Case for wiring tool and wiring tool device
The wiring device case employs a polygonal prism shaft and leaf spring mechanism to minimize wear powder adherence, addressing the contamination issue in existing designs by ensuring the cover maintains a stable position.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024071933
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-07
AI Technical Summary
The existing wiring device case design results in wear powder adhering to the cover surface due to the engagement of the hook and restricting protrusion, leading to wear and potential contamination.
A wiring device case with a polygonal prism shaft portion and a leaf spring mechanism that allows the cover to rotate and maintain position, reducing the adherence of wear powder by surface contact, thereby minimizing contamination.
The solution effectively reduces the possibility of wear debris adhering to the cover surface, maintaining cleanliness and functionality.
Smart Images

Figure 2025167383000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring apparatus case and a wiring apparatus device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wiring apparatus case and a wiring apparatus device that include an openable and closable cover. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring device case having a cover main body that covers a wiring device. The wiring device case of Patent Document 1 includes a body that holds the wiring device, a cover main body, and a shaft that connects the body and the cover main body.
[0003] The cover body is attached to the body in a state in which it can rotate around the shaft between a position that covers the wiring device and a position that exposes the wiring device. The cover body has a bearing portion with a bearing hole into which the shaft is inserted, and a hook portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing portion. The body is provided with a restricting protrusion that is located on the trajectory of the hook portion when the cover body moves from the closed position to the open position. When the cover body is moved to the closed position, the wiring device is covered by the cover body. When the cover body is moved from the closed position to the open position, the hook portion moves over the restricting protrusion. When the cover body is in the open position, the restricting protrusion comes into contact with the hook portion, thereby restricting movement of the cover body to the closed position, and the wiring device is exposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-174114 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] In the wiring device case described in Patent Document 1, a restricting protrusion that engages with a hook on the cover body is provided on the body to hold the cover body in the open position. Therefore, when the cover body is moved between the open position and the closed position, the hook climbs over the restricting protrusion, causing wear on the hook and the restricting protrusion, resulting in a problem in that wear powder adheres to the surface of the cover body.
[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wiring device case and a wiring device device that can reduce the possibility of wear powder adhering to the surface of the cover. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] A wiring device case according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a body capable of holding a wiring device, a rotating shaft rotatably held by the body, a cover, and a leaf spring. The rotating shaft has a polygonal prism shaft portion having a polygonal cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction. The body is provided with a shaft insertion hole into which the polygonal prism shaft portion of the rotating shaft is rotatably inserted. The cover has a shaft hole into which a portion of the rotating shaft is inserted. The cover rotates together with the rotating shaft inserted in the shaft hole, thereby rotating relative to the body between a closed position that covers the wiring device held by the body and an open position that exposes the wiring device held by the body. The leaf spring portion is capable of contacting the polygonal prism shaft portion inserted in the shaft insertion hole. The cover is capable of maintaining a rotational position when the leaf spring portion is in surface contact with at least one of a plurality of surfaces of the polygonal prism shaft portion.
[0008] A wiring fixture device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the wiring fixture case and a wiring fixture held by the body. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] According to the present disclosure, the possibility of wear debris adhering to the surface of the cover can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wiring tool device including a wiring tool case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the wiring fixture device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the wiring fixture device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the wiring device case. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the wiring accessory device with the cover open. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the wiring accessory device with the cover removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state before an inner frame is attached to a body of the wiring apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wiring equipment device with an inner frame attached to the body with the first surface facing forward. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the wiring apparatus with the inner frame attached to the body with the second surface facing forward. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the wiring fixture device as viewed from below. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the wiring apparatus in a state before an insulating cover is attached to a mounting frame provided in the wiring apparatus. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view of the wiring apparatus with the cover and inner frame removed. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a main part of a body provided in the wiring apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Hereinafter, wiring device cases and wiring device devices according to embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the drawings described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the sizes of the components and the like do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.
[0012] (Embodiment) (1) Overview FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wiring device apparatus 1 including a wiring device case 2 according to this embodiment.
[0013] The wiring device case 2 of this embodiment includes a body 10, a cover 20, a rotating shaft 40, and a leaf spring portion 51.
[0014] The body 10 is capable of holding the wiring device 60 .
[0015] The rotary shaft 40 is rotatably held by the body 10 .
[0016] The rotary shaft 40 has a polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 whose cross section perpendicular to the axial direction has a polygonal shape.
[0017] The body 10 is provided with a shaft insertion hole 11 into which the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 of the rotary shaft 40 is rotatably inserted.
[0018] The cover 20 has an axial hole 25 into which a portion of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. The cover 20 is rotatable relative to the body 10 between a closed position that covers the wiring apparatus 60 held in the body 10 and an open position that exposes the wiring apparatus 60 held in the body 10 by rotating together with the rotating shaft 40 inserted in the axial hole 25.
[0019] The leaf spring portion 51 is capable of coming into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 inserted into the shaft insertion hole 11 .
[0020] The cover 20 can maintain the rotational position when the leaf spring portion 51 is in surface contact with at least one of the surfaces 42 of the polygonal column shaft portion 41.
[0021] Here, by inserting the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 of the rotary shaft 40 into the shaft insertion hole 11 of the body 10 in a rotatable state, the rotary shaft 40 is held in a rotatable state relative to the body 10 .
[0022] The cover 20 is provided with a shaft hole 25 into which a portion of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted, and the cover 20 rotates together with the rotating shaft 40 inserted in the shaft hole 25, thereby allowing the cover 20 to rotate between a closed position and an open position. A leaf spring 51 is disposed in the shaft insertion hole 11 into which the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is inserted, and the leaf spring 51 comes into surface contact with at least one surface 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41, thereby stopping the rotation of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 and holding the cover 20 in that position. Here, because the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 and the leaf spring 51 are disposed inside the shaft insertion hole 11, even if the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 wears and generates wear powder, the wear powder is less likely to adhere to the surface of the cover 20, thereby reducing the possibility of wear powder adhering to the surface of the cover 20.
[0023] The wiring fixture device 1 of this embodiment also includes the wiring fixture case 2 and the wiring fixture 60 held by the body 10.
[0024] The wiring device device 1 includes the above-described wiring device case 2, and therefore, a wiring device device 1 capable of reducing wear powder adhering to the surface of the cover 20 can be provided.
[0025] (2) Details Hereinafter, the wiring device case 2 and the wiring device device 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0026] In this embodiment, the "construction surface" is a surface to which the wiring fixture 60 is attached, such as the surface of an exterior wall of a building.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a front view of the wiring apparatus 1 with the cover 20 removed and attached to a construction surface 100 (for example, the exterior wall of a building). In the following description, the X-axis direction in FIG. 1 and other figures is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-rear direction (depth direction), and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction. Furthermore, the positive direction of the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, the positive direction of the Y-axis direction as the front side, and the positive direction of the Z-axis direction as the top side. However, these directions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the directions of the wiring apparatus case 2 and the wiring apparatus 1 when in use. Furthermore, the arrows indicating the various directions in the drawings are merely shown for explanatory purposes and do not have any substance.
[0028] (2.1) Configuration As described above, the wiring fixture device 1 includes the wiring fixture case 2 and the wiring fixture 60. In this embodiment, the wiring fixture device 1 further includes a mounting frame 70, an insulating cover 80, and a waterproof packing 90.
