TWI783275B - Connection device and suspender - Google Patents

Abstract

The problem is to provide a connection device and suspender that allows the connection device to be coupled easily to a wiring duct with a cord member and that reduces the chances of the connection device falling off the wiring duct. A connection device (10) includes a duct connecting member (21), a body (24), and a coupling member (26). The duct connecting member (21) is to be physically attached to a wiring duct (40) used to transmit power therethrough. The body (24) is to be held by the wiring duct (40) via the duct connecting member (21). The coupling member (26) has a coupling hole (26a) to couple the connection device (10) to a cord member (93). The coupling member (26) is provided separately from, and secured to, the body (24).

Description

Connecting devices and hangers

The present invention relates generally to connecting devices and hangers, and more particularly to connecting devices for connecting raceways to other devices, and hangers for coupling the connecting devices to raceways by cord-like members.

JP 2009-94002 A discloses a wiring duct system. The wiring duct system of JP 2009-94002 A is designed to supply power to lamps, network equipment, and various other types of equipment through the power lines routed in the building by using the wiring duct installed on the ceiling of the building, And enable network devices to establish power line (PLC) communication between them.

According to JP 2009-94002 A, various connection devices such as power plugs and pipe-connectable PLC plugs are attached to the wiring ducts to connect lamps, network devices, and various other types of devices to the wiring ducts.

The problem is to provide a connection device and a hanger which enables the connection device to be easily coupled to the raceway by means of a cord member and which reduces the chance of the connection device falling out of the raceway.

A connection device according to aspects of the present invention includes: a conduit connection member to be physically attached to a raceway for transmitting power therethrough; a body, It is to be held by the wiring duct via the duct connection member; and a coupling member having a coupling hole for coupling the connection device to a cord member. The coupling member is provided separately from the body, and the coupling member is fixed to the body.

A suspension according to another aspect of the present invention is for use with the above-mentioned connecting device. The hanger includes: a body intended to be coupled to the coupling member of the connection device through a cable member; and a connector portion intended to be physically attached to a raceway for transmitting Power passes through it.

