Cord length adjustment device

Abstract

The present invention provides a cord length adjustment device for a hanging type lighting fixture comprising a plug that is locked to a power supply unit, a power supply unit electrically connected to the plug, and a cord extending from the power supply unit, wherein the cord length adjustment operation can be performed relatively easily and the cord length adjustment device is relatively compact. [Solution] The plug 2 is connected to the lower end and includes a storage section 61 for housing the power supply unit 3, and a holding section 62 for holding the cord 4 that is pulled out from inside the storage section 61 to the outside. The storage section 61 adjusts the length of the cord 4 by wrapping the area of ​​the cord 4 between the power supply unit 3 and the holding section 62 around its outer surface, and the holding section 62 is detachably attached to the lower end of the storage section 61 with the cord 4 hanging down.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cord length adjusting device for adjusting the length of a cord in a suspended lighting fixture.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a suspended lighting fixture which is arranged in a state where the lighting fixture body is suspended via a cord extending from a plug, by locking the plug to a power supply unit configured by a duct rail, a ceiling hanging rosette, or the like. In the above suspended lighting fixture, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the length of the cord in order to adjust the position where the lighting fixture body is arranged relative to the height of the power supply unit, or to adjust the light distribution of the lighting fixture body. Therefore, such a suspended lighting fixture is provided with an adjusting mechanism capable of arbitrarily adjusting the length of the cord (hereinafter appropriately referred to as "cord length adjusting device").

[0003] As an example of the above adjusting mechanism, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cord length adjusting mechanism (cord length adjusting device) that includes a storage portion in which a power supply device electrically connected to a plug is stored, and a cord length adjusting portion provided adjacently below the storage portion, and adjusts the length of the cord by winding the cord around the cord length adjusting portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the cord length adjustment device described in Patent Document 1, the cord length adjustment part consists of a cylindrical member, and a cord fixing device (holding part) that guides the extension direction of the cord is screwed onto its lower end. The cord extending from the power supply unit stored in the storage compartment is first taken out from inside the cord length adjustment section to the outside, then wrapped around the outer surface of the cord length adjustment section, and then reinserted into the cord length adjustment section and pulled out downwards via the aforementioned holding section.

[0006] Thus, in conventional cord length adjustment devices, both ends of the cord extending from the power supply device that are wrapped around the cord length adjustment section are inserted into the interior of the cord length adjustment section. Therefore, when adjusting the length of a cord, for example, by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord is wrapped, it is time-consuming to loosen the already wrapped cord, which makes the length adjustment process cumbersome. Furthermore, conventional cord length adjustment devices have a separate structure in which the storage unit where the power supply is housed and the cord length adjustment unit where the cord is wound are connected vertically to each other, which has been an obstacle to miniaturizing the cord length adjustment device.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the current situation described above, and aims to provide a cord length adjustment device for a hanging type lighting fixture comprising a plug that is locked to a power supply unit, a power supply unit electrically connected to the plug, and a cord extending from the power supply unit, the cord length adjustment device which allows the cord length adjustment work to be performed relatively easily and is relatively compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The problems that this invention aims to solve are as described above, and the means for solving these problems will now be explained.

[0009] That is, a cord length adjustment device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is a cord length adjustment device for adjusting the length of a hanging lighting fixture comprising a plug that is locked to a power supply unit, a power supply unit electrically connected to the plug, a cord extending from the power supply unit, and a light source connected to the lower end of the cord, wherein the cord length adjustment device comprises a storage unit connected to the lower end of the plug and housing the power supply unit, and a holding unit that holds the cord pulled out from the inside of the storage unit to the outside, wherein the storage unit adjusts the length of the cord by winding the region of the cord between the power supply unit and the holding unit around its outer surface, and the holding unit is detachably attached to the lower end of the storage unit with the cord hanging down. Thus, in the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, the cord pulled out from the inside of the storage section to the outside is wrapped around the storage section and then held at the lower end of the storage section via a retaining part that is detachably attached to the lower end of the storage section. In other words, in the cord extending from the power supply unit, one end of the area wrapped around the storage unit (more specifically, the end on the power supply unit side) is inserted into the storage unit, but the other end of the area (more specifically, the end on the retaining part side) is not inserted into the storage unit. By detaching the retaining part from the lower end of the storage unit, the cord that is already wrapped around it can be easily loosened. Therefore, with the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, when adjusting the length of a cord, for example, by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord is wrapped, the length adjustment can be performed relatively easily. Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, the length of the cord is adjusted by winding it around a storage section that houses the power supply unit, eliminating the need to provide a separate cord length adjustment section around the storage section, as in conventional devices. Therefore, the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention makes it possible to reduce the external size.

[0010] Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in embodiment 1 above, the storage portion is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction and has a main body portion for housing the power supply device and a mounting portion provided at the lower end of the main body portion to which the holding portion is attached, and the holding portion has a plate-shaped sliding portion and a guide cylinder portion that extends perpendicularly from the plate surface of the sliding portion and guides the cord. With this configuration, the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention makes it easier to regulate the orientation of the retaining part attached to the mounting part of the storage part by, for example, bringing the plate surface of the sliding part of the retaining part into contact with the lower end surface of the main body part of the storage part.

[0011] Furthermore, in the third aspect of the present invention, the cord length adjustment device is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the mounting portion consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body, and the holding portion is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion by sliding the sliding portion into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body and the mounting portion with the guide cylinder portion facing downward. Thus, in the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, the retaining part can be attached to the lower end of the storage part simply by sliding the sliding part into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body and the mounting part, and the attachment and detachment of the retaining part to the storage part can be easily performed. Accordingly, with the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, when adjusting the length of the cord, for example by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord is wrapped, the retaining part can be easily detached from the lower end of the storage part, and the cord that has already been wrapped can be loosened, thereby more reliably simplifying the length adjustment work.

[0012] Furthermore, the cord length adjustment device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of embodiments 1 to 3 above, it further comprises a first fall prevention mechanism for preventing the retaining part from falling out of the storage part. With this configuration, the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention can more reliably hold the retaining part at the lower end of the storage part via the first fall prevention mechanism after the cord length adjustment work is completed.

[0013] Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, in embodiment 2 above, the mounting portion consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body, and the holding portion is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion by sliding the sliding portion into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body and the mounting portion with the guide cylinder portion facing downward, and then rotating it in a predetermined direction about the axis of the guide cylinder portion. Thus, in the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, the retaining part can be attached to the lower end of the storage part simply by sliding the sliding part into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body and the mounting part, and then rotating it in a predetermined direction around the axis of the guide cylinder, making it easy to attach and detach the retaining part from the storage part. Accordingly, with the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention, when adjusting the length of the cord, for example by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord is wrapped, the retaining part can be easily detached from the lower end of the storage part, and the cord that has already been wrapped can be loosened, thereby more reliably simplifying the length adjustment work.

