Connection device

Abstract

This connection device (1) is an embedded-type connection device to be installed in an embedding hole formed in an installation surface using a fixing member that is provided to the rear of the installation surface. The connection device comprises a base plate (2), a body unit (3), and a housing (4). An installation frame (20) of the base plate (2) has a first through hole (25) into which is inserted a first screw to be fastened to the fixing member, and a plurality of second through holes through which are inserted second screws to be fastened to the housing (4). The housing (4) has protruding parts (44, 45) that protrude from side walls (41). The protruding parts (44, 45) include screw holes with which the second screws are fastened, and, in a view from the rear of the connection device (1), are disposed on both left-right sides of the first through hole (25) so as to sandwich the first through hole (25).

Description

Connection device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connection device, and more specifically to a flush-type connection device installed in an embedding hole formed in a construction surface.

[0002] Conventionally, flush-type connection devices installed in embedding holes formed in construction surfaces such as wall surfaces are widely known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multimedia connection device that includes an information outlet including a LAN modular outlet, a telephone modular outlet, and a TV outlet, and a plurality of power outlets, and is installed in an embedding hole in a wall. The connection device of Patent Document 1 has a plurality of insertion ports formed on the front surface of the device, and is configured such that a cable can be connected perpendicularly to the front surface of the device. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a connection device that is used by being incorporated into furniture such as a kitchen unit.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-288163 Japanese Patent No. 3578352

[0004] Incidentally, a flush-type connection device is installed in an embedding hole formed in a construction surface using a fixing member provided on the back side of the construction surface. At this time, if the screw used for fastening to the fixing member is tightened too strongly, the base plate of the connection device, which is arranged to cover the embedding hole, may be deformed. On the other hand, if the base plate is reinforced by forming a rib or the like, it may interfere with the installation work of the connection device. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connection device having good workability and high mechanical strength.

[0005] The connection device according to this disclosure is a recessed type connection device installed in a recessed hole formed in a construction surface using a fixing member provided on the back side of the construction surface, and comprises a base plate having a base portion arranged to cover the recessed hole and a mounting frame portion provided around the base portion, a main body unit having a connection portion to which a cable is connected and arranged on the back side of the base plate, and a housing fixed to the back side of the base plate and housing the main body unit, wherein the mounting frame portion has a first through hole through which a first screw fastened to the fixing member passes, and a plurality of second through holes formed on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole and through which a second screw fastened to the housing passes, and the housing has a main wall, a side wall erected on the main wall, and a projection portion protruding from the side wall, the projection portion includes a screw hole through which the second screw is fastened, and is characterized in that, in a rear view of the connection device, the projection portion is arranged on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole.

[0006] The connecting device according to this disclosure has good workability and high mechanical strength. With the connecting device according to this disclosure, for example, high mechanical strength can be ensured without forming reinforcing structures such as ribs near the part of the base plate to which the screws are attached, and deformation of the base plate is unlikely to occur even if the screws are tightened somewhat strongly.

[0007] This figure shows a connection device, an example of an embodiment, installed in a recessed hole in a wall. This is a perspective view of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, from the front. This is a perspective view of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, from the front, showing the cover open. This is a perspective view of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, from the rear. This figure shows a LAN cable connected to the first cable connection part of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, with an optical fiber inserted through the notch. This is an exploded perspective view of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, from the front. This is an exploded perspective view of the connection device, an example of an embodiment, from the rear. This figure shows the first fixing structure of the connection device, an example of an embodiment. This figure shows the second fixing structure of the connection device, an example of an embodiment. This figure shows a first modified example of the connection device. This figure shows a second modified example of the connection device.

[0008] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the embedded connection device according to this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations obtained by selectively combining the various embodiments and modified components described below are included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1 shows a connecting device 1, which is an example of an embodiment, and illustrates the state in which the connecting device 1 is installed in a recessed hole 101 formed in a wall 100. As shown in Figure 1, the connecting device 1 comprises a base plate 2 and a cover 15 that covers the front part of the plate, and is installed in the wall 100, which is the construction surface of the building. A recessed hole 101 is formed in the wall 100, and the connecting device 1 is a recessed type connecting device installed in the recessed hole 101 with a part of it inserted into the recessed hole 101. The recessed hole 101 is a through hole that is slightly larger than the cover 15 and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front.

[0010] In the example shown in Figure 1, the connecting device 1 is embedded in the wall 100 of a building. However, the connecting device 1 can also be installed on the floor of a building, or on furniture such as desks, shelves, counters, or beds, or on vehicles such as buses, trains, airplanes, or ships. In other words, the surface on which the connecting device 1 is installed is not limited to the surface of a building, but may also be the surface of furniture, vehicles, etc. However, the connecting device 1 is generally installed on the wall of an interior room.

[0011] The connecting device 1 is equipped with a rectangular frame-shaped decorative cover 5 with an opening 5a, and the sloped surface 13 of the base portion 10 of the base plate 2 and the cover 15 are exposed through the opening 5a of the decorative cover 5. The decorative cover 5 is a rectangular frame-shaped plate when viewed from the front, and covers the mounting frame etc. installed around the embedded hole 101 so that it is not visible. As will be described in detail later, the connecting device 1 has a structure in which the base plate 2 and the mounting frame are integrated, and the base portion 10 of the base plate 2 and the mounting frame portion 20 (see Figure 2, etc.) are integrally molded. The decorative cover 5 is fixed to the mounting frame portion 20 via a frame 55 (see Figure 8, described later). The front view shape of the decorative cover is not particularly limited, and it may be a cover with a circular outline, etc.

[0012] In this specification, for the sake of clarity, terms indicating the front-to-back, up-and-down, and left-to-right directions are used for each component of the connecting device 1. The front-to-back direction is the direction perpendicular to the front of the cover 15, the front of the decorative cover 5, and the wall surface (normal direction), and can be rephrased as the front-to-back direction. The side of the wall 100 that faces the interior is the front side (front side), and the side opposite the interior is the rear side (back side). The surface of the wall 100 that faces the interior is referred to as the "wall surface." The left-to-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the up-and-down and front-to-back directions. Left and right are the left and right directions when the connecting device 1 is viewed from the front.

[0013] A cable 110 (the first cable) is connected to the connection device 1 from the front. The cable 110 is connected to a first communication cable connection part 31 (see Figure 3, etc., described later) which is covered by a cover 15. The connection device 1 also includes a second communication cable connection part 32 (see Figure 4, etc., described later) from which a second cable can be inserted and removed from the rear. The connection device 1 is provided with one first communication cable connection part 31 and a plurality of second communication cable connection parts 32. In the example shown in Figure 1, the cable 110 is connected to the router 120. The second cable connected to the cable 110 and the second communication cable connection part 32 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) cable.

