USB outlet

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a USB outlet in which the amount of projection from a wiring duct is small in a state of being attached to the wiring duct. A housing (10) of a USB outlet (1) houses a substrate (40) and a support member (50). A duct connection part (60) to be connected to a wiring duct is provided in a rear wall (102) of the housing (10). The support member (50) supports a plurality of contactors (62) between the support member and the rear wall (102) of the housing (10) inside the housing (10). On the substrate (40), a plurality of circuit components (21) and USB sockets (22) are mounted to a second surface (402) opposite to a first surface (401) which faces the support member (50).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a USB outlet. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a USB outlet that is attached to a wiring duct. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a USB outlet that is used in a state where it is embedded in a wall. The USB outlet has a housing that is fixed to the wall using a mounting frame. A USB socket to which a USB plug is connected is provided on the front surface of the housing.

[0003] The USB outlet disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used in a recessed state in the wall, but when realizing a USB outlet that can be attached to a wiring duct, there is a demand to reduce the amount by which the USB outlet protrudes from the wiring duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-154802 A Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a USB outlet that reduces the amount of protrusion from a wiring duct when attached to the wiring duct.

[0006] A USB outlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power conversion circuit, a USB socket, a substrate, a support member, and a housing. The power conversion circuit converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value. The USB socket is supplied with DC power from the power conversion circuit. A plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted on the substrate. The housing accommodates the substrate and the support member. An opening is provided in the front wall of the housing to expose the USB socket. A duct connection portion for connecting to a wiring duct is provided in the rear wall of the housing. The wiring duct has a long duct body having a recess along its length, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body. The duct connection portion has an insertion portion inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts held by the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively. The support member supports the plurality of contacts between the rear wall of the housing inside the housing. The support member and the substrate are arranged opposite each other. The substrate has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface. The plurality of circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the substrate. The plurality of circuit components include a coil. The coil is mounted on the second surface of the substrate. A metal plate is provided on an inner surface of the housing facing the second surface of the substrate at a position facing the coil. A USB outlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power conversion circuit, a USB socket, a substrate, a support member, and a housing. The power conversion circuit converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value. The USB socket is supplied with DC power from the power conversion circuit. A plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted on the substrate. The housing accommodates the substrate and the support member. An opening is provided in the front wall of the housing to expose the USB socket. A duct connection portion for connecting to a wiring duct is provided in the rear wall of the housing. The wiring duct has a long duct body having a recess along its length, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body. The duct connection portion has an insertion portion inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts held by the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively. The support member supports the plurality of contacts between the rear wall of the housing inside the housing. The support member and the substrate are arranged opposite each other. The substrate has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface. The circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the substrate. The support member is provided with a support protrusion that supports the substrate by contacting the substrate. A USB outlet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power conversion circuit, a USB socket, a substrate, a support member, and a housing. The power conversion circuit converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value. The USB socket is supplied with DC power from the power conversion circuit. A plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted on the substrate. The housing accommodates the substrate and the support member. An opening is provided in the front wall of the housing to expose the USB socket. A duct connection portion for connecting to a wiring duct is provided in the rear wall of the housing. The wiring duct has a long duct body having a recess along its length, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body. The duct connection portion has an insertion portion inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts held in the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively. The support member is fixed to the rear wall of the housing inside the housing. The plurality of contacts are fixed to the housing with a portion of each of the plurality of contacts sandwiched between the support member fixed to the rear wall of the housing and the rear wall of the housing. Each of the plurality of contacts is connected to the board via an electric wire. The support member and the board are disposed opposite each other. The board has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface. The plurality of circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the board. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a USB outlet according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the USB outlet from the front with the second member removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the USB outlet from the rear with the second member removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the USB outlet as viewed from the front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the USB outlet as viewed from the rear. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the wiring duct system including the above USB outlet and the wiring duct. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of the USB outlet attached to the wiring duct. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a right side view of the USB outlet attached to the wiring duct. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of a main part of a wiring duct to which the USB outlet of the above is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] In the following embodiments, the USB outlet of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments are merely a part of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, each figure described in the following embodiments is a schematic diagram, and the size and thickness ratios of each component in the figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. In addition, each of the following embodiments (including modified examples) may be realized by appropriately combining them.

[0009] (Embodiment 1) (1) Overview The USB outlet 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0010] The USB outlet 1 of this embodiment is used by being connected to a wiring duct 3 (see Figs. 7 to 9). The wiring duct 3 to which the USB outlet 1 is connected is a wiring duct that supplies direct current power to the USB outlet 1 (so-called DC duct).