10: Connection device

10A: Connection device

10B: Connection device

10C: Connection device

10D: Connection device

20: shell

20A: Shell

20B: Shell

20C: shell

20D: shell

211: protrusion

2121:Hook hole

212: stem

213: convex part

214a: first terminal

214b: second terminal

214c: the third terminal

21:Pipeline connection components

21a: first connector

21b: Second connecting piece

22: Device connection part

23: Auxiliary power supply unit

2401: Attachment hole

2402: screw hole

2403: Concave

24040: Four screw holes

2404: The first support part

2405: the second support part

2406: support part

2407:Latch protrusion

2408: support part

2409:Hook hole

240a: first surface

240b: second surface

240c: Outer surface

240d: Outer surface

240e: Outer surface

240f: outside surface

2411: Pipe facing surface

2411a: First area

2411b: second area

2412: steps

241: Installation department

2421a: Outer surface

2421b: Outside surface

2422a: Medial surface

2422b: Medial surface

2423a: tapered surface

2423b: Conical surface

242a: first wall

242b: second wall

243a: The first strengthening department

243b: The second strengthening department

244a: first convex portion

244b: second convex part

245: Restricted Department

246a: first wall

246b: second wall

2470: coupling hole

247a: Restricted Department

247b: Restricted Department

2480a: first wall

2480b: second wall

2481a: Outer surface

2481b: Outside surface

2482a: Medial surface

2482b: Medial surface

2483a: Conical surface

2483b: Conical surface

2484a: extension

2484b: extension

2485a: Department of Restrictions

2485b: Department of Restrictions

2486a: coupling hole

2486b: coupling hole

248a: first wall member

248b: Second wall member

2499a: Medial surface

2499b: Medial surface

249a: First rib

249b: Second rib

24: Ontology

24A: Ontology

24B: Ontology

24C: Ontology

24D: Ontology

25: Holder

260: flat part

260a: Fitting cutout

260b: hole

260c: Latch protrusion

261: protrusion

262: flat part

262a: opening

262b: hole

262c: Latch protrusion

263: protrusion

264: Latch department

26:Coupling components

26D: Coupling components

26a: coupling hole

27: Support member

27a: opening

280: Attachment plate

280a: opening

280b: peripheral wall

281: Zhoubi

281a: side wall

281b: side wall

281c: side wall

281d: side wall

281e: opening

282: convex seat

283: plural holes

284: convex seat

284a: screw hole

285: convex part

28: shell

290a: opening

290b: Multiple screw holes

290c: holes

29: Fixed plate

30: circuit block

31: The first communication unit

321: The second communication unit

322:Converter unit

32: Output unit

33: Processing unit

34: Power supply unit

35: Notification unit

36: Operation unit

40:Wiring duct

41a: first conductor

41b: second conductor

41c: The third conductor

4211: first side surface

4221: Second side surface

421: first side wall part

422: second side wall portion

423: flat part

424:Part One

425: Part Two

426: The first holder

427: the second holder

42: shell

431: first medial surface

432: second inner surface

43: opening

44: convex part

50: device

60: Control device

70: Adapter

80: Connector cable

81: connector

90: Suspension

91: Ontology

921: protrusion

922: convex part

92: Connector

93: cable member

94:Coupling components

S11: screw

S12: screw

S13: screw

S14: screw

Fig. 1 shows an equipment system including a connection device according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connection device; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connection device; Fig. 4 is another exploded perspective view of the connection device; Fig. 5 is a part of the connection device Figure 6 is a plan view of the connection device; Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the plane A-A shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the holder of the connection device; Figure 9 illustrates how the connection device is connected To the wiring duct; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the connection device according to the first modification; FIG. 11 is a plan view of the connection device according to the first modification; FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the connection device according to the first modification; 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection device according to the first modification; FIG. 14 illustrates how to connect the connection device according to the first modification to the wiring duct; 15 is a perspective view of a connection device according to a second modification; FIG. 16 is a plan view of a connection device according to a second modification; FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a part of a connection device according to a second modification; FIG. 18 illustrates how to The connecting device according to the second modification is connected to the wiring duct; Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the connecting device according to the third modification; Fig. 20 is a plan view of the connecting device according to the third modification; Fig. 21 is a plan view according to the third modification An exploded perspective view of a part of the connection device; FIG. 22 illustrates how to connect the connection device according to the third modification to the wiring duct; FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the connection device according to the fourth modification; FIG. 24 is a connection according to the fourth modification Plane view of the device; Fig. 25 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the connecting device according to the fourth modification; Fig. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the plane B-B shown in Fig. 24; The connection device is connected to the wiring duct; FIG. 28 is a plan view of the connection device according to another modified example; and FIG. 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection device shown in FIG. 28 .

(1) Example

(1.1) Overview

Fig. 1 shows an equipment system (wiring duct system). The equipment system can be used, for example, in facilities such as factories. The equipment system includes a plurality of connection devices 10, each of which connects a device 50 to a raceway 40 installed in the facility.

FIG. 2 shows the connecting device 10 . The connecting device 10 includes a pipe connecting member 21 and a body 24 . The conduit connection member 21 is intended to be physically attached to the raceway 40 for transmitting power therethrough. The main body 24 is intended to be held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the body 24 includes a first wall portion 242 a and a second wall portion 242 b protruding from two sides of the pipe-facing surface 2411 to face the distribution pipe 40 . As shown in FIG. 9 , when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first wall portion 242 a and the second wall portion 242 b face the first side surface 4211 respectively along the width of the wiring duct 40 and the second side surface 4221.

