Outlet System

Abstract

To provide an outlet system that can improve convenience. [Solution] The outlet system 10 includes a terminal member 2, a connection member 3, a temperature detection unit, an opening / closing unit 6, a holding member (inner block) 44, and a body portion (outer body) 41. The temperature detection unit detects the temperature of at least one of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 as a detected temperature. The opening / closing unit 6 is electrically connected between the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3. The opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a determination condition is met, including the detected temperature being equal to or higher than a threshold temperature. The opening / closing unit 6 can switch from the cut-off state to a conductive state when the determination condition is not met. The holding member (inner block) 44 surrounds and holds the connection member 3. The body portion (outer body) 41 houses the holding member (inner block) 44 in a state in which the holding member (inner block) 44 holds the connection member 3.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an outlet system, and more particularly to an outlet system including an opening / closing unit that switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state in response to a detection result from a temperature detection unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an outlet (wiring device) that includes a terminal member (first connection portion) to which an electric wire from an external power source is electrically connected, and a connection member (second connection portion) to which an attachment plug provided on an electric wire from an electrical device is detachably connected. This outlet includes, for example, a temperature detection unit (temperature measurement unit) attached to one or more locations on the terminal member and the connection member, and a cutoff unit that electrically cuts off between the terminal member and the connection member.

[0003] The outlet described in Patent Document 1 turns off the contacts of the circuit breaker when it determines that there is an abnormality based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. Therefore, when Joule heat generated at the contact point between the terminal member and the electric wire increases due to poor wiring during installation or the effects of vibration during use, the measured temperature of the temperature detection unit increases, causing the contacts of the circuit breaker to turn off and cutting off the power supply to the electric device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-58332 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is judged to be abnormal even once, the disconnecting unit electrically disconnects the terminal member and the connecting member, and the outlet must be replaced in order to use it thereafter. This makes it necessary to replace the outlet even in cases where it is not actually necessary, such as when the temperature rise is due to a temporary event or due to an electrical device connected to the outlet, reducing convenience.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide an outlet system that can improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The outlet system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal member and Multiple A connection member; A lead plate and The temperature sensor includes a temperature detector, an opening / closing unit, a holding member, and a body portion. The terminal member is connected to a power supply line. Multiple The connecting member is connected to a plug. The lead plate connects the plurality of connection members. The temperature detection unit is Multiple The temperature of both the terminal member and the connection member is detected as a detection temperature. Multiple The holding member is electrically connected between the holding member and the connection member. The opening / closing unit switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a determination condition including the detected temperature being equal to or higher than a threshold temperature is satisfied. The opening / closing unit is switchable from the cut-off state to the conductive state when the determination condition is not satisfied. Multiple The body portion surrounds and holds the connection member. Multiple The holding member is housed in a state in which the connecting member is held. The threshold temperature is set to a temperature lower than a temperature at which a characteristic of the holding member undergoes a predetermined change. The temperature detection unit includes a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the terminal member and a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the plurality of connection members, and the second temperature sensor is fixed directly to the lead plate. The temperature detection unit The second temperature sensor The above Multiple Connection parts and the lead plate The temperature of the contact portion with the holding member is detected as the detected temperature. The outlet system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal member and Multiple A connection member; A lead plate and The device includes a temperature detector, an opening / closing unit, a holding member, a body, a first cover, and a second cover. The terminal member is connected to a power supply line. Multiple The connecting member is connected to a plug. The lead plate connects the plurality of connection members. The temperature detection unit is Multiple The temperature of both the terminal member and the connection member is detected as a detection temperature. Multiple The holding member is electrically connected between the holding member and the connection member. The opening / closing unit switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a determination condition including the detected temperature being equal to or higher than a threshold temperature is satisfied. The opening / closing unit is switchable from the cut-off state to the conductive state when the determination condition is not satisfied. Multiple The body portion surrounds and holds the connection member. Multiple The holding member is housed in a state in which the connecting member is held. The body portion is formed in a box shape with an open front side. The first cover is attached to the front side of the body portion. The second cover is located between the front side of the body portion and the first cover, and is attached to the front side of the body portion. The temperature detection unit includes a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the terminal member and a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the plurality of connection members, and the second temperature sensor is fixed directly to the lead plate. The temperature detection unit The second temperature sensor The above Multiple Connection parts and the lead plate The temperature of the contact portion with the holding member is detected as the detected temperature. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure has the advantage of being able to improve convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an outlet system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2]Fig. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of use of the outlet of the outlet system when the opening / closing part is in a conductive state, and Fig. 2B is a perspective view showing an example of use of the outlet of the outlet system when the opening / closing part is in a cut-off state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outlet. [Figure 4] Fig. 4A is a front view of the outlet with the outer and inner covers removed, and Fig. 4B is a rear view of the outlet with the outer and inner covers removed. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the outlet, which corresponds to a cross section taken along line X1-X1 in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5B is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the outlet, which corresponds to a cross section taken along line X2-X2 in Fig. 4B. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the outlet system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (1) Overview As shown in Fig. 1, an outlet system 10 according to this embodiment includes an outlet 1. The outlet 1 has a terminal member 2, a connection member 3, and a housing 4 (see Fig. 2A). In this embodiment, all components of the outlet system 10 (such as the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3) other than the housing 4 are housed or held in the housing 4. In other words, in this embodiment, all components of the outlet system 10 are integrated into a single outlet 1, and the outlet system 10 and the outlet 1 are the same.

[0011] The outlet 1 (outlet system 10) according to this embodiment is, for example, a wiring device, i.e., an outlet, to which a plug 91 (see FIG. 5A) of an electric device is connected to supply power to the electric device. The outlet 1 is installed, for example, in a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building, or in a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, a school, or a nursing home. The outlet 1 is attached, for example, to a construction surface 100 (see FIG. 2A) such as a wall, ceiling, or floor of a facility (building).

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the outlet system 10 according to this embodiment further includes a temperature detection unit 5 and an opening / closing unit 6 in addition to the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3. The terminal member 2 is a member to which a power supply line 92 (see FIG. 5B) is connected. The connection member 3 is a member to which a plug 91 is connected. The temperature detection unit 5 detects the temperature of at least one of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 as a detected temperature. The opening / closing unit 6 is electrically connected between the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3. Here, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a judgment condition is satisfied. The judgment condition includes that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature. The opening / closing unit 6 can switch from a cut-off state to a conductive state when the judgment condition is not satisfied.

[0013] In the present disclosure, "capable of switching from a cutoff state to a conductive state" means a state in which switching of the opening / closing unit 6 from a cutoff state to a conductive state is permitted, that is, a state in which the opening / closing unit 6 in the cutoff state is permitted to be switched to a conductive state. Therefore, if the opening / closing unit 6 is not "capable of switching from a cutoff state to a conductive state," the opening / closing unit 6 in the cutoff state is prohibited from switching to a conductive state and maintains the cutoff state. Here, the opening / closing unit 6 may be switched from the cutoff state to the conductive state manually by the user, or may be automatically switched by the outlet system 10 when a restoration condition is satisfied, such as receiving a restoration signal from outside the outlet 1 or the passage of a predetermined time.

