Connection tool

Abstract

To provide a connection tool that is disposed on a panel such as a switchboard, interconnects electric wires on the inside and outside of the panel, and has a configuration facilitating attachment operations to the panel compared to a conventional configuration.SOLUTION: A separation type terminal strip 3 interconnecting electric wires Ei and Eo is disposed inside a housing 2 disposed outside a panel P, and when a cover 7 is removed from a base 6 fixed to the panel P to open the housing 2, the terminal strip 3 is separated to two terminal strip pieces 10 and 11. An other-side electric wire wiring space 22 for wiring the electric wire Ei inside the panel is disposed beside the terminal strip 3 inside the housing 2, an other-side electric wire insertion part 20 communicating the outside of the housing 2 and the other-side electric wire wiring space 22 with each other is disposed on the base 6, and the base 6 is brought into contact with the periphery of an opening hole H in the panel P, with the other-side electric wire insertion opening 20 superimposed on the opening hole H formed in the panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector that is disposed on a panel to interconnect electrical wires on one side of the panel with electrical wires on the other side of the panel. [Background technology]

[0002] A well-known conventional connector for detachably interconnecting electric wires inside and outside a panel is one in which electric wires inside the panel are connected to a fixed connector fixed to the panel, and electric wires outside the panel are connected to a detachable connector that is detachable from the fixed connector (see Patent Document 1). In many of these connectors, the detachable connector is covered with a cover for the purpose of dustproofing, waterproofing, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-270294 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connection device described in Patent Document 1 fixes the fixed connector by fitting it into an opening hole formed in the panel, so it is necessary to form an opening hole in the panel at the work site that is sized and shaped to match the fixed connector.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a connector for interconnecting electric wires inside and outside a panel, which has a configuration that makes installation easier than conventional configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a connector disposed on one side of a panel for detachably connecting electric wires on one side of the panel to electric wires on the other side of the panel, the connector comprising: a housing; and a terminal block for interconnecting the electric wires on one side of the panel to the electric wires on the other side within the housing; the housing comprises a base fixed to one side of the panel and a cover attached to the base; the interior of the housing can be opened by removing the cover from the base; the terminal block comprises a fixed-side terminal block piece attached to the base and having an other-side electric wire connection portion for connecting the electric wires on the other side of the panel; and a detachable-side terminal block piece attached to the cover and having one-side electric wire connection portion for connecting the electric wires on one side of the panel; This connection device is configured so that the fixed side terminal block piece and the detachable side terminal block piece are separated and joined as the cover is attached or detached to the base, and inside the housing, an other-side wire wiring space for wiring the electric wires on the other side of the panel is arranged next to the terminal block, the base has an other-side wire insertion portion that can communicate between the outside of the housing and the other-side wire wiring space, and the other-side wire insertion portion is abutted against the periphery of an opening hole formed in the panel when overlapped with the opening hole, and is configured so that when the housing is open, the electric wires on the other side of the panel can be inserted from the other-side wire insertion portion into the other-side wire wiring space and connected to the other-side wire connection portion.

[0007] The connector of the present invention does not fit the housing base into the panel opening, but fixes the other-side wire insertion portion to one side of the panel while overlapping the panel opening. Therefore, the panel opening only needs to be large enough to allow the wires on the other side of the panel to pass through, and does not need to be formed in a size or shape that matches the connector. As such, the connector of the present invention has fewer restrictions on the size and shape of the opening formed in the panel, making it easier to install on the panel than conventional configurations. Furthermore, the present invention has the advantage that the wires on the other side of the panel are pulled out to one side through the panel opening and connected to the terminal block on the other side of the panel, allowing wires on both sides of the panel to be connected to the terminal block on one side of the panel.

[0008] In the present invention, a one-side wire wiring space for wiring the electric wires of one side of the panel is arranged inside the housing, opposite the other-side wire wiring space across the terminal block, the other-side wire connection portion is arranged closer to the other-side wire wiring space of the terminal block, and the one-side wire connection portion is arranged closer to the one-side wire wiring space of the terminal block, and the cover has a one-side wire insertion portion that can communicate between the outside of the housing and the one-side wire wiring space, and when the housing is open, the electric wires of one side of the panel can be inserted from the one-side wire insertion portion into the one-side wiring space and connected to the one-side wire connection portion.

