Outlet device

Abstract

To provide an outlet device that has a fire extinguishing function, can be applied to all types of outlet devices, and can be easily attached by anyone.SOLUTION: An outlet device comprises an outlet body 1 comprising an insertion port for a plug, a decorative cover part 2 provided on a front side of the outlet body 1 in such a manner that the insertion port of the outlet body 1 is exposed, a cover attachment part 3 fixed to an attachment part in such a manner that the decorative cover part 2 can be fitted thereto, and a fire extinguishing tool housing part 4 formed integrally with the decorative cover part 2 or the cover attachment part 3 above the decorative cover part 2 or the cover attachment part 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an outlet device having a fire extinguishing function capable of preventing the occurrence of a fire when the outlet device catches fire.

Background Art

[0002] An outlet device is installed on an indoor wall or the like as an insertion port for a plug provided at the tip of an electric appliance cord in order to supply electricity from indoor wiring to electric appliances and the like. However, a fire may occur due to the ignition of this outlet device. For example, when dust or foreign matter accumulates between the plug and the outlet device while the plug is inserted into the outlet device for a long period of time, the dust or the like absorbs moisture in the air and discharges to catch fire (tracking phenomenon), which may lead to a fire. In addition, other factors such as the aging deterioration of the outlet device and excessive power supply are also causes of fires in the outlet device.

[0003] Therefore, as a means for preventing a fire in an outlet device, for example, there is a fire extinguishing device for tracking fire shown in Patent Document 1 below. This device incorporates a sealed container made of synthetic resin filled with gas and powder Firefighting agents in a metal container with an open bottom, and is configured such that when the sealed container ruptures due to a temperature rise during a fire, the powder fire extinguishing agent is ejected from the lower opening of the metal container.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] However, the tracking fire extinguishing device described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise of the presence of a metal container, and is configured to spray powder extinguishing agent from the lower opening of the metal container, making it difficult to say that it is actually suitable as a fire extinguishing device for electrical outlets. In other words, since the invention described in Patent Document 1 is configured to spray powder extinguishing agent from the lower opening of the metal container, at the very least, the metal container must be located above the electrical outlet. In this regard, typical electrical outlets are installed so that the outlet body is embedded in the wall indoors, and only a decorative cover exists in front of the wall. Therefore, there is virtually no space above the electrical outlet to place a tracking fire extinguishing device consisting of a metal container. On the other hand, when a tracking fire extinguishing device is used in a so-called exposed-type electrical outlet, although a place to place the fire extinguishing device is secured, the following problems arise. In other words, a typical exposed-type electrical outlet consists of a box-shaped casing that houses the outlet itself. This box-shaped casing is installed exposed to the outside, such as on a wall. However, even if a metal container is placed on top of the casing, if the top surface of the casing that makes up the outlet does not melt after the outlet catches fire, the dry chemical fire extinguishing agent will not be ejected. Therefore, by the time the dry chemical fire extinguishing agent is ejected, the flames may have become so intense that it is too late to extinguish the fire. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an electrical outlet device equipped with a fire extinguishing function that can reliably and proactively prevent a fire from occurring if the electrical outlet device catches fire for any reason, and moreover, an electrical outlet device that is applicable to all types of electrical outlet devices and can be easily installed by anyone. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the outlet device according to the present invention comprises an outlet body having a plug socket, a decorative cover portion provided on the front side of the outlet body so as to expose the plug socket, a cover mounting portion fixed to an mounting location so as to be able to attach the decorative cover portion, and a fire extinguisher storage portion formed integrally with the decorative cover portion or the cover mounting portion above the decorative cover portion or the cover mounting portion. The aforementioned fire extinguisher housing houses a fire extinguisher whose outer casing is filled with fire extinguishing agent, and also protects the fire extinguisher from flames. Fire extinguishing agent It is characterized by the fact that it is designed to be able to fall.

[0008] Furthermore, the fire extinguisher housing section of the outlet device according to the present invention is characterized by having a volume capable of housing the fire extinguisher and being formed in a hollow shape that can accommodate the fire extinguisher inside.

[0009] Furthermore, the electrical outlet device according to the present invention is characterized in that an opening is provided on the lower surface of the fire extinguisher storage section, and the portion of the lower surface excluding the opening serves as a fire extinguisher support section on which the fire extinguisher is placed.