[0014] According to the above configuration, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 5 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold temperature and satisfies the judgment condition, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state, thereby electrically cutting off the connection between the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3. Therefore, if the detected temperature rises due to, for example, poor contact between the terminal member 2 and the power supply line 92, or poor contact between the connection member 3 and the plug 91, the outlet system 10 can automatically electrically disconnect the connection member 3 from the terminal member 2. As a result, even if the plug 91 of the electric device remains connected to the connection member 3, for example, the power supply to the electric device is stopped, making it possible to suppress further heat generation.

[0015] Moreover, in the outlet system 10, when the judgment condition is not satisfied, the opening / closing unit 6 can be switched from a cut-off state to a conduction state. That is, in the outlet system 10, even if the opening / closing unit 6 is once in a cut-off state because the judgment condition is satisfied, the opening / closing unit 6 can be returned to a conduction state when the judgment condition is no longer satisfied due to the disappearance of the factor that satisfied the judgment condition.

[0016] Therefore, according to the outlet system 10, even if the opening / closing unit 6 is once in a cutoff state, the opening / closing unit 6 can be restored to allow the outlet system 10 (outlet 1) to be reused without replacing the outlet system 10 (outlet 1). Therefore, when replacement of the outlet 1 is not originally required, for example, when the temperature rise is caused by a transient event or by an electrical device connected to the outlet 1, replacement of the outlet 1 is not required, and the convenience of the outlet system 10 is improved. That is, in such a case, the outlet 1 can be reused by restoring the opening / closing unit 6 without replacing the outlet 1, so that the effort, cost, and time required for replacing the outlet 1 can be saved. Furthermore, for electrical devices such as refrigerators, washing machines, and television sets, for which it is difficult to change the power source to another outlet 1, a configuration in which the outlet 1 can be reused by restoring the opening / closing unit 6, as in the outlet system 10 according to this embodiment, is particularly useful.

[0017] (2) Details Next, the outlet system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0018] (2.1) Overall Structure First, the overall configuration of the outlet system 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4B.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the outlet system 10 of this embodiment further includes a control unit 7, an operating member 81, a display unit 82, a buzzer 83, and a switch 84, in addition to a terminal member 2, a connection member 3, a housing 4 (see FIG. 2A), a temperature detection unit 5, and an opening / closing unit 6.

[0020] 2A and 2B are perspective views of the outlet 1 of the outlet system 10 attached to the construction surface 100. In this embodiment, the outlet 1 is a recessed wiring device attached to a mounting frame of a large rectangular interconnect wiring device standardized by the Japanese Industrial Standards. Specifically, the outlet 1 is attached to the construction surface 100 via the mounting frame. Here, the mounting frame is fixed to the construction surface 100 via a recessed box or directly. In other words, the mounting frame is fixed to the construction surface 100, and the outlet 1 is attached to the construction surface 100 via the mounting frame. A decorative plate 101 is attached to the mounting frame, and as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the outlet 1 is exposed from the inside of the decorative plate 101. Here, the mounting frame may be separate from the housing 4 of the outlet 1, or may be integrated with the housing 4. In this embodiment, the case where the outlet 1 is for indoor use, that is, the construction surface 100 is the inner wall surface of a building (facility) will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the outlet 1 may be for outdoor use.

[0021] In the following, the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the horizontal plane when the outlet 1 is attached to the inner wall surface of the building, which is the construction surface 100, is referred to as the "up-down direction", and the downward (vertical direction) when the outlet 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the "downward direction". In addition, the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and parallel to the construction surface 100 is referred to as the "left-right direction", and the right side when the outlet 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the "right side", and the left side is referred to as the "left side". Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the construction surface 100, is referred to as the "front-rear direction", and the back side of the construction surface 100 (back side of the wall) is referred to as the "rear". However, these directions are not intended to limit the direction of use of the outlet system 10. For example, when the outlet 1 is attached to the floor surface instead of the wall surface, the "front-rear direction" is the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the "up-down direction" and the "left-right direction" are the directions parallel to the horizontal plane. Also, even when outlet 1 is attached to a wall surface, the "up-down direction" is oriented in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane (i.e., sideways), and since outlet 1 is attached to the wall surface, the "left-right direction" is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the outlet system 10 is exemplified by a two-port outlet 1 capable of simultaneously connecting two plugs 91. That is, the outlet 1 has two connection ports 11 corresponding to the two plugs 91. Each of the two connection ports 11 is configured to be capable of connecting one plug 91, and is arranged side by side in the up-down direction (vertical direction) on the front surface of the housing 4. Of the two connection ports 11, one (upper) connection port 11 is a 100V AC two-pole outlet with a grounding pole, and the other (lower) connection port 11 is a 100V AC two-pole outlet without a grounding pole.

[0023] In this embodiment, the outlet 1 is provided with a pair of terminal members 2 of mutually opposite polarity so as to correspond to a two-pole plug 91. That is, an L-pole (HOT) power supply line 92 is connected to one of the pair of terminal members 2, and an N-pole (COLD) power supply line 92 is connected to the other of the pair of terminal members 2. Similarly, the outlet 1 is provided with a pair of connection members 3 of mutually opposite polarity for each connection port 11, for a total of two pairs (four) of connection members 3. Here, the two connection members 3 of mutually the same polarity are connected by a lead plate 30 (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the connection members 3 and the terminal members 2 of mutually the same polarity are electrically connected via an opening / closing portion 6.

[0024] The outlet 1 comprises a housing 4 and internal parts such as a terminal member 2 and a connection member 3 that are housed or held in the housing 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 4 has an outer body 41, an outer cover 42, an inner cover 43, an inner block 44, and a terminal block 45. The outer body 41, the outer cover 42, the inner cover 43, the inner block 44, and the terminal block 45 are combined to form the housing 4. The housing 4 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin.

[0025] The outer body 41 is formed in a box shape with an open front. The open surface (front) of the outer body 41 is rectangular with a vertical dimension longer than a horizontal dimension. The inner block 44 is housed in the outer body 41 together with other internal parts (terminal member 2, opening / closing part 6, etc.) in a state in which the inner block 44 holds the connection member 3. The inner cover 43 is attached to the front of the outer body 41. As a result, the internal parts including the connection member 3 held by the inner block 44 are housed between the outer body 41 and the inner cover 43. The outer cover 42 is attached to the front of the inner cover 43. As a result, the connection member 3 is housed between the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42. Here, an opening window 431 penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the part of the inner cover 43 corresponding to the inner block 44. Therefore, the front of the inner block 44 holding the connection member 3 is covered by the outer cover 42, and when the outer cover 42 is removed, the front of the inner block 44 is exposed forward through the opening window 431. The terminal block 45, holding the terminal members 2, is housed in the outer body 41 together with other internal components.

