Wiring accessory

Abstract

To provide a wiring accessory having an insertion hole opening upward for inserting a plug connector, not requiring installation of a cover to cover the insertion hole from the outside, as well as preventing deterioration in the appearance of the wiring accessory and plugging / unplugging properties of the wiring accessory, and preventing liquid from coming into contact with electronic components on a circuit board while facilitating manufacturing work.SOLUTION: A wiring accessory 2 supplying electric power includes a circuit board 50, a receptacle connector 52, and a housing 10 housing the circuit board and the receptacle connector. The housing includes a housing body 20, an inner cover 30 attached to cover a top edge of the housing body and having an inner hole 31 that allows a predetermined position of the receptacle connector when viewed from an up-and-down direction to be passed through, and an outer cover 60 attached to the top of the inner cover and having an insertion hole 2b opening upward for inserting the plug connector at the top. The inner hole of the inner cover or a part surrounding the inner hole and the receptacle connector are sealed up with sealing means 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring device that supplies power, such as a wiring device having a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a USB outlet is widely known as a wiring device for supplying DC power to electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet terminals, and notebook computers. A wiring device for supplying power such as a USB outlet includes a board on which electronic components are mounted, a terminal for outputting power such as DC power, and a housing surrounding the board and the terminal. The electronic components include, for example, a power conversion component for converting AC power into DC power, and an output circuit component for outputting the DC power from the terminal. The electronic components may also include an output circuit component for outputting the voltage-converted AC power from the terminal. These electronic components are distributed and disposed on a plurality of boards, or disposed on one board. A terminal for outputting power is connected to the upper side of the board on which the output circuit component is mounted. The wiring device is also provided with a receptacle connector having a cylindrical guide portion and a terminal inside the guide portion. The receptacle connector guides a plug connector for connecting a terminal, which is inserted from the outside, to the terminal by the guide portion.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a wiring device in which a cover is provided on the outside of the wiring device so as to cover an insertion port into which a plug connector is inserted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-44914 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6491231 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When installing the above-mentioned wiring device on a top plate of a fixture or the like, an insertion port for inserting a plug connector may be opened facing upward at the top of the wiring device so that the plug connector can be inserted into the wiring device from above and connected to a terminal.

[0006] However, in a wiring device with an insertion port facing upward, if a container containing liquid such as water falls onto the top surface of the tabletop, the liquid may enter the housing through the insertion port and reach the electronic components on the circuit board inside the housing. If electricity is applied in this state, the electronic components may fail or malfunction. On the other hand, in order to prevent liquid from entering the electronic components inside the housing, it is possible to provide a cover that covers the outside of the insertion port of the housing, as in the configurations described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, such configurations would significantly change the appearance. Also, the cover would get in the way when in use.

[0007] In addition, in order to prevent the intrusion of liquid into the electronic component position, it is also possible to seal the gap between the upper end of the guide part of the receptacle connector and the insertion opening of the housing with a sealant such as a potting material. However, in that case, when sealing the wiring device from the front side with a sealant, the sealant may deteriorate the appearance and the insertability of the plug connector into and out of the insertion opening at the upper end of the guide part. In addition, when sealing the wiring device from the back side with a sealant, the manufacturing process may become more difficult and the insertability of the connector may deteriorate. For this reason, in a wiring device in which an insertion opening for inserting a plug connector is opened upward, it is desired to prevent the electronic components on the board from being liquid-proofed while preventing the appearance of the wiring device and the insertability of the connector from being deteriorated and facilitating the manufacturing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wiring device for supplying electric power that includes a board, a receptacle connector connected to the upper side of the board and having a cylindrical guide portion and a terminal inside the guide portion, and a housing that accommodates the board and the receptacle connector, wherein the housing includes a housing main body having a cylindrical peripheral wall portion, an inner cover attached to cover the upper end of the housing main body and having an inner hole that penetrates in the vertical direction, and an outer cover attached above the inner cover to cover the inner cover and having an insertion port opening upward at the top for inserting a plug connector, and the space between the inner hole of the inner cover or the portion surrounding the inner hole and the receptacle connector is sealed with a sealing means. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, in a configuration in which the insertion port for inserting the plug connector is opened facing upward, liquid such as water that has entered the housing can be blocked by the inner cover provided under the outer cover, and liquid can be prevented from entering the position of the electronic components on the board through the gap between the inner cover and the receptacle connector. In addition, there is no need to provide a cover that blocks the outside of the insertion port of the housing to waterproof the electronic components. In addition, there is no need to seal the gap between the upper end of the guide part of the receptacle connector and the insertion port of the housing with a sealant such as a potting material, so that deterioration of the appearance and the insertability and removal of the connector can be prevented, and the manufacturing work can be simplified when sealing the back side of the wiring device with a sealant. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a power outlet using a wiring device for supplying power according to a first embodiment is used. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a wiring fixture for supplying DC power according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wiring device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, showing the wiring device in FIG. 2 with some parts omitted. [Diagram 5]3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along line B-B. [Figure 6] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. 6 in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a wiring device for supplying DC power according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure includes configurations obtained by selectively combining the respective components of the multiple embodiments and modified examples described below.

[0012] [First embodiment] A wiring device 2 for supplying power according to a first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an outlet 1 incorporating a wiring device 2 is in use. Note that, although a wiring device 2 for supplying DC power will be described below as a wiring device for supplying power, the wiring device of the present disclosure can also be a wiring device for supplying AC power.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the outlet 1 is a wiring device including two wiring devices 2 for supplying DC power and one power outlet device 3, and is installed on a table top 100 of a desk, which is a piece of furniture. In this state, an insertion port 2b for inserting a plug connector 102, which is provided in a housing constituting each wiring device 2, opens upward. The outlet 1 includes a decorative plate 4 having three openings 4a formed in a row in the horizontal direction, and upper surfaces 2a, 3a of the wiring devices 2 and the power outlet device 3 are exposed from the three openings 4a of the decorative plate 4.

