Relay device and POS system

Abstract

To provide a relay device and a POS system that can hold a cover while preventing the intrusion of foreign matter.SOLUTION: A relay device 1 includes a case 40, a cover 50 that is attached to an opening 47 provided in the case 40 in an openable and closable manner, and that covers at least a portion of the surface of the case 40 and blocks at least a portion of the opening 47 when in the closed state, and a holding member 80 that covers at least a portion of the opening 47 from the inside of the case 40 and holds the cover 50 in the closed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a relay device and a POS system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for connecting a cash drawer, a barcode scanner, and a display to a card processing terminal equipped with a printer via a USB hub. Patent Document 1 also uses a USB hub to connect multiple devices to each other. Some POS systems include a relay device that connects multiple devices to each other, such as the USB hub in Patent Document 1. The relay device includes a case, and the case may have an openable cover that covers operating sections such as switches and connectors that are provided on the surface. Some of such relay devices have an opening in the case to allow the cover to be rotatably attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-285805 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the relay device described above, if an opening is provided in the case, there is a risk that foreign matter such as dirt or dust may enter the inside of the case through the opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of solving the above problem is a relay device comprising a case, a cover that is attached to an opening provided in the case in an openable and closable manner, and that covers at least a portion of the surface of the case when in the closed state and blocks at least a portion of the opening, and a holding member that covers at least a portion of the opening from the inside of the case and holds the cover in the closed state.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a POS system including the above relay device, a POS terminal, and a POS peripheral device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a POS system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the relay device as seen from the front. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the relay device as seen from the front. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the relay device as seen from the front. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down are the same as directions relative to the relay device 1. Also, the symbol FR shown in each drawing indicates the front of the relay device 1 when it is installed on an installation surface for use, the symbol UP indicates the top of the relay device 1, and the symbol LH indicates the left of the relay device 1. In each drawing, the up and down direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front, back, and left and right directions correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a POS system 100 according to this embodiment. The POS system 100 includes a relay device 1. The relay device 1 includes a main board 2. On the main board 2, a power supply circuit 5, a communication control circuit 7, and a printing device control circuit 8 are mounted. The main board 2 is electrically connected to the sub-board 3, the display board 9, and the communication board 13.

[0010] A switch 15, a switch control circuit 17, a plurality of LEDs 19, and an LED control circuit 21 are mounted on the display board 9. The switch 15 and the switch control circuit 17, and the plurality of LEDs 19 and the LED control circuit 21 may be mounted on different boards. A communication circuit 23 is mounted on the communication board 13, and an antenna 25 is connected to the communication circuit 23. The communication board 13 performs wireless communication between the relay device 1 and a predetermined device. The communication circuit 23 and the antenna 25 correspond to the "communication unit" in this disclosure.

[0011] A power connector 26 is connected to the power supply circuit 5. A power adapter 28 is connected to the power connector 26 via a power adapter cable 27. The power adapter 28 is a power supply device that converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source 120 into DC power, AC power of a predetermined voltage, or the like. A power cable 29 is connected to the power adapter 28. The power cable 29 can be connected to a commercial power source 120. In this embodiment, the power adapter cable 27 functions as a so-called DC cable, and the power cable 29 functions as a so-called AC cable.

[0012] Connectors of multiple standards are connected to the communication control circuit 7. In this embodiment, a LAN connector 30, a modular connector 31, multiple serial connectors 32, multiple USB Type-C connectors 34, and multiple USB Type-A connectors 36 are connected to the communication control circuit 7. These connectors provided on the relay device 1 all function as sockets for various types of plugs.

[0013] The LAN connector 30 is an RJ-45 connector. The relay device 1 may be connected to a predetermined communication network via a LAN cable connected to the LAN connector 30. The communication network may be a network made up of a public line network, a dedicated line, other communication lines, and various communication facilities, and the specific form is not limited.