[0014] The connection device 1 functions as a LAN hub and branches the cable 110 connected to the router 120 into a number of second cables. The second cables are connected to information outlets installed in each room. The information outlets are, for example, outlets that include a LAN modular outlet, and may also include a telephone modular outlet, a TV outlet, etc. Near the connection device 1, in addition to the router 120, an optical network terminal (ONU) is placed. As will be described in more detail later, the connection device 1 is equipped with a notch 29 (see Figure 2, etc.) for passing an optical fiber connected to the ONU.

[0015] In the example shown in Figure 1, the connection device 1 is used alone, but the connection device 1 may be combined with at least one selected from, for example, a power outlet and other information outlets to constitute a multimedia outlet. Also, in this embodiment, the cable 110 (first cable) and the second cable are described as LAN cables, but they may be other communication cables or cables other than communication cables.

[0016] The configuration of the connection device 1 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the connection device 1 from the front. Figure 2 shows the cover 15 in the closed position, and Figure 3 shows the cover 15 in the open position. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the connection device 1 from the rear.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the connection device 1 comprises a base plate 2, a main unit 3 having a connection portion to which a cable is connected and positioned on the back side of the base plate 2, and a housing 4 fixed to the back side of the base plate 2 and housing the main unit 3. The base plate 2 has a base portion 10 positioned to cover the embedded hole 101, and a mounting frame portion 20 provided around the base portion 10. The main unit 3 includes, as connection portions, a first communication cable connection portion 31 and a second communication cable connection portion 32 (first connection portion) to which a communication cable is connected, and a power cable connection portion 33 (second connection portion) to which a power cable is connected.

[0018] The base plate 2 has a cover 15 attached to the base portion 10 in a manner that allows it to move between a position that covers the insertion opening 31a of the first communication cable connection portion 31 (hereinafter simply referred to as "connection portion 31") and a position that exposes it. In this specification, the state in which the cover 15 is in the position that covers the insertion opening 31a is referred to as the closed state of the cover 15, and the state in which the cover 15 is in the position that exposes the insertion opening 31a is referred to as the open state of the cover 15. The connection portion 31 is provided so that the cable 110, which is the first LAN cable, can be inserted into and removed from the front of the connection device 1. The second communication cable connection portion 32 (hereinafter simply referred to as "connection portion 32") is provided so that the second LAN cable can be inserted into and removed from the rear of the connection device 1.

[0019] The main unit 3 has one connection section 31 and four connection sections 32. As a result, one cable 110 connected to the router 120 is branched into four second LAN cables. In this embodiment, a total of five LAN cable connection sections 31 and 32 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction of the connection device 1. However, the number of connection sections is not limited to this. Multiple connection sections 31 may be provided, as shown in Figure 10, which will be described later. A power cable connection section 33 (hereinafter simply referred to as "connection section 33") is located below the connection sections 32. A power cable (not shown) for supplying power to the connection device 1 is connected to the connection section 33.

[0020] The housing 4 has a main wall 40 and side walls 41 erected on the main wall 40, and together with the base plate 2, it covers the perimeter of the main unit 3. The main wall 40 is positioned opposite the rear surface 14 (back surface) of the base plate 2. The housing 4 has a structure in which the portion opposite the main wall 40 is open, and this opening is closed by the base plate 2. The housing 4 is screwed to the rear surface 14 of the base plate 2 and positioned in the embedded hole 101. The main wall 40 of the housing 4 has an opening 42 that exposes the insertion opening 32a of the connection part 32 and an opening 43 that exposes the insertion opening of the connection part 33. The housing 4 further has a plurality of protrusions 44, 45 that protrude from the side walls 41. The protrusions 44, 45 play an important role in suppressing deformation of the base plate 2.

[0021] The connection device 1 is installed in the recessed hole 101 using a fixing member provided on the back side of the wall 100. Examples of fixing members include a switch box 50 (see Figure 8 below) and a fixing bracket 60 (see Figure 9 below). The mounting frame portion 20 of the base plate 2 has a first through hole 25 through which a first screw 27 fastened to the fixing member passes, and a second through hole 26 through which a second screw 28 fastened to the housing 4 passes. The screw 28 is fastened to a screw hole 46 (see Figure 6 below) formed in the protruding portions 44 and 45 of the housing 4. The base plate 2, the main unit 3, and the housing 4 will be described in more detail below.

[0022] [Base Plate] The base plate 2 is a plate-shaped member in which the base portion 10 and the mounting frame portion 20 are integrally molded, and is the object to be assembled to the main unit 3 and the housing 4, and functions as the top cover of the connection device 1. The base plate 2 is made of, for example, resin. By using a base plate 2 in which the base portion 10 and the mounting frame portion 20 are integrally molded, the number of parts can be reduced and the ease of installation of the connection device 1 can be improved. The base portion 10 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the mounting frame portion 20 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, surrounding the base portion 10. A part of the mounting frame portion 20 abuts against the wall surface around the embedded hole 101.

[0023] The base portion 10 is positioned in front of the embedded hole 101 so as to cover the embedded hole 101. The connecting portion 31 is positioned behind the base portion 10, but the base portion 10 has an opening 10a that allows access to the connecting portion 31. The front portion 11 of the base portion 10 is the part visible from the front of the connecting device 1, and most of it, including the opening 10a, is covered and concealed by the cover 15. The connecting portion 31 can also be provided on the front portion 11, but from the viewpoint of making the connecting device 1 thinner and improving its design, it is preferable to position the connecting portion 31 on the back side of the base portion 10 and form an opening 10a in the base portion 10 that exposes the insertion port 31a.

[0024] The opening 10a of the base portion 10 is open in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 31 is positioned such that the insertion port 31a faces the direction of the opening 10a and is close to the opening 10a. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 31 is positioned above the opening 10a, with the insertion port 31a facing vertically downward and positioned adjacent to the opening 10a so as to be exposed from the opening 10a. In this case, the cable 110 can be positioned along the wall surface, and insertion and removal of the cable 110 is also easy. Furthermore, since the opening 10a is formed in the front portion 11 of the base portion 10 in a part covered by the cover 15, the connection portion of the cable 110 can be hidden by the cover 15.