[0014] The decorative plate 4 is a plate having a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the front, and covers the installation hole formed in the top plate 100 and the mounting frame installed around the installation hole so that they cannot be seen. The outlet 1 includes, for example, a frame-shaped metal plate that is screwed to the mounting frame. The decorative plate 4 is fixed to the metal plate, for example, by hooking a claw formed on the back surface of the decorative plate 4 into the hole in the metal plate.

[0015] The outlet 1 is installed with the wiring device 2 and the power outlet device 3 inserted into an installation hole formed in the top plate 100. On the top surface of the outlet 1, only top surfaces 2a, 3a of the wiring device 2 and the power outlet device 3 are exposed from an opening 4a in the decorative plate 4. As will be described in detail later, the wiring device 2 includes electronic components such as a power conversion component that converts AC power into DC power, and a receptacle connector including a terminal that outputs the DC power, and is installed on the top plate 100 so that an insertion port 2b for inserting a plug connector 102 described later faces upward.

[0016] 1, two wiring devices 2 are disposed adjacent to each other. In the outlet, the relative positions of the wiring devices 2 and the power outlet device 3 are not particularly limited, and the number of wiring devices 2 is also not particularly limited. Furthermore, an outlet equipped with a wiring device 2 may be equipped with an optical outlet, a LAN outlet, a telephone line outlet, etc., instead of the power outlet device 3, or may be equipped with only the wiring device 2.

[0017] For ease of explanation, the present specification uses terms indicating the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions for the outlet 1, the wiring device 2, and each of the components of the wiring device 2. The front-rear direction means a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slot-shaped insertion opening 2b of the wiring device 2. The up-down direction is a direction along the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is a direction perpendicular to the up-down and front-rear directions. In this example, the up-down direction is the direction in which the plug connector 102 is inserted into and removed from the wiring device 2. Furthermore, the up-down direction means the up-down direction when the wiring device 2 is in use, and does not restrict the direction when the wiring device 2 is not in use, such as when it is assembled.

[0018] An example of the wiring device 2 is a USB outlet device. The USB outlet device is a device to which a plug connector 102, which is a USB connector, can be connected, includes a power conversion component that converts AC power to DC power, and supplies DC power to an electronic device 101 such as a smartphone. In FIG. 1, the plug connector 102 of a cable 103 extending from the electronic device 101 is connected to the wiring device 2. In this embodiment, the wiring device 2 will be described as being a USB outlet device. The power outlet device 3 is a general outlet device that outputs AC power of 100V or 200V. On the top surface of the outlet 1, two insertion ports 2b for the wiring device 2 and an insertion port 3b for the power outlet device 3 are provided side by side in the left-right direction.

[0019] In this specification, USB includes various generations (standards of transfer speed) of USB, such as USB1.0, USB1.1, USB2.0, USB3.0, USB3.1, USB3.2, USB4, etc. Furthermore, the shape of the USB terminal is not particularly limited, and may be any of A terminal, B terminal, C terminal, mini USB, micro USB, etc. Furthermore, in the example shown in Fig. 1, the outlet 1 including the wiring device 2 is installed on the table top 100, but the wiring device 2 may be installed on furniture such as a shelf, a counter table, or a bed, or on vehicles such as an automobile, an airplane, or a railroad car.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the wiring device 2, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wiring device 2. In Fig. 2 and Figs. 4 to 6 described below, the front-rear direction of the wiring device 2 is indicated by X, the left-right direction by Y, and the up-down direction by Z.

[0021] 2 and 3, the wiring device 2 includes, from the bottom, a housing body 20, an inner cover 30, and an outer cover 60 as a housing 10 that forms the external shape of the device. The wiring device 2 has an external shape that is generally rectangular parallelepiped, with the vertical length > horizontal length > front-rear length. Note that the relationship in magnitude between the vertical length, horizontal length, and front-rear length of the wiring device 2 is not limited to this.

[0022] The housing 10 has an internal space 70 (see FIG. 4) that houses a first board 40 (see FIG. 5), a second board 50, and a receptacle connector 52, which will be described later. The housing 10 includes a housing main body 20 having a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 21 and a bottom portion 22 that closes the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 21, an inner cover 30 attached to the housing main body 20 so as to cover the upper end, and an outer cover 60 attached to the upper side of the inner cover 30 so as to cover the inner cover 30.

[0023] The housing body 20 is a rectangular box-like shape with an open upper end and a closed lower end. The inner cover 30 is fixed to the housing body 20 by a fitting structure so as to be freely separable. The lower end of the outer cover 60 is abutted against the upper end of the inner cover 30. In this state, the outer cover 60 is fixed to the inner cover 30 by screws or the like so as to be freely separable. As a result, the housing body 20, the inner cover 30, and the outer cover 60 are separably integrated to form the housing 10. At least one of the housing body 20, the inner cover 30, and the outer cover 60 may be formed by connecting two members separated in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction of the housing 10.

[0024] 3, the inner cover 30 has an inner hole 31 that penetrates in the vertical direction at an upper end portion. A cylindrical guide portion 53 that constitutes a receptacle connector 52 described below penetrates the inner hole 31 at a predetermined position in the vertical direction.