[0011] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the wiring duct 3 has a long duct body 31 having a recess 3110 provided along the longitudinal direction, and multiple (e.g., two) conductive bars 32 arranged inside the duct body 31.

[0012] 6 is a schematic block diagram of a wiring duct system 300 including a USB outlet 1 and a wiring duct 3. The wiring duct system 300 further includes an AC adapter 5.

[0013] The AC adapter 5 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power source 4 into DC power of a predetermined voltage value (for example, DC 24 V), and supplies the DC power to the multiple conductive bars 32 provided in the wiring duct 3.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the USB outlet 1 includes a power conversion circuit 2 (see FIG. 6), a USB socket 22, a board 40, a support member 50, and a housing 10.

[0015] The power conversion circuit 2 converts the input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value. For example, the power conversion circuit 2 converts DC power of DC 24 V, which is the input power, into DC power of DC 15 V. Note that the voltage values ​​of the input power input to the power conversion circuit 2 and the output power output by the power conversion circuit 2 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate.

[0016] The USB socket 22 receives DC power from the power conversion circuit 2 .

[0017] On the board 40, a plurality of circuit components 21 and a USB socket 22 that constitute the power conversion circuit 2 are mounted.

[0018] The housing 10 houses the board 40 and the support member 50. The housing 10 has an opening 103 on a front wall 101 through which the USB socket 22 is exposed, and a duct connection portion 60 on a rear wall 102 for connection to the wiring duct 3.

[0019] The duct connection portion 60 has an insertion portion 61 that is inserted into the recess 3110 of the wiring duct 3, and a plurality of contacts 62 that are disposed on the insertion portion 61 and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars 32, respectively.

[0020] The support member 50 supports a plurality of contacts 62 between the support member 50 and the rear wall 102 of the housing 10 inside the housing 10 .

[0021] The support member 50 and the board 40 are disposed opposite to each other. In the board 40, a plurality of circuit components 21 and a USB socket 22 are mounted on a second surface 402 opposite to a first surface 401 facing the support member 50.

[0022] Here, the surface of the wiring duct 3 where the recess 3110 opens is referred to as the front surface. Then, when the USB outlet 1 is connected to the wiring duct 3, the side wall of the housing 10 that faces the front surface of the wiring duct 3 is referred to as the rear wall 102, and the side wall of the housing 10 opposite the rear wall 102 is referred to as the front wall 101.

[0023] Although the board 40 and the support member 50 are housed inside the housing 10, the multiple circuit components 21 and the USB socket 22 are mounted on the second surface 402 of the board 40, so that a space for housing the support member 50 can be secured between the first surface 401 of the board 40 and the rear wall 102 of the housing 10. Therefore, compared to a case in which the circuit components 21 are also mounted on the first surface 401 of the board 40, the dimension of the housing 10 in the front-to-rear direction can be made smaller, and it is possible to provide a USB outlet 1 with a reduced amount of protrusion from the wiring duct 3 when attached to the wiring duct 3.

[0024] (2) Details Hereinafter, the USB outlet 1 according to this embodiment and the wiring duct 3 to which the USB outlet 1 is connected will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0025] In the description of the wiring duct 3, the X-axis direction is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-rear direction (depth direction), and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction in FIG. 9 and other figures. Furthermore, the positive direction in the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, the positive direction in the Y-axis direction as the front side, and the positive direction in the Z-axis direction as the top side. In the description of the USB outlet 1, the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions are defined based on the state in which the USB outlet 1 is connected to the wiring duct 3. However, these directions are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the directions of the USB outlet 1 and wiring duct 3 when they are in use. Furthermore, the arrows indicating the various directions in the drawings are merely shown for the purpose of explanation and do not have any substance.

[0026] <Configuration> (2.1) Wiring duct configuration First, the wiring duct 3 to which the USB outlet 1 is connected will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0027] The wiring duct 3 has a duct body 31 and a plurality of conductive bars 32. In this embodiment, the plurality of conductive bars 32 include a first conductive bar 32A on the positive electrode side and a second conductive bar 32B on the negative electrode side. The duct body 31 also includes a first rail 311 made of metal and two second rails 312 made of synthetic resin.

