Wiring implement case and wiring implement device

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to make it possible to attach two types of wiring implements that have different sizes. A body (10) of this wiring implement case (2) is to hold a wiring implement (60) and can be attached to a work surface (100). An inner frame (30) has a plate-like part (31). An attachment piece (33A) is provided to a circumferential edge part of the plate-like part (31). A second fitting part that can be fitted to a first fitting part that is provided to a wall part (14) of the body (10) is provided to the attachment piece (33A). The position of the second fitting part is offset from the position of the plate-like part (31) in the normal direction to the plate-like part (31).

Description

Wiring device case and wiring device device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring apparatus case and a wiring apparatus device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wiring apparatus case and a wiring apparatus device having an openable and closable cover.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring device case having a cover main body that covers a wiring device. The wiring device case of Patent Document 1 includes a body that holds the wiring device, a cover main body, and a shaft that connects the body and the cover main body.

[0003] The cover body is attached to the body in a state in which it can rotate about the shaft between a position that covers the wiring device and a position that exposes the wiring device. The cover body has a bearing portion with a bearing hole into which the shaft is inserted, and a hook portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing portion. The body is provided with a restricting protrusion that is located on the trajectory of the hook portion when the cover body moves from the closed position to the open position. When the cover body is moved to the closed position, the wiring device is covered by the cover body. When the cover body is moved from the closed position to the open position, the hook portion moves over the restricting protrusion. When the cover body is in the open position, the restricting protrusion comes into contact with the hook portion, thereby restricting movement of the cover body to the closed position, thereby exposing the wiring device.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-174114

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wiring fixture case and a wiring fixture device that can accommodate two types of wiring fixtures of different sizes.

[0006] A wiring device case according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a body, a cover, and an inner frame. The body is capable of holding a wiring device and is attachable to an installation surface. The cover is rotatably supported relative to the body between a closed position that covers the wiring device held by the body and an open position that exposes the wiring device held by the body. The inner frame has a plate-shaped portion with a window hole that exposes the wiring device held by the body, and is disposed on the opposite side of the body from the installation surface. The body has a wall portion facing a peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion. A first fitting portion is provided on the wall portion at a location facing the plate-shaped portion. An attachment piece is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion, protruding from the plate-shaped portion along a normal direction of the plate-shaped portion. The attachment piece is provided with a second fitting portion that can fit into the first fitting portion. The second fitting portion is misaligned with the plate-shaped portion in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion.

[0007] A wiring fixture device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the wiring fixture case and a wiring fixture held by the body.

[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wiring apparatus including a wiring apparatus case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the wiring apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the wiring apparatus. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of the wiring apparatus case. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the wiring apparatus with a cover open. FIG. 6 is a front view of the wiring apparatus with the cover removed. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state before an inner frame is attached to a body of the wiring apparatus. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a state after the inner frame is attached to the body of the wiring apparatus with the first surface facing forward. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 of FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a state after the inner frame is attached to the body of the wiring apparatus with the second surface facing forward. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the wiring apparatus as viewed from below. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a state before an insulating cover is attached to a mounting frame included in the wiring apparatus. FIG. 13 is a front view of the wiring apparatus with the cover and inner frame removed. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a main part of a body of the wiring apparatus.

[0009] Hereinafter, wiring device cases and wiring device devices according to embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the drawings described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the sizes of the components and the like do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0010] (Embodiment) (1) Overview FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wiring device apparatus 1 including a wiring device case 2 according to this embodiment.

[0011] The wiring device case 2 of this embodiment includes a body 10 , a cover 20 , and an inner frame 30 .

[0012] The body 10 is capable of holding the wiring device 60 and is attachable to a construction surface 100 .

[0013] The cover (20) is supported rotatably relative to the body (10) between a closed position where it covers the wiring device (60) held by the body (10) and an open position where it exposes the wiring device (60) held by the body (10).

[0014] The middle frame 30 has a plate-like portion 31 provided with a window hole 32 for exposing the wiring device 60 held in the body 10 , and is arranged on the opposite side of the body 10 from the construction surface 100 .

[0015] The body 10 has a wall 14 that faces the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion 31. A first fitting portion is provided on the wall 14 at a location that faces the plate-shaped portion 31. An attachment piece 33A is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion 31, protruding from the plate-shaped portion 31 along the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. A second fitting portion that can fit into the first fitting portion is provided on the attachment piece 33A. In the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31, the position of the second fitting portion is misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31.

[0016] In this embodiment, for example, the first fitting portion of the body 10 is a fitting protrusion 19 provided on the wall portion 14 at a location facing the plate-like portion 31, and the second fitting portion of the middle frame 30 is a recess 34 provided on the mounting piece 33A (see FIG. 9 ). The fitting protrusion 19 provided on the wall portion 14 of the body 10 fits into the recess 34 of the mounting piece 33A, thereby attaching the middle frame 30 to the body 10.

[0017] Here, the position of the second fitting portion and the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 are offset in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. If the two surfaces of the plate-shaped portion 31 facing each other in the normal direction (i.e., the thickness direction) are defined as a first surface 31A and a second surface 31B, the position of the second surface 31B when the middle frame 30 is attached to the body 10 with the first surface 31A facing the construction surface 100 is offset from the position of the first surface 31A when the middle frame 30 is attached to the body 10 with the second surface 31B facing the construction surface 100. Therefore, when two types of wiring devices 60 are present with different distances from the mounting frame 70 to the front surface of the wiring devices 60 while the wiring devices 60 are held by the mounting frame 70, the middle frame 30 can be attached to the body 10 by swapping the front and back sides to match the sizes of the wiring devices 60. Thus, the wiring device case 2 of this embodiment can accommodate two types of wiring devices 60 of different sizes, thereby reducing the variety of wiring device cases 2.

[0018] The wiring fixture device 1 of this embodiment also includes the wiring fixture case 2 and the wiring fixture 60 held by the body 10 .

[0019] The wiring device apparatus 1 includes the above-described wiring device case 2, and therefore, two types of wiring devices 60 having different sizes can be attached, and the number of types of wiring device cases 2 can be reduced.

[0020] The wiring device case 2 of this embodiment further includes a rotating shaft 40 and a leaf spring portion 51 in addition to the body 10 and the cover 20 described above.

[0021] The rotary shaft 40 is rotatably held in the body 10. The rotary shaft 40 has a polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 whose cross section perpendicular to the axial direction has a polygonal shape.

[0022] The body 10 is provided with a shaft insertion hole 11 into which the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 of the rotary shaft 40 is rotatably inserted.

[0023] The cover 20 has an axial hole 25 into which a portion of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. The cover 20 is rotatable relative to the body 10 between a closed position in which the cover 20 covers the wiring apparatus 60 held by the body 10 and an open position in which the cover 20 exposes the wiring apparatus 60 held by the body 10 by rotating together with the rotating shaft 40 inserted in the axial hole 25.

[0024] The leaf spring portion 51 is capable of coming into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 inserted into the shaft insertion hole 11 .

[0025] The cover 20 can maintain the rotational position when the leaf spring portion 51 is in surface contact with at least one of the multiple surfaces 42 of the polygonal column shaft portion 41 .

[0026] Here, by inserting the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 of the rotary shaft 40 into the shaft insertion hole 11 of the body 10 in a rotatable state, the rotary shaft 40 is held in a rotatable state relative to the body 10 .

[0027] The cover 20 is provided with a shaft hole 25 into which a portion of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted, and the cover 20 rotates together with the rotating shaft 40 inserted in the shaft hole 25, thereby allowing the cover 20 to rotate between a closed position and an open position. A leaf spring 51 is disposed in the shaft insertion hole 11 into which the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is inserted, and the leaf spring 51 comes into surface contact with at least one surface 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41, thereby stopping the rotation of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 and holding the cover 20 in that position. Here, because the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 and the leaf spring 51 are disposed inside the shaft insertion hole 11, even if the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 wears and generates wear powder, the wear powder is less likely to adhere to the surface of the cover 20, thereby reducing the possibility of wear powder adhering to the surface of the cover 20.