[0025] The housing body 20, the inner cover 30, and the outer cover 60 may each be fixed by a snap-fit ​​structure. For example, when fixing the housing body 20 and the inner cover 30, the snap-fit ​​structure is configured such that a pair of fixing pieces extend from both ends of one of the housing body 20 and the inner cover 30 toward the outer surface of the other member, and projections protruding from the outer surface of the other member are engaged with openings formed in each fixing piece, thereby sandwiching and fixing the other member from both sides with the pair of fixing pieces.

[0026] An insertion port 2b, into which the plug connector 102 can be inserted, is formed at the top of the outer cover 60 so as to open upward. The surface of the outer cover 60 becomes the upper surface 2a of the wiring device 2 in the outlet 1. That is, the wiring device 2 is fixed to the mounting frame of the outlet 1 so that the surface of the outer cover 60 on which the insertion port 2b is formed is exposed from the opening 4a of the decorative plate 4.

[0027] In such a wiring device 2, since the insertion opening 2b opens upward, liquid is likely to enter the insertion opening 2b when the container falls over on the top surface of the top plate 100. This may cause liquid to enter the position of the electronic components on the board inside the housing, resulting in problems such as failure of the electronic components. In this embodiment, in order to eliminate such problems, the receptacle connector 52 connected to the upper side of the board is inserted into the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 inside the housing 10, and further, the space between the inner hole 31 and the receptacle connector 52 is sealed with a sealing means. This will be described in detail below.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2, with some parts omitted from the wiring device 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along line BB and CC in Fig. 2, respectively.

[0029] The wiring device 2 includes a first board 40 (FIGS. 5 and 6) on which electronic components including power conversion components that convert AC power to DC power are mounted, a receptacle connector 52 that outputs DC power, and a second board 50 on which electronic components including output circuit components that output DC power are mounted.

[0030] 5 and 6, first substrate 40 has a printed circuit board 41 and electronic components including power conversion components arranged on printed circuit board 41. Second substrate 50 has a printed circuit board 51 and electronic components including output circuit components arranged on printed circuit board 51. Receptacle connector 52 is a USB terminal, and is connected to the upper side of printed circuit board 51 of second substrate 50 and mounted on printed circuit board 51.

[0031] The printed circuit boards 41, 51 of the boards 40, 50 are arranged along a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction Z. The housing body 20 surrounds the printed circuit board 41 of the first board 40 and the electronic components arranged on the printed circuit board 41. The inner cover 30 surrounds the printed circuit board 51 of the second board 50 and the electronic components arranged on the printed circuit board 51, and the lower end of the receptacle connector 52. The outer cover 60 surrounds the upper end of the receptacle connector 52. The printed circuit board 41 of the first board 40 may be arranged along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X or a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction Y. In this case, a part of the printed circuit board 41 of the first board 40 may extend to the inside of the inner cover 30. Conversely, the printed circuit board 51 of the second board 50 may be arranged inside the housing body 20. The configurations of the housing body 20, the inner cover 30, and the outer cover 60 will be described in detail later.

[0032] Hereinafter, each component of the wiring device 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 as appropriate. [First board] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the first board 40 is a printed wiring board including electronic components arranged on a printed circuit board 41. The first board 40 includes a power supply circuit for converting AC power supplied from an external commercial power source 104 into DC current and outputting the DC current to the receptacle connector 52 side of the second board 50. The power supply circuit is configured by electrically connecting power conversion components by wiring formed on the surface and inside of the printed circuit board 41. The first board 40 is provided with a terminal connected to the commercial power source 104. The power supply circuit has a primary side circuit which is the connection side of the commercial power source of a transformer 43 described later. The primary side circuit is connected to a secondary side circuit as described later.

[0033] The first board 40 includes a semiconductor element 42, a transformer 43, a common mode coil (not shown), an electrolytic capacitor, etc. as broadly defined power conversion components that constitute the power supply circuit. Examples of the semiconductor element 42 include a switching element, a diode, a transistor, etc. In Figs. 5 and 6, the transformer 43 is disposed on the first surface (upper surface in Figs. 5 and 6) of the printed circuit board 41, and a plurality of semiconductor elements 42 are disposed on the second surface (lower surface in Figs. 5 and 6) of the printed circuit board 41, but the arrangement of the electronic components is not limited thereto. The transformer 43 is used to step down the voltage of the secondary circuit from the voltage of the primary circuit.

[0034] The first substrate 40 may be fixed to the inner surface of the housing body 20 via a member (not shown). For example, the first substrate 40 may be fixed to the housing body 20 in a state where a heat dissipation member made of a material with high thermal conductivity is sandwiched between both ends in the left-right direction Y of the printed circuit board 41 of the first substrate 40 and the inner surface of the housing body 20. This can improve the heat dissipation of electronic components mounted on the first substrate 40 when the housing body 20 is formed from a material with high heat dissipation properties such as metal.

[0035] [Second board] Second board 50 is a printed wiring board including an output circuit arranged on printed board 51, and receptacle connector 52 described below is mounted and connected to the output circuit. Second board 50 is electrically connected to first board 40. The output circuit has a function of outputting DC power converted by the power supply circuit of first board 40 to receptacle connector 52. The output circuit has a secondary side circuit which is the power output side of transformer 43 provided on first board 40.

[0036] The second substrate 50 may be fixed to the inner surface of the inner cover 30 via a member not shown. For example, the second substrate 50 may be fixed to the inner cover 30 in a state in which a heat dissipation member made of a material with high thermal conductivity is sandwiched between both ends in the left-right direction Y of the printed circuit board 51 of the second substrate 50 and the inner surface of the inner cover 30. This can improve the heat dissipation of electronic components mounted on the second substrate 50 when the inner cover 30 is made of a material with high heat dissipation properties such as metal.

[0037] On the upper side of the second substrate 50, there are disposed electronic components such as a receptacle connector 52 and an electrolytic capacitor (not shown).