[0028] The first rail 311 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. The axial direction (length direction) of the first rail 311 is along the left-right direction. The first rail 311 includes a recess 3110. The recess 3110 opens to the front of the duct body 31. The recess 3110 is formed along the length direction (left-right direction) of the duct body 31. More specifically, the recess 3110 is formed across both ends in the length direction of the duct body 31. Two conductive bars 32 (a first conductive bar 32A and a second conductive bar 32B) are housed in the recess 3110.

[0029] Inside first rail 311, two fitting portions 3111 and two mounting grooves 3112 are provided.

[0030] The two fitting parts 3111 are grooves. The two fitting parts 3111 are provided inside the first rail 311 on both sides of the recess 3110 (i.e., on the inner surface of the upper wall and the inner surface of the lower wall of the first rail 311). The two fitting parts 3111 are formed along the length direction (left-right direction) of the duct main body 31. More specifically, the two fitting parts 3111 are formed over the entire length direction of the duct main body 31. The two fitting parts 3111 fit into the duct connection part 60 of the USB outlet 1. In this way, the USB outlet 1 is attached to the wiring duct 3. The procedure for attaching the USB outlet 1 to the wiring duct 3 will be described in "(2.3) Method for attaching and detaching the USB outlet".

[0031] The two mounting grooves 3112 are provided inside the first rail 311 on both sides of the recess 3110 (i.e., on the inner surface of the upper wall and the inner surface of the lower wall of the first rail 311). Of the two fitting portions 3111 and the two mounting grooves 3112, the two fitting portions 3111 are provided closer to the opening of the recess 3110. The two mounting grooves 3112 are formed along the length direction (left-right direction) of the duct main body 31. More specifically, the two mounting grooves 3112 are formed over the entire length direction of the duct main body 31.

[0032] The two mounting grooves 3112 correspond one-to-one to the two second rails 312. A corresponding second rail 312 is fitted into each mounting groove 3112. In this way, the two second rails 312 are attached to the first rail 311. Each of the two mounting grooves 3112 is provided with holding claws 3116, 3117 for holding the second rail 312, and the holding claws 3116, 3117 come into contact with corners of the second rail 312, thereby fixing the second rail 312 to the mounting groove 3112.

[0033] Moreover, first rail 311 further has a restricting portion 3114 (see FIG. 8). Restricting portion 3114 is a protrusion. Restricting portion 3114 protrudes forward from a lower portion of first rail 311. Restricting portion 3114 is formed over the entire length of first rail 311.

[0034] Each of the two second rails 312 has a length in the left-right direction. PVC The second rail 312 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride. The shape of the second rail 312 in a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction is U-shaped. The second rail 312 holds the conductive bar 32 inside. In this embodiment, for example, the second rail 312 attached to the lower wall of the first rail 311 holds the first conductive bar 32A on the positive electrode side, and the second rail 312 attached to the upper wall of the first rail 311 holds the second conductive bar 32B on the negative electrode side. As a result, the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B are respectively arranged on both sides of the recess 3110 inside the first rail 311. In this embodiment, the first conductive bar 32A on the positive electrode side is arranged on the lower wall of the first rail 311, and the second conductive bar 32B on the negative electrode side is arranged on the upper wall of the first rail 311, but the arrangement of the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B can be changed as appropriate. For example, the first conductive bar 32A on the positive side may be disposed on the upper wall of the first rail 311, and the second conductive bar 32B on the negative side may be disposed on the lower wall of the first rail 311.

[0035] Each of the two conductive bars 32 (the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B) has a length in the left-right direction. Each of the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B is provided across from the right end to the left end of the duct body 31. Each of the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B is electrically connected to the AC adapter 5 via an appropriate power supply member. In this embodiment, the first conductive bar 32A is electrically connected to a positive output terminal of the AC adapter 5, and the second conductive bar 32B is electrically connected to a negative output terminal of the AC adapter 5, and DC power is supplied to the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B.

[0036] (2.2) USB outlet configuration Next, the USB outlet 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0037] As described above, the USB outlet 1 includes the power conversion circuit 2, the USB socket 22, the board 40, the support member 50, and the housing 10. The USB outlet 1 further includes a release operation unit 13 and a coil spring 14.