[0026] That is, the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42 constitute a holding member that holds the connection member 3. The terminal block 45 constitutes a holding member that holds the terminal member 2. In other words, the outlet system 10 further includes a holding member that holds at least one of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3.

[0027] In this embodiment, the outer cover 42 is configured to be separable into a plurality of members (e.g., three members), but the outer cover 42 may be integral (one member). Here, the portion of the outer cover 42 that covers the inner block 44 and the inner block 44 are made of, for example, urea resin.

[0028] The two connection ports 11 described above are formed in a portion of the outer cover 42 that covers the inner block 44. One of the two connection ports 11 (upper) has a pair of insertion holes 111 into which a pair of plug blades 911 (see FIG. 5A) of the plug 91 are inserted. The other of the two connection ports 11 (lower) has, in addition to the pair of insertion holes 111, a ground insertion hole 112 into which a ground pin of a plug with a ground electrode is inserted, and a ground lid 113. Inside the housing 4, the connection members 3 are disposed at positions corresponding to the insertion holes 111, a first ground member 114 is disposed at a position corresponding to the ground insertion hole 112, and a second ground member 115 is disposed at a position corresponding to the ground lid 113. The first ground member 114 is a spring member to which the ground pin of the plug with a ground electrode is connected. The second ground member 115 is a screw-type terminal to which a ground wire of an electric device is connected. The ground wire can be attached to and detached from the second ground member 115 when the ground cover 113 is open.

[0029] In addition, the opening / closing unit 6 and the board 85 are accommodated in the space between the outer body 41 and the inner cover 43, to the left of the inner block 44. The board 85 is disposed above the opening / closing unit 6. The board 85 is mounted with a first indicator light 821 and a second indicator light 822 constituting the display unit 82, and a switch 84. As an example, the first indicator light 821 and the second indicator light 822 are LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) that emit light of different colors, and the switch 84 is a push button switch. In this manner, the opening / closing unit 6, the display unit 82, and the switch 84 are accommodated in the housing 4 (the outer body 41 and the inner cover 43). However, the inner cover 43 is formed with a light-transmitting portion 432 and a cantilever 433 so that the light of the display unit 82 is visible from the front of the housing 4 and the switch 84 can be pressed from the front of the housing 4. That is, the light from the display unit 82 can be seen from the front of the housing 4 through the light-transmitting portion 432, and the switch 84 can be pressed from the front of the housing 4 via the cantilever 433. For convenience, in Figures 2A and 2B, the symbols for the display unit 82 and the switch 84 are attached to the positions on the front surface of the housing 4 that correspond to the display unit 82 (first indicator light 821 and second indicator light 822) and the switch 84.

[0030] The control unit 7 is housed in the housing 4 and is mounted, for example, on a control board arranged behind the inner block 44. The buzzer 83 is also housed in the housing 4 and is mounted, for example, on a control board. The control unit 7 is electrically connected to the opening / closing unit 6, the display unit 82, the buzzer 83, the switch 84, and the temperature detection unit 5. The control unit 7 controls at least the opening / closing unit 6, the display unit 82, and the buzzer 83.

[0031] The control unit 7 mainly comprises, for example, a microcomputer. The microcomputer executes a program recorded in the memory of the microcomputer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), thereby realizing the function of the control unit 7. The program may be recorded in the memory of the microcomputer in advance, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided, or may be provided through an electric communication line. In other words, the program is a program for causing the microcomputer to function as the control unit 7.

[0032] The control unit 7 also has a function as an alarm unit 71 and a function as a state presenting unit 72. The alarm unit 71 performs an alarm when an alarm determination condition is satisfied, including that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 5 is equal to or higher than a warning temperature that is lower than a threshold temperature. In the present embodiment, as an example, the alarm by the alarm unit 71 is realized by outputting a warning sound from the buzzer 83 and displaying a warning on the display unit 82. That is, the control unit 7 realizes the alarm by the alarm unit 71 by controlling the buzzer 83 and the display unit 82. The state presenting unit 72 presents whether the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state or a cut-off state. In the present embodiment, as an example, the presentation by the state presenting unit 72 is realized by outputting a warning sound from the buzzer 83 and displaying a warning on the display unit 82. That is, the control unit 7 realizes the presentation by the state presenting unit 72 by controlling the buzzer 83 and the display unit 82. The control unit 7 (including the alarm unit 71 and the state presenting unit 72) will be described in detail in the section "(2.3) Operation".

[0033] The switch 84 is operated to stop the sound output of the buzzer 83. In other words, when the switch 84 is pressed while the buzzer 83 is outputting a caution sound or a warning sound, the control unit 7 controls the buzzer 83 to stop the buzzer 83. The switch 84 also serves as a test switch, and is used to forcibly switch the opening / closing unit 6 from a conductive state to a cut-off state.

[0034] The opening / closing unit 6 is electrically connected between the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3. The opening / closing unit 6 is a device that switches between two states, a conductive state and a cut-off state. That is, when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state, the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 are conductive via the opening / closing unit 6, and when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a cut-off state, the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 are electrically cut off (insulated) by the opening / closing unit 6. In this embodiment, as described above, the outlet 1 includes a pair of terminal members 2 having opposite polarities, and the opening / closing unit 6 is electrically connected to both of the pair of terminal members 2. Therefore, when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a cut-off state, all of the two pairs (four pieces) of connection members 3 are electrically disconnected from the terminal members 2.

[0035] Specifically, the opening / closing unit 6 has a pair of contact devices having opposite polarities, and an electromagnetic release device. Each of the pair of contact devices has a fixed contact and a movable contact. The movable contact moves between a closed position in which it contacts the fixed contact and an open position in which it is separated from the fixed contact. The terminal member 2 is electrically connected to the fixed contact, and the connecting member 3 is electrically connected to the movable contact. More specifically, the movable contact is provided on a movable contactor, and the movable contactor is connected to a lead plate 30 by a braided wire, thereby electrically connecting the movable contact and the connecting member 3.

[0036] In the switching unit 6 configured as above, in a steady state, the movable contact is located at the closed position, thereby establishing electrical continuity between the terminal member 2 and the connecting member 3. On the other hand, when the switching unit 6 receives a drive signal from the control unit 7, it operates the electromagnetic release device to drive the movable contactor and move the movable contact to the open position, thereby switching to a cut-off state in which electrical continuity is established between the terminal member 2 and the connecting member 3. In this way, the switching unit 6 is switched from a conductive state to a cut-off state by the drive signal from the control unit 7.

[0037] Further, an operating member 81 is mechanically coupled to the opening / closing unit 6. The operating member 81 is a lever-type handle that is rotatable around a rotation axis. Here, a first operating hole 434 and a second operating hole 421 are formed in the inner cover 43 and the outer cover 42, respectively, so that the operating member 81 can be operated from the front of the housing 4. In other words, the operating member 81 is exposed to the front of the housing 4 through the first operating hole 434 and the second operating hole 421, and can be operated from the front of the housing 4.

