USB outlet

Abstract

To provide a USB receptacle capable of easily improving convenience.SOLUTION: A USB receptacle 10 includes a housing 3, a power supply circuit 11, and a light-emitting unit 14. The housing 3 has a connection port 4 for a USB connector of a device to be connected. The power supply circuit 11 supplies electric power to the device via the USB connector connected to the connection port 4. The light-emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to USB outlets, and more particularly to USB outlets to which a USB connector of a device can be connected. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a USB outlet having a USB socket into which a USB plug is inserted. This USB outlet includes a printed wiring board on which the USB socket is mounted, and a housing that has a plug insertion hole through which the USB plug is inserted and that contains the printed wiring board. The housing is fixed to a construction surface such as a wall surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-154802 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a USB outlet that can easily improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A USB outlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing, a power supply circuit, a light-emitting unit, a sensor, and a light-emitting control unit. The housing has a connection port to which a USB connector of a device can be connected. The power supply circuit supplies power to the device from the USB connector connected to the connection port. The light-emitting unit emits light to indicate the position of the connection port. The sensor detects the presence of a person within a predetermined distance from the housing. The light-emitting control unit changes the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit depending on the connection state of the USB connector to the connection port. When the sensor detects the presence of the person, the light-emitting unit emits light regardless of the brightness around the housing. The light emitting portion is disposed around the connection port on the front surface of the housing. The light emitting portion emits light around the entire circumference of the connection port. The light emitting portion is provided on the peripheral portion of the connection port on the front surface of the housing along the shape of the connection port. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure has the advantage of being able to provide a USB outlet that can easily improve convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of use of a USB outlet according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are front and enlarged views of the USB outlet and its connection port, respectively. [Diagram 3] Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing a structure for mounting the USB outlet to an object to which the outlet is to be attached, and Fig. 3B is a perspective view showing a state in which the USB outlet is mounted to an object to which the outlet is to be attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram conceptually showing the USB outlet of the above embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the USB outlet. [Figure 6] Fig. 6A is a front view of a USB outlet according to a modification of embodiment 1. Fig. 6B is a front view of a USB outlet according to another modification of embodiment 1. Fig. 6C is a front view of a USB outlet according to yet another modification of embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Fig. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which the USB outlet according to embodiment 2 is attached to an attachment target object, and Fig. 7B is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the USB outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] (Embodiment 1) (1) Overview First, an overview of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) outlet 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. FIG.

[0009] The USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment is a device to which a USB connector 91 of a device 9 can be connected. The USB outlet 10 is a device that supplies power to the device 9 (such as a smartphone, for example) through the USB connector 91 when the USB connector 91 is connected. The device 9 charges, for example, a storage battery 92 (see FIG. 4) included in the device 9 with the power supplied from the USB outlet 10.

[0010] The USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment is a wiring device that is installed on an attachment object 81, such as a wall of a building. The USB outlet 10 is electrically connected to a power source (such as a system power source) at all times, similar to a general outlet device (Outlet) that outputs an AC voltage of 100V or 200V, and is basically always in a powered state. Therefore, a user can supply power to the device 9 from the USB outlet 10 via the USB connector 91 by simply connecting the device 9 to the USB outlet 10.

[0011] Here, if a general outlet device outputs an AC voltage of 100V or 200V, for example, when charging a device 9 such as a smartphone, it is necessary to use a power adapter that converts AC voltage to DC voltage in order to supply power to the device 9. In contrast, with the USB outlet 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to supply power to the device 9 by directly connecting the USB connector 91 of the device 9 to the USB outlet 10 without using a power adapter. Therefore, with the USB outlet 10, it is possible to charge the device 9 such as a smartphone even if there is no power adapter, and furthermore, since a power adapter is not required, the area around the USB outlet 10 is neat and tidy.

[0012] The USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment includes a housing 3, a power supply circuit 11, and a light-emitting unit 14. The housing 3 has a connection port 4 to which a USB connector 91 of a device 9 can be connected. The power supply circuit 11 supplies power to the device 9 from the USB connector 91 connected to the connection port 4. The light-emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4.

[0013] According to this configuration, the light emitting unit 14 emits light, thereby indicating the position of the connection port 4 for connecting the USB connector 91. Therefore, for example, even at night or when the USB outlet 10 is installed in a dark place such as a place shaded by furniture or a room without windows, the user can easily find the position of the connection port 4 by relying on the light of the light emitting unit 14. In particular, in the USB outlet 10, the USB connector 91 is connected only when charging a device 9 such as a smartphone, and the like, and the USB connector 91 is inserted and removed relatively frequently. In this way, in the USB outlet 10 in which the USB connector 91 is inserted and removed frequently, being able to easily find the position of the connection port 4 easily contributes to improving convenience. As a result, it is possible to provide a USB outlet 10 that is easy to improve convenience.

[0014] (2) Detailed configuration Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the USB outlet 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] (2.1) Premise In the present disclosure, "USB" refers to the standard of Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is one of serial bus standards. In the present disclosure, "USB" includes various generations (standards of transfer speed) of USB, such as USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, and USB4. In the present disclosure, the USB terminal shape (the shape of the connection port 4 and the shape of the USB connector 91) includes various shapes. The USB terminal shape includes, for example, an A terminal (Type-A), a B terminal (Type-B), and a C terminal (Type-C), as well as a mini USB and a micro USB, and further includes combinations of these. That is, the USB terminal shape includes, as an example, a mini USB A terminal (mini USB Type-A) and a micro USB B terminal (micro USB Type-B). In the present embodiment, unless otherwise specified, a case where the USB terminal shape is an A terminal (USB Type-A) will be described as an example. In this disclosure, the specifications for the USB terminal shape are sometimes referred to as the "USB connector standard."

[0016] The "USB connector of the device" in this disclosure may be a connector that is integral with the device 9, or a connector that is provided at the end of a USB cable that can be connected to the device 9. In other words, the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is separate from the device 9 and includes a connector that is attached to the device 9, such as a connector that is connected to the device 9 via a cable. Also, the "connector" in this disclosure is Rece P Ta nine R It may be a "plug" that is inserted into the Rece P Ta nine R In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is a USB plug provided at the tip of a USB cable connectable to the device 9.