[0009] With this configuration, the electric wires on one side and the other side of the panel can be connected to the terminal block without interfering with each other inside the housing. Also, with the connection device in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to remove the cover (rubber cover 41) when connecting the electric wires on the outside of the panel to the terminal fittings, but with this configuration, the electric wires on one side of the panel can be connected to the one-side electric wire connection part while the separate-side terminal block piece remains attached to the cover, so the electric wires on one side of the panel can be easily connected to the connection device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the connector of the present invention can be more easily attached to a panel than conventional configurations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector 1 seen from a different angle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the connector 1 in use. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector 1 with the housing 2 open. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector 1 with the housing 2 open, seen from a different angle. [Figure 6] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a separation part 5 is removed from a panel P. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a separation part 5 is removed from a panel P. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fixing part 4 fixed to the panel P. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a separation unit 5. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a fixed terminal block piece 10, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a detachable terminal block piece 11. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views of a terminal block 3, in which (A) shows terminal block pieces 10 and 11, and (B) shows the connected state of the terminal block pieces 10 and 11. FIG. [Figure 14] 1A is a plan view of the connector 1 with the base 6 and the cover 7 engaged, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the connector 1 with the base 6 and the cover 7 disengaged. [Figure 15] 1A and 1B are enlarged perspective views of the connector 1, in which (A) shows the lock piece 42 in an unlocked position 45, and (B) shows the lock piece 42 in a locked position 46. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector 1. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector 1 in use. [Figure 18] 10 is a perspective view of the fixing portion 4 showing a connection mode of the inner electric wire Ei. FIG. [Figure 19] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fixing portion 4 showing a connection mode of the inner electric wire Ei. FIG. [Figure 20] 10 is an explanatory diagram of a separation portion 5 showing a connection mode of an outer electric wire Eo. FIG. [Figure 21] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a separation portion 5 showing a connection mode of an outer electric wire Eo. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following examples. In the following examples, the outside of the panel P corresponds to one side of the panel according to the present invention, and the outer wire insertion opening 21, the outer wire wiring space 23, and the outer wire connection hole 30b correspond to the one-side wire insertion portion, the one-side wire wiring space, and the one-side wire connection portion, respectively. The inside of the panel P corresponds to the other side of the panel according to the present invention, and the inner wire insertion opening 20, the inner wire wiring space 22, and the inner wire connection hole 30a correspond to the other-side wire insertion portion, the other-side wire wiring space, and the other-side wire connection portion, respectively.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connection device 1 includes a housing 2 having a substantially rectangular box shape and a terminal block 3 accommodated inside the housing 2. The connection device 1 is attached to the outer surface of a panel P of a switchboard D, as shown in FIG. 3. The back side of the housing 2 (the side that abuts against the panel P) is formed with an inner wire insertion opening 20 through which electric wires inside the panel P, i.e., inside the switchboard D, can be inserted into the housing 2. The lower part of the housing 2 is formed with an outer wire insertion opening 21 through which electric wires Eo outside the panel P, i.e., outside the switchboard D, can be inserted into the housing 2. The connection device 1 is configured to interconnect electric wires E inside and outside the panel P inserted into the housing 2 using the terminal block 3 inside the housing 2. In the following description, the side that abuts against the panel P on its outer surface will be referred to as the back side of the connection device 1, and the opposite side will be referred to as the front side of the connection device 1. The connecting device 1 can be arranged in various orientations depending on the orientation and purpose of the panel to which it is attached, and the up, down, left, and right directions shown in the following explanation and in the figures are for convenience in making the explanation easier to understand.