[0029] The wiring device case 2, the wiring device 60, the mounting frame 70, the insulating cover 80, and the waterproof packing 90 included in the wiring device apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0030] (2.1.1) Wiring devices and mounting frames The wiring device 60 is, for example, a power outlet. The wiring device 60 is mounted using a mounting frame 70 for a recessed wiring device, with the rear portion of the wiring device 60 embedded in a recessed hole 101 (see FIG. 12 ) provided in a construction surface (for example, the surface of a wall material) 100. The mounting frame 70 is integrally attached to the wiring device 60 of this embodiment.
[0031] The wiring device 60 has a rectangular parallelepiped body 61. The body 61 is formed by joining a rear body 62 and a front cover 63 (see FIG. 12 ). The front surface of the body 61 (i.e., the front surface of the cover 63) is provided with two plug sockets 64 to which plugs of electrical devices can be connected. When the wiring device 60 is attached to the construction surface 100 and a power line from an AC power source such as a commercial power source is connected to the wiring device 60, and the plug of the electrical device is connected to the plug socket 64, power is supplied from the wiring device 60 to the electrical device.
[0032] The wiring fixture device 1 further includes a mounting frame 70 that can be attached to the construction surface 100 while holding the wiring fixture 60. The fact that the mounting frame 70 can be attached to the construction surface 100 can include the case where the mounting frame 70 is attached directly to the construction surface 100, and the case where the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 via another member. In the present embodiment, for example, an insulating cover 80 is disposed between the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100, and the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 via the insulating cover 80.
[0033] The mounting frame 70 is made of, for example, a metal material and is formed into a rectangular frame shape having an opening 71 to which the wiring device 60 is attached (see FIGS. 12 and 13 ). The mounting frame 70 is attached to the installation surface 100 so that the longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction. The mounting frame 70 has a pair of horizontal pieces 72 facing each other in the longitudinal direction with the opening 71 therebetween, and a pair of vertical pieces 73 facing each other in the lateral direction with the opening 71 therebetween. The upper ends of the pair of vertical pieces 73 are connected via the upper horizontal piece 72, and the lower ends of the pair of vertical pieces 73 are connected via the lower horizontal piece 72. In other words, the pair of horizontal pieces 72 and the pair of vertical pieces 73 form a rectangular frame shape, and the space surrounded by the pair of horizontal pieces 72 and the pair of vertical pieces 73 becomes the opening 71.
[0034] Each of the pair of vertical pieces 73 is provided with two U-shaped crimping portions 74 into which protrusions provided on the side surfaces of the body 62 and the cover 63 are inserted. When joining the body 62 and the cover 63, the cover 63 is placed on the front side of the body 62, and the body 62 and the cover 63 are inserted into the opening 71 from the rear side of the mounting frame 70. Then, when the rear portions of the crimping portions 74 are deformed with the protrusions on the side surfaces of the body 62 and the cover 63 inserted into the crimping portions 74, the body 62 and the cover 63 are joined by the mounting frame 70, and the wiring device 60 is attached to the mounting frame 70.
[0035] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 has an insertion hole 75 formed in a position that does not overlap with the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101, with part of the back surface facing the construction surface 100 (more specifically, the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101 on the construction surface 100). The insertion hole 75 has an elliptical shape with its major axis extending in the left-right direction. Screws are inserted into the insertion holes 75 to fasten the mounting frame 70 to a fixing member arranged on the back side of the construction surface 100. Examples of fixing members include a switch box embedded on the back side of the construction surface 100 and a C-shaped clamp arranged on the back side of the construction surface.
[0036] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 is provided with an L-shaped hole 76 on each side of the insertion hole 75 for attaching a clamping metal piece.
[0037] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 is provided with a screw hole 77 into which a screw is screwed to fasten the body 10 of the wiring device case 2. In other words, a mounting frame 70 for the wiring device can be attached to the body 10, and the mounting frame 70 is provided with a pair of screw holes 77 on both sides of an opening 71 in which the wiring device 60 is disposed.
[0038] (2.1.2) Insulating cover The wiring fixture device 1 of this embodiment further includes an insulating cover 80 disposed between the mounting frame 70 and the installation surface 100.
[0039] The insulating cover 80 is attached between the metal mounting frame 70 and the installation surface 100 to electrically insulate the two.
[0040] The insulating cover 80 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material and is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame having a window hole 81 through which the wiring device 60 is inserted (see FIGS. 1 and 12).
[0041] The insulating cover 80 is attached to the installation surface 100 so that the longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction. The insulating cover 80 has a pair of horizontal pieces 82 that face each other in the longitudinal direction, with a window hole 81 between them, and a pair of vertical pieces 83 that face each other in the lateral direction, with the window hole 81 between them. The upper ends of the pair of vertical pieces 83 are connected via the upper horizontal piece 82, and the lower ends of the pair of vertical pieces 83 are connected via the lower horizontal piece 82. In other words, the pair of horizontal pieces 82 and the pair of vertical pieces 83 form a rectangular frame, and the space surrounded by the pair of horizontal pieces 82 and the pair of vertical pieces 83 becomes the window hole 81.
[0042] The pair of horizontal pieces 82 are arranged behind the pair of horizontal pieces 72 of the mounting frame 70 .
[0043] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 has an oval through-hole 84 that connects to the insertion hole 75 at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 75 of the mounting frame 70. Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 has a rib 88 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the through-hole 84. The rib 88 has an oval shape when viewed from the front, and when the insulating cover 80 is attached behind the mounting frame 70, the rib 88 is inserted into the insertion hole 75 of the mounting frame 70.
[0044] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 is provided with two snap-fit portions 85 that are snap-fitted into the two holes 76 provided in each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72. The two snap-fit portions 85 provided on the horizontal piece 82 are arranged on both the left and right sides with the through-hole 84 between them. The snap-fit portions 85 protrude forward from the horizontal piece 82 and have a plate-like portion 86 whose front end is movable in the left-right direction. A claw 87 that protrudes toward the through-hole 84 is provided at the tip of the plate-like portion 86.
[0045] When the insulating cover 80 is brought close to the mounting frame 70 from behind so that the wiring accessories 60 held by the mounting frame 70 are inserted into the window holes 81, the ribs 88 are inserted into the insertion holes 75, and the plate-shaped portions 86 of the snap-fit portions 85 are inserted into the holes 76. At this time, the ribs 88 come into contact with the end faces of the insertion holes 75, thereby positioning the mounting frame 70 with respect to the insulating cover 80. When the plate-shaped portions 86 are inserted into the holes 76, the claws 87 at the tips of the plate-shaped portions 86 are pressed against the end faces of the holes 76, causing the plate-shaped portions 86 to elastically deform. When the plate-shaped portions 86 are further inserted into the holes 76 and the claws 87 go beyond the end faces of the holes 76, the plate-shaped portions 86 return to their original state before elastic deformation, and the claws 87 hook onto the front faces of the horizontal pieces 72, preventing the snap-fit portions 85 from coming off, and the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70.
[0046] When the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70, if the two snap-fit portions 85 (plate-shaped portions 86) provided on each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 are pushed in a direction that widens the gap between them, the claws 87 can be released from the peripheral portions of the holes 76. When the insulating cover 80 is moved in a direction away from the mounting frame 70 (rearward) with the claws 87 released from the peripheral portions of the holes 76, the plate-shaped portions 86 can be moved out of the holes 76, and the snap-fit portions 85 can be released from the holes 76. This allows the insulating cover 80 to be removed from the mounting frame 70.