[0014] A tablet terminal 114 is connected to the USB Type-C connector 34. In this embodiment, the tablet terminal 114 is a terminal device that includes a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or ROM, and manages sales by having the CPU or MPU operate in accordance with a program stored in the storage device. The tablet terminal 114 is capable of generating image data for printed materials such as receipts.

[0015] The tablet terminal 114 may also function as a payment terminal. Alternatively, the tablet terminal 114 may be another terminal device such as a smartphone. The tablet terminal 114 corresponds to the "POS terminal" and "electronic device" of the present disclosure.

[0016] A printer 116 that prints receipts and the like is connected to the USB Type-C connector 34. The printing device 116 is equipped with a device control circuit 118. The device control circuit 118 is provided with a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or ROM. The device control circuit 118 operates the CPU or MPU in accordance with a program stored in the storage device, and generates commands such as commands to convey a print medium such as printing paper by a predetermined amount and commands to cut the print medium.

[0017] The USB Type-A connector 36 may be connected to various devices, such as a display device such as a monitor, a handheld scanner, or another printing device.

[0018] The modular connector 31 is, for example, an RJ-11 connector to which a cash drawer 110 is connected. The serial connector 32 is an RS-232C connector to which the payment terminal 112 is connected. The payment terminal 112 is, for example, a card reader. Note that the serial connector 32 may also be connected to other devices.

[0019] In this way, devices with different connectors can be connected via various connectors to the relay device 1. Therefore, the relay device 1 and the POS system 100 can form a more organized system. The cash drawer 110, the payment terminal 112, and the printing device 116 correspond to the "electronic device" and the "POS peripheral device" in this disclosure.

[0020] The LAN connector 30, the modular connector 31, the plurality of serial connectors 32, the plurality of USB Type-C connectors 34, and the plurality of USB Type-A connectors 36 correspond to the "connectors" of the present disclosure.

[0021] Of the above-mentioned connectors, the LAN connector 30, the multiple USB Type-C connectors 34, the multiple USB Type-A connectors 36, and the power connector 26 are mounted on the main board 2. The modular connector 31 and the serial connector 32 are mounted on the sub-board 3. The relay device 1 may be provided with any connector that can be used to form the POS system 100, not just the various connectors described above.

[0022] Next, the configuration relating to the control of the relay device 1 will be described. The communication control circuit 7 is provided with a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or ROM. The communication control circuit 7 controls the operation of each part of the relay device 1 by having the CPU or MPU operate in accordance with a program stored in the storage device, and also controls the operation of specific devices connected via various connectors and the transmission and reception of signals. The communication control circuit 7 functions as a control unit that controls communication between the tablet terminal 114 connected to the relay device 1 and the POS peripheral devices.

[0023] A printing device control circuit 8 is connected to the communication control circuit 7. The printing device control circuit 8 controls the printing device 116 connected to the relay device 1 in accordance with the communication control circuit. When the printing device 116 performs printing, the tablet terminal 114 generates image data and transmits it to the communication control circuit 7 via the USB Type-C connector 34.

[0024] When the communication control circuit 7 detects that the printer 116 has been connected to the USB Type-C connector 34, it transmits the acquired image data to the printer control circuit 8. The printer control circuit 8 generates a print control command based on the image data. The print control command is a command that causes the printer 116 to print characters, images, etc.

[0025] The communication control circuit 7 acquires the print control command and transmits it together with the image data as print data to the printing device 116 via the USB Type-C connector 34. When the printing device 116 acquires the print data, it starts printing in accordance with the print data and commands generated by the device control circuitry 118 . In this way, by connecting the printer 116 to the relay device 1, it becomes possible to print receipts and the like.

[0026] As a result, in the POS system 100, the printer control circuit 8 that controls at least a part of the printer 116 is provided in the relay device 1, which simplifies the structure of the printer 116. Therefore, the relay device 1 can form a POS system 100 with a more organized wiring structure.

[0027] In addition, when a printing device other than printing device 116 is connected, even if the communication control circuit 7 receives image data generated by tablet terminal 114, it may not generate a print control command and may send the image data to the printing device.