[0014] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the interior of the housing 2 of the connecting device 1 can be opened by removing the separation part 5 attached to the fixed part 4 from the fixed part 4, which is fixed to the outer surface of the panel P. Specifically, the housing 2 is configured to be separable into a base 6 that constitutes the fixed part 4 and a cover 7 that constitutes the separation part 5. The base 6 is fixed to the panel P, and the cover 7 is detachably engaged with the base 6 by a pair of left and right engagement levers 8 disposed on both the left and right sides of the base 6.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the terminal block 3 inside the housing 2 is a separable terminal block that can be separated into two terminal block pieces 10 and 11. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, one of the terminal block pieces is a fixed terminal block piece 10 that is fixed to the base 6 and is connected to an electric wire Ei inside the panel P (hereinafter also referred to as the "inner electric wire Ei"). The other terminal block piece is a separable terminal block piece 11 that is fixed to the cover 7 and is connected to an electric wire Eo outside the panel P (hereinafter also referred to as the "outer electric wire Eo"). The two terminal block pieces 10 and 11 are configured to be separated and connected together as the cover 7 is attached to or detached from the base 6. That is, when the cover 7 is attached, the electric wires Ei and Eo inside and outside the panel P are interconnected by the terminal block 3, and when the cover 7 is removed, the connection between the two electric wires Ei and Eo is severed.

[0016] The configuration of each part of the connector 1 will be described in detail below.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 8, the fixed part 4 includes a resin base 6, a fixed terminal block piece 10 to which the inner electric wires Ei are connected, and a pair of engagement levers 8 for engaging the base 6 with the cover 7. The base 6 includes a rectangular bottom plate portion 13 that abuts against the surface of the panel P, and side plate portions 14 that extend from the outer periphery of the bottom plate portion 13 to the front side. The bottom plate portion 13 of the base 6 is formed with an inner wire insertion opening 20 that opens the upper space inside the housing 2 to the back side. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the fixed terminal block piece 10 is disposed approximately in the center of the inside of the side plate portion 14 and is engaged with an engagement portion 15 formed on the inner periphery of the side plate portion 14. The left and right engagement levers 8 are rotatably supported on both upper and lower edges of the bottom plate portion 13.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 9 , the fixing part 4 is fixed to the panel P with screws or the like in a state in which the bottom plate part 13 of the base 6 is abutted against the outer surface of the panel P. When fixing the fixing part 4 to the panel P, an opening H is formed through which the inner electric wire Ei can be inserted, and the inner electric wire insertion opening 20 is positioned so as to overlap the opening H. This makes it possible to pull the inner electric wire Ei out of the panel P from the opening H and insert it into the housing 2 through the inner electric wire insertion opening 20. Also, as shown in FIG. 5 , a gasket 26 is disposed on the back side of the bottom plate part 13 so as to surround the inner electric wire insertion opening 20, and the fixing part 4 is configured to be able to closely contact the outer surface of the panel P by abutting the gasket 26 against the periphery of the opening H of the panel P.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10 , the separation section 5 includes a resin cover 7 and a separation-side terminal block piece 11 to which the outer electric wire Eo is connected. The cover 7 includes a rectangular top plate 17 that forms the front side of the housing 2, an outer peripheral wall 18 that extends from the outer periphery of the top plate 17 to the rear side and forms the top, bottom, left, and right walls of the housing 2, and a flange 19 that extends outward from the tip of the outer peripheral wall 18. The outer peripheral wall 18 of the cover 7 is slightly larger than the side plate 14 of the base 6, and the cover 7 is attached to the base 6 by fitting the outer peripheral wall 18 around the periphery of the side plate 14 of the base 6 and abutting the flange 19 against the outer periphery of the bottom plate 13. A gasket 27 is disposed on the rear side of the flange 19, and the cover 7 is tightly attached to the base 6 by abutting the gasket 27 along the outer periphery of the bottom plate 13.

