Connection device and equipment system

Abstract

To provide a connection device capable of improving the stability of mechanical connection with a wiring duct.SOLUTION: A connection device 10 includes: a duct connection part 21 physically attached to the wiring duct 40 that carries electric power, and a body part 24 that is held by the wiring duct 40 via a duct connection part 21. The body part 24 has first and second wall parts 242a, 242b each protruding from both sides of the duct facing surface 2411 facing the wiring duct 40. The first and second wall parts 242a, 242b faces the first and second sides 4211 and 4221 of the wiring duct 40 in the width direction, respectively, when the body part 24 is held by wiring duct 40 via the duct connection part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a connection device and equipment systems More specifically, a connection device for connecting a wiring duct to a device and an equipment system including a connection device Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring duct system. The wiring duct system in Patent Document 1 utilizes wiring ducts installed in the ceiling of a building to supply power to lighting equipment, network equipment, etc. from power lines laid in the building, and also enables power line communication (PLC communication) between the network equipment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-94002 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a connection device, such as a power plug or a duct-mounted PLC plug, is attached to the wiring duct for connecting devices such as lighting devices and network devices to the wiring duct.

[0005] The objective is to develop a connection device that can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct. , and equipment systems The purpose is to provide [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] BookA connection device according to one embodiment of the disclosure includes a duct connection part that is physically attached to a wiring duct that transmits electric power, and a main body part that is held to the wiring duct by the duct connection part. The main body part has first and second wall parts that protrude from both sides of a duct-facing surface that faces the wiring duct. The first and second wall parts face first and second side surfaces in the width direction of the wiring duct, respectively, when the main body part is held to the wiring duct by the duct connection part. The first and second wall parts The department The outer surface is opposite to the duct-facing surface, and the inner surface is on the duct-facing surface side, and the thickness between the outer surface and the inner surface decreases as the distance from the duct-facing surface increases. Ru shape It is in the form The outer surface is inclined so as to approach the wiring duct as it moves away from the duct facing surface, and at least one of the first and second wall portions is Tapered surface on the tip side a tapered surface connected to the inner surface the tapered surface is spaced farther from the first side surface or the second side surface of the wiring duct than the inner surface as it moves away from the duct opposing surface. R . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve an effect of improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an equipment system including a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connection device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is another exploded perspective view of the connection device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial exploded perspective view of the connection device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the connection device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the holding portion of the connection device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a method for connecting the above-mentioned connection device to a wiring duct. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the connection device of the first modification. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the connection device of the first modification. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial exploded perspective view of the connection device of the first modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection device of the first modification. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a method for connecting the connection device of the first modified example to a wiring duct. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a connection device according to the second modification. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view of the connection device of the second modification. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a partial exploded perspective view of a connection device according to the second modification. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a method for connecting a connection device to a wiring duct according to the third modification. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a connection device according to the third modification. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a plan view of the connection device of the third modification. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a partial exploded perspective view of a connection device according to the third modification. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram of a method for connecting a connection device to a wiring duct in Modification 3. In FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a connection device according to the fourth modification. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a plan view of a connection device according to the fourth modification. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a partial exploded perspective view of a connection device according to the fourth modification. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of a method for connecting a connection device to a wiring duct in the fourth modification. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a plan view of a connection device according to another modified example. [Figure 29] 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (1) Implementation form (1.1) Overview 1 shows an equipment system (wiring duct system). The equipment system is used, for example, in a facility (for example, a factory). The equipment system includes a connection device 10 that connects equipment 50 to a wiring duct 40 installed in the facility.

[0010] 2 shows the connection device 10. The connection device 10 includes a duct connection portion 21 and a main body portion 24. The duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to a wiring duct 40 that carries electrical power. The main body portion 24 is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21.

[0011] 2, the main body 24 has first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protruding from both sides of a duct facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. As shown in Fig. 9, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21.

[0012] The connection device 10 can be attached to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21. When the connection device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40, that is, when the main body 24 is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face the first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. Therefore, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b can function as portions that reduce shaking of the main body 24 along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. This can make it less likely that the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 will decrease due to shaking of the main body 24. Therefore, the connection device 10 can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0013] In the connection device 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body 24 has a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wiring duct 40 has an opening 43 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 40. As shown in FIG. 9, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to the wiring duct 40 by inserting at least a portion of the duct connection portion 21 into the wiring duct 40 through the opening 43. The wiring duct 40 includes first and second portions 424, 425 that face each other across the opening 43 in the width direction of the wiring duct 40. The duct-facing surface 2411 includes first and second regions 2411a, 2411b that correspond to the first and second portions 424, 425 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. The main body 24 has a first contact portion 244a and a second contact portion 244b. The first contact portion 244a is provided in the first region 2411a and contacts the first part 424. The second contact portion 244b is provided in the second region 2411b and contacts the second part 425.

[0014] The connection device 10 can be attached to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21. In the attached state, the first contact portion 244a is provided in the first region 2411a and contacts the first part 424, and the second contact portion 244b is provided in the second region 2411b and contacts the second part 425. The attached state is a state in which the main body 24 is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, and the connection device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40. Therefore, the first and second contact portions 244a, 244b can function as portions that reduce shaking of the main body 24 along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. This can make it less likely that the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 will decrease due to shaking of the main body 24. Therefore, the connection device 10 can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0015] 3, the connecting device 10 further includes a connecting portion 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting portion 26 has a connecting hole 26a for connecting to the string-like body 93. The connecting portion 26 is a separate member from the main body 24, and is fixed to the main body 24.

[0016] The connection device 10 can be easily connected to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93, and even if the duct connection portion 21 of the connection device 10 comes off the wiring duct 40, the connection device 10 will hang from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. Therefore, the presence of the connecting portion 26 makes it easy to connect the connection device 10 and the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93, and also reduces the possibility that the connection device 10 will fall off the wiring duct 40.

[0017] (1.2) Configuration The equipment system including the connection device 10 will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the equipment system includes the connection device 10, a wiring duct 40, and equipment 50. In this embodiment, the equipment system includes a plurality of connection devices 10, a plurality of wiring ducts 40, and a plurality of equipment 50. The equipment system also includes a management device 60 and an adapter 70.

[0018] (1.2.1) Wiring duct The wiring duct 40 is installed in advance in a facility to transmit electric power (first electric power). In this embodiment, the first electric power is AC power (for example, 60 / 50 Hz, 100 / 200 V commercial AC power). The wiring duct 40 is installed, for example, on the ceiling of the facility.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 9, the wiring duct 40 includes first, second and third conductors 41a, 41b and 41c, and a case 42 that houses the first, second and third conductors 41a, 41b and 41c.

[0020] 3 and 4, the case 42 has a long, hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The length, width, and thickness directions of the case 42 correspond to the length, width, and thickness directions of the wiring duct 40, respectively. The case 42 has electrical insulation properties. The case 42 is formed, for example, from an electrically insulating material (e.g., a resin material), or is formed by coating the surface of a metal body with an electrically insulating material.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 9, the case 42 includes a first side wall portion 421, a second side wall portion 422, and a flat plate portion 423. The first side wall portion 421 and the second side wall portion 422 face each other in the width direction of the case 42 (the left-right direction in FIG. 9). The surface of the first side wall portion 421 opposite the second side wall portion 422 is a first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40, and the surface of the second side wall portion 422 opposite the first side wall portion 421 is a second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40. The first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 define both outer surfaces of the wiring duct 40. The flat plate portion 423 connects first ends (upper ends in FIG. 9) of the first side wall portion 421 and the second side wall portion 422 to each other. The case 42 further includes a first portion 424 that protrudes from a second end (the lower end in FIG. 9 ) of the first side wall portion 421 toward the second side wall portion 422, and a second portion 425 that protrudes from the second end (the lower end in FIG. 9 ) of the second side wall portion 422 toward the first side wall portion 421. The first portion 424 and the second portion 425 face each other with a fixed gap between them, and an opening 43 is formed between the first portion 424 and the second portion 425. In other words, the first and second portions 424, 425 face each other across the opening 43 in the width direction of the wiring duct 40. The opening 43 is located at the center of the case 42 in the width direction and extends in the length direction of the case 42. The case 42 also includes a protrusion 44 that protrudes from the second end of the second side wall portion 422. The protrusion 44 extends in the length direction of the case 42. The protrusion 44 is provided to prevent the connection device 10 from being connected incorrectly to the wiring duct 40.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 9 , the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are housed in the case 42 so as to face each other in the width direction of the case 42 (the left-right direction in FIG. 9 ). The first and second conductors 41a, 41b each extend in the length direction of the case 42. In this embodiment, the case 42 has first and second holding pieces 426, 427 that hold the first and second conductors 41a, 41b, respectively. The first holding piece 426 protrudes from a surface of the first side wall portion 421 facing the second side wall portion 422 toward the second side wall portion 422. The second holding piece 427 protrudes from a surface of the second side wall portion 422 facing the first side wall portion 421 toward the first side wall portion 421. The first holding piece 426 and the second holding piece 427 extend in the length direction of the case 42. The first conductor 41a is held at the tip end of the first holding piece 426, and the second conductor 41b is held at the tip end of the second holding piece 427, so that the first and second conductors 41a, 41b face each other. In this embodiment, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are conductors for feeding power.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 9, the third conductor 41c is housed in the case 42 so as to be located at the center in the width direction (left-right direction in Fig. 9) of the case 42. The third conductor 41c also extends in the length direction of the case 42. In this embodiment, the third conductor 41c is fixed to the flat plate portion 423 of the case 42 inside the case 42. In this embodiment, the third conductor 41c is a grounding conductor.

[0024] (1.2.2) Equipment The device 50 is a device used within a facility to achieve various purposes, such as control and management. The device 50 has at least a connection port for connecting to the connection device 10 via a connection line 80. In this embodiment, the connection line 80 is a cable conforming to computer network standards. In particular, the connection line 80 conforms to Ethernet (registered trademark) and also conforms to the Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard. Therefore, the connection port of the device 50 is a port conforming to Ethernet. The device 50 can operate with power supplied through the connection line 80. That is, the device 50 operates with power (second power) whose standard (power standard) is different from that of the first power carried by the wiring duct 40. The second power conforms to the PoE standard, and is, for example, 48V DC power. The device 50 may be, for example, a monitoring device, an alarm device, a control device, or a communication device. Examples of monitoring devices include a camera (network camera) and a sensor (motion sensor, fire sensor, etc.). Examples of notification devices include speakers, projectors, and displays (digital signage). Examples of control devices include lighting equipment and air conditioning equipment. Examples of communication devices include access points.

[0025] (1.2.3) Management device The management device 60 is a device for managing and controlling the devices 50. The management device 60 is connected to the wiring duct 40 via an adapter 70. The adapter 70 is a device for enabling power line communication. In the device system, various functions can be realized using the management device 60. For example, if the device 50 is a camera, the management device 60 can be used to check images captured by the device 50. Furthermore, if the device 50 is digital signage, the management device 60 can be used to display information on the device 50. The management device 60 can be realized, for example, by a personal computer (desktop computer, laptop computer, etc.). Note that the management device 60 may also be, for example, a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0026] (1.2.4) Connection device Next, a description will be given of the connection device 10. The connection device 10 is a device for connecting the device 50 to the wiring duct 40. In other words, the connection device 10 functions as a plug for connecting the device 50 to the wiring duct 40.

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the connection device 10, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connection device 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connection device 10 includes a housing 20 and a circuit block 30 housed in the housing 20.

[0028] (1.2.4.1) Housing 1, housing 20 has duct connection portion 21, device connection portion 22, and auxiliary power supply portion 23. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, housing 20 has main body portion 24 and holding portion 25. Main body portion 24 is provided with duct connection portion 21, device connection portion 22, auxiliary power supply portion 23, and a pair of coupling portions 26.

[0029] The main body 24 is a housing that houses the circuit block 30. The main body 24 is a box. In particular, the main body 24 is in the shape of a flat box, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the main body 24 is square in plan view. The main body 24 has a first surface 240a (upper surface in FIGS. 3 and 4) and a second surface 240b (lower surface in FIGS. 3 and 4) in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24 is one surface of the main body 24 facing the wiring duct 40 (wiring duct mounting surface). The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24 is one surface of the main body 24 opposite to the wiring duct 40. The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24 serves as a mounting surface (holding portion mounting surface) for physically mounting the holding portion 25. Furthermore, the main body 24 has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c to 240f. The outer surfaces 240c and 240e are opposite to each other, and the outer surfaces 240d and 240f are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the direction in which the outer surfaces 240c and 240e face each other is the direction along the length of the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. The direction in which the outer surfaces 240d and 240f face each other is the direction along the width of the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, mounting holes 2401 for mounting the duct connector 21 are formed in a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. In this embodiment, two mounting holes 2401 are provided in the first surface 240a. The two mounting holes 2401 are arranged on both sides of the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. Each mounting hole 2401 is circular. In this embodiment, the two mounting holes 2401 are located near the outer surfaces 240c and 240e of the main body 24 on the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24, respectively, and midway between the outer surfaces 240d and 240f of the main body 24. In addition, a plurality of (four in this example) screw holes 2402 are formed in the first surface 240a around each mounting hole 2401. Furthermore, a recess 2403 is formed in the first surface 240a in an area including the mounting hole 2401 and the corresponding four screw holes 2402. The recess 2403 is rectangular. The mounting hole 2401 and the corresponding four screw holes 2402 are located on the bottom surface of the recess 2403.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, support portions 27 are provided on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body portion 24. In this embodiment, two support portions 27 are provided on the first surface 240a. The support portions 27 are annular. The support portions 27 have circular openings 27a. The support portions 27 have an outer diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the mounting holes 2401. The support portions 27 are arranged on the first surface 240a so that the mounting holes 2401 are exposed from the openings 27a. The support portions 27 are used as fitting protrusions of the main body portion 24.