[0038] A plurality of circuit components 21 constituting the power conversion circuit 2 and a USB socket 22 are mounted on the second surface 402 of the substrate 40. The plurality of circuit components 21 include a coil 21A, and the coil 21A is mounted on the second surface 402 of the substrate 40. In this embodiment, two USB sockets 22 are mounted on the second surface 402 of the substrate 40. The two USB sockets 22 include a socket 22A which is a Type A USB socket and a socket 22B which is a Type C USB socket. The two sockets 22A and 22B are mounted in the center of the substrate 40 in the left-right direction with a predetermined gap therebetween in the up-down direction. That is, when the USB outlet 1 is attached to the wiring duct 3, the two sockets 22A and 22B are arranged vertically side by side. In this embodiment, three coils 21A are mounted on the substrate 40, and a part of the three coils 21A is mounted between the two sockets 22A and 22B. Specifically, in this embodiment, two coils 21A are mounted side by side in the left-right direction between two sockets 22A and 22B.

[0039] The housing 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 10 has a first member 11 including a rear wall 102 on which the duct connection portion 60 is provided, and a second member 12 including a front wall 101 and attached to cover the front surface of the first member 11.

[0040] The first member 11 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin. The first member 11 integrally includes a rear wall 102 having a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a side wall 104 protruding forward from the outer edge portion of the rear wall 102. A duct connection portion 60 is provided on the rear surface of the rear wall 102.

[0041] The duct connection part 60 has a columnar insertion part 61 in which two opposing corners of a rectangular column are formed into curved surfaces. Two ribs 63 are provided on the peripheral surface of the insertion part 61, which fit into two fitting parts 3111 of the wiring duct 3, respectively. The two ribs 63 protrude from the peripheral surface of the insertion part 61 in opposite directions to each other.

[0042] Additionally, two through holes 64 through which the two contacts 62 are exposed are provided on the peripheral surface of the insertion portion 61, behind the portions from which the two ribs 63 protrude.

[0043] The two contacts 62 include a first contact 62A electrically connected to the first conductive bar 32A on the positive electrode side, and a second contact 62B electrically connected to the second conductive bar 32B on the negative electrode side.

[0044] Each of the two contacts 62 has a pressing portion 621, a terminal portion 622, and a contact piece 623 (see FIG. 4). The pressing portion 621 is formed in a plate shape, and is fixed to the first member 11 in a state where it is sandwiched between the rear wall 102 of the first member 11 and the rear wall 51 of the support member 50. The terminal portion 622 is provided integrally with the pressing portion 621, and an electric wire W1 (see FIG. 1) from the board 40 is connected to the terminal portion 622. The contact piece 623 is formed in an L-shape in a side view, and protrudes rearward from an end of the pressing portion 621. The two contact pieces 623 of the two contacts 62 are disposed inside the insertion portion 61 of the duct connection portion 60. The bent portions at the tips of the two contact pieces 623 are exposed to the outside through two through holes 64 provided in the insertion portion 61, and protrude in opposite directions to each other (see FIG. 1).

[0045] Further, of the four corners of the side wall 104 of the first member 11, two opposing corners are provided with two ribs 105 on which the substrate 40 is placed, and the other two opposing corners are provided with two bosses 106 on which the substrate 40 is placed (see FIG. 4). With the substrate 40 placed on the upper side of the two ribs 105 and the two bosses 106, two slit holes 403 are provided in the two corners of the substrate 40 corresponding to the two bosses 106, respectively. With the substrate 40 placed on the upper side of the two ribs 105 and the two bosses 106, the screws passed through the two slit holes 403 are screwed into the holes of the bosses 106, thereby fixing the substrate 40 to the first member 11. At this time, a space for arranging the support member 50 and the like is secured between the substrate 40 and the rear wall 102 of the first member 11. In other words, the first member 11 is provided with a spacer 107 on which the substrate 40 can be placed while securing a space between the rear wall 102 and the substrate 40, and in this embodiment, the spacer 107 is realized by the rib 105, the boss 106, etc. Since the spacer 107 secures a space between the rear wall 102 and the substrate 40, the possibility of contact between the multiple contacts 62 and the substrate 40 can be reduced.

[0046] Further, a recess 109 is provided on the rear surface of the rear wall 102 of the first member 11. The recess 109 is provided in an L-shaped area including the lower portion and the left portion of the rear wall 102.

[0047] The second member 12 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin. The second member 12 integrally includes a front wall 101 having a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and a side wall 108 protruding rearward from the outer edge of the front wall 101. When the second member 12 is placed over the first member 11, the side wall 108 of the second member 12 is placed on the outside of the side wall 104 of the first member 11, and a protrusion 121 provided on the inner surface of the side wall 108 is inserted into a hole 111 in the side wall 104, thereby joining the first member 11 and the second member 12.

