TW202119701A - Usb outlet - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a USB socket with which reliability can be readily improved. A USB socket (10) comprises: a connection part (2); a power supply circuit (11); a housing; and a determination unit (12). The connection part (2) enables electrical connection of a USB connector (91) of a device (9). The power supply circuit (11) supplies power from the connection part (2) to the device (9). The housing accommodates the power supply circuit (11). The determination unit (12) determines the degree of deterioration of a monitoring object. The monitoring object consists of at least one of the connection part (2), the power supply circuit (11), and the housing.

Description

USB socket

The present invention generally relates to a USB socket, and more specifically, relates to a USB socket that can be connected to a USB connector of a device.

Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-154802) describes a USB socket having a USB socket to which a USB plug is inserted and connected. This USB socket is provided with: a printed wiring board to which a USB slot is installed; and a housing for accommodating the printed wiring board and having a plug through hole through which the USB plug penetrates. The shell is fixed on the construction surface such as the wall surface.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a USB socket that can easily achieve an improvement in reliability.

One aspect of the USB socket of the present invention includes a connection part, a power supply circuit, a casing, and a determination part. The connecting part can be electrically connected with the USB connector of the device. The power supply circuit supplies power to the device from the connection part. The casing contains the power supply circuit. This judging unit judges the degree of deterioration of the monitored object. The monitoring object is composed of at least one of the connecting portion, the power circuit, and the casing.

(Embodiment 1) (1) Summary First, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the outline of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) outlet 10 of this embodiment will be described.

The USB socket 10 of this embodiment is a device that can be connected to the USB connector 91 of the device 9. The USB socket 10 is a device that supplies power to the device 9 (for example, a smart phone, etc.) through the USB connector 91 in a state of being connected to the USB connector 91. The device 9 uses the power supplied from the USB socket 10 to charge the storage battery 92 (see FIG. 4) included in the device 9, for example.

The USB socket 10 of the present embodiment is, for example, a wiring tool installed on an installation object 81 such as a wall surface of a building. These USB sockets 10 are always electrically connected to a power source (system power supply, etc.), similarly to general outlet devices that output AC voltages such as 100V or 200V, and are basically always in a energized state. Therefore, in the user, only by connecting the device 9 to the USB socket 10, power can be supplied to the device 9 from the USB socket 10 via the USB connector 91.

Here, if it is a general socket device that outputs AC voltage such as 100V or 200V, for example, when charging devices 9 such as smartphones, in order to supply power to the devices 9, a power source that converts AC voltage to DC voltage must be used Adapter. In contrast, if the USB socket 10 of this embodiment is used, the power adapter can be directly connected to the USB socket 10 to the USB connector 91 of the device 9 to supply power to the device 9. Therefore, according to the USB socket 10, even if it does not have a power adapter, for example, devices 9 such as smart phones can still be charged, and since a power adapter is not required, the periphery of the USB socket 10 is clean.

The USB socket 10 of this embodiment includes a connection part 2, a power supply circuit 11, a determination part 12, and a housing 3. The connecting portion 2 can be electrically connected to the USB connector 91 of the device 9. The power supply circuit 11 supplies electric power to the device 9 from the connection unit 2. The casing 3 houses the power supply circuit 11. The determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration of the monitored object. The monitoring object is composed of at least one of the connecting portion 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3.

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine the degree of deterioration of the monitoring object constituted by at least one of the connecting portion 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3 on the USB socket 10 side. Therefore, for example, an abnormality such as poor contact of the connection portion 2 or a decrease in the output of the power supply circuit 11 can be detected early. Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to avoid situations such as using the USB socket 10 in a state where the power supply to the device 9 is not normally performed. As a result, it is possible to provide a USB socket 10 that can easily achieve an improvement in reliability.

(2) Detailed composition Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the detailed structure of the USB socket 10 of this embodiment will be described.

(2.1) Prerequisite The “USB” mentioned in the present invention refers to one of the serial bus specifications, that is, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification. In the present invention, "USB" includes, for example, USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, and USB 4 (transfer speed specifications) of USB. In addition, in the present invention, the shape of the USB terminal (the shape of the connection port 4 and the shape of the USB connector 91) includes various shapes. The shape of the USB terminal includes, for example, the A terminal (Type-A), the B terminal (Type-B), and the C terminal (Type-C), as well as the Mini USB and Micro USB, as well as their combinations. That is, the shape of the USB terminal includes, as an example, the A terminal of the Mini USB (mini USB Type-A), the B terminal of the Micro USB (micro USB Type-B), and the like. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, a case where the shape of the USB terminal is an A terminal (USB Type-A) is taken as an example for description. In the present invention, the specification of the terminal shape of the USB may be referred to as the "USB connector specification".

The "USB connector of the device" in the present invention may be a connector provided integrally with the device 9, or a connector provided at the front end of a USB cable that can be connected to the device 9. That is, the USB connector 91 of the device 9 includes a connector attached to the device 9 and the like like a connector that is separated from the device 9 and connected to the device 9 via a cable. In addition, the "connector" in the present invention can be a "plug" inserted into a jack or a "jack" into which a plug is inserted. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is described as an example in which the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is a USB plug provided at the front end of the USB cable that can be connected to the device 9.

Similarly, the "connecting part" of the present invention can be a structure that can be electrically connected to the USB connector 91 of the device 9. It can be the "jack" into which the plug is inserted, or it can be inserted into the jack. The "plug". In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the case where the connection portion 2 of the USB socket 10 is a jack including the connection port 4 is taken as an example for description. That is, in this embodiment, the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is a USB plug, so the connecting portion 2 of the USB socket 10 is a jack that can be connected to the USB plug. Therefore, the connection port 4 of the housing 3 of the USB socket 10 is included in the connection portion 2.

The “equipment” mentioned in the present invention is an electrical device (device, machine, and system) that can be electrically connected to the USB socket 10 and receive power supply from the USB socket 10. The device 9 includes, for example, information terminals such as smart phones, tablet terminals, or wearable terminals, mobile phone batteries, mobile phones, cameras, fans, flashlights, or TV receivers. The USB socket 10 supplies DC power by applying a DC voltage to the device 9, so the device 9 is a device corresponding to the DC input. Among such devices 9, devices 9 such as smartphones, tablet terminals, or wearable terminals include a storage battery 92 and have a function of charging the storage battery 92 with electric power supplied from the USB socket 10. Hereinafter, the device 9 having the function of charging the storage battery 92 may be referred to as a "chargeable device". In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the description is given by taking a case where the device 9 connected to the USB socket 10 is a rechargeable device 9 as an example.

In this embodiment, the USB socket 10 is fixed to the installation target 81. The "installation object" mentioned in the present invention is a member that fixes the USB socket 10, and includes, for example, structures such as walls, ceilings, or floors of buildings, or furniture (including decorations) such as tables, shelves, or counters. The USB socket 10 is, for example, installed in residential facilities such as single-family houses or multi-family houses, or non-residential facilities such as offices, shops, schools, factories, hospitals, or nursing facilities. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the USB socket 10 is a built-in type wiring appliance and is attached to an installation target 81 formed by the wall surface of a residential facility. In particular, the USB socket 10 is assumed to be an indoor wiring appliance used inside a building.

Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the horizontal plane in the state where the USB socket 10 is fixed to the wall surface of the installation target 81, that is, the residential facility, will be described as the "up and down direction" of the USB socket 10 in some cases. In addition, the lower part when the USB socket 10 is viewed from the front may be described as the “lower part” of the USB socket 10. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and parallel to the surface (wall surface) of the installation target 81 is referred to as the "left and right direction" of the USB socket 10, and the right side when the USB socket 10 is viewed from the front is referred to as the "right side" of the USB socket 10 ", taking the left side as the "left side" of the USB socket 10 to explain the situation. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the surface (wall surface) of the installation object 81, is referred to as the "front-rear direction" of the USB socket 10, and the back side of the installation object 81 ( The rear side of the wall) is described as the "rear" of the USB socket 10. However, these directions are not intended to limit the direction in which the USB socket 10 is used.