[0028] A power supply circuit 5 is connected to the communication control circuit 7. The power supply circuit 5 supplies power received via a power connector 26 to the communication control circuit 7. When a specific device is connected to either the USB Type-C connector 34 or the USB Type-A connector 36, the communication control circuit 7 supplies power received from the power supply circuit 5 to the device via the connector.

[0029] When the communication control circuit 7 detects that the printing device 116 has been connected to the USB Type-C connector 34, it sends a signal to the power supply circuit 5 to supply a larger amount of power to the printing device 116 than when other devices are connected. As a result, a larger amount of power is supplied to the printing device 116 via the USB Type-C connector 34 to the power supply circuit 5 than when other devices are connected. The printing device 116 can be directly driven without storing power in a storage unit such as a battery provided in the printing device 116.

[0030] As a result, the printer 116 can be powered by the relay device 1 and can be driven without being connected to a power source via a power supply line, etc. Therefore, in the POS system, the power supply line extending from the printer 116 can be omitted, and a more organized POS system 100 can be formed.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the relay device 1 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the relay device 1 as seen from the rear side. 2 and 3, the relay device 1 includes a resin case 40 having a space S therein. The case 40 has a rectangular box shape in which the height dimension is longer than the length dimension in at least the left-right direction when installed on an installation surface. In this embodiment, the case 40 is formed so that the length dimension in the left-right direction is shorter than the length dimension in the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the space required for installation in plan view when the relay device 1 is installed on an installation surface.

[0032] The case 40 includes a front plate 40A that forms the front surface, a pair of side plates 40B and 40C that form the left and right sides, a bottom plate 40D that forms the bottom surface, and a top plate 40E that forms the top surface. Each surface of the case 40 is formed to be flat.

[0033] The bottom surface of the bottom plate 40D is provided with a plurality of legs 38. The legs 38 are arranged at each corner of the bottom plate 40D, which is rectangular in plan view. The legs 38 allow the bottom plate 40D to be spaced apart from the installation surface. As shown in FIG. 3, a rear opening 41 is provided on the rear surface of the case 40, which is an opening that connects the inside and outside of the case 40 over the entire surface.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 40A is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, with the long sides arranged along the vertical direction. The front panel 40A is provided with a transmissive portion 42 that transmits light from the LEDs 19. The transmissive portion 42 is formed of a transparent material or the like at a position overlapping the plurality of LEDs 19. In the relay device 1, the display board 9 and the transmissive portion 42 function as a display portion. The transmissive portion 42 is provided on the upper side of the front panel 40A and in a position close to the right end portion.

[0035] The front plate 40A has a recess 43 recessed toward the rear below the transmission portion 42. Inside the recess 43, there are provided a plurality of insertion holes 45 which are through-holes that penetrate the front plate 40A in the plate thickness direction. An operator 16 of the switch 15 is inserted into each of the insertion holes 45. The operation element 16 is covered by a cover 50 that is attached to the front panel 40A in an openable and closable manner.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a perspective view seen from the front of the relay device 1. For ease of explanation, legs 38 are omitted in Fig. 4, and a front panel 40A, side panels 40C, and top panel 40E are indicated by two-dot chain lines. 4, the case 40 houses a board housing 60 that houses the main board 2 and the sub-board 3. Similar to the case 40, the board housing 60 has a rectangular box shape whose height is longer than its length in at least the left-right direction when the relay device 1 is installed on an installation surface.

[0037] Inside the board container 60, the main board 2 and the sub-board 3 are arranged so that their planes are perpendicular to the left-right direction, and so that their planes are parallel to each other. The various connectors mounted on the main board 2 and the sub-board 3 are mounted on the rear end of each board so as to be aligned in the vertical direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the rear surface of the substrate container 60 is exposed to the outside of the case 40 through a rear opening 41. In the board housing 60, the LAN connector 30, the modular connector 31, multiple serial connectors 32, multiple USB Type-C connectors 34, multiple USB Type-A connectors 36, and the power connector 26 are arranged so that they open toward the rear of the case 40.