[0048] The front wall 101 of the second member 12 is provided with an opening 103 that exposes the USB socket 22. In this embodiment, since the two sockets 22A and 22B are mounted on the board 40, the front wall 101 of the second member 12 is provided with two holes 103A and 103B that expose the two sockets 22A and 22B, respectively. That is, the opening 103 provided in the front wall 101 includes two holes 103A and 103B that expose the two sockets 22A and 22B, respectively. A metal plate 70 is attached between the two holes 103A and 103B on the inner surface of the front wall 101 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). The metal plate 70 is formed in a U-shape when viewed from above, and is disposed along the front wall 101 and the left and right side walls 108 of the second member 12. Here, a metal plate 70 is provided at a position facing the coil 21A on the inner surface of the housing 10, which is an opposing surface (rear surface of the front wall 101) facing the second surface 402 of the substrate 40. As a result, when the coil 21A generates heat, the heat is transferred from the coil 21A to the front wall 101 of the housing 10 through the metal plate 70, and is dissipated from the front wall 101 of the housing 10 to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rise in temperature inside the housing 10. Also, it is possible to increase the strength of the portion of the housing 10 to which the metal plate 70 is attached.

[0049] In this embodiment, a metal plate 70 is disposed between the holes 103A and 103B on the inner surface of the housing 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Therefore, the front wall 101, whose strength has been reduced by providing the holes 103A and 103B, can be reinforced by the metal plate 70.

[0050] In addition, a rib-shaped holding portion 122 that contacts the end of the second surface 402 of the board 40 from the front side is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 108 of the second member 12. As a result, when the first member 11 and the second member 12 are joined with the support member 50 and the board 40 housed inside, the holding portion 122 contacts the second surface 402 of the board 40 placed on the spacer 107, and the board 40 is held between the holding portion 122 and the spacer 107. In other words, the second member 12 is provided with the holding portion 122 for holding the board 40 placed on the spacer 107 between the spacer 107. By holding the board 40 between the spacer 107 and the holding portion 122, the possibility of the board 40 and the USB socket 22 mounted on the board 40 being misaligned can be reduced.

[0051] The support member 50 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin, and is fixed to the rear wall 102 of the first member 11 using screws 15. The support member 50 holds the two contacts 62 by sandwiching the two pressing portions 621 provided on each of the two contacts 62 between the support member 50 and the rear wall 102.

[0052] Further, the support member 50 is provided with a separation wall 52 that protrudes rearward. The separation wall 52 is inserted into the insertion portion 61 of the duct connection portion 60 and disposed between the two contacts 62. As a result, even if the two contacts 62 come into contact with the two conductive bars 32 and are deflected toward each other, the two contacts 62 come into contact with the separation wall 52, thereby preventing the two contacts 62 from being short-circuited.

[0053] The support member 50 is provided with a support protrusion 53 that supports the substrate 40 by contacting the substrate 40. The support protrusion 53 is, for example, a mountain-shaped protrusion that protrudes forward from the main body of the support member 50. When the first member 11 and the second member 12 are joined together with the substrate 40 and the support member 50 housed therein, the tip of the support protrusion 53 contacts the first surface 401 of the substrate 40 from the rear side. By supporting the center of the substrate 40 with the support protrusion 53, the support member 50 can receive the external force applied to the substrate 40 when connecting the USB plug to the USB socket 22, and deformation of the substrate 40 is suppressed. Note that the support protrusion 53 is not limited to a mountain-shaped protrusion, and the shape of the support protrusion 53 can be changed as appropriate.

[0054] The release operation part 13 is held by the second member 12. A rearward force is applied to the release operation part 13 by the coil spring 14. When a forward force is applied to the release operation part 13, the release operation part 13 can move forward. When no force is applied to the release operation part 13, the release operation part 13 receives the return force of the coil spring 14 and moves to the rear end position of its movement range, and the claw part 131 at the rear end part of the release operation part 13 protrudes rearward from the rear wall 102.

[0055] (2.3) How to insert and remove the USB outlet The procedure for attaching the USB outlet 1 to the wiring duct 3 will be described below.

[0056] The user holds the housing 10 of the USB outlet 1 so that the direction in which the two ribs 63 are aligned is along the length direction (left-right direction) of the duct main body 31 and the recess 109 is located on the lower side. In this state, the insertion portion 61 of the duct connection portion 60 can be inserted into the recess 3110 of the duct main body 31 without the two ribs 63 interfering with the duct main body 31. In addition, the restriction portion 3114 of the duct main body 31 fits into the recess 109, so that the insertion portion 61 of the duct connection portion 60 can be inserted into the recess 3110 of the duct main body 31 without the restriction portion 3114 interfering with the housing 10. At this time, the release operation portion 13 is pushed by the front surface of the duct main body 31 and moves forward.