[0047] As described above, the insulating cover 80 is provided with snap-fit portions 85 that can be attached to and detached from the holes 76 provided in the mounting frame 70. Therefore, the insulating cover 80 can be attached to and detached from the mounting frame 70 without using fasteners such as screws or special tools.
[0048] When the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 with the insulating cover 80 interposed between the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100, the pair of horizontal pieces 82 of the insulating cover 80 come into contact with the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101 on the construction surface 100. Therefore, the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 with the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100 being electrically insulated by the insulating cover 80.
[0049] (2.1.3) Wiring device case The wiring device case 2 includes a body 10, a cover 20, and a rotating shaft 40. The wiring device case 2 further includes a spring member 50, a spring holding member 56, and an inner frame 30.
[0050] <Body> The body 10 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin material.
[0051] A mounting frame 70 that holds the wiring fixture 60 can be attached to the body 10. In other words, the body 10 is fixed to the construction surface 100 by attaching the body 10 to the mounting frame 70 that is fixed to the construction surface 100. In other words, the body 10 is attachable to the construction surface 100. Here, "the body 10 is attachable to the construction surface 100" may mean that the body 10 is attached directly to the construction surface 100, or that the body 10 is attached to the construction surface 100 via another member. In this embodiment, the body 10 is attached to the construction surface 100 via, for example, the mounting frame 70 and the insulating cover 80.
[0052] The body 10 has a frame portion 13 provided with a rectangular through-hole 12 into which the wiring fixture 60 held by the mounting frame 70 is inserted. In other words, the body 10 is provided with the through-hole 12 into which the wiring fixture 60 held by the mounting frame 70 is inserted.
[0053] A semi-cylindrical first bearing portion 111 that is open on both left and right sides and on the rear side is provided at one end (for example, the upper end) in the longitudinal direction of the frame portion 13. The first bearing portion 111 is provided in the center in the left and right direction at the upper end of the frame portion 13. In this embodiment, the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the first bearing portion 111 from both the left and right sides, so the left and right openings of the first bearing portion 111 become the shaft insertion hole 11.
[0054] A spring member 50 having the above-described leaf spring portion 51 is disposed inside the first bearing portion 111. More specifically, the spring member 50 and a spring holding member 56 that holds the spring member 50 are disposed inside the first bearing portion 111 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).
[0055] The frame portion 13 of the body 10 is provided with a wall portion 14 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the through-hole 12 .
[0056] Of the four inner surfaces of the wall portion 14, two inner surfaces that face each other in the up-down direction are each provided with a mounting piece 15 that has an isosceles trapezoidal shape in a plan view. The mounting piece 15 is provided with insertion holes 150 for passing screws that will be screwed into the screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70. In other words, the body 10 is provided with a pair of insertion holes 150 that can pass the pair of screws that will be screwed into the pair of screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70.
[0057] Here, the mounting frame 70 includes a first mounting frame and a second mounting frame in which the spacing between the pairs of screw holes 77 is different to accommodate different sizes of wiring devices 60 to be attached to the mounting frame 70. For example, a mounting frame 70 in which the spacing between the pair of screw holes 77 is a first spacing is referred to as the first mounting frame, and a mounting frame 70 in which the spacing between the pair of screw holes 77 is a second spacing that is shorter than the first spacing is referred to as the second mounting frame. The body 10 of this embodiment is configured so as to be attachable to either the first mounting frame or the second mounting frame.
[0058] Specifically, each of the pair of insertion holes 150 has a shape obtained by connecting a first insertion hole 151 and a second insertion hole 152 (see FIGS. 13 and 14). The first insertion hole 151 is a hole into which a screw is inserted to be screwed into the pair of screw holes 77 when the distance between the pair of screw holes 77 is a first distance W1. The second insertion hole 152 is a hole into which a screw is inserted to be screwed into the pair of screw holes 77 when the distance between the pair of screw holes 77 is a second distance W2. Here, a protrusion 153 that protrudes inward is provided on the inner surface of each of the pair of insertion holes 150 near the boundary between the first insertion hole 151 and the second insertion hole 152. Therefore, when a screw is inserted into the first insertion hole 151, the screw inserted into the first insertion hole 151 hits the protrusion 153, which advantageously makes it less likely to move toward the second insertion hole 152. Similarly, when a screw is inserted into the second insertion hole 152, the screw inserted into the second insertion hole 152 hits the protrusion 153, which has the advantage of making it less likely to move toward the first insertion hole 151. It is not essential to provide the protrusion 153 on the inner surface of each of the through holes 150, and each of the through holes 150 may have an oval shape connecting the first insertion hole 151 and the second insertion hole 152.
[0059] Furthermore, of the four inner surfaces of the wall 14, two inner surfaces facing each other in the left-right direction are each provided with three sets of two protrusions 16 extending in the front-rear direction, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the up-down direction. The three sets of protrusions 16 are provided at the top, middle, and bottom of the inner surface, respectively.
[0060] Furthermore, between the two sets of protrusions 16 provided on the upper and lower parts of the inner surface, a mating protrusion 19 having a dome-like shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction is provided. Here, the mating protrusion 19 serves as a second mating portion that fits into a recess 34 provided in the plate-shaped portion 31 of the middle frame 30. The mating protrusion 19, which is the second mating portion, is located between the two protrusions 16. In other words, in a portion of the wall 14 of the body 10 facing the plate-shaped portion 31, a protrusion 16 is provided alongside the mating protrusion 19, which is the first mating portion. In other words, in a portion of the wall 14 of the body 10 facing the plate-shaped portion 31, a protrusion 16 is provided alongside the first mating portion (for example, the mating protrusion 19 in this embodiment).
[0061] The body 10 is also provided with a restricting protrusion 18 that protrudes from the rear end of the inner surface of the wall portion 14 (or the inner surface of the through-hole 12) toward the center of the through-hole 12.
[0062] Furthermore, a plate-shaped hook 17 that protrudes upward from the upper end of the lower inner surface of the wall 14 is provided at the lower right corner of the wall 14. The hook 17 is provided in a position that overlaps with at least a portion of the locking piece 98 in the front-to-rear direction when the locking member 95 rotates to the locked position where the locking piece 98 protrudes downward from the shaft 96 with the cover 20 in the closed position. Note that when the locking member 95 rotates to the unlocked position where the locking piece 98 protrudes leftward from the shaft 96 with the cover 20 in the closed position, the locking piece 98 has moved to a position where it does not entirely overlap with the locking piece 98 in the front-to-rear direction, and the cover 20 can be moved from the closed position to the open position.
[0063] <Rotation axis> The rotating shafts 40 are, for example, resin molded parts. In this embodiment, the wiring device case 2 includes two rotating shafts 40, and the cover 20 is rotatably supported on the body 10 via the two rotating shafts 40.
[0064] The two rotary shafts 40 are molded products made of synthetic resin, for example, and have the same shape.
[0065] The rotating shaft 40 has a cylindrical shaft body 43 (see FIG. 4). A disk-shaped large-diameter portion 46 having a diameter larger than that of the shaft body 43 is provided at a first end of the shaft body 43 in the direction of the rotation axis. A polygonal prism shaft portion 41 having a polygonal cross section perpendicular to the axial direction is provided at a second end of the shaft body 43 in the direction of the rotation axis. The cross section of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is, for example, a regular hexagon, but may also be a square or a regular octagon.