[0039] The main board 2 and the sub-board 3 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and therefore the various connectors mounted on these boards are arranged in two rows in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the multiple serial connectors 32 and the modular connector 31 are arranged to the right of the other connectors. The various connectors in each row are arranged in a vertical line.

[0040] 4, the communication board 13 is attached to the front surface of the board housing 60. The communication board 13 is disposed at the upper end of the front surface of the board housing 60, close to the left end. The communication board 13 is attached to the board housing 60 via the support member 70 with its flat surface facing the front surface of the board housing 60 .

[0041] The support member 70 is made of a resin material and covers the entire flat surface of the communication board 13 that faces the board container 60. The support member 70 of this embodiment is provided with upright portions 72 that cover the communication board 13 from the left and right.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the periphery of the switch 15 of the relay device 1 as seen from the front. For convenience of explanation, in Fig. 5, the front plate 40A and the side plate 40B are indicated by two-dot chain lines. The display board 9 is attached to the front surface of the board housing 60. The display board 9 is formed in the shape of a long plate. On one flat surface, the mounting surface 9A, of the display board 9, a plurality of LEDs 19 are mounted on one end side in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of contacts 18 provided for each of the switches 15 are mounted on the other end side.

[0043] The display substrate 9 is fixed to the substrate housing 60 via a plurality of fixing portions 62 provided on the front surface of the substrate housing 60. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the fixing portion 62 extends forward from the front surface of the substrate housing 60 by a predetermined length, and has an attachment piece 64 at its tip end which has a flat surface facing the front surface of the substrate housing 60 and the front plate 40A. The fixing portions 62 of this embodiment are provided at the bottom of the substrate container 60 and at approximately the center in the up-down direction.

[0044] The display board 9 is fixed to the board container 60 by fastening the mounting pieces 64 together with the screw members 66 in a state where the flat surfaces of the mounting pieces 64 abut against the mounting surface 9B, which is a flat surface located opposite the mounting surface 9A. The display board 9 of this embodiment is fixed to each of the fixing portions 62 so that one end side where the LEDs 19 are mounted is located at the top and the other end side where the contacts 18 are mounted is located at the bottom.

[0045] By attaching the display board 9 to the fixing portion 62, the display board 9 is disposed in front of the communication board 13 with the mounting surface 9A facing forward. The display substrate 9 is supported by each of the fixing portions 62, and is disposed with the mounting surface 9A facing and close to the rear surface of the front panel 40A. As a result, the LEDs 19 are disposed in a position overlapping the transmissive portion 42 in a front view and in a position close to the transmissive portion 42. Therefore, light emitted from the LEDs 19 is emitted to the outside of the case 40 from the transmissive portion 42.

[0046] Each of the contacts 18 is disposed at a position overlapping with the operator 16 in a front view and close to the operator 16. When the user presses the operator 16, the contact 18 is pressed and a predetermined signal is transmitted to the communication control circuit 7. In this way, the switch 15, which includes the operator 16 and the contacts 18, functions as an operation unit or an input unit of the relay device 1.

[0047] Next, the cover 50 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, inside the recess 43, at a position lower than the insertion hole 45, an opening 47 is provided which is a through-hole that penetrates the front plate 40A in the plate thickness direction. A pair of mounting portions 44 are provided on both ends of an upper edge portion 49 of the opening 47. The mounting portions 44 are formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction.

[0048] A cover 50 that covers part of the surface of the case 40 is attached to the upper edge 49. As shown in Fig. 4, the cover 50 includes a cover portion 52 formed in the shape of a long flat plate, and a flat abutment portion 54 that stands at a predetermined angle from one end of the cover portion 52 toward the inside of the case 40.