[0032] 5, a pair of connecting portions 26 are provided on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting portions 26 are used to connect the connection device 10 to the wiring duct 40 using a string-like body 93.

[0033] The connecting portion 26 has a connecting hole 26a for connecting with the string-like body 93. More specifically, the connecting portion 26 has a flat plate portion 260 and a protruding portion 261. The flat plate portion 260 is shaped like a rectangular plate overall. The flat plate portion 260 is sized to fit into a recess 2403 of the main body portion 24. Here, the depth of the recess 2403 is smaller than the thickness of the flat plate portion 260. The flat plate portion 260 has a fitting cavity 260a. The fitting cavity 260a is provided so that the support portion 27 fits into and passes through it. The fitting cavity 260a is located in the center of the flat plate portion 260, and one side in the width direction is open. The flat plate portion 260 also has a plurality of (here, four) holes 260b. The four holes 260b are used to fix the connecting portion 26 to the main body portion 24 with screws S12. The four holes 260b are located at the four corners of the flat plate portion 260. The connecting portion 26 also has a locking protrusion 260c. As will be described later, the locking protrusion 260c is formed on the flat plate portion 260 so as to fit into the locking hole 2121 of the lever 212 of the duct connection portion 21 when the lever 212 is in a predetermined position. The protrusion 261 protrudes from the flat plate portion 260 in a direction away from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24. The protrusion 261 protrudes from one end of the flat plate portion 260 in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 261 is plate-shaped. Here, the connecting hole 26a is provided in the protrusion 261. This makes the protrusion 261 appear U-shaped. In this embodiment, the connection hole 26a extends to a part of the flat plate portion 260. The presence of the connection hole 26a in the protruding portion 261 makes it easy to connect the connection device 10 and the wiring duct 40 with the string-like body 93.

[0034] 5, the connecting portion 26 is disposed in the recess 2403 of the main body portion 24, and the support portion 27 provided on the main body portion 24 fits into the fitting space 260a of the connecting portion 26. Then, the screw S12 is inserted through the hole 260b of the flat plate portion 260 and coupled to the screw hole 2402 of the main body portion 24, thereby fixing the connecting portion 26 to the main body portion 24. Since the connecting portion 26 can be fixed to the main body portion 24 by the flat plate portion 260 in this way, the strength of the fixing of the connecting portion 26 to the main body portion 24 can be improved.

[0035] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 26 is made of metal. For example, the connecting portion 26 can be formed by stamping and bending a metal plate. The connecting portion 26 is a separate member from the main body portion 24 and is fixed to the main body portion 24.

[0036] 4, four screw holes 240g are formed in the second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24. The four screw holes 240g are located at positions that are four-fold rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the second surface 240b.

[0037] The duct connection part 21 is used to attach the connection device 10 to the wiring duct 40. The duct connection part 21 is provided on a first surface 240a (one surface on the wiring duct 40 side) in the thickness direction of the main body part 24. The duct connection part 21 includes first and second coupling parts 21a and 21b that are physically attached to the wiring duct 40.

[0038] The first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b each include a protrusion 211, a lever 212, and a pair of projections 213. The protrusion 211 protrudes from a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. The protrusion 211 is cylindrical and rotatable around its central axis. The protrusion 211 itself is sized to pass through the opening 43 of the case 42. The lever 212 is a member for rotating the protrusion 211 around its central axis. The lever 212 protrudes from the protrusion 211 in a direction intersecting the central axis. As shown in FIG. 4, the lever 212 has a locking hole 2121 on a surface facing the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. In this embodiment, the locking hole 2121 is not a through-hole, but it may be a through-hole. The pair of projections 213 protrude on both sides from the protrusion 211. The width of the pair of protrusions 213 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the protruding portion 211 .

[0039] Furthermore, the first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b include first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, and 214c, respectively. The first and second terminals 214a and 214b are electrically connected to the first and second conductors 41a and 41b of the wiring duct 40, respectively. The third terminal 214c is electrically connected to the third conductor 41c of the wiring duct 40. In this embodiment, the first and second terminals 214a and 214b correspond to the first and second conductors 41a and 41b of the wiring duct 40, respectively. Therefore, connecting the first and second terminals 214a and 214b to the first and second conductors 41a and 41b, respectively, is a correct connection, but connecting the first and second terminals 214a and 214b to the second and first conductors 41b and 41a, respectively, is an incorrect connection. The first and second terminals 214a and 214b protrude on both sides from the protrusion 211, similar to the pair of protrusions 213. The first and second terminals 214a and 214b are located closer to the tip of the protrusion 211 than the pair of protrusions 213, and overlap with the pair of protrusions 213 when viewed in a direction along the central axis of the protrusion 211.

[0040] In this way, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are disposed on both sides of the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body portion 24. In particular, in this embodiment, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are located near the outer surfaces 240c, 240e of the main body portion 24, respectively, on the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body portion 24, and are located midway between the outer surfaces 240d, 240f of the main body portion 24.

[0041] The first and second joints 21a, 21b can be rotated between a first position (first rotation position) and a second position (second rotation position) by operating the lever 212. The first position is a position where the pair of protrusions 213, 213 are aligned in the length direction of the main body 24. The second position is a position where the pair of protrusions 213, 213 are aligned in the width direction of the main body 24. For example, in FIG. 6, the first joint 21a and the second joint 21b are in the first position. In addition, in FIG. 9, the first joint 21a in the first position is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the first joint 21a in the second position is indicated by a solid line. In other words, the first and second joints 21a, 21b can pass through the opening 43 when in the first position, but cannot pass through the opening 43 when in the second position.

[0042] The first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b are attached to the main body 24 using the attachment holes 2401 of the main body 24. That is, the protrusions 211 of the first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b are inserted into the attachment holes 2401 so as to be rotatable around their central axes. Here, the connecting portion 26 and the support portion 27 are located around the attachment holes 2401 of the main body 24. As shown in FIG. 7 , the support portion 27 is located in a recess 2403 of the first surface 240a, and the attachment hole 2401 is exposed through an opening 27a of the support portion 27. Furthermore, the connecting portion 26 is located in the recess 2403 of the main body 24, and the support portion 27 is fitted into the fitting space 260a. Therefore, the protrusions 211 are inserted into the attachment holes 2401 through the openings 27a of the support portion 27. The flat plate portion 260 and the support portion 27 of the connecting portion 26 are located between the first surface 240a and the lever 212. This improves the strength with which the connecting portion 26 is fixed to the main body 24. In this embodiment, the support portion 27 is thicker than the flat plate portion 260. Therefore, the support portion 27 supports the lever 212 so that it does not come into contact with the connecting portion 26 (flat plate portion 260). In particular, since the support portion 27 has an annular shape that surrounds the protrusion 211, the support portion 27 stably supports the lever 212. As described above, the connecting portion 26 has the locking protrusion 260c. The locking protrusion 260c fits into the locking hole 2121 (see FIG. 4) on the surface of the lever 212 facing the connecting portion 26 when the lever 212 of the duct connection portion 21 is in a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position is the position of the lever 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position where it cannot pass through the opening 43 (i.e., the second position). In other words, the engagement of the locking protrusion 260c with the locking hole 2121 reduces the possibility that the lever 212 will unintentionally move from the predetermined position. This reduces the possibility that the first coupling portion 21a or the second coupling portion 21b will unintentionally move from the second position to the first position. In other words, it reduces the possibility that the duct connection portion 21 will unintentionally come off the wiring duct 40.

[0043] The device connection unit 22 is a portion for connecting to the device 50. In this embodiment, the device connection unit 22 is connected to the device 50 via a connection line 80. The device connection unit 22 is, for example, a port compatible with Ethernet. In particular, the device connection unit 22 is also compatible with Power over Ethernet (PoE). In this embodiment, the device connection unit 22 is provided on the outer surface 240c of the main body unit 24, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] Auxiliary power feeding unit 23 is a part for supplying the first power carried by wiring duct 40. Auxiliary power feeding unit 23 is a connector having a terminal for supplying power. As an example, auxiliary power feeding unit 23 may be an outlet (e.g., an outlet for an attachment plug) used to feed commercial AC power. In this embodiment, auxiliary power feeding unit 23 is provided on one of outer surfaces 240e, 240f of main body 24.

[0045] 6, the main body 24 further includes a base 241 and first and second wall portions 242a, 242b on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24. The main body 24 further includes a plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a plurality of restricting portions 245 on the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24.

[0046] The base portion 241 protrudes from a portion of one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24 facing the wiring duct 40. In particular, the base portion 241 protrudes from a central portion of the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24. In this embodiment, the base portion 241 is located on the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24, between the first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b of the duct connecting portion 21. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the base portion 241 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The length direction of the base portion 241 is the direction along the length direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. The width direction of the base portion 241 is the direction along the width direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. The surface of the base 241 that faces the wiring duct 40 (i.e., the upper surface of the base 241) is the duct-facing surface 2411. The duct-facing surface 2411 is the surface that faces the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connection portion 21. In this embodiment, since the base 241 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the duct-facing surface 2411 has a rectangular shape. The length direction and width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411 coincide with the length direction and width direction of the base 241, respectively.

[0047] Furthermore, when the connection device 10 (particularly the main body 24) is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the base 241 does not come into contact with the tip (lower end in FIG. 9 ) of the protrusion 44 of the wiring duct 40. On the other hand, when the connection device 10 (particularly the main body 24) is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the base 241 comes into contact with the tip (lower end in FIG. 9 ) of the protrusion 44 of the wiring duct 40. Here, if the base 241 abuts on the protrusion 44, the base 241 and the protrusion 44 get in the way, preventing insertion into the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 even when the first and second coupling portions 21 a, 21 b are in the first position. In this embodiment, the base 241 has a step 2412 on the duct-facing surface 2411 so that the base 241 does not come into contact with the protrusion 44 when the main body 24 is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40. The correct position of the connection device 10 relative to the wiring duct 40 is a position where the first and second terminals 214a, 214b are connected to the first and second conductors 41a, 41b, respectively. The incorrect position of the connection device 10 relative to the wiring duct 40 is a position where a misconnection occurs, where the first and second terminals 214a, 214b are connected to the second and first conductors 41b, 41a, respectively.

[0048] The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are provided to improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40. Each of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b is a rectangular plate-shaped wall. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24, which includes the duct-facing surface 2411. More specifically, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411. As shown in FIG. 9 , the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21.

[0049] More specifically, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24 facing the wiring duct 40, and are located on both sides of a duct-facing surface 2411. In particular, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude in a normal direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are located on both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411 in the width direction. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face each other across the duct-facing surface 2411. In other words, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face each other in the width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. In particular, the entire first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face each other in the width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b extend linearly along the length of the duct-opposing surface 2411, and have the same length as the duct-opposing surface 2411.

[0050] The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b have surfaces (outer surfaces) 2421a, 2421b opposite the duct facing surface 2411, and the outer surfaces 2421a, 2421b extend from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b also have surfaces (inner surfaces) 2422a, 2422b on the duct facing surface 2411 side, and the inner surfaces 2422a, 2422b extend from the duct facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b also have tapered surfaces 2423a, 2423b on their tip ends that connect to the inner surfaces 2422a, 2422b. Here, the tapered surface 2423a becomes more distant from the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 than the inner side surface 2422a as it moves away from the duct opposing surface 2411. The tapered surface 2423b becomes more distant from the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 than the inner side surface 2422b as it moves away from the duct opposing surface 2411. In other words, the tapered surfaces 2423a and 2423b make it easier to insert the wiring duct 40 between the first and second wall portions 242a and 242b.

[0051] The heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are set so that, in the installed state, the center of the wiring duct 40 is located between the tips of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40 (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 9 ). Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may be set so that, in the installed state, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are located between the tips of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40. In addition, in this embodiment, the distance between the first wall portion 242a and the second wall portion 242b is preferably set so that, in the installed state, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b comes into contact with the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 sways along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. In particular, in this embodiment, the distance between the first wall portion 242a and the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40, and the distance between the second wall portion 242b and the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 may each be 0.5 mm or less, and as an example, is 0.2 mm.