[0066] Furthermore, a circumferentially extending groove 45 is formed on the surface of the shaft body 43 of the rotating shaft 40, over the entire circumference of the shaft body 43. Furthermore, a protrusion 44 is provided on the surface of the shaft body 43, extending from the large diameter portion 46 to partway along the axial direction of the shaft body 43. Note that when the wiring device case 2 is assembled, the protrusion 44 is provided from the large diameter portion 46 to a position where it contacts the spring holding member 56.
[0067] <Spring member and spring retaining member> The spring member 50 is formed by bending a metal sheet such as stainless steel. In this embodiment, the rotating shafts 40 are inserted into the left and right openings of the first bearing portion 111, respectively, and therefore two leaf spring portions 51 are arranged inside the first bearing portion 111, which come into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portions 41 of the two rotating shafts 40 inserted from the left and right openings (shaft insertion holes 11) of the first bearing portion 111. In this embodiment, the spring member 50 arranged inside the first bearing portion 111 has two leaf spring portions 51.
[0068] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the leaf spring portion 51 has a pair of opposing flat plate portions 52 and a curved surface portion 53 connecting the ends of the pair of flat plate portions 52. The leaf spring portion 51, including the pair of flat plate portions 52 and the curved surface portion 53, has a U-shape when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft 40. The leaf spring portion 51 is arranged so that the normal direction of the pair of flat plate portions 52 is parallel to the up-down direction. More specifically, the leaf spring portion 51 is arranged so that the pair of flat plate portions 52 sandwich the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 from both sides. The leaf spring portion 51 is also arranged so that the curved surface portion 53 is located on the opposite side of the pair of flat plate portions 52 from the construction surface 100. In this way, the curved surface portion 53 connects the front ends of the pair of flat plate portions 52, and the curved surface portion 53 is curved so that the middle portion of the curved surface portion 53 protrudes forward compared to both ends of the curved surface portion 53.
[0069] The spring member 50 also has a connecting piece 54A that connects the upper flat plate portions 52 of the two leaf spring portions 51, and a connecting piece 54B that connects the lower flat plate portions 52 of the two leaf spring portions 51. Two retaining springs 55 that protrude rearward are provided at the rear end of each of the connecting pieces 54A and 54B. The two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A and the two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B face each other in the vertical direction. The tip ends of the two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A and the tip ends of the two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B are bent in a mountain shape so as to protrude toward each other.
[0070] The spring holding member 56 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin. The spring holding member 56 is disposed inside the first bearing portion 111 of the body 10 in a state in which the spring member 50 is held therein.
[0071] The spring holding member 56 has a rectangular parallelepiped base portion 57 that is long in the left-right direction.
[0072] Two mounting grooves 573 are provided on the upper surface of the base 57, into which two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A of the spring member 50 are respectively inserted. Although not shown, two mounting grooves 573 are also provided on the lower surface of the base 57, into which two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B of the spring member 50 are respectively inserted.
[0073] A recess 574 into which the spring member 50 is inserted is provided on the front side of the base 57, and the base 57 is provided with shaft support portions 58 on both the left and right sides of the recess 574, each having a round hole into which the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. In addition, a shaft stopper portion 571 that prevents the rotating shaft 40 inserted into the shaft support portion 58 provided on the right side of the base 57 from coming out is provided on the right end of the base 57, and a shaft stopper portion 571 that prevents the rotating shaft 40 inserted into the shaft support portion 58 provided on the left side of the base 57 from coming out is provided on the left end of the base 57.
[0074] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the spring holding member 56 by passing the rotating shaft 40 through the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 of the spring holding member 56, and the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the body 10 by attaching the spring holding member 56 to the body 10. The rotating shaft 40 stops at a position where the two surfaces 42 of the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 provided on the rotating shaft 40 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51 of the spring member 50, so that the cover 20 can be held at the position where the rotating shaft 40 stops. Note that in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the spring holding member 56 by passing the rotating shaft 40 through the round hole of the shaft support portion 58, but the rotating shaft 40 may also be rotatably supported by sandwiching the rotating shaft 40 between the spring holding member 56 and the spring member 50 held by the spring holding member 56.
[0075] The shaft stopper 571 is formed in a fork shape having a pair of clamping pieces 572 that clamp the rotating shaft 40 from both the top and bottom. The opposing surfaces of the pair of clamping pieces 572 are provided with claws that are inserted into the recessed grooves 45 of the rotating shaft 40.
[0076] Furthermore, protrusions 575, the tips of which are cantilevered by the base 57 and can bend left and right, are provided on both left and right ends of the base 57. Recesses into which the protrusions 575 fit are provided on the inner surface of the body 10 that faces the internal space of the first bearing portion 111.
[0077] <Cover> The cover 20 is a molded product made of synthetic resin (see FIGS. 1 to 4). The cover 20 includes a front wall 21 that has a vertically long rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a lower wall 23 that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the front wall 21, an upper wall 24 that protrudes diagonally upward and rearward from the upper end of the front wall 21, and left and right side walls 22 that protrude rearward from the right and left ends of the front wall 21. The front wall 21, the lower wall 23, the upper wall 24, and the left and right side walls 22 form the cover 20 into a box shape that is open at the rear.
[0078] A recess 242 into which the first bearing 111 of the body 10 is inserted is provided in the center in the left-right direction at the upper end portion of the upper wall 24. A pair of second bearings 241 are provided on both sides of the recess 242 at the upper end portion of the upper wall 24. Each of the pair of second bearings 241 is provided with a shaft hole 25 into which the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. The central axes of the pair of shaft holes 25 provided in each of the pair of second bearings 241 are aligned when viewed from the left-right direction. Each of the pair of shaft holes 25 is provided with a key groove 251 into which the protrusion 44 provided on the rotating shaft 40 is inserted (see FIG. 4).
[0079] A rectangular recess 27 for passing wires is provided in the center of the lower wall 23 in the left-right direction, recessed from the rear edge of the lower wall 23.
[0080] A round hole 26 is provided in the lower right portion of the surface of the front wall 21 (see FIG. 2). A cylindrical boss 28 having a through hole continuous with the round hole 26 is provided on the rear surface of the front wall 21.
[0081] A locking member 95 is rotatably disposed in the circular hole 26 of the cover 20 .
[0082] The locking member 95 has a cylindrical shaft portion 96 and a disk-shaped operating portion 97 provided at a first axial end of the shaft portion 96. A rectangular plate-shaped locking piece 98 is attached to a second axial end of the shaft portion 96.
[0083] The locking member 95 is inserted into the circular hole 26 of the cover 20 with the shaft 96 at the front. When the shaft 96 is inserted into the boss 28 until the operating portion 97 is inserted into the circular hole 26, the tip portion of the shaft 96 is exposed from the rear end of the boss 28. A locking piece 98 is attached to the tip portion of the shaft 96 exposed from the rear end of the boss 28. In this manner, the locking member 95 has the operating portion 97 exposed outside the cover 20, and is held in a rotatable state relative to the cover 20 with the operating portion 97 exposed outside the cover 20. The locking piece 98 protrudes from the locking member 95 in a direction intersecting the direction along the central axis that is the rotation center of the locking member 95 (the central axial direction of the shaft 96). By rotating together with the locking member 95, the locking piece 98 is movable between a locked position where it engages with the hook portion 17 of the body 10 and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hook portion 17.
