Power supply unit

Abstract

This provides a power supply unit that allows for easy modification of the user interface. [Solution] The power supply unit 1 comprises a power supply unit 3 electrically connected to a power line 2, and an outlet unit 4 electrically connected to the power supply unit 3 and having a desired user interface 42. The power supply unit 3 has a connection part 33 for connecting to the outlet unit 4, and the outlet unit has a connected part that is connected to the connection part 33. With this configuration, no qualifications such as an electrician are required to connect the power supply unit 3 and the outlet unit 4, so even an ordinary user without such qualifications can easily change the user interface 42 by replacing the outlet unit 4 which has the desired interface 42.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit capable of easily changing a user interface.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, power outlets provided on walls of houses etc. have been provided with AC sockets for supplying AC power from a power cord. However, in view of the increasing demand for USB sockets used for charging mobile phones etc. with the diversification of electrical equipment, a multi-power outlet provided with a USB socket in addition to an AC socket has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a multi-power outlet incorporates an AC-DC converter, and this AC-DC converter converts AC power into DC power and supplies it to the USB socket.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the multi-power outlet as described above, the number and types of sockets cannot be changed. Therefore, for example, when it is desired to change the user interface according to the user's desires and usage environment, such as changing all the sockets to USB sockets, it is necessary to disconnect the existing power outlet from the power cord and reconnect a new power outlet to the power cord. Such reconnecting of the power cord requires qualifications such as an electrician and cannot be easily done.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems and aims to provide a power supply unit capable of easily changing a user interface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power supply unit of the present invention comprises a power supply unit electrically connected to a power line, and an outlet unit electrically connected to the power supply unit and having a desired user interface, wherein the power supply unit has a connection portion for connecting to the outlet unit, and the outlet unit has a connected portion to which the connection portion is connected, and the connection portion is detachably connected to the connected portion by being press-fitted along a press-fitting direction toward the connected portion.

[0007] Preferably, the connecting portion is made up of a male spectacle-type connector, and the connected portion is made up of a female spectacle-type connector that can be connected to the male spectacle-type connector.

[0008] Preferably, the energizing unit has a projection that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the press-fitting direction, and the outlet unit has a fitting hole into which the projection fits when the connecting portion is connected to the connected portion.

[0009] Preferably, the power supply unit further comprises a mounting frame to which the outlet unit is detachably attached and fixed to the object to be constructed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this invention, connecting the power supply unit and the outlet unit does not require qualifications such as an electrician's license. Therefore, even general users without such qualifications can easily change the user interface by replacing the outlet unit with one that has the desired interface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] An exploded perspective view of a power supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Figure 2](a), (b), and (c) are perspective views, rear views, and side views of the power supply unit, respectively. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the power supply unit and outlet unit, which make up the above power supply unit, as seen from the rear. [Figure 4] An exploded perspective view of the mounting frame that constitutes the power supply unit shown above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A power supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the power supply unit 1 comprises a power supply unit 3 electrically connected to a power line 2, an outlet unit 4 electrically connected to the power supply unit 3, a mounting frame 5 to which the outlet unit 4 is detachably attached, and a decorative cover 6 detachably attached to the mounting frame 5.

[0013] The mounting frame 5 is fixed to the object to be constructed C. The object to be constructed C is, for example, building materials such as walls, ceilings, or floors, or furniture / fixtures such as shelves, desks, or counters. In the following explanation, a wall is assumed to be the object to be constructed C. In Figure 1, the right side of the page relative to the object to be constructed C is referred to as the "front side," and the left side of the page relative to the object to be constructed C is referred to as the "back side." The direction parallel to the object to be constructed C and extending upwards and downwards on the page is referred to as the "up and down direction," and the direction parallel to the object to be constructed C and perpendicular to the up and down direction is referred to as the "left and right direction." Note that in Figure 2, the illustration of the object to be constructed C is omitted for clarity.

[0014] The power supply unit 3 has a roughly rectangular, flat main body 31 that extends in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, a pair of upright parts 32 erected from both ends in the left and right directions on the front surface of the main body 31, a connecting part 33 provided between the pair of upright parts 32, and a pair of terminals 34 provided on the lower surface of the upright parts 32 through which a pair of power lines 2 are inserted and connected (see Figure 1). The upright parts 32 are formed in a rectangular shape with sides parallel to the main body 31.