[0010] Furthermore, the electrical outlet device according to the present invention is characterized in that a fire extinguisher insertion port for inserting and removing the fire extinguisher is formed on the side of the fire extinguisher storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even if an electrical outlet device were to catch fire for any reason, it is possible to prevent it from leading to a fire. Moreover, the fire extinguisher housing of the present invention is integrally provided above the decorative cover or cover mounting part, and these decorative cover parts and cover mounting parts are generally common to various electrical outlet devices and are generally easy to install. Therefore, the electrical outlet device according to the present invention is applicable to all types of electrical outlet devices and can be installed easily and quickly by anyone. Furthermore, since the fire extinguisher housing of the present invention is provided on the decorative cover or cover mounting part, it is not necessarily required to replace the entire electrical outlet device, and it is also useful in that it can be used with electrical outlet devices that are already installed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the installation status of the electrical outlet device. [Figure 2] Disassembled perspective view of an electrical outlet device. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the cover mounting frame (cover mounting section) of the electrical outlet device. [Figure 4] Side view and side cross-sectional view of the cover mounting frame (cover mounting section) of the electrical outlet device. [Figure 5] Plan view, front view, rear view, and bottom view of the cover mounting frame (cover mounting section) of the electrical outlet device. [Figure 6] Perspective view of a fire extinguisher. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the decorative cover panel (decorative cover portion) of an electrical outlet device in another embodiment. [Figure 8] Front view of the decorative cover panel (decorative cover part) of an outlet device in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the outlet device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the installed state of the outlet device of this embodiment, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the outlet device of this embodiment, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cover mounting frame (cover mounting part) of the outlet device of this embodiment. Herein, the outlet device of this embodiment is generally composed of an outlet body 1 having a plug socket, a decorative cover panel (decorative cover part) 2 provided on the front side of the outlet body 1 so that the socket of the outlet body 1 is exposed, a cover mounting frame (cover mounting part) 3 fixed to the building wall W which is the mounting location for attaching the decorative cover panel 2, and a fire extinguisher storage part 4 formed integrally with the cover mounting frame 3 above the cover mounting frame 3. The aforementioned fire extinguisher storage part 4 is formed so as to be able to accommodate a fire extinguisher 5.Incidentally, in this embodiment, an outlet device used for a plug of the type equipped with two metal blades and a grounding electrode will be described as an example, and a so-called recessed type outlet device embedded in the wall of a building will be described as an example. However, the explanation provided here is merely an example, and the present invention is applicable to outlet devices used with all types of plugs, as well as to so-called surface-mounted outlet devices. In this embodiment, "top," "bottom," "right," and "left" refer to the state in which the outlet device is mounted on the wall surface W, and "front" and "rear" refer to the side of the outlet device where the socket is inserted as the "front" and the opposite side as the "rear."

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the outlet body 1 consists of an outlet section 10 and a mounting frame 11 that surrounds the outlet section 10. The outlet section 10 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by combining box-shaped members made of synthetic resin front to back, and although not shown, it houses internal components such as a plug clamping member and a terminal plate for connecting a plug. On the front of the outlet section 10, there are two pairs of plug sockets 12 on the left and right sides, one above the other, and a grounding electrode socket 13 is provided below each of the upper and lower plug sockets 12. Furthermore, although not shown, protrusions are provided at the upper and lower ends of each side of the outlet section 10 for fixing the mounting frame 11. On the other hand, the mounting frame 11 is a member formed from a rectangular metal plate, with an opening in its center that is slightly wider than the outer dimensions of the outlet section 10 in length and width. Although not shown in the diagram, hook-shaped latching claws are formed on the upper and lower ends of the left and right end faces of the opening of the mounting frame 11, and the outlet part 10 and the mounting frame 11 are integrated by crimping these latching claws onto the protrusions of the outlet part 10. As a result, the outlet part 10 is located inside the opening of the mounting frame 11, that is, in the center of the mounting frame 11. Furthermore, mounting holes 15, 15 for fixing the mounting frame 11 to the wall surface W and screw holes 16, 16 for screwing the mounting frame 11 to the cover mounting frame 3 are drilled at the upper and lower ends of the mounting frame 11, respectively.

[0015] The decorative cover panel (decorative cover portion) 2 is a panel-shaped member formed from synthetic resin in a vertically elongated rectangular shape, with a window opening 20 in the center that allows the front of the outlet portion 10 of the outlet body 1 to be seen. The edges of the decorative cover panel 2 are sloped outwards, with the outer edges being lower than the central portion (adjacent to the window opening 20). Furthermore, six hook-shaped protrusions, three on each side of the left and right ends of the back surface of the decorative cover panel 2, are provided (not shown). Although this example shows the decorative cover panel being formed from synthetic resin, it is not limited to this, and various materials such as metal or wood can be selected.