[0025] The front portion 11 has a recess 12 formed along the insertion / removal direction of the cable 110, capable of accommodating at least a portion of the connector 110a of the cable 110. Preferably, the recess 12 is formed to a depth such that the cover 15 and the cable 110 do not interfere with each other when the cable 110 is connected to the connection portion 31 and the cover 15 is closed. That is, it is preferable that the entire connector 110a is accommodated in the recess 12. The recess 12 extends in the vertical direction, and an opening 10a is formed at the upper end of the recess 12, exposing the insertion port 31a. That is, the recess 12 and the connection portion 31 are aligned in the vertical direction. The recess 12 is formed in a groove shape that extends longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.

[0026] The front portion 11 has an exposed portion that is not covered by the cover 15. The cable 110 connected to the connection portion 31 is pulled out from between the front portion 11 and the cover 15 in this exposed portion (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, a slope 13 is formed on the exposed portion. The portion where the slope 13 is formed is part of the recess 12. That is, the recess 12 is partially exposed when the cover 15 is in a position to cover the insertion opening 31a (opening 10a) of the connection portion 31, and the cable 110 connected to the connection portion 31 is pulled out forward from between the front portion 11 and the cover 15 in this exposed portion.

[0027] The front portion 11 further has an opening 19a for a cover housing portion 19. The cover housing portion 19 can accommodate at least a part of the cover 15 when the cover 15 is in a position that exposes the insertion opening 31a of the connecting portion 31, that is, when the cover 15 is open. The cover housing portion 19 is provided above the recess 12 in the base portion 10. The rest of the front portion 11, excluding the recess 12, the cover housing portion 19, etc., is a flat surface aligned in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0028] Refer to Figure 5 as appropriate below. Figure 5 shows the state in which cable 110 is connected to connection part 31 and cable 111 is inserted through notch 29. An example of cable 111 is an optical fiber.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the recess 12 is recessed toward the rear and is formed to a depth that can accommodate the entire connector 110a of the cable 110. That is, the recess 12 has a depth such that, when the cable 110 is connected to the connection part 31, the connector 110a does not protrude further forward than the rest of the front part 11 of the base part 10. In this case, the cable 110 extends vertically along the recess 12, and the cover 15 can be closed with the cable 110 connected to the connection part 31. As a result, the cable 110 is positioned along the wall surface and is concealed by the cover 15 without protruding significantly from the wall surface.

[0030] The recess 12 can also be positioned in the left-right center of the connection device 1, but from the viewpoint of design and the arrangement of connection parts 31 and 32, it is preferable to position it at the left-right end of the base part 10. In this embodiment, the recess 12 is formed at the right end of the front part 11 of the base part 10. The recess 12 has a substantially constant width and depth in the area covered by the cover 15. The recess 12 has a width slightly larger than the width of the connector 110a of the cable 110. The recess 12 extends downward beyond the area covered by the cover 15 and is formed across the exposed portion. As a result, the cable 110 can be pulled out from the exposed portion of the front part 11 to the front of the connection device 1 without interfering with the cover 15.

[0031] A slope 13 is formed on the portion of the recess 12 that is exposed from the cover 15, and is inclined to gradually move backward toward the opening 10a that exposes the insertion port 31a. The portion in which the slope 13 is formed is inside the recess 12, but the depth of the recess 12 in the portion in which the slope 13 is formed gradually becomes shallower toward the bottom of the connecting device 1. The slope 13 is formed at least in a position aligned with the opening 10a in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the slope 13 is formed at the lower end of the base portion 10, extending over substantially the entire length of the base portion 10 in the left-right direction. In this case, for example, the aesthetic design of the connecting device 1 is improved compared to the case in which the slope 13 is formed only directly below the opening 10a.

[0032] The slope 13 may be a flat slope that inclines at a constant angle, but in this embodiment, it is gently curved so as to become convex towards the rear. The vertical length (width) of the slope 13 is substantially constant along the left-right direction of the base portion 10. The slope 13, for example, suppresses bending of the cable 110 and allows the cable 110 to be pulled out along the slope 13. In addition, forming the slope 13 makes it difficult for dust to accumulate at the lower end of the base portion 10, making cleaning easier.

[0033] The cover 15 has a plate-shaped cover body 16 that covers the front portion 11, an upper projection 17 formed on the upper part of the cover body 16, and a lower projection 18 formed on the lower part of the cover body 16. The projections protrude from the rear surface (back surface) of the cover body 16, and a total of four projections are formed, one at each of the four corners of the cover body 16. An opening 10b is formed in the front portion 11 into which the lower projections 18 are inserted. In this embodiment, when the cover 15 is closed, the lower projections 18 are inserted into the opening 10b and catch on the edge of the opening 10b, thereby maintaining the closed state of the cover 15.

[0034] The cover body 16 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and its vertical length is shorter than the vertical length of the base portion 10. Furthermore, the cover body 16 has, for example, a flat front surface, which is substantially flush with the front surface of the decorative cover 5. In other words, when the cover 15 is closed, the front surface of the cover body 16 and the front surface of the decorative cover 5 are flush. Preferably, there are no large gaps between the cover body 16 and the decorative cover 5 on the top, left, and right sides. In this case, the aesthetic design of the connecting device 1 is improved.

[0035] The cover housing section 19 is provided at the upper end of the base section 10 and has an opening 19a that extends over substantially the entire length in the left-right direction. The cover 15 is supported by the cover housing section 19 in a state that allows it to rotate in the vertical direction. When the cover 15 is lifted upward and opened so that the insertion opening 31a of the connection section 31 is exposed, the upper end of the cover 15 enters the interior of the cover housing section 19 through the opening 19a, and the cover 15 can be kept open. The cover 15 is opened when inserting or removing the cable 110 and is closed when the cable 110 is connected to the connection section 31. Therefore, the cover housing section 19 only needs to accommodate the cover 15 to the extent that it can be kept open even when released, and does not need to accommodate the entire cover 15.

[0036] The mounting frame portion 20 is formed in a rectangular frame shape surrounding the base portion 10. Although it is possible to assemble a separate mounting frame to the base portion 10, in this embodiment, the base portion 10 and the mounting frame portion 20 are integrally molded, so there is no need to assemble the mounting frame during installation, and the connection device 1 has excellent workability. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a fitting structure necessary for assembling the mounting frame on the base portion 10, and the width of the base portion 10 can be increased to increase the number of cable connection portions arranged in the left-right direction. The mounting frame portion 20 includes, for example, a structure standardized by JIS or the like.

[0037] The mounting frame portion 20 includes an upper frame portion 21, a lower frame portion 22, and vertical frame portions 23 and 24, with parts of the rear surfaces of the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22 contacting the wall surface around the embedded hole 101. The upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22 are portions positioned above and below the base portion 10, respectively, and extend long in the left-right direction. The vertical frame portions 23 and 24 are portions positioned to the left and right of the base portion 10, respectively, and extend long and narrow in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the upper half of the upper frame portion 21 and the lower half of the lower frame portion 22 contact the wall surface, thereby clamping the wall 100 together with the fixing member that contacts the back surface of the wall 100.