[0052] The first and second reinforcing portions 243a and 243b are provided to reinforce the first and second wall portions 242a and 242b. The first and second reinforcing portions 243a and 243b can reduce the possibility of damage to the first and second wall portions 242a and 242b. As shown in FIG. 9, the first reinforcing portion 243a extends in the height direction of the first wall portion 242a from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24 facing the wiring duct 40 along the surface (outer surface 2421a) of the first wall portion 242a opposite the duct-facing surface 2411. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, there are multiple (here, five) first reinforcing portions 243a, which are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the length direction of the first wall portion 242a. 9, the second reinforcing portion 243b extends in the height direction of the second wall portion 242b from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24 facing the wiring duct 40 along the surface (outer surface 2421b) of the second wall portion 242b opposite the duct-facing surface 2411. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, there are a plurality of (here, five) second reinforcing portions 243b, which are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the length direction of the second wall portion 242b.

[0053] The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b are provided to improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40. The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b protrude from the duct-facing surface 2411. The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b are each hemispherical.

[0054] In this embodiment, a plurality of (three in this example) first protrusions 244a are provided. The plurality of first protrusions 244a are located in a first region 2411a of the duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 (see FIGS. 6 and 9). The plurality of first protrusions 244a are arranged at a first predetermined interval in the length direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. In other words, when the main body 24 is held in the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the plurality of first protrusions 244a are arranged at a first predetermined interval in the length direction of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the tips of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are at the same height (i.e., on the same plane). When the main body 24 is held in the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the plurality of first protrusions 244a form first contact portions that come into contact with the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. In addition, in this embodiment, a plurality of (here, three) second protrusions 244b are provided. The plurality of second protrusions 244b are located in a second region 2411b of the duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 (see FIGS. 6 and 9). The plurality of second protrusions 244b are arranged at a second predetermined interval in the length direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. In other words, when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21, the plurality of second protrusions 244b are arranged at a second predetermined interval in the length direction of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the tips of the plurality of second protrusions 244b are at the same height (i.e., on the same plane). Furthermore, the tips of the plurality of first protrusions 244a and the plurality of second protrusions 244b are at the same height. In this embodiment, the first predetermined interval is equal to the second predetermined interval. The multiple second protrusions 244b form second contact portions that come into contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. The multiple (here, three) first protrusions 244a are aligned with the multiple (here, three) second protrusions 244b in the width direction of the duct facing surface 2411.

[0055] The height of the first contact portion (plurality of first protrusions 244a) is set so that the dimension between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first coupling portion 21a or the second coupling portion 21b and the first contact portion is smaller than the thickness of the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. However, the dimension between the protrusions 213 and the first contact portion is within a range that allows the first portion 424 to be inserted between the protrusions 213 and the first contact portion. This makes it possible to sandwich and hold the first portion 424 between the first contact portion and the protrusions 213. As a result, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 is improved. Furthermore, the height of the second contact portion (plurality of second protrusions 244b) is set so that the dimension between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first coupling portion 21a or the second coupling portion 21b and the second contact portion is smaller than the thickness of the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. However, the dimension between the protrusion 213 and the second contact portion is within a range that allows the second part 425 to be inserted between the protrusion 213 and the second contact portion. This makes it possible to sandwich and hold the second part 425 between the second contact portion and the protrusion 213. As a result, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 can be improved.

[0056] The restricting portion 245 is provided to limit the rotation range of the lever 212. The restricting portion 245 can prevent the lever 212 from being rotated too far. This reduces the possibility of damage to the duct connection portion 21. More specifically, the restricting portion 245 is a protrusion that protrudes from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24. The restricting portion 245 limits the rotation range of the lever 212 by contacting with the lever 212. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 245 limits the rotation range of the lever 212 to between a position where the corresponding coupling portion (first coupling portion 21a or second coupling portion 21b) is located at the first position and a position where the corresponding coupling portion (first coupling portion 21a or second coupling portion 21b) is located at the second position. In this embodiment, four restricting portions 245 are provided on the main body portion 24. Two of the four restricting portions 245 correspond to the levers 212 of the first coupling portion 21a, and the remaining two correspond to the levers 212 of the second coupling portion 21b. As shown in FIG. 6 , the two restricting portions 245 for the first coupling portion 21a are located at the end of the first surface 240a on the outer surface 240c side, and are positioned on both sides of the first coupling portion 21a in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d and 240f face each other. The two restricting portions 245 for the second coupling portion 21b are located at the end of the first surface 240a on the outer surface 240e side, and are positioned on both sides of the second coupling portion 21b in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d and 240f face each other. In this embodiment, the four restricting portions 245 are integrally formed on the first surface 240a of the main body 24. Therefore, the restricting portions 245 are separate members from the connecting portion 26.

[0057] The holder 25 is a member for physically holding the device 50. In this embodiment, the holder 25 is a separate body from the main body 24, and is physically attached to the main body 24.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 8, the holding portion 25 includes an outer shell 28 and a fixing plate 29. As shown in FIGS.

[0059] The outer shell 28 is a molded part made of an insulating resin material, and has a mounting plate 280, a peripheral wall 281, and a plurality of bosses 282 (four in this example).

[0060] The mounting plate 280 is a portion on which the device 50 is attached. The mounting plate 280 is rectangular (particularly square) in plan view. The mounting plate 280 has an opening (first opening) 280a. The opening 280a is used to pass through the connection wire 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for connecting the device 50 to the device connection section 22. The opening 280a is located in the center of the mounting plate 280. The opening 280a is also roughly rectangular and is about 1 / 9 the size of the mounting plate 280.

[0061] The mounting plate 280 further has a peripheral wall portion 280b and a plurality of holes 283. The peripheral wall portion 280b protrudes from the edge of the opening 280a of the mounting plate 280 toward the fixing plate 29 (upper side in FIG. 8). The peripheral wall portion 280b surrounds the entire periphery of the opening 280a. Each hole 283 is provided to allow the shaft of a screw to pass through for attaching the device 50. The plurality of holes 283 are located near the opening 280a.

[0062] The peripheral wall 281 protrudes from the edge of the mounting plate 280 along the thickness of the mounting plate 280. In particular, the peripheral wall 281 protrudes from the edge of the mounting plate 280 toward the main body 24 so as to surround the mounting plate 280. The peripheral wall 281 has a rectangular frame shape in a plan view. The peripheral wall 281 has four side walls 281a to 281d. Of the four side walls 281a to 281d, the side walls 281a and 281c face each other, and the side walls 281b and 281d face each other. The peripheral wall 281 also has an opening (second opening) 281e. The opening 281e is used to pass through the connection wire 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for connecting the device 50 to the device connection unit 22. The opening 281e is located in the side wall 281a. The opening 281e is generally rectangular. The opening 281e has a notch shape, and the side opposite to the mounting plate 280 is open.

[0063] The four bosses 282 are used to attach the holder 25 to the main body 24 with the screws S11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The four bosses 282 are provided on the mounting plate 280. The four bosses 282 protrude from the mounting plate 280 toward the main body 24. Each boss 282 is cylindrical and has a hole therein through which the shaft of the screw S11 passes. As shown in FIG. 8, the four bosses 282 are positioned to be four-fold rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the mounting plate 280. More specifically, the four bosses 282 are positioned near the center of each of the four side walls 281a to 281d of the peripheral wall 281.

[0064] The outer shell 28 further has a plurality of (four in this case) bosses 284 and a plurality of (four in this case) protrusions 285.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 8 , the four bosses 284 are used to attach the fixing plate 29 to the outer shell 28 with the screws S13. The four bosses 284 are provided on the mounting plate 280. The four bosses 284 protrude from the mounting plate 280 toward the fixing plate 29. Each boss 284 is cylindrical. Each boss 284 has a screw hole 284a at its tip that corresponds to the screw S13. The four bosses 284 are located at positions that are four-fold rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the mounting plate 280. More specifically, the four bosses 284 are located near the four corners of the mounting plate 280.

[0066] 3, the four protrusions 285 are used to position the fixing plate 29 relative to the outer shell 28. The four protrusions 285 are provided on the mounting plate 280. Each of the protrusions 285 is L-shaped in plan view. The four protrusions 285 are located near the four corners of the mounting plate 280 and are arranged to surround the four bosses 284.

[0067] The fixing plate 29 is a metal plate. The fixing plate 29 has a rectangular shape (particularly a square shape) in a plan view. The fixing plate 29 is smaller in size than the mounting plate 280. As shown in FIG. 8, the fixing plate 29 has an opening (third opening) 290a, a plurality of screw holes 290b, and a plurality of (here, four) holes 290c. The opening 290a is used to pass the connection wire 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for connecting the device 50 to the device connection unit 22. The opening 290a is located in the center of the fixing plate 29. The opening 290a is sized so that the peripheral wall portion 280b can fit inside. Here, the peripheral wall portion 280b is configured to fit within the opening 290a. The plurality of screw holes 290b each correspond to a screw for attaching the device 50. The plurality of screw holes 290b are formed in the fixing plate 29 at positions facing the plurality of holes 283 of the outer shell 28, respectively. The four holes 290c are used to fix the fixing plate 29 to the outer shell 28. The four holes 290c are formed in the fixing plate 29 at positions facing the four bosses 284 of the outer shell 28, respectively. Here, the four holes 290c are located near the four corners of the fixing plate 29.

[0068] To secure the fixing plate 29 to the mounting plate 280 of the outer shell 28, screws S13 are fastened through the four holes 290c into the screw holes 284a of the four bosses 284. At this time, the fixing plate 29 can be easily positioned relative to the outer shell 28 by abutting the four corners of the fixing plate 29 with the inside corners of the four protrusions 285 of the outer shell 28. Furthermore, the fixing plate 29 can be temporarily held to the outer shell 28 by fitting the peripheral wall portion 280b of the outer shell 28 into the openings 290a of the fixing plate 29, facilitating the joining operation with the screws S13.

[0069] The holding unit 25 is physically attached to the second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24 such that the mounting plate 280 faces the second surface 240b. More specifically, the holding unit 25 is physically attached to the second surface 240b of the main body 24 by threading the screws S11 through the holes of the four bosses 282 of the holding unit 25 and into the four screw holes 240g of the main body 24, respectively.

[0070] To attach the device 50 to the holder 25, screws are fastened to the fixing plate 29 through holes in the device 50 and holes 283 in the outer shell 28. Because the fixing plate 29 is made of metal, the attachment strength of the device 50 to the holder 25 can be improved compared to when the device 50 is directly fixed to a resin mounting plate 280. Furthermore, when connecting the device 50 to the device connection portion 22 with a connection line 80, the connection line 80 is passed through the opening 280a in the mounting plate 280, the opening 290a in the fixing plate 29, and the opening 281e in the peripheral wall 281, and the connector 81 of the connection line 80 is connected to the device connection portion 22. In this embodiment, a portion of the connection line 80 can be housed within the holder 25. This reduces the exposure of the connection line 80, thereby protecting the connection line 80.

[0071] (1.2.4.2) Circuit Block As shown in FIG. 1, the circuit block 30 includes a first communication unit 31, an output unit 32, a processing unit 33, a power supply unit , a notification unit 35, and an operation unit .

[0072] The first communication unit 31 has a communication interface that complies with power line carrier communication and has the function of transmitting and receiving communication signals via power line carrier communication. Note that various well-known standards can be adopted for power line carrier communication, and it is preferable to adopt, for example, high definition power line communication. Such a communication interface that complies with power line carrier communication may have a conventionally well-known configuration, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] The first communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the duct connection unit 21. More specifically, the first communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the first and second terminals 214a, 214b of the first coupling unit 21a of the duct connection unit 21. Therefore, by attaching the duct connection unit 21 to the wiring duct 40, the first communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection unit 21. Therefore, the first communication unit 31 has a function (receiving function) of receiving a communication signal (first communication signal) by power line carrier communication from the wiring duct 40 through the duct connection unit 21. Furthermore, the first communication unit 31 has a function (transmitting function) of transmitting a communication signal (second communication signal) by power line carrier communication to the wiring duct 40 through the duct connection unit 21. In other words, two-way communication by the first communication unit 31 is possible.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 1, the output unit 32 is an electric circuit including a second communication unit 321 and a conversion unit 322.

[0075] The second communication unit 321 is a circuit for communicating with the device 50 using a communication standard (communication protocol) different from power line carrier communication in response to the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31. The second communication unit 321 communicates using a communication standard (communication protocol) different from power line carrier communication. Examples of signals using a communication protocol different from power line carrier communication include signals conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard and serial signals. In this embodiment, the second communication unit 321 has a function of transmitting (transmitting function) and a function of receiving (receiving function) signals conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard. As shown in FIG. 1 , the second communication unit 321 is connected to the device connection unit 22. Therefore, the second communication unit 321 outputs and receives signals using a communication protocol different from power line carrier communication via the device connection unit 22. In this manner, the second communication unit 321 communicates with the device 50 via the connection line 80 connected to the device connection unit 22.