[0049] Fig. 6 is a side view seen from the right of the relay device 1. Fig. 6 shows a state in which the cover 50 is separated from the recess 43, and the side plate 40C is omitted. As shown in FIG. 6 , the cover portion 52 is provided with an annular engagement portion 56, partially open in the circumferential direction, in the middle of its longitudinal direction. Two engagement portions 56 are formed at both ends located in the left-right direction on a plane of the cover portion 52 facing the recess 43. When the attachment portion 44 is passed through the open portion of each engagement portion 56, the inner circumferential surface of each engagement portion 56 engages with the attachment portion 44 so that the inner circumferential surface abuts against the circumferential surface of the attachment portion 44. As a result, the cover 50 is attached to the upper edge portion 49 so as to be rotatable in a direction intersecting the plane of the front panel 40A with the attachment portion 44 as the rotation axis.

[0050] The cover 50 is attached to the front panel 40A so that the longitudinal direction thereof extends along the vertical direction, whereby the cover 50 is provided on the front surface, which is an example of one side surface of the case 40. In the following description, the portion located above the engaging portion 56 in the longitudinal direction of the cover portion 52 is referred to as the covering portion 52A, and the portion located below the engaging portion 56 is referred to as the pressing portion 52B.

[0051] Fig. 7 is a side view seen from the right of the relay device 1. Fig. 7 shows a state in which the cover 50 covers the operation element 16 and the opening 47, and the side plate 40C is omitted. Cover portion 52 can rotate from a position where its plane is disposed substantially parallel to front plate 40A to a position where the plane intersects with front plate 40A. As shown in Fig. 7, when cover portion 52 is disposed so that its plane is substantially parallel to front plate 40A, the entire cover portion is accommodated inside recess 43, and its front surface is flush with the front surface of front plate 40A. In this case, covering portion 52A covers each of operating elements 16, and pressing portion 52B closes opening 47.

[0052] As a result, in the relay device 1, when the cover 50 covers each of the operators 16, it is possible to prevent the cover 50 from protruding from the front panel 40A or the case 40, thereby reducing the presence of the cover 50. This makes it possible to reduce the installation area of ​​the relay device 1 and provide a more compact POS system 100. In addition, in the relay device 1, when it is not necessary to operate the operators 16 to perform setting operations, it is possible to prevent the cover 50 from being opened, thereby preventing erroneous operation of the relay device 1. In the following description, the state in which the cover portion 52 covers the operation element 16 and the opening 47 is referred to as the cover 50 being in a closed state.

[0053] When the user presses pressing portion 52B of cover 50, pressing portion 52B enters the interior of case 40 through opening 47, and covering portion 52A moves away from recess 43. As shown in FIG. 6, cover 50 rotates to a position where cover portion 52 forms a predetermined angle with front panel 40A when viewed from the left and right. As a result, the cover 50 rotates from the closed state in a direction intersecting the plane of the front plate 40A, and the cover portion 52 rotates to a position where it forms a predetermined angle with the front plate 40A when viewed from the left and right. In the following description, a state in which the covering portion 52A is separated from the recessed portion 43 is referred to as an open state of the cover 50.

[0054] The relay device 1 is configured so that the cover 50 opens and closes by rotating in a direction intersecting the plane of the front panel 40A. This allows the relay device 1 to suppress expansion of the installation space in the vertical or horizontal directions compared to, for example, providing a cover member that can be opened and closed by sliding in a direction parallel to the plane of the front panel 40A.

[0055] 6, when the cover portion 52 rotates to a position where it forms a predetermined angle with the front plate 40A, the abutment portion 54 abuts against the mounting piece 64 located below from behind, stopping the rotation of the cover portion 52. This restricts the rotation of the cover 50 at a position where it forms a predetermined angle with the front plate 40A.

[0056] In this way, in the relay device 1, the attachment pieces 64 function as rotation stoppers for the cover 50, thereby preventing the cover 50 from rotating more than necessary. In addition, the attachment pieces 64 prevent the pressing portion 52B and the abutment portion 54 from colliding with the display board 9 inside the cover 50. Furthermore, in the relay device 1, the attachment pieces 64 also function as rotation stoppers for the cover 50, thereby enabling a reduction in the number of parts.