[0038] The receptacle connector 52 is disposed, for example, at the center of the upper surface of the printed circuit board 51. The receptacle connector 52 is a USB terminal to which the plug connector 102 can be connected, and is formed into a flat cylindrical shape as a whole. The type of the USB terminal is not particularly limited. The receptacle connector 52 is disposed in a state in which the plug connector 102 can be inserted and removed through the insertion port 2b, which is an opening formed in the outer cover 60. In this embodiment, the receptacle connector 52 is disposed in a state in which the plug connector 102 can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction.

[0039] [Main unit] The housing body 20 is a housing that forms an internal space 71 that houses the first board 40 on which the power conversion components are mounted, and is not exposed on the upper surface of the outlet 1. The housing body 20 is made of a resin such as melamine resin, urea resin, or ABS resin. The housing body 20 may also be made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0040] The housing body 20 is generally rectangular when viewed from above, and the lower end of a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 21 is closed by a bottom portion 22. A hole 25 is formed in the bottom portion 22 for leading a power line 105 connecting a commercial power source 104 and the first board 40 to the outside of the housing. The position of the hole 25 is not limited in the housing body 20. A cylindrical thin wall portion 21a with a rectangular cross section protrudes upward over the entire circumference on the inner peripheral side of the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 21. The lower end of an inner cover 30 described below is fitted and fixed to the thin wall portion 21a.

[0041] [Inner cover] The inner cover 30 is a housing that forms an internal space 72 that houses the second board 50, and is joined between the housing body 20 and the outer cover 60 in the vertical direction. Like the housing body 20, the inner cover 30 is not exposed on the upper surface of the outlet 1. The inner cover 30 is generally rectangular when viewed from above, and includes a tube portion 32 that has a rectangular cross section, and an upper end plate portion 33 that is joined to the upper end of the tube portion 32 and has a mountain-shaped shape when viewed from the front. The upper end plate portion 33 functions as a partition that separates the internal space 71 of the housing body 20 and the internal space 72 of the inner cover 30 from the internal space 73 of the outer cover 60 when the housing 10 is formed.

[0042] A cylindrical thin wall portion 32a having a rectangular cross section protrudes downward over the entire circumference from the outer periphery of the lower end of the tube portion 32. The thin wall portion 32a is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the thin wall portion 21a at the upper part of the housing main body 20.

[0043] The upper end plate 33 has, on its upper surface, a plurality of inclined portions inclined downward toward the ends in the left-right direction, which is a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. Specifically, the upper end plate 33 has a shape symmetrical on both left-right sides with respect to the center in the left-right direction, and has a pair of first inclined portions 34, a pair of second inclined portions 35, and a pair of third inclined portions 36 from the side closer to the center in the left-right direction.

[0044] Each first inclined portion 34 is inclined downward toward the end on the side where the first inclined portion 34 is located in the left-right direction. The pair of first inclined portions 34 are connected to each other at the center of the upper end plate portion 33 in the left-right direction. Each second inclined portion 35 is inclined downward toward the end on the side where the second inclined portion 35 is located in the left-right direction. The downward inclination of the second inclined portion 35 is steeper than the downward inclination of the first inclined portion 34. Each third inclined portion 36 is inclined downward toward the end on the side where the third inclined portion 36 is located in the left-right direction. The downward inclination of the third inclined portion 36 is gentler than the downward inclination of the second inclined portion 35. On each side of the upper end plate portion 33 in the left-right direction, the first inclined portion 34 and the third inclined portion 36 are approximately parallel. This makes it easier for liquid such as water to flow toward the left-right end along the inclination of one or more inclined portions 34, 35, 36 when liquid is splashed near the center of the upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33. Instead of the second inclined portion 35, a step surface along the vertical direction may be provided.

[0045] The inclination directions of the first inclined portion 34 and the third inclined portion 36 are not limited to being parallel, and the inclination angles downward may be different from each other. The upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33 is inclined in multiple steps on both sides in the left and right direction, but may have a single inclined portion with a single inclination angle on both sides in the left and right direction. In this example, the upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33 is symmetrical with respect to the center in the left and right direction, but the upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33 may be asymmetrical with respect to the center in the left and right direction and inclined downward from one end in the left and right direction to the other end. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of making it easier to quickly discharge liquid that has been applied near the center of the upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33 to the outside, it is preferable that the upper surface of the upper end plate portion 33 is symmetrical with respect to the center in the left and right direction and inclined downward toward the end in the left and right direction, as in the example shown in Figures 3 to 5. At both ends in the front-rear direction of the upper end plate portion 33, upper side walls 37 extending in the up-down direction and connected to the tube portion 32 are provided.

[0046] Furthermore, an inner hole 31 having a generally oval shape that is long in the left-right direction is formed in the center of the upper end plate portion 33 so as to penetrate in the up-down direction. A vertical intermediate position of a guide portion 53 (described below), which is a predetermined position from the upper end to the lower end of the receptacle connector 52, penetrates the inner hole 31. This will be described in detail later.

[0047] The inner cover 30 is made of, for example, a resin. The resin constituting the inner cover 30 is not particularly limited, similar to the housing body 20, but examples thereof include urea resin, melamine resin, and ABS resin.

[0048] [Outer cover] The outer cover 60 is a housing that surrounds the upper end of the receptacle connector 52 and is a cover that covers the upper surface of the inner cover 30 .

[0049] In the center of the upper end of the outer cover 60, an insertion opening 2b having a generally oval or other long hole shape extending in the left-right direction is formed so as to open upward and penetrate in the up-down direction. When the housing 10 is viewed from one side in the up-down direction, the inner portion of the insertion opening 2b overlaps with the inner portion of the inner hole 31. The opening of the insertion opening 2b may be slightly smaller than the opening of the inner hole 31.

