Media Converter

Abstract

To provide a media converter formed by simply and firmly housing a communication unit in a communication apparatus housing case in a detachable manner.SOLUTION: A media converter includes: a housing case portion formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening on the back surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape; and a communication unit portion that is inserted through the opening and detachably fixed. In the media converter, the housing case portion includes: an insertion table portion that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the back side; and a locking portion that is formed in a concave groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion table portion. The communication unit portion includes: an arm-shaped extending arm portion that extends from an insertion rear end; and a protrusion portion that is arranged at a position corresponding to the locking portion when fixed to the housing case portion on the lower side of the extending arm portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media converter including a communication unit housed in a communication device housing case, and more particularly to a media converter in which a communication unit can be easily and securely attached to and replaced in a communication device housing case. [Background technology]

[0002] A media converter configured with a communication unit housed in a communication device storage case (assembly rack) needs to be configured to allow the communication unit to be inserted and removed, as the functions and performance of the communication unit 20 are successively improved. The communication device storage case is required to have high workability so that the communication unit can be smoothly inserted and installed.

[0003] For example, a known communication equipment storage case for storing a conventional communication unit is a rack-mounted communication equipment storage case that stores the equipment together with a power supply unit that supplies power to the equipment, and is attached to an equipment storage rack, in which an insertion port is formed on the back of the approximately box-shaped main body case, and a mounting plate for mounting the power supply unit is attached to the insertion port so that it can be freely inserted and removed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Furthermore, a known example of a communication device storage case for storing a conventional communication unit is a rack-mounted media converter that is configured by inserting communication devices into a plurality of storage compartments with an opening on the front and fixing them by fixing means, and is attached to an equipment storage rack. The media converter is characterized by comprising an inner base in the form of a horizontally long rectangular plate with a plurality of mounting portions formed in the left and right directions, a roughly U-shaped separator consisting of left and right side plate portions and a back plate portion that is attached to the mounting portion of the inner base and guides the communication devices when they are inserted, an inner cover that surrounds the left and right side surfaces and back portion of the plurality of separators and connects and fixes the inner base and the plurality of separators by fixing means, a storage unit that constitutes a plurality of storage compartments together with the inner cover, the inner base, and the separator is attached, a base having a plurality of openings corresponding to each storage compartment of the storage unit, and a cover that covers the top surface of the base (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-306682 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-305706 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, as in Patent Document 1, when the mounting plate slides along the guide groove when attaching or detaching the communication unit 20, the guide groove may wear out or deteriorate over time, and the communication unit is ultimately fixed in place with screws, which takes time and effort to fix.

[0007] Furthermore, when inserting a communication unit into a roughly U-shaped separator as in Patent Document 2, a multi-layered device configuration is required, including an inner cover on which the roughly U-shaped separator is arranged, a cover, and a base. Since the device is made up of complex components, it is cumbersome and requires a lot of work to maintain each component. In addition, the communication unit is ultimately fixed in place with screws, which requires a lot of work to fix the communication unit.

[0008] In other words, in a conventional media converter in which a communication unit is housed in a communication device storage case, attachment and detachment of the communication unit 20 requires time-consuming screw fixing work, and it cannot be said that it can be easily attached and detached.

[0009] A media converter configured by simply and securely housing a communication unit in a communication device housing case so that the communication unit can be easily and securely attached and detached is expected to improve work efficiency. Although there is a high demand in the market, the media converter is not yet well known.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a media converter configured such that a communication unit is simply and securely housed in a communication device storage case so as to be detachable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The media converter disclosed in the present application is a media converter consisting of a storage case portion formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit portion that is inserted through the opening and removably fixed, in which the storage case portion comprises an insertion base portion that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking portion formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion, and the communication unit portion comprises an arm-shaped extending arm portion extending from the insertion rear end, and a protrusion portion arranged on the underside of the extending arm portion at a position corresponding to the locking portion when the communication unit is fixed to the storage case portion.

[0012] In this media converter, which is composed of a storage case portion formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening on a rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit portion that is inserted through the opening and removably fixed, the storage case portion comprises an insertion base portion extending continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped toward the rear surface, and a locking portion formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion, and the communication unit portion comprises an arm-shaped extending arm portion extending from the insertion rear end, and a protrusion portion disposed on the underside of the extending arm portion at a position corresponding to the locking portion when the communication unit portion is fixed to the storage case portion. Therefore, at a position where the insertion rear end of the communication unit portion and the opening are flush with each other and at a position where the longitudinal directions of the extending arm portion and the lower surface of the storage case portion are coincident, the protrusion portion fits into the locking portion and is firmly fixed to the opening. This eliminates the need for external fixing means such as screws, and allows for one-touch insertion to improve operability while maintaining locking strength, thereby enabling the communication unit portion to be smoothly and firmly fixed in a detachable manner.