[0017] Similarly, the "connection section" in this disclosure may be any structure capable of electrically connecting the USB connector 91 of the device 9, and may be any structure capable of electrically connecting the USB connector 91 of the device 9 to the " Rece P Ta nine R " or Rece P Ta nine R In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the connection portion 2 of the USB outlet 10 includes a connection port 4. Rece P Ta nine R In other words, in this embodiment, since the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is a USB plug, the connection part 2 of the USB outlet 10 is a USB plug that can be connected to Rece P Ta nine R Therefore, the connection port 4 of the housing 3 of the USB outlet 10 is included in the connection unit 2.

[0018] The "device" in the present disclosure is an electrical device (apparatus, equipment, and system) that can be electrically connected to the USB outlet 10 and receives power from the USB outlet 10. The device 9 includes, for example, an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal, a mobile battery, a mobile phone, a camera, an electric fan, a flashlight, or a television receiver. The USB outlet 10 supplies DC power by applying a DC voltage to the device 9, so the device 9 is a device that supports DC input. Among this type of device 9, for example, the device 9 such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal includes a storage battery 92 and has a function of charging the storage battery 92 using power supplied from the USB outlet 10. Hereinafter, the device 9 having the function of charging the storage battery 92 may be referred to as a "rechargeable device". In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, a case will be described in which the device 9 connected to the USB outlet 10 is a rechargeable device 9.

[0019] In this embodiment, the USB outlet 10 is fixed to an attachment object 81. The "attachment object" in this disclosure refers to a member to which the USB outlet 10 is fixed, and includes, for example, a structure such as a wall, ceiling, or floor of a building, or a fixture (including fittings) such as a desk, shelf, or counter. The USB outlet 10 is installed in, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, a school, a factory, a hospital, or a nursing home. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the USB outlet 10 is a built-in wiring device that is attached to an attachment object 81 formed of a wall of a residential facility. In particular, it is assumed that the USB outlet 10 is an indoor wiring device used inside a building.

[0020] Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the horizontal plane in a state where the USB outlet 10 is fixed to the wall of the housing facility, which is the object of attachment 81, may be described as the "up-down direction" of the USB outlet 10. Also, the downward direction when the USB outlet 10 is viewed from the front may be described as the "downward direction" of the USB outlet 10. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and parallel to the surface (wall surface) of the object of attachment 81 may be described as the "left-right direction" of the USB outlet 10, and the right side when the USB outlet 10 is viewed from the front may be described as the "right side" of the USB outlet 10, and the left side when the USB outlet 10 is viewed from the front may be described as the "left side" of the USB outlet 10. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the surface (wall surface) of the object of attachment 81 may be described as the "front-rear direction" of the USB outlet 10, and the back side (back side of the wall) of the object of attachment 81 may be described as the "rear" of the USB outlet 10. However, these directions are not intended to limit the direction of the USB outlet 10 when in use.

[0021] Furthermore, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 of the USB outlet 10 basically faces forward when the USB outlet 10 is fixed to the wall of a residential facility, which is the mounting object 81. However, this is not intended to limit the front surface 31 of the housing 3 to facing forward. For example, when the USB outlet 10 is installed on a ceiling, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 faces downward.

[0022] In addition, in this disclosure, when comparing two values, "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 "less than or equal to".

[0023] (2.2) Basic configuration Next, the basic configuration of the USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3B.

[0024] As described above, in the present embodiment, as an example, the USB outlet 10 is a built-in wiring device that is attached to the attachment object 81, which is a wall of a residential facility. That is, the USB outlet 10 is a wiring device that is fixed to the attachment object 81 and is configured to be able to connect wiring L1 (see FIG. 4) that passes through the back side of the attachment object 81. In particular, the USB outlet 10 is a built-in wiring device in which the housing 3 is fixed to the attachment object 81 with at least a part of the housing 3 embedded in a construction hole 82 (see FIG. 3A) formed in the attachment object 81.

[0025] The USB outlet 10 also includes a terminal section 16 (see FIG. 4) for connecting a wire L1, and for example, the wire L1 routed inside a wall (mounting object 81) is connected to the terminal section 16, thereby electrically connecting to a power source such as a system power source via the wire L1. The wire L1 may be directly connected to the power source (system power source, etc.) or indirectly connected via a distribution board or the like.

[0026] In the present embodiment, as an example, the USB outlet 10 is electrically connected to a single-phase 100V, 60Hz commercial AC power source (system power source) via the wiring L1 by connecting the wiring L1 to the terminal unit 16. Here, the USB outlet 10 is connected to the AC power source (system power source) via a distribution board, and is always in a conducting state if the breakers (main breaker and branch breakers) of the distribution board are in a conducting state. Therefore, the USB outlet 10 is basically always in a state where it can supply power to the device 9.

[0027] In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example, a two-outlet (two-port) type USB outlet 10 to which two USB connectors 91 can be connected is illustrated. That is, the USB outlet 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality (two in this embodiment) of connection parts 2 (including a connection port 4) for connecting the USB connectors 91, and is capable of supplying power to the device 9 from the plurality of connection parts 2. Therefore, the USB outlet 10 is capable of simultaneously supplying power to the plurality of devices 9 when the USB connectors 91 of the plurality of devices 9 are connected. In the present embodiment, when the plurality of connection parts 2 (two in this embodiment) are to be distinguished from one another, the individual connection parts 2 may be referred to as a first connection part 21 and a second connection part 22. Similarly, when the plurality of connection ports 4 (two in this embodiment) are to be distinguished from one another, the individual connection ports 4 may be referred to as a first connection port 41 and a second connection port 42.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the USB outlet 10 includes a power supply circuit 11 and a housing 3. Figure 2B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first connection port 41 in Figure 2A.