[0014] Furthermore, the cord length adjustment device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention is characterized in that, in embodiment 5 above, it further comprises a second detachment prevention mechanism for preventing the retaining part from falling out of the storage part, and a rotation prevention mechanism for preventing the retaining part from rotating in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction with respect to the storage part, with respect to the axis of the guide cylinder part. With this configuration, the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention can more reliably hold the retaining part at the lower end of the storage section via the second fall prevention mechanism after the cord length adjustment work is completed. Further, in the cord length adjusting device according to the present invention, as described above, after the slide portion is slid and moved into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion and the mounting portion, the slide portion is rotated in a predetermined direction around the axial center of the guide cylinder portion, whereby the holding portion is attached to the lower end of the storage portion. Since the structure is configured such that the rotation preventing mechanism prevents the holding portion from rotating in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the holding portion can be held at the lower end of the storage portion more reliably. Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0015] The present invention achieves the following advantageous effects. That is, according to the cord length adjusting device of the present invention, the cord length adjustment operation can be performed relatively easily, and a relatively compact cord length adjusting device can be provided. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing the overall configuration of a suspension-type lighting fixture provided with the cord length adjusting device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the cord length adjusting device, wherein (a) is a front view thereof, and (b) is a partial side view as viewed in the direction of arrow X1 in Fig. 2(a). [Figure 3] It is an assembly diagram for explaining the configuration of the storage portion. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the shape of the holding portion, wherein (a) is a front view thereof, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional side view thereof. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the procedure when attaching the holding portion to the lower end of the storage portion, wherein (a) is a bottom view showing the state immediately before the holding portion is attached to the lower end of the storage portion, and (b) is a bottom view showing the state immediately after the holding portion is attached to the lower end of the storage portion. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the shape of the lock member, wherein (a) is a perspective view showing the lock member as viewed from the cover member side, and (b) is a perspective view showing the lock member as viewed from the side opposite to the cover member side. [Figure 7]This is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the shape of the cover member. [Figure 8] This is an assembly diagram illustrating the configuration of the storage section in a cord length adjustment device according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] In a cord length adjustment device according to another embodiment, the diagram shows the shape of the holding part, where (a) is a side view thereof, (b) is a front view seen in the direction of arrow X2 in Figure 9(a), and (c) is a rear view seen in the direction of arrow X3 in Figure 9(a). [Figure 10] The diagram illustrates the procedure for attaching a retaining part to the lower end of a storage part in a cord length adjustment device according to another embodiment, where (a) is a bottom view showing the state immediately before attaching the retaining part to the lower end of the storage part, (b) is a bottom view showing the state immediately after inserting the retaining part into the lower end of the storage part, and (c) is a bottom view showing the state immediately after rotating the retaining part at the lower end of the storage part. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the configuration of the anti-rotation mechanism in a cord length adjustment device according to another embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional bottom view showing the state immediately after the holding part is inserted into the lower end of the storage part, and (b) is a cross-sectional bottom view showing the state immediately after the holding part is rotated at the lower end of the storage part. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates the configuration of a cord length adjustment device in another embodiment, where (a) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of a locking member having three through holes, and (b) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of a locking member having two through holes. [Figure 13] This figure shows the shape of a holding part of another embodiment, where (a) is a front view thereof and (b) is a partial cross-sectional side view thereof. [Figure 14] The diagram illustrates the procedure for attaching a retaining part to the lower end of a storage compartment in another embodiment, where (a) is a bottom view showing the state immediately before attaching the retaining part to the lower end of the storage compartment, (b) is a bottom view showing the state immediately after attaching the retaining part to the lower end of the storage compartment, and (c) is a bottom view showing the state in the process of removing the retaining part from the lower end of the storage compartment. [Figure 15]This is an enlarged bottom view showing the lower end of the storage compartment in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. For convenience, in the following explanation, in a suspended lighting fixture 1 suspended from the ceiling surface V, the side of the cord 4 facing the ceiling surface V in the longitudinal direction will be defined as the "upper side," and the side opposite to the ceiling surface V (for example, vertically downward) will be defined as the "lower side." Furthermore, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions of the hanging lighting fixture 1 or the cord length adjustment device 6-206 are defined and described according to the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5, 8, and 10 to 12.

[0018] [Overall configuration of the hanging light fixture 1] First, the overall configuration of the hanging type lighting fixture 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "lighting fixture 1"), which is equipped with a cord length adjustment device 6 embodying the present invention, will be explained using Figures 1 and 2.

[0019] In Figure 1, the lighting fixture 1 in this embodiment is a pendant-type lighting fixture in which the main body of the lighting fixture 5 is suspended via a cord 4 extending from a power supply unit 100, such as a duct rail or a ceiling hook, by locking the plug 2 to the plug 2 (more specifically, a power supply device 3, which will be described later).

[0020] In this embodiment, for example, the power supply unit 100 consists of a duct rail 100a and is suspended from the ceiling surface V via a connecting member 101. Furthermore, multiple lighting fixtures 1·1··· are suspended from the duct rail 100a, and each lighting fixture 1 is mechanically and electrically connected to the duct rail 100a by being secured to the duct rail 100a via a plug 2.

[0021] The configuration of the power supply unit 100 is not limited to the duct rail 100a, and may also be other configurations, such as a ceiling hook.

[0022] The lighting fixture 1 mainly comprises a plug 2 that is secured to the power supply unit 100, a power supply device 3 (see Figure 2) electrically connected to the plug 2, a cord 4 extending from the power supply device 3, and a lighting fixture body 5 connected to the lower end of the cord 4. Furthermore, the lighting fixture 1 is equipped with a cord length adjustment device 6 for adjusting the length of the cord.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the plug 2 has a substantially cylindrical plug body portion 21 and a connecting fitting 22 provided at the upper end of the plug body portion 21.

[0024] The plug body 21 has a plug main body 21a which is roughly semi-cylindrical in shape, and a cover 21b which is also roughly semi-cylindrical in shape. The cover 21b is detachably fixed to the plug body 21a by fastening members such as screws or bolts. With the cover 21b fixed to the plug body 21a, the plug body 21 is configured in a substantially cylindrical shape with the vertical direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0025] The connecting fitting 22 is formed, for example, in a roughly T-shape and is provided protruding from both the front and rear sides (in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plug body 21) at the upper end of the plug body 21.

[0026] The connecting fitting 22 is then mechanically and electrically connected to the duct rail 100a by being locked into a groove (not shown) of the duct rail 100a. Specifically, a conductive part (not shown) is provided on the inner surface of the groove of the duct rail 100a, and the connecting fitting 22 is mechanically connected to the duct rail 100a and electrically connected to the conductive part by being locked into the groove.

[0027] The power supply unit 3 is a device for lighting the light source 52 of the lighting fixture body 5, which will be described later. The power supply unit 3 is an electrical circuit for obtaining DC voltage power from a 100V AC commercial power supply, and consists of a configuration in which multiple electrical components are mounted on a circuit board. The power supply unit 3 is electrically connected to both the plug 2 and the cord 4.

[0028] Code 4 mechanically and electrically connects the power supply unit 3 and the lighting fixture body 5. Cord 4 suspends the lighting fixture body 5 via a cord length adjustment device 6 from a power supply unit 3 that is electrically connected to a plug 2 secured to a duct rail 100a (see Figure 1). Furthermore, Code 4 will be a flexible type.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the lighting fixture body 5 has a housing 51, a light source 52, and a shade 53.

[0030] The housing 51 is a component that forms the base of the lighting fixture body 5. The housing 51 consists of, for example, a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction, with the upper end closed by the top surface 51a, while the lower end is open and serves as an illumination port 51b for irradiating light.

[0031] In the housing 51, a material with high thermal conductivity is used for the purpose of dissipating the heat generated by the light source 52 to the outside, such as a metal material like aluminum. Furthermore, a light source support section 51c is provided inside the housing 51, along the inner wall of the housing 51, for supporting the light source 52. Furthermore, inside the housing 51, a shade support portion 51d is provided along the inner wall of the housing 51 on the side of the illumination opening 51b (downward side) relative to the light source support portion 51c, for supporting the shade 53.

[0032] Furthermore, a fixing part 54 is provided on the top surface 51a of the housing 51 for securing the cord 4 and suspending the lighting fixture body 5.

[0033] The shape of the housing 51 is not limited to this embodiment; for example, it may be a long, slender rectangular tube extending in the vertical direction, a cone, or a sphere.

[0034] The light source 52 is composed of LEDs and has an LED module substrate as a light source substrate. The LED module substrate has multiple LEDs mounted on it as semiconductor light-emitting elements. In this embodiment, the light source 52 is composed of an SMD (Surface Mount Device) module. However, the light source 52 may also be a COB (Chip on Board) module. Furthermore, the light source 52 is electrically connected to the code 4.

[0035] Furthermore, the configuration of the light source 52 is not limited to LEDs; other semiconductor light-emitting elements such as EL (Electroluminescence) may also be used.