The connection device 10 can be attached to the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 . In addition, when the connecting device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40 (that is, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21), the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face the wiring duct 40, respectively. The first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221 of the. Therefore, the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b may serve as means for reducing the swing of the body 24 along the width of the wiring duct 40 . This reduces the chances of the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 being degraded due to the swing of the body 24 . Therefore, the connection device 10 contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, in this connection device 10 , the body 24 has a duct-facing surface 2411 to face the wiring duct 40 as shown in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the raceway 40 has an opening 43 extending along the length of the raceway 40 . The conduit connecting member 21 is physically attached to the conduit 40 by inserting at least a portion of the conduit connecting member 21 through the opening 43 into the conduit 40 , as shown in FIG. 9 . The raceway 40 comprises first and second portions 424, 425 facing each other along the width of the raceway 40 with the opening 43 therebetween. The duct-facing surface 2411 includes first and second regions 2411a, 2411b, which correspond to first and second portions 424, 425 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. The body 24 includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b). A first contact portion (first convex portion 244 a ) is provided to bring the first region 2411 a into contact with the first portion 424 . A second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) is provided to bring the second region 2411 b into contact with the second portion 425 .

The connection device 10 can be attached to the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 . In the attached state, the first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) is positioned at the first region 2411a to be in contact with the first portion 424, and the second contact portion (second convex portion 244b) is positioned at the second region 2411b to contact the first portion 424. In contact with the second part 425 . The attached state is a state where the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 , and is a state where the connecting device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, the first contact portion (the first convex portion 244 a ) and the second contact portion (the second convex portion 244 b ) may serve as portions that reduce the swing of the body 24 along the width of the wiring duct 40 . This reduces the chances of the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 being degraded due to the swing of the body 24 . Therefore, the connection device 10 contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

The connection device 10 further includes a pair of coupling members 26 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the coupling member 26 has a coupling hole 26 a for coupling the connecting device 10 to the cord member 93 . The coupling member 26 is provided separately from the body 24 and fixes the coupling member 26 to the body 24 .

This connection device 10 is configured to be easily coupled to the raceway 40 using the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10 is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10 is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cord-shaped member 93 . Therefore, providing the coupling member 26 enables the connection device 10 to be easily coupled to the wiring duct 40 using the cord member 93 and reduces the chance of the connection device 10 falling off from the wiring duct 40 .

(1.2) Configuration

The equipment system including the connection device 10 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 , the equipment system includes at least one connecting device 10 , at least one wiring duct 40 , and at least one device 50 . In this embodiment, the equipment system includes a plurality of connecting devices 10 , a plurality of wiring ducts 40 , and a plurality of devices 50 . The equipment system further includes a management and control device 60 and an adapter 70 .