[0028] (2) Details The wiring device case 2 and the wiring device device 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0029] In this embodiment, the "installation surface" is a surface to which the wiring fixture 60 is attached, for example, the surface of an exterior wall of a building.

[0030] 6 is a front view of the wiring apparatus 1 with the cover 20 removed and attached to a construction surface 100 (e.g., the exterior wall of a building). In the following description, the X-axis direction in FIG. 1 and other figures is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-rear direction (depth direction), and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction. Furthermore, the positive direction in the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, the positive direction in the Y-axis direction as the front side, and the positive direction in the Z-axis direction as the top side. However, these directions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the directions in which the wiring apparatus case 2 and the wiring apparatus 1 are used. Furthermore, arrows indicating the various directions in the drawings are merely shown for explanatory purposes and do not represent any physical entities.

[0031] (2.1) Configuration As described above, the wiring apparatus 1 includes the wiring apparatus case 2 and the wiring apparatus 60. In this embodiment, the wiring apparatus 1 further includes a mounting frame 70, an insulating cover 80, and a waterproof packing 90.

[0032] The wiring device case 2, the wiring device 60, the mounting frame 70, the insulating cover 80, and the waterproof packing 90 included in the wiring device apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0033] (2.1.1) Wiring Device and Mounting Frame The wiring device 60 is, for example, a power outlet. The wiring device 60 is mounted using a mounting frame 70 for a recessed wiring device, with the rear portion of the wiring device 60 embedded in a recessed hole 101 (see FIG. 12 ) provided in a construction surface (e.g., the surface of a wall material) 100. The mounting frame 70 is integrally attached to the wiring device 60 of this embodiment.

[0034] The wiring device 60 has a rectangular parallelepiped body 61. The body 61 is formed by joining a rear body 62 and a front cover 63 (see FIG. 12 ). The front surface of the body 61 (i.e., the front surface of the cover 63) is provided with two plug sockets 64 to which plugs of electrical devices can be connected. When the wiring device 60 is attached to the construction surface 100 and a power line from an AC power source such as a commercial power source is connected to the wiring device 60, and the plug of the electrical device is connected to the plug socket 64, power is supplied from the wiring device 60 to the electrical device.

[0035] The wiring apparatus 1 further includes a mounting frame 70 that can be attached to the construction surface 100 while holding the wiring apparatus 60. The mounting frame 70 being attachable to the construction surface 100 may include the mounting frame 70 being attached directly to the construction surface 100 and the mounting frame 70 being attached to the construction surface 100 via another member. In the present embodiment, for example, an insulating cover 80 is disposed between the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100, and the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 via the insulating cover 80.

[0036] The mounting frame 70 is made of, for example, a metal material and is formed into a rectangular frame shape having an opening 71 to which the wiring device 60 is attached (see FIGS. 12 and 13 ). The mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction. The mounting frame 70 has a pair of horizontal pieces 72 that face each other in the longitudinal direction, with the opening 71 sandwiched between them, and a pair of vertical pieces 73 that face each other in the lateral direction, with the opening 71 sandwiched between them. The upper ends of the pair of vertical pieces 73 are connected via the upper horizontal piece 72, and the lower ends of the pair of vertical pieces 73 are connected via the lower horizontal piece 72. In other words, the pair of horizontal pieces 72 and the pair of vertical pieces 73 form a rectangular frame shape, and the space surrounded by the pair of horizontal pieces 72 and the pair of vertical pieces 73 forms the opening 71.

[0037] Each of the pair of vertical pieces 73 is provided with two U-shaped crimping portions 74 into which protrusions provided on the side surfaces of the body 62 and the cover 63 are inserted. When joining the body 62 and the cover 63, the cover 63 is placed on the front side of the body 62, and the body 62 and the cover 63 are inserted into the opening 71 from the rear side of the mounting frame 70. Then, when the rear portions of the crimping portions 74 are deformed with the protrusions on the side surfaces of the body 62 and the cover 63 inserted into the crimping portions 74, the body 62 and the cover 63 are joined by the mounting frame 70, and the wiring device 60 is attached to the mounting frame 70.

[0038] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 has an insertion hole 75 formed in a position that does not overlap with the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101, with a portion of the back surface facing the construction surface 100 (more specifically, the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101 on the construction surface 100). The insertion hole 75 has an elliptical shape with its major axis extending in the left-right direction. Screws are inserted into the insertion holes 75 to fasten the mounting frame 70 to a fixing member that is arranged on the back side of the construction surface 100. Examples of fixing members include a switch box embedded on the back side of the construction surface 100 and a C-shaped clamp that is arranged on the back side of the construction surface.

[0039] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 is provided with an L-shaped hole 76 on each side of the insertion hole 75 for attaching a clamping metal piece.

[0040] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 is provided with a screw hole 77 into which a screw is screwed to fasten the body 10 of the wiring device case 2. In other words, a mounting frame 70 for the wiring device can be attached to the body 10, and the mounting frame 70 is provided with a pair of screw holes 77 on both sides of an opening 71 in which the wiring device 60 is disposed.

[0041] (2.1.2) Insulating Cover The wiring apparatus 1 of this embodiment further includes an insulating cover 80 disposed between the mounting frame 70 and the installation surface 100 .

[0042] The insulating cover 80 is attached between the metal mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100 to electrically insulate the mounting frame 70 from the construction surface 100 .

[0043] The insulating cover 80 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material and is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame having a window hole 81 through which the wiring device 60 is inserted (see FIGS. 1 and 12).

[0044] The insulating cover 80 is attached to the installation surface 100 so that the longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction. The insulating cover 80 has a pair of horizontal pieces 82 that face each other in the longitudinal direction, with a window hole 81 between them, and a pair of vertical pieces 83 that face each other in the lateral direction, with the window hole 81 between them. The upper ends of the pair of vertical pieces 83 are connected via the upper horizontal piece 82, and the lower ends of the pair of vertical pieces 83 are connected via the lower horizontal piece 82. In other words, the pair of horizontal pieces 82 and the pair of vertical pieces 83 form a rectangular frame, and the space surrounded by the pair of horizontal pieces 82 and the pair of vertical pieces 83 becomes the window hole 81.

[0045] The pair of horizontal pieces 82 are arranged to overlap the rear side of the pair of horizontal pieces 72 of the mounting frame 70 .

[0046] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 has an oval through-hole 84 that connects to the insertion hole 75 in the mounting frame 70, at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 75. Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 has a rib 88 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the through-hole 84. The rib 88 has an oval shape when viewed from the front, and when the insulating cover 80 is attached behind the mounting frame 70, the rib 88 is inserted into the insertion hole 75 in the mounting frame 70.

[0047] Each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 is provided with two snap-fit ​​portions 85 that snap-fit ​​into the two holes 76 provided in each of the pair of horizontal pieces 72. The two snap-fit ​​portions 85 provided on the horizontal piece 82 are located on both the left and right sides with the through-hole 84 in between. The snap-fit ​​portions 85 protrude forward from the horizontal piece 82 and have a plate-like portion 86 whose front end is movable in the left-right direction. A claw 87 that protrudes toward the through-hole 84 is provided at the tip of the plate-like portion 86.