[0076] The conversion unit 322 is a circuit for generating second power having a power standard different from the first power based on the first power acquired from the wiring duct 40 through the duct connection unit 21, and supplying the second power to the device 50. As described above, the first power is AC power (e.g., commercial AC power of 60 / 50 Hz and 100 / 200 V), and the second power is power conforming to the PoE standard, e.g., 48 V DC power. Therefore, the conversion unit 322 may be configured as a power conversion circuit including an AC-DC converter. As shown in FIG. 1 , the conversion unit 322 is connected to the device connection unit 22. Therefore, the conversion unit 322 outputs the second power having a power standard different from the first power to the device connection unit 22. That is, the conversion unit 322 supplies the second power to the device 50 through the connection line 80 connected to the device connection unit 22.

[0077] In this embodiment, the output unit 32 complies with the Power over Ethernet standard and functions as a so-called power sourcing equipment. The power supply method may be either a method (Alternative A) in which current is superimposed on two pairs of the connection line 80 that are used for communication, or a method (Alternative B2) in which power is supplied using two unused pairs. In other words, the output unit 32 is 2 is used for communication with the device 50 and for supplying power to the device 50. Therefore, the connection between the connection device 10 and the device 50 for communication and power supply can be easily performed.

[0078] The processing unit 33 is a control circuit that controls the operation of the connection device 10. The processing unit 33 can be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. That is, the one or more processors execute one or more programs stored in one or more memories to function as the processing unit 33. In this embodiment, the processing unit 33 is configured to convert, by the second communication unit 321, a first communication signal received from the wiring duct 40 through the duct connection unit 21 into a signal of a communication standard (communication protocol) different from power line carrier communication and output the signal. The processing unit 33 is also configured to convert, by the first communication unit 31, a signal received by the second communication unit 321 from the device 50 through the connection line 80 into a communication signal (second communication signal) conforming to power line carrier communication and output the signal. That is, the processing unit 33 may simply have a function of relaying signals between the first communication unit 31 and the second communication unit 321. In addition, the processing unit 33 may have a function of controlling the device 50 in accordance with the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31. The processing unit 33 may also have a function of collecting information from the device 50 via the second communication unit 321 and sending the information from the first communication unit 31 to the management device 60 via the wiring duct 40.

[0079] The power supply unit 34 is a circuit for supplying operating power to the processing unit 33. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 34 generates power required to drive the processing unit 33 by using the output (second power) of the conversion unit 322 of the output unit 32. The power supply unit 34 may be a power supply circuit including one or more DC-DC converters. Such a power supply circuit may have a conventionally well-known configuration, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] The notification unit 35 may have one or more display devices. Examples of the display device include a lamp such as a light-emitting diode. The notification unit 35 may have an electroacoustic transducer such as a speaker or a buzzer in addition to or instead of a display device. That is, the notification by the notification unit 35 is not limited to a visual notification, but may also be an auditory notification. For example, the processing unit 33 may cause the notification unit 35 to notify the status of the connection device 10 (whether the connection device 10 is operating normally or has stopped due to an abnormality). Alternatively, the processing unit 33 may cause the notification unit 35 to make a notification in response to the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31.

[0081] The operation unit 36 ​​is a circuit for changing or initializing the settings of the connection device 10. The operation unit 36 ​​may include, for example, one or more switches. Examples of switches include conventionally known switches such as a dip switch, a slide switch, and a push switch. An example of changing the settings of the connection device 10 is switching between master and slave. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 36 ​​is exposed on the outer surface 240d of the main body 24.

[0082] (1.3) Installation method The connection device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the lever 212 is operated as necessary to set the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b to the first position. In this state, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. If the connection device 10 is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44, preventing the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from being inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. This prevents incorrect connection. In other words, the possibility of incorrectly attaching the connection device 10 to the wiring duct 40 is reduced. On the other hand, if the connection device 10 is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44. Therefore, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b can be inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40 without being hindered.

[0083] After the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 is operated to move the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from the first position to the second position. As a result, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 9 , the pair of protrusions 213, 213 of each of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are physically supported on both edge portions of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in the first coupling portion 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. As a result, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct 40.

[0084] The connection device 10 has first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protruding from both sides of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. When the main body portion 24 is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b can function as a portion that reduces shaking of the main body portion 24 along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, the connection device 10 can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0085] Furthermore, the connection device 10 has a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) in a first region 2411a and a second region 2411b of the duct-facing surface 2411 that face the wiring duct 40, respectively. When the main body 24 is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) contacts a first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. The second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) contacts a second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, at least one of the first and second contact portions can function as a portion that reduces shaking of the main body 24 along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, the connection device 10 can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0086] Furthermore, the connection device 10 includes a connecting portion 26 having a connecting hole 26a for connecting to the string-like body 93. This allows the connection device 10 to be easily connected to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93. Even if the duct connection portion 21 of the connection device 10 becomes detached from the wiring duct 40, the connection device 10 remains suspended from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility that the connection device 10 will fall from the wiring duct 40. In particular, the connecting portion 26 is a separate member from the main body 24 and is fixed to the main body 24. This allows the connecting portion 26 to be formed of a material stronger than the main body 24. This reduces the possibility that the connecting portion 26 will break and the connection device 10 will fall when the connection device 10 is suspended from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. Therefore, the presence of the connecting portion 26 makes it easy to connect the connection device 10 and the wiring duct 40 with the string-like body 93, and also reduces the possibility that the connection device 10 will fall off the wiring duct 40.

[0087] (1.4) Lifting equipment 3 and 4, a sling 90 is used to connect the connection device 10 to the wiring duct 40 with a string-like body 93. The sling 90 is used together with the connection device 10 to prevent the connection device 10 from falling. In other words, the sling 90 can reduce the possibility that the connection device 10 will fall from the wiring duct 40.

[0088] In order to reduce the possibility of the connection device 10 falling from the wiring duct 40 when the connection device 10 is unintentionally detached from the wiring duct 40, it is conceivable to connect the connection device 10 to the wiring duct 40 with a string-like body 93. However, since the wiring duct 40 generally does not have a portion for attaching the string-like body 93, attaching the string-like body 93 to the wiring duct 40 is troublesome. However, the hanging tool 90 makes it possible to easily attach the string-like body 93 to the wiring duct 40. Therefore, it becomes easy to connect the connection device 10 and the wiring duct 40 with the string-like body 93.

[0089] The suspender 90 includes a main body 91, a connecting portion 92, a string-like body 93, and a coupling 94. The main body 91 is connected to the coupling portion 26 of the connection device 10 via the string-like body 93. The main body 91 is circular and box-shaped. The main body 91 has a first surface (the upper surface in FIGS. 3 and 4) and a second surface (the lower surface in FIGS. 3 and 4) in the thickness direction. However, the shape of the main body 91 is not limited to a circular box shape and may be a polygonal box shape. The connecting portion 92 is used to attach the suspender 90 to the wiring duct 40. The connecting portion 92 is provided on the first surface in the thickness direction of the main body 91. The connecting portion 92 includes a protrusion 921 and a pair of projections 922, 922. The protrusion 921 protrudes from the first surface in the thickness direction of the main body 91. The protrusion 921 is cylindrical. The protrusion 921 itself is sized to pass through the opening 43 of the case 42. A pair of protrusions 922, 922 protrude from both sides of the protrusion 921. The width of the pair of protrusions 922, 922 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the protrusion 921. The string-like body 93 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the string-like body 93 is fixed to a second surface of the main body 91 in the thickness direction. The second end of the string-like body 93 is fixed to the connector 94. Examples of the string-like body 93 include a string and a wire. The string-like body 93 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that it has strength sufficient to at least withstand the weight of the connection device 10. The connector 94 is used to easily attach the string-like body 93 to the connecting portion 26. The connector 94 is connected to the connecting portion 26 by passing a portion of the connector 94 through the connecting hole 26a of the connecting portion 26. In this embodiment, the connector 94 is a so-called snap hook, but is not limited to a snap hook.

[0090] The suspender 90 is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the orientation of the suspender 90 relative to the wiring duct 40 is adjusted so that the pair of protrusions 922, 922 of the connection portion 92 are aligned in the length direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. In this state, the connection portion 92 is inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. After the connection portion 92 is inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the suspender 90 is rotated so that the pair of protrusions 922, 922 of the connection portion 92 are aligned in the width direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. As a result, the pair of protrusions 922, 922 are physically supported by both edge portions (first and second portions 424, 425) of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. As a result, the suspender 90 is physically attached to the wiring duct 40.

[0091] Then, the coupling member 94 of the suspender 90 is fixed to the coupling portion 26 of the connection device 10. In this manner, the main body 91 of the suspender 90 and the connection device 10 can be coupled with the string-like body 93. This results in the connection device 10 being coupled to the wiring duct 40 via the string-like body 93. Therefore, the suspender 90 makes it possible to easily attach the string-like body 93 to the wiring duct 40. In other words, coupling the connection device 10 and the wiring duct 40 with the string-like body 93 becomes easy.

[0092] (2) Variations The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Modifications of the above-described embodiments are listed below.

[0093] (2.1) Variation 1 10 to 14 show connection device 10A of modified example 1. Connection device 10A has a housing 20A that is different from housing 20 of connection device 10. Housing 20A includes a main body 24A and a holding portion 25. Main body 24A of housing 20A is different from main body 24 of housing 20, but holding portion 25 of housing 20A is the same as holding portion 25 of housing 20. In the following, to avoid redundant explanation, components common to connection device 10A and connection device 10 will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

[0094] Like the main body 24, the main body 24A is a housing that houses the circuit block 30. The main body 24A has a first surface (upper surface in FIG. 10) 240a and a second surface (lower surface in FIG. 10) 240b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24A is one surface of the main body 24A facing the wiring duct 40 (wiring duct mounting surface). The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24A is one surface of the main body 24A opposite to the wiring duct 40. The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24A serves as a mounting surface (holding portion mounting surface) for physically mounting the holding portion 25. The main body 24A also has an outer circumferential surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c to 240f.

[0095] 11, the main body 24A includes, on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24A, a base 241, first and second wall portions 246a, 246b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, a plurality of restricting portions 245, and a pair of connecting portions 26. In the first modification, the base 241, the plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and the plurality of restricting portions 245 are the same as those in the above embodiment.

[0096] The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are provided to improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40. The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from a first surface 240a of the main body portion 24A, which includes the duct-facing surface 2411. More specifically, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from the center of the duct-facing surface 2411. As shown in FIG. 14 , the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b face first and second inner surfaces 431, 432, respectively, in the width direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24A is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21.

[0097] More specifically, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24A facing the wiring duct 40, and are located at the center of the duct-facing surface 2411. In particular, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude in the normal direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are located at the center of the duct-facing surface 2411 in the width direction. The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b oppose each other in the width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b extend linearly along the length direction of the duct-facing surface 2411, and have the same length as the duct-facing surface 2411.

[0098] In the first modification, the heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are set so that, in the attached state, the tips of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are located between the center of the wiring duct 40 and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40. Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be set so that, in the attached state, the tips of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are located between the first and second conductors 41a, 41b and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the distance between the first wall portion 246a and the second wall portion 246b may be set so that, in the attached state, at least one of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b comes into contact with the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24A sways along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. In particular, the distance between the first wall portion 246a and the first inner surface 431 of the wiring duct 40 and the distance between the second wall portion 246b and the second inner surface 432 of the wiring duct 40 may each be 0.5 mm or less, for example, 0.2 mm. Of course, when the main body portion 24A is held in the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first wall portion 246a and the second wall portion 246b may be in contact with the first and second inner surfaces 431, 432 of the wiring duct 40, respectively.

[0099] 12, mounting holes 2401 for mounting the duct connector 21 are formed on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24A. Two mounting holes 2401 are provided on the first surface 240a. A plurality of (here, two) screw holes 2402 are formed around each mounting hole 2401 on the first surface 240a. A recess 2403 is formed on the first surface 240a in an area including the mounting hole 2401 and the two corresponding screw holes 2402. The recess 2403 is rectangular. The mounting hole 2401 and the two corresponding screw holes 2402 are located on the bottom surface of the recess 2403. Furthermore, a first support portion 2404 and a second support portion 2405 are formed around each mounting hole 2401 on the first surface 240a. The first support portion 2404 and the second support portion 2405 support the lever 212 so that it does not come into contact with the connecting portion 26. The first support portion 2404 is located on the first surface 240a between the mounting hole 2401 and the base portion 241. The first support portion 2404 is an arc-shaped protrusion in a plan view. The first support portion 2404 is arranged along the portion of the mounting hole 2401 on the base portion 241 side. The first support portion 2404 is integrally formed on the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24A. The first support portion 2404 is used as a fitting protrusion of the main body portion 24A. The second support portion 2405 is located on the opposite side of the mounting hole 2401 from the base portion 241 on the first surface 240a. The second support portion 2405 is a linear protrusion in a plan view. The second support portion 2405 is located between two restriction portions 245 corresponding to the mounting hole 2401. The first support portion 2404 and the second support portion 2405 are lower than the restricting portion 245. In this modification, the tip surfaces of the first support portion 2404 and the second support portion 2405 are on the same plane.