[0016] The cover mounting frame (cover mounting portion) 3 is a panel-shaped member formed of synthetic resin into a vertically long rectangular shape, and its vertical and horizontal outer dimensions are substantially the same as those of the above-described decorative cover panel 2. Further, a rectangular opening 25 having dimensions larger than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the window opening 20 of the decorative cover panel 2 is formed in the central portion of the cover mounting frame 3. Further, a total of six slit-shaped holes 26, 26... for hooking the hook-shaped protrusions of the above-described decorative cover panel 2 are formed in three each at the left and right end portions of the cover mounting frame 3. Further, mounting holes 27, 27 for fixing the cover mounting frame 3 to the wall surface W are formed at the upper and lower end portions of the cover mounting frame 3, respectively. Here, an example in which the cover mounting frame is formed of synthetic resin is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various materials such as metal or wood can be selected.

[0017] The fire extinguisher storage section 4 is integrally molded with the cover mounting frame 3 at the upper part of the cover mounting frame 3 and is formed as a horizontally elongated box with a hollow interior. Specifically, the fire extinguisher storage section 4 is formed as a box with a bottom surface, a top surface, and left and right sides. This box-shaped fire extinguisher storage section 4 is integrally provided at the upper end of the cover mounting frame 3 and is provided so as to protrude forward from above the cover mounting frame 11. As shown in Figure 1, a rectangular opening 30 is provided on the bottom surface of the fire extinguisher storage section 4, and the portion of the bottom surface of the fire extinguisher storage section 4 excluding the opening 30, i.e., the outer edge of the bottom surface, becomes a fire extinguisher support section 31 on which the fire extinguisher 5 is placed. Furthermore, rectangular openings are provided on the left and right sides of the fire extinguisher storage section 4, and these openings are fire extinguisher insertion ports 32, 32 for inserting and removing the fire extinguisher 4. In this example, the fire extinguisher storage section 4 is integrally molded with the cover mounting frame 3, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the fire extinguisher storage section and the cover mounting frame can be molded separately and then joined together to achieve the objectives of the present invention. Also, in this example, a fire extinguisher insertion opening is provided on both the left and right sides of the fire extinguisher storage section, but it may be provided on only one side, or on the top surface of the fire extinguisher storage section. Furthermore, the opening on the bottom surface of the fire extinguisher storage section can also be used as a fire extinguisher insertion opening.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 6, the fire extinguisher 5 has a rectangular shape in plan view and a rectangular parallelepiped shape without height, and is configured by filling a fire extinguishing agent inside an exterior body 35 formed in the shape of a so-called matchbox. Specifically, the fire extinguisher 5 fills a fire extinguishing agent inside an exterior body 35 formed in a box frame body with one side open made of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, and is covered with a synthetic resin film such as polyethylene to form a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the fire extinguishing agent used can be selected from various types as long as it has an appropriate fire extinguishing function. Also, here, the exterior body is formed based on the box frame body, but it is not limited to this. Any exterior body that can be filled with a fire extinguishing agent and can be accommodated in the aforementioned fire extinguisher accommodating portion can adopt various forms, such as a sheet material such as polyethylene formed in a bag shape. Also, various materials can be selected for the exterior body.

[0019] The following describes the procedure for assembling the outlet device configured as described above to the installation location. First, the outlet body 1 is attached to the mounting hole 40 in the wall W inside the building, which is the installation location. Specifically, screws 41, 41 are inserted through the mounting holes 15, 15 of the mounting frame 11 of the outlet body 1, and the outlet body 1 is screwed into the wall W. Next, with the outlet body 1 positioned inside the rectangular opening 25 of the cover mounting frame 3, screws 42, 42 are inserted through the mounting holes 27, 27 of the cover mounting frame 3 and the through holes 16, 16 of the mounting frame 11 of the outlet body 1, and the cover mounting frame 3 is attached to the wall W. Then, the decorative cover panel 2 is placed on top of the front of the cover mounting frame 3 and pressed against the cover mounting frame 3. As a result, the hook-shaped protrusions of the decorative cover panel 2 elastically deform and fit into the slit-shaped holes 26, 26... of the cover mounting frame 3, and the two are joined together. Incidentally, the window opening 20 of the decorative cover panel 2 is a vertically elongated rectangle sized to perfectly fit the front of the outlet section 10 of the outlet body 1. Therefore, when the decorative cover panel 2 is installed, only the outlet section 10 of the outlet body 1 is exposed, and the decorative cover panel 2 hides all the unsightly parts of the outlet body 1. After that, the fire extinguisher 5 is inserted through the fire extinguisher insertion port 31 of the fire extinguisher storage section 4 and placed on the fire extinguisher support section 30 of the fire extinguisher storage section 4. Note that if an outlet device is already installed on the wall W or other mounting location, it is often sufficient to replace only the cover mounting frame 3 in this embodiment. That is, the cover mounting frames of outlet devices installed on walls or other surfaces are often standardized general-purpose parts, so in such cases, the cover mounting frame in this embodiment can be used as is.