[0036] The shade 53 is a component that is attached to cover the irradiation port 51b of the housing 51. The shade 53 reflects and diffuses the light emitted from the light source 52, distributing it to the outside of the housing 51.

[0037] Shade 53 is made of a translucent material, such as resin, glass, or ceramic. Furthermore, the shade 53 is configured to be detachable from the housing 51.

[0038] The cord length adjustment device 6 houses the power supply unit 3 and adjusts the length of the cord 4, thereby adjusting the distance from the duct rail 100a to the lighting fixture body 5 (the suspension height from the duct rail 100a on the lighting fixture body 5). The specific configuration of the cord length adjustment device 6 will be described later.

[0039] [Configuration of the cord length adjustment device 6] Next, the configuration of the cord length adjustment device 6 will be explained in detail using Figures 2 to 7.

[0040] As described above, the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment is a device that houses the power supply device 3 and adjusts the length of the cord 4. Furthermore, the cord length adjustment device 6 is connected to the plug 2, and the plug 2 is secured to the duct rail 100a (see Figure 1), thereby holding the cord 4 in a hanging position.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2(a), the cord length adjustment device 6 mainly comprises a storage section 61 for housing the power supply unit 3, a holding section 62 for holding the cord 4 pulled out from inside the storage section 61 to the outside, a locking member 63 for locking (fixing) the cord 4 held by the holding section 62, and a cover member 64 that covers the storage section 61 together with the plug 2. In Figure 2(a), the cover member 64 is depicted with a dashed line to clearly show the internal structure of the cord length adjustment device 6. Furthermore, the cord length adjustment device 6 is equipped with a fall prevention mechanism 65 (see Figures 5(a) and 5(b)) to prevent the retaining part 62, once attached to the storage part 61, from falling off. The detachment prevention mechanism 65 is an example of the first detachment prevention mechanism according to the present invention.

[0042] The storage section 61 has a main body 61a consisting of a substantially cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction, and a mounting portion 61b provided at the lower end of the main body 61a.

[0043] The shape of the main body 61a is not limited to a cylindrical shape; any shape is acceptable, such as a roughly rectangular cylinder.

[0044] The main body section 61a is the part that houses the power supply unit 3. As shown in Figure 3, the main body 61a has a two-part structure divided by a virtual plane including the axis Z (see Figure 2), and has a first housing part 61a1 which is roughly semi-cylindrical in shape, and a second housing part 61a2 which is also roughly semi-cylindrical in shape.

[0045] Furthermore, the configuration of the main body 61a is not limited to a two-part structure; for example, it may be configured as an integrated cylindrical shape with a detachable bottom surface.

[0046] The first housing section 61a1 is the part where the power supply unit 3 is located. The first housing portion 61a1 has a side surface 11a that is curved in a substantially semicircular shape when viewed in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction), an upper end surface 12a provided to close the opening on the upper end side of the side surface 11a, and a lower end surface 13a provided to close the opening on the lower end side of the side surface 11a. Furthermore, the first housing portion 61a1 has a connecting portion 14a that protrudes upward from the upper end surface 12a.

[0047] The side surface 11a has a notch 11a1 at one side end (the right end in this embodiment) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, for pulling the cord 4 out from the inside of the storage section 61 to the outside. Furthermore, the side surface 11a has an opening 11a2 at the other side end (the left end in this embodiment) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which can engage with the engaging portion 11b1 of the second housing portion 61a2, which will be described later.

[0048] The upper end surface 12a is a roughly semi-disc-shaped portion along the upper end of the side surface 11a. On the upper surface of the upper end surface 12a, the connecting portion 14a is integrally connected to the central part in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (in this embodiment, the central part in the left-right direction).

[0049] The lower end surface 13a is a substantially disc-shaped portion along the lower end of the side surface 11a in part (in this embodiment, the rear semicircular portion), and is provided to protrude toward the second housing portion 61a2 side (in this embodiment, the front side) relative to the side surface 11a. Furthermore, the lower end surface 13a has a notch 13a1 extending from the front end toward the rear in the central part (center in the left-right direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the notched portion 13a1 is formed such that, when the first housing portion 61a1 and the second housing portion 61a2 are fixed together, it substantially overlaps with the inclined guide portion 13b1 of the second housing portion 61a2, which will be described later, when viewed from below.

[0051] The connecting portion 14a has a substantially semi-cylindrical neck portion 14a1 and a semi-annular flange portion 14a2 provided at the upper end of the neck portion 14a1 and projecting radially outward from the neck portion 14a1.

[0052] The connecting portion 14a is integrally connected to the upper surface of the upper end surface 12a via the lower end of the neck portion 14a1. On the other hand, the upper end surface 12a is provided with a semicircular notch 12a1 that is continuously connected to the inside of the neck portion 14a1.

[0053] Furthermore, the front end face of the connecting portion 14a, the front end face of the upper end face 12a, and the front end face of the side surface 11a are each formed to be located on the same plane as each other.

[0054] The second housing portion 61a2 is the part that covers the inside of the first housing portion 61a1. The second housing portion 61a2 has a side surface 11b that is curved in a substantially semicircular shape when viewed in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction), an upper end surface 12b provided to close the opening on the upper end side of the side surface 11b, and a lower end surface 13b provided to close the opening on the lower end side of the side surface 11b. Furthermore, the second housing portion 61a2 has a connecting portion 14b that protrudes upward from the upper end surface 12b.

[0055] Since the upper end surface 12b and the connecting portion 14b have substantially the same configuration as the upper end surface 12a and the connecting portion 14a of the first housing portion 61a1 described above, a description of them is omitted.

[0056] The side surface 11b has an engaging portion 11b1 at the other side end (left end) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which is capable of engaging with the opening 11a2 of the first housing portion 61a1 described above. By engaging the engaging portion 11b1 with the opening 11a2, these parts (the opening 11a2 and the engaging portion 11b1) function as a catch mechanism (clip mechanism) that allows the second housing portion 61a2 to be opened and closed relative to the first housing portion 61a1.

[0057] The lower end surface 13b is a roughly semicircular disc-shaped portion along the lower end of the side surface 11b. The lower end surface 13b has an inclined guide portion 13b1 that, in the central part (center in the left-right direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, slopes toward the upper end surface 12b side (upward side in this embodiment) from the end on the first housing portion 61a1 side (rear end in this embodiment) toward the side surface 11b side (front side in this embodiment).

[0058] The inclined guide portion 13b1 is formed so as to substantially overlap the notch portion 13a1 of the first housing portion 61a1 when viewed from below, while the first housing portion 61a1 and the second housing portion 61a2 are fixed together.

[0059] Furthermore, the inclined guide section 13b1 functions as a guide for guiding the cord 4 wrapped around the main body section 61a to the holding section 62 when the holding section 62 is attached to the lower end of the storage section 61.

[0060] In the first housing section 61a1 and the second housing section 61a2 having such configurations, the main body section 61a is constructed by placing the power supply unit 3 inside the first housing section 61a1 and then combining and fixing them together.

[0061] Specifically, the power supply unit 3 is positioned inside the first housing unit 61a1 with the wiring 7 (see Figure 2) connected to the plug 2 inserted into the neck portion 14a1 and the notch portion 12a1 of the connecting portion 14a, and the cord 4 extending from the power supply unit 3 inserted into the notch portion 11a1.

[0062] Then, the side surface 11b of the second housing portion 61a2 is abutted against the side surface 11a of the first housing portion 61a1, and the lower surface of the lower end surface 13a of the second housing portion 61a2 is in contact with the upper surface of the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1. After combining the first housing portion 61a1 and the second housing portion 61a2, they are fixed to each other with fasteners such as screws or bolts, thereby constructing the main body portion 61a.

[0063] In the constructed main body 61a, the wiring 7 is routed from the inside to the outside of the main body 61a via the connecting parts 14a and 14b. Furthermore, the code 4 is pulled out from the inside of the main body 61a to the outside through the notch 11a1 of the first housing 61a1.