[0100] The connecting portion 26 is used to connect the connection device 10A to the wiring duct 40 using a string-like body 93 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The connecting portion 26 of this modified example is similar to that of the above embodiment. However, in this modified example, the fitting space 260a of the flat plate portion 260 is provided so that the first support portion 2404 fits into and passes through. The flat plate portion 260 also has a plurality of holes 260b (two in this example). The two holes 260b are used to fix the connecting portion 26 to the main body portion 24 with screws. The connecting portion 26 is disposed in a recess 2403 of the main body portion 24A, and the first support portion 2404 provided on the main body portion 24A fits into the fitting space 260a of the connecting portion 26. Then, by inserting a screw through the hole 260b of the flat plate portion 260 and connecting it to the screw hole 2402 of the main body portion 24A, the connecting portion 26 is fixed to the main body portion 24A. In this modified example, the connecting portion 26 is made of metal. As an example, the connecting portion 26 can be formed by punching and bending a metal plate. The connecting portion 26 is a separate member from the main body portion 24A and is fixed to the main body portion 24A.

[0101] In this modification, the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b of the duct connection portion 21 are attached to the main body portion 24A using the attachment holes 2401 of the main body portion 24A. That is, the protrusions 211 of the first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b are inserted into the attachment holes 2401 so as to be rotatable around their central axes. The connecting portion 26 and the first and second support portions 2404 and 2405 are located around the attachment holes 2401 of the main body portion 24A. As shown in FIG. 13 , the flat portion 260 and the first and second support portions 2404 and 2405 of the connecting portion 26 are located between the first surface 240a and the lever 212. The first and second support portions 2404 and 2405 support the lever 212 so that it does not come into contact with the connecting portion 26 (flat portion 260).

[0102] The connection device 10A is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the lever 212 is operated as necessary to set the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b to the first position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 14 . In this state, the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. If the connection device 10A is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44, preventing the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b from being inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. This prevents incorrect connection. In other words, the possibility of incorrectly attaching the connection device 10A to the wiring duct 40 is reduced. On the other hand, if the connection device 10A is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44. Therefore, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b can be inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40 without being hindered.

[0103] After the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 is operated to move the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from the first position to the second position. As a result, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 14 , the pair of protrusions 213, 213 of each of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are physically supported on both edge portions of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in the first coupling portion 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. As a result, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct 40.

[0104] The connection device 10A has first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protruding from the center of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. When the main body portion 24A is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b face first and second inner side surfaces 431, 432, respectively, in the width direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24A vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b abuts on the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24A. Therefore, the connection device 10A can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0105] Furthermore, the connection device 10A has a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) in a first region 2411a and a second region 2411b of the duct facing surface 2411 that face the wiring duct 40, respectively. When the main body 24A is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) contacts a first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. The second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) contacts a second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body 24A vibrates in the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body 24A. Therefore, the connection device 10A can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0106] Furthermore, the connection device 10A includes a connecting portion 26 having a connecting hole 26a for connecting to the string-like body 93. Therefore, the connection device 10A can be connected to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93. Even if the duct connection portion 21 of the connection device 10A becomes detached from the wiring duct 40, the connection device 10A is suspended from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility of the connection device 10A falling. In particular, the connecting portion 26 is a separate member from the main body 24A and is fixed to the main body 24A. Therefore, the connecting portion 26 can be formed of a material stronger than the main body 24A. Therefore, when the connection device 10A is suspended from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93, the possibility of the connection device 10A falling due to damage to the connecting portion 26 is reduced.

[0107] (2.2) Variation 2 15 to 18 show connection device 10B of modified example 2. Connection device 10B has a housing 20B that is different from housing 20 of connection device 10. Housing 20B includes a main body 24B and a holding portion 25. Main body 24B of housing 20B is different from main body 24 of housing 20, but holding portion 25 of housing 20B is the same as holding portion 25 of housing 20. In the following, to avoid redundant explanation, components common to connection device 10B and connection device 10 or connection device 10A will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

[0108] Like the main body 24, the main body 24B is a housing that houses the circuit block 30. The main body 24B has a first surface (upper surface in FIG. 15) 240a and a second surface (lower surface in FIG. 15) 240b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24B is one surface of the main body 24B facing the wiring duct 40 (wiring duct mounting surface). The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24B is one surface of the main body 24B opposite to the wiring duct 40. The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24B serves as a mounting surface (holding portion mounting surface) for physically mounting the holding portion 25. The main body 24B also has an outer circumferential surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c to 240f.

[0109] As shown in Fig. 16, the main body 24B has a base portion 241 and first and second wall portions 242a, 242b on a first surface 240a. Furthermore, the main body 24B has a plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a plurality of restricting portions 247a, 247b on the first surface 240a. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 17, the first surface 240a of the main body 24B has an attachment hole 2401, a support portion 2406, and a locking protrusion 2407.

[0110] The mounting holes 2401 are holes for mounting the duct connector 21. In this modification, two mounting holes 2401 are provided in the first surface 240a.

[0111] The support portions 2406 are formed around the respective mounting holes 2401 on the first surface 240a. The support portions 2406 support the levers 212. The support portions 2406 are annular protrusions. The support portions 2406 protrude from the first surface 240a so as to surround the mounting holes 2401. The support portions 2406 are formed integrally with the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24B.

[0112] A locking protrusion 2407 is provided on each support portion 2406. The locking protrusion 2407 is formed on the support portion 2406 so as to fit into the locking hole 2121 of the lever 212 when the lever 212 of the duct connection portion 21 is in a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position is the position of the lever 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position where it cannot pass through the opening 43 (i.e., the second position).

[0113] The first and second wall portions 242a and 242b are similar to those in the above embodiment, except that in this modification, the first and second wall portions 242a and 242b do not have the tapered surfaces 2423a and 2423b.

[0114] The plurality of (here, five) first protrusions 244a constitute a first contact portion. The five first protrusions 244a are located in a region facing the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 on the first surface 240a including the duct-facing surface 2411. The central three of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are located within the duct-facing surface 2411, while the two at both ends are located outside the duct-facing surface 2411. However, the two at both ends of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are partially located within the duct-facing surface 2411. The tips of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are at the same height (i.e., on the same plane). The plurality of (here, five) second protrusions 244b constitute a second contact portion. The five second protrusions 244b are located in a region facing the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 on the first surface 240a including the duct-facing surface 2411. The central three of the multiple second protrusions 244b are located within the duct-facing surface 2411, while the two at both ends are located outside the duct-facing surface 2411. However, the two at both ends of the multiple second protrusions 244b are partially located within the duct-facing surface 2411. Furthermore, the tips of the multiple second protrusions 244b are at the same height (i.e., on the same plane). Furthermore, the tips of the multiple first protrusions 244a and the multiple second protrusions 244b are at the same height.

[0115] The restricting portions 247a and 247b are provided to limit the rotation range of the lever 212. More specifically, the restricting portions 247a and 247b are each a protrusion that protrudes from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24B. The restricting portions 247a and 247b are each a rectangular protrusion.

[0116] Each of the restricting portions 247a, 247b contacts the lever 212 to restrict the rotation range of the lever 212. In this modified example, the restricting portions 247a, 247b restrict the rotation range of the lever 212 between a first restriction position and a second restriction position. The first restriction position is a position where the corresponding connecting portion (first connecting portion 21a or second connecting portion 21b) is located at the first position. The second restriction position is a position where the corresponding connecting portion (first connecting portion 21a or second connecting portion 21b) is located at the second position. In this modified example, two sets of restricting portions 247a, 247b are provided on the main body portion 24B. One of the two sets of restricting portions 247a, 247b corresponds to the lever 212 of the first connecting portion 21a, and the other corresponds to the lever 212 of the second connecting portion 21b. 16, the two restricting portions 247a, 247b for the first coupling portion 21a are located at the end of the first surface 240a on the outer surface 240c side, and are positioned on both sides of the first coupling portion 21a in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. The two restricting portions 247a, 247b for the second coupling portion 21b are located at the end of the first surface 240a on the outer surface 240e side, and are positioned on both sides of the second coupling portion 21b in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. In this modification, the two restricting portions 247a, 247b are integrally formed on the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24B.

[0117] Here, the restricting portion 247b has a connecting hole 2470. The connecting hole 2470 penetrates the restricting portion 247b in the width direction. Therefore, the restricting portion 247b has a U-shape in a side view. The connecting hole 2470 is used for connecting to the string-like body 93. In other words, the restricting portion 247b makes it possible to connect the connection device 10B to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93. Even if the duct connector 21 of the connection device 10B comes off the wiring duct 40, the connection device 10B hangs from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility that the connection device 10B will fall. In other words, in this modification, the restricting portion 247b plays the role of the connecting portion 26 in the above embodiment and modification 1. In other words, the restricting portion 247b also serves as the connecting portion 26.

[0118] The connection device 10B is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the lever 212 is operated as necessary to set the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b to the first position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 18 . In this state, the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. If the connection device 10B is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44, preventing the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b from being inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. This prevents incorrect connection. In other words, the possibility of incorrectly attaching the connection device 10B to the wiring duct 40 is reduced. On the other hand, if the connection device 10B is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44. Therefore, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b can be inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40 without being hindered.

[0119] After the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 is operated to move the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from the first position to the second position. As a result, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 18 , the pair of protrusions 213, 213 of each of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are physically supported on both edge portions of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in the first coupling portion 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. As a result, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct 40.

[0120] The connection device 10B has first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protruding from both sides of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. When the main body portion 24B is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24B vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b abuts on the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24B. Therefore, the connection device 10B can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0121] Furthermore, the connection device 10B has a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b). When the main body portion 24B is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) contacts a first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. The second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) contacts a second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24B vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24B. Therefore, the connection device 10B can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0122] Furthermore, connection device 10B includes restriction portion 247b having connection hole 2470 for connection with string-like body 93. Therefore, connection device 10B can be connected to wiring duct 40 using string-like body 93, and even if duct connector 21 of connection device 10B comes off wiring duct 40, connection device 10B will hang from wiring duct 40 by string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility that connection device 10B will fall.

[0123] (2.3) Variation 3 19 to 22 show connection device 10C of Modification 3. Connection device 10C has a housing 20C that is different from housing 20 of connection device 10. Housing 20C includes a main body 24C and a holding portion 25. Main body 24C of housing 20C is different from main body 24 of housing 20, but holding portion 25 of housing 20C is the same as holding portion 25 of housing 20. In the following, to avoid redundant explanation, components common to connection device 10C and connection device 10, connection device 10A, or connection device 10B will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

[0124] Like the main body 24, the main body 24C is a housing that houses the circuit block 30. The main body 24C has a first surface (upper surface in FIG. 19) 240a and a second surface (lower surface in FIG. 19) 240b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24C is one surface of the main body 24C facing the wiring duct 40 (wiring duct mounting surface). The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24C is one surface of the main body 24C opposite to the wiring duct 40. The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24C serves as a mounting surface (holding portion mounting surface) for physically mounting the holding portion 25. The main body 24C also has an outer circumferential surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c to 240f.

[0125] 20, the main body 24C includes a base 241, first and second wall portions 246a, 246b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a plurality of restricting portions 247a, 247b on a first surface 240a. Also, as shown in FIG. 21, the first surface 240a of the main body 24C includes an attachment hole 2401, a support portion 2406, and a locking protrusion 2407.

[0126] The connection device 10C is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the lever 212 is operated as necessary to set the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b to the first position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 22 . In this state, the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. If the connection device 10C is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44, preventing the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b from being inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. This prevents incorrect connection. In other words, the possibility of incorrectly attaching the connection device 10C to the wiring duct 40 is reduced. On the other hand, if the connection device 10C is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44. Therefore, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b can be inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40 without being hindered.

[0127] After the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 is operated to move the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from the first position to the second position. As a result, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 22 , the pair of protrusions 213, 213 of each of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are physically supported on both edge portions of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in the first coupling portion 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. As a result, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct 40.

[0128] The connection device 10C has first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protruding from the center of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. When the main body portion 24C is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b face first and second inner side surfaces 431, 432, respectively, in the width direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24C vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b abuts on the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24C. Therefore, the connection device 10C can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0129] Furthermore, the connection device 10C has a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b). When the main body portion 24C is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21, the first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) contacts a first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. The second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) contacts a second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24C vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24C. Therefore, the connection device 10C can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0130] Furthermore, connection device 10C includes restriction portion 247b having connection hole 2470 for connection with string-like body 93. Therefore, connection device 10C can be connected to wiring duct 40 using string-like body 93, and even if duct connection portion 21 of connection device 10C comes off wiring duct 40, connection device 10C will hang from wiring duct 40 by string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility of connection device 10C falling.

