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An electrical energy meter for measuring various parameters of electrical energy consumption has a cover-mounted time-of-day multifunction register. Digital signals representative of electrical energy usage are input to the time-of-day multifunction register which measures energy consumption during

An electrical energy meter for measuring various parameters of electrical energy consumption has a cover-mounted time-of-day multifunction register. Digital signals representative of electrical energy usage are input to the time-of-day multifunction register which measures energy consumption during the on-peak, off-peak, and intermediate-peak periods of each day. The multifunction register communicates by way of light radiations with an external programmer/reader unit having a plurality of fingers at its front face. These fingers engage recesses in the meter cover for accurate alignment of the multifunction register and the programmer/reader unit. Attaching the multifunction register to the meter cover rather than to the meter frame offers improved alignment between the multifunction register and the programmer/reader unit and provides easy retrofitting of present watthour meters lacking the time-of-day feature with a time-of-day multifunction register. Also, shielding the time-of-day multifunction register from the heat-generating components of the watthour meter allows the time-of-day multifunction register and associated components to operate at a lower ambient temperature.

대표청구항 ▼

An electrical energy meter having a cover-mounted time-based multifunction register for measuring parameters of electrical energy usage, wherein said multifunction register includes an optical data link tube for interactively communicating by way of light radiations with a prgrammer/reader unit havi

An electrical energy meter having a cover-mounted time-based multifunction register for measuring parameters of electrical energy usage, wherein said multifunction register includes an optical data link tube for interactively communicating by way of light radiations with a prgrammer/reader unit having a plurality of fingers at the front thereof, said electrical energy meter comprising: a meter base; means for providing signals representative of electrical energy usage, said means carried by said meter base; a cable, said cable connecting said multifunction register with said providing means; a cup-shaped cover engaging said meter base at an open end of said cover, said cover having a front face at the closed end thereof, said front face including an optically transparent portion for allowing transmission of said light radiations therethrough, said cover carrying said multifunction register for measuring parameters of electrical energy usage in response to said signals, said front face further including a plurality of integral index means aligned with said optical data link tube, said plurality of integral index means for engaging said plurality of fingers to orient said programmer/reader unit with said optical data link tube; whereby accurate data transfer between said optical data link tube and said programmer/reader unit via said optically transparent portion of said front fact is facilitated.