[0020] As shown in Figures 5 and 10, the separate-side terminal block piece 11 is disposed approximately at the center inside the outer peripheral wall 18, and is fixed to an engaging portion 16 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 18. A circular outer electric wire insertion opening 21 is formed in the lower part of the outer peripheral wall 18 of the cover 7, connecting the lower space inside the housing 2 with the outside. The outer electric wire insertion opening 21 is used to insert the outer electric wire Eo into the housing 2. A female thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer electric wire insertion opening 21, and a cable gland G can be screwed into it when the outer electric wire Eo is inserted, completely preventing the intrusion of dust and the like (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0021] As described above, the terminal block 3 is a separable terminal block that can be separated into the fixed terminal block 10 fixed to the base 6 and the detachable terminal block 11 fixed to the cover 7. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , each of the terminal block pieces 10 and 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped block shape. Ten wire connection holes 30a, 30b, to which single-core wires can be connected, are arranged in a row on one side of each terminal block piece 10 and 11. The wire connection holes 30a of the fixed terminal block piece 10 are inner wire connection holes 30a for connecting the inner electric wire Ei, and the wire connection holes 30b of the detachable terminal block piece 11 are outer wire connection holes 30b for connecting the outer electric wire Eo. Each inner electric wire Ei connected to each inner wire connection hole 30a is electrically connected to the outer electric wire Eo connected to the opposite outer wire connection hole 30b. In other words, the terminal block 3 is configured to be able to interconnect ten pairs of electric wires Ei, Eo.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 12, a pair of slidable locking pieces 35a, 35b are provided on both sides of each terminal block piece 10, 11. As shown in Fig. 4, the fixed-side terminal block piece 10 is fixed to the base 6 by operating the locking pieces 35a on both sides to engage with the engaging portions 15 (see Fig. 8) of the base 6 with the side opposite the opening side of the wire connection hole 30a abutting against the bottom plate portion 13 of the base 6. As shown in Fig. 5, the detachable-side terminal block piece 11 is fixed to the cover 7 by operating the locking pieces 35b on both sides to engage with the engaging portions 16 (see Fig. 10) of the cover 7 with the side opposite the opening side of the wire connection hole 30b abutting against the top plate portion 17 of the cover 7.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 12(A), the fixed terminal block piece 10 has ten connecting protrusions 31a arranged in a row parallel to the arrangement of the inner wire connection holes 30a for coupling with the separate-side terminal block piece 11. As shown in Fig. 12(B), the separate-side terminal block piece 11 has ten connecting recesses 31b that can mate with the connecting protrusions 31a and that are arranged in a row parallel to the arrangement of the outer wire connection holes 30b. By fitting the connecting protrusions 31a into the connecting recesses 31b, the fixed terminal block piece 10 and the separate-side terminal block piece 11 are integrally connected, and the opposing wire connection holes 30a, 30b are electrically connected.

[0024] Describing the terminal block 3 in more detail, each terminal block piece 10, 11 includes a resin case member 32a, 32b and a plurality of metal conductive pieces 33a, 33b housed in the case member 32a, 32b, as shown in Fig. 13. The conductive pieces 33a, 33b short-circuit the inner electric wire Ei and the outer electric wire Eo inserted into the electric wire connection holes 30a, 30b, and are provided for each electric wire connection hole 30a, 30b. The conductive piece 33a of the fixed-side terminal block piece 10 is disposed from the electric wire connection hole 30a to the connecting protrusion 31a, and the conductive piece 33b of the separate-side terminal block piece 11 is disposed from the electric wire connection hole 30b to the connecting recess 31b. As shown in Fig. 13(B), when the connecting protrusion 31a is fitted into the connecting recess 31b, the conductive pieces 33a, 33b disposed in opposing positions are connected. The terminal block 3 is a spring-type terminal block that connects the end of the electric wire E inserted into the electric wire connection holes 30a, 30b to the conductive pieces 33a, 33b by the pressing force of the leaf springs 34a, 34b, and the leaf springs 34a, 34b are arranged in the case members 32a, 32b for each of the electric wire connection holes 30a, 30b.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 14, the engagement lever 8 is pivotally supported on both the left and right sides of the base 6 so as to be rotatable. As shown in Fig. 14(A), with the cover 7 attached to the base 6, the engagement lever 8 is rotated to engage with the flange 19 of the cover 7, thereby inseparably joining the base 6 and the cover 7. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 14(B), the engagement lever 8 engaged with the flange 19 is rotated outward to release the engagement with the flange 19, thereby enabling the cover 7 to be separated from the base 6.