[0057] Fig. 8 is a perspective view seen from the bottom side of the relay device 1. For ease of explanation, in Fig. 8, the front plate 40A, the side plate 40C, and the bottom plate 40D are indicated by two-dot chain lines. 8, a holding member 80 that covers the opening 47 from the rear is provided inside the case 40. The holding member 80 is made of a flexible, elastically deformable resin material. Note that the holding member 80 may be made of any flexible, elastically deformable material, such as a metal material.

[0058] The holding member 80 includes a rectangular plate-shaped rear surface portion 82 that is disposed between the front surface of the substrate housing body 60 and the opening 47. The rear surface portion 82 has a plane that intersects the front-rear direction and is disposed so as to face the front surface of the substrate housing body 60 and the opening 47. The rear surface portion 82 is formed so that the dimension in the up-down direction is longer than the dimension of the opening 47 in the up-down direction. The rear surface portion 82 of this embodiment is disposed with one flat surface abutting against the front surface of the substrate housing body 60. The right end portion of the rear surface portion 82 abuts entirely against the side plate 40C, and the lower end portion of the rear surface portion 82 abuts entirely against the bottom plate 40D.

[0059] The holding member 80 has an upper surface portion 84 that extends forward from the upper end of the rear surface portion 82. The front end of the upper surface portion 84 is located a predetermined distance from the mounting piece 64 that functions as a rotation stopper for the cover 50. The entire right end of the front end of the upper surface portion 84 abuts against the side plate 40C.

[0060] A plate-shaped shielding portion 86 is provided at the front end of the upper surface portion 84, extending downward from the front end. The shielding portion 86 is disposed so that its plane intersects the front-rear direction and faces the front surface of the substrate housing body 60 and the opening 47. The lower end of the shielding portion 86 is disposed a predetermined distance from the bottom plate 40D. The entire right side of the shielding portion 86 abuts against the side plate 40C.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, when the cover 50 is in the open state, the pressing portion 52B and the abutting portion 54 are inserted between the attachment piece 64 and the shielding portion 86 in the front-rear direction. In the relay device 1, the provision of the shielding portion 86 prevents foreign matter such as dirt and dust that enters the inside of the case 40 along with the pressing portion 52B and the abutment portion 54 from adhering to the substrate container 60, the display substrate 9, etc.

[0062] 7 and 8, the holding member 80 includes a plate-shaped left surface portion 88 that extends forward from the entire left side of the rear surface portion 82. The left surface portion 88 has a plane that intersects in the left-right direction, and the entire upper side is connected to the left end of the top surface portion 84. The entire lower end of the left surface portion 88 abuts against the bottom plate 40D. In this embodiment, the front end of the left surface portion 88 is located rearward of the shielding portion 86. The holding member 80 is fixed to the case 40 by screw members 66 inserted into screw holes provided in the left surface portion 88 and screwing into bosses 46 extending leftward from the side plate 40C. Note that the holding member 80 is not limited to being fixed to the case 40, and may be fixed to the board housing 60 by, for example, screw members 66 passing through the rear surface portion 82.

[0063] 5 and 7, a plate-shaped extension 89 extending forward is provided on the upper side of the front end of the left side portion 88. The plane of the extension 89 intersects in the left-right direction. The extension 89 passes below the display substrate 9 and extends to a position approaching the front panel 40A, and is located to the left of the opening 47 and the cover 50.

[0064] Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the relay device 1. For ease of explanation, in Fig. 9, the bottom plate 40D is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in Fig. 9, a plate-shaped holding portion 90 extending forward is provided on the lower side of the front end portion of the left side portion 88. In this embodiment, the holding portion 90 extends leftward from the lower side of the front end portion of the left side portion 88, and then curves and extends forward. The holding portion 90 is provided so that at least the plane of its tip intersects with the left-right direction. In other words, the plate thickness direction of the tip portion of the holding portion 90 coincides with the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the holding portion 90 passes below the extending portion 89 and extends to a position close to the front panel 40A, and is located to the left of the opening 47 and the cover 50.