(1.2.1) Wiring duct

At least one raceway 40 is pre-installed in the facility to transmit power (first power). In this embodiment, the first power is AC power (such as 60/50Hz, 100/200V commercial AC power). The raceway 40 may be installed, for example, on the ceiling of the facility.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the wiring duct 40 includes first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c, and a casing 42 for accommodating the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the housing 42 has an elongated and hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The length, width, and thickness of the housing 42 define the length, width, and thickness of the raceway 40, respectively. The housing 42 has electrical insulating properties. The housing 42 may be formed of a material with electrical insulation properties (such as a resin material), or formed by coating the surface of the metal frame with a material with electrical insulation properties.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the housing 42 includes a first side wall portion 421 , a second side wall portion 422 , and a flat plate portion 423 . The first side wall portion 421 and the second side wall portion 422 face each other along the width of the housing 42 (ie, the right/left direction in FIG. 9 ). The surface of the first sidewall portion 421 opposite to the second sidewall portion 422 is the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 . The surface of the second side wall portion 422 opposite to the first side wall portion 421 is the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 . The first and second side surfaces 4211 , 4221 define two outer surfaces of the wiring duct 40 . The flat plate portion 423 couples respective first ends (ie, respective upper ends in FIG. 9 ) of the first sidewall portion 421 and the second sidewall portion 422 together. The casing 42 further includes a first portion 424 protruding from the second end of the first side wall portion 421 (that is, the lower end in FIG. 9 ) toward the second side wall portion 422 , and from the second end of the second side wall portion 422 (ie, the lower end in FIG. 9 ) the second portion 425 protruding toward the first side wall portion 421 . The first portion 424 and the second portion 425 face each other with a predetermined interval therebetween, so that the opening 43 is formed between the first portion 424 and the second portion 425 . In other words, the first and second portions 424, 425 face each other along the width of the raceway 40 with the opening 43 interposed therebetween. The opening 43 is located in the middle of the width of the housing 42 and extends along the length of the housing 42 . The casing 42 further has a protrusion 44 protruding from the second end of the second side wall 422 . The protrusion 44 extends along the length of the housing 42 . The protrusion 44 is provided to prevent the connection device 10 from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are accommodated in the housing 42 to face along the width of the housing 42 (ie, the right/left direction in FIG. 9). each other. Furthermore, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b extend along the length of the housing 42 . In this embodiment, the housing 42 includes first and second holders 426, 427 for holding the first and second conductors 41a, 41b respectively. The first holding member 426 protrudes from the surface of the first sidewall portion 421 facing the second sidewall portion 422 toward the second sidewall portion 422 . The second holding member 427 protrudes from the surface of the second sidewall portion 422 facing the first sidewall portion 421 toward the first sidewall portion 421 . The first holder 426 and the second holder 427 extend along the length of the housing 42 . The first conductor 41a is held in the tip portion of the first holder 426, and the second conductor 41b is held in the tip portion of the second holder 427, so that the first and second conductors 41a, 41b can face each other . In this embodiment, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are used as power feeding conductors.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the third conductor 41 c is accommodated in the housing 42 so as to be located in the middle of the width of the housing 42 (ie, the right/left direction in FIG. 9 ). The third conductor 41c extends along the length of the housing 42 . In this embodiment, the third conductor 41c is fixed on the flat plate portion 423 of the housing 42 inside the housing 42 . In this embodiment, the third conductor 41c is used as a ground conductor.

(1.2.2) Device

Device 50 is used in a facility for various purposes, such as control and management. Each of the devices 50 includes at least one connection port, which is connected to one of the connection devices 10 through a connector cable 80 . In this embodiment, the connector cable 80 is a cable conforming to computer network standards. In particular, the connector cable 80 is compatible with Ethernet® and also complies with the Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard. Therefore, the connection port of the device 50 is a port compatible with Ethernet. Device 50 is operable with power supplied via connector cable 80 . That is, the device 50 operates with power (second power) conforming to a different standard (power standard) than the first power transmitted through the raceway 40 . The second power complies with the PoE standard and can be, for example, 48V DC power. Examples of device 50 include a monitoring device, a notification device, a control device, and a communication device. Examples of surveillance devices include cameras (web cameras) and sensors (human detection sensors and fire sensors). notification device Examples include speakers, projectors, and displays (such as digital signage). Examples of control devices include light fixtures and air conditioners. Examples of communication devices include access points.

(1.2.3) Control device

The management and control device 60 is a device for managing and controlling the device 50 . The management and control device 60 is connected to the distribution duct 40 through an adapter 70 . The adapter 70 is a device for facilitating power line communication. By using the management and control device 60, the equipment system can perform various functions. For example, if one device 50 is a camera, the management device 60 enables the user to check the video captured by the device 50 . If the other device 50 is a digital signage, the management device 60 enables information to be displayed on the device 50 . The management device 60 can be implemented as a personal computer (such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer). Alternatively, the management and control device 60 can also be implemented as a mobile telecommunication device, such as a smart phone or a tablet computer.

(1.2.4) Connection device

Next, the connecting device 10 will be described. The connection device 10 is used to connect any of these devices 50 to the raceway 40 . In other words, the connecting device 10 is used as a joint for connecting the device 50 to the raceway 40 .

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a connecting device 10 . FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the connection device 10 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the connection device 10 includes a housing 20 and a circuit block 30 accommodated in the housing 20 .

(1.2.4.1) Shell

As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 20 includes a pipe connection member 21 , a device connection portion 22 , and an auxiliary power supply portion 23 . As shown in FIGS. 2-4 , the housing 20 includes a body 24 and a holder 25 . The main body 24 includes a pipe connection member 21 , a device connection portion 22 , an auxiliary power supply portion 23 , and a pair of coupling members 26 .