[0064] The main body portion 61a is then connected to the lower end of the plug 2 by being sandwiched between the two-part plug body portion 21 (more specifically, the plug main body 21a and the cover 21b; see Figure 2) via the connecting portions 14a and 14b. Furthermore, the main body 61a adjusts the length of the portion of the cord that extends from the main body 61a by winding the cord 4 around its outer surface.

[0065] In this embodiment, substantially spiral grooves 11a3 and 11a3 are provided on the outer circumferential surfaces of the side surface 11a of the first housing portion 61a1 and the side surface 11b of the second housing portion 61a2, respectively. These grooves 11a3 and 11a3 indicate the winding direction when winding the cord 4 around the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 61a.

[0066] The mounting portion 61b is the part to which the retaining portion 62 is attached. The mounting portion 61b has a mounting surface 15 that is provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a (more specifically, the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1).

[0067] The mounting surface 15 is supported at the lower end of the main body portion 61a from the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1 via a U-shaped support portion 16 that opens, for example, on the second housing portion 61a2 side (front side). Furthermore, the gap between the mounting surface 15 and the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1 is set to be approximately equal to the thickness of the sliding portion 62a of the holding portion 62, which will be described later.

[0068] The mounting surface 15 is a portion consisting of a substantially U-shaped plane, and has an opening 15a in the central part (left-right central part) in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which opens toward the second housing portion 61a2 side (front side).

[0069] Furthermore, on the inside of the opening 15a, at the end on the opening side (front side in this embodiment), a pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 are provided on both sides (both left and right sides) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which can be engaged with the first projections 62c, 62c of the retaining portion 62, which will be described later.

[0070] The holding portion 62 holds the cord 4 wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 61a and guides the extension direction of the cord 4 in the direction of hanging down (directly downward). As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the holding portion 62 has a base slide portion 62a and a guide cylinder portion 62b that guides the cord 4.

[0071] The sliding portion 62a consists of, for example, a roughly rectangular plate-shaped part, and its outer shape is roughly aligned with the inner circumferential surface of the support portion 16 (see Figure 3) described above. Furthermore, the sliding portion 62a is set to have a thickness approximately equal to the gap between the mounting surface 15 and the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1.

[0072] The guide tube portion 62b consists of a roughly hollow circular tubular section. The guide cylinder portion 62b is provided in the central part of one of the plate surfaces 62a1 of the slide portion 62a, extending in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface 62a1. On the other hand, the slide portion 62a is provided with a through hole 62a2 that is continuously connected to the inner circumferential surface 62b1 of the guide cylinder portion 62b.

[0073] At the tip of the guide cylinder portion 62b, a plurality of slits 62b2, 62b2, ... (four in this embodiment) are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, extending in the axial direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b. Furthermore, a male screw portion 62b3 is formed at the base end of the guide cylinder portion 62b.

[0074] As will be described later, the guide tube portion 62b is screwed into the locking member 63 via the male screw portion 62b3, thereby reducing the diameter of the tip portion through each slit 62b2. As a result, the position of the cord 4 inserted into the guide tube portion 62b is locked (fixed).

[0075] The plate surface 62a1 of the slide portion 62a is provided with a pair of first protrusions 62c, 62c that project in the extension direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b. The pair of first projections 62c, 62c are positioned to engage with the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 when the holding portion 62 is attached to the mounting portion 61b (see Figure 3) of the storage portion 61.

[0076] When attaching the retaining portion 62, which has the configuration described above, to the lower end of the storage portion 61, the following procedure is followed.

[0077] Specifically, in Figure 5(a), firstly, the holding portion 62 is in a state where the cord 4, which has been pulled out from the inside of the storage portion 61 (see Figure 3), is inserted into the guide cylinder portion 62b, and the cord 4 is wrapped around the outer surface of the storage portion 61 in the area between the power supply device 3 housed in the storage portion 61 and the holding portion 62.

[0078] Furthermore, the code 4 is inserted into the holding portion 62 (more specifically, the guide cylinder portion 62b) from the opposite side of the slide portion 62a of the holding portion 62 (the upper side in this embodiment) toward the guide cylinder portion 62b side (the lower side in this embodiment).

[0079] When attaching the holding portion 62 in this state to the lower end of the storage portion 61, with the guide cylinder portion 62b facing downwards, the sliding portion 62a is slid from the second housing portion 61a2 side (front side) to the first housing portion 61a1 side (rear side) into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a (lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1) and the mounting portion 61b (more specifically, the mounting surface 15).

[0080] In this case, the sliding direction of the holding portion 62 (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction) is restricted by sliding the left and right ends of the sliding portion 62a against the inner circumferential surface of the support portion 16 in the mounting portion 61b. Furthermore, the guide cylinder portion 62b, which protrudes downward, slides within the opening 15a while being perpendicular to the mounting surface 15 through the opening 15a.

[0081] Then, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the sliding retaining portion 62 reaches a predetermined position (for example, a position where the guide cylinder portion 62b is coaxial with respect to the storage portion 61), the pair of first projections 62c, 62c engage with the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 provided on the mounting portion 61b, and the retaining portion 62 is attached to the lower end of the storage portion 61 without falling out of it. In other words, the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment includes a fall prevention mechanism 65 which consists of a pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 provided in the storage section 61 (more specifically, the mounting section 61b) and a pair of first protrusions 62c, 62c provided in the holding section 62.

[0082] Furthermore, when removing the retaining portion 62, which has been attached to the lower end of the storage portion 61, from the storage portion 61, the retaining portion 62 can be forcibly pulled out and slid toward the second housing portion 61a2 side (front side). This easily releases the engagement between the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 and the pair of first protrusions 62c, 62c, allowing the retaining portion 62 to be removed from the lower end of the storage portion 61.

[0083] Thus, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 61b consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a (the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1), and the holding portion 62 is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion 61 by sliding the sliding portion 62a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a and the mounting portion 61b with the guide cylinder portion 62b facing downward.

[0084] Thus, in the cord length adjustment device 6 of this embodiment, the holding part 62 can be attached to the lower end of the storage part 61 simply by sliding the sliding part 62a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body part 61a (the lower end surface 13a of the first housing part 61a1) and the mounting part 61b, making it easy to attach and detach the holding part 62 to the storage part 61.

[0085] Accordingly, with the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment, when adjusting the length of the cord 4, for example, by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord 4 is wrapped (wrapping length), the holding part 62 can be easily detached from the lower end of the storage part 61 to loosen the cord 4 that has already been wrapped, thereby more reliably simplifying the length adjustment work.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cord length adjustment device 6 is configured to further include a fall prevention mechanism (first fall prevention mechanism) 65 that prevents the holding part 62 from falling out of the storage part 61.

[0087] Here, the fall prevention mechanism 65 is provided on the sliding portion 62a of the holding portion 62 and consists of a pair of first projections 62c, 62c that protrude in the extending direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b, and a pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 that are provided on the inner end of the mounting portion 61b (more specifically, the mounting surface 15) and can engage with the pair of first projections 62c, 62c when the holding portion 62 is mounted on the storage portion 61.

[0088] With this configuration, the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment can more reliably hold the retaining part at the lower end of the storage section 61 via the anti-drop mechanism (first anti-drop mechanism) 65 after the cord length adjustment work is completed.

[0089] The locking member 63 (see Figure 2) locks (fixes) the position of the cord 4 inserted through the guide cylinder portion 62b by screwing it into the guide cylinder portion 62b of the holding portion 62. As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the locking member 63 has a disc-shaped bottom surface portion 63a, an annular outer peripheral surface portion 63b that protrudes to one side along the periphery of the bottom surface portion 63a, and a substantially hollow cylindrical threaded portion 63c that extends in the direction of the protrusion of the outer peripheral surface portion 63b at the center of the bottom surface portion 63a.