[0013] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the communication unit is configured to have a height lower than the opening as necessary, and a gap is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit and the opening when the communication unit is fixed to the opening. In this way, since the communication unit is configured to have a height lower than the opening, and a gap is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit and the opening when the communication unit is fixed to the opening, when the communication unit is inserted or removed from the opening, the extension arm can freely move up and down inside the opening when the protrusion fits into the locking portion due to the space (play area) formed by the gap in the height direction of the opening, and the communication unit can be more smoothly fixed in a detachable manner.

[0014] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, an elastic member having a size corresponding to the dimension of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit as necessary. Since an elastic member having a size corresponding to the dimension of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit, when the communication unit is inserted into or removed from the opening, the elastic member comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the opening in the space (play area) formed by the gap in the height direction of the opening, and applies an appropriate pressure to the upper surface of the communication unit by its elastic force while supporting the smooth movement of the communication unit, thereby facilitating the up and down movement of the extension arm when the protrusion fits into the locking portion and promoting stable fixation, thereby making it possible to more smoothly fix the communication unit in a detachable manner.

[0015] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, an elastic member is provided on the side surface of the communication unit as necessary. Since the elastic member is provided on the side surface of the communication unit, when the communication unit is inserted into or removed from the opening, the smooth movement of the communication unit is supported in the lateral direction of the opening, and the vertical movement of the extension arm is smoothed when the protrusion fits into the locking portion, and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit can be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

[0016] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the storage case and the communication unit are made of metal as necessary. Since the storage case and the communication unit are made of metal, when the communication unit is inserted and supported and fixed, the device as a whole exhibits a magnetic shielding function, and it is possible to block external magnetic noise and block the emission of internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external components, thereby creating a higher quality communication environment.

[0017] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material as necessary. Since the elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material, when the communication unit is inserted and supported and fixed, the elastic member that is in contact with and fixed to the storage case exhibits a magnetic shielding function together with the storage case, and thus, without requiring any extra external member, it is possible to simply and efficiently block the emission of external magnetic noise and internal magnetic noise, thereby enabling the creation of a higher quality communication environment.

[0018] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the extension arm is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit as necessary. In this way, since the extension arm is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit, the extension arm can be rotated in the up and down direction, and the space (play area) formed by the gap smoothly holds the up and down movement of the communication unit that occurs during the rotation of the extension arm via an elastic member and supports the movement of the communication unit, and the up and down movement of the extension arm when the protrusion fits into the locking portion is smoothed and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit can be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

[0019] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the storage case has a plurality of openings, and the communication unit is composed of a plurality of pieces and fixed to each of the openings, as necessary. In this way, since the storage case has a plurality of openings, and the communication unit is composed of a plurality of pieces and fixed to each of the openings, it is possible to accommodate a plurality of communication units, and high versatility can be obtained according to a variety of applications.

[0020] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the storage case includes, as necessary, guide means made of plates arranged at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit 20 fixed to the opening. Since the storage case includes guide means made of plates arranged at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit 20 fixed to the opening, when the communication unit is inserted into or removed from the opening, the movement of the communication unit to the storage position is guided from both left and right side surfaces by the guide means, and is supported smoothly and stably, so that the communication unit can be more smoothly fixed in a detachable manner.

[0021] In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the plate portion has an arched shape along the longitudinal direction as necessary. Since the plate portion has an arched shape along the longitudinal direction, when the communication unit portion is inserted into or removed from the opening, the plate portion is in a low position of the arched shape near the opening, so that the communication unit portion is lightly fixed to initially position it in the direction of movement, and as the communication unit portion moves further inward from the opening, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes higher, so that the communication unit portion is fixed with higher strength, and as the communication unit portion moves further inward from the opening, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes lower, so that the communication unit portion is lightly fixed at the final fixed position, so that the ease of fixing is improved, and the guiding means can support smooth attachment and removal of the communication unit portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of a communication unit and a storage case of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a guiding means of a storage case of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a guiding means of a storage case of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of an elastic body of a communication unit of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an operation of fixing a communication unit of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention to a storage case. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an operation of fixing a communication unit of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention to a storage case. [Figure 7] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which a communication unit of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted and fixed; [Figure 8] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a communication unit and a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a detailed configuration diagram of a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a detailed configuration diagram of a communication unit of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which a communication unit is inserted and fixed in a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1(a), the media converter of the first embodiment is composed of a storage case portion 10 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening 11 on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit portion 20 that is inserted through the opening 11 and fixed in a removably manner, in which the storage case portion 10 is equipped with an insertion base portion 12 that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking portion 13 that is formed as a rectangular hole drilled in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion 12, and the communication unit portion 20 is equipped with an arm-shaped extending arm portion 21 that extends from the rear end of the insertion, and a protrusion portion 22 that is arranged on the underside of the extending arm portion 21 in a position that fits into the rectangular hole of the locking portion 13 when the communication unit portion 20 is fixed to the storage case portion 10.