[0015] The outlet unit 4 has a rectangular main body 41 that is slightly elongated in the vertical direction, and a desired user interface 42 provided on the front of the main body 41. In the illustrated example, the user interface 42 consists of a USB Type-A receptacle 42a, a USB Type-C receptacle 42b, and two pairs of outlets 42c and 42d from top to bottom. Plugs for household appliances and the like are attached to the outlets 42c and 42d, respectively.

[0016] The mounting frame 5 has a rectangular, flat main body 51 that expands in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, and a rectangular opening 52 provided in the center of the main body 51 into which the outlet unit 4 is fitted. The mounting frame 5 also has screw holes 54 through which screws 53 for screwing the mounting frame 5 to the object to be installed C are inserted, and recesses 55 for detachably attaching the decorative cover 6. In the illustrated example, there are two screw holes 54 at the upper end and two at the lower end of the main body 51. In the illustrated example, there are four recesses 55 at the front corners of the main body 51.

[0017] The decorative cover 6 has a rectangular, flat main body portion 61 that extends in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, a peripheral portion 62 that extends rearward from the periphery of the main body portion 61, a rectangular opening 63 provided in the center of the main body portion 61 corresponding to the user interface 42, and a plurality of protrusions 64 provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 61 that fit into recesses 55 of the mounting frame 5. The decorative cover 6 is brought close to the mounting frame 5 to which the outlet unit 4 is attached from the front, and the protrusions 64 are fitted into recesses 55. In this way, the peripheral portion 62 covers the periphery of the main body portion 51, and the user interface 42 is exposed to the outside through the opening 63, and the decorative cover 6 is detachably attached to the mounting frame 5 (see Figure 2).

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the socket unit 4 has a connection part 43 to be connected to the connection part 33 at the lower end of its rear surface. In the illustrated example, the connection part 33 is composed of male spectacle terminals, and the connection part 43 to be connected is composed of female spectacle terminals that can be connected to the male spectacle terminals. Thereby, the connection part 33 is detachably connected to the connection part 43 only by being press-fitted along the press-fitting direction D toward the connection part 43.

[0019] The power supply unit 3 has protrusions 35 on the outer surfaces in the left-right direction of the standing part 32. The protrusions 35 protrude in a direction orthogonal to the press-fitting direction D. The socket unit 4 has a housing part 44 that houses the standing part 32 when the connection part 33 is connected to the connection part 43, and a fitting hole 45 into which the protrusions 35 are fitted. The fitting hole 45 is provided in a thin plate 46 that forms the outer surface in the left-right direction of the housing part 44, and the thin plate 46 is configured to be elastically deformable outward in the left-right direction.

[0020] When the connection part 33 is brought close to the connection part 43, the protrusion 35 abuts against the rear end 46a of the thin plate 46. When the connection part 33 is press-fitted toward the connection part 43 as it is, the thin plate 46 pushed aside by the protrusion 35 elastically deforms outward in the left-right direction. And finally, the protrusion 35 fits into the fitting hole 45, and the thin plate 46 returns to its original state by the elastic restoring force. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the power supply unit 3 from accidentally detaching from the socket unit 4, and the connection between the connection part 33 and the connection part 43 is stably maintained.

[0021] Further, the socket unit 4 has an engaging part 47 for engaging with the mounting frame 5, a restricting part 48 for restricting the up-down movement of the socket unit 4 engaged with the mounting frame 5, and a chamfered part 49 for facilitating the engagement with the mounting frame 5. In the illustrated example, the engaging part 47 is formed in a claw shape standing from both left-right side surfaces of the main body part 41, and is provided near the upper end and the lower end on each side surface, respectively. The restricting part 48 stands from the upper ends and the lower ends of both left-right side surfaces of the main body part 41, and is formed in a thin plate shape extending along the front-rear direction. The chamfered part 49 is formed by chamfering the upper end corner part of the rear surface of the main body part 41 obliquely.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting frame 5 is composed of a main body portion 5a provided with the above-described recess 55 and the like, and a reinforcing plate 5b made of a highly rigid metal or the like for backing and reinforcing the main body portion 5a. The reinforcing plate 5b has a main body portion 56 formed in a rectangular frame shape, an engaged portion 57 for engaging with the engaging portion 47, and a slit 58 into which the regulating portion 48 fits.