[0029] The power supply circuit 11 has a circuit board (printed wiring board) and various electronic components mounted on the circuit board. The power supply circuit 11 converts an AC voltage applied to a terminal unit 16 from an AC power source (system power source) into a DC voltage, and outputs the DC voltage to the connection unit 2. In this way, the power supply circuit 11 supplies power to the device 9 from the connection unit 2. Although described in detail later, a control unit 101 (see FIG. 4) and the like are also mounted on the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11. The power supply circuit 11 may include only one circuit board, or may include multiple circuit boards.

[0030] As described above, the housing 3 is fixed to the mounting object 81. The housing 3 houses the power supply circuit 11. Strictly speaking, the housing 3 houses not only the power supply circuit 11 but also the control unit 101 and the like by housing the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11. Furthermore, in addition to the power supply circuit 11 and the control unit 101, the housing 3 also houses internal parts such as the connection unit 2 and the terminal unit 16 as appropriate. The housing 3 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin.

[0031] In this embodiment, the housing 3 is rectangular and has dimensions similar to those of a wiring device having three module dimensions. The housing 3 has a front surface 31 that is exposed forward when the housing 3 is attached to the attachment target 81. Here, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 is rectangular in shape with a vertical dimension greater than a horizontal dimension. At least one connection port 4 is arranged on the front surface 31 of the housing 3.

[0032] In this embodiment, the USB outlet 10 is of a two-outlet (two-port) type, so two connection ports 4 are arranged on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. These two connection ports 4 are arranged next to each other with a certain interval in the up-down direction. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, each of the two connection ports 4 has a rectangular shape with a larger left-right dimension than the up-down dimension when viewed from the front. In other words, each connection port 4 is a horizontally (horizontally long) long hole.

[0033] A metallic shell, contacts, etc. are disposed inside the connection port 4. As a result, the connection port 4, together with the shell, contacts, etc., constitutes a connection section 2 ( Rece P Ta nine R ) is configured. The USB connector 91 is connected to the connection portion 2 by being inserted straight from the front into the connection portion 2 configured in this way. In other words, the plug-in type USB connector 91 is inserted into the connection port 4 along the front-rear direction, which is the insertion direction, so that the USB connector 91 is electrically connected to the connection portion 2 and mechanically coupled thereto.

[0034] In a state where the connection unit 2 and the USB connector 91 are connected, the connection between the connection unit 2 and the USB connector 91 is released by pulling the USB connector 91 straight out from the connection unit 2. In other words, the electrical connection of the USB connector 91 to the connection unit 2 is released and the mechanical coupling is released by removing the USB connector 91 from the connection port 4 along the insertion direction (front-rear direction). In short, the user can switch between connection / disconnection of the device 9 (USB connector 91) to the connection unit 2 by inserting and removing the USB connector 91 into and from the connection port 4 formed on the front surface 31 of the housing 3.

[0035] Here, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3A, the housing 3 is removably attached to a mounting frame 84 for fixing the housing 3 to an attachment object 81. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3A, an outlet plate 8 is attached to the mounting frame 84. Here, in this embodiment, the mounting frame 84 and the outlet plate 8 are not included in the components of the USB outlet 10. However, it is not essential that the mounting frame 84 and the outlet plate 8 are not included in the components of the USB outlet 10, and at least one of the mounting frame 84 and the outlet plate 8 may be included in the components of the USB outlet 10.

[0036] In this embodiment, the USB outlet 10 is a recessed wiring device as described above, and is therefore attached to an attachment object 81 (here, a wall) using an attachment member 83 such as a recessed switch box. That is, an installation hole 82 is formed in the attachment object 81, and the USB outlet 10 is attached through the installation hole 82 to an attachment member 83 such as a switch box arranged on the back side of the attachment object 81 (behind the wall).

[0037] The mounting frame 84 is, for example, a mounting frame for a large rectangular interconnection wiring device standardized by the Japanese Industrial Standards. Specifically, the mounting frame 84 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. The housing 3 is attached to the mounting frame 84 so that the housing 3 is located inside the mounting frame 84.

[0038] The mounting frame 84 is made of synthetic resin, for example. The mounting frame 84 is formed with a pair of mounting holes 841 and a pair of plate fixing holes 842. The mounting frame 84 is attached to the mounting object 81 by fastening a pair of mounting screws 843 through the pair of mounting holes 841 to a mounting member 83 such as a switch box.

[0039] The outlet plate 8 has a decorative plate 85 and a fixed plate 86. That is, in this embodiment, the outlet plate 8 is composed of two members, the decorative plate 85 and the fixed plate 86. The outlet plate 8 (the decorative plate 85 and the fixed plate 86) is made of a synthetic resin, for example.

[0040] The fixing plate 86 is fixed to the mounting frame 84. The decorative plate 85 is attached to the fixing plate 86 so as to cover the front surface of the fixing plate 86. In this manner, the decorative plate 85 is indirectly fixed to the mounting frame 84 to which the housing 3 is attached via the fixing plate 86. A window hole 801 is formed in the decorative plate 85, and when the outlet plate 8 is attached to the mounting frame 84, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 is exposed from the window hole 801.

[0041] That is, the outlet plate 8 is a frame-shaped member having a window hole 801, and is combined with the mounting frame 84 so that the front surface 31 of the housing 3 is exposed from the window hole 801. In other words, when the mounting frame 84 and the outlet plate 8 are combined, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 is located inside (within the window hole 801) of the outlet plate 8 (decorative plate 85) in a front view. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the outlet plate 8 is attached to the mounting object 81 together with the housing 3, the outlet plate 8 covers the periphery of the housing 3, and the mounting frame 84 and the construction holes 82 are not exposed, improving the appearance.

[0042] More specifically, the decorative plate 85 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. A window hole 801 penetrating the decorative plate 85 in the front-rear direction is formed in the center of the decorative plate 85. The decorative plate 85 is mechanically coupled to the fixed plate 86 in a removable state by a snap-fit ​​structure. That is, the decorative plate 85 and the fixed plate 86 are mechanically coupled by using the elasticity of at least one of the decorative plate 85 and the fixed plate 86 to hook a claw of one of the decorative plate 85 and the fixed plate 86 into a hole of the other.