[0048] When the insulating cover 80 is brought closer to the mounting frame 70 from behind so that the wiring device 60 held by the mounting frame 70 can be inserted into the window hole 81, the rib 88 is inserted into the insertion hole 75, and the plate-shaped portion 86 of the snap-fit ​​portion 85 is inserted into the hole 76. At this time, the rib 88 comes into contact with the end face of the insertion hole 75, thereby positioning the mounting frame 70 with respect to the insulating cover 80. When the plate-shaped portion 86 is inserted into the hole 76, the claw 87 at the tip of the plate-shaped portion 86 is pressed against the end face of the hole 76, causing the plate-shaped portion 86 to elastically deform. When the plate-shaped portion 86 is further inserted into the hole 76 and the claw 87 passes over the end face of the hole 76, the plate-shaped portion 86 returns to its original state before elastic deformation, and the claw 87 hooks onto the front surface of the horizontal piece 72, preventing the snap-fit ​​portion 85 from coming off, and the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70.

[0049] When the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70, if the two snap-fit ​​portions 85 (plate-shaped portions 86) provided on each of the pair of horizontal pieces 82 are pushed in a direction that widens the gap between them, the claws 87 can be released from the peripheral portions of the holes 76. When the insulating cover 80 is moved in a direction away from the mounting frame 70 (rearward) with the claws 87 released from the peripheral portions of the holes 76, the plate-shaped portions 86 can be moved out of the holes 76, and the snap-fit ​​portions 85 can be released from the holes 76. This allows the insulating cover 80 to be removed from the mounting frame 70.

[0050] As described above, the insulating cover 80 is provided with snap-fit ​​portions 85 that can be attached to and detached from the holes 76 provided in the mounting frame 70. Therefore, the insulating cover 80 can be attached to and detached from the mounting frame 70 without using fasteners such as screws or special tools.

[0051] When the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 with the insulating cover 80 interposed between the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100, the pair of horizontal pieces 82 of the insulating cover 80 come into contact with the peripheral portion of the embedding hole 101 on the construction surface 100. Therefore, the mounting frame 70 is attached to the construction surface 100 with the mounting frame 70 and the construction surface 100 being electrically insulated by the insulating cover 80.

[0052] (2.1.3) Wiring Device Case The wiring device case 2 includes a body 10, a cover 20, and a rotating shaft 40. The wiring device case 2 further includes a spring member 50, a spring holding member 56, and an inner frame 30.

[0053] <Body> The body 10 is a molded product made of, for example, a synthetic resin material.

[0054] A mounting frame 70 that holds the wiring fixture 60 can be attached to the body 10. In other words, the body 10 is fixed to the construction surface 100 by attaching the body 10 to the mounting frame 70 that is fixed to the construction surface 100. In other words, the body 10 is attachable to the construction surface 100. Here, "attachable" to the construction surface 100 may mean that the body 10 is attached directly to the construction surface 100, or that the body 10 is attached to the construction surface 100 via another member. In this embodiment, the body 10 is attached to the construction surface 100 via, for example, the mounting frame 70 and the insulating cover 80.

[0055] The body 10 has a frame portion 13 provided with a rectangular through-hole 12 into which the wiring device 60 held by the mounting frame 70 is inserted. In other words, the body 10 is provided with the through-hole 12 into which the wiring device 60 held by the mounting frame 70 is inserted.

[0056] A semi-cylindrical first bearing portion 111 that is open on both left and right sides and on the rear side is provided at one end (e.g., the upper end) in the longitudinal direction of the frame portion 13. The first bearing portion 111 is provided in the center in the left and right direction at the upper end of the frame portion 13. In this embodiment, the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the first bearing portion 111 from both the left and right sides, so the left and right openings of the first bearing portion 111 serve as the shaft insertion hole 11.

[0057] A spring member 50 having the above-described leaf spring portion 51 is disposed inside the first bearing portion 111. More specifically, the spring member 50 and a spring holding member 56 that holds the spring member 50 are disposed inside the first bearing portion 111 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0058] The frame portion 13 of the body 10 is provided with a wall portion 14 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the through-hole 12 .

[0059] Of the four inner surfaces of the wall portion 14, two inner surfaces that face each other in the vertical direction are each provided with a mounting piece 15 that has an isosceles trapezoidal shape in a plan view. The mounting piece 15 is provided with insertion holes 150 for passing screws that will be screwed into the screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70. In other words, the body 10 is provided with a pair of insertion holes 150 that can pass the pair of screws that will be screwed into the pair of screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70.

[0060] Here, the mounting frame 70 includes a first mounting frame and a second mounting frame having different spacing between pairs of screw holes 77 to accommodate different sizes of wiring devices 60 to be attached to the mounting frame 70. For example, a mounting frame 70 having a first spacing between the pair of screw holes 77 is referred to as the first mounting frame, and a mounting frame 70 having a second spacing between the pair of screw holes 77 that is shorter than the first spacing is referred to as the second mounting frame. The body 10 of this embodiment is configured so as to be attachable to either the first mounting frame or the second mounting frame.

[0061] Specifically, each of the pair of through holes 150 has a shape obtained by connecting a first through hole 151 and a second through hole 152 (see FIGS. 13 and 14 ). The first through hole 151 is a hole into which a screw is inserted when the distance between the pair of screw holes 77 is the first distance W1. The second through hole 152 is a hole into which a screw is inserted when the distance between the pair of screw holes 77 is the second distance W2. Here, a protrusion 153 that protrudes inward is provided on the inner surface of each of the pair of through holes 150 near the boundary between the first through hole 151 and the second through hole 152. Therefore, when a screw is inserted into the first through hole 151, the screw inserted into the first through hole 151 hits the protrusion 153, which advantageously makes it less likely to move toward the second through hole 152. Similarly, when a screw is inserted into the second insertion hole 152, the screw inserted into the second insertion hole 152 hits the protrusion 153, which has the advantage of making it less likely to move toward the first insertion hole 151. It should be noted that it is not essential to provide the protrusion 153 on the inner surface of each of the pair of insertion holes 150, and each of the pair of insertion holes 150 may have an oval shape connecting the first insertion hole 151 and the second insertion hole 152.

[0062] Furthermore, of the four inner surfaces of the wall 14, two inner surfaces that face each other in the left-right direction are each provided with three sets of two protrusions 16 extending in the front-rear direction, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the up-down direction. The three sets of protrusions 16 are provided at the top, middle, and bottom of the inner surface, respectively.

[0063] Furthermore, between the two sets of protrusions 16 provided on the upper and lower parts of the inner surface, a mating protrusion 19 that is dome-shaped when viewed from the top-bottom direction is provided. Here, the mating protrusion 19 serves as a second mating portion that fits into a recess 34 provided in the plate-like portion 31 of the middle frame 30. The mating protrusion 19, which is the second mating portion, is located between the two protrusions 16. In other words, the protrusion 16 is provided alongside the mating protrusion 19, which is the first mating portion, in a portion of the wall 14 of the body 10 that faces the plate-like portion 31. In other words, the protrusion 16 is provided alongside the first mating portion (e.g., the mating protrusion 19 in this embodiment) in a portion of the wall 14 of the body 10 that faces the plate-like portion 31.

[0064] The body 10 is also provided with a restricting protrusion 18 that protrudes from the rear end of the inner surface of the wall portion 14 (or the inner surface of the through-hole 12 ) toward the center of the through-hole 12 .

[0065] Furthermore, a plate-shaped hook 17 that protrudes upward from the front end of the inner surface of the lower side of the wall 14 is provided at the lower right corner of the wall 14. The hook 17 is provided in a position that overlaps at least a portion of the locking piece 98 in the front-to-rear direction when the locking member 95 rotates to the locked position where the locking piece 98 protrudes downward from the shaft 96 with the cover 20 in the closed position. Note that when the locking member 95 rotates to the unlocked position where the locking piece 98 protrudes leftward from the shaft 96 with the cover 20 in the closed position, the locking piece 98 has moved to a position where it does not entirely overlap with the locking piece 98 in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the cover 20 to be moved from the closed position to the open position.