[0024] That is, the media converter according to the first embodiment is configured by detachably housing the communication unit section 20 in the housing case section 10.

[0025] The storage case 10 functions as a rack (a communication device storage case) for assembling the communication units 20. The rectangular parallelepiped shape of the storage case 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a box shape, and includes both rectangular parallelepiped and cubic shapes.

[0026] The storage case 10 has an opening 11 on the rear surface thereof, which is a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The communication unit 20 can be detachably inserted into the opening 11.

[0027] On the surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of this storage case 10, there are mounted a power supply module that supplies the power required for the communication function of the communication unit 20, a backup power supply that provides fault tolerance in the event of a power supply failure, a fan module that exhausts air from the inside, and the like.

[0028] The insertion stand 12 constituting the storage case 10 can be made of the same material as the main body of the storage case 10. Since the insertion stand 12 extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped to the rear side, the communication unit 20 can be temporarily placed thereon when attaching or detaching the communication unit 20, improving the ease of attachment and detachment.

[0029] The shape of the locking portion 13 constituting the storage case portion 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is recessed. In addition, there is no limitation as to whether the locking portion 13 penetrates to the bottom surface. For example, the locking portion 13 may be a hole shape that does not penetrate to the bottom surface, or the locking portion 13 may be a hole shape that penetrates to the bottom surface.

[0030] The extending arm portion 21 that constitutes this communication unit portion 20 has an arm shape that extends from the rear insertion end (the rear end opposite the tip that is inserted into the opening 11), making it easy to hold as a handle when carrying the unit and also functioning as a fixing member for the storage case portion 10.

[0031] The material of the extending arm portion 21 constituting the communication unit portion 20 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a metal material because this makes it easier to obtain a sufficient fixing strength with the storage case portion 10.

[0032] The extending arm portion 21 that constitutes the communication unit portion 20 is fixed to the side wall of the communication unit portion 20, and after this fixing, the extending arm portion 21 may or may not be movable; for example, if it is not movable, it can be fixed so that it does not move from the communication unit portion 20, and for example, if it is movable, it can be axially supported on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the communication unit part 20 is configured to have a height lower than the opening 11, and it is preferable that a gap part S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit part 20 and the opening 11 when the communication unit part 20 is fixed to the opening 11.

[0034] In addition, it is preferable that an elastic member 23 having a size corresponding to the size of the gap S is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20.

[0035] 1(b), the communication unit 20 can be inserted (in a direction D) obliquely from above toward the opening 11 into a space (play area) of height L1 formed by a gap S in the height direction of the opening 11. The space formed by the gap S allows the communication unit 20 to move up and down freely inside the opening 11, and when the communication unit 20 is finally inserted up to a position M where the rear end of the communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11 as shown in FIG. 1(c), the elastic member 23 is firmly fixed to the gap S, and the communication unit 20 is securely held in the storage case 10.

[0036] The internal structure of this storage case portion 10 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be provided with guide means 14 consisting of a plate portion arranged at positions corresponding to both the left and right side surfaces of the communication unit portion 20 fixed to this opening 11, as shown in Figure 2(a) which shows the bottom plate of this storage case portion 10.

[0037] Because the guiding means 14 is provided, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the movement of the communication unit 20 to the storage position is guided from both the left and right sides by the guiding means 14, providing smooth and stable support, thereby making it possible to more smoothly fix the communication unit 20 in a removably attachable and detachable manner.

[0038] Furthermore, the shape of the plate portion constituting this guide means 14 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it has an arched shape along the longitudinal direction (parallel to the direction D in which this communication unit portion 20 is inserted).