[0131] (2.4) Variation 4 23 to 27 show connection device 10D of Modification 4. Connection device 10D has a housing 20D that is different from housing 20 of connection device 10. Housing 20D includes a main body 24D and a holding portion 25. Main body 24D of housing 20D is different from main body 24 of housing 20, but holding portion 25 of housing 20D is the same as holding portion 25 of housing 20. In the following, to avoid redundant explanation, components common to connection device 10D and connection device 10 will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

[0132] Like the main body 24, the main body 24D is a housing portion that houses the circuit block 30. The main body 24D has a first surface (upper surface in FIG. 23) 240a and a second surface (lower surface in FIG. 23) 240b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24D is one surface of the main body 24D facing the wiring duct 40 (wiring duct mounting surface). The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24D is one surface of the main body 24D facing away from the wiring duct 40. The second surface 240b in the thickness direction of the main body 24D serves as a mounting surface (holding portion mounting surface) for physically mounting the holding portion 25. The main body 24D also has an outer circumferential surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c to 240f.

[0133] 24, the main body 24D includes a base 241, first and second walls 248a, 248b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a pair of connecting portions 26D on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24D. In the fourth modification, the base 241 and the plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b are the same as those in the above embodiment.

[0134] The first wall 248a includes a first wall portion 2480a, a pair of extension portions 2484a, 2484a, and a pair of restriction portions 2485a, 2485a. The first wall portion 2480a, the pair of extension portions 2484a, 2484a, and the pair of restriction portions 2485a, 2485a are integrally formed. The first wall 248a is also integrally formed with the main body 24D. Similarly, the second wall 248b includes a second wall portion 2480b, a pair of extension portions 2484b, 2484b, and a pair of restriction portions 2485b, 2485b. The second wall portion 2480b, the pair of extension portions 2484b, 2484b, and the pair of restriction portions 2485b, 2485b are also integrally formed. The second wall 248 is also integrally formed with the main body 24D.

[0135] The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are provided to improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24D, which includes the duct-facing surface 2411. More specifically, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411. As shown in FIG. 27 , the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24D is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21.

[0136] More specifically, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24D facing the wiring duct 40, and are located at the center of the duct facing surface 2411. In particular, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude in the normal direction of the duct facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are located at the center of the duct facing surface 2411 in the width direction. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b oppose each other in the width direction of the duct facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b extend linearly along the length direction of the duct facing surface 2411, and have the same length as the duct facing surface 2411.

[0137] The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b have surfaces (outer surfaces) 2481a, 2481b opposite the duct facing surface 2411, and the outer surfaces 2481a, 2481b extend from the first surface 240a of the main body portion 24D. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b also have surfaces (inner surfaces) 2482a, 2482b on the duct facing surface 2411 side, and the inner surfaces 2482a, 2482b extend from the duct facing surface 2411. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b also have tapered surfaces 2483a, 2483b on their tip ends that connect to the inner surfaces 2482a, 2482b. Here, the tapered surface 2483a becomes more distant from the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 than the inner side surface 2482a as it moves away from the duct opposing surface 2411. The tapered surface 2483b becomes more distant from the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 than the inner side surface 2482b as it moves away from the duct opposing surface 2411. In other words, the tapered surfaces 2483a and 2483b make it easier to insert the wiring duct 40 between the first and second wall portions 2480a and 2480b.

[0138] In the fourth modification, the heights of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are set so that, in the attached state, the tips of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are located between the center of the wiring duct 40 and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40. Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b may be set so that, in the attached state, the tips of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are located between the first and second conductors 41a, 41b and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the distance between the first wall portion 2480a and the second wall portion 2480b may be set so that, in the attached state, at least one of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b comes into contact with the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24D sways along the width direction of the wiring duct 40. In particular, the distance between the first wall portion 2480a and the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 and the distance between the second wall portion 2480b and the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 may each be 0.5 mm or less, for example, 0.2 mm. Of course, when the main body portion 24D is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first wall portion 2480a and the second wall portion 2480b may be in contact with the first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 of the wiring duct 40, respectively.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 24, the pair of extensions 2484a extend from both longitudinal sides of the first wall portion 2480a along the longitudinal direction of the first wall portion 2480a. The pair of extensions 2484a face the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b, respectively, in the width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. Each of the pair of extensions 2484a has a rectangular plate shape. The pair of extensions 2484a have the same height as the first wall portion 2480a but are smaller in width than the first wall portion 2480a. Furthermore, the surface of the pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a opposite the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b is flush with the outer surface 2481a of the first wall portion 2480a. Furthermore, a connecting hole 2486a penetrating the extension 2484a in the thickness direction is formed in the extension 2484a facing the second coupling portion 21b. The connecting hole 2486a is a hole for connecting to the string-like body 93. The extension 2484a having the connecting hole 2486a functions as a connecting portion for connecting to the string-like body 93.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 24, the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b extend from both longitudinal sides of the second wall portion 2480b along the longitudinal direction of the second wall portion 2480b. The pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b face the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b, respectively, in the width direction of the duct-facing surface 2411. Each of the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b has a rectangular plate shape. The pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b has the same height as the second wall portion 2480b but a smaller width than the second wall portion 2480b. Furthermore, the surface of the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b opposite the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b is flush with the outer surface 2481b of the second wall portion 2480b. Furthermore, a connecting hole 2486b penetrating the extension 2484b in the thickness direction is formed in the extension 2484b facing the first coupling portion 21a. The connecting hole 2486b is a hole for connecting to the string-like body 93. The extension 2484b having the connecting hole 2486b functions as a connecting portion for connecting to the string-like body 93.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 24, the pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a extend from the pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a, respectively, toward the opposite side of the first wall portion 2480a. The pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a are each rectangular parallelepiped protrusions. The pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a have the same width as the pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a, but are shorter in height than the pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 24, the pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b extend from the pair of extending portions 2484b, 2484b, respectively, toward the opposite side of the second wall portion 2480b. The pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b are each rectangular parallelepiped protrusions. The pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b has the same width as the pair of extending portions 2484b, 2484b, but is lower in height than the pair of extending portions 2484b, 2484b.

[0142] These restricting portions 2485a, 2485b are provided to limit the rotation range of the lever 212. The restricting portions 2485a, 2485b can prevent the lever 212 from being rotated too far. This reduces the possibility of damage to the duct connection portion 21. More specifically, the restricting portions 2485a, 2485b limit the rotation range of the lever 212 by coming into contact with the lever 212. The restricting portions 2485a, 2485b limit the rotation range of the lever 212 to between a position where the corresponding coupling portion (first coupling portion 21a or second coupling portion 21b) is located at the first position and a position where the corresponding coupling portion (first coupling portion 21a or second coupling portion 21b) is located at the second position.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 25, mounting holes 2401 for mounting the duct connector 21 are formed on a first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24D. Two mounting holes 2401 are provided on the first surface 240a. Furthermore, a plurality of (here, two) screw holes 2402 are formed around each mounting hole 2401 on the first surface 240a. Furthermore, a recess 2403 is formed on the first surface 240a in an area including the mounting hole 2401 and the two corresponding screw holes 2402. The recess 2403 is rectangular. The mounting hole 2401 and the two corresponding screw holes 2402 are located on the bottom surface of the recess 2403. Furthermore, support portions 2408 are formed on the first surface 240a around each mounting hole 2401. The support portions 2408 support the lever 212 so that it does not come into contact with the connecting portion 26D. The support portion 2408 is cylindrical and surrounds the mounting hole 2401 on the first surface 240a. The support portion 2408 is integrally formed on the first surface 240a of the main body 24D. The support portion 2408 is lower than the restricting portions 2485a and 2485b. Furthermore, a locking hole 2409 is provided on the first surface 240a in the thickness direction of the main body 24D. Two locking holes 2409 are provided on the first surface 240a. The two locking holes 2409 are located at positions corresponding to the connecting hole 2486a of the first wall 248a and the connecting hole 2486b of the second wall 248b, respectively.

[0144] The connecting portion 26D is used to connect the connection device 10D to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The connecting portion 26D is made of metal. As an example, the connecting portion 26D can be formed by punching and bending a metal plate. The connecting portion 26D is a separate member from the main body 24D and is fixed to the main body 24D. The connecting portion 26D has a connecting hole 26a for connection to the string-like body 93. More specifically, the connecting portion 26D has a flat plate portion 262, a protruding portion 263, and a locking portion 264. The flat plate portion 262 has a rectangular plate shape overall. The flat plate portion 262 is sized to fit into a recess 2403 of the main body 24D. The depth of the recess 2403 is smaller than the thickness of the flat plate portion 262. The flat plate portion 262 has an opening 262a. The opening 262a is provided to expose the mounting hole 2401 and the support portion 2408. The flat plate portion 262 also has a plurality of (here, two) holes 262b. The holes 262b are used to fix the connecting portion 26D to the main body portion 24D with screws S14. The connecting portion 26D also has a locking protrusion 262c. The locking protrusion 262c is formed on the flat plate portion 262 so as to fit into the locking hole 2121 of the lever 212 of the duct connection portion 21 when the lever 212 is in a predetermined position. The protrusion 263 protrudes from the flat plate portion 262 in a direction away from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24D. The protrusion 263 protrudes from one end of the flat plate portion 262 in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 263 is plate-shaped. Here, the connecting hole 26a is provided in the protrusion 263. This gives protrusion 263 an appearance of a U-shape. Protrusion 263 has connection hole 26a, which makes it easy to connect connection device 10D and wiring duct 40 using string-like body 93. Locking portion 264 extends from the one end in the length direction of flat plate portion 262 along the length direction of flat plate portion 262. Locking portion 264 is in the shape of a rectangular plate.

[0145] As shown in FIG. 26 , the connecting portion 26D is disposed in a recess 2403 of the main body portion 24D, and the support portion 2408 provided on the main body portion 24D is exposed from the opening 262a of the connecting portion 26D. At this time, the locking portion 264 is inserted into the main body portion 24D through the locking hole 2409 of the main body portion 24D. Then, the connecting portion 26D is fixed to the main body portion 24D by engaging the screw S14 through the hole 262b of the flat plate portion 262 and the screw hole 2402 of the main body portion 24D. Because the connecting portion 26D can be fixed to the main body portion 24D by the flat plate portion 262 in this manner, the strength of the fixation of the connecting portion 26D to the main body portion 24D can be improved. Furthermore, the locking portion 264 of the connecting portion 26D enters the main body portion 24D through the locking hole 2409. This also improves the strength of the fixation of the connecting portion 26D to the main body portion 24D. Here, in the connecting portion 26D corresponding to the first coupling portion 21a, as shown in FIG. 26, the connecting hole 26a faces the connecting hole 2486b of the second wall 248b. That is, the string-like body 93 is connected to the connection device 10D using the connecting holes 26a and 2486b. Also, in the connecting portion 26D corresponding to the second coupling portion 21b, the connecting hole 26a is connected to the connecting hole 2486a of the first wall 248a. That is, the string-like body 93 is connected to the connection device 10D using the connecting holes 26a and 2486b. This allows the string-like body 93 to be directly connected to both the connecting portion 26D and the main body 24D. This improves the strength of the connection of the string-like body 93 to the connection device 10D.

[0146] In this modification, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b of the duct connection portion 21 are attached to the main body portion 24D using the attachment holes 2401 of the main body portion 24D. That is, the protrusions 211 of the first coupling portion 21a and the second coupling portion 21b are inserted into the attachment holes 2401 so as to be rotatable around their central axes. Here, the main body portion 24D has a support portion 2408 located around the attachment hole 2401. As shown in FIG. 26 , the flat portion 262 of the coupling portion 26D is located between the first surface 240a and the lever 212. The support portion 2408 supports the lever 212 so that it does not come into contact with the coupling portion 26D (flat portion 262).

[0147] The connection device 10D is attached to the wiring duct 40 as follows. First, the lever 212 is operated as necessary to set the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b to the first position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 27 . In this state, the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. If the connection device 10D is incorrectly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44, preventing the first and second coupling portions 21a and 21b from being inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. This prevents incorrect connection. In other words, the possibility of incorrectly attaching the connection device 10D to the wiring duct 40 is reduced. On the other hand, if the connection device 10D is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the base 241 will not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 44. Therefore, the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b can be inserted into the case 42 of the wiring duct 40 without being hindered.

[0148] After the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are inserted into the case 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 is operated to move the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b from the first position to the second position. As a result, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 27 , the pair of protrusions 213, 213 of each of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are physically supported on both edge portions of the opening 43 of the case 42 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in the first coupling portion 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. As a result, the duct connection portion 21 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct 40.

[0149] The connection device 10D has first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protruding from the center of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. When the main body portion 24D is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connection portion 21, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b face the first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. Therefore, even when the main body portion 24D vibrates along the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b abuts on the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body portion 24D. Therefore, the connection device 10D can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0150] Furthermore, the connection device 10D has a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b). Therefore, even when the main body 24D vibrates in the width direction of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the vibration of the main body 24D. Therefore, the connection device 10D can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40.