[0066] <Rotating Shaft> The rotating shaft 40 is, for example, a resin molded part. In this embodiment, the wiring device case 2 includes two rotating shafts 40, and the cover 20 is rotatably supported on the body 10 via the two rotating shafts 40.

[0067] The two rotary shafts 40 are molded from synthetic resin, for example, and have the same shape.

[0068] The rotating shaft 40 has a cylindrical shaft body 43 (see FIG. 4). A disk-shaped large-diameter portion 46 having a diameter larger than that of the shaft body 43 is provided at a first end of the shaft body 43 in the rotational axis direction. A polygonal prism shaft portion 41 having a polygonal cross section perpendicular to the axial direction is provided at a second end of the shaft body 43 in the rotational axis direction. The cross section of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is, for example, a regular hexagon, but may also be a square or a regular octagon.

[0069] A circumferentially extending groove 45 is formed on the surface of the shaft body 43 of the rotating shaft 40, over the entire circumference of the shaft body 43. A protrusion 44 is provided on the surface of the shaft body 43, extending from the large diameter portion 46 to partway along the axial direction of the shaft body 43. When the wiring device case 2 is assembled, the protrusion 44 is provided from the large diameter portion 46 to a position where it contacts the spring holding member 56.

[0070] <Spring Member and Spring Retaining Member> The spring member 50 is formed by bending a metal sheet such as stainless steel. In this embodiment, the rotating shafts 40 are inserted into the left and right openings of the first bearing portion 111, respectively. Therefore, two leaf spring portions 51 are arranged inside the first bearing portion 111. The leaf spring portions 51 come into contact with the polygonal columnar shaft portions 41 of the two rotating shafts 40 inserted through the left and right openings (shaft insertion holes 11) of the first bearing portion 111. In this embodiment, the spring member 50 arranged inside the first bearing portion 111 has two leaf spring portions 51.

[0071] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the leaf spring portion 51 has a pair of opposing flat plate portions 52 and a curved portion 53 connecting the ends of the pair of flat plate portions 52. The leaf spring portion 51, including the pair of flat plate portions 52 and the curved portion 53, has a U-shape when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft 40. The leaf spring portion 51 is arranged so that the normal direction of the pair of flat plate portions 52 is parallel to the up-down direction. More specifically, the leaf spring portion 51 is arranged so that the pair of flat plate portions 52 sandwich the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 from both sides. The leaf spring portion 51 is also arranged so that the curved portion 53 is located on the opposite side of the construction surface 100 from the pair of flat plate portions 52. In this way, the curved portion 53 connects the front ends of the pair of flat plate portions 52, and is curved so that the middle portion of the curved portion 53 protrudes forward compared to both ends of the curved portion 53.

[0072] The spring member 50 also has a connecting piece 54A connecting the upper flat plate portions 52 of the two leaf spring portions 51 and a connecting piece 54B connecting the lower flat plate portions 52 of the two leaf spring portions 51. Two retaining springs 55 protruding rearward are provided at the rear end of each of the connecting pieces 54A and 54B. The two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A and the two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B face each other in the vertical direction. The tip ends of the two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A and the tip ends of the two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B are bent in a mountain shape so as to protrude toward each other.

[0073] The spring holding member 56 is a molded part made of, for example, synthetic resin. The spring holding member 56 is disposed inside the first bearing portion 111 of the body 10 while holding the spring member 50.

[0074] The spring holding member 56 has a rectangular parallelepiped base portion 57 that is long in the left-right direction.

[0075] Two mounting grooves 573 are provided on the upper surface of the base 57, into which the two retaining springs 55 provided on the upper connecting piece 54A of the spring member 50 are respectively inserted. Although not shown, two mounting grooves 573 are also provided on the lower surface of the base 57, into which the two retaining springs 55 provided on the lower connecting piece 54B of the spring member 50 are respectively inserted.

[0076] A recess 574 into which the spring member 50 is inserted is provided on the front side of the base 57, and the base 57 is provided with shaft support portions 58 on both the left and right sides of the recess 574, each having a round hole into which the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. In addition, a shaft stopper portion 571 is provided on the right end of the base 57 to prevent the rotating shaft 40 inserted into the shaft support portion 58 provided on the right side of the base 57 from coming out, and a shaft stopper portion 571 is provided on the left end of the base 57 to prevent the rotating shaft 40 inserted into the shaft support portion 58 provided on the left side of the base 57 from coming out.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the spring holding member 56 by passing the rotating shaft 40 through the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 of the spring holding member 56, and the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the body 10 by attaching the spring holding member 56 to the body 10. The rotating shaft 40 stops at a position where the two surfaces 42 of the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 provided on the rotating shaft 40 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51 of the spring member 50, so that the cover 20 can be held at the position where the rotating shaft 40 stops. Note that in the present embodiment, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the spring holding member 56 by passing the rotating shaft 40 through the round hole of the shaft support portion 58, but the rotating shaft 40 may also be rotatably supported by sandwiching the rotating shaft 40 between the spring holding member 56 and the spring member 50 held by the spring holding member 56.

[0078] The shaft stopper 571 is formed in a fork shape having a pair of clamping pieces 572 that clamp the rotating shaft 40 from both the top and bottom. The opposing surfaces of the pair of clamping pieces 572 are provided with claws that are inserted into the recessed grooves 45 of the rotating shaft 40.

[0079] Furthermore, protrusions 575, the tips of which are cantilevered by the base 57 and can bend left and right, are provided on both the left and right ends of the base 57. Recesses into which the protrusions 575 fit are provided on the inner surface of the body 10 that faces the internal space of the first bearing portion 111.

[0080] <Cover> The cover 20 is a molded product made of synthetic resin (see FIGS. 1 to 4). The cover 20 includes a front wall 21 that is vertically rectangular when viewed from the front, a lower wall 23 that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the front wall 21, an upper wall 24 that protrudes diagonally upward and rearward from the upper end of the front wall 21, and left and right side walls 22 that protrude rearward from the right and left ends of the front wall 21. The front wall 21, the lower wall 23, the upper wall 24, and the left and right side walls 22 form the cover 20 into a box shape that is open at the rear.

[0081] The upper end portion of the top wall 24 is provided with a recess 242 in the center in the left-right direction, into which the first bearing portion 111 of the body 10 is inserted. The upper end portion of the top wall 24 is provided with a pair of second bearing portions 241 on both sides of the recess 242. Each of the pair of second bearing portions 241 is provided with a shaft hole 25 into which the rotating shaft 40 is inserted. The central axes of the pair of shaft holes 25 provided in each of the pair of second bearing portions 241 are aligned when viewed in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of shaft holes 25 is provided with a keyway 251 into which the protrusion portion 44 provided on the rotating shaft 40 is inserted (see FIG. 4 ).

[0082] A rectangular recess 27 for passing wires is provided in the center of the lower wall 23 in the left-right direction, recessed from the rear edge of the lower wall 23 .

[0083] A round hole 26 is provided in the lower right portion of the surface of the front wall 21 (see FIG. 2). A cylindrical boss 28 having a through hole that is continuous with the round hole 26 is provided on the rear surface of the front wall 21.

[0084] A locking member 95 is rotatably disposed in the circular hole 26 of the cover 20 .

[0085] The locking member 95 has a cylindrical shaft portion 96 and a disk-shaped operating portion 97 provided at a first axial end of the shaft portion 96. A rectangular plate-shaped locking piece 98 is attached to a second axial end of the shaft portion 96.