[0043] Moreover, the fixing plate 86 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. Furthermore, a pair of through holes 861 are formed in the fixing plate 86. The fixing plate 86 is attached to the mounting frame 84 by fastening a pair of fixing screws 844 through the pair of through holes 861 into a pair of plate fixing holes 842 of the mounting frame 84.

[0044] (2.3) Specific configuration of USB outlet Next, a specific configuration of the USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 4. FIG.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 4, the USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment further includes a terminal section 16, a control section 101, a light-emitting section 14, and a sensor 17 in addition to a power supply circuit 11, at least one (two in this case) connection section 2, and a housing 3. The control section 101 includes a light-emitting control section 12. The light-emitting section 14 includes a light-emitting element 141. At least a portion of the terminal section 16, the control section 101, and the light-emitting section 14 are housed in the housing 3 together with the power supply circuit 11.

[0046] The power supply circuit 11 includes an AC / DC conversion circuit that converts an AC voltage into a DC voltage. The power supply circuit 11 is inserted between the terminal unit 16 and the connection unit 2, and converts the AC voltage input from the terminal unit 16 into a DC voltage and outputs it to the connection unit 2. As an example, the power supply circuit 11 converts an AC voltage of 100V applied to the terminal unit 16 from an AC power source (system power source) into a DC voltage of 5V. As a result, the AC voltage of 100V input to the terminal unit 16 is converted into a DC voltage of 5V by the power supply circuit 11, and the DC voltage of 5V is supplied to the connection unit 2.

[0047] In this embodiment, a plurality of (here, two) connection parts 2 are connected to one power supply circuit 11. That is, the DC voltage output from the power supply circuit 11 is applied to both the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22. This makes it possible to output the output of the power supply circuit 11 from the plurality of (here, two) connection parts 2 to the USB connector 91 of the device 9.

[0048] In such a configuration, the sum of the currents (and power) output from the multiple connection parts 2 to the device 9 becomes the output current of one power supply circuit 11. Therefore, for example, the rated output (current or power) of the multiple connection parts 2 is specified by the sum of the output currents (or output power) of the multiple connection parts 2. In this disclosure, the "rated output" is the rated value of the current and / or power, and includes the rated current and rated voltage. forceThat is, the rated value of the total output (current or power) of the multiple connection parts 2 is determined by the rated output (current or power) of the power supply circuit 11. As an example, if the rated output of the power supply circuit 11 is 4A, the total output current of the multiple (here, two) connection parts 2 is rated at 4A.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, an allocation display unit 32 is provided on the front surface 31 of the housing 3 so that the user can easily recognize the rated output as described above. In this embodiment, as an example, the allocation display unit 32 is realized by an engraving formed on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. The allocation display unit 32 displays output information. In this disclosure, "output information" refers to information related to the amount of power that can be output from each of the connection parts 2. For example, the rated output (current or power) of the connection part 2, that is, the rated current and rated power of the connection part 2, are both related to the amount of power that can be output from the connection part 2, and are therefore included in the "output information". In FIG. 1, the allocation display unit 32 is not shown.

[0050] Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, the allocation display unit 32 is arranged around the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the allocation display unit 32 is arranged above and below the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. Specifically, the output information displayed by the allocation display unit 32 indicates the rated output (rated current) for each connection portion 2, such as "2.5A" or "1.5A". Here, as an example, the allocation display unit 32 corresponding to the first connection portion 21 (first connection port 41) displays the output information "2.5A" as the rated output in a character string (text). The allocation display unit 32 corresponding to the second connection portion 22 (second connection port 42) displays the output information "1.5A" as the rated output in a character string (text).

[0051] Furthermore, the output information displayed by the allocation display unit 32 includes priority information such as "1" or "2" that indicates the priority of each connection unit 2. The "priority information" referred to here may be any information that indicates the order in which the connection units 2 are recommended to be used preferentially, and is not limited to numbers such as "1" or "2", and may be information that indicates, for example, a primary or secondary relationship. As an example, the allocation display unit 32 corresponding to the first connection unit 21 (first connection port 41) displays the priority of "1" as a character string (text) as the priority information. The allocation display unit 32 corresponding to the second connection unit 22 (second connection port 42) displays the priority of "2" as a character string (text) as the priority information. In this example, it is recommended that the first connection unit 2 be used preferentially over the second connection unit 2.

[0052] By displaying such output information on the allocation display unit 32, the user is recommended to use the first connection unit 2, which has a higher priority. Therefore, when using only one of the multiple (here, two) connection units 2, the user will basically use the first connection unit 2. If the rated output of the power supply circuit 11 is 4A, when only the first connection unit 2 is used, if the first connection unit 2 is used within the rated current (2.5A), the total output current of the two connection units 2 will naturally be within 4A. Also, when both the first connection unit 2 and the second connection unit 2 are used, if the first connection unit 2 is used within the rated current (2.5A) and the second connection unit 2 is used within the rated current (1.5A), the total output current of the two connection units 2 will be within 4A.

[0053] That is, in this embodiment, a plurality of connection parts 2 are provided. An allocation display unit 32 is provided on the front surface 31 of the housing 3, which displays output information related to the magnitude of power that can be output for each of the plurality of connection parts 2. Furthermore, the output information includes priority information that indicates the priority order of the plurality of connection parts 2. When there are a plurality of connection parts 2, such output information (including priority information) is displayed on the allocation display unit 32, so that the user is less likely to be confused about which of the plurality of connection parts 2 to use.

[0054] The terminal portion 16 is accommodated in the housing 3. Here, a terminal hole for connecting the wiring L1 is formed on the rear surface of the housing 3. The terminal portion 16 is disposed in a position corresponding to the terminal hole in the housing 3. The terminal portion 16 includes a terminal plate or the like, and when the tip portion (core wire) of the wiring L1 is inserted into the terminal hole, the terminal portion 16 mechanically holds the tip portion (core wire) of the wiring L1 and is electrically connected to the wiring L1. As an example in the present embodiment, the terminal portion 16 is a so-called quick-connect terminal of a plug-in type, to which the wiring L1 is connected simply by inserting the wiring L1 into the terminal hole.