[0038] The operating member 81 rotates in conjunction with the opening / closing unit 6 and moves between an ON position (see FIG. 2A) and an OFF position (see FIG. 2B). The ON position corresponds to the conductive state of the opening / closing unit 6, and the OFF position corresponds to the cut-off state of the opening / closing unit 6. That is, when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state, the operating member 81 is in the ON position as shown in FIG. 2A. When the operating member 81 is in the ON position, the front surface of the operating member 81 is approximately flush with the front surface of the housing 4. On the other hand, when the opening / closing unit 6 switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state, the operating member 81 rotates and the tip of the operating member 81 moves forward (toward the viewer), and as shown in FIG. 2B, the operating member 81 moves to the OFF position. When the operating member 81 is in the OFF position, the operating member 81 protrudes forward from the front surface of the housing 4.

[0039] In this way, since the operation member 81 and the opening / closing unit 6 are linked, when the opening / closing unit 6 receives a drive signal from the control unit 7 and switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state, the operation member 81 moves from the ON position to the OFF position. Conversely, when the operation member 81 moves from the OFF position to the ON position, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a cut-off state to a conductive state. Therefore, the opening / closing unit 6 in a cut-off state can be switched to a conductive state by the user operating the operation member 81 in the OFF position to move it to the ON position. Hereinafter, the operation of moving the operation member 81 from the OFF position to the ON position is referred to as a "restoration operation." The restoration operation will be explained in detail in the "(2.3) Operation" section.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state not only when a drive signal is received from the control unit 7, but also when the operation member 81 is moved from the on position to the off position. Therefore, the user can manually switch between the conductive state and the cut-off state of the opening / closing unit 6 by operating the operation member 81. In other words, the opening / closing unit 6 functions as a switch device that turns on and off in response to the operation of the operation member 81.

[0041] Next, the configurations of the connection member 3 and the terminal member 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 5B.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 4A and 5A, two pairs (four pieces) of connection members 3 are held in the inner block 44. Here, the two pairs of connection members 3 are arranged at positions corresponding to two pairs of insertion holes 111 formed in the outer cover 42, respectively, specifically, at the four corners of the inner block 44 in a front view. Furthermore, as described above, two connection members 3 of the same polarity, that is, two connection members 3 arranged in the vertical direction, are connected by a lead plate 30. Each of a pair of lead plates 30 of opposite polarity is formed in a strip shape that is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Here, the two connection members 3 and the lead plate 30 of the same polarity are integrally formed from one metal plate. In Figs. 4A and 5A, the metal plate constituting the connection members 3 and the lead plate 30 is hatched (dot hatched).

[0043] Each connection member 3 is a blade receiving member into which the blades 911 of the plug 91 are inserted when the plug 91 is connected. Each connection member 3 is made of a metal having electrical conductivity and elasticity, such as copper or a copper alloy. Each connection member 3 has a pair of blade receiving pieces 31 facing each other in the left-right direction. Each connection member 3 is electrically connected to the blades 911 with the blades 911 sandwiched between the pair of blade receiving pieces 31, and mechanically holds the blades 911.

[0044] The pair of terminal members 2 are held by the terminal block 45 as shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5B. Here, the pair of terminal members 2 are arranged at positions corresponding to a pair of terminal holes 121 formed on the rear surface of the terminal block 45. Each terminal member 2 is a plug-in type quick-connect terminal into which the power feeder 92 is connected by inserting the core wire 921 of the power feeder 92. Specifically, each terminal member 2 has a terminal plate 21 and a locking spring 22 as shown in FIG. 5B. The terminal plate 21 is made of a conductive metal such as copper or a copper alloy. The locking spring 22 is made of an elastic metal such as stainless steel. When the power feeder 92 is inserted into the terminal hole 121 opened on the rear surface of the housing 4, each terminal member 2 is electrically connected to the power feeder 92 with the core wire of the power feeder 92 sandwiched between the terminal plate 21 and the locking spring 22, and mechanically holds the plug blade 911.

[0045] Furthermore, the terminal block 45 holds a ground terminal 116 (see FIG. 4B) for connecting a ground wire. The ground terminal 116 is a plug-in type quick-connect terminal similar to the terminal member 2, and is disposed at a position corresponding to a ground terminal hole 122 formed on the rear surface of the terminal block 45. The ground terminal 116 is electrically connected to the first ground member 114 and the second ground member 115 inside the housing 4.

[0046] The temperature detection unit 5 detects the temperature of at least one of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 as a detected temperature. The temperature detection unit 5 is accommodated in the housing 4. In this embodiment, the temperature detection unit 5 has a first temperature sensor 51 (see FIG. 1) and a second temperature sensor 52 (see FIG. 1). The first temperature sensor 51 is a sensor for detecting the temperature of the terminal member 2. The second temperature sensor 52 is a sensor for detecting the temperature of the connection member 3. Therefore, the first temperature sensor 51 is thermally coupled to the terminal member 2, and the second temperature sensor 52 is thermally coupled to the connection member 3. Each of the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 is realized by, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, a bimetal, a thermopile, or the like.

[0047] The temperature detection unit 5 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detection temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 to the control unit 7. The "detection signal" in the present disclosure may be any signal (electrical signal) that conveys information corresponding to temperature by a specific code, for example, a signal in which an electrical quantity such as a resistance value, a voltage value, or a current value changes according to temperature. The detection signal may also be a signal that switches between two values, on / off (or high level / low level), depending on whether the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 5 is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature or lower than the threshold temperature. Furthermore, the temperature detection unit 5 may include a processing circuit that processes the output of the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 and outputs a detection signal.

[0048] (2.2) Temperature detection section configuration Next, the configuration of the temperature detection unit 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0049] The second temperature sensor 52 that detects the temperature of the connection member 3 is disposed, for example, behind the center of the lead plate 30 in the up-down direction in a state where it is thermally coupled to the lead plate 30, as shown in Fig. 5A. The thermal coupling between the second temperature sensor 52 and the lead plate 30 is realized, for example, by directly fixing the second temperature sensor 52 to the lead plate 30 with a clip or the like. Here, a pair of the second temperature sensors 52 are provided corresponding to a pair of lead plates 30 having opposite polarities. In other words, the temperature detection unit 5 has a pair of second temperature sensors 52.

[0050] Here, the temperature of the connection member 3 detected by the temperature detection unit 5 is, for example, the temperature of any one of the detection points P1 to P11 shown in FIG. 5A. That is, the temperature rise of the connection member 3 often occurs due to the heat source being the contact part of the connection member 3 with the blade 911. Therefore, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperature of the detection points P1, P2, P10, P11, etc. close to the contact part of the connection member 3 with the blade 911 as the temperature of the connection member 3. Furthermore, when the temperature rise of any one of the connection members 3 occurs, the heat of the connection member 3 is transferred by thermal conduction to the lead plate 30 and the other connection members 3 connected by the lead plate 30. Therefore, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperature of the detection point P7, etc. set at the center of the lead plate 30 in the vertical direction as the temperature of the connection member 3.