[0026] On both the top and bottom of the engaging lever 8, there are disposed push-up pieces 40 which rotate integrally with the engaging lever 8. As shown in Fig. 14(B), when the engaging lever 8 is rotated in a direction to release the engagement with the flange 19, the push-up pieces 40 push up the flange 19 of the cover 7 by about 1 cm in a direction to separate it from the base 6, causing the connecting protrusion 31a of the fixed-side terminal block piece 10 to drop from the connecting recess 31b of the separation-side terminal block piece 11. That is, with this configuration, the engaging lever 8 is rotated to release the engagement between the base 6 and the cover 7, and at the same time, the fixed-side terminal block piece 10 and the separation-side terminal block piece 11 can be separated with a relatively light force by utilizing the leverage created by the rotation of the engaging lever 8.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 15 , the engagement lever 8 is provided with a locking piece 42 that can slide up and down. When the locking piece 42 is slid from a lower unlocked position 45 to an upper locked position 46 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) to 15(B) while the engagement lever 8 is engaged with the flange 19 of the cover 7, the locking piece 42 engages with the cover 7 and restricts the rotation of the engagement lever 8. In other words, sliding the locking piece 42 to the locked position prevents the engagement lever 8 from accidentally falling off the flange 19 of the cover 7. The locking piece 42 is colored in a way that makes it clearly distinguishable from the engagement lever 8. When the locking piece 42 is moved from the unlocked position 45 to the locked position 46, the tip of the locking piece 42 appears in an open indicator window 43 formed in the engagement lever 8. With this configuration, it is easy to confirm from the color that appears in the indicator window 43 that the locking piece 42 has moved to the locked position 46 and the engagement lever 8 is locked.

[0028] The essential configuration of the present invention will be described below.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 16 , the terminal block 3 is disposed in the vertical center inside the housing 2, and an upper space 22 and a lower space 23 above the terminal block 3 are gaps. As shown in Fig. 17 , of these upper and lower gaps, the upper space 22, which communicates with the inner wire insertion opening 20, is used as an inner wire wiring space for wiring the inner electric wire Ei. Furthermore, the lower space 23, which communicates with the outer wire insertion opening 21, is used as an outer wire wiring space for wiring the outer electric wire Eo. Specifically, the inner electric wire Ei is inserted from the inner wire insertion opening 20 into the inner wire wiring space 22 and connected to the inner electric wire connection hole 30a of the terminal block 3 inside the housing 2. The outer electric wire Eo is inserted from the outer wire insertion opening 21 into the outer electric wire wiring space 23 and connected to the outer electric wire connection hole 30b of the terminal block 3 inside the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 17, the inner wire connection holes 30a of the terminal block 3 are arranged in a row on the left and right near the upper side where the inner wire wiring space 22 is arranged, and the outer wire connection holes 30b are arranged in a row on the left and right near the lower side where the outer wire wiring space 23 is arranged. Therefore, the inner wire Ei and the outer wire Eo can be connected to the respective wire connection holes 30a, 30b without interfering with the other wires Ei, Eo, the housing 2, etc.

[0030] When the connecting device 1 is attached to the panel P to interconnect the inner electric wire Ei and the outer electric wire Eo, the separation part 5 is separated from the fixed part 4, and the inner electric wire Ei is connected to the fixed side terminal block piece 10 and the outer electric wire Eo is connected to the separation side terminal block piece 11, and then the separation part 5 is attached to the fixed part 4.

[0031] 18 and 19, with the base 6 aligned with and fixed to the opening 18 formed in the panel P, the inner wires Ei are inserted into the inner wire wiring space 22 through the opening H and the inner wire insertion opening 20, and each electric wire Ei is then inserted into the inner wire connection hole 30a for connection. When the housing 2 is in the open state, the inner wire wiring space 22 and the inner wire connection hole 30a are open to the front side, so that the inner electric wires Ei can be easily connected to the fixed-side terminal block piece 10 by hand.