[0050] As described above, the upper end surface of the outer cover 60 in which the insertion opening 2b is formed becomes the upper surface 2a of the wiring accessory 2 exposed on the upper surface of the outlet 1.

[0051] The outer cover 60 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is a stepped rectangular tube having an upper end wall portion 61 that is a generally rectangular plate-like shape that is long in the left-right direction, and step portions 62 that are joined to both left-right ends of the upper end wall portion 61. A plurality of insertion openings 2b may be formed, and the shape is not limited to a horizontally elongated shape that is long in the left-right direction, but may be a vertically elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction. In this case, the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 and the outer peripheral shape of the receptacle connector 52 are also vertically elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction.

[0052] Furthermore, grooves 64 having a rectangular cross section reaching both left and right side surfaces are formed in the front-rear middle portion of the lower end surfaces of the wall portions 63 at both left and right ends of the outer cover 60. The lower end surface of the outer cover 60 is abutted against the outer periphery of the upper end surface of the inner cover 30, and the inner cover 30 is fixed to the outer cover 60. In this state, the grooves 64 and both left and right ends of the upper surface of the inner cover 30 form gaps 65 that allow communication between the inside and outside of the outer cover 60 between the outer periphery of the inner cover 30 and the outer periphery of the outer cover 60 at both left and right ends of the housing 10. This allows liquid that falls on the upper surface of the inner cover 30 and flows along one or more inclined portions 34, 35, 36 to the left and right ends to be discharged from the gaps 65 to the outside of the housing 10.

[0053] The outer cover 60 is made of resin, but may also be made of metal. The resin constituting the outer cover 60 is not particularly limited, as is the case with the housing body 20, but examples include urea resin, melamine resin, and ABS resin.

[0054] [Receptacle connector] The receptacle connector 52 is connected to the upper side of the second board 50 and outputs DC power. Specifically, the receptacle connector 52 includes a terminal 54 that outputs DC power, and a cylindrical guide portion 53 that is coupled to the periphery of the terminal 54 and guides the plug connector 102 for connecting to the terminal 54 from above to the terminal 54. The guide portion 53 allows the plug connector 102 to be inserted and removed in the vertical direction. The guide portion 53 has a cylindrical shape whose cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction is an ellipse or the like that is long in the left-right direction. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a case where the guide portion 53 is cylindrical with an elliptical cross section. The guide portion 53 has a shape that allows the cylindrical shell (not shown) of the plug connector 102 to be fitted inside. For this reason, when the shell is cylindrical with a rectangular cross section, the guide portion 53 is also cylindrical with a rectangular cross section.

[0055] Guide portion 53 may be provided with a locking mechanism that locks the shell in accordance with a predetermined standard to which receptacle connector 52 complies. Guide portion 53 is formed of metal or resin. Guide portion 53 is formed with through hole 53a that passes through guide portion 53 from the inside to the outside. Guide portion 53 may also have a shape that does not have a through hole that passes through guide portion 53 from the inside to the outside.

[0056] Terminal 54 may be configured according to a predetermined standard to which receptacle connector 52 complies. With the shell of plug connector 102 fitted into guide portion 53, a plurality of contacts (not shown) of terminal 54 are electrically connected to a plurality of contacts housed in the shell of plug connector 102. The plurality of contacts of terminal 54 are connected to the circuit of second board 50 via wiring. As a result, DC power is output from second board 50 to electronic device 101 via terminal 54 and plug connector 102.

[0057] The upper end of the guide portion 53 is in contact with or closely faces the peripheral portion of the lower end opening of the insertion port 2b provided in the outer cover 60. This makes it possible to prevent liquid that has entered the insertion port 2b from the outside from directly entering the outside of the guide portion 53 within the inner space of the outer cover 60.

[0058] [Liquid-proof structure between guide and inner cover] As described above, the guide portion 53 of the receptacle connector 52 passes through the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 at a predetermined position in the vertical direction. In this state, the gap between the inner circumference of the inner hole 31 and the outer circumference of the guide portion 53 is sealed over the entire circumference by the sealing means 66. In this example, the sealing means 66 is a resin sealing material that is filled over the entire circumference between the inner circumference of the inner hole 31 and the outer circumference of the guide portion 53 and hardened. In FIG. 4, the sealing means 66 is shown as a sandy part. The sealing means 66 is, for example, a potting material. The potting material is provided at the predetermined position by injecting the potting material in a liquid or gel state into the predetermined position and then placing it in a thermostatic bath for a predetermined time to harden it. The potting material is, for example, a resin material such as urethane resin or epoxy resin. This makes it possible to prevent liquid from entering the internal space 70 in which the lower boards 40, 50 are located from the upper side of the inner cover 30 through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the inner hole 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the guide portion 53.

[0059] [effect] According to the above-mentioned wiring device 2, in a configuration in which the insertion opening 2b is opened facing upward, liquid such as water that has entered through the insertion opening 2b through the inside of the guide portion 53 or through the outside of the guide portion 53 can be blocked by the inner cover 30 provided under the outer cover 60. In addition, it is possible to prevent liquid from entering the position of the electronic components of each board 40, 50 through the gap between the inner cover 30 and the receptacle connector 52. In addition, it is not necessary to provide a cover that closes the outside of the insertion opening 2b in order to waterproof the electronic components. In addition, since it is not necessary to seal the gap between the upper end of the guide portion 53 of the receptacle connector 52 and the insertion opening 2b of the housing 10 with a sealant such as a potting material, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the wiring device 2 and the insertability and removal property of the connector when sealing the front side of the wiring device with a sealant. In addition, it is possible to prevent the difficulty of manufacturing work from increasing and the insertability and removal property of the connector from deteriorating when sealing the rear side of the wiring device with a sealant.