[0057] After inserting the plug portion 61 into the recess 3110, the user rotates the housing 10 of the USB outlet 1 clockwise by 90 degrees as viewed from the front. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the two ribs 63 are inserted into the two fitting portions 3111. This restricts the movement of the housing 10 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the claw portion 131 of the release operation portion 13 is inserted into the recess 3110 of the duct main body 31, restricting the rotation of the housing 10, so that the USB outlet 1 is held in a state attached to the wiring duct 3. Furthermore, the two contacts 62 (the first contact 62A and the second contact 62B) come into contact with the corresponding conductive bars 32 (the first conductive bar 32A and the second conductive bar 32B), respectively, and are thus electrically connected to the corresponding conductive bars 32. Therefore, DC power is supplied from the AC adapter 5 to the USB outlet 1 via the wiring duct 3, and it becomes possible to supply DC power to a device connected to the USB socket 22 of the USB outlet 1.

[0058] Through the above steps, the USB outlet 1 is attached to the wiring duct 3. The USB outlet 1 can be attached to the wiring duct 3 at any position within the area (attachment area) where the recess 3110 is provided, and can be electrically connected to the conductive bar 32.

[0059] When attaching the USB outlet 1 to the wiring duct 3, if the user holds the housing 10 so that the recess 109 is located on the upper side and inserts the plug-in portion 61 into the recess 3110 of the wiring duct 3, the restricting portion 3114 of the wiring duct 3 hits the rear wall 102, and the entire plug-in portion 61 cannot be inserted into the recess 3110. Therefore, the rib 63 of the plug-in portion 61 is located forward of the fitting portion 3111, and the rib 63 interferes with the duct body 31, so the housing 10 cannot be rotated and the USB outlet 1 cannot be attached to the duct body 31. This restricts the orientation of the USB outlet 1 when it is attached to the duct body 31 to one direction, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the negative side second conductive bar 32B is connected to the positive side first contact 62A and the positive side first conductive bar 32A is connected to the negative side second contact 62B.

[0060] In this embodiment, there is no configuration for restricting left-right movement of the USB outlet 1 attached to the wiring duct 3. Therefore, the USB outlet 1 can move left-right while attached to the wiring duct 3. However, if the USB outlet 1 moves left-right while attached to the wiring duct 3, the two contacts 62 may be worn. Therefore, in order to suppress wear of the two contacts 62, a configuration for restricting left-right movement of the USB outlet 1 attached to the wiring duct 3 may be provided to at least one of the wiring duct 3 and the USB outlet 1.

[0061] Next, a procedure for removing the USB outlet 1 from the wiring duct 3 will be described. When the user applies a forward force to the release operation part 13, the release operation part 13 moves forward, and the claw part 131 comes out of the recess 3110. This releases the restriction on the rotation of the housing 10. When the user rotates the housing 10 counterclockwise by 90 degrees with the claw part 131 out of the recess 3110, the two ribs 63 come out of the two fitting parts 3111, and the restriction on the forward movement of the housing 10 is released. When the user pulls out the housing 10 forward in this state, the USB outlet 1 is removed from the wiring duct 3.

[0062] (3) Modifications Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the USB socket 22 mounted on the board 40 includes two sockets 22A and 22B, but the number of sockets is not limited to two, and may be one, or may be three or more. In other words, the USB socket 22 may include one socket, or may include multiple sockets. In addition, in the above embodiment, the front wall 101 of the housing 10 is provided with two holes 103A and 103B that expose the two sockets 22A and 22B, respectively, but it is sufficient that the front wall 101 is provided with a number of holes corresponding to the number of sockets. In other words, the opening 103 provided in the front wall 101 of the housing 10 may include a plurality of holes that expose the multiple sockets, respectively. In this case, it is sufficient that the metal plate 70 is disposed between the multiple holes on the inner surface of the housing 10, and the front wall 101, whose strength has been reduced by providing the multiple holes, can be reinforced with the metal plate 70. It is not essential that the metal plate 70 is disposed in all the areas between the multiple holes on the inner surface of the housing 10, and the metal plate 70 may be disposed in only some of the areas between the multiple holes. The shape of the metal plate 70 is not limited to a shape of a strip bent into a U shape, and can be appropriately changed depending on the shape of the housing 10, the position and shape of the opening 103 provided in the front wall 101, or the arrangement of the circuit components 21 such as the coil 21A. The metal plate 70 is not an essential component, and the metal plate 70 does not have to be attached to the housing 10.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the USB outlet 1 is provided with the Type A socket 22A and the Type C socket 22B as the USB sockets 22, but may be provided with other types of USB sockets. Also, the USB outlet 1 may be provided with, in addition to the USB socket 22, a connector for power supply or communication other than the USB socket 22.