[0151] Furthermore, the connection device 10D includes a connecting portion 26D having a connecting hole 26a for connecting to the string-like body 93. Therefore, the connection device 10D can be connected to the wiring duct 40 using the string-like body 93. Even if the duct connection portion 21 of the connection device 10D comes off the wiring duct 40, the connection device 10D will hang from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93. This reduces the possibility of the connection device 10D falling. In particular, the connecting portion 26D is a separate member from the main body 24D and is fixed to the main body 24D. Therefore, the connecting portion 26D can be formed from a material stronger than the main body 24D. This reduces the possibility of the connection device 10D falling when the connection device 10D is hung from the wiring duct 40 by the string-like body 93 due to damage to the connecting portion 26D.

[0152] Furthermore, the connection device 10D includes a pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a and a pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b. These extensions 2484a, 2484b enable protection of the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b. For example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b will be unintentionally struck by an object and rotated, causing the coupling with the wiring duct 40 to be released. Furthermore, because the first and second coupling portions 21a, 21b are hidden by the extensions 2484a, 2484b, the aesthetic appearance (design) of the connection device 10D can be improved.

[0153] (2.5) Other Modifications In one modified example, the main body portion 24 may further include a first rib 249a and a second rib 249b, as shown in Fig. 28. In Fig. 28, a plurality of (three in this case) first ribs 249a and a plurality of (three in this case) second ribs 249b are provided.

[0154] The first ribs 249a protrude from the surface (inner surface) 2422a of the first wall portion 242a on the duct-opposing surface 2411 side. Furthermore, the three first ribs 249a are aligned at equal intervals along the length direction of the first wall portion 242a. The first ribs 249a are aligned with the first reinforcing portions 243a in the width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 28) of the first wall portion 242a. In other words, the first reinforcing portions 243a also serve to reinforce the first ribs 249a.

[0155] 29, the first rib 249a extends in the height direction of the first wall portion 242a. Here, the angle of the first rib 249a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is larger than the angle of the inner side surface 2422a of the first wall portion 242a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411. In other words, the first rib 249a approaches the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 more closely than the first wall portion 242a as it moves away from the duct-facing surface 2411. However, the angle of the first rib 249a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is 90° or less.

[0156] The second ribs 249b protrude from the surface (inner surface) 2422b of the second wall portion 242b on the duct-opposing surface 2411 side. Furthermore, the three second ribs 249b are aligned at equal intervals along the length direction of the second wall portion 242b. The second ribs 249b are aligned with the second reinforcing portions 243b in the width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 28) of the second wall portion 242b. In other words, the second reinforcing portions 243b also serve to reinforce the second ribs 249b.

[0157] 29, the second rib 249b extends in the height direction of the second wall portion 242b. Here, the angle of the second rib 249b with respect to the duct facing surface 2411 is larger than the angle of the inner side surface 2422b of the second wall portion 242b with respect to the duct facing surface 2411. In other words, the second rib 249b approaches the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 more closely than the second wall portion 242b as it moves away from the duct facing surface 2411. However, the angle of the second rib 249b with respect to the duct facing surface 2411 is 90° or less.

[0158] The connection device 10 has first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protruding from both sides of a duct-facing surface 2411 that faces the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, in Figures 28 and 29, the connection device 10 has first and second ribs 249a, 249b protruding from the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b toward the wiring duct 40. Therefore, when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the first and second ribs 249a, 249b face first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 of the wiring duct 40, respectively, in the width direction. Even when the main body 24 sways in the width direction of the wiring duct 40, the first wall 242a hits the wiring duct 40 via the first rib 249a, or the second wall 242b hits the wiring duct 40 via the second rib 249b. This reduces the shaking of the main body 24.

[0159] Furthermore, the first rib 249a approaches the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 more closely than the first wall portion 242a as it moves away from the duct-facing surface 2411. Furthermore, the second rib 249b approaches the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 more closely than the second wall portion 242b as it moves away from the duct-facing surface 2411. This increases the space between the first wall portion 242a and the second wall portion 242b. This facilitates attachment of the wiring duct 40 to the connection device 10. Furthermore, the first and second ribs 249a, 249b make it easier for the first wall portion 242a and the second wall portion 242b to indirectly contact the wiring duct 40. This reduces vibration of the main body 24 and improves the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40. In other words, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 can be improved while facilitating attachment of the wiring duct 40 to the connection device 10.

[0160] Such first ribs 249a and second ribs 249b can also be applied to the connection device 10B of Modification 2 and the connection device 10D of Modification 4. The number of first ribs 249a does not have to be two or more. The number of second ribs 249b does not have to be two or more. The first ribs 249a and the second ribs 249b do not have to be provided at the same time, and either the first rib 249a or the second rib 249b may be provided.

[0161] In one modified example, the structure of the connecting portion 26 is not limited to the above example. Furthermore, the connecting portion 26 does not necessarily have to be separate from the main body portion 24. The connecting portion 26 may be formed integrally with the main body portion 24. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, two connecting portions 26 are provided, but the number of connecting portions 26 is not particularly limited and may be one. Furthermore, the connecting portion 26 can be omitted. This also applies to the connecting portion 26D.

[0162] In one modified example, the predetermined position for the locking protrusion 260c may be the position of the lever 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position where it can pass through the opening 43 (i.e., the first position). Also, the locking protrusion 260c does not necessarily have to be provided on the connecting portion 26. For example, the locking protrusion 260c may be provided on the main body portion 24. Also, the locking protrusion 260c can be omitted. The same applies to the locking protrusion 262c.

[0163] In one modified example, the support portion 27 does not necessarily have to be separate from the main body portion 24. The support portion 27 may be formed integrally with the main body portion 24. Also, the support portion 27 can be omitted.

[0164] In one modified example, the first surface 240a does not necessarily have to include all of the base portion 241, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b, the plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b, the plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and the plurality of restricting portions 245. These may also be separate from the main body portion 24.

[0165] In one modified example, the base portion 241 does not have to be rectangular in plan view, but may be polygonal or circular. Furthermore, the duct-facing surface 2411 may be a part of the upper surface of the base portion 241, rather than the entire upper surface. Furthermore, the base portion 241 does not have to have the step 2412 on the duct-facing surface 2411.

[0166] In one modified example, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may be in direct contact with the first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221, respectively, in the width direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. Also, only parts, rather than the entirety, of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may face each other in the width direction of the duct facing surface 2411, and the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b do not necessarily have to face each other in the width direction of the duct facing surface 2411. In short, it is sufficient that the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from one surface (first surface 240a) of the main body portion 24 facing the wiring duct 40 and are located on both sides of the duct facing surface 2411. Each of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may be formed of a plurality of small wall portions aligned in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 at the duct connecting portion 21. The heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are not particularly limited. For example, the heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may be such that, in the attached state, the center of the wiring duct 40 is not necessarily located between the tips of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the duct-facing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40 (the vertical direction in FIG. 9). This also applies to the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b.

[0167] In one modified example, the number of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b is not limited to five as in the above embodiment. The number of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b may each be one or more. In one modified example, the structure of the first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b is not limited to the structure of the above embodiment. The first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b only need to have a structure that can reinforce the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b.

[0168] In one modified example, the heights of the first protrusions 244a and the second protrusions 244b are not particularly limited. Therefore, the height of the first contact portion (first protrusion 244a), i.e., the dimension between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first coupling portion 21a or the second coupling portion 21b and the first contact portion, does not have to be smaller than the thickness of the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the height of the second contact portion (second protrusion 244b), i.e., the dimension between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first coupling portion 21a or the second coupling portion 21b and the second contact portion, does not have to be smaller than the thickness of the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40. Furthermore, the first predetermined interval between the multiple (here, three) first protrusions 244a and the second predetermined interval between the multiple (here, three) second protrusions 244b may be different. Furthermore, the multiple (here, three) first protrusions 244a do not necessarily have to be aligned with the multiple (here, three) second protrusions 244b in the width direction of the duct-opposing surface 2411. Furthermore, the first and second protrusions 244a, 244b do not have to be hemispherical, and may be columnar, conical, or frustum-shaped, or may be polygonal or circular in plan view. Furthermore, the number of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b is not limited to five as in the above embodiment. The number of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b may each be one or more. Furthermore, at least one of a first contact portion (first protrusion 244a) and a second contact portion (second protrusion 244b) may be provided.

[0169] In one modified example, the restricting portion 245 does not necessarily have to be integral with the main body portion 24. The restricting portion 245 may be formed separately from the main body portion 24. As an example, the restricting portion 245 may be provided integrally with the connecting portion 26. Also, in the above embodiment, two restricting portions 245 are provided for one connecting portion, but the number of restricting portions 245 is not particularly limited and may be one. Also, the restricting portion 245 can be omitted. This also applies to the restricting portions 2485a and 2485b.

[0170] In one modified example, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be in direct contact with first and second inner side surfaces 431, 432, respectively, in the width direction of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24A is held in the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21. Furthermore, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b do not necessarily have to face each other in the width direction of the duct facing surface 2411. Note that each of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be composed of a plurality of small wall portions lined up in the length direction of the wiring duct 40 when the main body portion 24A is held in the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21. Furthermore, the heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are not particularly limited. For example, the height of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be such that, in the attached state, the tips of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are not necessarily between the center of the wiring duct 40 and the duct opposing surface 2411 in the thickness direction of the wiring duct 40 (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 14). Note that the attached state is a state in which the main body portion 24A is held to the wiring duct 40 by the duct connecting portion 21.

[0171] In one variation, the first and second walls 246a, 246b may be provided together with the first and second walls 242a, 242b or the first and second walls 2480a, 2480b.

[0172] In one modified example, the first and second support portions 2404, 2405 do not necessarily have to be integral with the main body portion 24A. The first and second support portions 2404, 2405 may be formed separately from the main body portion 24A. Furthermore, the first and second support portions 2404, 2405 can be omitted. Similarly, the support portion 2406 does not necessarily have to be integral with the main body portion 24B. The support portion 2406 can be formed separately from the main body portion 24B. Furthermore, the support portion 2406 can be omitted. This also applies to the support portion 2408.

[0173] In one modification, the predetermined position for the locking protrusion 2407 may be the position of the lever 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position where it can pass through the opening 43 (i.e., the first position). Also, the locking protrusion 2407 does not necessarily have to be provided on the support portion 2406. Also, the locking protrusion 2407 can be omitted.

[0174] In one modified example, the restricting portions 247a and 247b do not necessarily have to be integral with the main body portion 24B. The restricting portions 247a and 247b may be formed separately from the main body portion 24B and fixed to the main body portion 24B. In the modified example 3, two restricting portions 247a and 247b are provided for one connecting portion, but the number of restricting portions 247a and 247b is not particularly limited and may be one. Furthermore, the restricting portion 247b does not necessarily have to have the connecting hole 2470. Furthermore, the restricting portion 247a may also have the connecting hole 2470. The restricting portions 247a and 247b may be omitted.

[0175] The housings (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D) of the connection devices (10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) are not limited to the above configurations. In particular, the shapes of the duct connection unit 21, the device connection unit 22, and the auxiliary power supply unit 23 may be conventionally known as long as they can realize their functions. For example, the duct connection unit 21 only needs to be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 at at least one location. The shape of the duct connection unit 21 may be changed depending on the shape of the wiring duct 40. In addition, in the above embodiment, communication with the device 50 and power supply to the device 50 are performed by a single device connection unit 22. However, communication with the device 50 and power supply to the device 50 may be performed by separate device connection units 22. That is, in the output unit 32, the second communication unit 321 and the conversion unit 322 may be connected to the device 50 by different connection lines 80. Furthermore, the device connection unit 22 is not limited to a configuration in which it is connected to the device 50 by the connection line 80. The device connector 22 may be located on the second surface 240b of the main body (24, 24A to 24D). In this case, the connection between the connection line 80 and the device connector 22 can be hidden by the holder 25. The device connector 22 may be located on a protrusion protruding from the second surface 240b of the main body (24, 24A to 24D) rather than on the second surface 240b itself. In this case, the device connector 22 can be oriented in a direction different from the second surface 240b. For example, the connector 81 of the connection line 80 can be connected to the device connector 22 in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the second surface 240b. This allows the housing (20, 20A to 20D) to be made thinner. The housing (20, 20A to 20D) may have multiple device connectors 22, or may not have any device connectors 22. If the device connection unit 22 is not provided, the output unit 32 may wirelessly communicate with and supply power to the device 50. Furthermore, the auxiliary power supply unit 23 is not essential.

[0176] In one modified example, the structure of the main body portions (24, 24A to 24D) is not limited to the above example. As an example, the main body portions (24, 24A to 24D) are not limited to a flat box shape and may be a tall box shape. Furthermore, the main body portions (24, 24A to 24D) do not have to be square in plan view and may be polygonal, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, or circular.

[0177] In one modified example, the holding portion 25 may be integrally formed with the main body portion (24, 24A to 24D). The structure of the holding portion 25 is not limited to the above example. The housings (20, 20A to 20D) do not necessarily have to have the holding portion 25. That is, the housings (20, 20A to 20D) only need to have at least the main body portion (24, 24A to 24D).