In addition, in the state where the USB socket 10 is fixed to the wall surface of the installation target 81, that is, the housing facility, the front surface 31 of the housing 3 in the USB socket 10 basically faces forward. However, the intention is not to limit the front 31 of the casing 3 to the front. For example, when the USB socket 10 is installed on the ceiling, the front surface 31 of the casing 3 faces downward.

In addition, in the present invention, in the comparison of two values, the case of "more than" includes both the case where the two values are equal and the case where one of the two values exceeds the other. However, it is not limited to these cases. The "above" mentioned here can also be synonymous with "greater" which only includes the case where one of the two values exceeds the other. That is, whether the two values are equal or not can be arbitrarily changed according to the setting of the reference value, etc., so there is no technical difference between "above" or "greater". Similarly, in "not full", it can also be synonymous with "below".

(2.2) Basic composition Next, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3B, the basic structure of the USB socket 10 of this embodiment will be described.

As described above, in the present embodiment, as an example, the USB socket 10 is a built-in wiring appliance and is attached to the installation target 81 formed by the wall surface of the residential facility. That is, the USB socket 10 is fixed to the installation object 81 and is configured as a wiring tool that can be connected to the wiring L1 (refer to FIG. 4) passing through the back side of the installation object 81. In particular, this USB socket 10 is an embedded type that fixes the housing 3 to the installation object 81 in a state where at least a part of the casing 3 is inserted into the construction hole 82 (refer to FIG. 3A) formed in the installation object 81的wiring appliances.

In addition, the USB socket 10 is provided with a terminal portion 16 (refer to FIG. 4) for connecting to the wiring L1. For example, the wiring L1 that is wound around the wall surface (installation object 81) is connected to the terminal portion 16, thereby being connected via the wiring L1. It is electrically connected to the system power supply and other power sources. The wiring L1 can be directly connected to the power supply (system power supply, etc.), or indirectly connected via a switchboard, etc.

In this embodiment, as an example, the USB socket 10 is electrically connected to a single-phase 100V, 60Hz commercial AC power supply (system power supply) through the wiring L1 by connecting the wiring L1 to the terminal portion 16. Here, the USB socket 10 is connected to an AC power supply (system power supply) via a switchboard, and if the circuit breakers (main circuit breaker and branch circuit breaker) of the switchboard are in a conducting state, they are always in an energized state. Therefore, the USB socket 10 is basically always in a state capable of supplying power to the device 9.

In addition, in this embodiment, as an example, a dual-port (dual-port) type USB receptacle 10 that can connect two USB connectors 91 is illustrated. That is, the USB socket 10 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of (here, two) connecting portions 2 (including the connecting port 4) for connecting with the USB connector 91, and the device can be connected to the device from the plurality of connecting portions 2 9Supply power. Therefore, the USB socket 10 can simultaneously supply power to the plurality of devices 9 in a state where the USB connectors 91 of the plurality of devices 9 are connected. In the present embodiment, when a plurality of (here, two) connection parts 2 are distinguished, each connection part 2 may be referred to as a first connection part 21 and a second connection part 22, respectively. Similarly, when a plurality of connection ports 4 (here, two) are distinguished, each connection port 4 may be referred to as a first connection port 41 and a second connection port 42 respectively.

The USB socket 10, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, includes a power supply circuit 11 and a casing 3. Fig. 2B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first connection port 41 in Fig. 2A.

The power supply circuit 11 includes a circuit board (printed wiring board) and various electronic components mounted on the circuit board. The power supply circuit 11 converts the AC voltage applied from the AC power supply (system power supply) to the terminal portion 16 into a DC voltage, and outputs the DC voltage to the connection portion 2. Thereby, the power supply circuit 11 supplies power to the device 9 from the connection part 2. On the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11, the control unit 101 (refer to FIG. 4) is also mounted, and the details will be described later. The power supply circuit 11 may include only one circuit board, or may include a plurality of circuit boards.

The casing 3 is fixed to the installation target 81 as described above. The casing 3 houses the power supply circuit 11. Strictly speaking, the casing 3 contains not only the power supply circuit 11 but also the control unit 101 and the like by accommodating the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11. Furthermore, in the case 3, in addition to the power supply circuit 11 and the control unit 101, internal components such as the connection portion 2 and the terminal portion 16 are also appropriately accommodated. The case 3 is made of synthetic resin with electrical insulation.

In this embodiment, the casing 3 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and is formed into the same size as a wiring device of the size of three modules. The cabinet 3 has a front surface 31 exposed forward when the cabinet 3 is attached to an installation target 81. Here, the front surface 31 of the casing 3 is a rectangle whose size in the vertical direction is larger than that in the left and right direction. At least one connection port 4 is arranged on the front surface 31 of the casing 3.

This embodiment is a dual-port (dual-port) USB socket 10, so on the front 31 of the casing 3, two connection ports 4 are arranged. These two connection ports 4 are arranged side by side at a certain interval in the vertical direction. The two connection ports 4, as shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, are rectangles whose dimensions in the left-right direction are larger than those in the up-down direction when viewed from the front. That is, each connection port 4 is a horizontal (horizontal) long hole.

Inside the connection port 4, a metal shell and contacts are arranged. In this way, the connection port 4, together with the housing and contacts, etc., constitute the connection portion 2 (receptacle) for electrically and mechanically connecting the USB connector 91 of the device 9. The USB connector 91 is connected to the connecting portion 2 by inserting the USB connector 91 straight from the front to the connecting portion 2 configured in this way. That is, by inserting the plug-in USB connector 91 into the connection port 4 along the insertion direction, that is, the front-rear direction, the USB connector 91 is electrically connected to the connection portion 2 and mechanically coupled.

In the state in which the connecting portion 2 is connected to the USB connector 91, by pulling the USB connector 91 straight out from the connecting portion 2, the connection between the connecting portion 2 and the USB connector 91 is released. That is, by removing the USB connector 91 from the connection port 4 along the insertion direction (front-rear direction), the electrical connection of the USB connector 91 to the connection portion 2 is released, and the mechanical coupling is released. In short, the user can switch the connection of the device 9 (USB connector 91) to the connection portion 2 by plugging and unplugging the USB connector 91 to the connection port 4 formed on the front surface 31 of the casing 3. Not connected.

Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, the housing 3 is detachably attached to the mounting frame 84 for fixing the housing 3 to the installation target 81. Further, on the mounting frame 84, the socket cover 8 is mounted as shown in FIG. 3A. Here, in this embodiment, the components of the USB socket 10 do not include the mounting frame 84 and the socket cover 8. However, the components of the USB socket 10 do not have to include the mounting frame 84 and the socket cover 8, and the components of the USB socket 10 may include at least one of the mounting frame 84 and the socket cover 8.

In the present embodiment, the USB socket 10 is a built-in type wiring appliance as described above, and therefore, it is mounted to an installation target 81 (here, a wall surface) using, for example, a mounting member 83 such as a built-in switch box. That is, a construction hole 82 is formed in the installation object 81, and the USB socket 10 is attached to the installation member 83 such as a switch box arranged on the back side (the back of the wall) of the installation object 81 through the construction hole 82.