[0090] The inner circumferential surface of the threaded portion 63c is provided with a female threaded portion 63c1 that can be screwed into the male threaded portion 62b3 of the guide cylinder portion 62b (see Figures 4(a) and 4(b)). On the other hand, the bottom portion 63a is provided with a through hole 63a1 that communicates with the inner circumference of the threaded portion 63c.

[0091] Then, as shown in Figure 2(a), the locking member 63 is screwed into the guide cylinder portion 62b via the female threaded portion 63c1 of the threaded portion 63c, with the cord 4 inserted into the through hole 63a1 (see Figure 6(b)). As a result, as described above, the tip of the guide tube portion 62b is reduced in diameter through each slit 62b2, and the position of the cord 4 inserted into the guide tube portion 62b is locked (fixed).

[0092] In this embodiment, a fitting groove 63b1 is provided around the entire circumference of the tip of the outer peripheral surface portion 63b, and by inserting the lower end of the cover member 64 into the fitting groove 63b1, the cover member 64 is held in place by the locking member 63.

[0093] The cover member 64, together with the cord wrapped around the storage section 61, completely covers the storage section 61 and the plug 2. The cover member 64 consists of a bottomed, roughly cylindrical member that extends in the vertical direction.

[0094] As shown in Figure 7, the cover member 64 has a disc-shaped bottom surface portion 64a, a hollow cylindrical first outer peripheral surface portion 64b extending upward along the periphery of the bottom surface portion 64a, and a hollow cylindrical second outer peripheral surface portion 64c extending further upward from the upper end of the first outer peripheral surface portion 64b.

[0095] With the cover member 64 held in place by the locking member 63 (see Figure 2), the first outer peripheral surface portion 64b mainly covers the cord 4 wrapped around the storage portion 61 together with the storage portion 61. Furthermore, the second outer peripheral surface portion 64c mainly covers the upper end of the storage portion 61 and the plug body portion 21 of the plug 2.

[0096] The first outer peripheral surface portion 64b and the second outer peripheral surface portion 64c are each configured to gradually and gently increase in diameter towards the top. Furthermore, in a side cross-sectional view, the inclination angle θ1 of the first outer peripheral surface portion 64b with respect to the vertical plane is set to be slightly larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the second outer peripheral surface portion 64c with respect to the vertical plane (θ1 > θ2), so that there is sufficient internal space to accommodate the cord 4 wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the storage portion 61.

[0097] On the other hand, a through hole 64a1 is provided in the center of the bottom portion 64a into which the guide cylinder portion 62b (see Figure 2) can be inserted.

[0098] Then, as shown in Figure 2, the cover member 64 is held by the locking member 63 by inserting the guide cylinder portion 62b into the through hole 64a1 (see Figure 7) and fitting its lower end into the tip of the outer peripheral surface portion 63b of the locking member 63 (more specifically, the fitting groove portion 63b1). Furthermore, the cover member 64 is provided with a guide portion 64a2 that has an R-shape when viewed in circumferential cross-section on the periphery of the bottom surface portion 64a, and the lower end of the cover member 64 can be easily fitted into the fitting groove portion 63b1 of the outer peripheral surface portion 63b via the guide portion 64a2.

[0099] [Configuration of cord length adjustment device 206 (another embodiment)] Next, the configuration of the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 8 to 11.

[0100] The cord length adjustment device 206 in this alternative embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the cord length adjustment device 6 in the above-described embodiment, but the configuration of the holding part 262 differs from that of the cord length adjustment device 6. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment, and will omit descriptions of configurations equivalent to the cord length adjustment device 6.

[0101] As shown in Figure 8, the cord length adjustment device 206 mainly comprises a storage section 261 for housing the power supply unit 3, a holding section 262 for holding the cord 4 pulled out from inside the storage section 261 to the outside, a locking member 263 (see Figures 6(a) and 6(b)) for locking (fixing) the cord 4 held by the holding section 262, and a cover member 264 (see Figure 7) that covers the storage section 261 together with the plug 2. Since the locking member 263 and the cover member 264 have the same configuration as the locking member 63 and the cover member 64 in the above-described embodiment, their descriptions are omitted.

[0102] Furthermore, the cord length adjustment device 206 includes a fall prevention mechanism 265 (see Figure 10) that prevents the retaining part 262, once attached to the storage part 261, from falling off, and a rotation prevention mechanism 266 (see Figures 11(a) and 11(b)) that prevents the retaining part 262 from rotating relative to the storage part 261 around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder part 262b (see Figure 9(a)). The fall prevention mechanism 265 is an example of the second fall prevention mechanism according to the present invention.

[0103] The storage section 261 has a main body 261a consisting of a substantially cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction, and a mounting portion 261b provided at the lower end of the main body 61a. Since the main body 261a has the same configuration as the main body 61a in the above-described embodiment, a description of it will be omitted.

[0104] The mounting portion 261b is the area to which the retaining portion 262 is attached. The mounting portion 261b has a mounting frame 215 that is provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (more specifically, the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1).

[0105] The mounting frame 215 consists of a U-shaped frame portion that opens, for example, on the second housing portion 261a2 side (front side) at the lower end of the main body portion 261a, and is supported from the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1 via a C-shaped support portion 216 that also opens on the second housing portion 261a2 side (front side). Furthermore, the gap between the mounting frame 215 and the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1 is set to be approximately equal to the thickness of the sliding portion 262a of the holding portion 262, which will be described later.

[0106] Furthermore, inside the mounting frame 215, at the center of the holding portion 262 (which will be described later) in the sliding direction (front-to-back direction in this embodiment), a pair of protrusions 215a1, 215a1 are provided facing each other on both sides (both left and right sides) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) of the main body portion 261a, and are capable of contacting the third projections 262c, 262c of the holding portion 262.

[0107] On the other hand, the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1) is provided with a pair of second protrusions 217, 217 that project toward the mounting frame 215 side (downward in this embodiment). The pair of second projections 217-217 are located at approximately the same position as the pair of protrusions 215a1-215a1 when viewed in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction), and are arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (left and right direction).

[0108] The holding portion 262 holds the cord 4 wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 261a and guides the extension direction of the cord 4 in the direction of hanging down (directly downward). As shown in Figure 9, the holding portion 262 has a base slide portion 262a and a guide cylinder portion 262b that guides the cord 4. Since the guide tube portion 262b has the same configuration as the guide tube portion 62b in the embodiment described above, a description of it will be omitted.

[0109] The sliding portion 262a consists of, for example, a roughly rectangular plate-shaped part, and its thickness is set to be approximately equal to the gap between the mounting frame 215 (see Figure 8) and the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1.

[0110] A pair of third projections 262c, 262c are provided on the plate surface 262a1 of one side of the slide portion 262a (hereinafter referred to as the "front side" as appropriate), projecting in the direction of extension of the guide cylinder portion 262b. Furthermore, the other side of the slide portion 262a (hereinafter referred to as the "back side"), the plate surface 262a2, is provided with a pair of grooves 262d, 262d and a pair of fourth protrusions 262e, 262e, each provided within a groove.

[0111] The pair of third projections 262c·262c are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are arranged facing each other along the sliding direction (front-to-back direction) of the holding portion 262, with the guide cylinder portion 262b in between. Furthermore, the pair of third projections 262c·262c are positioned so as to be able to contact the pair of protrusions 215a1·215a1 when the holding portion 262 is attached to the mounting portion 261b of the storage portion 261 (see Figure 8). Furthermore, the pair of third protrusions 262c-262c function as levers for rotating the holding portion 262 around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b.

[0112] The pair of grooves 262d·262d are each formed in an arc shape with respect to the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b, and are open at one end to the outside of the slide portion 262a. Furthermore, the pair of grooves 262d-262d are formed in the mounting portion 261b along the relative trajectories of the pair of second protrusions 217-217 described above when the holding portion 262 is rotated around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b.