[0023] The engaged portion 57 is formed, for example, by bending the main body portion 56 into a plate shape, and has a shape such that the engaging portion 47 of the socket unit 4 attached to the mounting frame 5 can be detachably fitted therein. The slit 58 is formed so that the regulating portion 48 of the socket unit 4 attached to the mounting frame 5 can be slidably inserted therein, and abuts against the upper and lower surfaces of the slidably inserted regulating portion 48. Thereby, the socket unit 4 attached to the mounting frame 5 can be regulated so as not to move unintentionally in the vertical direction. The main body portion 5a and the reinforcing plate 5b are integrated with each other by screwing through screw holes 59 provided at the upper and lower ends thereof.

[0024] Next, returning to FIG. 1, the usage method of the power supply unit 1 will be described. First, a hole H into which the socket unit 4 fits is provided in the construction object C. Then, with the mounting frame 5 arranged so that the hole H and the opening 52 overlap, the mounting frame 5 is fixed to the construction object C by screwing with screws 53.

[0025] Next, the power line 2 is inserted and connected to the terminal 34 of the power supply unit 3, and the power supply unit 3 is pulled forward from the object C through the hole H and the opening 52. Then, the connection part 33 of the power supply unit 3 is connected to the connected part 43 (not shown) of the outlet unit 4, and the projection 35 of the power supply unit 3 is fitted into the fitting hole 45 of the outlet unit 4. Then, the outlet unit 4 is brought closer to the mounting frame 5 so that it fits into the opening 52, and the engaging part 47 of the outlet unit 4 and the engaged part 57 of the mounting frame 5 are engaged with each other. At this time, since the outlet unit 4 is provided with a chamfered part 49, the outlet unit 4 and the mounting frame 5 are less likely to interfere with each other and are easy to operate. Finally, when the decorative cover 6 is attached to the mounting frame 5 so that the convex part 64 fits into the concave part 55, the user interface 42 is exposed to the outside through the opening 63 in a state where it is almost flush with the front surface of the decorative cover 6.

[0026] Through the above operations, the power supply unit 3 and the outlet unit 4 are electrically connected to each other, and the user can use electricity via the user interface 42. Here, connecting the power line 2 to the power supply unit 3 requires the qualifications of an electrician or similar. On the other hand, connecting the power supply unit 3 and the outlet unit 4 does not involve reconnecting the power line 2 and the power supply unit 3, so it can be done by an ordinary user without the qualifications of an electrician or similar. Therefore, depending on the user's requests or the usage environment of the power supply unit 1, for example, if it is desired to change all of the user interfaces 42 to USB type-A receptacles 42a, the outlet unit 4 with such a user interface 42 can be attached to the power supply unit 3. In this way, the user interface 42 can be easily changed, and the user interface 42 can be optimized according to the electrical equipment being used.

[0027] To remove the outlet unit 4 from the power supply unit 3, first remove the outlet unit 4 from the mounting frame 5 by reversing the above procedure, then use your fingers or a flathead screwdriver to elastically deform the thin piece 46 outwards in the left-right direction to release the projection 35 from the fitting hole 45, and then pull out the connecting part 33 from the connected part 43.

[0028] The power supply unit according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For example, the connecting part and the connected part are not limited to spectacle terminals as long as they are connected to each other by press-fitting. Also, the anti-detachment mechanism, which consists of a projection and a fitting hole, is not necessarily required, and the unit may be configured without such an anti-detachment mechanism. Furthermore, the outlet box (wiring box) may be fixed to the mounting frame, and the power supply unit and outlet unit may be housed inside the outlet box. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1 Power supply unit 2 power line 3. Power supply unit 33 Connection part 35 Protrusion 4 Outlet Units 42 User Interface 43 Connected part 45 Fitting holes 5. Mounting frame C. Objects to be constructed D Press-fit direction

Claims

1. A power supply unit electrically connected to the power line, The system comprises an outlet unit electrically connected to the power supply unit and having a desired user interface, The power supply unit has a connection part for connecting to the outlet unit, The outlet unit has a connected portion that is connected to the connection portion, The power supply unit is characterized in that the connecting portion is detachably connected to the connected portion by being press-fitted along the press-fitting direction toward the connected portion.

2. The aforementioned connection is made up of a male spectacle-type connector. The power supply unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the connected portion is composed of a female spectacle terminal that can be connected to the male spectacle terminal.

3. The current-carrying unit has a projection that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the press-fitting direction, The power supply unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet unit has a fitting hole into which the projection fits when the connecting portion is connected to the connected portion.

4. The power supply unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a mounting frame to which the outlet unit is detachably attached and fixed to the object to be installed.

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