Wall unit

Abstract

To provide a wall unit scarcely causing damage of a suspension member by excessive external force, allowing a user to insert a plug of a nurse call slave unit into a connector without performing a troublesome operation, and capable of increasing a degree of freedom in designing a shape and size of the suspension member.SOLUTION: A base unit 10 to be fitted into an opening of a cover plate, includes a base 12 provided to protrude forward from a base surface 11, a connector 20 provided inside the base 12 in such a manner that a connector pin 21 faces downward at a prescribed inclination angle with respect to a front surface, and a holder 30 for suspending a nurse call slave unit, detachably attached to the base 12, where the holder 30 is non-rotationally mounted on the base 12, with both surfaces of the base 12 and the holder 30 coming into contact with each other at a plurality of positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wall unit embedded in a wall surface in a nurse call system.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a nurse call system includes a nurse call slave unit installed on the bedside or the like, a wall unit embedded in the wall surface such as the bedside, a corridor light installed near the entrance of the ward, and a nurse call master unit installed in a nurse station or the like where medical staff such as nurses are stationed.

[0003] There are various types of wall units. For example, there is a wall unit called a wall-embedded slave unit that has a socket for connecting a plug provided at the tip of the cord of the nurse call slave unit and is capable of making a call with a call button, a speaker, and a microphone. There is also a wall unit called an outlet that has a socket for connecting the plug of the nurse call slave unit but does not have a call button, a speaker, and a microphone.

[0004] Conventionally, a wall unit (plate slave unit) in which a connector for connecting the plug of the nurse call slave unit and a hook for suspending the hanger of the nurse call slave unit are arranged side by side on the front surface of the plate is known. Also, in view of the problems that the plate slave unit becomes large in size and dust and the like easily accumulate on the connector because the connector is always exposed, a nurse call slave unit that is small and difficult for dust and the like to accumulate on the connector has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] In the plate slave unit described in Patent Document 1, a hook for hanging the hanger of the hand-shaped slave unit is provided so as to be rotatable at a position where its tongue piece portion covers the front of the insertion hole of the plate-side connector. Further, the rear surface of the tongue piece portion has a shape that bulges forward, and a space is formed between the rear surface of the bulging tongue piece portion and the insertion hole for allowing a cable extending from the hand-side connector inserted into the plate-side connector in the storage box through the insertion hole to escape to the outside of the hook.

[0006] Also, in the plate slave unit described in Patent Document 1, the plate-side connector is attached in a posture such that the pins of the plate-side connector face downward at an inclination angle of 20° to 30° with respect to the installation surface of the plate slave unit. By doing so, when connecting the hand-side connector to the plate-side connector, compared with the conventional connector structure in which the connector was inserted in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface, the protruding amount of the hand-side connector from the installation surface is made smaller.

[0007] According to the description of Patent Document 1, it is possible to achieve miniaturization compared to the conventional nurse call slave unit in which the connector and the hook are arranged side by side on the front surface of the plate. Further, since the tongue piece portion of the hook covers the front of the insertion hole, it becomes difficult for dust and the like to enter the storage box from the insertion hole, and it is possible to prevent dust and the like from accumulating in the main body case and the connector.

[0008] However, in the plate slave unit described in Patent Document 1, in order to make the hook rotatable, the hook has a structure in which it is only pivotally supported by inserting a shaft portion provided at its upper end into a bearing portion of the main body case. Therefore, when the hand-shaped slave unit is forcibly pulled while the hanger of the hand-shaped slave unit is suspended on the hook, or when the body of a patient or a nurse strongly hits the hook, an excessive external force is applied to the hook, and there is a problem that the pivot support structure portion of the hook may be damaged.

[0009] In addition, in the plate slave unit described in Patent Document 1, the hand-side connector cannot be inserted into the plate-side connector unless the hook is rotated to expose the insertion hole. Therefore, there is also a problem that it is troublesome because the hook needs to be rotated one by one every time the connector is inserted and removed.