[0051] Furthermore, when the temperature of the connection member 3 rises, heat may be transferred from the connection member 3 or the lead plate 30 to the holding member that holds the connection member 3. In particular, when the holding member is a member made of synthetic resin, such as the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42, as in this embodiment, the characteristics of the holding member (the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42) may be affected by heat, and the characteristics of the holding member may change (including deterioration, discoloration, and deformation). For this reason, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperatures of detection points P5, P6, P8, P9, etc., close to the contact parts of the connection member 3 and the lead plate 30 with the holding members (the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42) as the temperature of the connection member 3.

[0052] The first temperature sensor 51 for detecting the temperature of the terminal member 2 is disposed in front of the terminal board 21 in the terminal member 2 in a state of being thermally coupled to the terminal board 21, as shown in FIG. 5B, for example. The first temperature sensor 51 is mounted on a sensor board 511. The thermal coupling between the first temperature sensor 51 and the terminal board 21 is realized, for example, by interposing a heat transfer sheet 512 having thermal conductivity and electrical insulation between the terminal board 21 and the first temperature sensor 51. As a result, the heat of the terminal board 21 is transferred to the first temperature sensor 51 by thermal conduction through the heat transfer sheet 512. Here, the first temperature sensor 51 is provided in a pair so as to correspond to a pair of terminal members 2 having opposite polarities. That is, the temperature detection unit 5 has a pair of first temperature sensors 51.

[0053] Here, the temperature of the terminal member 2 detected by the temperature detection unit 5 is, for example, the temperature of any one of a plurality of detection points P21 to P25 shown in FIG. 5B. That is, a temperature rise of the terminal member 2 often occurs due to a heat source being a contact portion of the terminal member 2 with the core wire 921. Therefore, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperatures of the detection points P24, P25, etc. close to the contact portion of the terminal member 2 with the core wire 921 as the temperature of the terminal member 2. Furthermore, when a temperature rise of the terminal member 2 occurs, the heat is transferred to the entire terminal board 21 by thermal conduction. Therefore, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperatures of the detection points P22, etc. close to the first temperature sensor 51 of the terminal board 21 as the temperature of the terminal member 2.

[0054] Furthermore, when the temperature of the terminal member 2 rises, heat may be transferred from the terminal member 2 to the holding member that holds the terminal member 2. In particular, when the holding member is a member made of synthetic resin such as the terminal block 45 as in this embodiment, the characteristics of the holding member (terminal block 45) may be affected by heat, and the characteristics of the holding member may change (including deterioration, discoloration, and deformation). For this reason, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperatures of detection points P21, P23, etc., close to the contact part of the terminal member 2 with the holding member (terminal block 45) as the temperature of the terminal member 2.

[0055] Furthermore, when a temperature rise occurs in the connection member 3, the temperature in the internal space 40 of the housing 4 (see FIG. 5A) also rises due to heat dissipation from the connection member 3 or the lead plate 30. Similarly, when a temperature rise occurs in the terminal member 2, the temperature in the internal space 40 of the housing 4 also rises due to heat dissipation from the terminal plate 21 or the locking spring 22. Therefore, the temperature detection unit 5 may indirectly detect the temperature of the connection member 3 or the terminal member 2 by detecting the temperatures of detection points P12, P13, P14 (see FIG. 5A) set in the internal space 40 of the housing 4, rather than on the connection member 3, the lead plate 30, or the terminal member 2.

[0056] The arrangement of the first temperature sensor 51 and the second temperature sensor 52 and the positions of the detection points P1 to P14 and P21 to P25 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate.

[0057] (2.3) Operation Next, the operation of the outlet system 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0058] As a basic operation of the outlet system 10, the opening / closing unit 6 operates to switch from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a judgment condition is satisfied. The judgment condition includes that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature. Here, the detected temperature is the temperature of at least one of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 detected by the temperature detection unit 5. The opening / closing unit 6 is capable of switching from a cut-off state to a conductive state when the judgment condition is not satisfied.

[0059] In this embodiment, the control unit 7 acquires the detected temperature by receiving a detection signal from the temperature detection unit 5. Then, the control unit 7 compares the detected temperature with a threshold temperature stored in a memory or the like to determine whether the judgment condition is satisfied. When the control unit 7 determines that the judgment condition is satisfied, it outputs a drive signal to the opening / closing unit 6, and switches the opening / closing unit 6 from a conductive state to a cut-off state. In this embodiment, as an example, the judgment condition is set to be only that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature. In other words, if the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature, the judgment condition is satisfied, and if the detected temperature is lower than the threshold temperature, the judgment condition is not satisfied.

[0060] Here, in this embodiment, the temperature detection unit 5 detects the temperature of the connection member 3 as the detection temperature, and detects the temperature of the terminal member 2 as the auxiliary detection temperature. When the opening / closing unit 6 satisfies an auxiliary judgment condition including the auxiliary detection temperature being equal to or higher than the auxiliary threshold temperature, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state, and the switching from the cut-off state to the conductive state is restricted. That is, in this embodiment, the temperature detection unit 5 detects only the temperature of the connection member 3 out of the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 as the detection temperature, and detects the temperature of the terminal member 2 as an auxiliary detection temperature separate from the detection temperature.

[0061] Therefore, when the judgment condition is satisfied only for the temperature of the connection member 3 among the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state, and when the judgment condition is not satisfied, the opening / closing unit 6 can be switched from the cut-off state to the conductive state. Regarding the temperature of the terminal member 2 (auxiliary detection temperature), when the auxiliary judgment condition is satisfied, the opening / closing unit 6 switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state, but the switching from the cut-off state to the conductive state is restricted. In other words, when the auxiliary detection temperature satisfies the auxiliary judgment condition, the switching of the opening / closing unit 6 from the cut-off state to the conductive state is restricted (for example, prohibited) even if the auxiliary judgment condition is no longer satisfied.

[0062] In this embodiment, as an example, the auxiliary judgment condition is, as in the judgment condition, only that the auxiliary detected temperature is equal to or higher than the auxiliary threshold temperature. That is, if the auxiliary detected temperature is equal to or higher than the auxiliary threshold temperature, the auxiliary judgment condition is met, and if the auxiliary detected temperature is lower than the auxiliary threshold temperature, the judgment condition is not met. Similarly, in this embodiment, the caution judgment condition used to judge whether or not to issue a notice by the notice unit 71 is only that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the caution temperature. That is, if the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the caution level, the caution judgment condition is met, and if the detected temperature is lower than the caution temperature, the caution judgment condition is not met.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the display mode of the display unit 82 has a plurality of display patterns depending on the combination of the lighting states (off, on, blinking, etc.) of the first indicator light 821 and the second indicator light 822. For example, the display unit 82 displays "normal" by lighting the first indicator light 821 and turning off the second indicator light 822 during normal operation when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state. On the other hand, when a caution determination condition is satisfied, including the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 5 being equal to or higher than a caution temperature that is lower than the threshold temperature, the display unit 82 displays "caution" by lighting the first indicator light 821 and blinking the second indicator light 822. Furthermore, when the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state, the display unit 82 displays "warning" by lighting the first indicator light 821 and turning on the second indicator light 822.