The body 24 accommodates the circuit block 30 therein. The body 24 has a box shape. In particular, the body 24 has the shape of a compressed box, as shown in Figs. 2-4. And, as shown in FIG. 6, the main body 24 has a square shape in plan view. The body 24 has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) 240 a and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) 240 b in the thickness direction. A first table along the thickness of the body 24 Face 240a is the surface of body 24 configured to face raceway 40 (ie, the raceway attachment surface). The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24 is the surface of the body 24 designed to face away from the wiring duct 40 . The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24 is an attachment surface (a holder attachment surface) to which the holder 25 is physically attached. The body 24 further has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c-240f. The outer side surfaces 240c, 240e are surfaces facing each other, and the outer side surfaces 240d, 240f are surfaces facing each other. In this embodiment, the direction in which the outer surfaces 240c, 240e face each other is a direction aligned with the length of the wiring duct 40 when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 . Meanwhile, the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other is a direction aligned with the width of the wiring duct 40 when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the first surface 240 a along the thickness of the body 24 has at least one attachment hole 2401 , and the pipe connection member 21 is attached to the at least one attachment hole 2401 . In this embodiment, the first surface 240a has two attachment holes 2401 . Two attachment holes 2401 are disposed on both sides of the first surface 240 a along the thickness of the body 24 . The attachment holes 2401 have a circular shape. In this embodiment, two attachment holes 2401 are provided through the first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24 to be located near the outer surfaces 240c, 240e of the body 24 and on the outer surfaces 240d, 240f of the body 24, respectively. the middle between. Furthermore, around each of the attachment holes 2401 of the first surface 240a, a plurality of (for example, four in this example) screw holes 2402 are provided. Furthermore, the first surface 240 a has recesses 2403 , each of which is disposed in a region covering the associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated four screw holes 2402 . Each recess 2403 has a rectangular shape. The associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated four screw holes 2402 are provided through the bottom of the recess 2403 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , at least one support member 27 is disposed along the first surface 240 a of the thickness of the body 24 . In this embodiment, the first surface 240a is provided with two support members 27 . Each of the support members 27 has a ring shape. Each of the supporting members 27 has a circular opening 27 a and has an outer diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the associated attachment hole 2401 . Each support member 27 is arranged on the first table On the surface 240a, so that the relevant attachment hole 2401 is exposed inside its opening 27a. The supporting member 27 serves as a fitting protrusion of the body 24 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , a pair of coupling members 26 are disposed along the first surface 240 a of the thickness of the body 24 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the coupling member 26 is used to couple the connecting device 10 to the raceway 40 by means of the cable member 93 .

Each of the coupling members 26 has a coupling hole 26 a to be coupled to the cord member 93 . More specifically, the coupling member 26 has a flat plate portion 260 and a protruding portion 261 . The flat plate portion 260 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The flat plate portion 260 has dimensions small enough to fit in an associated recess 2403 of the body 24 . In this case, the depth of the concave portion 2403 is smaller than the thickness of the flat plate portion 260 . The flat portion 260 has a fitting cutout 260a. The fitting cutout 260a is provided so that the support member 27 can be fitted thereon and passed therethrough. The matching cutout 260a is disposed in the middle of the flat portion 260 and is open on one side along the width. The flat plate portion 260 further has a plurality (for example, four in this example) of holes 260b. The four holes 260b are used to fix the coupling member 26 to the body 24 by the screws S12. The four holes 260b are disposed at four corners of the flat portion 260 . The coupling member 26 further includes a latch protrusion 260c. As will be described later, the latch protrusion 260c is provided so that the flat plate portion 260 fits into the hook hole 2121 of the rod portion 212 of the pipe connection member 21 when the rod portion 212 is located at a predetermined position. The protruding portion 261 is disposed away from one surface of the body 24 (ie, the first surface 240 a ) to protrude from the flat plate portion 260 . The protruding portion 261 protrudes from one end along the length of the flat plate portion 260 . The protrusion 261 has the shape of a flat plate. In this example, the coupling hole 26a is disposed through the protruding portion 261 so that the protruding portion 261 has a U-shaped appearance. In this embodiment, the coupling hole 26 a reaches a part of the flat plate portion 260 . Providing the coupling hole 26 a through the protrusion 261 facilitates coupling the connection device 10 to the raceway 40 by means of the cord member 93 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , each coupling member 26 is disposed in an associated recess 2403 of the body 24 such that the associated support member 27 provided for the body 24 fits in the fitting cutout 260 a of the coupling member 26 . Next, screw the screw S12 into the screw hole 2402 of the body 24 through the hole 260b of the flat plate portion 260 , so that the coupling member 26 can be fixed to the body 24 . This enables the coupling member 26 to be fixed to the body 24 via the flat plate portion 260 , thereby increasing the fixing strength of the coupling member 26 relative to the body 24 .