[0038] The mounting frame portion 20 has a first through-hole 25 through which a first screw 27 (see Figure 8, described later) fastened to a fixing member passes, and a plurality of second through-holes 26 formed so as to sandwich the first through-hole 25 and through which a second screw 28 fastened to the housing 4 passes. The second through-holes 26 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the first through-hole 25. The first through-holes 25 and the second through-holes 26 are formed in the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22, respectively. The mounting frame portion 20 has a total of four first through-holes 25 (two in the upper frame portion 21 and two in the lower frame portion 22) and a total of six second through-holes 26 (three in the upper frame portion 21 and three in the lower frame portion 22). The upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22 have screw holes 56 through which screws for fixing the frame 55, described later, are fastened.

[0039] The first through-hole 25 and the second through-hole 26 are formed in the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22 at positions that overlap with the embedded hole 101 in the front-rear direction. This allows screws 27 and 28, which are inserted through each through-hole, to be fastened to the fixing member and housing 4 located on the back side of the wall 100. The first through-hole 25 and the second through-hole 26 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction in the lower half of the upper frame portion 21 and in the left-right direction in the upper half of the lower frame portion 22. The number of first through-holes 25 may differ between the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22, but preferably the same number are formed. Similarly, the same number of second through-holes 26 are formed in the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22.

[0040] The first through-hole 25 is an elongated hole that extends slightly longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. The second through-hole 26 is smaller than the first through-hole 25 and has a circular shape. In the upper frame portion 21, the center of the first through-hole 25 is located slightly above the center of the second through-hole 26, but parts of each hole overlap in the left-right direction. Similarly, in the lower frame portion 22, the center of the first through-hole 25 is located slightly below the center of the second through-hole 26, but parts of each hole overlap in the left-right direction. In this case, as will be described in more detail later, protrusions 44 and 45 of the housing 4 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the part where the screw 27 is attached, thereby suppressing deformation of the base plate 2.

[0041] The second through-holes 26 are formed one at each of the left and right ends of the upper frame portion 21, in a position aligned vertically with the vertical frame portions 23 and 24. The second through-holes 26 are further formed in the left-right center of the upper frame portion 21. The second through-hole 26 formed in the left-right center of the upper frame portion 21 is positioned, for example, exactly in the middle of the left and right second through-holes 26. Similarly, the second through-holes 26 of the lower frame portion 22 are formed at both left and right ends and in the center, respectively, and are aligned vertically with the second through-holes 26 of the upper frame portion 21. The three second through-holes 26 formed in the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22 are aligned vertically, with the centers of each hole in a single line in the left-right direction, without any vertical displacement.

[0042] The first through-hole 25 is formed one at a time between the two second through-holes 26. The distance between the first through-hole 25 and the two second through-holes 26 may be the same, and the distance between the first through-hole 25 and the second through-hole 26 in the left-right center may be slightly greater than the distance between the first through-hole 25 and the second through-holes 26 at both left and right ends. In this embodiment, the through-holes are arranged in the order of second through-hole 26, first through-hole 25, second through-hole 26, first through-hole 25, and second through-hole 26 from the left side of the mounting frame 20. The first through-holes 25, two each formed in the upper frame 21 and lower frame 22, are aligned horizontally without vertical displacement. Furthermore, the first through-hole 25 of the upper frame 21 and the first through-hole 25 of the lower frame 22 are aligned vertically.

[0043] It is preferable that the rear portion 14 of the mounting frame 20 is formed flat in the area surrounding the first through hole 25. A fixing member is attached to the rear portion 14, and the fixing member abuts against the area around the first through hole 25. For this reason, it is preferable not to provide any protrusions such as ribs for reinforcing the base plate 2 in the area around the first through hole 25 that may interfere with the fixing member. In the case of the connecting device 1, even if there are no reinforcing ribs around the first through hole 25, the deformation of the base plate 2 is sufficiently suppressed by the function of the protrusions 44 and 45 of the housing 4. Since there are no reinforcing structures on the rear portion 14 that would get in the way during installation, it is easy to attach the connecting device 1 to the wall 100.

[0044] The mounting frame portion 20 has openings 25a formed on both left and right sides of the first through hole 25. The opening 25a is a portion into which a part of the fixing bracket 60 (see FIG. 9 described later) is inserted from the back side of the mounting frame portion 20. By inserting a part of the fixing bracket 60 into the opening 25a, the fixing bracket 60 can be more stably fixed to the rear surface portion 14. In a rear view of the rear surface portion 14, a portion surrounded by the first through hole 25, the opening 25a, and the housing 4 is formed flat. Since this portion is a portion against which the fixing bracket 60 abuts, it is preferable to form the portion flat to suppress interference with the bracket.

[0045] The mounting frame portion 20 communicates the recessed portion 12 with the embedding hole 101, and has a notch 29 for allowing a cable 111 to pass therethrough. By providing the notch 29, when constructing the connection device 1, for example, when replacing an existing device, there is no need to form a through hole for passing the cable 111 in the wall 100 or the base portion 10, and processing such as cable cutting becomes unnecessary. The cable 111 is pulled out from the back side of the wall 100 through the notch 29, and connected to an ONU arranged in the vicinity of the connection device 1. The ONU is connected to a router 120 (see FIG. 1) via a LAN cable.

[0046] The notch 29 is formed in the right vertical frame portion 24 and a side wall portion of the recessed portion 12, and enables the cable 111 located on the back side of the wall 100 to be introduced into the recessed portion 12. The cable 111 introduced into the recessed portion 12, similarly to the cable 110, is pulled out to the front of the connection device 1 from the exposed portion of the front surface portion 11. The notch 29 may be formed by cutting away a part of the base plate 2, but is preferably formed using a mold when the base plate 2 is molded.

[0047] The notch 29 is formed obliquely with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in a front view of the connecting device 1 so as to be gradually positioned below the base plate 2 from the right end of the vertical frame portion 24 toward the recess 12. When the opening on the vertical frame portion 24 side of the notch 29 is defined as a first opening, and the opening on the recess 12 side is defined as a second opening, the notch 29 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction such that the second opening is positioned lower than the first opening on the base plate 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the cable 111 often extends from above the wall 100 toward the embedding hole 101. Therefore, according to the notch 29 inclined in this manner, the cable 111 can be smoothly introduced into the recess 12 without being bent significantly.