The mounting frame 84 is, for example, a mounting frame of a large rectangular connection type wiring appliance standardized by Japanese Industrial Standards. Specifically, the mounting frame 84 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. The housing 3 is mounted on the mounting frame 84 in such a way that the housing 3 is located inside the mounting frame 84.

The mounting frame 84 is made of synthetic resin as an example. In the mounting frame 84, a pair of mounting holes 841 and a pair of cover fixing holes 842 are formed. A pair of mounting screws 843 are tightened to mounting members 83 such as a switch box through a pair of mounting holes 841, so that the mounting frame 84 is mounted to the mounting target 81.

The socket cover 8 includes a makeup cover 85 and a fixed cover 86. That is, in the present embodiment, the socket cover 8 is composed of two members, the makeup cover 85 and the fixed cover 86. The socket cover 8 (the makeup cover 85 and the fixed cover 86) is made of synthetic resin as an example.

The fixed cover 86 is fixed to the mounting frame 84. The makeup cover 85 is installed on the fixed cover 86 in a manner of covering the front surface of the fixed cover 86. In this way, the makeup cover 85 is indirectly fixed to the mounting frame 84 to which the casing 3 is mounted via the fixing cover 86. A window hole 801 is formed in the makeup cover 85, and in a state where the socket cover 8 is attached to the mounting frame 84, the front surface 31 of the casing 3 is exposed from the window hole 801.

That is, the socket cover 8 is a frame-shaped member having a window hole 801, and is combined with the mounting frame 84 so that the front surface 31 of the casing 3 is exposed from the window hole 801. In other words, in a state where the mounting frame 84 and the socket cover 8 are combined, when viewed from the front, the front 31 of the casing 3 is located inside the socket cover 8 (the makeup cover 85) (inside the window hole 801) . As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, in a state where the socket cover 8 is attached to the installation object 81 together with the casing 3, the socket cover 8 covers the periphery of the casing 3, and the mounting frame 84, construction hole 82, etc. are not exposed And make the appearance better.

More specifically, the makeup cover 85 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. At the center of the makeup cover 85, a window 801 that penetrates the makeup cover 85 in the front-rear direction is formed. The makeup cover 85 is mechanically coupled with the fixed cover 86 in a detachable state by the snap-fitting structure. That is, the makeup cover 85 and the fixed cover 86 utilize the elasticity of at least one of the makeup cover 85 and the fixed cover 86 to hook the claws of one of the makeup cover 85 and the fixed cover 86 to the hole on the other. , With mechanical coupling.

In addition, the fixed cover 86 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. Furthermore, a pair of through holes 861 are formed on the fixed cover 86. A pair of fixing screws 844 are locked to a pair of cover fixing holes 842 of the mounting frame 84 through a pair of through holes 861, so that the fixing cover 86 is mounted to the mounting frame 84.

(2.3) The specific composition of the USB socket Next, referring to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 4, the specific structure of the USB socket 10 of this embodiment will be described.

The USB socket 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the power supply circuit 11, at least one (two here) connection portion 2, and the housing 3, further includes a terminal portion 16, a control portion 101, The notification unit 102, and the sensor 17. The control unit 101 includes a determination unit 12 and a setting unit 13. The notification unit 102 includes a display unit 14 and a sound output unit 15. At least a part of the terminal unit 16, the control unit 101, and the notification unit 102 are housed in the casing 3 together with the power supply circuit 11.

The power supply circuit 11 includes an AC/DC conversion circuit that converts AC voltage to DC voltage. The power supply circuit 11 is inserted between the terminal part 16 and the connection part 2, converts the AC voltage input from the terminal part 16 into a DC voltage, and outputs it to the connection part 2. Here, as an example, the power supply circuit 11 converts an AC voltage of 100V applied to the terminal portion 16 from an AC power supply (system power supply) into a DC voltage of 5V. Thereby, the AC voltage of 100V input to the terminal portion 16 is converted into a DC voltage of 5V by the power supply circuit 11, and a DC voltage of 5V is supplied to the connecting portion 2.

In this embodiment, a plurality of (here, two) connection parts 2 are connected to one power supply circuit 11. That is, the DC voltage output from the power supply circuit 11 is applied to both the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 22. Thereby, the output of the power supply circuit 11 can be output from a plurality of (here, two) connection parts 2 to the USB connector 91 of the device 9.

In these configurations, the total of the currents (and power) output from the plurality of connection parts 2 to the device 9 becomes the output current of one power supply circuit 11. Therefore, for example, the rated output (current or power) of the plurality of connection parts 2 is specified by the total value of the output current (or output power) of the plurality of connection parts 2. The "rated output" mentioned in the present invention refers to the rated value of current and/or power, which is at least one of the rated current and the rated current. That is, based on the rated output (current or power) of the power supply circuit 11, the rated value of the total output (current or power) of the plurality of connection parts 2 is determined. As an example, if the rated output of the power supply circuit 11 is set to 4A, the total output current of the plurality of (here, two) connecting parts 2 is 4A, which becomes the rated value.

In this embodiment, a distribution display unit 32 is provided on the front surface 31 of the casing 3 as shown in FIG. 2A, so that the user can easily recognize the rated output as described above. In this embodiment, as an example, the distribution display portion 32 is realized by marking formed on the front surface 31 of the casing 3. The display unit 32 is allocated to display output information. The "output information" in the present invention refers to information about the amount of power that can be output by each of the connecting parts 2. For example, the rated output (current or power) of the connection part 2, that is, the rated current and rated power of the connection part 2, are related to the output power of the connection part 2, so it is included in the "output information". In FIG. 1, the illustration of the allocation display unit 32 is omitted.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, the distribution display portion 32 is arranged around the connection port 4 in the front surface 31 of the casing 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the distribution display portion 32 is arranged above and below the connection port 4 in the front surface 31 of the casing 3. Specifically, the output information displayed on the distribution display unit 32 represents the rated output (rated current) of each connection unit 2 like "2.5A" or "1.5A". Here, as an example, the distribution display portion 32 corresponding to the first connection portion 21 (first connection port 41) is indicated by text as output information such as "2.5A" as the rated output. The distribution display part 32 corresponding to the second connection part 22 (the second connection port 42) is indicated by text as output information such as "1.5A" of the rated output.

Furthermore, the output information displayed on the distribution display portion 32 includes priority information such as "1" or "2", which indicates the priority order of each connection portion 2. The "priority information" mentioned here can be the information indicating the priority recommended for the plurality of connection parts 2, and it is not limited to numbers such as "1" or "2". For example, it can also be used to indicate the main or Information about secondary relationships. Here, as an example, the allocation display portion 32 corresponding to the first connection portion 21 (the first connection port 41) is used as priority information, and the priority order such as "1" is indicated by a text. The distribution display portion 32 corresponding to the second connection portion 22 (the second connection port 42) has priority information such as "2" as priority information. In this example, it is recommended that the first connection part 21 be used in preference to the second connection part 22.

By displaying the output information on the distribution display section 32, it is recommended for the user to use the first connection section 21 with the highest priority. Therefore, when only one of a plurality of (here, two) connecting parts 2 is used, the user basically uses the first connecting part 21. And if the rated output of the power supply circuit 11 is 4A, when only the first connection part 21 is used, if the first connection part 21 is used within the rated value (2.5A), the two connection parts 2 The total output current is naturally within 4A. In addition, when both the first connecting portion 21 and the second connecting portion 22 are used, if the first connecting portion 21 is used within the rated value (2.5A), and the second connecting portion 22 is used within the rated value ( If used within 1.5A), the total output current of the two connection parts 2 will be within 4A.