In this embodiment, the coupling member 26 is made of metal material. For example, the coupling member 26 can be formed by punching and folding a metal plate. The coupling member 26 is provided separately from the body 24 and secures the coupling member 26 to the body 24 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , there are four screw holes 24040 along the second surface 240 b of the thickness of the body 24 . The four screw holes 24040 are arranged to have four-fold rotational symmetry relative to the center of the second surface 240b.

The duct connection member 21 is used to attach the connection device 10 to the distribution duct 40 . The duct connection member 21 is disposed on the first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24 (ie, the surface of the body 24 configured to face the wiring duct 40). The duct connection member 21 includes first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 .

Each of the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b has a protruding portion 211 , a rod portion 212 , and a pair of convex portions 213 , 213 . The protrusion 211 protrudes from the first surface 240 a along the thickness of the body 24 . The protrusion 211 has a cylindrical shape and is rotatable around its central axis. The protrusion 211 itself has a size small enough to pass through the opening 43 of the housing 42 . The rod portion 212 is a member for adjusting the protruding portion 211 around its central axis. The rod portion 212 protrudes from the protruding portion 211 in a direction intersecting the central axis of the protruding portion 211 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the rod portion 212 has a hook hole 2121 disposed on the surface of the rod portion 212 facing the first surface 240 a along the thickness of the main body 24 . In this embodiment, the hook hole 2121 is not a through hole. However, this is only one example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively, the hook hole 2121 can also be a through hole. The pair of convex portions 213 , 213 protrude from both sides of the protruding portion 211 . The width of the pair of protrusions 213 , 213 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the protrusion 211 .

Each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b further includes first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c. The first and second terminals 214a, 214b are intended to be electrically connected to the conduit respectively The first and second conductors 41a, 41b of the track 40. The third terminal 214c is intended to be electrically connected to the third conductor 41c of the wiring duct 40 . In this embodiment, the first and second terminals 214a, 214b are associated with the first and second conductors 41a, 41b of the raceway 40, respectively. Therefore, connecting the first and second terminals 214a, 214b to the first and second conductors 41a, 41b respectively constitutes a correct connection. However, connecting the first and second terminals 214a, 214b to the second and first conductors 41b, 41a respectively constitutes a wrong connection. The first and second terminals 214 a , 214 b and the pair of protrusions 213 , 213 protrude from both sides of the protruding portion 211 . The first and second terminals 214 a , 214 b are located closer to the top of the protruding portion 211 than the pair of protruding portions 213 , 213 . The first and second terminals 214 a , 214 b overlap the pair of convex portions 213 , 213 when viewed along the central axis of the protruding portion 211 .

It can be seen that the first and second connecting elements 21a, 21b are disposed on two sides of the first surface 240a along the thickness of the main body 24 . In particular, in this embodiment, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are located near the outer surfaces 240c, 240e of the body 24 on the first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24, and are disposed on the side of the body 24. Intermediate between the outer side surfaces 240d, 240f.