[0039] Because of this arched shape, as shown in Figure 2(a), when the communication unit part 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the plate part is in a low position of the arched shape near the opening 11, so that the initial direction of travel D can be reliably determined by lightly fixing the communication unit part 20. As the communication unit part 20 moves further inward from the opening 11, the position of the arched shape of the plate part becomes higher, and the communication unit part 20 is fixed with greater strength. As the communication unit part 20 moves further from the opening 11 to the vicinity of the final fixing position, the position of the arched shape of the plate part becomes lower. As shown in Figure 2(b), the communication unit part 20 is lightly fixed at the final fixing position, making it easier to fix, and the guiding means 14 can support the smooth attachment and removal operation of the communication unit part 20.

[0040] In addition to the arched shape, the guide means 14 can also be in a straight line shape or a pole shape as shown in Fig. 3(a). The pole shape refers to a straight, elongated cylindrical shape, and it is preferable that both ends of the cylindrical shape are rounded without edges. Even in this case, the communication unit 20 can be smoothly inserted into or removed from the opening 11 along the straight line shape or pole shape, and as shown in Fig. 3(b), the communication unit 20 is lightly fixed at both sides at the final fixed position, improving the ease of fixing, and the guide means 14 can support the smooth attachment and removal of the communication unit 20.

[0041] The communication unit 20 can be provided with various connection terminals on its rear side (insertion rear end) as slots for various cards. The communication unit 20 is a media converter in the narrow sense that controls the communication of information on a communication cable connected from the connection terminal, and can be, for example, a media converter compatible with various communication speeds such as 1G / 10G / 100G / 200G / 400G, which are merely examples, and these media converters can be equipped with optional amplifiers as necessary. Examples of such amplifiers include booster amplifiers and preamplifiers, which can increase the allowable optical loss.

[0042] A portion for connecting a communication cable such as a LAN connector or an optical connector is provided on the back side of the communication unit 20. The connector for this communication cable is appropriately selected according to the communication speed. In addition, a connector for connecting to a power source and a control signal inside the storage case 10 is provided on the front side (insertion tip) of the communication unit 20 facing the storage case 10.

[0043] Further, a power supply such as AC 100 / 240V or DC 24 / 48V, and monitoring modules such as a console port and an Ethernet port are arranged in the storage case 10.

[0044] As for the position of the elastic member 23, as shown in Fig. 4(a), it is preferable to dispose the elastic member 23 on the side surface as well as the top surface of the communication unit 20. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 4(b), it is also possible to dispose the elastic member 23 only on the top surface of the communication unit 20.

[0045] In this media converter, which is composed of a storage case section 10 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening 11 on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit section 20 that is inserted through this opening 11 and fixed in a detachable manner, the storage case section 10 is provided with an insertion base section 12 that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking section 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base section 12, and the communication unit section 20 is provided with an arm-shaped extension arm section 21 that extends from the insertion rear end, and a storage unit 24 below the extension arm section 21. Since the communication unit 20 is provided with a protrusion 22 that is disposed at a position corresponding to the locking portion 13 when fixed to the case portion 10, as shown in FIG. 5(a), at position M where the rear insertion end of the communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11, and at a position where the longitudinal direction of the extending arm 21 is aligned with the underside of the storage case portion 10, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the protrusion 22 fits into the locking portion 13 and is firmly fixed to the opening 11, thereby making it possible to firmly and removably fix the communication unit 20 without the need for external fixing means such as screws.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the communication unit part 20 is configured to have a height lower than the opening 11, and it is preferable that a gap part S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit part 20 and the opening 11 when the communication unit part 20 is fixed to the opening 11.

[0047] By forming this gap S, the communication unit section 20 is able to obtain a range of movement in the vertical direction within the opening 11 of the storage case section 10. Therefore, it is preferable that the extending arm section 21 of the communication unit section 20 is also supported by an axis 21a arranged on the side wall of the communication unit section 20, as shown in Figure 5(a), thereby enabling it to move in the vertical direction.

[0048] In addition, it is preferable that an elastic member 23 having a size corresponding to the size of the gap S is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20.

[0049] When the communication unit part 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the elastic force of the elastic member 23 reduces the contact resistance with the storage case part 10, allowing the communication unit part 20 to be smoothly inserted and removed from the storage case part 10. At position M where the rear end of the inserted communication unit part 20 is flush with the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the extension arm part 21 supported by axis 21a on the side wall of the communication unit part 20 is rotated by axis 21a and lifted upward (direction A), and the extension arm part 21 serves as a support at position T to lift the communication unit part 20 upward (direction B). The communication unit part 20 is lifted into a space (play area) of height L1 formed by gap part S in the height direction of the opening 11 (direction C), and the elastic member 23 securely holds the communication unit part 20 on the inner upper surface of the opening 11 via gap part S.