[0064] Similarly, there are multiple patterns of sounds output from the buzzer 83, including a caution sound that realizes a notification by the notification unit 71 and a warning sound that realizes a notification by the state presenting unit 72. That is, the buzzer 83 is stopped during normal operation when the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state, and outputs a caution sound when a caution determination condition is satisfied, including the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 5 being equal to or higher than a caution temperature that is lower than a threshold temperature. Furthermore, when the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state, the buzzer 83 outputs a warning sound different from the caution sound.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the threshold temperature is set to be lower than the detection temperature when the characteristic of the holding member undergoes a predetermined change. That is, as described above, heat may be transferred from the connection member 3 to the holding member (the inner block 44 and the outer cover 42) that holds the connection member 3, and the characteristics of the holding member may be affected by the heat and change (including deterioration, discoloration, and deformation) in the characteristics of the holding member. On the other hand, in the outlet system 10 according to this embodiment, in order to make the outlet 1 reusable even after a temperature rise occurs, it is preferable to shut off the opening and closing unit 6 so that the characteristics of the holding member do not exceed the allowable range. The "predetermined change" in this disclosure refers to a change when the change in the characteristics of the holding member reaches the upper limit of the allowable range. For example, if a certain standard specifies an allowable range for the characteristics of the holding member, it is preferable that the characteristics of the holding member fall within this allowable range even if a temperature rise occurs. Therefore, by setting a temperature lower than the detection temperature when the characteristic of the holding member undergoes a predetermined change as the threshold temperature, it is possible to shut off the opening and closing unit 6 before the characteristic of the holding member changes by more than the predetermined change. As a result, before the characteristics of the holding member deteriorate, the opening / closing part 6 is put into the cut-off state to suppress further temperature rise, and the outlet 1 can be prepared for reuse.

[0066] Moreover, the outlet system 10 according to this embodiment includes the operation member 81 that accepts an operation from the user as described above, and this operation member 81 is linked to the opening / closing unit 6. Therefore, the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state by the operation of the operation member 81 (restoration operation) when the judgment condition is not satisfied. In other words, after the judgment condition is satisfied and the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from the conductive state to the interrupted state, if the cause that satisfied the judgment condition is eliminated and the judgment condition is no longer satisfied, and a restoration operation is performed, the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state. This allows the user to manually switch the opening / closing unit 6 from the interrupted state to the conductive state.

[0067] In this embodiment, as described above, the operating member 81 moves between the on position and the off position in conjunction with the opening / closing unit 6. In other words, the position of the operating member 81 also indicates whether the opening / closing unit 6 is in a conductive state or a cut-off state, so the operating member 81 also functions as a state indicating unit that indicates the state of the opening / closing unit 6. In this embodiment, a portion of the operating member 81 that is visible only when the operating member 81 is in the off position is colored in red or the like, making it possible to see from a distance whether the operating member 81 is in the on position or the off position.

[0068] An example of the operation of the outlet system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 6. The flowchart in Fig. 6 is merely an example, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0069] 6, first, the control unit 7 receives a detection signal from the temperature detection unit 5 to obtain an actual temperature T1 (S1). The actual temperature T1 includes both the temperature of the connection member 3 (detected temperature) and the temperature of the terminal member 2 (auxiliary detected temperature).

[0070] Next, the control unit 7 compares the actual temperature T1 with the warning temperature Tth1 (S2). The warning temperature Tth1 is a temperature that is compared with the detected temperature to determine whether or not the warning determination condition is met, that is, whether or not the notification unit 71 should notify. The warning temperature Tth1 is a temperature lower than the threshold temperature Tth2. If the actual temperature T1 is lower than the warning temperature Tth1 (S2: No), the control unit 7 determines that the warning determination condition is not met, and executes processing to stop the buzzer 83 (S3) and display "normal" on the display unit 82 (S4), and returns to processing S1.

[0071] On the other hand, if the actual temperature T1 is equal to or higher than the caution temperature Tth1 in process S2 (S2: Yes), the control unit 7 determines that the caution judgment condition is met and issues a notice from the notification unit 71, i.e., outputs a caution sound from the buzzer 83 (S5), and displays "Caution" on the display unit 82 (S6). In this state, if the switch 84 is pressed, i.e., the stop button of the buzzer 83 is pressed (S7: Yes), the control unit 7 executes a stop process of the buzzer 83 (S8) and acquires the actual temperature T1 (S9). If the switch 84 is not pressed, i.e., the stop button of the buzzer 83 is not pressed (S7: No), the control unit 7 skips the stop process of the buzzer 83 (S8) and acquires the actual temperature T1 (S9).

[0072] Next, the control unit 7 compares the measured temperature T1 acquired in the process S9 with the threshold temperature Tth2 (S10). The threshold temperature Tth2 is a temperature to be compared with the detected temperature to determine whether or not the judgment condition is satisfied, that is, whether or not the opening / closing unit 6 is to be in the cut-off state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the threshold temperature Tth2 also serves as an auxiliary threshold temperature to be compared with the auxiliary detected temperature to determine whether or not the auxiliary judgment condition is satisfied. In other words, the auxiliary threshold temperature is equal to the threshold temperature Tth2. If the measured temperature T1 is lower than the threshold temperature Tth2 (S10: No), the control unit 7 determines that the judgment condition and the auxiliary judgment condition are not satisfied, and returns to the process S1.

[0073] Therefore, even if it is once determined that the caution judgment condition is satisfied and an alarm is issued by the alarm unit 71, if the measured temperature T1 subsequently drops and falls below the caution temperature Tth1 (S2: No), the buzzer 83 is stopped (S3) and the display unit 82 displays "normal" (S4). Therefore, for example, even if a temperature rise occurs due to a transient event, the measured temperature T1 drops and is determined to be equal to or higher than the caution temperature Tth1, if the measured temperature T1 subsequently drops, the alarm by the alarm unit 71 automatically stops.

[0074] On the other hand, if the measured temperature T1 is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature Tth2 in the process S10 (S10: Yes), the control unit 7 determines that the judgment condition or the auxiliary judgment condition is satisfied, and outputs a drive signal to the opening / closing unit 6 to switch the opening / closing unit 6 from the conductive state to the cut-off state (S11). After that, the control unit 7 performs a presentation on the state presentation unit 72, that is, outputs a warning sound from the buzzer 83 (S12), and displays "Warning" on the display unit 82 (S13). In this state, if the switch 84 is pressed, that is, the stop button of the buzzer 83 is pressed (S14: Yes), the control unit 7 executes a stop process of the buzzer 83 (S15) and proceeds to process S16. If the switch 84 is not pressed, that is, the stop button of the buzzer 83 is not pressed (S14: No), the control unit 7 skips the stop process of the buzzer 83 (S15) and proceeds to process S16.