[0060] For example, in this embodiment, when sealing the gap between the inner periphery of the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 and the outer periphery of the guide portion 53 with the sealing means 66, first, in a state in which a plurality of members of the wiring device 2 other than the outer cover 60 are assembled, the sealing means 66 is injected from above between the inner hole 31 and the guide portion 53. Then, after the sealing means 66 has hardened, the outer cover 60 is attached to the assembled structure of the elements of the wiring device 2 other than the outer cover 60. In this way, the wiring device 2 is formed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the wiring device 2 and the insertability and removal property of the connector, and to facilitate the manufacturing operation when sealing the back side of the wiring device with a sealant.

[0061] In addition, the inner cover 30 has inclined portions 34, 35, 36 on the upper surface that are inclined downward toward the ends in the left-right direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. As a result, even if liquid is splashed on the upper surface of the inner cover 30, the liquid can be moved outward in the left-right direction without remaining near the center of the upper surface of the inner cover 30 in the left-right direction. This prevents the liquid from accumulating near the sealing means 66 and seeping out from the sealing means 66 to the internal space 72 of the lower inner cover 30. In addition, a gap 65 is provided between the outer peripheral edge of the inner cover and the outer peripheral edge of the outer cover at the ends in the left-right direction. This allows the liquid that has flowed along the inclined portions 34, 35, 36 to be discharged to the outside, preventing the liquid from accumulating in the housing 10.

[0062] In the configuration of this example, an elastic sealing member may be provided around the entire circumference between the inner circumferential surface of the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 and the outer circumferential surface of the guide portion 53 of the receptacle connector 52, instead of the sealing means 66. The sealing member is, for example, a ring-shaped member made of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer resin, such as an O-ring or a packing made of rubber. The sealing member is used by being elastically compressed between the inner circumferential surface of the inner hole 31 of the inner cover 30 and the outer circumferential surface of the guide portion 53 of the receptacle connector 52. Even when such a sealing member is used, it is possible to prevent liquid from entering the positions of the electronic components of each board 40, 50 through the gap between the inner cover 30 and the receptacle connector 52, as in the case of using the sealing means 66.

[0063] Also, in this example, a configuration has been described in which the vertical intermediate position of guide portion 53 penetrates inner hole 31 of inner cover 30 as the predetermined position in the vertical direction of receptacle connector 52, and the space between the inner circumferential surface of inner hole 31 and the outer circumferential surface of receptacle connector 52 is sealed over the entire circumference. On the other hand, the inner hole of inner cover 30 may be configured such that the upper end or lower end, as the predetermined position in the vertical direction of receptacle connector 52, penetrates the inner hole of inner cover 30.

[0064] The inclined portion provided on the upper surface of the inner cover may be an inclined portion inclined downward toward the end in the front-rear direction as a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. For example, the inclined portion may be provided on both sides in the front-rear direction with the inner hole 31 as the center, and each inclined portion may be shaped to be inclined downward toward the end on the side where the inclined portion is located in the front-rear direction. In addition, not only an inclined portion inclined downward toward the end in the first direction but also an inclined portion inclined downward toward the end in the second direction perpendicular to the up-down direction may be provided on the upper surface of the inner cover. In this case, for example, the first direction may be the left-right direction, and the second direction may be the front-rear direction. In this case, a gap that allows the inside and outside of the outer cover to pass through may be provided between the outer peripheral edge of the inner cover and the outer peripheral edge of the outer cover at each end in the first direction and the second direction. Also, a configuration may be made in which there is no inclined portion on the upper surface of the inner cover, but a gap that allows the inside and outside of the outer cover to pass through may be provided between the outer peripheral edge of the inner cover and the outer peripheral edge of the outer cover at the end in the first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, such as the front-rear direction. In this case, the effect of discharging liquid is inferior to the configurations of FIGS. 1 to 6, but the effect of discharging liquid that has splashed on the upper surface of the inner cover to the outside can be obtained.

[0065] [Second embodiment] 7 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 in the second embodiment. In the wiring device 210 of this example, the entire receptacle connector 52a is disposed on the upper side of the inner cover 30. A cylindrical connection member 55 is coupled to the lower end of the receptacle connector 52a, and the lower end of the connection member 55 is connected to the second board 50. The connection member 55 has a plurality of wires therein that are connected to the plurality of contactors of the terminals 54, and the plurality of wires are connected to the circuit of the second board 50. The connection member 55 passes through the circular inner hole 38 of the inner cover 30a with almost no gap. The outer cover 60 is attached to the upper side of the inner cover 30.

[0066] The upper surface of the inner cover 30 has two inclined portions 39 on the left and right sides, and is formed into a generally triangular mountain shape in front view. A sealing means 80 is provided around the entire circumference between the portion surrounding the inner hole 38 on the upper surface of the inner cover 30 and the lower surface of the receptacle connector 52a. The sealing means 80 is a ring-shaped elastic sealing member made of, for example, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, and is, for example, an O-ring or packing made of rubber. The sealing means 80 is used by being compressed between the portion surrounding the inner hole 38 on the upper surface of the inner cover 30 and the lower surface of the receptacle connector 52a. The sealing means 80 may also be a packing having a shape corresponding to the shape of the annular gap between the lower surface of the receptacle connector 52a and the upper surface of the inner cover 30 at the installation position.