That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of connection parts 2 are provided. A distribution display portion 32 is provided on the front surface 31 of the casing 3, and the distribution display portion 32 displays output information about the magnitude of the power that each of the plurality of connection portions 2 can output. Furthermore, the output information includes priority information indicating the priority order of the plurality of connection parts 2. In the case of a plurality of connection parts 2, by displaying the output information (including priority information) by the distribution display part 32, it is not easy for the user to be confused as to which connection part 2 of the plurality of connection parts 2 should be used .

The terminal portion 16 is housed in the casing 3. Here, a terminal hole for connecting the wiring L1 is formed on the back of the casing 3. The terminal portion 16 is arranged in the casing 3 at a position corresponding to the terminal hole. The terminal portion 16 includes a terminal board and the like. When the tip portion (core wire) of the wiring L1 is inserted into the terminal hole, the tip portion (core wire) of the wiring L1 is mechanically held and electrically connected to the wiring L1. In this embodiment, as an example, the terminal portion 16 is a so-called quick-junction terminal of a plug-in type, and the wiring L1 can be connected only by inserting the wiring L1 from the terminal hole.

The control unit 101 includes, for example, a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories as a main configuration. The microcontroller realizes the function of the control unit 101 by executing programs stored in more than one memory with one or more processors. The program can be pre-stored in the memory, can also be stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a memory card and provided, or provided through an electrical communication line. In other words, the above-mentioned program is a program that makes one or more processors function as the control unit 101.

The control unit 101 controls at least the power supply circuit 11. In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 101 is mounted on the circuit board of the power supply circuit 11 and is housed in the casing 3 together with the power supply circuit 11. Furthermore, the control unit 101 has functions as the determination unit 12 and the setting unit 13 as shown in FIG. 4. The determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration of the monitored object. As described above, the monitoring target is constituted by at least one of the connecting portion 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3. In this embodiment, the judging unit 12 basically judges the degree of deterioration of the monitored object using the output of the sensor 17. The setting unit 13 performs various settings regarding the operation of the judging unit 12, for example. The functions of the determining unit 12 and the setting unit 13 will be described in detail in the column of "(2.4) Deterioration Diagnosis Function".

The notification unit 102 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 12. In this embodiment, the notification unit 102 includes a display unit 14 and a sound output unit 15. The display unit 14 is provided on the front of the casing 3, and notifies the determination result of the determination unit 12 according to its display state. In this embodiment, the display unit 14 includes a light-emitting element 141 and an optical member 142, as shown in FIG. 2B. Such display aspects of the display unit 14 include, for example, on/off, light-emitting color, or lighting mode (flashing period, etc.), or a combination thereof. In short, in this embodiment, the notification unit 102 includes the display unit 14 provided on the front surface 31 of the casing 3. The notification unit 102 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 12 based on the display state of the display unit 14.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the display portion 14 is arranged around the connection port 4 in the front surface 31 of the casing 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the display portion 14 is arranged on the front surface 31 of the casing 3 so as to surround the entire circumference of the connection port 4. Therefore, the display unit 14 emits light covering the entire circumference of the connection port 4. In other words, in the front surface 31 of the casing 3, the connection port 4 is located in the area surrounded by the ring-shaped display portion 14.

Specifically, the light emitting element 141, for example, receives power supply from the control unit 101 and emits light. The light emitting element 141 is composed of, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The optical member 142 is, for example, a molded product of a transparent resin such as acrylic resin. It is a member that guides light, that is, the output light of the light-emitting element 141 is guided to the surface (front) of the optical member 142 through the inside of the optical member 142. The optical member 142 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, and its inner side becomes the connection port 4. The display portion 14 of these configurations causes the surface (front) of the optical member 142 to emit light by causing the light-emitting element 141 to emit light. That is, the surface (front surface) of the optical member 142 surrounding the connection port 4 becomes a light-emitting surface.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the display unit 14 is configured to be visually confirmed from the front even when the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is connected to the connection unit 2 (connection port 4). Specifically, the display unit 14 is configured such that at least a part of the display unit 14 protrudes from the periphery of the USB connector 91 when viewed from the front. That is, even if the display portion 14 is provided around the connection port 4, it is not completely shielded by the USB connector 91 inserted into the connection port 4. Thereby, even if the USB connector 91 of the device 9 is connected to the USB socket 10, the display state of the display unit 14 can be visually confirmed.

The sound output unit 15 is realized by, for example, a speaker or a buzzer. The sound output unit 15 outputs a beep sound, for example, and notifies the judgment result of the judgment unit 12 by outputting the state of the beep sound, which is a sound sound. The state of the beep, as an example, includes the state of "beep", "beep" or "beep-beep-". However, the sound output unit 15 is not limited to the beep sound, and may replace the beep sound with a voice or melody, or output it together with the beep sound.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of connection portions 2 are provided. The notification unit 102 is configured to report the determination result to each of the plurality of connection units 2 individually. Specifically, at least the display portion 14 is provided in each connection port 4, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In other words, the display unit 14 is provided in plural corresponding to the plural connection ports 4. These plural display parts 14 are arranged around the first connection port 41 and the second connection port 42 respectively. In FIG. 4, the display unit 14 is labeled as one, but in fact, a plurality of (here, two) display units 14 are provided. The function of the notification unit 102 will be described in detail in the column of "(2.4) Deterioration Diagnosis Function".

The sensor 17 detects necessary physical phenomena or physical quantities in order to determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, and outputs electrical signals corresponding to the detected physical phenomena or physical quantities. The sensor 17 is, as an example, a sensor that detects whether the USB connector 91 is connected to the connecting portion 2. As such sensors, for example, there are non-contact sensors such as transmissive or reflective optical sensors whose output changes in response to the arrival of light between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element, or those with mechanical contact The USB connector 91 is pressed by the USB connector 91 to turn on the contact sensor, etc. As another example, the sensor 17 may also be a sensor that detects the current output from the power circuit 11. Such a sensor can be realized by a suitable current sensor such as a converter or shunt resistor, for example.

(2.4) Deterioration diagnosis function Next, the degradation diagnosis function in the USB socket 10 of this embodiment will be described. The degradation diagnosis function is mainly realized by the determination unit 12 and the setting unit 13 included in the control unit 101.

The judging unit 12, as described above, judges the degree of deterioration of the monitoring target constituted by at least one of the connection unit 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3. The "deterioration degree" in the present invention refers to the degree of degradation of the quality or performance of the monitored object. In particular, the deterioration of the monitored object mentioned here does not refer to sudden deterioration caused by sudden external factors (physical forces), but refers to the repeated use of the USB socket 10 and/or the passage of time The resulting degradation. In short, the “deterioration degree” determined by the determination unit 12 refers to the degree of degradation that gradually progresses due to the repeated use of the USB socket 10 and/or the passage of time. Such "deterioration degree", as an example, is represented by two levels of degradation, whether or not, or level 1 to level X (X is an integer greater than or equal to 3).

In this embodiment, as an example, the monitoring target is the connection part 2. In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of degradation of the monitored object (here, the connection portion 2) in two stages of "with degradation" and "without degradation."

More specifically, in the USB socket 10 of the present embodiment, the judging unit 12 can judge the "deterioration degree" of the monitored object by at least one of the four methods of the first to fourth methods described below.

The first method is a method of using the number of connections of the USB connector 91. That is, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of connections of the USB connector 91 to the connection unit 2. The degree of deterioration of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) can be estimated from the number of times the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection part 2, that is, the number of times the USB connector 91 is plugged and unplugged to the connection port 4. Therefore, the determination unit 12 calculates the number of connections of the USB connector 91 to the connection unit 2 from, for example, the output of the sensor 17 that detects whether the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection unit 2, and determines the deterioration of the monitored object based on the number of connections. degree. Here, the determination unit 12 counts the number of connections "1 time" from the state where the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connection unit 2 to the connection of the USB connector 91 to the connection unit 2, for example. In this embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 determines that there is deterioration if the number of connections of the USB connector 91 to the connection portion 2 is greater than a threshold (for example, 10,000); if the number of connections is less than the threshold, it determines that the number of connections is less than the threshold. No deterioration.