By operating the lever portion 212, each of the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b can be rotated between a first position (first rotation position) and a second position (second rotation position). The first position is the position where the length of the pair of protrusions 213 , 213 is aligned with the length of the main body 24 . The second position is a position where the pair of protrusions 213 , 213 are aligned with the width of the main body 24 . For example, in FIG. 6, the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b are located at the first position. Meanwhile, in FIG. 10 , the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b are located at the second position. In FIG. 9, the first connecting member 21a at the first position is represented by a solid line, and the first connecting member 21a at the second position is represented by a chain of double dots. That is, the first and second connecting parts 21a and 21b can pass through the opening 43 when they are in the first position, but cannot pass through the opening 43 when they are in the second position.

The first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21b are attached to the main body 24 through the attachment hole 2401 of the main body 24 . That is, each of the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b is inserted into the relevant one of the attachment hole 2401 so that the protrusion 211 can rotate around its central axis. In this case, each of the body 24 A coupling member 26 and a support member 27 surround each attachment hole 2401. As shown in FIG. 7 , the support member 27 is disposed in the recess 2403 of the first surface 240 a, and the attachment hole 2401 is exposed inside the opening 27 a of the support member 27 . In addition, the coupling member 26 is also disposed in the concave portion 2403, and the supporting member 27 is fitted in the fitting cutout 260a. Therefore, the protrusion 211 is inserted into the attachment hole 2401 through the opening 27 a of the support member 27 . The flat portion 260 of the coupling member 26 and the support member 27 are located between the first surface 240 a and the rod portion 212 , thereby increasing the fixing strength of the coupling member 26 relative to the body 24 . In this embodiment, the support member 27 is thicker than the flat plate portion 260 . Accordingly, the supporting member 27 supports the protruding portion 211 such that the rod portion 212 does not come into contact with (the flat plate portion 260 of) the coupling member 26 . In particular, the supporting member 27 has a shape of a ring surrounding the protruding portion 211, and thus can support the rod portion 212 with good stability. As described above, the coupling member 26 includes the latch protrusion 260c. When the rod portion 212 of the pipe connecting member 21 is at a predetermined position, the latch protrusion 260c is fitted into the hook hole 2121 (see FIG. 4 ), and the hook hole 2121 is arranged to pass through the face coupling of the rod portion 212. surface of member 26 . As used herein, the predetermined position refers to the position of the rod 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position preventing the protrusion 211 from passing through the opening 43 (ie, in the second position). Therefore, the chances of fitting the latch protrusion 260c into the hook hole 2121 such that the lever portion 212 is accidentally displaced from the predetermined position are reduced. This reduces the probability of the first connecting member 21a or the second connecting member 21b accidentally moving from the second position to the first position. That is, this reduces the chance of the duct connection member 21 being unintentionally detached from the wiring duct 40 .

The device connection part 22 is a part that is connected with any of the devices 50 . In this embodiment, the device connection 22 is connected to the device 50 via a connector cable 80 . The device connection part 22 can be, for example, a port conforming to the Ethernet standard. In particular, the device connection part 22 complies with the Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard. In this embodiment, the device connecting portion 22 is disposed through the outer surface 240c of the body 24, as shown in FIG. 2 .

The auxiliary power supply part 23 is a part through which the first power transmitted through the wiring duct 40 is supplied. The auxiliary power supply 23 is implemented as a connector with power terminals. example For example, the auxiliary power supply 23 may be an outlet through which commercial AC power is supplied (eg, an AC outlet into which a power plug is inserted). In this embodiment, the auxiliary power supply part 23 is disposed through one of the outer surfaces 240 e , 240 f of the main body 24 .

In this embodiment, the body 24 further includes a mounting portion 241 and first and second wall portions 242a, 242b on the first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24, as shown in FIG. 6 . The main body 24 further includes a plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243 a, 243 b, a plurality of first and second convex portions 244 a, 244 b, and a plurality of restricting portions 245 on the first surface 240 a along the thickness of the main body 24 .