[0055] The control unit 101 mainly comprises, for example, a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. The microcontroller realizes the function of the control unit 101 by executing a program recorded in one or more memories with one or more processors. The program may be recorded in the memory in advance, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided through an electric communication line. In other words, the program is a program for causing one or more processors to function as the control unit 101.

[0056] The control unit 101 controls at least the power supply circuit 11. As described above in this embodiment, the control unit 101 is mounted on the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11, and is housed in the housing 3 together with the power supply circuit 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 101 has a function as a light emission control unit 12. The light emission control unit 12 controls the light emission unit 14.

[0057] The light-emitting unit 14 is provided on the front surface of the housing 3, and its light-emitting mode is changed by the control of the light-emitting control unit 12. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 14 has a light-emitting element 141 and an optical member 142, as shown in FIG. 2B. The light-emitting element 141 emits light upon receiving power supply. The light-emitting mode of this type of light-emitting unit 14 includes, for example, on / off, light-emitting color or lighting pattern (blinking cycle, etc.), or a combination of these. In short, in this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 12 controls the light-emitting element 141 by controlling the current flowing through the light-emitting element 141, thereby changing the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 14, such as on / off.

[0058] 2A and 2B, the light-emitting unit 14 is disposed around the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 14 is disposed so as to surround the entire circumference of the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 14 emits light all around the connection port 4. In other words, the connection port 4 is located in an area on the front surface 31 of the housing 3 that is surrounded by the annular light-emitting unit 14.

[0059] Specifically, the light emitting element 141 emits light by receiving power supply from the control unit 101, for example. The light emitting element 141 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The light emitting element 141 emits white light, for example. The optical member 142 is, for example, a molded product of transparent resin such as acrylic resin, and takes in the output light of the light emitting element 141 and guides the light to the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 through the inside of the optical member 142, that is, it is a light guiding member. The optical member 142 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, and the inside thereof becomes the connection port 4. In the light emitting unit 14 configured in this way, the light emitting element 141 emits light, and the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 emits light. In other words, the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 surrounding the connection port 4 becomes the light emitting surface.

[0060] Moreover, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 14 has a light-storing function. As an example, the light-emitting unit 14 includes a light-storing material in the optical member 142, and the optical member 142 is endowed with a light-storing function. Therefore, the optical member 142 emits light by absorbing light energy when the light-emitting element 141 is turned on and emitting light when the light-emitting element 141 is turned off. With this configuration, it is possible to keep the power consumption of the light-emitting element 141 low.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 14 is configured to be visible from the front even when the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is connected to the connection unit 2 (connection port 4). Specifically, the light-emitting unit 14 is configured such that at least a part of the light-emitting unit 14 protrudes around the USB connector 91 when viewed from the front. In other words, although the light-emitting unit 14 is provided around the connection port 4, it is not completely hidden by the USB connector 91 inserted into the connection port 4. As a result, the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 14 is visible even when the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is connected to the USB outlet 10.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of connection parts 2 are provided. Therefore, the light emitting part 14 is provided for each of the plurality of connection parts 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the light emitting part 14 is provided for each connection port 4. In other words, the light emitting part 14 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of connection ports 4. That is, a plurality of light emitting parts 14 are provided so as to correspond one-to-one to the plurality of connection ports 4. These plurality of light emitting parts 14 are disposed around the first connection port 41 and the second connection port 42, respectively. In FIG. 4, the light emitting part 14 is shown as one, but in reality, a plurality of light emitting parts 14 (two in this case) are provided. The function of the light emitting part 14 will be described in detail in the section "(2.4) Light emitting function".

[0063] The sensor 17 detects a physical phenomenon or a physical quantity, and outputs an electrical signal according to the detected physical phenomenon or physical quantity. As an example, the sensor 17 is a sensor that detects whether or not the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection portion 2 (connection port 4). Examples of this type of sensor include a non-contact type sensor such as a transmission type or reflection type optical sensor whose output changes depending on the arrival state of light between a light emitting element and a light receiving element, or a contact type sensor that has a mechanical contact and turns on when pressed by the USB connector 91. As another example, the sensor 17 may be a sensor that detects a current output from the power supply circuit 11. This type of sensor can be realized by an appropriate current sensor such as a current transformer or a shunt resistor.

[0064] (2.4) Illumination function Next, a description will be given of the light-emitting function of the USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment. The light-emitting function is mainly realized by the light-emitting control unit 12 and the light-emitting unit 14 included in the control unit 101.

[0065] As described above, the light-emission control unit 12 controls the light-emitting element 141 by controlling the current flowing through the light-emitting element 141, thereby changing the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 14, such as turning on / off. In the present embodiment, as an example, the light-emission control unit 12 uses the output of the power supply circuit 11 to supply power (current) to the light-emitting element 141, thereby lighting up the light-emitting element 141. When the light-emitting element 141 lights up, the light-emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4.

[0066] That is, as described above, the light-emitting unit 14 is disposed around the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3, and the light-emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4 nearby. In particular, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 14 emits light all around the connection port 4, and the area surrounded by the light-emitting unit 14 becomes the connection port 4. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4.

[0067] Incidentally, in this embodiment, the convenience of the USB outlet 10 is improved by having the light-emitting unit 14 emit light to indicate the position of the connection port 4 when the USB connector 91 is inserted into the connection port 4 for connection. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 14 only needs to emit light when the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection port 4, and does not necessarily have to emit light when the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection port 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, as an example, the light-emitting control unit 12 lights up the light-emitting element 141 only when the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection port 4, and turns off the light-emitting element 141 when the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection port 4.