[0113] The pair of fourth projections 262e-262e are provided within each groove 262d, at the other end of the groove 262d (the end opposite to the opening side), and are positioned to engage with the pair of second projections 217-217 when the retaining part 262 is attached to the mounting part 61b of the storage part 261.

[0114] When attaching the retaining portion 262, which has the configuration described above, to the lower end of the storage portion 261, the following procedure is followed.

[0115] Specifically, in Figure 10(a), firstly, the holding portion 262 is in a state where the cord 4, which has been pulled out from the inside of the storage portion 261 (see Figure 8), is inserted into the guide cylinder portion 262b, and the cord 4 is wrapped around the outer surface of the storage portion 261 in the area between the power supply device 3 housed in the storage portion 261 and the holding portion 262.

[0116] Furthermore, the code 4 is inserted into the holding portion 262 (more specifically, the guide cylinder portion 262b) from the opposite side of the slide portion 262a of the holding portion 262 (the upper side in this embodiment) toward the guide cylinder portion 262b side (the lower side in this embodiment).

[0117] When attaching the holding portion 262 in this state to the lower end of the storage portion 261, with the guide cylinder portion 262b facing downwards, the sliding portion 262a is slid from the second housing portion 261a2 side (front side) to the first housing portion 261a1 side (rear side) into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1) and the mounting portion 261b (more specifically, the mounting frame 215).

[0118] In Figure 10(b), when the sliding retaining portion 262 reaches a predetermined position (for example, a position where the guide cylinder portion 262b is coaxial with respect to the storage portion 261), the retaining portion 262 is then rotated in a predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b using the pair of third projections 262c·262c as levers. For example, in this embodiment, the holding portion 262 is rotated approximately 90° clockwise around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b.

[0119] As a result, as shown in Figure 10(c), the pair of third projections 262c·262c are brought into contact with the pair of protrusions 215a1·215a1 provided on the mounting portion 261b, so as to be held in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (front-back direction) (left-right direction). As a result, the retaining portion 262 is attached to the lower end of the storage portion 261 without falling out of it. In other words, the cord length adjustment device 206 in this alternative embodiment includes a fall prevention mechanism 265 which consists of a pair of protrusions 215a1, 215a1 provided on the storage section 261 (more specifically, the mounting section 261b) and a pair of third protrusions 262c, 262c provided on the holding section 262.

[0120] Furthermore, in Figure 11(a), by rotating the holding portion 262, which has reached the predetermined position, in a predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b, the pair of fourth projections 262e·262e provided in each groove portion 262d are also moved in a predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b.

[0121] As a result, as shown in Figure 11(b), the pair of fourth projections 262e·262e each overcome the pair of second projections 217·217 provided on the lower end surface of the main body 261a (lower end surface 213a of the first housing 261a1), and engage with these pair of second projections 217·217. This prevents the retaining portion 262 from unexpectedly rotating in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction (counterclockwise in this embodiment) when, for example, the locking member 263 is later screwed into the guide cylinder portion 262b. In other words, the cord length adjustment device 206 in this alternative embodiment includes a rotation prevention mechanism 266 which consists of a pair of second protrusions 217, 217 provided on the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1) and a pair of fourth protrusions 262e, 262e provided on the holding portion 262.

[0122] Furthermore, when removing the retaining portion 262, which has been attached to the lower end of the storage portion 261, from the storage portion 261, the storage portion 261 is forcibly rotated in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction (counterclockwise) around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b, and then the retaining portion 262 is slid out toward the second housing portion 261a2 side (front side). This easily releases the contact between the pair of protrusions 215a1-215a1 (see Figure 10) and the pair of third projections 262c-262c, and also easily releases the engagement between the pair of second projections 217-217 and the pair of fourth projections 262e-262e, allowing the retaining portion 262 to be removed from the lower end of the storage portion 261.

[0123] Thus, in this alternative embodiment, the mounting portion 261b consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1), and the holding portion 262 is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion 261 by sliding the sliding portion 262a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a and the mounting portion 261b (see Figure 8) with the guide cylinder portion 262b facing downward, and then rotating it in the predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder portion 262b.

[0124] Thus, in the cord length adjustment device 206 of this alternative embodiment, the holding part 262 can be attached to the lower end of the storage part 261 simply by sliding the sliding part 262a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body part 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing part 261a1) and the mounting part 261b, and then rotating it in the predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder part 262b. This configuration allows for easy attachment and detachment of the holding part 262 to the storage part 261.

[0125] Accordingly, according to the cord length adjustment device 206 in this alternative embodiment, when adjusting the length of the cord 4, for example, by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord 4 is wrapped, the holding part 262 can be easily detached from the lower end of the storage part 261 to loosen the cord 4 that has already been wrapped, thereby more reliably simplifying the length adjustment work.

[0126] In this other embodiment, the cord length adjustment device 206 further includes a fall prevention mechanism (second fall prevention mechanism) 265 (see Figure 10) that prevents the holding part 262 from falling out of the storage part 261, and a rotation prevention mechanism 266 that prevents the holding part 262 from rotating in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder part 262b relative to the storage part 261.

[0127] Here, the fall prevention mechanism (second fall prevention mechanism) 265 is provided on the sliding portion 262a of the holding portion 262 and consists of a pair of third projections 262c, 262c that protrude in the extending direction of the guide cylinder portion 262b, and a pair of convex portions 215a1, 215a1 that are provided on the inside of the mounting portion 261b (more specifically, the mounting frame 215) and can come into contact with the pair of third projections 262c when the holding portion 262 is mounted on the storage portion 261. Furthermore, the anti-rotation mechanism 266 is provided on the lower end surface of the main body portion 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing portion 261a1) and consists of a pair of second protrusions 217-217 that project toward the mounting portion 261b (more specifically, the mounting frame 215), a pair of grooves 262d-262d provided on the main body portion 261a side (upper side in this embodiment) of the sliding portion 262a of the holding portion 262a and formed along the relative trajectory of the pair of second protrusions 217-217 when the holding portion 262 is rotated in the predetermined direction, and a pair of fourth protrusions 262e-262e provided within each of the grooves 262d-262d and capable of engaging with the pair of second protrusions 217-217.

[0128] With this configuration, according to the cord length adjustment device 206 in this alternative embodiment, after the cord length adjustment work is completed, the holding part 262 can be more securely held at the lower end of the storage part 261 via the fall prevention mechanism (second fall prevention mechanism) 265.

[0129] Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device 206 of this separate embodiment, as described above, the sliding part 262a is slid into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body part 261a (the lower end surface 213a of the first housing part 261a1) and the mounting part 261b (more specifically, the mounting frame 215), and then rotated in the predetermined direction around the axis Z1 of the guide cylinder part 262b to attach the holding part 262 to the lower end of the storage part 261. The rotation prevention mechanism 266 prevents the holding part 262 from rotating in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, thus ensuring that the holding part 262 is held even more securely at the lower end of the storage part 261.

[0130] As described above, the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment) is a cord length adjustment device for adjusting the length of a cord 4 in a hanging type lighting fixture 1 comprising a plug 2 that is locked to a power supply unit 100 (more specifically, a duct rail 100a), a power supply unit 3 that is electrically connected to the plug 2, a cord 4 extending from the power supply unit 3, and a lighting fixture body 5 (more specifically, a light source 52) connected to the lower end of the cord 4, and comprises a storage unit 61 (261) connected to the lower end of the plug 2 and housing the power supply unit 3, and a holding unit 62 (262) that holds the cord 4 that has been pulled out from inside the storage unit 61 (261) to the outside.

[0131] Here, the storage section 61(261) is configured to adjust the length of the cord 4 by wrapping the area of ​​the cord 4 between the power supply unit 3 and the holding section 62(262) around its outer surface, and the holding section 62(262) is configured to be detachably attached to the lower end of the storage section 61(261) with the cord 4 hanging down.