[0048] The second opening of the notch 29 is located away from the insertion port 31a of the connecting portion 31 and below a portion of the recess 12 covered by the cover 3. In this case, interference between the cable 111 introduced into the recess 12 through the second opening and the connector 110a of the cable 110 connected to the insertion port 31a is suppressed. Further, the upper wall of the notch 29 has a larger inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction than the lower wall, and the notch 29 has a tapered shape in which the second opening is smaller than the first opening. Increasing the size of the first opening makes it easier to introduce the cable 111 into the notch 29, while reducing the size of the second opening can restrict the movement of the cable 111. The vertical length of the first opening is, for example, not less than 2.0 times and not more than 5.0 times, or not less than 2.5 times and not more than 4.5 times the vertical length of the second opening.

[0049] [Main Body Unit] The main body unit 3 includes connecting portions 31, 32, and 33 as described above. The connecting portions 31 and 33 are mounted on a first substrate 35, and the connecting portion 32 is mounted on a second substrate 36 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described later). The connecting portions 31 and 32 are, for example, female connectors to which male connectors of a communication cable are connected. In the present embodiment, the communication cable connected to the connecting portions 31 and 32 is a LAN cable, and the connecting portions 31 and 32 are generally called LAN modular jacks. The connecting portions 31 and 32 include a plurality of contact pins electrically connected to a male connector which is a LAN modular plug, and a terminal portion electrically connected to the contact pins. The terminal portion includes a plurality of insulation displacement terminals, which are also called IDC terminals.

[0050] The insertion port 31a of the connection portion 31 is positioned to allow insertion and removal of the cable 110 from directions intersecting the front-rear direction, preferably facing downwards. The insertion port 31a can also be positioned, for example, facing forward and downwards, but it is preferable that it faces directly downwards. Furthermore, it is preferable that at least a portion of the insertion port 31a is located within the embedded hole 101 (the same applies to the opening 10a of the base plate 2 that exposes the insertion port 31a). More preferably, 50% or more, 60% or more, or 70% or more of the front-rear length of the insertion port 31a is located within the embedded hole 101. In this case, the thickness of the connection device 1 protruding from the wall surface can be reduced, improving the appearance of the device.

[0051] On the other hand, if the entire socket 31a is located inside the mounting hole 101, it may be difficult to insert and remove the cable 110. Therefore, it is preferable that a portion of the socket 31a is located in front of the wall. A preferred example is that 60% to 90% of the front-to-back length of the socket 31a is located inside the mounting hole 101, and 10% to 40% is located in front of the wall. In this case, inserting and removing the cable 110 is easy, and the thickness of the connecting device 1 that protrudes from the wall can be reduced. The connecting portion 31 is provided such that a portion of the socket 31a is located behind the rear surface (back surface) of the mounting frame portion 20 that abuts the wall, and the remaining portion is located in front of it.

[0052] As described above, the connection sections 32 are arranged in a single row in the left-right direction. The insertion ports 32a are preferably arranged in a direction that allows the second LAN cable to be inserted and removed along the front-to-back direction, and both face the rear of the connection device 1 and are exposed through a horizontally elongated opening 42 formed in the main wall 40 of the housing 4. The connection sections 32 are housed in the upper part of the housing 4, but the upper part of the housing 4 is recessed in front of the connection device 1 than the lower part. Therefore, space is secured in the area opposite the upper part of the housing 4 for routing the second LAN cable, and for example, a switch box with a small depth can be used.

[0053] The main unit 3 has a changeover switch 30 for turning the power on and off. The changeover switch 30 is mounted on the second circuit board 36. An opening 10c is formed in the front part 11 of the base part 10 to expose the changeover switch 30. The changeover switch 30 has a shape that allows it to be exposed and operated without protruding from the opening 10c, for example.

[0054] [Housing] As shown in Figure 4, the housing 4 is fixed to the rear surface portion 14 located on the back side of the base plate 2 and houses the main unit 3. The housing 4 has a main wall 40 positioned opposite the rear surface portion 14 of the base plate 2, a side wall 41 erected on the periphery of the main wall 40 and formed in a rectangular tube shape, and protrusions 44 and 45 projecting vertically from the side wall 41. The protrusions 44 and 45 include screw holes 46 (see Figure 6, described later) into which screws 28 are fastened, and are positioned on both the left and right sides of the first through hole 25 so as to sandwich the first through hole 25 when viewed from the rear of the connecting device 1.

[0055] The housing 4 is large enough to accommodate the entire main unit 3. The housing 4 is formed in a tray shape that is rectangular when viewed from the rear, with the lower part protruding further back than the upper part. The main unit 3 is housed in the internal space through the opening of the housing 4, and the opening is closed by the rear part 14 when the housing 4 is fixed to the rear surface 14 of the base plate 2. An opening 42 is formed in the upper part of the main wall 40 to expose the insertion opening 32a of the connection part 32, and an opening 43 is formed in the lower part of the main wall 40 to expose the insertion opening of the connection part 33. Both openings 42 and 43 are roughly rectangular openings that extend long in the left-right direction. Opening 42 is formed to be longer in the left-right direction than opening 43 in order to expose the insertion openings 32a of the four connection parts 32.

[0056] The side walls 41 are formed perpendicular to the main wall 40 and form the upper surface 41a, lower surface 41b, and left and right sides of the housing 4. The upper surface 41a is the surface facing upward of the connecting device 1 and is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction. The lower surface 41b is the surface facing downward of the connecting device 1 and, similar to the upper surface 41a, is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction. The protrusions 44 and 45 protrude upward from the upper surface 41a. Also, the protrusions 44 and 45 protrude downward from the lower surface 41b.

[0057] The protruding portion 44 protrudes from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper surface 41a, in other words, from both the left and right ends of the housing 4. The protruding portion 44 is the part to which a screw 28 inserted through the second through hole 26 is fastened, and is formed in a position that overlaps in the front-rear direction with the second through hole 26 formed at both the left and right ends of the upper frame portion 21 of the base plate 2. The upper surface 41a is positioned slightly below the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 26 so as not to interfere with the fixing member positioned behind the first through hole 25. The protruding portion 44 protrudes from the upper surface 41a to a position that overlaps in the front-rear direction with the second through hole 26, and overlaps in the left-right direction with the first through hole 25 of the upper frame portion 21.