[0065] (summary) As described above, the USB outlet (1) of the first aspect includes a power conversion circuit (2), a USB socket (22), a board (40), a support member (50), and a housing (10). The power conversion circuit (2) converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value. The DC power is supplied to the USB socket (22) from the power conversion circuit (2). A plurality of circuit components (21) and the USB socket (22) constituting the power conversion circuit (2) are mounted on the board (40). The housing (10) accommodates the board (40) and the support member (50). The front wall (101) of the housing (10) is provided with an opening (103) that exposes the USB socket (22). The rear wall (102) of the housing (10) is provided with a duct connection part (60) for connection to the wiring duct (3). The wiring duct (3) has a long duct body (31) with a recess (3110) along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of conductive bars (32) arranged on both sides of the recess (3110) inside the duct body (31). The duct connection part (60) has an insertion part (61) inserted into the recess (3110) of the wiring duct (3), and a plurality of contacts (62) provided on the insertion part (61) and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars (32). The support member (50) supports the plurality of contacts (62) between the rear wall (102) of the housing (10) inside the housing (10). The support member (50) and the board (40) are arranged opposite to each other. In the board (40), a plurality of circuit components (21) and a USB socket (22) are mounted on a second surface (402) opposite to a first surface (401) facing the support member (50).

[0066] According to this embodiment, since the multiple circuit components (21) and the USB socket (22) are mounted on the second surface (402) of the board (40), a space for accommodating the support member (50) can be secured between the first surface (401) of the board (40) and the rear wall (102) of the housing (10). Therefore, compared to a case in which the circuit components (21) are also mounted on the first surface (401) of the board (40), the dimension of the housing (10) in the front-rear direction can be made smaller, and a USB outlet (1) can be provided that has a small amount of protrusion from the wiring duct (3) when attached to the wiring duct (3).

[0067] In the USB outlet (1) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the multiple circuit components (21) include a coil (21A). The coil (21A) is mounted on the second surface (402) of the substrate (40). A metal plate (70) is provided on the inner surface of the housing (10) facing the second surface (402) of the substrate (40) at a position facing the coil (21A).

[0068] According to this embodiment, when the coil (21A) generates heat, the heat is transferred from the coil (21A) through the metal plate (70) to the front wall (101) of the housing (10), and can be dissipated to the outside from the front wall (101) of the housing (10). This makes it possible to suppress an increase in temperature inside the housing (10). In addition, it is possible to increase the strength of the portion of the housing (10) to which the metal plate (70) is attached.

[0069] In the third aspect of the USB outlet (1), in the second aspect, the USB socket (22) includes a plurality of sockets (22A, 22B). An opening (103) provided in a front wall (101) of the housing (10) includes a plurality of holes (103A, 103B) that expose the plurality of sockets (22A, 22B), respectively. A metal plate (70) is disposed on the inner surface of the housing (10) between the plurality of holes (103A, 103B).

[0070] According to this embodiment, the front wall (101), whose strength has been reduced by providing the plurality of holes (103A, 103B), can be reinforced by the metal plate (70).

[0071] In the USB outlet (1) of the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the housing (10) has a first member (11) and a second member (12). The first member (11) includes a rear wall (102) provided with a duct connection portion (60). The second member (12) includes a front wall (101) and is attached so as to cover the front surface of the first member (11). The first member (11) is provided with a spacer (107) on which the board (40) can be placed while leaving a space between the rear wall (102) and the board (40).

[0072] According to this embodiment, by providing a space between the rear wall (102) and the substrate (40) with the spacer (107), the possibility of contact between the contacts (62) and the substrate (40) can be reduced.

[0073] The fifth aspect of the USB outlet (1) is the fourth aspect, and the second member (12) is provided with a holding portion (122) for holding the board (40) placed on the spacer (107) between the second member (12) and the spacer (107).

[0074] According to this embodiment, by holding the board (40) between the spacer (107) and the holding portion (122), the possibility of the board (40) and the USB socket (22) mounted on the board (40) becoming misaligned can be reduced.