[0067] In the configuration of this example, like the configurations of the above examples, water can be prevented from entering the positions of the electronic components of each board 40, 50 through the gap between the inner cover 30 and the receptacle connector 52a. In this example, other configurations and functions are the same as those of the configurations of Figures 1 to 6. In the configuration of this example, instead of the sealing means 80, a hardened resin sealant similar to that of the configurations of Figures 1 to 6 can be filled around the entire periphery between the portion surrounding the inner hole 38 on the upper surface of the inner cover 30a and the lower surface of the receptacle connector 52a.

[0068] [Third embodiment] FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 in the third embodiment. In the wiring device 220 of this example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, a resin plate-shaped partition section 82 is provided inside the housing body 20 at a position above the first board 40. A sealing member 84 such as an annular packing is provided in an elastically compressed state between the outer peripheral surface of the partition section 82 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing body 20. As a result, inside the housing 10, a space in which the first board 40 is arranged and a space in which the second board 50 is arranged are separated by the partition section 82 and the sealing member 84. Note that the wiring (not shown) connecting the first board 40 and the second board 50 can be passed through a hole formed in the vertical direction of the partition section 82 or through a vertical gap between the partition section 82 and the sealing member 84.

[0069] According to the configuration of this example, even if liquid infiltrates inside the inner cover 30 from above, the wiring device 220 is less likely to break. Specifically, the first board 40 including a circuit on the primary side of the transformer 43 is disposed below the partition 82. Therefore, since a high voltage such as 100V of a commercial power supply is input to the first board 40, if liquid infiltrates at the position of the first board 40, the electronic components included in the first board 40 are likely to be dangerously damaged. In this embodiment, even if liquid infiltrates inside the inner cover 30 from above, the liquid can be prevented from infiltrating at the position of the first board 40, so that the safety of the wiring device 220 can be improved.

[0070] On the other hand, a low voltage stepped down by the transformer 43 is input to the secondary circuit arranged above the partition 82. Therefore, even if liquid should enter the secondary circuit, the possibility of dangerous damage is low, and since liquid can be prevented from entering the primary circuit, dangerous damage to the wiring device 220 can be more reliably prevented. In this example, other configurations and functions are similar to those of FIGS. 1 to 6. Note that, although the partition 82 is arranged inside the housing body 20 in the configuration of this example, it may be arranged inside the inner cover 30.

[0071] [Fourth embodiment] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. 6 in the fourth embodiment. In the wiring device 230 of this example, the second board is divided into a plurality of second boards 50a, 50b in the configuration of FIGS. 1 to 6. The plurality of second boards 50a, 50b are electrically connected to each other. For example, the plurality of second boards 50a, 50b include an outer second board 50a arranged to surround the receptacle connector 52 under the inner cover 30, and a second board 50b arranged at a central position in the X direction. The upper surface of the central second board 50b is at a first height position T1, and the upper surface of the outer second board 50a is at a second height position T2 higher than the first height position T1. In this example, similarly to the configuration of Fig. 8, a plate-shaped partition 83 is provided inside the housing to separate the space in which the first board 40 (Fig. 5, etc.) is arranged from the space in which the second boards 50a, 50b are arranged at the middle position in the vertical direction. The partition 83 is disposed near the second boards 50a, 50b.

[0072] A protrusion 83a is formed on the upper surface of the partition 83, protruding upward from the arrangement position of the central second board 50b. The central second board 50b is connected to the receptacle connector 52b. On the other hand, the outer second board 50a is arranged laterally away from the receptacle connector 52b. In the case of water ingress, electronic components such as an electrolytic capacitor 90, a semiconductor element 91, and a control IC 92, which are more likely to be damaged by water ingress than the connection portion to the receptacle connector 52, are arranged on this second board 50a. The electrolytic capacitor 90 is arranged on the upper surface of the second board 50a, and the semiconductor element 91 and the control IC 92 are arranged on the lower surface of the second board 50a. In addition, some electronic components such as the semiconductor element 91 contact the upper surface 83b of the protrusion 83a. Instead of the semiconductor element 91, another electronic component such as a control IC 92 may be arranged.

[0073] Such a wiring device 230 includes a second board 50b to which a receptacle connector 52b is connected and whose upper surface is at a first height position T1, and a second board 50a having electronic components, whose upper surface is at a second height position T2 higher than the first height position T1 and disposed laterally away from the receptacle connector 52b. As a result, even if water leaks downward from between the inner cover 30 and the receptacle connector 52b due to damage to the sealing means 66 or the like, the water flows down along the vicinity of the outer circumferential surface of the receptacle connector 52b and is likely to reach the upper surface of the second board 50b, and furthermore, is likely to flow to a position lower than the upper surface, so that it is difficult for the water to reach the upper surface of the second board 50a. As a result, the electronic components disposed on the second board 50a, particularly the electronic components disposed on the upper surface of the second board 50a, are less likely to be inundated with water.

[0074] 9, even if electronic components such as a semiconductor element 91 and a control IC 92 are arranged on the lower surface of the second substrate 50a, the electronic components are located away from the upper surface of the second substrate 50b, and the upper surface 83b of the protrusion 83a, which contacts the lower surface of the electronic components, is separated from the upper surface of the second substrate 50b by a groove 88 recessed downward and formed by the protrusion 83a and the second substrate 50a. This makes it difficult for water to enter the electronic components arranged on the lower surface of the second substrate 50a. This improves the safety of parts that are highly susceptible to failure due to water ingress. In this example, other configurations and operations are similar to those of the configurations in FIGS.