[0086] The locking member 95 is inserted into the circular hole 26 of the cover 20 with the shaft 96 at the front. When the shaft 96 is inserted into the boss 28 until the operating portion 97 is inserted into the circular hole 26, the tip portion of the shaft 96 is exposed from the rear end of the boss 28. A locking piece 98 is attached to the tip portion of the shaft 96 exposed from the rear end of the boss 28. In this manner, the locking member 95 has the operating portion 97 exposed outside the cover 20, and is held in a rotatable state relative to the cover 20 with the operating portion 97 exposed outside the cover 20. The locking piece 98 protrudes from the locking member 95 (specifically, the second end of the shaft 96) in a direction intersecting the direction along the central axis that is the rotation center of the locking member 95 (the central axial direction of the shaft 96). By rotating together with the locking member 95, the locking piece 98 is movable between a locked position where it engages with the hook portion 17 of the body 10 and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hook portion 17.

[0087] When the cover 20 is in the closed position covering the wiring device 60 (i.e., the position where the rear ends of the side walls 22 and bottom wall 23 of the cover 20 contact the front surface of the body 10), the locking piece 98 moves to the locked position where it protrudes downward from the shaft 96 in response to the rotation of the locking member 95, and the hook 17 and the locking piece 98 overlap in the front-to-rear direction. In this state, if an attempt is made to rotate the cover 20 from the closed position to the open position, the locking piece 98 comes into contact with the hook 17, preventing the cover 20 from rotating, and the cover 20 is held in the closed position.

[0088] On the other hand, when the cover 20 is moved to the closed position and the locking piece 98 of the locking member 95 is moved to the locked position, rotating the locking member 95 90 degrees clockwise moves the locking piece 98 to the unlocked position where it protrudes leftward from the shaft 96. At this time, the locking piece 98 moves to a position where it does not overlap with the hook portion 17 in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the cover 20 to be rotated from the closed position to the open position.

[0089] The tools for rotating the locking member 95 include a first tool T1 and a second tool T2 having tip portions with different shapes (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the operating part 97 is provided with a first hole 99 into which a tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 is inserted and a second hole 94 into which a tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 is inserted.

[0090] The first tool T1 is, for example, a flat-head screwdriver, and the first hole 99 is a rectangular hole into which the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 can be inserted. That is, the first hole 99 is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The first hole 99 is provided along a line L1 (see FIG. 2 ) that passes through the center of the operating part 97 and is perpendicular to the central axis of the locking member 95.

[0091] The second tool T2 is a dedicated tool for the wiring device case 2. The second tool T2 has a rectangular flat plate portion 211. A pair of rectangular protrusions 212 is provided on both ends of a tip portion of the flat plate portion 211. Here, a tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 includes the pair of protrusions 212 provided on the tip of the flat plate portion 211. Since the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 includes the pair of protrusions 212, the operating portion 97 is provided with a pair of second holes 94 into which the pair of protrusions 212 are respectively inserted.

[0092] Because the size of each of the pair of protrusions 212 is smaller than the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1, the size of the second hole 94 in a plan view is smaller than the size of the first hole 99 in a plan view. Here, the pair of second holes 94 are provided along a line L2 (see FIG. 2 ) that passes through the center of the operating portion 97, which is circular in a plan view, and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole 99 (a direction parallel to the line L1). In other words, the two second holes 94 are provided so as to be aligned along the line L2 that passes through the center position of the first hole 99 in the longitudinal direction and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole 99.

[0093] As described above, the operating portion 97 is provided with the first hole 99 into which the tip portion 200 of the first tool T1 can be inserted, and the second hole 94 into which the tip portion 210 of the second tool T2 can be inserted. Therefore, the locking member 95 can be rotated using either the first tool T1 or the second tool T2. Furthermore, when the operating portion 97 has a circular shape in a plan view, the second hole 94 is provided at a location where the width of the operating portion 97 in the direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the first hole 99 is greatest, which has the advantage of making it easier to secure space for providing the second hole 94.

[0094] In this embodiment, two second holes 94 are provided in the operating portion 97. The two second holes 94 are provided along the line segment L2, on either side of the first hole 99. When the operating portion 97 has a circular shape in a plan view, the two second holes 94 are provided at locations where the width of the operating portion 97 in the direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the first hole 99 is greatest. This allows the distance between the two second holes 94 to be as wide as possible. Increasing the distance between the two second holes 94 has the advantage of making it easier to turn the locking member 95 using the second tool T2.

[0095] <Inner Frame> The inner frame 30 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin (see FIGS. 1 and 6 to 9).

[0096] The middle frame 30 has a plate-like portion 31 formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape in a plan view. The middle frame 30 is disposed in a space surrounded by the wall portion 14 of the body 10. More specifically, the middle frame 30 is disposed on the opposite side of the body 10 from the installation surface 100. The plate-like portion 31 of the middle frame 30 is provided with a window hole 32 that exposes the wiring device 60 held in the body 10.

[0097] Three mounting pieces 33 are provided on the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 at positions corresponding to the three sets of protrusions 16 provided on the left inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10. Of the three mounting pieces 33, two mounting pieces 33A provided at the top and bottom of the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 are provided with recesses 34 into which the mating protrusions 19 provided on the wall portion 14 fit. In addition, six recesses 35 are provided on the left side of the plate-shaped portion 31 into which the six protrusions 16 provided on the left inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 fit, respectively. In other words, the inner frame 30 is provided with recesses 35 into which the protrusions 16 of the body 10 are inserted.

[0098] Similarly, three mounting pieces 33 are provided on the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 at positions corresponding to the three sets of protrusions 16 provided on the right inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10. Of the three mounting pieces 33, two mounting pieces 33A provided on the top and bottom of the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 are provided with recesses 34 into which the mating protrusions 19 provided on the wall portion 14 fit. In addition, six recesses 35 are provided on the right side of the plate-shaped portion 31 into which the six protrusions 16 provided on the right inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 fit, respectively.

[0099] Here, the mating protrusion 19 provided on the wall portion 14 serves as a first mating portion, and the recess 34 provided on the mounting piece 33A serves as a second mating portion that can be mated with the mating protrusion 19, which is the first mating portion. In other words, the mounting piece 33A that protrudes from the plate-shaped portion 31 along the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion 31, and the mounting piece 33A is provided with a second mating portion that can be mated with the first mating portion.

[0100] Here, the positions of the recesses 34 provided in the four mounting pieces 33A are misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 (see FIG. 9 ). That is, the positions of the second fitting portions are misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. The position of the recesses 34 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31 is the position where the recesses 34 are deepest, and this position is misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion 31 in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31.

[0101] The plate-shaped portion 31 has a first surface 31A and a second surface 31B that face each other in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion 31. In this embodiment, when the middle frame 30 is arranged with the first surface 31A facing upward and the second surface 31B facing downward as shown in Fig. 9, the recess 34 provided in the mounting piece 33A is located below the first surface 31A.

[0102] Therefore, the position of the first surface 31A when the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the second surface 31B of the plate-shaped portion 31 facing the construction surface 100 and the position of the second surface 31B when the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the first surface 31A of the plate-shaped portion 31 facing the construction surface 100 are shifted in the normal direction.

[0103] More specifically, the distance D1 from the first surface 31A to the rear surface of the waterproof gasket 90 in the first mounting state (see FIG. 9) is greater than the distance D2 (see FIG. 11) from the second surface 31B to the rear surface of the waterproof gasket 90 in the second mounting state (see FIG. 11). The first mounting state is a mounting state in which the body 10 with the middle frame 30 attached is attached to the construction surface 100 via the waterproof gasket 90, with the second surface 31B facing rearward and the first surface 31A facing forward. The second mounting state is a mounting state in which the body 10 with the middle frame 30 attached is attached to the construction surface 100 via the waterproof gasket 90, with the first surface 31A facing rearward and the second surface 31B facing forward.