[0132] Thus, in the cord length adjustment device 6 of this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 of another embodiment), the cord 4 pulled out from inside the storage section 61(261) to the outside is wrapped around the storage section 61(261) and then held at the lower end of the storage section 61(261) via a retaining section 62(262) that is detachably attached to the lower end of the storage section 61(261). In other words, in the cord 4 extending from the power supply unit 3, one end of the area wrapped around the storage unit 61(261) (more specifically, the end on the power supply unit 3 side) is inserted into the storage unit 61(261), but the other end of that area (more specifically, the end on the holding unit 62(262) side) is not inserted into the storage unit 61(261). By detaching the holding unit 62(262) from the lower end of the storage unit 61(261), the cord 4 that is already wrapped around it can be easily loosened.

[0133] Therefore, according to the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment), when performing the cord length adjustment operation, for example, when adjusting the length of the cord 4 by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord 4 is wrapped, the length adjustment operation can be performed relatively easily.

[0134] Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment), the length of the cord 4 is adjusted by winding it around the storage section 61 (261) that houses the power supply unit 3. This eliminates the need to provide a separate cord length adjustment section around the storage section, as in conventional designs. Therefore, the cord length adjustment device according to the present invention makes it possible to reduce the external size.

[0135] Furthermore, in the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment), the storage section 61(61) is formed in a cylindrical shape (in this embodiment, substantially cylindrical) that extends in the vertical direction and has a main body section 61a(261a) for housing the power supply device 3 and a mounting section 61b(261b) provided at the lower end of the main body section 61a(261a) to which the holding section 62(262) is attached. The holding section 62(262) has a plate-shaped (in this embodiment, substantially rectangular plate-shaped) sliding section 62a(262a) and a guide cylinder section 62b(262b) that extends perpendicularly from the plate surface of the sliding section 62a(262a) and guides the cord 4.

[0136] With this configuration, according to the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment (or the cord length adjustment device 206 in another embodiment), for example, by bringing the plate surface of the sliding part 62a (262a) of the holding part 62 (262) into contact with the lower end surface of the main body part 61a (261a) of the storage part 61 (261) (the lower end surface 13a (213a) of the first housing part 61a1 (261a1)), the positional orientation of the holding part 62 (262) attached to the mounting part 61b (261b) of the storage part 61 (261) can be more easily controlled.

[0137] In addition, as other embodiments of the cord length adjustment device 6 in the above-described embodiment and the cord length adjustment device 206 in the other embodiment, it is also possible to use, for example, a locking member 363 having three through holes 363c·363c·363c as shown in Figure 12(a), or a locking member 463 having two through holes 463c·463c as shown in Figure 12(b).

[0138] In the locking member 363, for example, the inner diameter of the central through-hole 363c (through-hole 363c1 in Figure 12(a)) is set to be smaller than the inner diameters of the other through-holes 363c. After inserting the guide tube portion 362b into one of the other through-holes 363c, the locking member 363 can be moved to a position where the central through-hole 363c1 is coaxial with the guide tube portion 362b, thereby easily locking (fixing) the position of the cord 4 inserted through the guide tube portion 362b.

[0139] Furthermore, in the locking member 463, the inner diameter of one through hole 463c (through hole 463c1 in Figure 12(b)) is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the other through hole 463c (through hole 463c2 in Figure 12(b)). After inserting the guide cylinder portion 462b into the other through hole 363c2, the locking member 463 can be moved to a position where the one through hole 463c1 is coaxial with the guide cylinder portion 462b, thereby easily locking (fixing) the position of the cord 4 inserted through the guide cylinder portion 462b.

[0140] [Configuration of the cord length adjustment device 306] Next, the configuration of the cord length adjustment device 306 in another embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 13 to 14.

[0141] The cord length adjustment device 306 in this alternative embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the cord length adjustment device 6 in the above-described embodiment, but the configuration of the holding part 362 differs from that of the cord length adjustment device 6. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment, and will omit descriptions of configurations equivalent to the cord length adjustment device 6. The holding portion 362 holds the cord 4 wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 61a and guides the extension direction of the cord 4 in the direction of hanging down (directly downward). As shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), the holding portion 362 has a base slide portion 62a and a guide cylinder portion 62b that guides the cord 4.

[0142] The sliding portion 62a consists of, for example, a roughly rectangular plate-shaped part, and its outer shape is roughly aligned with the inner circumferential surface of the support portion 16 (see Figure 3). Furthermore, the sliding portion 62a is set to have a thickness approximately equal to the gap between the mounting surface 15 and the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1.

[0143] The guide tube portion 62b consists of a roughly hollow circular tubular section. The guide cylinder portion 62b is provided in the central part of one of the plate surfaces 62a1 of the slide portion 62a, extending in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface 62a1. On the other hand, the slide portion 62a is provided with a through hole 62a2 that is continuously connected to the inner circumferential surface 62b1 of the guide cylinder portion 62b.

[0144] At the tip of the guide cylinder portion 62b, a plurality of slits 62b2, 62b2, ... (four in this embodiment) are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, extending in the axial direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b. Furthermore, a male threaded portion 62b3 is formed at the base end of the guide tube portion 62b.

[0145] As will be described later, the guide tube portion 62b is screwed into the locking member 63 via the male screw portion 62b3, thereby reducing the diameter of the tip portion through each slit 62b2. As a result, the position of the cord 4 inserted into the guide tube portion 62b is locked (fixed).

[0146] The plate surface 62a1 of the sliding portion 62a is provided with a pair of first projections 62c, 62c that protrude in the extension direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b. The pair of first projections 62c, 62c are substantially cylindrical in shape. The pair of first projections 62c, 62c are positioned to engage with the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 when the retaining portion 62 is attached to the mounting portion 61b of the storage portion 61 (see Figure 3). The pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 are substantially semi-cylindrical recesses.

[0147] Furthermore, a fifth projection 362d is provided on the plate surface 62a1 of the slide portion 62a, on the insertion side of the first projection 62c, projecting in the extension direction of the guide cylinder portion 62b. The fifth projection 362d is substantially cylindrical in shape, and has the same shape and dimensions as the first projection 62c. However, the fifth projection 362d does not necessarily have to be the same shape and dimensions as the first projection 62c, as long as it has the same function and effect as the first projection 62c. The fifth projection 362d is provided on one side of the slide portion 62a (the left side in this embodiment) and not on the other side of the slide portion 62a (the right side in this embodiment). The fifth projection 362d is provided in a position that overlaps with one of the first projections 62c (the left side in this embodiment) in the left-right direction of the slide portion 62a. The fifth projection 362d is provided in the front-rear direction of the sliding portion 62a at a position away from one of the first projections 62c (the left side in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the fifth projection 362d is provided on only one side of the pair of first projections 62c, but this is not the only option; for example, a pair of fifth projections 362d can be provided on both sides of the pair of first projections 62c.

[0148] When attaching the retaining portion 362, which has the configuration described above, to the lower end of the storage portion 61, the following procedure is followed.

[0149] Specifically, in Figure 14(a), firstly, the holding portion 362 is in a state where the cord 4, which has been pulled out from the inside of the storage portion 61 (see Figure 3) to the outside, is inserted into the guide cylinder portion 62b, and the cord 4 is wrapped around the outer surface of the storage portion 61 in the area between the power supply device 3 housed in the storage portion 61 and the holding portion 362.

[0150] Furthermore, the code 4 is inserted into the holding portion 362 (more specifically, the guide cylinder portion 62b) from the opposite side of the slide portion 62a of the holding portion 362 (the upper side in this embodiment) toward the guide cylinder portion 62b side (the lower side in this embodiment).

[0151] When attaching the holding portion 362 in this state to the lower end of the storage portion 61, with the guide cylinder portion 62b facing downwards, the sliding portion 62a is slid into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a (the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1) and the mounting portion 61b (more specifically, the mounting surface 15) from the second housing portion 61a2 side (front side) to the first housing portion 61a1 side (rear side).