[0084] When the cover 20 is in the closed position covering the wiring device 60 (i.e., the position where the rear ends of the side walls 22 and the bottom wall 23 of the cover 20 contact the front surface of the body 10), and the locking piece 98 moves to the locked position where it protrudes downward from the shaft 96 in response to the rotation of the locking member 95, the hook portion 17 and the locking piece 98 overlap in the front-to-rear direction. In this state, if an attempt is made to rotate the cover 20 from the closed position to the open position, the locking piece 98 comes into contact with the hook portion 17, preventing the cover 20 from rotating, and the cover 20 is therefore held in the closed position.
[0085] On the other hand, when the cover 20 is moved to the closed position and the locking piece 98 of the locking member 95 is moved to the locked position, rotating the locking member 95 90 degrees clockwise moves the locking piece 98 to the unlocked position where it protrudes leftward from the shaft 96. At this time, the locking piece 98 moves to a position where it does not overlap with the hook portion 17 in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the cover 20 to be rotated from the closed position to the open position.
[0086] Here, the tools for rotating the locking member 95 include a first tool T1 and a second tool T2 having tip portions with different shapes (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the operating part 97 is provided with a first hole 99 into which the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 is inserted and a second hole 94 into which the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 is inserted.
[0087] The first tool T1 is, for example, a flat-head screwdriver, and the first hole 99 is a rectangular hole into which the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 can be inserted. In other words, the first hole 99 is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The first hole 99 is provided along a line segment L1 (see FIG. 2) that passes through the center of the operating part 97 and is perpendicular to the central axis of the locking member 95.
[0088] The second tool T2 is a dedicated tool for the wiring device case 2. The second tool T2 has a rectangular flat plate portion 211. A pair of rectangular protrusions 212 is provided on both ends of the tip portion of the flat plate portion 211. Here, the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 includes the pair of protrusions 212 provided on the tip of the flat plate portion 211. Since the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 includes the pair of protrusions 212, the operating part 97 is provided with a pair of second holes 94 into which the pair of protrusions 212 are respectively inserted.
[0089] Since the size of each of the pair of protrusions 212 is smaller than the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1, the size of the second hole 94 in a plan view is smaller than the size of the first hole 99 in a plan view. Here, the pair of second holes 94 are provided along a line segment L2 (see FIG. 2) that passes through the center of the operating part 97, which is circular in a plan view, and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole 99 (a direction parallel to the line segment L1). In other words, the second hole 94 is provided along a line segment L2 that passes through the center position of the first hole 99 in the longitudinal direction and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole 99.
[0090] As described above, the operating unit 97 is provided with a first hole 99 into which the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 can be inserted, and a second hole 94 into which the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 can be inserted. Therefore, the locking member 95 can be rotated using either the first tool T1 or the second tool T2. Furthermore, when the shape of the operating unit 97 is circular in a plan view, the second hole 94 is provided at a location where the width of the operating unit 97 in the direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the first hole 99 is greatest, which has the advantage of making it easier to ensure space for providing the second hole 94.
[0091] In this embodiment, two second holes 94 are provided in the operating portion 97. The two second holes 94 are provided along the line segment L2, on either side of the first hole 99. When the shape of the operating portion 97 is circular in a plan view, the two second holes 94 are provided at locations where the width of the operating portion 97 in the direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the first hole 99 is greatest. This allows the distance between the two second holes 94 to be as wide as possible. Increasing the distance between the two second holes has the advantage of making it easier to turn the locking member 95 using the second tool T2.
[0092] <Middle frame> The inner frame 30 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin (see FIGS. 1 and 6 to 9).
[0093] The middle frame 30 has a plate-like portion 31 formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape in a plan view. The middle frame 30 is disposed in a space surrounded by the wall portion 14 of the body 10. More specifically, the middle frame 30 is disposed on the opposite side of the body 10 from the installation surface 100. The plate-like portion 31 of the middle frame 30 is provided with a window hole 32 that exposes the wiring device 60 held in the body 10.
[0094] Three mounting pieces 33 are provided on the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 at positions corresponding to the three sets of protrusions 16 provided on the left inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10. Of the three mounting pieces 33, two mounting pieces 33A provided at the top and bottom of the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 are provided with recesses 34 into which the mating protrusions 19 provided on the wall portion 14 fit. In addition, six recesses 35 are provided on the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 into which the six protrusions 16 provided on the left inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 fit, respectively. In other words, the inner frame 30 is provided with recesses 35 into which the protrusions 16 of the body 10 are inserted.
[0095] Similarly, three mounting pieces 33 are provided on the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 at positions corresponding to the three sets of protrusions 16 provided on the right inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10. Of the three mounting pieces 33, two mounting pieces 33A provided on the top and bottom of the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 are provided with recesses 34 into which the mating protrusions 19 provided on the wall portion 14 fit. In addition, six recesses 35 are provided on the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 into which the six protrusions 16 provided on the right inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 fit, respectively.
[0096] Here, the fitting protrusion 19 provided on the wall portion 14 serves as a first fitting portion, and the recess 34 provided on the mounting piece 33A serves as a second fitting portion that can fit with the fitting protrusion 19, which is the first fitting portion. In other words, the mounting piece 33A that protrudes from the plate-shaped portion 31 along the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion 31, and the mounting piece 33A is provided with a second fitting portion that can fit with the first fitting portion.
[0097] Here, the positions of the recesses 34 provided in the four mounting pieces 33A are misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 (see FIG. 9). That is, the positions of the second fitting portions are misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. The position of the recesses 34 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 is the position where the recesses 34 are deepest, and this position is misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31.
[0098] The plate-shaped portion 31 has a first surface 31A and a second surface 31B that face each other in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. In this embodiment, when the inner frame 30 is arranged with the first surface 31A facing upward and the second surface 31B facing downward as shown in Fig. 9, the recess 34 provided in the mounting piece 33A is located below the first surface 31A.
[0099] Therefore, the position of the first surface 31A when the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the second surface 31B of the plate-shaped portion 31 facing the construction surface 100 and the position of the second surface 31B when the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the first surface 31A of the plate-shaped portion 31 facing the construction surface 100 are shifted in the normal direction.
[0100] More specifically, the distance D1 from the first surface 31A to the rear surface of the waterproof gasket 90 in the first attachment state (see FIG. 9) is greater than the distance D2 (see FIG. 11) from the second surface 31B to the rear surface of the waterproof gasket 90 in the second attachment state (see FIG. 11). The first attachment state is an attachment state in which the body 10 with the middle frame 30 attached is attached to the installation surface 100 via the waterproof gasket 90, with the second surface 31B facing backward and the first surface 31A facing forward. The second attachment state is an attachment state in which the body 10 with the middle frame 30 attached is attached to the installation surface 100 via the waterproof gasket 90, with the first surface 31A facing backward and the second surface 31B facing forward.
[0101] For example, suppose there are two types of wiring devices 60, wiring devices 60A and 60B, whose housings 61 have different sizes in the front-to-rear direction, and wiring device 60A has a longer distance from construction surface 100 to the front surface of housing 61 than wiring device 60B. In this case, the front surface of wiring device 60A attached to construction surface 100 via mounting frame 70 will be located further forward than the front surface of wiring device 60B attached to construction surface 100 via mounting frame 70. When wiring device 60A is attached to construction surface 100, as shown in FIG. 9 , it is sufficient to attach middle frame 30 to body 10 with first surface 31A facing forward, thereby reducing the step between the front surface of wiring device 60A and first surface 31A of middle frame 30. On the other hand, when attaching the wiring device 60B to the construction surface 100, the middle frame 30 can be attached to the body 10 with the second surface 31B facing forward, as shown in FIG. 11, thereby reducing the step between the front surface of the wiring device 60B and the second surface 31B of the middle frame 30.