[0065] 9, an abutment piece 92 is provided on the surface of the holding portion 90 facing the cover 50. The abutment piece 92 is provided at the tip of the holding portion 90 and is formed to bulge out to the right so as to approach the cover 50 as it extends forward.

[0066] When the cover 50 is in the closed state, the abutting piece 92 abuts against an inclined surface 55 provided on the abutting portion 54. The inclined surface 55 is formed by cutting out the edge located on the left side of the abutting portion 54 obliquely from the cover portion 52 side toward the end located on the opposite side of the cover portion 52.

[0067] When the cover 50 is in the closed state, the abutting piece 92 abuts against the inclined surface 55. In this case, the abutting piece 92 biases the inclined surface 55 by the elastic force of the extending portion 89. This causes the cover 50 to be held in the closed position by the holding member 80. Therefore, in the relay device 1, the operating element 16 is covered by the cover 50, and the occurrence of an erroneous operation of the operating element 16 is suppressed. The attachment portion 44 is formed in the shape of a shaft extending horizontally, which prevents the cover 50 from rotating in a predetermined direction due to gravity when the cover 50 is in the closed state.

[0068] When the user presses the pressing portion 52B, the cover portion 52 of the cover 50 rotates. Accordingly, the inclined surface portion 55 moves rearward and upward, and the abutting piece portion 92 moves leftward while bending along the inclined surface portion 55. This causes the abutting portion 54 to move away from the position where the abutting piece portion 92 can be biased. The cover 50 can then rotate to a position where the abutting portion 54 abuts against the mounting piece 64.

[0069] 8, a space R is provided inside holding member 80, which is separated from space S by front plate 40A, side plate 40C, and bottom plate 40D. Space R is continuous with opening 47. Therefore, opening 47 is surrounded from the inside of case 40 by holding member 80, front plate 40A, side plate 40C, and bottom plate 40D, and is thereby shielded from space S other than space R. That is, the holding member 80 shields the various members disposed in the case 40, such as the substrate container 60 and the display substrate 9, from the opening 47. This prevents foreign matter such as dirt and dust that enters the inside of the case 40 together with the pressing portion 52B and the abutting portion 54 from adhering to the substrate container 60, the display substrate 9, and the like in the relay device 1.

[0070] In the relay device 1, the holding portion 90 that holds the cover 50 in a closed state is provided integrally with the holding member 80 that shields the various components arranged in the case 40, such as the board container 60 and the display board 9, from the opening 47. This makes it possible to reduce the number of components in the relay device 1. Therefore, in the relay device 1, it is possible to suppress manufacturing costs and to efficiently arrange various components in the space S inside the case 40.

[0071] The above-described embodiment is merely an example of one aspect of the present disclosure, and any modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the relay device 1 is disposed so that the bottom plate 40D faces the installation surface. However, this is not limiting, and the relay device 1 may be disposed so that another side surface faces the installation surface. For example, the relay device 1 may be disposed so that the side plate 40B or the side plate 40C faces the installation surface. In this case, the relay device 1 may be provided with a plurality of legs 38 on the side plate 40B or the side plate 40C.

[0073] The units shown in Figure 1 are merely examples, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessary to implement hardware corresponding to each unit individually, and it is of course possible to configure the units so that the functions are realized by a single processor executing a program. Furthermore, some of the functions realized by software in the above-described embodiments may be implemented by hardware, or some of the functions realized by hardware may be implemented by software.

[0074] Unless otherwise specified, the horizontal, vertical, and other directions and various shapes in the above-described embodiments include a so-called equivalent range that provides the same action and effect as those directions, values, and shapes.

[0075] Summary of this disclosure A summary of this disclosure is provided below.

