cutout of a holder of the top of the meter box lid and may maintain a flat surface of the top. The flat surface may be proximate the solar panel in a mounted position and may be free of any protrusions. The transmitter antenna may be disposed in a cutout of a holder of the top of the meter box lid and may maintain a flat surface of the top. The flat surface may be proximate the transmitter antenna in a mounted position and may be free of any protrusions. The transmitter antenna may be mounted below the solar panel on the top of the meter box lid, may be removable, may be arranged to deliver a signal to a data collection device, and may automatically read a meter. The solar panel may extend a battery life of the transmitter antenna. The tamper switch may be configured to provide a notification when the meter box lid is displaced from the meter box assembly. 
         [0008]    Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following drawings, descriptions and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of the top side of a meter box lid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a closed meter box lid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts an exploded perspective view of the bottom side of a meter box lid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a meter box lid including an open battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of the top side of a meter box lid including an exploded view of a solar panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  depicts a perspective view of a closed battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  depicts a perspective view of an open battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a meter box lid including an open battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  depicts a perspective view of a meter box lid including an exploded view of a solar panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a meter box lid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a meter box lid including an exploded view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  depicts a perspective view of a meter box lid including an exploded view of an open battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of a closed meter box lid including an exploded view of a tamper switch and connection wires according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  depicts a perspective view of the bottom side of an open meter box lid including an exploded view of a cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    The present disclosure generally provides a meter box lid including bottom side  110  ( FIG. 2 ) and top side  300  ( FIG. 1 ), for housing meter reading equipment that may include solar panel  310  ( FIG. 1 ), battery pack  120  ( FIG. 3 ), connection tabs  150  ( FIG. 3 ), and utility equipment  130  ( FIG. 3 ). The meter box may be arranged to protect and extend the lifetime of meter reading equipment and meter box contents. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 1, 5, and 9  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the meter box lid may include top side  300  facing away from the meter box (not shown). Top side  300  of the meter box lid may generally be exposed to an outside environment including, but not limited to, sand, soil, rocks, and objects that may contact top side of the meter box lid, as a result of weather conditions and environmental influence. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, top side  300  may include textured surface  340  that may improve the ability to open a meter box and provide aesthetic value. Solar panel  310  may be mounted, formed or attached to top side  300  of the meter box. Solar panel  310  may be placed at a center portion of the meter box so that solar panel  310  may be located at a point equal distance from all sides of the meter box; however, there may be other embodiments of the present disclosure where solar panel  310  is not placed in the center portion without departing from the present disclosure. Further, solar panel  310  may be located in a portion of top side  300  of the meter box where cut out, hole or depression for holder  320  may be formed, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 11  according to embodiment of the present disclosure, so as to receive solar panel  310  and maintain a flat top side free of any protrusions within the area where solar panel  310  may be mounted. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, solar panel  310  may have a rectangular shape that may be three inches by three inches (3″×3″) or a circular shape with a diameter of 2 inches (2″). Additionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, solar panel  310  may extend the lifetime of batteries  170  ( FIG. 12 ) that may be mounted in the meter box. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, solar panel may extend battery life by approximately 65.3 percent; however, the percentage may change without departing from the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that solar panel  310  may not be limited in shape, size, and placement on the meter box lid. It should also be appreciated that top side  300  of the meter box may be composed of any material including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, concrete or a concrete/polymer composite. Further, it should be appreciated that top side  300  of the meter box may have any shape, size, and weight without departing from the present disclosure. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 9  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, top side  300  of the meter box may include transmitter antenna  350  that may be mounted below solar panel  310  inside of holder  320 . Connector  330  may also be mounted inside holder  320  and provide an attachment point for solar panel wire  340 . Transmitter antenna  350  may be mounted in a cut out, hole or depression of holder  320  directly below solar panel  310  so that top side  300  of the meter box maintains a flat surface. Further, transmitter antenna  350  may be removable and arranged to automatically read a meter. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, transmitter antenna  350  may include a ground plate and a radiator plate stacked above the ground plate. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, transmitter antenna  350  may include an epoxy applied over both transmitter antenna  350  and solar panel  310 . Further, transmitter antenna  350  may be arranged to deliver a signal to a data collection device. It should be appreciated that the epoxy may be clear in color; however, the epoxy may include some coloration without departing from the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that the epoxy may be selected from any thermally conductive adhesive. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1, 5, and 9  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, top side  300  of the meter box may include through-hole  190 .  FIGS. 4, 8, and 11-14  depict bottom side  110  including through-hole  190 . It should be appreciated that both bottom side  110  and top side  300  may include through-hole  190 , and through-hole  190  may be located in an identical location and with identical dimensions on bottom side  110  and top side  300  to create one passageway that may provide a grasping member for opening and closing the meter box. Further, through-hole  190  may have any shape or size and may be located anywhere along the meter box. It should be appreciated that the meter box may include any type or form of grasping member for opening and closing the meter box including, but not limited to, handles, clasps, screws, and locks. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 and 10-13 , in an embodiment of the present disclosure, bottom side  100  may include transmitter board  202 , at least one tamper switch  204 , and connection wires  200 . Tamper switch  204  may provide a notification or an alert when the meter box lid is displaced from the meter box. Displacement of the meter box lid from the meter box may include partial displacement or complete removal from the meter box. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, tamper switch  204  may be disposed in outer lips  210  of the meter box. It should be appreciated that tamper switch  204  may be located at any position along the meter box without departing from the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that tamper switch  204  may be selected from any type of tamper switch including, but not limited to, a roller-ball switch, a snap-in switch, and a magnetic switch. 