The second method is a method of using the number of charging times of the device 9 in the USB socket 10. That is, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of times the device 9 is charged by supplying electric power from the connection unit 2 to the device 9. The degree of degradation of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) can be estimated from the number of times the device 9 is charged in the USB socket 10, that is, the number of times the USB socket 10 is used. Therefore, the determining unit 12 calculates the number of charging of the device 9 in the USB socket 10 from the output of the sensor 17 that detects the current output from the power supply circuit 11, and determines the degree of deterioration of the monitored object based on the number of charging.

Whether the device 9 is being charged, for example, can be detected by the current or power output from the power circuit 11. Therefore, the determination unit 12 monitors (measures) the current output from the power supply circuit 11 with the sensor 17, and detects the charging state of the device 9 based on the magnitude of the current. In this embodiment, as an example, the determining unit 12 determines that the device 9 is charging if the current is greater than the reference value; if the current is less than the reference value, it is determined that the device 9 is not charging (that is, "Non-charging"). Here, the determining unit 12, for example, determines that the charging state of the device 9 is charging, and then determines that it is not charging, and counts it as the number of times of charging "1 time". In this embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 determines that there is deterioration if the number of times the device 9 in the USB socket 10 is charged is a threshold value (for example, 10,000 times) or more; if the number of charging times is less than the threshold value, it is determined that there is no deterioration. Degrade.

The third method is a method that uses the number of interruptions (number of interruptions) when the charging of the device 9 in the USB socket 10 is not normally completed. That is, the determining unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of times that the charging of the device 9 is not normally terminated when the device 9 is charged by supplying power from the connecting portion 2 to the device 9. The degree of deterioration of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) can be estimated from the number of interruptions in the charging of the device 9 in the USB socket 10, that is, the number of occurrences of defects in the USB socket 10. Therefore, the judging unit 12, for example, from the output of the sensor 17 that detects the current output from the power supply circuit 11, calculates the number of interruptions during which the charging of the device 9 in the USB socket 10 has not been completed normally, and determines the monitoring based on the number of interruptions. The degree of degradation of the object.

The situation in which the charging of the device 9 is not completed normally and is interrupted, for example, can be detected by an abnormal change in the current or power output from the power supply circuit 11 before the charging of the device 9 is completed. Therefore, the determination unit 12 monitors (measures) the current output from the power supply circuit 11 with the sensor 17, and detects the charging state of the device 9 based on the magnitude of the current. In the present embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 may cause abnormal behavior of the current such as the current exceeding the predetermined value before the current changes from the reference value or higher to less than the reference value, and then the current changes to less than the reference value. It is determined that the charging of the device 9 has not been completed normally and is interrupted. In this embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 determines that there is deterioration if the number of interruptions in charging of the device 9 in the USB socket 10 is greater than a threshold value (for example, 10 times); if the number of interruptions is less than the threshold value, it is determined as No deterioration.

The fourth method is to use the USB connector 91 to determine whether the electrical connection state of the connecting portion 2 is good or not. That is, the judging unit 12 judges the degree of deterioration based at least on the quality of the electrical connection state of the USB connector 91 to the connection unit 2. The quality of the electrical connection status of the USB connector 91 to the connection portion 2 can be detected by, for example, an abnormal change in the current or power output from the power supply circuit 11. Therefore, the determination unit 12 monitors (measures) the current output from the power circuit 11 with the sensor 17, and detects the electrical connection state of the USB connector 91 according to the magnitude of the current. In this embodiment, as an example, the determination unit 12 determines that the electrical connection state of the USB connector 91 is bad when the magnitude of the current repeatedly changes above the reference value and less than the reference value in a short period of time. In this embodiment, as an example, if the number of times the electrical connection state of the USB connector 91 is determined to be defective is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that there is degradation, and if the threshold value is less than the threshold value, it is determined that there is no degradation.

In short, the USB socket 10 of this embodiment can determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object by at least one of the four methods of the first to fourth methods described above. Here, the determination unit 12 can use one of the first to fourth methods to determine the degree of degradation of the monitored object, or combine two or more of the first to fourth methods to determine the degradation of the monitored object degree.

The setting unit 13 performs various settings regarding the operation of the judging unit 12. The setting unit 13 sets, for example, the following: use any one of the connection portion 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3 as the monitoring target, or determine the degree of deterioration of the monitoring target by any one of the above-mentioned first to fourth methods, etc. . In addition, the setting unit 13 is also caused to set the threshold value used for the determination of the degree of deterioration and the like. Furthermore, it is also appropriate to use the setting unit 13 to implement various settings regarding the operation of the notification unit 102. In the present embodiment, as an example, the setting content of the setting unit 13 is determined based on a person's operation on the operation unit such as a two-row unit switch or a semi-fixed resistor installed in the casing 3.

Then, the notification unit 102 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 12. In this embodiment, as described above, the notification unit 102 includes the display unit 14 and the sound output unit 15. Therefore, the display mode of the display unit 14 or the mode of the output sound from the sound output unit 15 are used. The determination result of the determination unit 12 is notified. For example, when the judgment unit 12 judges the deterioration degree of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) in two stages: "deterioration" and "no deterioration", the notification unit 102 determines whether the degree of deterioration is "deteriorated" and "no deterioration". "No degradation" to report differently. As an example, if the degree of deterioration of the monitored object is "degraded," the notification unit 102 lights the display unit 14 in red. On the other hand, if the degree of deterioration of the monitoring target is "no deterioration", the notification unit 102 lights the display unit 14 in green. In addition, for example, the determination unit 12, as the degree of degradation of the monitoring target, switches from the determination state of "no degradation" to the determination state of "deterioration," and the notification unit 102 makes a notification for notifying the occurrence of degradation. As an example, when the degree of deterioration of the monitoring target becomes “deteriorated,” the notification unit 102 outputs a beep sound such as “beep-beep-” from the sound output unit 15. The output of the beep sound should be limited to a predetermined time from the time when the degree of deterioration of the monitored object becomes "deteriorated".

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determining unit 12 distinguishes the points constituting the cause of deterioration and determines the degree of deterioration. That is, the determining unit 12 distinguishes the points constituting the cause of the deterioration, for example, which is the connection part 2, the power supply circuit 11, and the casing 3, and determines the degree of deterioration. In other words, the monitoring objects are distinguished and the degree of deterioration is judged. In addition, the determining unit 12 distinguishes that the cause of the deterioration is in the USB socket 10, the device 9, or the USB cable connecting the USB socket 10 and the device 9, and determines the degree of deterioration.

Further, a plurality of connection parts 2 are provided as described above. Therefore, when the monitoring target is the connection part 2, the determination part 12 determines the degree of deterioration for each of the plurality of connection parts 2 individually. For example, when the degree of deterioration of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) is judged in two stages of "deterioration" and "no deterioration", the judging part 12 focuses on the first connection part 21 and the second connection part 22. Determine the presence/absence of degradation respectively. Therefore, in the determination unit 12, any of the deterioration of both the first connecting portion 21 and the second connecting portion 22, no deterioration of both, deterioration of only the first connecting portion 21, or deterioration of only the second connecting portion 22 is regarded as deterioration. Degree judgment. In this way, in order to determine the degree of deterioration for each of the plurality of connection portions 2 individually, the determination unit 12 distinguishes, for example, the current output from the power supply circuit 11 to the first connection unit 21 and the output from the power supply circuit 11 to the second connection unit 22 The current is monitored (measured).