[0075] The USB outlet (1) of the sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the support member (50) is provided with a support protrusion (53) that supports the board (40) by coming into contact with the board (40).

[0076] According to this embodiment, the external force applied to the USB socket (22) when connecting a USB plug to the USB socket (22) can be received by the support protrusions (53), and deformation of the board (40) can be suppressed.

[0077] The configurations according to the second to sixth aspects are not essential for the USB outlet (1) and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 USB outlet 2. Power Conversion Circuit 3 Wiring duct 10. Chassis 11 First member 12 Second member 21 Circuit Components 21A coil 22 USB socket 22A, 22B Socket 31 Duct body 32 Conductive bar 40 Substrate 50 Support member 53 Support protrusion 60 Duct connection 61 Insertion part 62 Contact 70 metal plate 101 Front wall 102 Back wall 103 Opening 103A,103B hole 107 Spacer 122 Holding part 401 Page 1 402 2nd page 3110 Recess

Claims

1. a power conversion circuit that converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value; a USB socket to which DC power is supplied from the power conversion circuit; a substrate on which a plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted; A support member; a housing that houses the board and the support member, the housing having an opening on a front wall through which the USB socket is exposed, and a duct connection part on a rear wall for connection to a wiring duct, The wiring duct has an elongated duct body having a recess along a longitudinal direction thereof, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body, the duct connection portion has an insertion portion that is inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts that are held in the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively; the support member supports the plurality of contacts between the support member and the rear wall of the housing inside the housing, The support member and the substrate are disposed opposite to each other, the substrate has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface; the plurality of circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the substrate; the plurality of circuit components include a coil; the coil is mounted on the second surface of the substrate; a metal plate is provided on an inner surface of the housing, the metal plate being disposed on a surface facing the second surface of the substrate at a position facing the coil; USB outlet.

2. The USB socket includes a plurality of sockets, the opening provided in the front wall of the housing includes a plurality of holes exposing the plurality of sockets, The metal plate is disposed on the inner surface of the housing between the plurality of holes.

2. The USB outlet of claim 1.

3. A power conversion circuit that converts input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value; a USB socket to which DC power is supplied from the power conversion circuit; a substrate on which a plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted; A support member; a housing that houses the board and the support member, the housing having an opening on a front wall through which the USB socket is exposed, and a duct connection part on a rear wall for connection to a wiring duct, The wiring duct has an elongated duct body having a recess along a longitudinal direction thereof, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body, the duct connection portion has an insertion portion that is inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts that are held in the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively; the support member supports the plurality of contacts between the support member and the rear wall of the housing inside the housing, The support member and the substrate are disposed opposite to each other, the substrate has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface; the plurality of circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the substrate; The support member is provided with a support protrusion that supports the substrate by contacting the substrate. USB outlet.

4. A power conversion circuit for converting input power into DC power of a predetermined voltage value; a USB socket to which DC power is supplied from the power conversion circuit; a substrate on which a plurality of circuit components constituting the power conversion circuit and the USB socket are mounted; A support member; a housing that houses the board and the support member, the housing having an opening on a front wall through which the USB socket is exposed, and a duct connection part on a rear wall for connection to a wiring duct, The wiring duct has an elongated duct body having a recess along a longitudinal direction thereof, and a plurality of conductive bars arranged on both sides of the recess inside the duct body, the duct connection portion has an insertion portion that is inserted into the recess of the wiring duct, and a plurality of contacts that are held in the insertion portion and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive bars, respectively; the support member is fixed to the rear wall of the housing inside the housing, the plurality of contacts are fixed to the housing in a state in which a portion of each of the plurality of contacts is sandwiched between the support member fixed to the rear wall of the housing and the rear wall of the housing; Each of the plurality of contacts is connected to the substrate via an electric wire, The support member and the substrate are disposed opposite to each other, the substrate has a first surface facing the support member and a second surface opposite the first surface; the plurality of circuit components and the USB socket are mounted only on the second surface of the substrate; USB outlet.

5. The housing has a first member including the rear wall on which the duct connection portion is provided, and a second member including the front wall and attached to cover a front surface of the first member, the first member is provided with a spacer on which the substrate can be placed while ensuring a space between the rear wall and the substrate; A USB outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second member is provided with a holding portion for holding the substrate placed on the spacer between the second member and the spacer.

6. The USB outlet of claim 5.

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