[0010] In addition, in the plate slave unit described in Patent Document 1, due to the structure in which the hook can be rotated by inserting the shaft portion of the hook into the bearing portion of the main body case, the hook has to be integrally formed with the main body case. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 of Patent Document 1, in order to house the storage box on the back side of the wall surface and expose the main body case on the front side of the wall surface for use, it is necessary to design the main body case and the hook integrally formed therewith to have a size that can pass through the opening of the decorative panel installed on the front side of the wall surface. As a result, there is also a problem that the degree of freedom in design regarding the shape and size of the hook is reduced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0011]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is difficult for the suspension member to be damaged by excessive external force, the plug of the nurse call slave unit can be inserted into the connector without performing troublesome operations, and it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in design regarding the shape and size of the suspension member. An object is to provide a wall unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] In order to solve the above-described problems, in the wall unit of the present invention, in a base unit fitted into an opening of a cover plate installed on a wall surface, a base is projected forward from a base surface, and a connector is provided inside the base in such a manner that a connector pin faces downward at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the front front surface, and a holder (suspension member) for suspending a nurse call sub-unit is detachably attached to the base. In the present invention, the holder is configured to be non-rotatably attached to the base in a state where mounting surfaces of both the base and the holder are in contact with each other at a plurality of locations.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention configured as described above, since the connector is provided inside the base in such a posture that the connector pin faces downward, the base serves as a dustproof function, and it is possible to prevent dust from accumulating on the connector. For this reason, in the present invention, since there is no need to provide a structure for rotating a cover member to cover the front of the connector, the plug of the nurse call sub-unit can be inserted into the connector without performing a troublesome operation of rotating the cover member one by one. Further, according to the present invention, since the mounting surfaces of both the base and the holder are in contact with each other at a plurality of locations and the holder is non-rotatably attached to the base, a shaft support structure for making it rotatable is not required, and the holder is firmly fixed to the base. Therefore, even when an excessive external force is applied to the holder, the holder can be made less likely to break. Further, according to the present invention, since the holder is detachably attached to the base, there is no need to design the holder to have a size that can pass through the opening of the cover plate, and the degree of freedom in designing the shape and size of the holder can be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a wall unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a wall unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3]It is a figure which shows the structural example of the holder by this Embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a figure which shows the structural example of the holder by this Embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a figure which shows the state which suspended the hand-shaped slave unit to the holder of this Embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a configuration example of a wall unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2(a) is a front view, and FIG. 2(b) is an A-A cross-sectional view. The wall unit 1 of this embodiment is installed embedded in a wall surface in a nurse call system, and is configured to include a base unit 10, a connector 20, a holder 30, and a wiring box 40.

[0017] The base unit 10 is fitted into an opening 51 of a cover plate 50 installed on the wall surface. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the base unit 10 includes a base 12 protruding forward from a base surface 11 and a push button 13. The base surface 11 is a surface of the base unit 10 where the base 12 and the push button 13 are not provided, and is configured by a flat plane or a slightly curved curved surface. The width of the base 12 is narrower than the width of the opening 51 of the cover plate 50 and is slightly narrower than the width of the base unit 10 fitted into the opening 51. The push button 13 is, for example, a call button, a recovery button, or the like. Note that it is not essential to provide the push button 13, and it may be omitted.

[0018] The base unit 10 is provided with a mounting plate 16 on the back side (the side opposite to the surface side where the base 12 protrudes). A wiring box 40 is provided on the back side of the mounting plate 16. The mounting plate 16 is used when attaching the wall unit 1 to the wall surface by screwing. Screw holes are provided near the upper and lower ends. When installing the wall unit 1 on the wall surface, the wiring box 40 is embedded inside the hole provided in the wall surface, the mounting plate 16 is screwed to the wall surface, and the cover plate 50 is installed thereon. When the cover plate 50 is installed, only the base unit 10 can be seen from the front side of the wall surface.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the connector 20 is provided inside the base 12 provided in the base unit 10 in such a posture that the connector pins 21 face downward at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the front. The connector 20 has a cylindrical body except for one tip portion, and forms a bulging portion 12a formed by molding the central portion of the base 12 to bulge partially cylindrically in accordance with the cylindrical shape. Wiring (not shown) is laid from the tip side of the connector 20 into the wiring box 40.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2(b), most of the connector 20 is located in front of the base surface 11, and the entire insertion port 22 of the connector 20 exists in front of the base surface 11. Since the insertion port 22 protrudes in front of the base surface 11 in this way, it is easy to insert the plug of the nurse call sub-unit into the insertion port 22.

[0021] In addition, since the connector 20 is provided inside the base 12 in a posture facing downward, the base 12 serves as a dustproof function, and it is possible to prevent dust from accumulating on the connector 20. Thus, in the wall unit 1 of the present embodiment, when inserting and removing the plug of the nurse call sub-unit with respect to the connector 20, it is not necessary to perform a troublesome operation of rotating the hook one by one as described in Patent Document 1.

[0022] The holder 30 is for suspending a nurse call sub-unit in a wall unit provided on a wall surface, and is detachably attached to the base 12 of the base unit 10. Fig. 1(a) shows a state where the holder 30 is not attached to the base 12, and Fig. 1(b) shows a state where the holder 30 is attached to the base 12.