[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the extending arm portion 21 journaled on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20 rotates and is pulled downward (direction A'), so that the space (play area) formed by the gap portion S between the opening 11 and the communication unit portion 20 is pulled down to height L2 (L2>L1) (direction B'), and the communication unit portion 20 naturally descends (direction C'). As a result, the protrusion portion 22 of the extending arm portion 21 naturally fits into the locking portion 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion 12 of the storage case portion 10.

[0051] In this way, since the extending arm portion 21 is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20, this enables the extending arm portion 21 to rotate in the vertical direction, and the space (play area) formed by the gap portion smoothly holds the up and down movement of the communication unit portion 20 that occurs when the extending arm portion 21 rotates, via the elastic member 23, and assists the movement of the communication unit portion 20. This smooths the up and down movement of the extending arm portion 21 when the protrusion portion 22 engages with the locking portion 13, and promotes stable fixation. This improves operability while maintaining the locking strength, and allows the communication unit portion 20 to be more smoothly and removably fixed.

[0052] Furthermore, when the communication unit 20 is fixed to the opening 11, a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit 20 and the opening 11. Therefore, when the communication unit 20 is inserted into or removed from the opening 11, the space (play area) formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11 facilitates the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 as the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13, thereby enabling the communication unit 20 to be more smoothly fixed in a detachable manner.

[0053] Furthermore, since an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), in the space (play area) of height L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11, the elastic member 23 comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the opening 11 and holds the upper surface of the communication unit 20 with an appropriate pressure by its elastic force, while supporting the smooth movement of the communication unit 20 as shown in FIG. 5(b). This facilitates the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and promotes stable fixation, thereby making it possible to more smoothly fix the communication unit 20 in a detachable manner.

[0054] In this way, since the elastic member 23 is arranged on the side of the communication unit part 20, when the communication unit part 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the smooth movement of the communication unit part 20 is supported even in the lateral direction of the opening 11, and the up and down movement of the extending arm part 21 when the protrusion part 22 engages with the locking part 13 is smoothed and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit part 20 can be more smoothly and removably fixed.

[0055] Furthermore, since an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), in the space (play area) of height L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11, the elastic member 23 comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the opening 11 and holds the upper surface of the communication unit 20 with an appropriate pressure by its elastic force, while supporting the smooth movement of the communication unit 20 as shown in FIG. 5(b). This facilitates the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and promotes stable fixation, thereby making it possible to more smoothly fix the communication unit 20 in a detachable manner.

[0056] In addition to the above-described configuration of the extending arm portion 21, as shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to configure the extending arm portion 21 so that it is axially supported by an axis 21a arranged on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20, and the range of motion of the extending arm portion 21 is narrow so that the extending arm portion 21 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the storage case portion 10.

[0057] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, when the communication unit 20 is housed in the storage case 10, the communication unit 20 and the storage case 10 engage with each other on the front side (the surface facing the rear side) of the storage case 10 rather than the position M of the rear end of the communication unit 20, so that the entire surface of the rear end of the communication unit 20 becomes the rear side of the storage case 10, and it is also possible to configure the position M of the rear end of the communication unit 20 not to be flush with the opening 11.

[0058] 6(a), the extension arm portion 21 rotates on the shaft 21a and moves up and down compactly, whereby the elastic member 23 is securely held on the inner upper surface of the opening 11 via the gap S, while the space (play area) of height L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11 continues to maintain height L1, and the extension arm portion 21 rotates and is pulled downward, whereby the protrusion 22 of the extension arm portion 21 naturally fits into the locking portion 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion stand portion 12 of the storage case portion 10. In other words, the extension arm portion 21 moves slightly up and down, so that locking and unlocking by fitting with the locking portion 13 is easily performed.

[0059] The materials of the storage case 10 and the communication unit 20 are not particularly limited, but are preferably made of metal. The metal is not particularly limited, but for example, a magnetic shielding material can be used. The magnetic shielding material is not particularly limited, but for example, iron or aluminum can be used.

[0060] As described above, since the storage case portion 10 and the communication unit portion 20 are made of metal, when the communication unit portion 20 is inserted and supported and fixed, the magnetic shielding function of the entire device is exhibited, and it is possible to block external magnetic noise and block the emission of internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external components, thereby creating a higher quality communication environment.