         [0029]    Still referring to  FIGS. 3-4, 8, and 10-13  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the meter box lid may include bottom side  110  and electronic meter reading equipment. Bottom side  110  may include outer lip  180 , such that outer lip  180  may have a depth thick enough to hold the meter reading equipment and tightly seal the inside of the meter box (not shown). The inside of the meter box may receive bottom side  110 , such that the meter box may easily detach and attach to meter box  102 . As such, both the contents of bottom side  110  and the contents of the meter box may be protected from damage, debris, and improper handling of the meter box. It should be appreciated that bottom side  110  may include any desired number of inner lips, compartments, sections or walls. It should also be appreciated that bottom side  110  may be composed of any material including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, concrete or a concrete/polymer composite. It should further be appreciated that bottom side  110  may have any shape, size, and weight. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 3, 4, 8, and 10-12  depict a perspective view of the meter box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIGS. 3, 4, 8, and 10-12  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the meter box may include battery pack  120  that may be arranged inside of a compartment, section, or between sidewalls  210  of bottom side  110 . Battery pack  120 , as shown in  FIGS. 6, 7, and 12  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may include batteries  170 , connection tabs  150 , and cover  160  positioned to secure batteries  170  inside of battery pack  120 . It should be appreciated that connection tabs  150  may be mounted at any location on the meter box including, but not limited to, inner lip  140 , any inner wall of bottom side  110 , and inside battery pack  120 . It should further be appreciated that any number of batteries and any type of battery may be included in battery pack  120 . As further shown in  FIGS. 8 and 10-13  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, utility equipment  130  may be mounted to bottom side  110 . In an embodiment of the present disclosure, utility equipment  130  may be mounted to bottom side  110  and connection wires  200  may attach to opposite sidewalls  210  of bottom side  110 , as shown in  FIGS. 3, 4, 8, and 10-13  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, transmitter board  202  may be connected to at least one tamper switch  204  via connection wires  200 . It should be appreciated that any mounting components and hardware may be used to securely attach utility equipment  130  to bottom side  110 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 2, 3, and 14  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it should be appreciated that cover  220 , located underneath bottom side  110 , may tightly close and protect the contents of bottom side  110  and the meter box. It should further be appreciated that cover  220  may have a smooth surface that may provide the meter box with the ability to lie flat against a resting surface. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIGS. 8-14  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the meter box may include latch system  350  that may be located underneath bottom side  110  for securing cover  220  ( FIGS. 2, 3 and 14 ) to bottom side  110 . It should be appreciated that latch system  350  may include any number of latches to lock cover  220  onto the underside of bottom side  110 . It should further be appreciated that latch system may include latches of any shape and size. 
         [0033]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, grade level or subsurface protective enclosures may be referred to as meter boxes, grade level enclosures, underground enclosures, pull boxes, pit boxes, valve boxes, splice boxes and junction boxes. It should be appreciated that meter boxes may be composed of various materials, including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, concrete or a concrete/polymer composite. It should also be appreciated that meter boxes and meter box lids vary greatly in weight ranging, as a non-limiting example, from approximately five to 500 pounds, depending on the size of the meter box and/or the material composition of the meter box and meter box lid. 
         [0034]    It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. For the purposes of the discussion herein, the terms “electronic meter reading equipment,” “utility equipment,” and “transmitter means” encompass any type of meter reading device including, but not limited to, remote devices, stationary devices, and handheld devices. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. 
         [0035]    While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.