Then, in the present embodiment, the notification unit 102 also reports the degree of deterioration (determination result of the determination unit 12) to each of the plurality of connection units 2 individually. For example, when the degree of degradation of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) is judged in two stages of "deterioration" and "no deterioration", the notification unit 102 will deal with the first connection part 21 and the second connection part. 22. Determining the presence/absence of notification of deterioration respectively. As an example, if only the first connection part 21 is deteriorated, the notification part 102 lights up the display part 14 corresponding to the first connection part 21 in red, and lights up the display part 14 corresponding to the second connection part 22 as green. In this way, the notification unit 102 distinguishes between a state in which both the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 22 are degraded, a state in which both are not degraded, a state where only the first connection portion 21 is degraded, and only the second connection portion 22 is degraded. Status, be notified.

(3) Operation Next, referring to FIG. 5, the operation of the USB socket 10 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 shows an example of the operation of the USB socket 10 when the judgment unit 12 judges the degree of deterioration of the monitored object (here, the connection part 2) in two stages of "deterioration" and "no deterioration" flow chart. Furthermore, FIG. 5 illustrates a case where the determination unit 12 determines the degree of degradation based on the first method described above, that is, based on the number of connections of the USB connector 91.

After the USB socket 10 is activated, the notification unit 102 first reports that there is no deterioration (S1). At this time, the notification unit 102, for example, lights the display unit 14 in green. Thereafter, the USB socket 10 detects the connection to the USB connector 91 of the connection part 2 by the sensor 17 (S2). If the USB connector 91 is not connected to the connecting portion 2 (S2: No), the USB socket 10 continues to report that there is no deterioration (S1).

If the USB connector 91 is connected to the connection part 2 (S2: Yes), the USB socket 10 will increase the number of connections N (S3). Then, the USB socket 10 determines whether the number of connections N exceeds the threshold Th1 by the determining unit 12 (S4). If the number of connections N does not exceed the threshold Th1 (S4: No), the USB socket 10 continues to report that there is no deterioration (S1).

On the other hand, if the number of connections N exceeds the threshold Th1 (S4: Yes), the USB socket 10 will be judged by the judging unit 12 to determine that there is deterioration, and a notification of the deterioration is made (S5). At this time, the notification unit 102, for example, lights the display unit 14 in red. Furthermore, at this time, the notification unit 102 outputs a beep sound such as "beep-beep-" from the sound output unit 15, for example.

The flowchart in FIG. 5 is only an example of the operation of the USB socket 10, and the processing can be omitted or added, and the sequence of the processing can be changed as appropriate.

In this way, in the USB socket 10 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, so that the degree of deterioration of the USB socket 10 can be determined on the USB socket 10 side. Therefore, for example, an abnormality such as poor contact of the connection portion 2 or a decrease in the output of the power supply circuit 11 can be detected early. Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to avoid situations such as using the USB socket 10 in a state where the power supply to the device 9 is not normally performed. As a result, among users, it is possible to quickly perform maintenance work such as replacement of the USB socket 10 whose deterioration of the monitored object is progressing, and the reliability of the USB socket 10 can be improved. As a result, it is possible to provide a USB socket 10 that can easily achieve an improvement in reliability.

Furthermore, not the device 9 on the charged side, but the USB socket 10 on the charging side, that is, the side that supplies power for charging, is used to determine the degree of deterioration. Therefore, it is not necessary to use the device on the charged side to determine the degree of deterioration. Equipment 9 power. In short, in the device 9 on the charged side, the electricity stored in the battery 92 or should be stored in the battery 92 is not used for the determination of the degree of deterioration, and it can be used for the original purpose of charging. . Therefore, according to the USB socket 10 of the present embodiment, the device 9 can be charged efficiently and so on.

(4) Modifications Embodiment 1 is only one of various embodiments of the present invention. In the first embodiment, if the purpose of the invention is achieved, various changes can be made in accordance with the design and the like. The drawings described in the present invention are schematic diagrams, and the respective ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the constituent elements in the drawings are not limited to reflect the actual size ratios. In addition, the same functions as the USB socket 10 of the first embodiment can also be implemented by methods, (computer) programs, or non-transitory storage media storing programs, etc.

Hereinafter, a modified example of Embodiment 1 will be listed. The modified examples described below can be appropriately combined and applied. Hereinafter, with respect to the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, common symbols are given, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

The basic structure of the USB receptacle 10 is not limited to the structure described in Embodiment 1. For example, various types of USB receptacles 10A to 10C such as those shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C can be realized.

In the aspect shown in FIG. 6A, the display portion 14 of the USB socket 10A is different from that of the first embodiment in that it is not a shape surrounding the corresponding connection port 4, but is arranged at one place around the connection port 4. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 6A, the display portion 14 is a point light source arranged above the corresponding connection port 4.

In the aspect shown in FIG. 6B, the USB socket 10B has the casing 3 formed into the same size as the wiring device of the size of the two modules. The USB socket 10B, for example, together with the socket device 51 that outputs an AC voltage of 100V, is mounted on the installation target 81 (refer to FIG. 3A) by the mounting frame 84 (refer to FIG. 3A).

In the aspect shown in FIG. 6C, the USB socket 10C is a single port (single port) that has the housing 3 formed into the same size as the wiring appliances of the two module sizes, and can be connected to a USB connector 91 Type of USB socket. In the example of FIG. 6C, the connection port 4 is a rectangle with a size larger in the vertical direction than the size in the left and right direction when viewed from the front. That is, the connection port 4 is arranged in a longitudinal direction (straight type). Furthermore, the USB socket 10C, for example, is mounted on the installation target 81 (refer to FIG. 3A) by the mounting frame 84 (refer to FIG. 3A) together with the sensor device 52 such as a human body sensor. The sensor device 52 is not limited to a human body sensor. For example, it may be a brightness sensor, a vibration sensor, a proximity sensor, or a sound sensor, or a combination thereof. The USB socket 10C can also operate according to the output of the sensor device 52. For example, in the case where the sensor device 52 is a human body sensor, the USB socket 10C, if there is no one around, the power to the connection part 2 will be turned off.

In addition, in the USB socket, there may be one connection portion 2 (connection port 4), or three or more.

In addition, the plurality of connection parts 2 may include two or more connection parts 2 of different generations (standards of transmission speed) and/or USB terminal shapes. For example, the USB receptacle 10 may include the connection part 2 of the A terminal (USB Type-A) and the connection part 2 of the C terminal (USB Type-C).

The USB socket 10 of the present invention includes a computer system in the control unit 101 and the like. Computer systems are mainly composed of processors and memory as hardware. The function of the USB socket 10 of the present invention is realized by making the processor execute the program stored in the memory of the computer system. Programs can be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system, can also be provided through electrical communication lines, or can be stored in non-transitory storage media such as memory cards, optical disks, and hard disks that can be read by the computer system. . The processor of a computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (IC) or large integrated circuits (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI mentioned here are called differently depending on the degree of concentration, including system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale) Integration, very large integrated circuit) of the integrated circuit. Furthermore, FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) can be programmed after the manufacture of LSI, or it can be used to reconstruct the bonding relationship within the LSI or to re-separate the circuit within the LSI. The logical components of the composition are used as processors. Multiple electronic circuits can be integrated into one chip or distributed on multiple chips. Multiple chips can be integrated into one device or distributed in multiple devices. The computer system described here includes a microcontroller with more than one processor and more than one memory. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

In addition, integrating at least a part of the functions of the USB socket 10 into one casing 3 is not a necessary component of the USB socket 10, and the components of the USB socket 10 may also be distributed in a plurality of casings. For example, a part of the functions of the control unit 101 may be provided in a casing different from the connection unit 2 (connection port 4). In addition, at least a part of the functions of the control unit 101 and the like, for example, may also be realized by a server or cloud (cloud computing).