[0061] In this case, the material of the elastic member 23 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a magnetic shielding material. This magnetic shielding material is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, metallic copper.

[0062] As described above, since the elastic member 23 is made of a magnetic shielding material, when the communication unit part 20 is inserted and supported and fixed, the elastic member 23 which is fixed in contact with the storage case part 10 exhibits a magnetic shielding function together with the storage case part 10. This makes it possible to simply and efficiently block the emission of external magnetic noise and internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external parts, thereby enabling the creation of a higher quality communication environment.

[0063] As described above, in the media converter according to the first embodiment, the storage case section 10 includes the insertion base section 12 that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped toward the rear side, and the locking section 13 that is formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base section 12, and the communications unit section 20 includes the arm-shaped extending arm section 21 that extends from the rear insertion end, and the protrusion section 22 that is disposed below the extending arm section 21 at a position corresponding to the locking section 13 when the communications unit section 20 is fixed to the storage case section 10. At a position where the rear insertion end of the communication unit 20 and the opening 11 are flush with each other, and where the extending arm 21 and the longitudinal direction of the underside of the storage case 10 are aligned, the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and is firmly fixed to the opening 11 as a stopper, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the communication unit 20 can be smoothly and firmly fixed in a detachable manner while maintaining the locking strength with only a one-touch insertion and eliminating the need for external fixing means such as screws.

[0064] Second embodiment As shown in FIG. 8, the media converter according to the second embodiment comprises the storage case portion 10 and the communication unit portion 20, similar to the first embodiment, and further, the storage case portion 10 has a plurality of openings 11, and the communication unit portion 20 is made up of a plurality of pieces and fixed to each of the openings 11.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 9, the storage case 10 has a plurality of openings 11 corresponding to a plurality of communication unit sections 20.

[0066] The communication unit 20 can be of various sizes having different widths, and can have a structure as shown in FIG. 10, for example.

[0067] In addition, in the opening 11 (empty slot) where the communication unit 20 is not inserted and fixed, the same structure as the communication unit 20 (the extension arm 21) is provided. A blind (shielding object) having the shaft 21a, the protrusion 22, and the elastic member 23 can be inserted and fixed.

[0068] In this way, since the storage case portion 10 has a plurality of openings 11, and the communication unit portion 20 is composed of a plurality of pieces and fixed to each of the openings 11, it is possible to accommodate a plurality of communication units 20, as shown in FIG. 11. For example, just to give one example, the communication unit portion 20 can be equipped with up to four media converters compatible with various communication speeds such as 1G / 10G / 100G / 200G / 400G, or up to eight such media converters, or a mixture of such media converters can be arranged in a variety of arrangements, thereby providing high versatility for a variety of uses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10 Storage case section 11 Opening 12 Insertion table 13 Locking part 14 Guidance means 20 Communication unit 21 Extension arm 21a axis 22 Protrusion 23 Elastic member

Claims

1. A media converter including a storage case formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening on a rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit inserted through the opening and removably fixed thereto, the storage case includes an insertion base portion extending continuously from a bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped toward the rear surface side, and a locking portion formed in a groove shape on an upper surface side of the insertion base portion, The communication unit includes an arm-shaped extension arm portion extending from an insertion rear end, and a protrusion portion disposed on a lower side of the extension arm portion at a position corresponding to the locking portion when the communication unit is fixed to the storage case portion. Media converter.

2. 2. The media converter of claim 1, The communication unit is configured to have a height lower than that of the opening, When the communication unit is fixed to the opening, a gap is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit and the opening. Media converter.

3. 3. The media converter according to claim 2, An elastic member having a size corresponding to the size of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit. Media converter.

4. 4. The media converter according to claim 3, The communication unit is characterized in that an elastic member is provided on a side surface of the communication unit. Media converter.

5. 5. The media converter according to claim 3, The storage case and the communication unit are made of metal. Media converter.

6. 6. The media converter according to claim 5, The elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material. Media converter.

7. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The extending arm portion is pivotally supported on a side wall of the communication unit portion. Media converter.

8. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The storage case portion has a plurality of openings, The communication unit is constructed of a plurality of units, each of which is fixed to one of the openings. Media converter.

9. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The storage case is provided with guide means made of plates arranged at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit fixed to the opening. Media converter.

10. 10. The media converter of claim 9, The plate portion has a curved shape along the longitudinal direction. Media converter.

Images