[0076] (Appendix 1) A relay device comprising: a case; a cover that is attached to an opening provided in the case in an openable and closable manner, and that covers at least a portion of the surface of the case when in the closed state and blocks at least a portion of the opening; and a holding member that covers at least a portion of the opening from the inside of the case and holds the cover in the closed state. This allows the retaining member to hold the cover and shield the opening of the relay device, preventing foreign matter from entering the interior of the case through the opening, and allowing various components to be efficiently arranged in the space inside the case while reducing the number of parts.

[0077] (Appendix 2) The cover is provided on one side of the case, and the case is provided with an attachment portion to which the cover is attached, and the cover opens and closes by rotating in a direction intersecting the one side of the case, with the attachment portion as the rotation axis. This makes it possible to suppress expansion of the installation space in the vertical or horizontal direction of the relay device compared to when a cover member that can be opened and closed by sliding in a direction parallel to one side of the case is provided.

[0078] (Appendix 3) The relay device according to claim 2, wherein when one end of the cover is pressed, the other end rotates in a direction away from the device body, thereby entering an open state. This allows the relay device to be easily opened and closed with a simple structure.

[0079] (Appendix 4) The relay device described in Appendix 3, wherein a rotation stopper is provided inside the case, which stops the rotation of the cover when one end that enters the inside of the case from the opening abuts against it when the cover is in the open state. This allows the relay device to keep the rotation area of ​​the operation unit cover within a predetermined range.

[0080] (Appendix 5) 5. The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the mounting portion has a longitudinal direction extending horizontally when the case is installed. This prevents the cover of the relay device from rotating in a predetermined direction due to gravity when the cover is in the closed state.

[0081] (Appendix 6) 6. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the case is installed so that a long side of one side formed in a rectangular shape extends along a vertical direction. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the space required for installation in a plan view when the relay device is installed on an installation surface.

[0082] (Appendix 7) The relay device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the cover covers an operation unit provided on the surface of the case. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous operation of the operation unit in the relay device.

[0083] (Appendix 8) A POS system comprising the relay device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 9, a POS terminal, and a POS peripheral device. This allows the POS system to achieve the same effects as the relay device described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1...relay device, 15...switch, 16...operator, 40...case, 40A...front panel, 40B...side panel, 40C...side panel, 40D...bottom panel, 40E...top panel, 42...transparent portion, 43...recess, 44...mounting portion, 45...insertion hole, 46...boss, 47...opening, 49...upper edge portion, 50...cover, 52...cover portion, 52A...covering portion, 52B...pressing portion, 54...contact portion, 56...engagement portion, 60...board accommodating body, 62...fixing portion, 64...mounting piece, 66...screw member, 70...support member, 72...standing portion, 80...holding member, 82...rear surface portion, 84...upper surface portion, 86...shielding portion, 88...left surface portion, 89...extension portion, 90...holding portion, 92...contact piece portion, 100...POS system, R...space, S...space.

Claims

1. Case and a cover that is attached to an opening provided in the case in an openable and closable manner, and that covers at least a portion of a surface of the case when in a closed state and closes at least a portion of the opening; a holding member that covers at least a portion of the opening from the inside of the case and holds the cover in a closed position; Equipped with Relay device.

2. the cover is provided on one side of the case, The case is provided with a mounting portion to which the cover is attached, The cover is opened and closed by rotating in a direction intersecting with one side surface of the case around the mounting portion as a rotation axis. The relay device according to claim 1 .

3. When one end of the cover is pressed, the other end rotates in a direction away from the device body, and the cover is placed in an open state. The relay device according to claim 2 .

4. A rotation stopper is provided inside the case, and when the cover is in the open state, one end of the rotation stopper that enters the inside of the case through the opening comes into contact with the rotation stopper to stop the rotation of the cover. The relay device according to claim 3 .

5. When the case is installed, the mounting portion has a longitudinal direction extending horizontally. The relay device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The case is installed so that the long side of one rectangular side extends in the vertical direction. The relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The cover covers an operation unit provided on the surface of the case. The relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A POS terminal; POS peripheral devices, Equipped with POS system.

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