[0104] For example, assume that there are two types of wiring devices 60, wiring device 60A and 60B, whose housings 61 have different sizes in the front-to-rear direction, and wiring device 60A has a longer distance from construction surface 100 to the front surface of housing 61 than wiring device 60B. In this case, the front surface of wiring device 60A attached to construction surface 100 via mounting frame 70 is located further forward than the front surface of wiring device 60B attached to construction surface 100 via mounting frame 70. When attaching wiring device 60A to construction surface 100, as shown in FIG. 9 , the middle frame 30 can be attached to body 10 with the first surface 31A facing forward, thereby reducing the step between the front surface of wiring device 60A and first surface 31A of middle frame 30. On the other hand, when attaching the wiring device 60B to the construction surface 100, as shown in FIG. 11 , the middle frame 30 can be attached to the body 10 with the second surface 31B facing forward, thereby reducing the step between the front surface of the wiring device 60B and the second surface 31B of the middle frame 30.

[0105] When the middle frame 30 is placed on the body 10 with the second surface 31B of the plate-like portion 31 facing the construction surface 100, the rear ends of the mounting pieces 33 come into contact with the restricting protrusions 18 of the body 10, thereby restricting the middle frame 30 from moving further in a direction approaching the construction surface 100. In this way, the body 10 is provided with the restricting protrusions 18 that restrict the middle frame 30 from moving in a direction approaching the construction surface 100 when the middle frame 30 comes into contact with the restricting protrusions 18. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the middle frame 30 from moving toward the construction surface 100 and creating a step between the second surface 31B of the middle frame 30 and the front surface of the wiring fixture 60.

[0106] (2.1.4) Waterproof Gasket The wiring apparatus 1 further includes a waterproof gasket 90 attached between the body 10 and the installation surface 100 .

[0107] The waterproof packing 90 is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame from an elastic material such as synthetic rubber.

[0108] With the waterproof packing 90 sandwiched between the body 10 and the construction surface 100, a screw passed through an insertion hole 150 of the body 10 is screwed into a screw hole 77 of a mounting frame 70 fixed to the construction surface 100, whereby the body 10 and the waterproof packing 90 are fixed to the construction surface 100 via the mounting frame 70.

[0109] When the body 10 is fixed to the installation surface 100 with the waterproof packing 90 sandwiched between the body 10 and the installation surface 100, the gap between the body 10 and the installation surface 100 is sealed by the waterproof packing 90. This reduces the possibility of water that has traveled through the gap between the body 10 and the installation surface 100 entering the interior of the wiring device 60, thereby reducing the possibility of problems such as short circuits occurring.

[0110] (2.2) Description of Mounting Method on Construction Surface A description will be given of a mounting method for mounting the wiring apparatus 1 according to this embodiment on the construction surface 100. Note that the mounting method described below is an example, and the order of mounting steps may be changed as appropriate.

[0111] First, the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70, which is attached integrally with the wiring device 60. As shown in FIG. 12 , the insulating cover 80, with the surface on which the snap-fit ​​portions 85 are provided facing forward, is brought closer to the rear of the mounting frame 70, and the ribs 88 are inserted into the insertion holes 75, and the snap-fit ​​portions 85 are inserted into the holes 76. At this time, the ribs 88 come into contact with the end faces of the insertion holes 75, thereby positioning the mounting frame 70 relative to the insulating cover 80. When the snap-fit ​​portions 85 are inserted into the holes 76, the claws 87 at the tips of the plate-shaped portions 86 are pressed against the end faces of the holes 76, causing the plate-shaped portions 86 to elastically deform in a direction away from the end faces of the holes 76. When the plate-shaped portions 86 are further inserted into the holes 76 and the claws 87 pass beyond the end faces of the holes 76, the plate-shaped portions 86 return to their original state before elastic deformation. At this time, the claws 87 hook onto the front faces of the horizontal pieces 72, preventing the snap-fit ​​portions 85 from coming off, and the insulating cover 80 is attached to the mounting frame 70.

[0112] Next, the mounting frame 70 is fixed to the construction surface 100. The rear portion of the wiring fixture 60 attached to the mounting frame 70 is inserted into the recessed hole 101 provided in the construction surface 100, and the pair of horizontal pieces 82 of the insulating cover 80 attached to the mounting frame 70 are brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the recessed hole 101 on the construction surface 100. Then, screws 300 (see FIG. 13 ) inserted into the insertion holes 75 of the mounting frame 70 and the through holes 84 of the insulating cover 80 are screwed into threaded holes in a switch box embedded on the back side of the construction surface 100, for example, to fix the mounting frame 70 with the attached insulating cover 80 to the construction surface 100.

[0113] Next, the wiring device case 2 is attached to the mounting frame 70 fixed to the construction surface 100 .

[0114] First, with the retention springs 55 facing rearward, the spring member 50 is inserted from the front into the recessed portion 574 of the spring retention member 56, and the four retention springs 55 are inserted into the four mounting grooves 573 provided in the base 57 (see FIG. 4 ). When the spring member 50 is inserted until the bent portions of the four retention springs 55 engage with the rear end of the base 57, the four retention springs 55 engage with the rear end of the base 57, thereby attaching the spring member 50 to the spring retention member 56. With the spring member 50 attached to the spring retention member 56, the four retention springs 55 abut against the left and right end faces of the four mounting grooves 573, restricting left-right movement of the spring member 50.

[0115] Thereafter, the spring holding member 56 holding the holding spring 55 is inserted into the internal space of the first bearing portion 111 from the rear of the body 10. When the spring holding member 56 is inserted to a position where the shaft support portion 58 contacts the inner surface of the first bearing portion 111, the protrusion 575 of the spring holding member 56 gets caught in a recess in the body 10, restricting rearward movement of the spring holding member 56. Furthermore, the base 57 and the shaft support portion 58 contact the inner surface of the first bearing portion 111, restricting forward movement and vertical movement of the spring holding member 56. In this way, the spring holding member 56 with the holding spring 55 attached is held by the body 10. When the spring holding member 56 to which the holding spring 55 is attached is held by the body 10, the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 provided on the spring holding member 56 and the two leaf spring portions 51 provided on the spring member 50 are arranged between the left and right shaft insertion holes 11 of the first bearing portion 111.

[0116] Next, with the waterproof packing 90 placed on the rear side of the body 10, the body 10 and waterproof packing 90 are placed on the installation surface 100 so that the mounting frame 70 fits inside the wall portion 14 of the body 10. In this state, the body 10 is fixed to the mounting frame 70 by threading the screws 310 passed through the insertion holes 150 of the body 10 into the screw holes 77 of the mounting frame 70 (see FIG. 7 ). In this way, the body 10 is attached to the installation surface 100 via the mounting frame 70 and insulating cover 80.

[0117] Next, the middle frame 30 is attached to the body 10. For example, when the middle frame 30 is inserted from the front into the space surrounded by the wall 14 of the body 10 with the first surface 31A facing forward, each of the six mounting pieces 33 provided on the left and right sides of the plate-like portion 31 is inserted between the corresponding two protrusions 16. At this time, each of the fitting protrusions 19 provided in four locations on the wall 14 comes into contact with the corresponding fitting piece 33A, bending the fitting piece 33A inward. When the middle frame 30 is pushed further rearward, the fitting protrusions 19 enter the recesses 34 of the mounting pieces 33A, and the fitting protrusions 19 and the recesses 34 fit together, attaching the middle frame 30 to the body 10.