[0068] The light emission control unit 12 judges whether the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection port 4 based on, for example, the output of the sensor 17. That is, as described above, the sensor 17 detects whether the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection unit 2 (connection port 4), and the light emission control unit 12 controls the light emitting element 141 based on the output (detection result) of the sensor 17. Specifically, when the output of the sensor 17 indicates that the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection port 4, the light emission control unit 12 turns on the light emitting element 141. On the other hand, when the output of the sensor 17 indicates that the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection port 4, the light emission control unit 12 turns off the light emitting element 141. However, in this embodiment, since the light emitting unit 14 has a light storing function, even when the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection port 4, that is, when the light emitting element 141 is turned off, the light emitting unit 14 emits light due to the light storing function.

[0069] In this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of connection parts 2 are provided. Therefore, the light emission control unit 12 judges whether or not the USB connector 91 is connected to each of the plurality of connection parts 2 (connection ports 4). Then, in a state where the USB connector 91 is not connected to both the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22, the light emission control unit 12 lights up the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 corresponding to both the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22. In a state where the USB connector 91 is connected to both the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22, the light emission control unit 12 turns off the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 corresponding to both the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22. In a state where the USB connector 91 is connected only to the first connection part 21, the light emission control unit 12 lights up only the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 corresponding to the second connection part 22. In a state in which the USB connector 91 is connected only to the second connection portion 22, the light emission control portion 12 lights up only the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting portion 14 that corresponds to the first connection portion 21.

[0070] (3) Operation Next, the operation of the USB outlet 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0071] After starting up, the USB outlet 10 first causes the light emission control unit 12 to light up the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 (S1). At this time, in the light emitting unit 14, the light emitting element 141 lights up in white, so that the light emitting surface consisting of the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 emits white light. After that, the USB outlet 10 detects with the sensor 17 that the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection unit 2 (S2). If the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection unit 2 (S2: No), the USB outlet 10 keeps the light emitting element 141 on (S1).

[0072] When the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection unit 2 (S2: Yes), the USB outlet 10 causes the light emission control unit 12 to turn off the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 (S3). At this time, the light emitting unit 14 turns off the light emitting element 141, and the light emitting surface consisting of the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 emits light due to the phosphorescence function. Thereafter, the USB outlet 10 detects with the sensor 17 that the USB connector 91 has been disconnected from the connection unit 2 (S4). If the USB connector 91 is not disconnected (S4: No), the USB outlet 10 continues to turn off the light emitting element 141 (S3).

[0073] On the other hand, when the connection of the USB connector 91 is released (S4: Yes), the USB outlet 10 causes the light emission control unit 12 to light up the light emitting element 141 of the light emitting unit 14 (S1).

[0074] The USB outlet 10 repeatedly executes the above-mentioned processes S1 to S4. The flowchart in Fig. 5 is merely one example of the operation of the USB outlet 10, and processes may be omitted or added as appropriate, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate.

[0075] In this way, in the USB outlet 10 according to the present embodiment, the light emitting unit 14 emits light at least when the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection port 4. Since the light emitting unit 14 emits light to indicate the position of the connection port 4, the position of the connection port 4 for connecting the USB connector 91 is easily identified. Therefore, for example, even at night or when the USB outlet 10 is installed in a dark place such as a place shaded by furniture or a room without windows, the user can easily identify the position of the connection port 4 by relying on the light of the light emitting unit 14. In particular, in the USB outlet 10, the USB connector 91 is connected only when charging the device 9 such as a smartphone, and the like, and the USB connector 91 is inserted and removed relatively frequently. In the USB outlet 10 in which the USB connector 91 is inserted and removed frequently, being able to easily identify the position of the connection port 4 easily contributes to improving convenience. As a result, it is possible to provide a USB outlet 10 that is easy to improve convenience.

[0076] Furthermore, if the light from the light-emitting unit 14 illuminates the user's hand (at least the USB connector 91 held by the user), the operation of connecting the USB connector 91 to the connection port 4 becomes easier. For example, if the USB terminal shape is an A terminal (USB Type-A), it is necessary to adjust the orientation of the USB connector 91 when inserting the USB connector 91 into the connection port 4, but if the user's hand is illuminated, it is easy to adjust the orientation of the USB connector 91. This has the advantage that, for example, damage to the connection unit 2 due to the USB connector 91 being forcibly inserted in the wrong orientation is less likely to occur.

[0077] (4) Variations The first embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications of the first embodiment are possible depending on the design and the like, as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Each figure described in the present disclosure is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in each figure does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. In addition, the function equivalent to the USB outlet 10 according to the first embodiment may be embodied by a method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, or the like.

[0078] Below, modified examples of the first embodiment are listed. The modified examples described below can be applied in appropriate combinations. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0079] The basic configuration of the USB outlet 10 is also not limited to the configuration described in the first embodiment, and various USB outlets 10A to 10C as shown in Figs. 6A to 6C can be realized.

[0080] 6A, the USB outlet 10A differs from the first embodiment in the aspect of the light-emitting unit 14, which is disposed at one location around the corresponding connection port 4 rather than surrounding the corresponding connection port 4. Specifically, in the example of FIG.

[0081] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6B, the USB outlet 10B is formed to have approximately the same dimensions as a wiring device having two modular housings 3. This USB outlet 10B is attached to an attachment object 81 (see Fig. 3A) by a mounting frame 84 (see Fig. 3A) together with an outlet device 51 that outputs an AC voltage of, for example, 100V.

[0082] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6C, the USB outlet 10C is a single-outlet (single-port) type USB outlet in which the housing 3 has a size similar to that of a wiring device having two module dimensions and to which one USB connector 91 can be connected. In the example of FIG. 6C, the connection port 4 is rectangular in shape with a larger vertical dimension than a horizontal dimension when viewed from the front. That is, the connection port 4 is arranged vertically (vertically long). Furthermore, this USB outlet 10C is attached to the attachment object 81 (see FIG. 3A) by a mounting frame 84 (see FIG. 3A) together with a sensor device 52 such as a human sensor. The sensor device 52 is not limited to a human sensor, and may be, for example, a brightness sensor, a vibration sensor, a proximity sensor, or a sound sensor, or a combination of these. The USB outlet 10C may operate based on the output of the sensor device 52. For example, if the sensor device 52 is a human sensor, the USB outlet 10C turns off the power supply to the connection unit 2 if there is no person in the vicinity.