[0058] The protruding portion 44 further protrudes from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lower surface 41b, in other words, from both the left and right ends of the housing 4. The protruding portion 44 is formed in a position that overlaps in the front-rear direction with the second through-holes 26 formed in both the left and right ends of the lower frame portion 22 of the base plate 2. The lower surface 41b is positioned slightly above the first through-hole 25 and the second through-hole 26 so as not to interfere with the fixing member. The protruding portion 44 protrudes from the lower surface 41b to a position that overlaps in the front-rear direction with the second through-hole 26, and overlaps in the left-right direction with the first through-hole 25 of the lower frame portion 22.

[0059] The protrusions 44 are formed at the four corners of the housing 4 when viewed from the rear of the connecting device 1. The protrusions 44 are formed at the four corners of the housing 4 to be the same size as each other and are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. In this embodiment, a first through hole 25 is positioned between two protrusions 44, and a fixing member is attached thereto. This improves the reinforcing function of the base plate 2 by the protrusions 44. In addition, by fixing the four corners of the housing 4 to the base plate 2, the housing 4 is more stably fixed to the base plate 2.

[0060] The protruding portion 44 has, for example, a thickness (length in the front-to-back direction) of 5 mm or more. If the thickness of the protruding portion 44 is 5 mm or more, the mechanical strength of the protruding portion 44 is increased, and the reinforcing function of the base plate 2 is improved. Furthermore, the protruding portion 44 only needs to protrude to a position that overlaps with a part of the first through hole 25 in the left-to-right direction, but more preferably it protrudes to a position that overlaps with the center of the first through hole 25 in the left-to-right direction, or to a position that extends beyond the center. In this case, the deformation suppression effect of the base plate 2 becomes more pronounced.

[0061] The protruding portion 45 protrudes vertically from the longitudinal center of the upper surface 41a and the lower surface 41b, in other words, from the left-right center of the housing 4. The protruding portion 45 is formed in a position that overlaps in the front-rear direction with the second through-hole 26 formed in the left-right center of the upper frame portion 21 and the lower frame portion 22. Similar to the protruding portion 44, the protruding portion 45 protrudes to a position that overlaps in the left-right direction with the first through-hole 25, and is positioned between the multiple first through-holes 25 in a rear view of the connecting device 1. That is, the protruding portions 44 and 45 sandwich the first through-hole 25 from both the left and right sides.

[0062] The protrusion 45 may have the same shape and size as the protrusion 44, but in this embodiment, it is longer in the left-right direction than the protrusion 44. The protrusion 45 further includes a support wall 45a extending in the front-rear direction. Multiple support walls 45a are formed across the entire width of the upper surface 41a. Because the protrusion 45 is sandwiched between the two first through holes 25, it has a structure that can withstand a higher load than the protrusion 45. For example, the protrusion 45 is formed at the same height as the protrusion 44 and protrudes to a position that overlaps with the center of the first through hole 25 in the left-right direction, or to a position that extends beyond the center.

[0063] In this embodiment, a total of six protrusions 44 and 45 are arranged on the back side of the mounting frame 20, reinforcing the mounting frame 20. The protrusions 44 and 45 are the parts to which screws 28 for fixing the housing 4 to the rear surface 14 of the base plate 2 are fastened, and also function as reinforcements for the mounting frame 20. If the only function is to fasten the screws 28, they can be provided inside the housing 4, but in this embodiment, the mounting frame 20 is reinforced by making the protrusions protrude from the side walls 41 of the housing 4 so as to sandwich the first through-hole 25 from both sides, utilizing the fastening parts of the screws 28. In this case, there is no need to form ribs or the like on the back side of the mounting frame 20 for reinforcement. Furthermore, since the protrusions 44 and 45 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the first through-hole 25 in a location that does not interfere with attachment to the fixing member, good workability can be ensured.

[0064] Here, the internal structure of the connection device 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device 1 from the front. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device 1 from the rear.

[0065] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the main unit 3 has a first circuit board 35 on which the connection part 31 is mounted, and a second circuit board 36 on which the connection part 32 is mounted. The first circuit board 35 is a circuit board that is slightly larger than the second circuit board 36, and in addition to the connection part 31, it includes electronic components such as a connection part 33, an AC power supply that provides DC output, and various noise suppression components. The second circuit board 36 has electronic components such as a changeover switch 30, a switching IC, and an LED mounted on it, in addition to the connection part 32. The first circuit board 35 and the second circuit board 36 are arranged facing each other in the front-to-back direction, fixed to each other, and electrically connected.

[0066] The first substrate 35 is positioned behind the second substrate 36 of the connection device 1. That is, the connection portion 31 is mounted on the substrate positioned at the rear of the device, and the connection portion 32 is mounted on the substrate positioned at the front of the device. The connection portion 31 is mounted on the front surface of the first substrate 35, which faces forward of the connection device 1, and the connection portion 32 is mounted on the rear surface of the second substrate 36, which faces backward of the connection device 1. The second substrate 36 does not exist in front of the connection portion 31, and the first substrate 35 does not exist behind the connection portion 32. In this case, the thickness of the substrate including the connection portion can be significantly reduced compared to the case where the cable connection portions are placed on the front and rear surfaces of a single substrate.

[0067] The connector 31 is mounted on the upper part of the first circuit board 35 with its insertion opening 31a facing downwards. Since the cable 110 is inserted into and removed from the connector 31 from below the connection device 1 in an up-and-down direction, it is preferable to position it on the upper part of the first circuit board 35 from the viewpoint of improving operability. In addition, relatively large electronic components such as the connector 33 are mounted on the lower part of the rear surface of the first circuit board 35. For this reason, the lower part of the housing 4 protrudes further back than the upper part by the thickness of the electronic components. In other words, since the upper part of the housing 4 is recessed forward more than the lower part, space for routing the second LAN cable is secured behind the opening 42 formed in the upper part of the housing 4.

[0068] Here, we will provide a supplementary explanation of the cover housing section 19. The cover housing section 19 has a horizontally elongated opening 19a that penetrates the base section 10 in the thickness direction, and a guide 19b that protrudes rearward around the opening 19a. The upper end of the cover 15 is inserted into the opening 19a and is movable slightly rearward along the guide 19b. Since the main wall 40 of the housing 4 is located behind the guide 19b, only a portion of the cover 15 is housed in the cover housing section 19. A wall is formed in front of the guide 19b to stop the upper projection 17, preventing the cover 15 from falling forward out of the cover housing section 19.

[0069] The vertical length of the opening 19a is set to a length close to the thickness of the cover body 16, within a range that does not interfere with the opening and closing of the cover 15. In this case, when the cover 15 is opened and the upper end is inserted into the opening 19a, the cover body 16 hits the edge of the opening 19a, allowing the cover 15 to remain open. Since the cover 15 remains open even when you release your hand from it, the cover 15 does not get in the way when inserting or removing the cable 110, resulting in good operability.