[0075] The above-mentioned embodiments may be appropriately modified in design without impairing the purpose of the present disclosure. The wiring device for supplying DC power according to the present disclosure may be a form that selectively combines the components of the embodiments and modified examples. For example, in the above-mentioned examples, the board provided in the housing 10 is divided into a plurality of boards 40, 50, 50a, and 50b, but the board provided in the housing may be only one. For example, one board may be provided with a circuit that converts AC power into DC current and a circuit that is connected to a receptacle connector and outputs DC current to the receptacle connector.

[0076] The configuration of the present disclosure described above is as follows. (Configuration 1) A substrate; a receptacle connector connected to an upper side of the board, the receptacle connector having a cylindrical guide portion and a terminal inside the guide portion; a housing that accommodates the board and the receptacle connector; The housing includes: A housing body having a cylindrical peripheral wall portion; an inner cover attached to cover an upper end of the housing body and having an inner hole extending therethrough in a vertical direction; an outer cover attached to the upper side of the inner cover so as to cover the inner cover, the outer cover having an insertion port for inserting a plug connector facing upward at an upper portion thereof; a sealing means is provided between the inner hole or a portion surrounding the inner hole of the inner cover and the receptacle connector; A wiring device that supplies power. (Configuration 2) a predetermined position from the upper end to the lower end of the receptacle connector passes through the inner hole, and the gap between the inner periphery of the inner hole and the outer periphery of the receptacle connector is sealed by the sealing means; A wiring device for supplying the power according to configuration 1. (Configuration 3) The inner cover has, on its upper surface, at least an inclined portion that is inclined downward toward an end in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. A wiring device for supplying the power according to configuration 1 or 2. (Configuration 4) A gap is provided between the outer peripheral edge of the inner cover and the outer peripheral edge of the outer cover at the end in the first direction, allowing the inside and outside of the outer cover to communicate with each other. A wiring device for supplying power according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 5) the board is a second board having a secondary circuit on the power output side, a first board connected to the secondary circuit, disposed below the second board, and having a primary circuit connected to a commercial power source; the first substrate includes a transformer for stepping down a voltage of the secondary circuit to a voltage lower than a voltage of the primary circuit, A partition portion is provided inside the housing to separate a space in which the first substrate is disposed from a space in which the second substrate is disposed. A wiring device for supplying power according to any one of configurations 1 to 4. (Configuration 6) the board is a board to which the receptacle connector is connected and whose top surface is at a first height position; a substrate having an electronic component, a top surface of which is at a second height level higher than the first height level and which is laterally spaced apart from the receptacle connector; A wiring device for supplying power according to any one of configurations 1 to 5. (Configuration 7) Supplying DC power, A wiring device for supplying power according to any one of configurations 1 to 6. (Configuration 8) USB outlet device, A wiring device for supplying the power according to configuration 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 Outlet, 2,200,210,220,230 Wiring device (wiring device) for supplying power, 2a,3a Front, 2b,3b Insertion port, 3 Power outlet device, 4 Decorative plate, 4a Opening, 10 Housing, 20 Housing body, 21 Peripheral wall portion, 22 Bottom portion, 30,30a Inner cover, 31,31a Inner hole, 32 Cylinder portion, 33 Upper end plate portion, 34 First inclined portion, 35 Second inclined portion, 36 Third inclined portion, 37 Side wall portion, 38 Inner hole, 40 First board, 41,51 Printed board, 42 Semiconductor element, 43 Transformer, 44 Common mode coil, 45,53 Electrolytic capacitor, 50 Second board, 51 Printed board, 52,52a Receptacle connector, 53 Guide portion, 55 Connection member, 60 Outer cover, 61 Upper end wall portion, 62 step portion, 63 wall portion, 64 groove portion, 65 gap, 66 sealing means, 70, 71, 72, 73 internal space, 80 sealing member, 82, 83 partition portion, 84 sealing member, 88 groove portion, 90 electrolytic capacitor, 100 top plate, 101 electronic device, 102 plug connector, 103 cable, 104 commercial power source, 105 power line.

Claims

1. A substrate; a receptacle connector connected to an upper side of the board, the receptacle connector having a cylindrical guide portion and a terminal inside the guide portion; a housing that accommodates the board and the receptacle connector; The housing includes: A housing body having a cylindrical peripheral wall portion; an inner cover attached to cover an upper end of the housing body and having an inner hole extending therethrough in a vertical direction; an outer cover attached to the upper side of the inner cover so as to cover the inner cover, the outer cover having an insertion port for inserting a plug connector facing upward at an upper portion thereof; a sealing means is provided between the inner hole or a portion surrounding the inner hole of the inner cover and the receptacle connector; A wiring device that supplies power.

2. a predetermined position from the upper end to the lower end of the receptacle connector passes through the inner hole, and the gap between the inner periphery of the inner hole and the outer periphery of the receptacle connector is sealed by the sealing means; A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

3. The inner cover has, on an upper surface thereof, at least an inclined portion inclined downward toward an end in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

4. A gap is provided between an outer peripheral edge portion of the inner cover and an outer peripheral edge portion of the outer cover at the end in the first direction, allowing the inside and outside of the outer cover to communicate with each other. A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

5. the board is a second board having a secondary circuit on the power output side, a first board connected to the secondary circuit, disposed below the second board, and having a primary circuit connected to a commercial power source; the first substrate includes a transformer for lowering a voltage of the secondary circuit to a voltage lower than a voltage of the primary circuit, A partition portion is provided inside the housing to separate a space in which the first substrate is disposed from a space in which the second substrate is disposed. A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

6. the board is a board to which the receptacle connector is connected and whose top surface is at a first height position; a substrate having an electronic component, the substrate having a top surface at a second height level higher than the first height level and disposed laterally away from the receptacle connector; A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

7. Supplying DC power, A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 1.

8. It is a USB outlet device. A wiring device for supplying electric power according to claim 7.

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