[0083] Furthermore, the USB outlet may have one connection section 2 (connection port 4), or three or more.

[0084] The multiple connection units 2 may include two or more connection units 2 with different generations (transfer speed standards) and / or USB terminal shapes. For example, the USB outlet 10 may include a connection unit 2 with an A terminal (USB Type-A) and a connection unit 2 with a C terminal (USB Type-C).

[0085] The USB outlet 10 in the present disclosure includes a computer system in the control unit 101 and the like. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the USB outlet 10 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 being recorded 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 integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that allows reconfiguration of the connection relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguration of the circuit partition inside the LSI, can also be adopted as the processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated in one chip or distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated in one device or distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Thus, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0086] Furthermore, it is not essential for the USB outlet 10 that at least some of the functions of the USB outlet 10 are concentrated in one housing 3, and the components of the USB outlet 10 may be distributed across multiple housings. For example, some of the functions of the control unit 101 may be provided in a housing separate from the connection unit 2 (connection port 4). Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control unit 101, etc. may be realized by, for example, a server or a cloud (cloud computing), etc.

[0087] Furthermore, the USB outlet 10 is not limited to indoor use, but may be outdoor use. In the outdoor USB outlet 10, a rainproof (drip-proof) structure or the like is appropriately adopted.

[0088] In addition, in embodiment 1, an example has been described in which the device 9 connected to the USB outlet 10 is a rechargeable device 9, but this is not limited to the example, and it is also possible to connect a non-rechargeable device 9 (a device 9 other than a rechargeable device 9) to the USB outlet 10.

[0089] Furthermore, the USB outlet 10 may have a function of determining whether the device 9 connected to the USB outlet 10 is rechargeable or not. As an example, such a determination function is realized by the USB outlet 10 communicating with the device 9 by wired communication through the USB connector 91 or wireless communication.

[0090] Furthermore, the USB outlet 10 is not limited to a recessed wiring device. That is, the USB outlet 10 may be an "exposed" wiring device that is arranged so that the entirety of the USB outlet 10 is exposed from the surface of the mounting object 81 such as a wall. In this case, the USB outlet 10 is attached to the mounting object 81 using an exposed switch box instead of a recessed one. Furthermore, the USB outlet 10 may be attached to the mounting object 81 using a mounting member other than a switch box, such as a clamp.

[0091] Furthermore, mounting the housing 3 to the mounting frame 84 is not an essential component of the USB outlet 10, and for example, the housing 3 may be integrated with the mounting frame 84. Furthermore, mounting the outlet plate 8 to the mounting frame 84 is not an essential component of the USB outlet 10, and the outlet plate 8 may be omitted as appropriate.

[0092] The USB outlet 10 may be provided in a device such as a personal computer, for example.

[0093] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, multiple connection parts 2 are connected to one power supply circuit 11, but this configuration is not essential for the USB outlet 10, and an individual power supply circuit 11 may be provided for each of the multiple connection parts 2. In other words, the USB outlet 10 may include multiple connection parts 2 and multiple power supply circuits 11 that correspond one-to-one to the multiple connection parts 2. In this case, power is supplied to each of the multiple connection parts 2 from an individual power supply circuit 11, and therefore the rated output (current or power) is also specified for each connection part 2 individually.

[0094] Furthermore, the allocation display unit 32 is not limited to an engraving formed on the front surface 31 of the housing 3, and may be realized, for example, by printing, a sticker, an indicator light (light-emitting element), a display, etc. When the allocation display unit 32 is realized by an indicator light, a display, etc., the display content of the allocation display unit 32 can be changed as appropriate.

[0095] Furthermore, the allocation display unit 32 is not an essential component of the USB outlet 10, and the allocation display unit 32 may be omitted as appropriate.

[0096] Furthermore, it is not essential for the USB outlet 10 that the light-emitting unit 14 has the light-emitting element 141 and the optical member 142, and for example, the optical member 142 may be omitted as appropriate. The light-emitting unit 14 may have a plurality of light-emitting elements 141. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 14 may have, for example, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element as the light-emitting element 141.

[0097] The sensor 17 may also be a short-distance sensor that detects the presence of an object in a short distance. For example, such a sensor 17 is disposed on the front surface 31 of the housing 3, and detects an object that exists within a detection area set in front of the housing 3. Specific examples of this type of sensor 17 include a pyroelectric human sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or a radio wave sensor that detects a person within the detection area. Even in this case, the light emission control unit 12 controls the light emitting element 141 based on the output (detection result) of the sensor 17. As an example, the light emission control unit 12 turns on the light emitting element 141 when the sensor 17 detects that a person exists within the detection area near the housing 3, and turns off the light emitting element 141 when there is no person within the detection area near the housing 3. As a result, if there is no person in a position where the USB outlet 10 can be seen, the light emitting element 141 is turned off, and it is possible to reduce power consumption of the light emitting element 141. That is, in this modification, the USB outlet 10 includes a sensor 17 that detects the presence of an object within a predetermined distance from the housing 3. The light emitting unit 14 emits light based on the detection result of the sensor 17.

[0098] (Embodiment 2) 7A and 7B, the USB outlet 10D according to this embodiment differs from the USB outlet 10 according to the first embodiment in that the housing 3 has a guide portion 143. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0099] That is, the USB outlet 10D according to the present embodiment has a guide portion 143. The guide portion 143 guides the insertion of the USB connector 91 (see FIG. 1) into the connection port 4. As an example, in the present embodiment, the guide portion 143 is made of a tapered surface formed around the connection port 4 on the front surface 31 of the housing 3, as shown in FIG. 7B. In particular, in the present embodiment, the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 of the light-emitting unit 14A functions as the guide portion 143. That is, the surface of the optical member 142 of the light-emitting unit 14A is made of an inclined surface that surrounds the connection port 4 and inclines forward. In other words, around the connection port 4, a recess is formed by the surface of the optical member 142, which is gradually recessed toward the connection port 4 with respect to the front surface 31 of the housing 3, and the connection port 4 is located at the bottom of this recess.