[0032] 20 and 21, in the separate section 5, the outer electric wires Eo are inserted from the outer electric wire insertion opening 21 into the outer electric wire wiring space 23, and then the individual electric wires Eo are inserted into the outer electric wire connection holes 30b for connection. When the housing 2 is in an open state, the outer electric wire wiring space 23 and the outer electric wire connection holes 30b are open to the front side, so the outer electric wires Eo can be easily connected to the separate-side terminal block pieces 11 by hand. Note that, because the outer electric wire insertion opening 20 opens on the lower side of the housing 2, it is relatively difficult for dust and dirt to enter, but when connecting the outer electric wires Eo, if a cable gland G is attached to the outer electric wire insertion opening 21 as shown in FIG. 21, etc., the outer electric wire insertion opening 21 can be completely sealed.

[0033] After connecting the inner electric wire Ei to the fixed part 4 and connecting the outer electric wire Eo to the separation part 5, the separation part 5 is attached to the fixed part 4, and as shown in Figure 17, the two terminal block pieces 10, 11 are connected inside the housing 2, and the inner electric wire Ei and the outer electric wire Eo are interconnected.

[0034] As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment abuts against the outer surface of the panel P with the inner wire insertion opening 20 overlapping the opening H of the panel P, without fitting the base 6 of the housing 2 into the opening H of the panel P. With this configuration, it is sufficient for the opening H of the panel P to have a size and shape that allows the inner electric wire Ei to be inserted therethrough, and there is no need to form it into a size and shape that matches the connector 1, so that the connector 1 can be more easily disposed on the panel P than with conventional configurations.

[0035] Furthermore, the connection device 1 of this embodiment pulls the inner electric wire Ei outward from the opening hole H of the panel P and connects the inner electric wire Ei to the terminal block 3 outside the panel P, so that the electric wires Ei and Eo inside and outside the panel P can be connected to the terminal block 3 simply by working outside the panel P.

[0036] Furthermore, in the connection device 1 of this embodiment, the inner wire connection hole 30a opens on the front side where the inside of the base 6 is open, so that by removing the cover 7 from the base 6, the inner wire Ei can be connected to the terminal block 3 while the fixed side terminal block piece 10 is attached to the base 6.

[0037] Furthermore, in the connection device 1 of this embodiment, once the base 6 is removed from the cover 7, the outer electric wire Eo can be inserted into the outer electric wire wiring space 23 from the outer electric wire insertion opening 21 of the cover 7 and connected to the outer electric wire connection hole 30b of the separate-side terminal block piece 11. In particular, since the outer electric wire connection hole 30b opens on the back side where the inside of the cover 7 is exposed, the outer electric wire Eo can be connected to the terminal block 3 with the separate-side terminal block piece 11 attached to the cover 7.

[0038] Furthermore, in the connection device 1 of this embodiment, the inner electric wire wiring space 22 and the outer electric wire wiring space 23 are arranged inside the housing 2 at positions facing each other with the terminal block 3 in between, and the inner electric wire connection hole 30a is arranged closer to the inner electric wire wiring space 22 of the terminal block 3, and the outer electric wire connection hole 30b is arranged closer to the outer electric wire wiring space 23 of the terminal block 3. With this configuration, the inner electric wire Ei inserted from the inner electric wire insertion opening 20 and the outer electric wire Eo inserted from the outer electric wire insertion opening 21 can be connected to the terminal block 3 without mutual interference inside the housing 2.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the connector 1 in the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, the connection device 1 of the above embodiment is attached to a panel P of a distribution board D and used to interconnect the electric wires E inside and outside the distribution board D, but the connection device of the present invention can also be attached to a panel other than the distribution board D and used to interconnect the electric wires on both sides of the panel.

[0040] Furthermore, the housing 2 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be cylindrical or the like. The outer wire insertion opening 21 is not limited to being formed in the lower part of the cover 7, but may be formed in any position that allows the outer wire wiring space 23 to communicate with the outside of the housing 2. Specifically, the outer wire insertion opening 21 may be formed below the top plate 17 or in the left and right outer peripheral wall portions 18.