[0102] When the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the second surface 31B of the plate-like portion 31 facing the construction surface 100, the rear ends of the mounting pieces 33 come into contact with the restricting protrusions 18 of the body 10, thereby restricting the middle frame 30 from moving further in a direction approaching the construction surface 100. In this way, the body 10 is provided with the restricting protrusions 18 that restrict the middle frame 30 from moving in a direction approaching the construction surface 100 when the middle frame 30 comes into contact with them. This makes it possible to prevent the middle frame 30 from moving toward the construction surface 100 and creating a step between the second surface 31B of the middle frame 30 and the front surface of the wiring fixture 60.
[0103] (2.1.4) Waterproof packing The wiring fixture device 1 further includes a waterproof packing 90 attached between the body 10 and the installation surface 100.
[0104] The waterproof packing 90 is made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber and has a rectangular frame shape.
[0105] With the waterproof packing 90 sandwiched between the body 10 and the installation surface 100, a screw passed through an insertion hole 150 of the body 10 is screwed into a screw hole 77 of a mounting frame 70 fixed to the installation surface 100, whereby the body 10 and the waterproof packing 90 are fixed to the installation surface 100 via the mounting frame 70.
[0106] When the body 10 is fixed to the installation surface 100 with the waterproof packing 90 sandwiched between the body 10 and the installation surface 100, the gap between the body 10 and the installation surface 100 is sealed by the waterproof packing 90. This reduces the possibility of water that has traveled through the gap between the body 10 and the installation surface 100 entering the interior of the wiring device 60, thereby reducing the possibility of a malfunction such as a short circuit occurring.
[0107] (2.2) Explanation of how to attach to the construction surface A description will now be given of a method for attaching the wiring fixture device 1 according to this embodiment to the construction surface 100. Note that the attachment method described below is an example, and the order of attachment and the like may be changed as appropriate.
[0108] First, the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70, which is attached integrally with the wiring device 60. As shown in FIG. 12 , the insulating cover 80, with the surface on which the snap-fit portions 85 are provided facing forward, is brought closer to the rear of the mounting frame 70, and the ribs 88 are inserted into the insertion holes 75, and the snap-fit portions 85 are inserted into the holes 76. At this time, the ribs 88 come into contact with the end faces of the insertion holes 75, thereby positioning the mounting frame 70 relative to the insulating cover 80. When the snap-fit portions 85 are inserted into the holes 76, the claws 87 at the tips of the plate-shaped portions 86 are pressed against the end faces of the holes 76, causing the plate-shaped portions 86 to elastically deform in a direction away from the end faces of the holes 76. When the plate-shaped portions 86 are further inserted into the holes 76 and the claws 87 pass beyond the end faces of the holes 76, the plate-shaped portions 86 return to their original state before elastic deformation. At this time, the claws 87 hook onto the front faces of the horizontal pieces 72, preventing the snap-fit portions 85 from coming off, and the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70.
[0109] Next, the mounting frame 70 is fixed to the installation surface 100. The rear portion of the wiring fixture 60 attached to the mounting frame 70 is inserted into the embedding hole 101 provided in the installation surface 100, and the pair of horizontal pieces 82 of the insulating cover 80 attached to the mounting frame 70 is brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101 on the installation surface 100. Then, the screws 300 (see FIG. 13 ) inserted into the insertion holes 75 of the mounting frame 70 and the through holes 84 of the insulating cover 80 are screwed into screw holes in a switch box embedded on the back side of the installation surface 100, for example, to fix the mounting frame 70 with the attached insulating cover 80 to the installation surface 100.
[0110] Next, the wiring device case 2 is attached to the mounting frame 70 fixed to the installation surface 100.
[0111] First, with the retention springs 55 facing rearward, the spring member 50 is inserted from the front into the recessed portion 574 of the spring retention member 56, and the four retention springs 55 are inserted into the four attachment grooves 573 provided in the base 57 (see FIG. 4). Then, when the spring member 50 is inserted until the bent portions of the four retention springs 55 engage with the rear end of the base 57, the four retention springs 55 engage with the rear end of the base 57, thereby attaching the spring member 50 to the spring retention member 56. With the spring member 50 attached to the spring retention member 56, the four retention springs 55 abut against the left and right end faces of the four attachment grooves 573, restricting movement of the spring member 50 in the left-right direction.
[0112] Thereafter, the spring holding member 56 holding the holding spring 55 is inserted into the internal space of the first bearing portion 111 from the rear of the body 10. When the spring holding member 56 is inserted to a position where the shaft support portion 58 contacts the inner surface of the first bearing portion 111, the protrusion 575 of the spring holding member 56 gets caught in a recess in the body 10, restricting rearward movement of the spring holding member 56. Furthermore, the base 57 and the shaft support portion 58 contact the inner surface of the first bearing portion 111, restricting forward movement and vertical movement of the spring holding member 56. In this way, the spring holding member 56 with the holding spring 55 attached is held by the body 10. When the spring holding member 56 to which the holding spring 55 is attached is held by the body 10, the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 provided on the spring holding member 56 and the two leaf spring portions 51 provided on the spring member 50 are arranged between the left and right shaft insertion holes 11 of the first bearing portion 111.
[0113] Next, with the waterproof packing 90 placed on the rear side of the body 10, the body 10 and waterproof packing 90 are placed on the installation surface 100 so that the mounting frame 70 fits inside the wall portion 14 of the body 10. In this state, the body 10 is fixed to the mounting frame 70 by threading the screws 310 passed through the insertion holes 150 of the body 10 into the screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70 (see FIG. 7). In this way, the body 10 is attached to the installation surface 100 via the mounting frame 70 and insulating cover 80.
[0114] Next, the middle frame 30 is attached to the body 10. For example, when the middle frame 30 is inserted from the front into the space surrounded by the wall 14 of the body 10 with the first surface 31A facing forward, each of the six mounting pieces 33 provided on the left and right sides of the plate-shaped portion 31 is inserted between the corresponding two protrusions 16. At this time, each of the fitting protrusions 19 provided at four locations on the wall 14 comes into contact with the corresponding mounting piece 33A, bending the mounting piece 33A inward. When the middle frame 30 is pushed further rearward, the fitting protrusions 19 enter the recesses 34 of the mounting pieces 33A, and the fitting protrusions 19 and the recesses 34 fit together, attaching the middle frame 30 to the body 10.