[0100] By forming such guide portion 143, when the USB connector 91 is inserted into the connection port 4, the USB connector 91 is easily guided to the connection port 4, making the insertion of the USB connector 91 relatively easy. In other words, when the USB connector 91 is inserted into the connection port 4, the tip of the USB connector 91 comes into contact with the guide portion 143, so that the USB connector 91 is guided along the guide portion 143 toward the connection port 4. Therefore, for example, after the tip of the USB connector 91 comes into contact with the guide portion 143, it becomes relatively easy for the user to insert the USB connector 91 into the guide portion 143 by feel even if the user cannot visually check the periphery of the connection port 4. As a result, the insertion of the USB connector 91 into the connection port 4 becomes relatively easy, and the convenience of the USB outlet 10D can be further improved.

[0101] As a modification of the present embodiment, the guide portion 143 may be provided separately from the light emitting portion 14A. Furthermore, the guide portion 143 is not limited to a tapered surface, and may be structured to protrude from the front surface 31 of the housing 3, for example.

[0102] The configuration (including the modified examples) described in the second embodiment can be adopted in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including the modified examples) described in the first embodiment.

[0103] (summary) The USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to the first aspect includes a housing (3), a power supply circuit (11), and a light emitting unit (14, 14A). The housing (3) has a connection port (4) to which a USB connector (91) of a device (9) can be connected. The power supply circuit (11) supplies power to the device (9) from the USB connector (91) connected to the connection port (4). The light emitting unit (14, 14A) emits light to indicate the position of the connection port (4).

[0104] According to this aspect, the light-emitting portion (14, 14A) emits light, thereby indicating the location of the connection port (4) for connecting the USB connector (91). Therefore, for example, even at night or when the USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) is installed in a dark place, such as a place shaded by furniture or a room without windows, the user can easily find the location of the connection port (4) by relying on the light of the light-emitting portion (14, 14A). As a result, it is possible to provide a USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) that can easily improve convenience.

[0105] The USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to the second aspect is similar to the first aspect in that the light-emitting portion (14, 14A) is disposed around the connection port (4) on the front surface (31) of the housing (3).

[0106] According to this embodiment, the light emitting portions (14, 14A) emit light around the connection port (4) on the front surface (31) of the housing (3), making it easier for the user to grasp the position of the connection port (4).

[0107] In the USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the light emitting portion (14, 14A) emits light all around the connection port (4).

[0108] According to this embodiment, the light emitting portions (14, 14A) emit light all around the connection port (4), making it easier for the user to determine the position of the connection port (4).

[0109] In the USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the light-emitting section (14, 14A) has a light-storing function.

[0110] According to this embodiment, it is possible to make the light-emitting portion (14, 14A) emit light without constantly applying electricity to the light-emitting portion (14, 14A).

[0111] In a USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the light-emitting section (14, 14A) has a light-emitting element (141) that emits light upon receiving power supply.

[0112] According to this embodiment, by controlling the light emitting element (141), it is possible to provide a variety of light emission modes of the light emitting portion (14, 14A).

[0113] In the USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a plurality of connection ports (4) are provided. The light-emitting portions (14, 14A) are provided corresponding to the plurality of connection ports (4), respectively.

[0114] According to this embodiment, the positions of the multiple connection ports (4) can be individually indicated by the multiple light emitting portions (14, 14A).

[0115] The USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to a seventh aspect is any one of the first to sixth aspects, further including a sensor (17) that detects the presence of an object within a predetermined distance from the housing (3). The light emitting unit (14, 14A) emits light based on the detection result of the sensor (17).

[0116] According to this embodiment, by making the light-emitting portion (14, 14A) emit light only when necessary, it is possible to reduce energy required for unnecessary light emission of the light-emitting portion (14, 14A).

[0117] In a USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) according to an eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the housing (3) further includes a guide portion (143) that guides the insertion of the USB connector (91) into the connection port (4).

[0118] According to this embodiment, when the USB connector (91) is inserted into the connection port (4), the USB connector (91) is easily guided into the connection port (4), making it relatively easy to insert the USB connector (91).

[0119] The configurations according to the second to eighth aspects are not essential components of the USB outlet (10, 10A to 10D) and can be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 4 Connection port 3. Chassis 9 equipment 10,10A~10D USB outlet 11 Power circuit 14,14A Light emitting part 17 Sensors 31 Front 91 USB connector 141 Light emitting element 143 Guide part

Claims

1. A housing having a connection port to which a USB connector of a device can be connected; a power supply circuit that supplies power to the device from the USB connector connected to the connection port; a light emitting portion that emits light to indicate the position of the connection port; a sensor that detects the presence of a person within a predetermined distance from the housing; a light emission control unit that changes a light emission state of the light emitting unit in accordance with a connection state of the USB connector to the connection port, When the sensor detects the presence of the person, the light emitting unit emits light regardless of the brightness of the surroundings of the housing; the light emitting portion is disposed around the connection port on the front surface of the housing, The light emitting portion emits light over the entire circumference of the connection port, The light emitting portion is provided on a peripheral portion of the connection port on the front surface of the housing, the peripheral portion being aligned along a shape of the connection port. USB outlet.

2. The light emitting unit has a guide unit that guides the insertion of the USB connector into the connection port.

2. The USB outlet of claim 1.

3. The light-emitting unit has a phosphorescent function.

3. A USB outlet according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The light-emitting unit has a light-emitting element that emits light when power is supplied. A USB outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The connection port is provided in plurality, The light emitting units are provided corresponding to the plurality of connection ports, respectively. A USB outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The housing further has a guide portion that guides insertion of the USB connector into the connection port.

2. The USB outlet of claim 1.

Images