[0041] Furthermore, although the terminal block 3 of this embodiment is configured so that the outer wire connection hole 30b can be closed with a cable gland G, the outer wire connection hole 30b may also be configured so that it can be closed with a grommet or the like. Also, a film that closes the outer wire connection hole 30b may be formed integrally with the cover 7, and holes corresponding to the diameter of the wire may be opened in the film to insert the wire.

[0042] Furthermore, although the terminal block 3 of the embodiment is a spring-type terminal block that connects the electric wires Ei and Eo using spring force, a screw-type terminal block that fastens the electric wires with screws may also be used. Furthermore, in the terminal block 3 of the embodiment, the inner electric wire connection hole 30a opens on the front side, but the inner electric wire connection hole 30a may open in a direction that makes it easy to connect the inner electric wire Ei when the housing 2 is in an open state. For example, in the terminal block 3 of the embodiment, the inner electric wire connection hole 30a may open upward. Similarly, the outer electric wire connection hole 30b may open in a direction that makes it possible to connect the outer electric wire Eo when the housing 2 is in an open state. For example, in the terminal block 3 of the embodiment, the outer electric wire connection hole 30b may open downward. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Connecting device 2. Housing 3 Terminal block 4 Fixed part 5 Separation section 6. Base 7 Cover 8 Engagement lever 10 Fixed side terminal block piece 11 Separation side terminal block piece 13 Bottom plate part 14 Side plate part 15, 16 Engagement part 17 Top plate 18 Outer wall 19 Tsuba 20 Inner wire insertion opening (other side wire insertion part) 21 Outer wire insertion opening (one side wire insertion part) 22 Inner wiring space (other side wiring space) 23 Outer wiring space (one side wiring space) 26,27 Gasket 30a Inner wire connection hole (other side wire connection part) 30b Outside wire connection hole (one side wire connection part) 31a Connecting protrusion 31b Connection recess 32a, 32b Case members 33a,33b Conductive piece 34 Leaf spring 35a,35b Locking piece 40 Push up piece 42 Lock piece 43 Display window 45 unlocked position 46 Lock position D Switchboard E Electric wire Ei inner wire Eo outer wire G Cable Gland H opening hole P Panel

Claims

1. A connecting device that is disposed on one side of a panel and that detachably connects electric wires on one side of the panel to electric wires on the other side of the panel, a housing; and a terminal block for interconnecting electric wires on one side of the panel and electric wires on the other side of the housing, the housing includes a base fixed to one side of the panel and a cover attached to the base, and the interior of the housing can be opened by removing the cover from the base; The terminal block is a fixed terminal block piece provided with an other-side electric wire connection portion for connecting electric wires on the other side of the panel and attached to the base; a separate terminal block provided on the cover and having a wire connection portion on one side of the panel for connecting wires thereto; Equipped with The fixed terminal block and the detachable terminal block are configured to be separated and joined together when the cover is attached to or detached from the base, An other-side electric wire wiring space for wiring electric wires on the other side of the panel is disposed inside the housing beside the terminal block, the base includes an other-side wire insertion portion that allows communication between the outside of the housing and the other-side wire wiring space, and the other-side wire insertion portion is abutted against a periphery of an opening formed in the panel in a state where the other-side wire insertion portion is overlapped with the opening, A connection device characterized in that, when the housing is open, the electric wire on the other side of the panel can be inserted from the other side electric wire insertion portion into the other side electric wire wiring space and connected to the other side electric wire connection portion.

2. Within the housing, a one-side electric wiring space for wiring electric wires on one side of the panel is disposed opposite the other-side electric wiring space across the terminal block, the other-side electric wire connection portion is disposed near the other-side electric wire wiring space of the terminal block, and the one-side electric wire connection portion is disposed near the one-side electric wire wiring space of the terminal block, the cover has a one-side wire insertion portion that allows communication between the outside of the housing and the one-side wire wiring space, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing is open and the wire on one side of the panel can be inserted from the wire insertion portion on one side into the wiring space on one side and connected to the wire connection portion on one side.

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