[0023] Here, the holder 30 is non-rotatably attached to the base 12 in a state where the mounting surfaces of both the base 12 and the holder 30 (the outer surface of the base 12 and the inner surface of the holder 30) are in contact with each other at a plurality of locations. As shown in Fig. 2, the base 12 is configured to cover the connector 20, most of which is located in front of the base surface 11. For this reason, the base 12 protrudes greatly forward from the base surface 11 and has a configuration that enables it to have a large mounting surface that contacts the inner surface of the holder 30.

[0024] Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing a configuration example of the holder 30. Fig. 3(a) is a top view of the holder 30, Fig. 3(b) is a front view, Fig. 3(c) is a bottom view, and Fig. 3(d) is a right side view. Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Fig. 3(b), and Fig. 4(b) is a view seen from the direction of arrow C in Fig. 3(d).

[0025] The holder 30 includes a base 31 having a mounting portion 31a with a concave structure formed to fit into the base 12, and a pair of clamping pieces 32 protruding from the left and right side surfaces of the base 31. The entire holder 30 including the base 31 and the pair of clamping pieces 32 is made of an elastic member (for example, an elastomer material which is a polymer material having elasticity at normal temperature).

[0026] Each of the pair of clamping pieces 32 is composed of a substantially L-shaped arm piece having a forward extension portion 32a extending forward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 12 and an inward extension portion 32b extending inward by bending from the end of the forward extension portion 32a, and the tips of the pair of inward extension portions 32b are configured to face each other with a gap 32c therebetween.

[0027] Since a pair of clamping pieces 32 project from the left and right side surfaces of the base portion 31, the lateral width of the holder 30 including the pair of clamping pieces 32 is wider than the lateral width of the base portion 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the lateral width of the base portion 31 is slightly narrower than the lateral width of the base unit 10, and since the lateral width of the base unit 10 is approximately the same as the lateral width of the opening 51 of the cover plate 50, the lateral width of the holder 30 including the pair of clamping pieces 32 is wider than the lateral width of the opening 51 of the cover plate 50. In the present embodiment, since the holder 30 is configured to be detachably attached to the base 12, there is no need to design the holder 30 to be sized to pass through the opening 51 of the cover plate 50, and it is possible to configure it to be wider than the opening 51.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the hook 101 of the hand-shaped slave unit 100 is suspended from the pair of clamping pieces 32. As described above, the pair of clamping pieces 32 are configured in a substantially L shape, and a part of the L shape is an inward extension portion 32b that extends inward. The distance between the front extension portions 32a is configured to be larger than the width of the hook 101, and the width of the gap 32c provided between the pair of inward extension portions 32b is configured to be narrower than the width of the hook 101. Therefore, the hook 101 of the hand-shaped slave unit 100 can be stably suspended by the pair of inward extension portions 32b. Here, since the holder 30 is configured to be wider than the base unit 10, it is possible to suspend the hook 101 that is wider than the base unit 10 from the holder 30. In FIG. 5, a configuration in which the hook 101 is integrally provided on the main body of the hand-shaped slave unit 100 is shown, but the hook 101 may be integrally provided on an attachment that is detachably configured on the main body of the hand-shaped slave unit 100.

[0029] The mounting portion 31a, which has a concave structure inside the base portion 31, is configured in a shape that fits the outer shape of the base 12. Specifically, among the mounting portions 31a of the base portion 31, for the portion facing the bulging portion 12a of the base 12, two ribs 33 formed in accordance with the shape of the bulging portion 12a project from the inner surface of the concave structure, and the end surfaces of the ribs 33 are configured to contact the bulging portion 12a. Also, for the portion of the mounting portion 31a of the base portion 31 that faces other than the bulging portion 12a of the base 12, the outer surface of the base 12 and the inner surface of the mounting portion 31a are configured to be in surface contact as a whole. Note that, including the portion facing the bulging portion 12a of the base 12, the outer surface of the base 12 and the inner surface of the holder 30 may be configured to be in surface contact as a whole.

[0030] Also, at the lower end of the opening of the concave structure of the holder 30, convex locking portions 34, 35 that protrude inward are provided. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the base 12 with which the holder 30 fits has concave locking portions 14, 15 at the lower end in contact with the base surface 11, which are in an engaged state with the convex locking portions 34, 35. One of the concave locking portions 14 is provided at two locations on the left and right near the upper end of the base 12, and one of the convex locking portions 34 of the holder 30 engages with this. The other concave locking portion 15 is provided at two locations on the left and right near the lower end of the base 12, and the other convex locking portion 35 of the holder 30 engages with this.

[0031] As described above, the base portion 31 is constituted by an elastic member and is configured such that the opening width of the mounting portion 31a can be expanded. When the holder 30 is mounted on the base 12 while expanding the opening width of the mounting portion 31a, the base portion 31 preferably grips the base 12 by its elastic force, and the convex locking portions 34, 35 of the holder 30 engage with the concave locking portions 14, 15 of the base 12.