[0075] In process S16, the control unit 7 judges whether the measured temperature T1, which is judged to be equal to or higher than the threshold temperature Tth2, is the temperature of the connection member 3. That is, if the measured temperature T1 at this time is the temperature of the connection member 3 (S16: Yes), it is judged in process S10 that the judgment condition is satisfied, and the control unit 7 proceeds to process S17 in which the opening / closing unit 6 can be switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state. In this state, if the operation member 81 is operated to restore (S17: Yes), the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state (S18), and the process proceeds to process S9. At this time, if the cause of the judgment condition has not been eliminated, that is, if the measured temperature T1 is still equal to or higher than the threshold temperature Tth2 (S10: Yes), the control unit 7 immediately switches the opening / closing unit 6 from the conductive state to the interrupted state (S11). On the other hand, if the cause of the judgment condition is eliminated and the measured temperature T1 is less than the threshold temperature Tth2 (S10: No), the control unit 7 determines that the judgment condition and the auxiliary judgment condition are not satisfied, and returns to process S1. As a result, the opening / closing unit 6 maintains the conductive state, and the outlet 1 becomes reusable.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S16 that the measured temperature T1, which is determined to be equal to or higher than the threshold temperature Tth2, is not the temperature of the connection member 3 (S16: No), it is determined in step S10 that the auxiliary determination condition is satisfied. In this case, the control unit 7 proceeds to step S19 in which the opening / closing unit 6 cannot be switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state. In this state, if a recovery operation of the operating member 81 is performed (S19: Yes), the control unit 7 forcibly maintains the opening / closing unit 6 in the interrupted state by a drive signal (S11).

[0077] Moreover, in both process S17 and process S19, if a recovery operation is not performed (S17: No or S19: No), the control unit 7 proceeds to process S14.

[0078] (3) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, the same function as the control unit 7 according to the above embodiment may be embodied in a control method for the outlet 1, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon, etc.

[0079] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combination.

[0080] The outlet system 10 in the present disclosure includes a computer system, for example, in the control unit 7. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the control unit 7 in the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be provided by recording it in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated in one chip or may be distributed among multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated in one device or may be distributed among multiple devices.

[0081] Furthermore, it is not essential for outlet system 10 that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing 4, and the components of outlet system 10 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of outlet system 10, such as control unit 7, may be realized by, for example, the cloud (cloud computing), etc. Conversely, all of the functions of outlet system 10 may be concentrated in one housing 4, as in the above embodiment.

[0082] Moreover, the control unit 7 is not an essential component of the outlet system 10 and can be omitted as appropriate. In other words, the outlet system 10 only needs to operate so that the opening / closing unit 6 switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when the judgment condition is satisfied, and to be able to switch the opening / closing unit 6 from a cut-off state to a conductive state when the judgment condition is not satisfied. Therefore, for example, in a case where the output (detection signal) of the temperature detection unit 5 is directly input to the opening / closing unit 6 and the opening / closing unit 6 operates in response to the detection signal, the control unit 7 can be omitted. Furthermore, for example, even in a case where the temperature detection unit 5 is a bimetal or the like and the opening / closing unit 6 is directly driven, the control unit 7 can be omitted.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the temperature detection unit 5 detects the temperature of the connection member 3 as the detected temperature and detects the temperature of the terminal member 2 as the auxiliary detected temperature, but this is not limited to the example. For example, the temperature detection unit 5 may detect the temperature of the terminal member 2, or the temperatures of both the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 as the detected temperatures. In the case where the temperatures of both the terminal member 2 and the connection member 3 are detected as the detected temperatures, the determination conditions for the detected temperature of the terminal member 2 and the detected temperature of the connection member 3 may be the same or different from each other.

[0084] Furthermore, the judgment condition may include the detected temperature being equal to or higher than the threshold temperature, and may include other conditions in addition to the detected temperature being equal to or higher than the threshold temperature. For example, the judgment condition may include the event that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature continuing for a predetermined time, occurring a predetermined number of times, or occurring with a frequency equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Similarly, the auxiliary judgment condition may include the auxiliary detected temperature being equal to or higher than the auxiliary threshold temperature, and may include other conditions in addition to the auxiliary detected temperature being equal to or higher than the auxiliary threshold temperature. Similarly, the caution judgment condition may include the detected temperature being equal to or higher than the caution temperature, and may include other conditions in addition to the detected temperature being equal to or higher than the caution temperature.

[0085] Moreover, the outlet 1 is not limited to having a grounding electrode, but may not have a grounding electrode, and may be, for example, an AC 200V or DC outlet. Furthermore, the outlet 1 is not limited to an A-type outlet, but may be, for example, an outlet to which a plug having a pin-shaped plug blade can be connected, such as a B-type or C-type outlet. The outlet 1 is not limited to a two-outlet type, but may be, for example, a one-outlet type or a three-outlet type. Furthermore, the outlet system 10 may further include, for example, a human sensor, a timer, or a switch in addition to the outlet 1. Furthermore, the terminal member 2 does not have to be a quick-connect terminal, and may be, for example, a screw-type terminal. Furthermore, the outlet 1 is not limited to a configuration in which the rear part is embedded in the construction surface 100 using a mounting frame (embedded installation type), but may be a configuration in which the entire outlet is exposed and installed on the construction surface 100 (exposed installation type).

[0086] Furthermore, the outlet 1 may have a locking mechanism that prevents the plug 91 from coming loose. The locking mechanism prevents the blades 911 of the plug 91 from coming loose, for example, by rotating the plug 91. The outlet 1 may have a door.

[0087] In the above embodiment, when the electromagnetic release device is activated and the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from a conductive state to a cut-off state, the operating member 81 also moves to the OFF position in conjunction with the opening / closing unit 6, but this is not the only possible configuration. For example, when the opening / closing unit 6 is switched from a conductive state to a cut-off state, the operating member 81 may remain in the ON position. In this case, the recovery operation is realized by once moving the operating member 81 from the ON position to the OFF position, and then moving the operating member 81 from the OFF position to the ON position.

[0088] Furthermore, the opening / closing unit 6 may be realized by, for example, a mechanical relay or a semiconductor switch.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the mode of presentation by the status presenting unit 72 is the same whether the judgment condition is satisfied or the auxiliary judgment condition is satisfied, but this is not limiting, and the status presenting unit 72 may present in different modes depending on whether the judgment condition is satisfied or the auxiliary judgment condition is satisfied. As an example, the display mode of the display unit 82 may be changed by turning on the first indicator light 821 when the actual measured temperature T1 determined to be equal to or higher than the threshold temperature Tth2 is the temperature of the connection member 3, and by blinking the first indicator light 821 when the actual measured temperature T1 is the temperature of the terminal member 2.