[0118] Thereafter, the cover 20 is brought close to the body 10 from the front, and the first bearing portion 111 of the body 10 is inserted into the recess 242 in the upper portion of the cover 20. Then, when the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into each of the pair of shaft holes 25 provided in the left and right side walls 22 of the cover 20, the tip of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 11 of the first bearing portion 111. At this time, the polygonal columnar shaft portion 41 at the tip of the rotating shaft 40 passes through the round hole in the shaft support portion 58 and is inserted between the pair of flat portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51. Furthermore, the claws of the pair of clamping pieces 572 of the shaft stopper portion 571 fit into the recessed grooves 45 of the rotating shaft 40, thereby preventing the rotating shaft 40 from moving out of the shaft insertion hole 11. Furthermore, the projections 44 of the rotating shaft 40 are inserted into the keyways 251 of the cover 20, restricting rotation of the cover 20 relative to the rotating shaft 40, and the rotating shaft 40 and the cover 20 rotate together. Furthermore, since the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the round hole of the shaft support portion 58 of the spring holding member 56 attached to the body 10, the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported relative to the body 10, and the cover 20 is rotatably supported on the body 10 via the rotating shaft 40. As a result, the cover 20 is rotatably supported relative to the body 10 around the central axis of the rotating shaft 40. Furthermore, since the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 at the tip of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted between the pair of flat plate portions 52 of the leaf spring portion 51, the cover 20 is stably held in a position where the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 are in surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. In other words, the cover 20 can maintain the rotational position when the pair of flat plate portions 52 are in surface contact with the two surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41. Here, the rotation shaft 40 is attached to the cover 20 so that, when the cover 20 is rotated to a position where the rear ends of the side walls 22 and bottom wall 23 of the cover 20 contact the front surface of the body 10 (this position is referred to as the closed position), the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. Because the cross-sectional shape of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 is a regular hexahedron, when the cover 20 is rotated 60 degrees or 120 degrees from the closed position, the two opposing surfaces 42 of the polygonal prism shaft portion 41 come into surface contact with the pair of flat plate portions 52. Therefore, the cover 20 is stably held at a position rotated 60 degrees or 120 degrees from the closed position. FIG. 5 shows the cover 20 held at a position rotated 120 degrees from the closed position.In addition, the cover 20 can be rotated, for example, to a position where the upper wall 24 of the cover 20 contacts the construction surface 100, and any position between the position of the cover 20 when the upper wall 24 of the cover 20 contacts the construction surface 100 and the closed position becomes the open position of the cover 20.

[0119] (2.3) Description of Usage Method A usage method of the wiring apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, in a state where the wiring apparatus 1 is attached to the construction surface 100, will be described.

[0120] When the locking member 95 is rotated to the unlocked position, the cover 20 can be opened and closed, and the user rotates the cover 20, for example, 120 degrees from the closed position to open the cover 20. In this state, when the user connects the plug of the electrical device to the plug socket 64 of the wiring device 60, power is supplied to the electrical device from the wiring device 60.

[0121] In this state, the user rotates the cover 20 to the closed position, and pulls out the cable of the electrical device plugged into the plug socket 64 from the recess 27 of the cover 20. When the user then uses the first tool T1 or the second tool T2 to rotate the locking member 95 from the unlocked position to the locked position, the locking piece 98 provided on the locking member 95 interferes with the hook portion 17 of the body 10, thereby holding the cover 20 in the closed position. This prevents a third party from removing the plug of the electrical device connected to the plug socket 64.

[0122] When a user wishes to remove the plug of an electrical device connected to the plug receptacle 64, the user uses the first tool T1 or the second tool T2 to rotate the locking member 95 from the locked position to the unlocked position. At this time, the locking piece 98 provided on the locking member 95 moves to a position where it does not interfere with the hook portion 17 of the body 10, allowing the cover 20 to be moved from the closed position to the open position. With the cover 20 in the open position, the user can remove the plug of the electrical device connected to the plug receptacle 64.

[0123] (3) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0124] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the wiring fixture 60 is a power outlet, but the wiring fixture 60 may be a switch or the like.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the first fitting portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion 14 of the body 10 is a fitting protrusion 19, and the second fitting portion provided on the mounting piece 33A is a recess 34, but the second fitting portion may be a protrusion and the first fitting portion may be a recess.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the shapes and arrangements of the first hole 99 and the second hole 94 provided in the operating portion 97 of the locking member 95 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. Also, in the above embodiment, the number of second holes 94 is two, but the number of second holes 94 may be one, or three or more.

[0128] (Summary) The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

[0129] A wiring device case (2) of a first aspect includes a body (10), a cover (20), and an inner frame (30). The body (10) is capable of holding a wiring device (60) and is attachable to an installation surface (100). The cover (20) is rotatably supported relative to the body (10) between a closed position that covers the wiring device (60) held by the body (10) and an open position that exposes the wiring device (60) held by the body (10). The inner frame (30) has a plate-shaped portion (31) provided with a window hole (32) that exposes the wiring device (60) held by the body (10), and is disposed on the side of the body (10) opposite the installation surface (100). The body (10) has a wall portion (14) that faces the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion (31). A first fitting portion (19) is provided on the wall portion (14) at a portion facing the plate-shaped portion (31). An attachment piece (33A) is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion (31) and protrudes from the plate-shaped portion (31) along the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion (31). A second fitting portion (34) that can fit into the first fitting portion (19) is provided on the attachment piece (33A). In the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion (31), the position of the second fitting portion (34) is offset from the position of the plate-shaped portion (31).

[0130] If the two surfaces of the plate-like portion (31) facing each other in the normal direction (i.e., the thickness direction) are defined as a first surface (31A) and a second surface (31B), the position of the second surface (31B) when the middle frame (30) is attached to the body (10) with the first surface (31A) facing the construction surface (100) is shifted in the normal direction from the position of the first surface (31A) when the middle frame (30) is attached to the body (10) with the second surface (31B) facing the construction surface (100). Therefore, when there are two types of wiring devices (60) with different distances from the mounting frame (70) to the front surface of the wiring device (60) while the wiring device (60) is held by the mounting frame (70), the middle frame (30) can be attached to the body (10) by swapping the front and back sides to match the size of the wiring device (60). Therefore, the wiring device case (2) of this embodiment has the advantage that it can accommodate two types of wiring devices (60) of different sizes.

[0131] In the wiring device case (2) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the plate-shaped portion (31) has a first surface (31A) and a second surface (31B) that face each other in a normal direction. The position of the first surface (31A) when the inner frame (30) is disposed on the body (10) with the second surface (31B) of the plate-shaped portion (31) facing the installation surface (100) is shifted in the normal direction from the position of the second surface (31B) when the inner frame (30) is disposed on the body (10) with the first surface (31A) of the plate-shaped portion (31) facing the installation surface (100).

[0132] This embodiment has the advantage that two types of wiring devices (60) of different sizes can be attached.

[0133] In the wiring device case (2) of the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, a protrusion (16) is provided alongside the first fitting portion (19) at a portion of the wall portion (14) facing the plate-shaped portion (31). The inner frame (30) is provided with a recess (35) into which the protrusion (16) is inserted.

[0134] According to this aspect, the middle frame (30) can be positioned relative to the body (10) by inserting the protrusion (16) into the recess (35).

[0135] In the wiring device case (2) of the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the body (10) is provided with a restricting protrusion (18) that restricts the movement of the middle frame (30) in a direction approaching the installation surface (100) by contacting the middle frame (30).

[0136] According to this aspect, the movement of the middle frame (30) in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion (31) beyond the position where it abuts the restricting protrusion (18) and in the direction approaching the construction surface (100) can be restricted.

[0137] In a fifth aspect of the wiring device case (2), in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a mounting frame (70) for the wiring device can be attached to the body (10). The mounting frame (70) is provided with a pair of screw holes (77) on both sides of an opening (71) in which the wiring device (60) is disposed. The body (10) is provided with a pair of insertion holes (150) through which a pair of screws (300) threaded into the pair of screw holes (77) can be inserted. Each of the pair of insertion holes (150) has a shape that connects a first insertion hole (151) and a second insertion hole (152). The first insertion hole (151) is a hole through which the screw (300) threaded into the pair of screw holes (77) is inserted when the spacing between the pair of screw holes (77) is a first spacing (W1). The second insertion hole (152) is a hole into which a screw (300) is inserted when the distance between the pair of screw holes (77) is the second distance (W2).