[0032] By configuring the base 12 of the base unit 10 and the base 31 of the holder 30 as described above, the holder 30 is firmly attached to the base 12 in a non-rotatable state. That is, in the wall unit 1 of the present embodiment, compared with the configuration in which the hook is attached to the main body case only by pivot support so that the hook can rotate as in Patent Document 1, the holder 30 can be firmly fixed to the base 12, and there is no need to provide a rotation mechanism that is easily broken by excessive external force. Therefore, even when an excessive external force is applied to the holder 30, it is possible to make the holder 30 less likely to break.

[0033] Further, in the holder 30 of the present embodiment, the pair of clamping pieces 32 are also constituted by elastic members. For this reason, even when the hand-shaped slave unit 100 is forcibly pulled while the hook 101 of the hand-shaped slave unit 100 is suspended from the clamping piece 32 of the holder 30 as shown in FIG. 5, the clamping piece 32 expands laterally and the width of the gap 32c becomes larger, and the hook 101 can be made to be in a state where it is easily detached therefrom. Thereby, damage to the holder 30 and the hook 101 can be prevented. By also configuring the hook 101 with an elastic member, it is possible to more effectively prevent damage to the holder 30 and the hook 101.

[0034] Note that the locking structure between the base 12 and the holder 30 described above is an example and is not limited thereto. For example, a rail-shaped groove may be provided at the lower end portion in contact with the base surface 11 of the base 12, and a rail-shaped rib may be provided at the lower end portion of the opening of the concave structure of the holder 30, and the holder 30 may be slid downward from above the base 12 (the side where the push button 13 is provided) so that the rib is fitted into the groove. In this case, the base 31 may not be an elastic member, and only the pair of clamping pieces 32 may be constituted by elastic members.

[0035] As explained in detail above, in the wall unit 1 of this embodiment, the connector 20 is provided inside the base 12 of the base unit 10 with the connector pins 21 facing downward, which makes it difficult for dust to accumulate in the connector 20. Therefore, in the wall unit 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to perform an operation such as rotating a cover member provided to cover the socket 22 of the connector 20, and the plug of the nurse call handset 100 can be inserted into and removed from the connector 20 without having to perform a cumbersome operation each time.

[0036] Furthermore, in the wall unit 1 of this embodiment, the holder 30 is mounted non-rotatably on the base 12 with the mounting surfaces of both the base 12 of the base unit 10 and the holder 30 contacting each other at multiple points, so there is no need to provide a pivotal support structure to allow rotation, and the holder 30 can be firmly fixed to the base 12. This makes it possible to make the holder 30 less likely to break even if excessive external force is applied to the holder 30.

[0037] Furthermore, in the wall unit 1 of this embodiment, the holder 30 is detachably attached to the base 12, so there is no need to design the holder 30 to a shape or size that allows it to pass through the opening 51 of the cover plate 50, which increases the degree of freedom in designing the shape and size of the holder 30. Note that the shape and size of the holder 30 shown in the above embodiment are examples and are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the shape of the base 12 is also an example and is not limited thereto.

[0038] Furthermore, the configurations of the various parts shown in the above embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereby. In other words, the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from its spirit or main features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 wall unit 10 Base unit 11 Base surface 12 Foundation 14, 15 Concave locking parts 20 Connector 21 Connector pin 22 Insertion port 30 Holder 31 Base part [[ID=**********]]32 Clamping piece 32a Front extension 32b Inner extension 33 Rib 34, 35 Convex locking parts 40 Wiring box 50 Cover plate 51 Opening

Claims

1. A wall unit embedded in a wall surface in a nurse call system, comprising: a base unit fitted into an opening of a cover plate installed on the wall surface; a connector provided inside a base protruding forward from a base surface in the base unit, the connector pins being provided in a posture such that the lower sides face forward at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the front; a holder for suspending a nurse call sub-unit, which is detachably attached to the base; the holder is non-rotatably attached to the base in a state where mounting surfaces of both the base and the holder are in contact with each other at a plurality of locations; A wall unit characterized by the above.

2. The holder includes: a base portion having a concave structure formed to fit with the base; a pair of clamping pieces protruding from left and right side surfaces of the base portion; at least the pair of clamping pieces are constituted by elastic members. The wall unit according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The holder includes: the whole including the base portion and the pair of clamping pieces is constituted by an elastic member; the concave structure of the base portion is configured in a shape that fits with the outer shape of the base; a convex locking portion protruding inward at a lower end of an opening of the concave structure; The base includes: a concave locking portion provided at a lower end in contact with the base surface, the concave locking portion being in an engaged state with the convex locking portion. The wall unit according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

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