In addition, the USB socket 10 is not limited to indoor use, but may also be used outdoors. In the USB socket 10 for outdoor use, a rain-proof (drip-proof) structure is appropriately adopted.

In addition, in the first embodiment, although the case where the device 9 connected to the USB socket 10 is a rechargeable device 9 is described as an example, it is not limited to this example, and a non-chargeable device 9 can also be connected to the USB socket 10 (Equipment 9 other than rechargeable equipment 9).

In addition, the USB socket 10, for example, may also have a function of judging whether the device 9 connected to the USB socket 10 is a rechargeable device. These discrimination functions, as an example, are realized by the following method: the USB socket 10 communicates with the device 9 through wired communication or wireless communication through the USB connector 91. If it has such a discrimination function, the USB socket 10 may, for example, only when a rechargeable device 9 is connected, the determination unit 12 may determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object.

In addition, the USB socket 10 may also determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object by a method other than the four methods described above in the first to fourth methods. For example, the temperature, color, smell, or looseness of the monitored object may be detected by the sensor 17, and the determination unit 12 may determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object based on the detection result. As an example, when an abnormal temperature rise, abnormal discoloration, or the like is observed in the monitoring target constituted by the casing 3 or the power supply circuit 11, the determination unit 12 determines that the monitoring target has deteriorated.

In addition, the USB socket 10 is not limited to a built-in wiring appliance. That is, the USB socket 10 may be an "exposure type" wiring tool, and it may be arranged so that the entirety is exposed from the surface of the installation object 81 such as a wall surface. In this case, the USB socket 10 is installed to the installation object 81 by using an exposed switch box instead of an embedded switch box. In addition, the USB socket 10 may be attached to the attachment object 81 by using attachment members other than the switch box, such as a clip.

In addition, mounting the housing 3 to the mounting frame 84 is not a necessary configuration of the USB socket 10. For example, the housing 3 and the mounting frame 84 may be integrated. Furthermore, mounting the socket cover 8 to the mounting frame 84 is not a necessary component of the USB socket 10, and the socket cover 8 may be omitted as appropriate.

The USB socket 10, for example, may also be provided by devices such as a personal computer.

In addition, in Embodiment 1, although a plurality of connection parts 2 are connected to one power supply circuit 11, this configuration is not an essential configuration of the USB socket 10, and individual power supply circuits 11 may be provided for each of the plurality of connection parts 2. That is, the USB socket 10 may include a plurality of connection portions 2 and a plurality of power supply circuits 11 corresponding to the plurality of connection portions 2 one-to-one. In this case, power is supplied from individual power supply circuits 11 to the plurality of connection parts 2, so the rated output (current or electric power) is also specified for each connection part 2 individually.

In addition, the distribution display portion 32 is not limited to the marking formed on the front surface 31 of the casing 3, and may be realized by printing, a label, a display lamp (light emitting element), or a display, for example. When the distribution display unit 32 is realized by a display lamp, a display, or the like, the display content of the distribution display unit 32 can be appropriately changed.

In addition, the distribution display section 32 is not a necessary configuration of the USB socket 10, and the distribution display section 32 may be omitted as appropriate.

In addition, the judging unit 12 is not limited to monitoring (measurement) of the current output from the power supply circuit 11 as a means for judging the degree of deterioration of the monitored object. For example, it may also monitor (measure) the power output from the power supply circuit 11. Furthermore, the determination unit 12 may also determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object by means other than monitoring (measurement) of the output (current or electric power) of the power supply circuit 11. For example, the determination unit 12 may also communicate with the device 9 connected to the connection unit 2 through wired communication or wireless communication via the USB connector 91. In this case, the determination unit 12 may also determine the degree of deterioration of the monitored object through communication with the device 9.

In addition, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of deterioration for each of the plurality of connection units 2 individually, and is not a necessary configuration of the USB socket 10. In other words, the determination unit 12 may determine the degree of deterioration of a plurality of connection units 2 collectively. Similarly, the notification unit 102 reports the degradation degree of the plurality of connection units 2 individually, and is not a necessary configuration of the USB socket 10. In other words, the notification unit 102 may also report the degradation degree to a plurality of connection units 2 together.

In addition, the notification unit 102 is provided with the display unit 14 and the audio output unit 15 and is not an essential component of the USB socket 10. The notification unit 102 may not have either the display unit 14 or the audio output unit 15.

In addition, providing the display unit 14 with the light emitting element 141 and the optical member 142 is not a necessary configuration of the USB socket 10. The display unit 14 may also be realized by an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

(Embodiment 2) The USB socket 10D of this embodiment is different from the USB socket 10 of the first embodiment in that it has the function of communicating with the communication terminal 62 as shown in FIG. 7. Hereinafter, with respect to the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, common symbols are given, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

That is, the USB socket 10D of this embodiment includes a communication unit 61. The communication unit 61 is configured to be able to communicate with the communication terminal 62. The "communicable" mentioned in the present invention refers to information that can be transmitted and received directly, or indirectly via a network or a repeater, through an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 61 and the communication terminal 62 can perform bidirectional communication via a network, for example. In this embodiment, as an example, the communication unit 61 adopts a general model based on specifications such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power radio (specific low-power radio) that does not require a license. Wireless communication using radio waves as a communication medium.

The communication terminal 62 is a terminal having at least the function of communicating with the communication unit 61, such as a portable terminal such as a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal, or a personal computer. This kind of communication terminal 62 has a user interface such as a display function and a sound output function. In the example of FIG. 7, the communication terminal 62 is a tablet terminal which is different from the device 9 connected to the USB socket 10D. However, the communication terminal 62 may also be the device 9 connected to the USB socket 10D.

Here, the notification unit 102 has a function of using the communication unit 61 to transmit the determination result of the determination unit 12 to the communication terminal 62. That is, the judgment result of the judgment unit 12 is transmitted from the communication unit 61 to the communication terminal 62. The communication terminal 62 that has received the judgment result of the judging unit 12 can directly display the judgment result of the judging unit 12, or it can only make a push notification, and display the judgment after a specific operation performed by the user (operation of a specific object) The result of the judgment of section 12.

In this way, in this embodiment, the notification unit 102 transmits the determination result of the determination unit 12 to the communication terminal 62 through communication, thereby notifying the determination result of the determination unit 12. With this, for example, even when the USB socket 10D is located in a blind spot of the user, or is located far away from the user, the user can easily confirm the determination result of the determination unit 12 through the communication terminal 62.

In addition, as in the present embodiment, when two-way communication is possible between the communication unit 61 and the communication terminal 62, the notification unit 102 may also use the determination result of the determination unit 12 as the outgoing signal from the communication terminal 62 The response of is sent to the communication terminal 62. That is, when the communication unit 61 receives an outgoing signal from the communication terminal 62, the notification unit 102 transmits the determination result of the determination unit 12 to the communication terminal 62 through communication. In this way, when the user wants to confirm the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, the communication terminal 62 can confirm the degree of deterioration of the monitored object.

Furthermore, in the USB socket 10D of this embodiment, the communication with the communication terminal 62 is wireless communication or power line communication. That is, the communication unit 61 communicates with the communication terminal 62 through wireless communication using radio waves as a medium, or power line communication using power lines as a medium. In this case, it is not necessary to connect a dedicated communication line to the USB socket 10D. That is, it is not necessary to connect in the case of wireless communication, and it is not necessary to connect a dedicated communication line to the USB socket 10D in the case of power line communication. That is, the wiring L1 connected to the terminal portion 16 is a power line, so the communication section 61 can perform power line communication with the communication terminal 62 by using this wiring L1 as a transmission line. In addition, the communication unit 61 can also use both wireless communication and power line communication to communicate with the communication terminal 62.