[0138] According to this aspect, the body (10) can be attached to either a mounting frame (70) in which the spacing between a pair of screw holes (77) is a first spacing (W1) or a mounting frame (70) in which the spacing between a pair of screw holes (77) is a second spacing (W2).

[0139] A wiring device case (2) according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, and includes a locking member (95) and a locking piece (98). The locking member (95) has an operating portion (97) exposed to the outside of the cover (20), and is rotatably held relative to the cover (20) with the operating portion (97) exposed to the outside of the cover (20). The locking piece (98) protrudes from the locking member (95) in a direction intersecting with the direction along the central axis that is the center of rotation of the locking member (95). The locking piece (98) rotates together with the locking member (95) to move between a locked position where it engages with a hook portion (17) on the body (10) and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hook portion (17). The tools for rotating the locking member (95) include a first tool (T1) and a second tool (T2) having tip portions with different shapes. The operating portion (97) is provided with a first hole (99) into which the tip portion (200) of the first tool (T1) is inserted, and a second hole (94) into which the tip portion (210) of the second tool (T2) is inserted.

[0140] According to this aspect, the locking member (95) can be moved between the unlocked position and the locked position using either the first tool (T1) or the second tool (T2).

[0141] In the wiring device case (2) of the seventh aspect, the first hole (99) is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view in the sixth aspect, and the second hole (94) is provided along a line (L2) that passes through the center position of the first hole (99) in the longitudinal direction and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole (99).

[0142] This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to ensure a space in the operating portion (97) for arranging the second hole (94).

[0143] In the wiring device case (2) of the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, two second holes (94) are provided in the operating portion (97). The two second holes (94) are arranged on both sides of the first hole (99) along the line segment (L2).

[0144] This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to ensure a space in the operating portion (97) for arranging the second hole (94).

[0145] A wiring device (1) of a ninth aspect includes the wiring device case (2) of any one of the first to eighth aspects and a wiring device (60) held by the body (10).

[0146] This embodiment has the advantage that two types of wiring devices (60) of different sizes can be attached.

[0147] The wiring apparatus (1) of a tenth aspect is the ninth aspect, further comprising a mounting frame (70) that can be attached to a construction surface (100) while holding a wiring apparatus (60). The mounting frame (70) holding the wiring apparatus (60) can be attached to the body (10). The body (10) is provided with a through-hole (12) into which the wiring apparatus (60) held by the mounting frame (70) is inserted.

[0148] This embodiment has the advantage that two types of wiring devices (60) of different sizes can be attached.

[0149] The wiring apparatus (1) of an eleventh aspect is the tenth aspect, further comprising an insulating cover (80) disposed between the mounting frame (70) and the installation surface (100). The insulating cover (80) is provided with a snap-fit ​​portion (85) that can be attached to and detached from a hole (76) provided in the mounting frame (70).

[0150] According to this aspect, the insulating cover (80) can be attached to the mounting frame (70) without using any special tools or the like.

[0151] The wiring apparatus (1) of a twelfth aspect is any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, further comprising a waterproof packing (90) attached between the body (10) and the installation surface (100).

[0152] According to this aspect, the gap between the body (10) and the application surface (100) can be sealed with the waterproof packing (90).

[0153] The configurations according to the second to eighth aspects are not essential for the wiring device case 2 and may be omitted as appropriate. The configurations according to the tenth to twelfth aspects are not essential for the wiring device apparatus 1 and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0154] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 wiring device device 2 wiring device case 10 body 12 through hole 14 wall portion 16 protrusion 17 hook portion 18 restricting projection 19 mating projection (first mating portion) 20 cover 30 inner frame 31 plate-shaped portion 31A first surface 31B second surface 32 window hole 33A mounting piece 34 recess (second mating portion) 35 recess 60 wiring device 70 mounting frame 71 opening 76 hole 77 screw hole 80 insulating cover 85 snap-fit ​​portion 90 waterproof packing 94 second hole 95 locking member 97 operating portion 98 locking piece 99 first hole 100 installation surface 150 insertion hole 151 first insertion hole 152 second insertion hole 200, 210 Tip portion 300 Thread L2 Line segment T1 First tool T2 Second tool W1 First distance W2 Second distance

Claims

1. A wiring device case comprising: a body capable of holding a wiring device and attachable to an installation surface; a cover rotatably supported on the body between a closed position that covers the wiring device held on the body and an open position that exposes the wiring device held on the body; and a middle frame having a plate-shaped portion with a window hole that exposes the wiring device held on the body and arranged on the side of the body opposite the installation surface, wherein the body has a wall portion facing the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion, and a first fitting portion is provided at a location of the wall portion facing the plate-shaped portion, and an attachment piece is provided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped portion that protrudes from the plate-shaped portion along a normal direction to the plate-shaped portion, and the attachment piece is provided with a second fitting portion that can fit into the first fitting portion, and the position of the second fitting portion is misaligned with the position of the plate-shaped portion in the normal direction of the plate-shaped portion.

2. The wiring device case according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like portion has a first surface and a second surface that face each other in the normal direction, and the position of the first surface when the middle frame is placed on the body with the second surface of the plate-like portion facing the installation surface is offset from the position of the second surface when the middle frame is placed on the body with the first surface of the plate-like portion facing the installation surface in the normal direction.

3. A wiring device case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a protruding portion is provided alongside the first fitting portion at a portion of the wall portion facing the plate-like portion, and the middle frame is provided with a recess into which the protruding portion is inserted.

4. The wiring device case according to claim 3, wherein the body is provided with a restricting protrusion that restricts movement of the inner frame in a direction approaching the installation surface when the inner frame comes into contact with the restricting protrusion.

5. A wiring device case according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a mounting frame for a wiring device can be attached to the body, the mounting frame is provided with a pair of screw holes on both sides of an opening in which the wiring device is placed, the body is provided with a pair of insertion holes into which a pair of screws to be screwed into the pair of screw holes can be inserted, and each of the pair of insertion holes has a shape that connects a first insertion hole into which the screw to be screwed into the pair of screw holes is inserted when the spacing between the pair of screw holes is a first spacing, and a second insertion hole into which the screw to be screwed into the pair of screw holes is inserted when the spacing between the pair of screw holes is a second spacing.

6. A wiring device case according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a locking member having an operating part exposed on the outside of the cover, and held rotatably relative to the cover with the operating part exposed on the outside of the cover; and a locking piece protruding from the locking member in a direction intersecting a direction along a central axis that is the center of rotation of the locking member, and which is movable between a locked position where it engages with a hooking part of the body and an unlocked position where it disengages from the hooking part by rotating together with the locking member; wherein tools for rotating the locking member include a first tool and a second tool having tip portions with different shapes; and the operating part is provided with a first hole into which the tip portion of the first tool is inserted and a second hole into which the tip portion of the second tool is inserted.

7. A wiring device case according to claim 6, wherein the first hole is a hole having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the second hole is provided along a line that passes through a center position of the first hole in the longitudinal direction and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first hole.

8. The wiring device case according to claim 7, wherein the operating portion is provided with two second holes, and the two second holes are arranged on both sides of the first hole along the line segment.

9. A wiring device apparatus comprising: a wiring device case according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and a wiring device held by the body.

10. The wiring device according to claim 9, further comprising a mounting frame that can be attached to the construction surface while holding the wiring device, the mounting frame holding the wiring device can be attached to the body, and the body is provided with a through hole into which the wiring device held by the mounting frame can be inserted.

11. The wiring apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an insulating cover disposed between the mounting frame and the installation surface, the insulating cover having a snap-fit ​​portion that can be attached to and detached from a hole provided in the mounting frame.

12. The wiring apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a waterproof packing attached between the body and the installation surface.

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