[0020] Next, the operation of the outlet device according to this embodiment will be described. If the outlet device were to catch fire due to tracking or other reasons, the flames would rise upwards. In this regard, the outlet device of this embodiment has a fire extinguisher housing section 4 that extends forward from the top of the outlet device, and a fire extinguisher 5 is housed there. Therefore, flames that ignite from the outlet device reach the fire extinguisher 5 placed in the fire extinguisher housing section 4. Then, in order for the flames to melt the synthetic resin film such as polyethylene that covers the fire extinguisher 5, the outer casing 35 of the fire extinguisher 5 is filled with Firefighting The agent falls towards the flame, extinguishing it. Thus, the outlet device of this embodiment has a function that automatically extinguishes the fire even if it catches fire, ensuring safety even if a plug is left plugged into the outlet device for a long period of time.

[0021] Figures 7 and 8 show other embodiments of the outlet device. In Figure 7, the outlet device is constructed by integrally molding the fire extinguisher housing 4 above the decorative cover panel 2. In this way, even if the fire extinguisher housing 4 is formed above the decorative cover panel 2, the fire extinguisher 5 can be positioned above the outlet device, thus achieving the objective of the present invention. Furthermore, since the decorative cover panel 2, like the cover mounting frame 3, is often a standardized general-purpose product, if an outlet device is already installed on the wall surface W or the like where it will be mounted, it is often sufficient to replace only the decorative cover panel 2 in this embodiment. In Figure 8, the outlet device is constructed by molding the fire extinguisher housing 4 and the decorative cover panel 2 separately and then joining them to form a single unit. Specifically, mounting pieces 45, 45 are provided at two locations on the left and right of the lower end of the fire extinguisher housing 4, and these mounting pieces 45, 45 are bonded to the upper end of the decorative cover panel 2 to form a single unit. In addition to bonding, fastening members such as screws can also be used as a means of integrating the two units. Incidentally, Figure 8 shows an example where the fire extinguisher storage unit 4 is attached to the decorative cover panel 2, but it is also possible to attach the fire extinguisher storage unit 4 to the cover mounting frame 3 and integrate them together.

[0022] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a rectangular opening is provided on the lower surface of the fire extinguisher storage section, but this is not the only example. That is, the fire extinguisher stored in the fire extinguisher storage section may be exposed to flames. Firefighting It is sufficient that the agent falls out easily, and multiple circular openings may be formed in the shape of punched holes, or the lower surface of the fire extinguisher housing may be formed in a grid or mesh pattern to create multiple openings. Alternatively, the lower surface of the fire extinguisher housing may be made thin so that it can be easily melted by flames. Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the fire extinguisher housing is rectangular in shape, it is not limited to this. That is, as long as there is space inside to house the fire extinguisher, it can be made into various shapes such as a sphere, polygon, or animal shape. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0023] 1. Outlet unit 2. Decorative cover panel (decorative cover part) 3. Cover mounting frame (cover mounting section) 4. Fire extinguisher storage compartment 5. Fire extinguishers

Claims

[Claim 1] The outlet comprises an outlet body having a plug socket, a decorative cover portion provided on the front side of the outlet body so as to expose the plug socket, a cover mounting portion fixed to a mounting location so as to be able to attach the decorative cover portion, and a fire extinguisher storage portion formed integrally with the decorative cover portion or the cover mounting portion above the decorative cover portion or the cover mounting portion. A fire extinguisher insertion port is formed on the side of the aforementioned fire extinguisher storage section for inserting and removing fire extinguishers whose outer casings are filled with fire extinguishing agent. The electrical outlet device is characterized in that the fire extinguisher housing section is formed to house the fire extinguisher and to allow the fire extinguishing agent to fall from the fire extinguisher due to the flames.

Images