In addition, as a modification of the second embodiment, the setting content of the setting unit 13 may be set by the communication terminal 62. That is, by communicating the communication terminal 62 and the communication unit 61, the setting content of the setting unit 13 can be remotely set by the communication terminal 62.

The configuration (including modification examples) described in Embodiment 2 can be appropriately combined with the various configurations (including modification examples) described in Embodiment 1.

(to sum up) The USB socket (10, 10A-10D) of the first aspect has a connection part (2), a power supply circuit (11), a casing (3), and a determination part (12). The connecting part (2) can be electrically connected with the USB connector (91) of the device (9). The power supply circuit (11) supplies power to the device (9) from the connection part (2). The casing (3) houses the power supply circuit (11). The determination unit (12) determines the degree of deterioration of the monitored object. The monitoring object is composed of at least one of the connecting portion (2), the power supply circuit (11), and the casing (3).

In this way, the degree of deterioration of the monitored object composed of at least one of the connection part (2), power circuit (11) and casing (3) can be judged on the USB socket (10, 10A～10D) side . Therefore, for example, an abnormality such as poor contact of the connecting portion (2) or a decrease in the output of the power supply circuit (11) can be detected early. Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to avoid situations such as using the USB sockets (10, 10A to 10D) in a state where the power supply to the device (9) is not normally performed. As a result, it is possible to provide a USB socket (10, 10A ~ 10D) that can easily achieve an improvement in reliability.

The USB sockets (10, 10A to 10D) of the second aspect are in the first aspect, and further include a notification unit (102) that reports the determination result of the determination unit (12).

In this manner, the notification unit (102) notifies the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, which makes it easy for the user to grasp.

The USB socket (10, 10A-10D) of the third aspect is in the second aspect. The notification part (102) is provided with a display part (14) provided on the front of the casing (3). The notification part (102) notifies the determination result of the determination part (12) through the display state of the display part (14).

According to this aspect, the display aspect of the display unit (14) informs the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, and the user becomes easy to grasp the degree of deterioration of the monitored object.

The USB socket (10, 10A～10D) of the fourth aspect is in the second aspect or the third aspect. The notification part (102) sends the determination result of the determination part (12) to the communication terminal through communication Machine (62), so as to notify the judgment result of the judgment unit (12).

In this way, the communication terminal (62) notifies the degree of deterioration of the monitored object, and the user becomes easy to grasp the degree of deterioration of the monitored object.

The USB socket (10, 10A～10D) of the fifth aspect is in any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect. The judging part (12) at least depends on the connection part of the USB connector (91) (2) The number of connections to determine the degree of deterioration.

According to this aspect, the degree of deterioration of the number of connections originating from the USB connector (91) can be determined.

The USB socket (10, 10A～10D) of the sixth aspect is in any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, and the judging part (12) at least depends on the connection part (2) to the device ( 9) The number of times the device (9) is charged by supplying power to determine the degree of deterioration.

According to this aspect, the degree of deterioration due to the number of charging can be determined.

The seventh aspect of the USB socket (10, 10A to 10D) is in any one of the first aspect to the sixth aspect, and the determination unit (12) determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of interruptions in charging. The number of interruptions in charging refers to the number of interruptions when the device (9) is charged by supplying power from the connection part (2) to the device (9), and the charging of the device (9) is not completed normally.

In this way, the degree of degradation due to the number of interruptions can be determined.

The USB socket (10, 10A～10D) of the eighth aspect is in any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect. The determination part (12) at least depends on the USB connector (91) for the connection part (2) Whether the electrical connection status is good or not, determine the degree of deterioration.

In this way, the USB connector (91) can directly determine whether the electrical connection state of the connection part (2) is good or not.

The USB sockets (10, 10A to 10D) of the ninth aspect are in any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect, and the determination unit (12) distinguishes the cause of the degradation and determines the degree of the degradation.

In this way, it is possible to distinguish the causes of deterioration and confirm the degree of deterioration.

The configurations of the second aspect to the ninth aspect are not necessary for the USB socket (10, 10A to 10D) and can be omitted as appropriate.

10,10A~10E: USB socket 101: Control Department 102: Notification Department 11: Power supply circuit 12: Judgment Department 13: Setting section 14: Display 141: Light-emitting element 142: Optical components 15: Audio output section 16: terminal part 17: Sensor 2: connecting part 21: The first connection part 22: The second connection part 3: chassis 31: front 32: Allocation display 4: connection port 41: 1st connection port 42: 2nd connection port 51: Socket device 52: Sensor device 61: Ministry of Communications 62: Communication terminal 8: Socket cover 801: window hole 81: Installation object 82: construction hole 83: Installation components 84: installation frame 841: mounting hole 842: cover fixing hole 843: mounting screws 844: fixing screw 85: makeup cover 86: fixed cover 861: Through Hole 9: Equipment 91: USB connector 92: battery L1: Wiring

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a usage example of the USB socket of the first embodiment. Fig. 2A is a front view of the same USB socket; Fig. 2B is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of the connection port of the same USB socket. Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing the installation state of the same USB socket on the installation object; Fig. 3B is a perspective view showing the installation state of the same USB socket on the installation object. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the same concept of the USB socket. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation example of the same USB socket. Fig. 6A is a front view of a USB socket of a modification of Embodiment 1; Fig. 6B is a front view of a USB socket of another modification of Embodiment 1; Fig. 6C is a front view of a USB socket of another modification of Embodiment 1. front view. Fig. 7 is a block diagram conceptually showing the USB socket of the second embodiment.

10: USB socket

101: Control Department

102: Notification Department

11: Power supply circuit

12: Judgment Department

13: Setting section

14: Display

15: Audio output section

16: terminal part

17: Sensor

2: connecting part

21: The first connection part

22: The second connection part

9: Equipment

91: USB connector

92: battery

L1: Wiring

Claims (9)

A USB socket, including: The connection part can be electrically connected with the USB connector of the device; A power supply circuit, which supplies power to the device from the connection part; A case containing the power supply circuit; and The judging unit judges the degree of deterioration of the monitored object constituted by at least one of the connecting portion, the power supply circuit, and the casing. Such as the USB socket of claim 1, where: It also includes a notification unit that notifies the determination result of the determination unit. Such as the USB socket of claim 2, where: The notification department, Including a display part arranged on the front of the casing; According to the display state of the display unit, the judgment result of the judgment unit is notified. Such as the USB socket of claim 2 or 3, of which, The notification unit transmits the determination result of the determination unit to the communication terminal through communication, thereby notifying the determination result of the determination unit. Such as the USB socket of any one of claims 1 to 3, where: The determining part determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of times the USB connector is connected to the connecting part. Such as the USB socket of any one of claims 1 to 3, where: The determination unit determines the degree of deterioration based at least on the number of times the device is charged with power supplied from the connection unit to the device. Such as the USB socket of any one of claims 1 to 3, where: The determination unit determines the degree of degradation based at least on the number of times that the charging of the device is not normally terminated and interrupted when the device is charged by supplying power from the connection portion. Such as the USB socket of any one of claims 1 to 3, where: The determining part determines the degree of degradation at least according to whether the USB connector is good or not in the electrical connection state of the connecting part. Such as the USB socket of any one of claims 1 to 3, where: The determination unit distinguishes the cause of deterioration and determines the degree of deterioration.

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