[0178] In one modification, the circuit block 30 of the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) may have a battery and be configured to operate using power from the battery. In this case, the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) does not necessarily need to obtain power from the wiring duct 40. That is, the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) may not have the power supply unit 34. The connection device (10, 10A to 10D) may also have a charging circuit for charging the battery. This allows the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) to operate even when it cannot receive power from the wiring duct 40. The connection device (10, 10A to 10D) may not have the processing unit 33. In this case, it is sufficient that signals can be transmitted and received between the first communication unit 31 and the second communication unit 321 of the output unit 32. The connection device (10, 10A to 10D) may not have the notification unit 35 and the operation unit 36. In short, the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) only needs to have at least the housing 20, the first communication unit 31, and the output unit 32. Here, the first communication unit 31 only needs to have at least one of a receiving function and a transmitting function. Similarly, the second communication unit 321 only needs to have at least one of a receiving function and a transmitting function.

[0179] The wiring duct 40 is not particularly limited to the above configuration, and may have a conventionally known configuration (for example, a duct rail or a lighting rail). In other words, any rail installed within a facility to transmit power can be used as the wiring duct 40. In the above embodiment, the wiring duct 40 is installed on the ceiling of the facility, but it may also be installed on the wall of the facility. The installation location of the wiring duct 40 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the wiring duct 40 does not necessarily need to include the third conductor 41c, and in this case, the duct connection portion 21 does not need to have the third terminal 214c.

[0180] Furthermore, the management device 60 and the adapter 70 are not essential to the equipment system. That is, the equipment system only needs to include at least the connection devices (10, 10A to 10D), the wiring ducts 40, and the equipment 50. Furthermore, the numbers of the connection devices (10, 10A to 10D), the wiring ducts 40, and the equipment 50 are not particularly limited. In short, the equipment system only needs to include one or more connection devices (10, 10A to 10D), one or more wiring ducts 40, and one or more equipment 50. Note that if the equipment system includes multiple connection devices (10, 10A to 10D), the destination of the first communication signal may be specified by including the address of the connection device (10, 10A to 10D) in the first communication signal.

[0181] Furthermore, the facility in which the equipment system is installed is not limited to a factory, but may be a residence (e.g., a detached house or an apartment building) or a non-residential facility (e.g., a factory, a commercial facility, a hospital, an office, or a building).

[0182] The execution entity of the connection device described above includes a computer system. The computer system has a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the computer system's memory to realize the functions of the execution entity of the connection device in this disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the computer system's memory or provided via a telecommunications line. The program may also be provided by being stored on a non-transitory recording medium, such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive, that is readable by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). While ICs and LSIs are used here, the names may vary depending on the degree of integration, and may also be called system LSIs, VLSIs (very large scale integration), or ULSIs (ultra large scale integration). Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmable after LSI fabrication, or reconfigurable logic devices, which can reconfigure the connections within the LSI or set up circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be used for the same purpose. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. The plurality of chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed among a plurality of devices.

[0183] (3) Mode As is clear from the above-described embodiments and modifications, the present disclosure includes the following aspects. In the following, reference numerals are given in parentheses only to clarify the correspondence with the embodiments.

[0184] The first aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) comprising a duct connector (21) physically attached to a wiring duct (40) that transmits electric power, and a main body (24; 24B; 24D) held to the wiring duct (40) by the duct connector (21). The main body (24; 24B; 24D) has first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) protruding from both sides of a duct-facing surface (2411) that faces the wiring duct (40). The first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) face first and second side surfaces (4211, 4221) in the width direction of the wiring duct (40), respectively, when the main body portion (24; 24B; 24D) is held by the wiring duct (40) at the duct connecting portion (21). According to this embodiment, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40) can be improved.

[0185] The second aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on the first aspect. In the second aspect, the main body portion (24; 24B; 24D) has a base portion (241) protruding from a part of one surface (240a) on the wiring duct (40) side. The duct-facing surface (2411) is the surface of the base portion (241) that faces the wiring duct (40). According to this aspect, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40) can be improved.

[0186] A third aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on the second aspect. In the third aspect, the duct connection portion (21) has a pair of coupling portions (21a, 21b) provided on one surface (240a) of the main body portion (24; 24B; 24D) and physically attached to the wiring duct (40). The base portion (241) is located between the pair of coupling portions (21a, 21b). This aspect improves the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0187] A fourth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B) based on the second or third aspect. In the fourth aspect, the main body portion (24; 24B) has at least one of a first reinforcing portion (243a) and a second reinforcing portion (243b). The first reinforcing portion (243a) extends in the height direction of the first wall portion (242a) from the one surface (240a) along a surface (2421a) of the first wall portion (242a) opposite to the duct-facing surface (2411). The second reinforcing portion (243a) extends in the height direction of the second wall portion (242b) from the one surface (240a) along a surface (2421b) of the second wall portion (242b) opposite to the duct-facing surface (2411). According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of damage to at least one of the first and second wall portions (242a, 242b).

[0188] A fifth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to fourth aspects. In the fifth aspect, the first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) face each other across the duct-facing surface (2411). This aspect can improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0189] A sixth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to fifth aspects. In the sixth aspect, when the main body portion (24; 24B) is held to the wiring duct (40) by the duct connecting portion (21), the center of the wiring duct (40) is located between the tips of the first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) and the duct-facing surface (2411) in the thickness direction of the wiring duct (40). According to this aspect, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40) can be improved.

[0190] A seventh aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to sixth aspects. In the seventh aspect, the wiring duct (40) includes first and second conductors (41a, 41b) facing each other in the width direction of the wiring duct (40). When the main body portion (24; 24B) is held to the wiring duct (40) by the duct connecting portion (21), the first and second conductors (41a, 41b) are located between the tips of the first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) and the duct opposing surface (2411) in the thickness direction of the wiring duct (40). This aspect improves the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0191] An eighth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to seventh aspects. In the eighth aspect, when the main body portion (24; 24B; 24D) is held to the wiring duct (40) by the duct connecting portion (21) and the main body portion (24; 24B; 24D) swings along the width direction of the wiring duct (40), at least one of the first and second wall portions (242a, 242b; 2480a, 2480b) comes into contact with the wiring duct (40). According to this aspect, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40) can be improved.

[0192] A ninth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to eighth aspects. In the ninth aspect, the distance between the first wall portion (242a; 2480a) and the first side surface (4211) of the wiring duct (40) and the distance between the second wall portion (242b; 2480b) and the second side surface (4221) of the wiring duct (40) are each 0.5 mm or less. According to this aspect, the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40) can be improved.

[0193] A tenth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B) based on any one of the first to ninth aspects. In the tenth aspect, the main body portion (24; 24B) has at least one of a first rib (249a) and a second rib (249b). The first rib (249a) protrudes from a surface (2422a) of the first wall portion (242a) that faces the duct-facing surface (2411). The second rib (249b) protrudes from a surface (2422b) of the second wall portion (242b) that faces the duct-facing surface (2411). This aspect makes it possible to easily attach the wiring duct (40) to the connection device (10) while improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0194] An eleventh aspect is a connection device (10; 10B) based on the tenth aspect. In the eleventh aspect, the first rib (249a) extends in the height direction of the first wall portion (242a), and the second rib (249b) extends in the height direction of the second wall portion (242b). This aspect improves the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0195] A twelfth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B) based on the tenth or eleventh aspect. In the twelfth aspect, the first rib (249a) approaches the first side surface (4211) of the wiring duct (40) more closely than the first wall portion (242a) as it moves away from the duct-facing surface (2411). The second rib (249b) approaches the second side surface (4221) of the wiring duct (40) more closely than the second wall portion (242b) as it moves away from the duct-facing surface (2411). This aspect makes it possible to easily attach the wiring duct (40) to the connection device (10) while improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct (40).

[0196] A thirteenth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on any one of the first to twelfth aspects. In the thirteenth aspect, the duct connector (21) is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct (40). This aspect enables electrical connection between the wiring duct (40) and the device (50).

[0197] A fourteenth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on the thirteenth aspect. In the fourteenth aspect, the connection device (10; 10B; 10D) includes a first communication unit (31) and an output unit (32). The first communication unit (31) is housed in the main body unit (24; 24B; 24D), connected to the wiring duct (40) through the duct connection unit (21), and performs communication via power line carrier communication through the wiring duct (40). The output unit (32) is housed in the main body unit (24; 24B; 24D), and includes a second communication unit (321) and a conversion unit (322). The second communication unit (321) communicates with the device (50) using a communication standard different from the power line carrier communication. The converter (322) generates second power having a power standard different from that of the first power based on the first power acquired from the wiring duct (40) through the duct connection part (21), and supplies the second power to the device (50). According to this embodiment, even if the device (50) has a power standard different from that of the wiring duct (40), communication and power supply can be performed using the wiring duct (40).

[0198] A fifteenth aspect is a connection device (10; 10B; 10D) based on the fourteenth aspect. In the fifteenth aspect, the connection device (10; 10B; 10D) further includes an appliance connection unit (22) connected to the appliance (50) via a connection line (80). The second communication unit (321) communicates with the appliance (50) through the connection line (80) connected to the appliance connection unit (22). The conversion unit (322) supplies the second power to the appliance (50) through the connection line (80) connected to the appliance connection unit (22). According to this aspect, connection for communication and power supply between the connection device (10; 10B; 10D) and the appliance (50) can be easily performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 10, 10B, 10D connection device 21 Duct connection 21a,21b joint part 22 Device connection 24,24B,24D Main body 240a One side (one side on the wiring duct side) 241 Daibu 2411 Duct facing surface 242a,2480a 1st wall 2421a, 2481a faces (the face opposite the duct) 2422a, 2482a surfaces (facing the duct) 242b,2480b 2nd wall part 2421b, 2481b faces (the face opposite the duct) 2422b, 2482b surfaces (facing the duct) 243a 1st reinforcement part 243b 2nd reinforcement part 249a 1st Rib 249b 2nd Rib 31 First Communications Department 32 Output section 321 Second Communications Department 322 Conversion Unit 40 Wiring duct 41a First conductor 41b Second conductor 4211 1st side 4221 Second side 50 equipment 80 connecting wire

Claims

1. A duct connection part that is physically attached to a wiring duct that carries electric power; a main body portion held on the wiring duct by the duct connection portion; Equipped with the main body portion has first and second wall portions protruding from both sides of a duct facing surface facing the wiring duct, the first and second wall portions face first and second side surfaces of the wiring duct in a width direction, respectively, when the main body portion is held by the wiring duct at the duct connection portion; The first and second wall portions are an outer surface opposite to the duct facing surface and an inner surface on the duct facing surface side, a thickness between the outer surface and the inner surface that decreases as the distance from the duct opposing surface increases, and the outer surface is inclined so as to approach the wiring duct as the distance from the duct opposing surface increases, At least one of the first and second wall portions is A tapered surface is provided on the tip side, the tapered surface being connected to the inner surface, the tapered surface is spaced further from the first side surface or the second side surface of the wiring duct than the inner surface as it moves away from the duct opposing surface; Connection device.

2. The main body has a base portion protruding from a part of one surface on the wiring duct side, The duct facing surface is a surface of the base portion facing the wiring duct. The connection device of claim 1.

3. The first and second wall portions face each other across the duct facing surface, 3. A connection device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the main body part is held to the wiring duct by the duct connection part and the main body part sways along the width direction of the wiring duct, at least one of the first and second wall parts comes into contact with the wiring duct. A connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The duct connection portion is physically attached to and electrically connected to the wiring duct. A connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A first communication unit housed in the main body, connected to the wiring duct through the duct connection unit, and performing communication via power line carrier communication through the wiring duct; an output unit that is housed in the main body and that communicates with a device using a communication standard different from the power line communication, and that includes a conversion unit that generates a second power having a power standard different from the first power based on the first power acquired from the wiring duct through the duct connection unit, and supplies the second power to the device; Equipped with The connection device of claim 5.

7. Further comprising an equipment connection section connected to the equipment via a connection line, the second communication unit communicates with the device through the connection line connected to the device connection unit; the conversion unit supplies the second power to the device through the connection line connected to the device connection unit. The connection device of claim 6.

8. A connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a wiring duct that carries electrical power and to which the duct connection is physically attached; When the main body is held by the wiring duct at the duct connection portion, the center of the wiring duct is located between the tip ends of the first and second wall portions and the duct opposing surface in the thickness direction of the wiring duct. Equipment systems.

9. A connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a wiring duct that carries electrical power and to which the duct connection is physically attached; the wiring duct includes first and second conductors facing each other in a width direction of the wiring duct, When the main body is held by the wiring duct at the duct connection portion, the first and second conductors are located between the tips of the first and second wall portions and the duct facing surface in the thickness direction of the wiring duct. Equipment systems.

10. A connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a wiring duct that carries electrical power and to which the duct connection is physically attached; When the main body is held by the wiring duct at the duct connection portion, a distance between the first wall and a first side surface of the wiring duct and a distance between the second wall and a second side surface of the wiring duct are each 0.5 mm or less. Equipment systems.

Images