[0090] In this disclosure, when comparing two values ​​such as a detected temperature and a threshold temperature, "greater than or equal to" includes both the case where the two values ​​are equal and the case where one of the two values ​​exceeds the other. However, without being limited to this, "greater than or equal to" here may be synonymous with "greater than," which includes only the case where one of the two values ​​exceeds the other. In other words, whether or not the case where the two values ​​are equal can be arbitrarily changed depending on the setting of the reference value, etc., so there is no technical difference between "greater than or equal to" and "greater than." Similarly, "less than" may be synonymous with "equal to or less than."

[0091] (4) Summary As described above, the outlet system (10) according to the first aspect includes the terminal member (2), the connection member (3), the temperature detection unit (5), and the opening / closing unit (6). The terminal member (2) is connected to the power supply line (92). The connection member (3) is connected to the plug (91). The temperature detection unit (5) detects the temperature of at least one of the terminal member (2) and the connection member (3) as a detected temperature. The opening / closing unit (6) is electrically connected between the terminal member (2) and the connection member (3). The opening / closing unit (6) switches from a conductive state to a cut-off state when a determination condition including the detected temperature being equal to or higher than a threshold temperature is satisfied. The opening / closing unit (6) is switchable from a cut-off state to a conductive state when the determination condition is not satisfied.

[0092] According to this embodiment, even if the opening / closing unit (6) goes into a cutoff state once, by restoring the opening / closing unit (6), it is possible to reuse the outlet system (10) without replacing the outlet system (10). Therefore, in cases where replacement of the outlet system (10) is not actually required, such as when a temperature rise is caused by a transient event, replacement of the outlet system (10) is not required, and the convenience of the outlet system (10) is improved.

[0093] The outlet system (10) according to the second aspect further includes a holding member (the inner block 44, the outer cover 42, or the terminal block 45) that holds at least one of the terminal member (2) and the connection member (3) in the first aspect. The threshold temperature is set to be lower than a detection temperature at which a characteristic of the holding member changes in a predetermined manner.

[0094] According to this aspect, the change in the characteristics of the holding member can be kept within an allowable range.

[0095] The outlet system (10) according to a third aspect is the first or second aspect, further including an alarm unit (71). The alarm unit (71) issues an alarm when a warning determination condition is satisfied, including the detected temperature being equal to or higher than a warning temperature that is lower than a threshold temperature.

[0096] According to this embodiment, since a warning is given before the power supply is cut off, it is possible to urge the user to take necessary measures in preparation for the power supply being cut off, such as, for example, backing up data on a personal computer connected to the connection member (3).

[0097] The outlet system (10) according to a fourth aspect is the outlet system (10) according to any one of the first to third aspects, further including a status indicator (72). The status indicator (72) indicates whether the open / close unit (6) is in a conductive state or a cut-off state.

[0098] According to this embodiment, the user can confirm on the status display unit (72) whether the opening / closing unit (6) is in a conductive state or a cut-off state, and can therefore take necessary measures, such as restoration work, immediately.

[0099] The outlet system (10) according to a fifth aspect is the outlet system (10) according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further including an operation member (81) that receives an operation from a user. The opening / closing unit (6) is switched from a cut-off state to a conductive state by operation of the operation member (81) when the determination condition is not satisfied.

[0100] According to this embodiment, the user can manually switch the opening / closing unit (6) from a cut-off state to a conductive state, and therefore can restore the opening / closing unit (6) at a timing desired by the user.

[0101] In the outlet system (10) according to a sixth aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the temperature detection unit (5) detects the temperature of the connection member (3) as the detected temperature, and detects the temperature of the terminal member (2) as the auxiliary detected temperature. When an auxiliary determination condition is satisfied, including the auxiliary detected temperature being equal to or higher than an auxiliary threshold temperature, the opening / closing unit (6) switches from the conductive state to the cut-off state, and switching from the cut-off state to the conductive state is restricted.

[0102] According to this embodiment, when the temperature of the terminal member 2 rises, it is possible to limit switching from the interrupted state to the conductive state, which makes it possible to prevent the opening / closing unit 6 from being inadvertently restored when electrical work, such as reconnecting the power supply line 92, is required.

[0103] The configurations according to the second to sixth aspects are not essential to the outlet system (10) and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 2 Terminal material 3 Connection parts 5 Temperature detection section 6 Opening and closing section 10. Outlet System 42 Outer cover (retaining member) 44 Inner block (retaining member) 45 Terminal block (retaining member) 71 Notification Department 72 Status display section 81 Operating member 91 Plug 92 Power line

Claims

1. A terminal member to which the power supply line is connected; A plurality of connection members to which the plugs are connected; a lead plate connecting the plurality of connection members; a temperature detection unit that detects temperatures of both the terminal member and the plurality of connection members as detection temperatures; an opening / closing portion electrically connected between the terminal member and the plurality of connection members; a holding member that surrounds and holds the plurality of connection members; a body portion that houses the holding member in a state in which the holding member holds the plurality of connection members; Equipped with The opening and closing portion is When a determination condition is satisfied, including that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, the conductive state is switched to a cut-off state, When the determination condition is not satisfied, the state can be switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state, the threshold temperature is set to be lower than a temperature at which a characteristic of the holding member undergoes a predetermined change; the temperature detection unit includes a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the terminal member and a second temperature sensor for detecting temperatures of the plurality of connection members; the second temperature sensor is directly fixed to the lead plate; the second temperature sensor of the temperature detection unit detects temperatures of the connection members and contact portions of the lead plate with the holding member as the detected temperature; Outlet system.

2. a second holding member for holding the terminal member; the body portion accommodates the second holding member in a state in which the second holding member holds the terminal member; 2. The outlet system according to claim 1.

3. The body portion is formed in a box shape with an open front surface, A first cover is attached to a front side of the body portion.

3. The socket system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a second cover located between the front surface of the body portion and the first cover and attached to the front surface side of the body portion; 4. The outlet system according to claim 3.

5. The second cover has an opening window formed therein, the opening window penetrating the second cover in the front-rear direction at a position corresponding to the connecting member.

5. The outlet system according to claim 4.

6. A terminal member to which the power supply line is connected; A plurality of connection members to which the plugs are connected; a lead plate connecting the plurality of connection members; a temperature detection unit that detects temperatures of both the terminal member and the plurality of connection members as detection temperatures; an opening / closing portion electrically connected between the terminal member and the plurality of connection members; a holding member that surrounds and holds the plurality of connection members; a body portion that houses the holding member in a state in which the holding member holds the plurality of connection members; Equipped with The opening and closing portion is When a determination condition is satisfied, including that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, the conductive state is switched to a cut-off state, When the determination condition is not satisfied, the state can be switched from the interrupted state to the conductive state, The body portion is formed in a box shape with an open front surface, a first cover attached to a front side of the body portion; a second cover located between a front surface of the body portion and the first cover and attached to the front surface side of the body portion; the temperature detection unit includes a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the terminal member and a second temperature sensor for detecting temperatures of the plurality of connection members; the second temperature sensor is directly fixed to the lead plate; the second temperature sensor of the temperature detection unit detects temperatures of the connection members and contact portions of the lead plate with the holding member as the detected temperature; Outlet system.

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