[0115] Thereafter, the cover 20 is brought close to the body 10 from the front, and the first bearing portion 111 of the body 10 is inserted into the recess 242 in the upper portion of the cover 20. Then, when the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into each of the pair of shaft holes 25 provided in the left and right side walls 22 of the cover 20, the tip of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 11 of the first bearing portion 111. At this time, the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 at the tip of the rotating shaft 40 passes through the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 and is inserted between the pair of flat plate portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51. In addition, the claws of the pair of clamping pieces 572 of the shaft stopper portion 571 fit into the recessed grooves 45 of the rotating shaft 40, thereby preventing the rotating shaft 40 from moving out of the shaft insertion hole 11. In addition, the protrusion portion 44 of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the key groove 251 of the cover 20, thereby restricting rotation of the cover 20 relative to the rotating shaft 40, and the rotating shaft 40 and the cover 20 rotate together. Furthermore, since the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 of the spring holding member 56 attached to the body 10, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported relative to the body 10, and the cover 20 is rotatably supported on the body 10 via the rotating shaft 40. As a result, the cover 20 is rotatably supported relative to the body 10 around the central axis of the rotating shaft 40. Furthermore, since the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 at the tip of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted between the pair of flat plate portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51, the cover 20 is stably held in a position where the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 are in surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. In other words, the cover 20 can maintain the rotational position when the pair of flat plate portions 52 are in surface contact with the two surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41. Here, the rotation shaft 40 is attached to the cover 20 so that, when the cover 20 is rotated to a position where the rear ends of the side walls 22 and bottom wall 23 of the cover 20 contact the front surface of the body 10 (this position is referred to as the closed position), the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. Because the cross-sectional shape of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is a regular hexahedron, when the cover 20 is rotated 60 degrees or 120 degrees from the closed position, the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. Therefore, the cover 20 is stably held at a position rotated 60 degrees or 120 degrees from the closed position. FIG. 5 shows the cover 20 held at a position rotated 120 degrees from the closed position.In addition, the cover 20 can be rotated, for example, to a position where the upper wall 24 of the cover 20 contacts the construction surface 100, and any position between the position of the cover 20 when the upper wall 24 of the cover 20 contacts the construction surface 100 and the closed position becomes the open position of the cover 20.
[0116] (2.3) Instructions for use A method of using the wiring fixture device 1 according to this embodiment in a state where the wiring fixture device 1 is attached to the construction surface 100 will be described.
[0117] When the locking member 95 is rotated to the unlocked position, the cover 20 can be opened and closed, and the user rotates the cover 20, for example, 120 degrees from the closed position to open the cover 20. In this state, when the user connects the plug of the electrical device to the plug socket 64 of the wiring device 60, power is supplied to the electrical device from the wiring device 60.
[0118] In this state, the user rotates the cover 20 to the closed position, and pulls out the cable of the electrical device whose plug is connected to the plug socket 64 from the recess 27 of the cover 20. Thereafter, when the user uses the first tool T1 or the second tool T2 to rotate the locking member 95 from the unlocked position to the locked position, the locking piece 98 provided on the locking member 95 interferes with the hook portion 17 of the body 10, thereby holding the cover 20 in the closed position. This prevents a third party from removing the plug of the electrical device connected to the plug socket 64.
[0119] When a user wishes to remove the plug of an electrical device connected to the plug socket 64, the user uses the first tool T1 or the second tool T2 to rotate the locking member 95 from the locked position to the unlocked position. At this time, the locking piece 98 provided on the locking member 95 moves to a position where it does not interfere with the hook portion 17 of the body 10, allowing the cover 20 to be moved from the closed position to the open position. With the cover 20 in the open position, the user can remove the plug of the electrical device connected to the plug socket 64.
[0120] (3) Variations The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure, and various modifications can be made to the above embodiment depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.
[0121] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.
[0122] In the above embodiment, the wiring fixture 60 is a power outlet, but the wiring fixture 60 may be a switch or the like.
[0123] In the above embodiment, the first fitting portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 is a fitting protrusion 19, and the second fitting portion provided on the mounting piece 33A is a recess 34, but the second fitting portion may be a protrusion and the first fitting portion may be a recess.
[0124] In the above embodiment, the shapes and arrangements of the first hole 99 and the second hole 94 provided in the operating portion 97 of the locking member 95 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. Also, in the above embodiment, the number of second holes 94 is two, but the number of second holes 94 may be one, or three or more.
[0125] (summary) The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.
[0126] A wiring device case (2) of a first embodiment includes a body (10) capable of holding a wiring device (60), a rotating shaft (40) rotatably held by the body (10), a cover (20), and a leaf spring (51). The rotating shaft (40) has a polygonal prism shaft portion (41) having a polygonal cross section perpendicular to the axial direction. The body (10) is provided with a shaft insertion hole (11) into which the polygonal prism shaft portion (41) of the rotating shaft (40) is rotatably inserted. The cover (20) has a shaft hole (25) into which a portion of the rotating shaft (40) is inserted. The cover (20) rotates together with the rotating shaft (40) inserted in the shaft hole (25), thereby rotatable relative to the body (10) between a closed position that covers the wiring device (60) held by the body (10) and an open position that exposes the wiring device (60) held by the body (10). The leaf spring portion (51) can come into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portion (41) inserted into the shaft insertion hole (11). The cover (20) can maintain the rotational position when the leaf spring portion (51) is in surface contact with at least one of the multiple surfaces (42) of the polygonal columnar shaft portion (41).
[0127] According to this embodiment, the leaf spring 51 comes into surface contact with at least one surface 42 of the polygonal prism shaft 41, thereby stopping the rotation of the polygonal prism shaft 41 and holding the cover 20 in place. Here, since the polygonal prism shaft 41 and the leaf spring 51 are disposed inside the shaft insertion hole 11, even if the polygonal prism shaft 41 wears and generates wear powder, the wear powder is less likely to adhere to the surface of the cover 20, thereby reducing the possibility of wear powder adhering to the surface of the cover 20.
[0128] In the wiring device case (2) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the leaf spring portion (51) has a pair of flat plate portions (52) facing each other and a curved portion (53) connecting the ends of the pair of flat plate portions (52). The leaf spring portion (51) has a U-shape when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft (40). The leaf spring portion (51) is arranged so that the pair of flat plate portions (52) sandwich the polygonal prism shaft portion (41) from both sides. The cover (20) can maintain the rotation position when the pair of flat plate portions (52) are in surface contact with the two surfaces (42) of the polygonal prism shaft portion (41).
[0129] According to this embodiment, the rotation of the polygonal prism shaft portion (41) stops when the pair of flat plate portions (52) are in surface contact with the two surfaces (42) of the polygonal prism shaft portion (41), so the cover (20) can be held in that position more stably than when only one surface (42) is in surface contact with the flat plate portion (52).
[0130] In the wiring device case (2) of the third aspect, the body (10) in the second aspect can be attached to the installation surface (100). The leaf spring portion (51) is arranged so that the curved surface portion (53) is located on the opposite side of the installation surface (100) from the pair of flat plate portions (52).
[0131] According to this aspect, the plate spring portions (51) can be arranged so that the pair of flat plate portions (52) face each other in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the installation surface (100).
[0132] In a fourth aspect of the wiring device case (2), in any one of the first to third aspects, a mounting frame (70) for the wiring device can be mounted to the body (10). The mounting frame (70) has a pair of screw holes (77) on both sides of an opening (71) in which the wiring device (60) is disposed. The body (10) has a pair of insertion holes (150) through which a pair of screws (300) to be screwed into the pair of screw holes (77) can be inserted. Each of the pair of insertion holes (150) has a shape that connects a first insertion hole (151) and a second insertion hole (152). The first insertion hole (151) is a hole through which the screw (300) to be screwed into the pair of screw holes (77) is inserted when the distance between the pair of screw holes (77) is a first distance. The second insertion hole (152) is a hole into which the screw (300) is inserted to be screwed into the pair of screw holes (77) when the distance between the pair of screw holes (77) is the second distance.
[0133] According to this embodiment, the body (10) can be attached to either a mounting frame (70) in which the spacing between a pair of screw holes (77) is a first spacing, or a mounting frame (70) in which the spacing between a pair of screw holes (77) is a second spacing.