[0070] The fixing structure of the connection device 1 to the fixing member provided on the back side of the wall 100 will be described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0071] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the fixing structure when using a switch box 50. As shown in Figure 8, the connecting device 1 can be installed on the wall 100 by fastening a screw 27, which is inserted through the first through hole 25, to the switch box 50. Although the wall 100 is not shown in Figure 8, a wall 100 exists between the connecting device 1 and the switch box 50. The connecting device 1 is installed in the embedded hole 101 by the mounting frame portion 20 of the base plate 2, which is positioned on the front side of the wall 100, and the switch box 50, which is positioned on the back side of the wall 100, sandwiching the wall 100.

[0072] The switch box 50 is a tray-shaped component similar to the housing 4, but is slightly larger than the housing 4 and can accommodate the entire housing 4. The switch box 50 is mounted so as to cover the housing 4 with its opening facing the wall 100. The switch box 50 has a plurality of fixing pieces 51 with screw holes 51a formed therein. The fixing pieces 51 protrude inward from the upper and lower edges of the opening of the switch box 50. Two fixing pieces 51 are formed on the upper and lower parts of the switch box 50, and are positioned to overlap the first through-hole 25 of the mounting frame 20 in the front-to-back direction.

[0073] The screw 27, which is inserted through the first through-hole 25 of the mounting frame 20, is fastened to the screw hole 51a of the fixing piece 51. If the screw 27 is overtightened, it may deform, for example, so that the vertical center of the base plate protrudes backward. However, with the connecting device 1, the protruding parts 44 and 45 of the housing 4 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the first through-hole 25, reinforcing the base plate 2. As a result, deformation of the base plate 2 is effectively suppressed, and even if the screw 27 is tightened somewhat strongly, deformation of the base plate 2 does not occur. Furthermore, there are no reinforcing ribs or the like on the rear surface 14 of the base plate 2 that would interfere with the switch box 50, making the installation of the connecting device 1 easy.

[0074] As described above, a decorative cover 5 is attached to the connection device 1 to conceal the mounting frame portion 20. The mounting frame portion 20 may have a structure that allows the decorative cover 5 to be directly fixed, but in the example shown in Figure 8, the decorative cover 5 is fixed to the mounting frame portion 20 via a frame 55. The frame 55 has an opening 55a that is the same size as or larger than the opening 5a of the decorative cover 5, and is configured to be able to engage with the decorative cover 5. The frame 55 is screwed to the mounting frame portion 20.

[0075] Figure 9 shows a fixing structure when using the fixing bracket 60, and is a perspective view of the connecting device 1 installed in the recessed hole 101 as seen from the back side of the wall 100. As shown in Figure 9, the connecting device 1 can be installed in the wall 100 by fastening a screw 27, which is inserted through the first through hole 25, to the screw hole 61 of the fixing bracket 60. The fixing bracket 60 catches on the back side of the wall 100 at the periphery of the recessed hole 101. Similar to the case when using the switch box 50, the connecting device 1 is installed in the recessed hole 101 by the mounting frame portion 20 of the base plate 2, which is positioned on the front side of the wall 100, and the fixing bracket 60, which is positioned on the back side of the wall 100, clamping the wall 100.

[0076] Similarly, when using the fixing bracket 60, if the screw 27 is overtightened, the base plate may deform, for example, by causing the vertical center portion to protrude backward. However, with the connecting device 1, the reinforcing function of the protrusions 44 and 45 effectively suppresses deformation of the base plate 2. Therefore, even if the screw 27 is tightened somewhat strongly, deformation of the base plate 2 does not occur. Furthermore, there are no reinforcing ribs or the like around the first through hole 25 that would interfere with the fixing bracket 60, making the installation of the connecting device 1 easy.

[0077] As described above, with the connection device 1 having the above configuration, the protrusions 44 and 45 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the first through hole 25 in a location that does not interfere with attachment to the fixing member, thus ensuring good workability and high mechanical strength. With the connection device 1, for example, high mechanical strength can be ensured without forming a reinforcing structure near the part of the base plate 2 to which the screws 27 are attached, and deformation of the base plate 2 is unlikely to occur even if the screws 27 are tightened somewhat strongly. Since there is no reinforcing structure on the base plate 2 that would interfere with installation, it is easy to attach the switch box 50 or fixing bracket 60 to the connection device 1.

[0078] When the mounting frame is made of a separate metal component, deformation due to tightening of the screws 27 is not a problem. However, as a result of our investigation, we found that when the mounting frame 20 is integrated into the base plate 2, the above deformation can occur. With the connecting device 1, by arranging the protrusions 44 and 45 of the housing 4 on the back side of the mounting frame 20 to reinforce the mounting frame 20, it is possible to achieve both good workability and high mechanical strength, thereby solving this problem.

[0079] Furthermore, the connection device 1 is thin yet can conceal the connection portion of the cable 110. The cable 110 connected to the connection portion 31 is housed in a recess 12 formed in the front portion 11 of the connection device 1 and positioned along the wall surface, and is concealed by the cover 15 without protruding significantly from the wall surface. As a result, the front portion 11 of the connection device 1 is neat and tidy, improving the appearance of the device when the cable 110 is connected. In addition, the cable 110 can be easily inserted into and removed from the insertion port 31a located at the upper end of the recess 12 along the vertical direction.

[0080] The above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without impairing the purpose of this disclosure. For example, in the above embodiments, two circuit boards are used: a first circuit board 35 on which the connection portion 31 is mounted, and a second circuit board 36 on which the connection portion 32 is mounted. However, it is also possible to mount all cable connection portions on a single circuit board. Specifically, the connection portion 31 is mounted on the front surface of the circuit board, and the connection portion 32 is mounted on the rear surface of the circuit board. However, in this case, the thickness of the circuit board including the cable connection portions will be greater compared to the above embodiments.

[0081] Hereinafter, modifications of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for components common to the above embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0082] Figure 10 shows a first modified example, the connection device 1X. As shown in Figure 10, the connection device 1X differs from the connection device 1, which has one connection part 31, in that it has multiple connection parts 31. The base portion 10x of the base plate 2x has horizontally elongated openings 10ax arranged in the left-right direction. Each connection part 31 is positioned so that its insertion opening 31a faces downward and is exposed through the opening 10ax. The base portion 10x also has a wide recess 12x in the left-right direction that can accommodate multiple cable connectors in the left-right direction.