[0152] In this case, the sliding direction (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction) of the holding portion 362 is restricted by sliding the left and right ends of the sliding portion 62a against the inner circumferential surface of the support portion 16 in the mounting portion 61b. Furthermore, the guide cylinder portion 62b, which protrudes downward, slides within the opening 15a, perpendicular to the mounting surface 15, via the opening 15a. The opening 15a is provided with a pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 that can engage with the first projections 62c, 62c of the holding portion 62. A second recess 315a1 is provided on the first housing portion 61a1 side (rear side) of the pair of recesses 15a1. The second recess 315a1 is provided so that the fifth projection 362d can slide when the holding portion 62 slides.

[0153] As the sliding retaining portion 62 moves, the fifth projection 362d temporarily engages with the recess 15a1. By applying further force to slide the retaining portion 62 toward the first housing portion 61a1 (rear side), the engagement between the fifth projection 362d and the recess 15a1 is released, and the fifth projection 362d moves into the second recess 315a1. When the retaining portion 362 is moved further toward the first housing portion 61a1 (rear side), the fifth projection 362d slides within the second recess 315a1. This allows the retaining portion 62 to slide further toward the first housing portion 61a1 (rear side).

[0154] Then, as shown in Figure 14(b), when the sliding retaining portion 362 reaches a predetermined position (for example, a position where the guide cylinder portion 62b is coaxial with respect to the storage portion 61), the pair of first projections 62c, 62c engage with the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 provided on the mounting portion 61b. As a result, the retaining portion 362 is fixed in position within the storage portion 61 and is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion 61 without easily falling off. In other words, the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment includes a fall prevention mechanism 65 which consists of a pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 provided in the storage section 61 (more specifically, the mounting section 61b) and a pair of first protrusions 62c, 62c provided in the holding section 362.

[0155] Furthermore, when removing the retaining portion 362, which has been temporarily attached to the lower end of the storage portion 61, from the state shown in Figure 14(b), the engagement between the pair of recesses 15a1, 15a1 and the pair of first protrusions 62c, 62c is easily released by forcibly pulling and sliding the retaining portion 362 toward the second housing portion 61a2 (front side). In addition, when force is applied to move the retaining portion 362 toward the second housing portion 61a2 (front side), as shown in Figure 14(c), the front end of the second recess 315a1 and the fifth protrusion 362d come into contact, temporarily stopping the forward sliding movement of the retaining portion 362. If force is applied to move the retaining portion 362 toward the second housing portion 61a2 (front side) from the state shown in Figure 14(c), the fifth projection 362d will overcome the front end of the second recess 315a1 and engage with the recess 15a1. If force is applied to move the retaining portion 362 toward the second housing portion 61a2 (front side) again, the engagement between the recess 15a1 and the fifth projection 362d will be easily released. As a result, the retaining portion 362 can be removed from the lower end of the storage portion 61.

[0156] Thus, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 61b consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a (the lower end surface 13a of the first housing portion 61a1), and the holding portion 362 is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion 61 by sliding the sliding portion 62a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion 61a and the mounting portion 61b with the guide cylinder portion 62b facing downward.

[0157] Thus, in the cord length adjustment device 6 of this embodiment, the holding part 62 can be attached to the lower end of the storage part 61 simply by sliding the sliding part 62a into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body part 61a (the lower end surface 13a of the first housing part 61a1) and the mounting part 61b, and the attachment and detachment of the holding part 362 to the storage part 61 can be easily performed. Furthermore, when the engagement between the pair of first projections 62c·62c and the pair of recesses 15a1·15a1 is released from the state shown in Figure 14(b), the weight of the lighting fixture body 5 exerts a downward pulling force on the cord 4, which may cause the retaining part 362 to unexpectedly slide forward. When the retaining part 362 slides to a predetermined position, the front end of the second recess 315a1 and the fifth projection 362d come into contact, temporarily stopping the sliding movement of the retaining part 362 and restricting its forward movement. This makes it difficult for the retaining part 362 to fall out of the storage part 61, preventing the lighting fixture body 5 from accidentally falling.

[0158] As shown in Figure 15, the height C of the first contact portion 316a, which is provided between the rear end of the recess 15a1 and the second recess 315a1, is higher than the height D of the second contact portion 316b, which is provided at the front end of the recess 15a1. As a result, the first projection 62c can easily overcome the second contact portion 316b at its front end, making it easier to transition from the state shown in Figure 14(b) to the state shown in Figure 14(c). In addition, the fifth projection 362d has difficulty overcoming the first contact portion 316a, which is provided between the rear end of the recess 15a1 and the second recess 315a1, making it difficult for the retaining portion 362 to fall out of the storage portion 61.

[0159] Accordingly, with the cord length adjustment device 6 in this embodiment, when adjusting the length of the cord 4, for example, by increasing or decreasing the number of times the cord 4 is wrapped (wrapping length), the holding part 62 can be easily detached from the lower end of the storage part 61 to loosen the cord 4 that has already been wrapped, thereby more reliably simplifying the length adjustment work.

[0160] Furthermore, if a pair of fifth projections 362d are provided on both sides of the pair of first projections 62c, when the retaining part 362, which has been attached to the lower end of the storage part 61, is to be detached from the storage part 61, the posture of the retaining part 362 will be stable in the state shown in Figure 14(c), making it difficult to detach from the storage part 61.

[0161] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to this embodiment, but is merely illustrative, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and further includes the meaning of equivalents as described in the claims, and all modifications within that scope. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0162] 1. Hanging light fixture 100 Power supply section 100 2 plugs 265 Falling prevention mechanism (second falling prevention mechanism) 266 Anti-rotation mechanism 3 Power supply 362d 5th protrusion 4 Codes 52 Light source 6, 206, 306 Cord length adjustment device 61, 261 Storage compartments 61a, 261a Main body 61b, 261b Mounting part 62, 262, 362 Holding part 62a, 262a Slide section 62b, 262b Guide tube section 65 Falling prevention mechanism (first falling prevention mechanism)

Claims

1. A hanging type lighting fixture comprising a plug that is locked to a power supply unit, a power supply unit electrically connected to the plug, a cord extending from the power supply unit, and a light source connected to the lower end of the cord, wherein a cord length adjustment device is provided for adjusting the length of the cord, A storage compartment connected to the lower end of the plug and housing the power supply device, The storage compartment comprises a holding section for holding the cord that has been pulled out from the inside to the outside, The aforementioned storage compartment is The length of the cord is adjusted by wrapping the area between the power supply and the holding part around the outer surface of the cord. The aforementioned retaining part is At the lower end of the storage section, The aforementioned cord is attached detachably while hanging down. A cord length adjustment device characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned storage compartment is It is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and comprises a main body that houses the power supply device, It has a mounting portion provided at the lower end of the main body portion, to which the holding portion is attached, The aforementioned retaining part is A plate-shaped sliding part, The slide portion has a guide tube portion that extends perpendicularly from the plate surface and guides the cord, The cord length adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. The aforementioned mounting portion is It consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body, The aforementioned retaining part is With the guide cylinder portion facing downwards, the sliding portion is slid into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body portion and the mounting portion, thereby being mounted on the lower end of the storage portion. The cord length adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that...

4. The system further includes a first anti-detachment mechanism to prevent the retaining part from falling out of the storage section. A cord length adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that...

5. The aforementioned mounting portion is It consists of a portion provided parallel to the lower end surface of the main body, The aforementioned retaining part is With the guide cylinder facing downwards, the slide portion is slid into the gap between the lower end surface of the main body and the mounting portion, and then rotated in a predetermined direction around the axis of the guide cylinder so that it is mounted on the lower end of the storage portion. The cord length adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that...

6. A second detachment prevention mechanism prevents the retaining part from falling out of the storage part, The storage portion is further provided with a rotation prevention mechanism that prevents the holding portion from rotating in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction around the axis of the guide cylinder portion. The cord length adjustment device according to claim 5, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 5.

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