[0134] A wiring device case (2) of a fifth aspect is any one of the first to fourth aspects, and includes a locking member (95) and a locking piece (98). The locking member (95) has an operating portion (97) exposed to the outside of the cover (20), and is rotatably held relative to the cover (20) with the operating portion (97) exposed to the outside of the cover (20). The locking piece (98) protrudes from the locking member (95) in a direction intersecting with the direction along the central axis that is the center of rotation of the locking member (95). The locking piece (98) rotates together with the locking member (95), thereby moving between a locked position where it engages with a hook portion (17) of the body (10) and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hook portion (17). The tool for rotating the locking member (95) includes a first tool (T1) and a second tool (T2) having different shapes of tip portions. The operating portion (97) is provided with a first hole (99) into which the tip portion (200) of the first tool (T1) is inserted, and a second hole (94) into which the tip portion (210) of the second tool (T2) is inserted.
[0135] According to this embodiment, the locking member (95) can be moved between the unlocked position and the locked position using either the first tool (T1) or the second tool (T2).
[0136] In the wiring device case (2) of the sixth aspect, the first hole (99) is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view in the fifth aspect, and the second hole (94) is provided along a line (L2) that passes through the center position of the first hole (99) in the longitudinal direction and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole (99).
[0137] This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to ensure a space in the operating portion (97) for arranging the second hole (94).
[0138] In the wiring device case (2) of the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, two second holes (94) are provided in the operating portion (97). The two second holes (94) are arranged on both sides of the first insertion hole (99) along the line segment (L2).
[0139] This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to ensure a space in the operating portion (97) for arranging the second hole (94).
[0140] A wiring device (1) of an eighth aspect includes the wiring device case (2) of any one of the first to seventh aspects and a wiring device (60) held by the body (10).
[0141] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the amount of wear powder that adheres to the surface of the cover (20).
[0142] The wiring apparatus (1) of a ninth aspect is the eighth aspect, further comprising a mounting frame (70) that can be attached to a construction surface (100) while holding a wiring apparatus (60). The mounting frame (70) that holds the wiring apparatus (60) can be attached to the body (10). The body (10) is provided with a through-hole (12) into which the wiring apparatus (60) held by the mounting frame (70) is inserted.
[0143] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the amount of wear powder that adheres to the surface of the cover (20).
[0144] The wiring apparatus (1) of the tenth aspect is the same as that of the ninth aspect, and further includes an insulating cover (80) disposed between the mounting frame (70) and the installation surface (100). The insulating cover (80) is provided with a snap-fit portion (85) that can be attached to and detached from a hole (76) provided in the mounting frame (70).
[0145] According to this embodiment, the insulating cover (80) can be attached to the mounting frame (70) without using any special tools or the like.
[0146] The wiring appliance device (1) of an eleventh aspect is any one of the eighth to tenth aspects, further comprising a waterproof packing (90) attached between the body (10) and the installation surface (100).
[0147] According to this embodiment, the gap between the body (10) and the application surface (100) can be sealed with the waterproof packing (90).
[0148] The configurations according to the second to seventh aspects are not essential for the wiring device case 2 and may be omitted as appropriate. The configurations according to the ninth to eleventh aspects are not essential for the wiring device device 1 and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]
[0149] 1 Wiring equipment equipment 2 Wiring device case 10 Body 11 Shaft insertion hole 12 Through holes 17 Hook 20 Cover 25 shaft hole 40 Rotational Axis 41 Polygonal prism shaft 42 sides 51 Leaf spring part 52 Flat plate part 53 Curved part 60 Wiring devices 70 Mounting frame 71 Opening 76 holes 77 screw hole 80 Insulating cover 85 Snap fit part 90 Waterproof packing 94 2nd hole 95 Locking member 97 Control section 98 Lock piece 99 Hole 1 100 Construction side 150 Insertion hole 151 First insertion hole 152 Second insertion hole 200,210 Tip part 300 screws L2 line segment T1 1st tool T2 2nd tool
Claims
1. A body capable of holding wiring devices; a rotation shaft rotatably held by the body; Cover and a leaf spring portion; the rotating shaft has a polygonal columnar shaft portion whose cross section perpendicular to the axial direction has a polygonal shape, the body is provided with a shaft insertion hole into which the polygonal columnar shaft portion of the rotary shaft is rotatably inserted, the cover has a shaft hole into which a portion of the rotating shaft is inserted, and is rotatable relative to the body between a closed position that covers the wiring device held by the body and an open position that exposes the wiring device held by the body by rotating together with the rotating shaft inserted into the shaft hole, the leaf spring portion is capable of coming into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portion inserted into the shaft insertion hole, the cover is capable of maintaining a rotational position when the leaf spring portion is in surface contact with at least one of the plurality of surfaces of the polygonal column shaft portion. Case for wiring devices.
2. the leaf spring portion has a pair of flat plate portions facing each other and a curved surface portion connecting end portions of the pair of flat plate portions, The leaf spring portion has a U-shape when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft, the plate spring portion is disposed so as to sandwich the polygonal column shaft portion between the pair of flat plate portions, the cover is capable of retaining a rotational position when the pair of flat plate portions are in surface contact with the two surfaces of the polygonal column shaft portion; The wiring device case according to claim 1 .
3. The body is attachable to a construction surface, The leaf spring portion is arranged so that the curved surface portion is located on the opposite side of the construction surface with respect to the pair of flat plate portions. The wiring device case according to claim 2 .
4. A mounting frame for a wiring device can be attached to the body, The mounting frame is provided with a pair of screw holes on both sides of an opening in which the wiring device is disposed, the body is provided with a pair of insertion holes through which a pair of screws to be screwed into the pair of screw holes can be inserted, The shape of each of the pair of insertion holes is a shape that connects a first insertion hole into which a screw to be screwed into the pair of screw holes is inserted when the interval between the pair of screw holes is a first interval, and a second insertion hole into which a screw to be screwed into the pair of screw holes is inserted when the interval between the pair of screw holes is a second interval. The wiring device case according to claim 1 .
5. a locking member having an operation portion exposed to the outside of the cover, the locking member being rotatably held relative to the cover in a state in which the operation portion is exposed to the outside of the cover; a lock piece that protrudes from the locking member in a direction intersecting a direction along a central axis that is a rotation center of the locking member, and that rotates together with the locking member to move between a locked position where it engages with a hook portion of the body and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hook portion, The tool for rotating the locking member includes a first tool and a second tool having tip portions with different shapes, The operating portion is provided with a first hole into which the tip portion of the first tool is inserted and a second hole into which the tip portion of the second tool is inserted. The wiring device case according to claim 1 .
6. the first hole is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view, the second hole is provided along a line segment that passes through a center position of the first hole in the major axis direction and is perpendicular to the major axis direction of the first hole; The wiring device case according to claim 5 .
7. The operation portion is provided with two second holes, the two second holes are arranged on both sides of the first hole along the line segment; The wiring device case according to claim 6.
8. A wiring device case according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A wiring device held by the body. Wiring appliance equipment.
9. Further provided is a mounting frame that can be mounted on a construction surface while holding the wiring device, The mounting frame holding the wiring device can be attached to the body, The body is provided with a through hole into which the wiring device held by the mounting frame is inserted. The wiring device apparatus according to claim 8.
10. An insulating cover is further provided between the mounting frame and the installation surface, The insulating cover is provided with a snap-fit portion that can be attached to and detached from a hole provided in the mounting frame. The wiring fixture device according to claim 9.
11. Further provided is a waterproof packing attached between the body and the installation surface. The wiring device apparatus according to claim 8.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Case for wiring fixture, and wiring fixture device including the same
JP2018174114A