[0083] The recess 12x differs from the recess 12 of the above embodiment, which can accommodate one cable, in that it has a left-right length that can accommodate three cables. Preferably, the recess 12x has a depth that can accommodate the entire connectors of the three cables. The opening 10ax is formed at the upper end of the recess 12x and is concealed by the cover 15. The connection device 1X includes, for example, fewer connection parts 32 than connection parts 31. The connection parts 32 are arranged side by side with the connection parts 31 in the left-right direction, and there may be only one of them. In the example shown in Figure 10, there are three connection parts 31, but the number of connection parts 31 can be two or four or more.

[0084] The mounting frame portion 20x of the base plate 2x is the same as in the above embodiment in that it has a notch 29x for passing the cable 111 through, connecting the recess 12x and the embedded hole 101. On the other hand, the notch 29x differs from the notch 29 of the above embodiment in that it traverses the vertical frame portion 24x and extends along the front-rear direction along the side wall portion of the recess 12, and is formed as a groove that is bent at a right angle. In addition, an opening 41x connected to the notch 29x is formed in the side wall 41 of the housing 4. Note that the connecting device 1X may have a notch 29 instead of a notch 29x.

[0085] Figure 11 shows a second modified example, the connecting device 1Y. As shown in Figure 11, the connecting device 1Y differs from the connecting devices 1 and 1X, in that the insertion port 31a of the connecting portion 31 faces to the right side of the device. The base portion 10y of the base plate 2y has an opening 10ay that exposes the insertion port 31a, which is formed in the same area as the connecting devices 1 and 1X, within a recess 12y capable of accommodating the cable connector and covered by the cover 15. However, the opening 10ay differs from the connecting devices 1 and 1X in that it opens in the left-right direction of the device body 2Y.

[0086] In the connecting device 1Y, a notch 29x is formed in the right side wall portion of the recess 12y, and an opening 10ay is formed in the left side wall portion of the recess 12y. The notch 29x and the opening 10ay are positioned offset vertically so as not to face each other horizontally. In this case, interference between the cable 110 connected to the connecting portion 31 and the cable 111 passed through the notch 29x is less likely. In the example shown in Figure 11, the opening 10ay is positioned below the notch 29x in the main body 2Y of the device. Note that multiple connecting portions 31 may be provided, similar to the connecting device 1X, and insertion ports 31a (openings 10ay) may be present in both the side wall portion and the upper end portion of the recess 12y.

[0087] In the connecting device 1Y, the cable 110 connected to the connecting portion 31 extends from the opening 10ay in the left-right direction, curves downward within the recess 12y, and is pulled out to the front of the connecting device 1Y from the exposed portion where a slope 13 is formed. For this reason, the recess 12y is formed to be longer in the left-right direction than the recess 12 of the connecting device 1. On the other hand, the vertical length of the recess 12y is shorter than the vertical length of the recess 12. In the connecting device 1Y, the connecting portion 31 is located lower down than in the case of connecting devices 1 and 1X.

[0088] This disclosure is further illustrated by the following embodiments. (Configuration 1) A recessed type connecting device installed in a recessed hole formed in a construction surface using a fixing member provided on the back side of the construction surface, comprising: a base plate having a base portion arranged to cover the recessed hole and a mounting frame portion provided around the base portion; a main body unit having a connecting portion to which a cable is connected and arranged on the back side of the base plate; and a housing fixed to the back side of the base plate and housing the main body unit, wherein the mounting frame portion has a first through hole through which a first screw fastened to the fixing member passes, and a plurality of second through holes formed on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole and through which a second screw fastened to the housing passes, and the housing has a main wall, a side wall erected on the main wall, and a projection portion protruding from the side wall, the projection portion including a screw hole through which the second screw is fastened, and the connecting device is arranged on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole when viewed from the back of the connecting device. (Configuration 2) The connecting device according to Configuration 1, wherein the protruding portion protrudes from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the side wall. (Configuration 3) The connecting device according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein the mounting frame portion has a plurality of first through holes, and at least one of the protruding portions is positioned between the plurality of first through holes when viewed from the rear of the connecting device. (Configuration 4) The connecting device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the protruding portion is formed at the four corners of the housing when viewed from the rear of the connecting device. (Configuration 5) The connecting device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the main unit includes a plurality of first connection portions to which a communication cable is connected and a second connection portion to which a power cable is connected as the connection portion.

[0089] 1 Connection device 2 Base plate 3 Main unit 4 Housing 5 Decorative cover 5a Opening 10 Base part 10a, 10b, 10c Opening 11 Front part 12 Recess 13 Slanted surface 14 Rear part 15 Cover 16 Cover body 17 Upper projection 18 Lower projection 19 Cover housing part 19a Opening 19b Guide 20 Mounting frame part 21 Upper frame part 22 Lower frame part 23, 24 Vertical frame part 25 First through hole 25a Opening 26 Second through hole 27, 28 Screw 29 Notch 30 Changeover switch 31 First communication cable connection part 31a, 32a Socket 32 ​​Second communication cable connection part 33 Power cable connection part 35 First circuit board 36 Second circuit board 40 Main wall 41 Side wall 41a Top surface 41b Bottom surface 42, 43 Opening 44, 45 Projection 45a Support wall 46 Screw hole 50 Switch box 51 Fixing piece 51a Screw hole 55 Frame 55a Opening 56 Screw hole 60 Fixing bracket 61 Screw hole 100 Wall 101 Recessed holes 110, 111 Cable 110a Connector 120 Router

Claims

1. A recessed type connecting device installed in a recessed hole formed in a construction surface using a fixing member provided on the back side of the construction surface, comprising: a base plate having a base portion arranged to cover the recessed hole and a mounting frame portion provided around the base portion; a main body unit having a connecting portion to which a cable is connected and arranged on the back side of the base plate; and a housing fixed to the back side of the base plate and housing the main body unit, wherein the mounting frame portion has a first through hole through which a first screw fastened to the fixing member passes, and a plurality of second through holes formed on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole and through which a second screw fastened to the housing passes, and the housing has a main wall, a side wall erected on the main wall, and a projection protruding from the side wall, the projection includes a screw hole through which the second screw is fastened, and is arranged on both sides of the first through hole so as to sandwich the first through hole when viewed from the back of the connecting device.

2. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion protrudes from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the side wall.

3. The mounting frame portion has a plurality of first through holes, and at least one of the protruding portions is positioned between the plurality of first through holes when viewed from the rear of the connecting device, as described in claim 2.

4. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protrusions are formed at the four corners of the housing when viewed from the rear of the connecting device.

5. The connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main unit includes a plurality of first connection parts to which a communication cable is connected and a second connection part to which a power cable is connected.

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