The mounting portion 241 protrudes from a surface (ie, the first surface 240 a ) configured to face the wiring duct 40 of the body 24 . In particular, the mounting portion 241 protrudes from a central area of the first surface 240 a of the body 24 . In this embodiment, the mounting portion 241 is located on the first surface 240 a of the body 24 and between the first connecting piece 21 a and the second connecting piece 21 b of the pipe connecting member 21 . As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mounting portion 241 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. When the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the length of the mounting portion 241 is aligned with the length of the wiring duct 40 . Likewise, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the width of the mounting portion 241 is aligned with the width of the wiring duct 40 . The installation part 241 is configured such that the surface facing the wiring duct 40 (ie, the upper surface of the installation part 241 ) is the duct-facing surface 2411 . When the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the duct-facing surface 2411 is a surface facing the wiring duct 40 . Since the mounting portion 241 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in this embodiment, the duct facing surface 2411 has a rectangular shape. The length and width of the pipe-facing surface 2411 correspond to the length and width of the mounting portion 241, respectively.

And, when the connecting device 10 (especially, its body 24 ) is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40 , the mounting portion 241 does not contact the top end (ie, the lower end in FIG. 9 ) of the convex portion 44 of the wiring duct 40 . On the other hand, when the connecting device 10 (especially, its body 24) is improperly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the mounting portion 241 and the top end of the convex portion 44 of the wiring duct 40 (that is, the lower end in FIG. 9 ) touch. In this case, if the mounting portion 241 is in contact with the convex portion 44, even when the first and second connecting members 21a, When the 21b is in the first position, the installation part 241 and the protrusion 44 can also prevent the first and second connecting parts 21a, 21b from being inserted into the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this embodiment, in order to prevent the mounting portion 241 from contacting the protrusion 44 when the body 24 is properly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40 , the duct facing surface 2411 has a step 2412 . The correct positioning of the connection device 10 relative to the raceway 40 is the position where the first and second terminals 214a, 214b are connected to the first and second conductors 41a, 41b, respectively. Improper positioning of the connection device 10 relative to the raceway 40 is the position where the first and second terminals 214a, 214b are improperly connected to the second and first conductors 41b, 41a, respectively.

The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are provided to increase the stability of the mechanical connection with the distribution duct 40 . Each of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b is a wall portion having a rectangular plate shape. The first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b protrude from the first surface 240 a of the body 24 including the pipe-facing surface 2411 . More specifically, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from both sides of the pipe-facing surface 2411 . As shown in FIG. 9, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face the first and second walls respectively along the width of the wiring duct 40. Side surfaces 4211, 4221.

More specifically, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude from one surface of the body 24 configured to face the wiring duct 40 (ie, the first surface 240a), and are located on both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411. side. In particular, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b protrude in a direction perpendicular to the duct facing surface 2411 . In addition, the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b are located on both sides along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411 . Furthermore, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b face each other with the pipe facing surface 2411 interposed therebetween. In other words, the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b face each other along the width of the pipe facing surface 2411 . In particular, the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b face each other entirely along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411 . The first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b extend linearly along the length of the pipe-facing surface 2411 and are as long as the pipe-facing surface 2411 .

The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b have surfaces 2421a, 2421b (ie, outer surfaces 2421a, 2421b) opposite to the duct-facing surface 2411 . The outer surfaces 2421a, 2421b extend from the first surface 240a of the body 24 . The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b also have surfaces 2422a, 2422b facing the duct-facing surface 2411 (ie, inner side surfaces 2422a, 2422b). Inner side surfaces 2422a, 2422b extend from duct facing surface 2411 . Furthermore, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b further have tapered surfaces 2423a, 2423b connected to the inner surfaces 2422a, 2422b at their top ends, respectively. In this case, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the tapered surface 2423a is inclined away from the inner side surface 2422a, so that the gap between the tapered surface 2423a and the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 increases accordingly. big. Likewise, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the tapered surface 2423b slopes away from the inner side surface 2422b such that the gap between the tapered surface 2423b and the second side surface 4221 of the raceway 40 increases accordingly. That is, the tapered surfaces 2423a, 2423b facilitate insertion of the raceway 40 into the space between the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b.

The heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are defined so that when the connecting device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40, along the thickness of the wiring duct 40 (that is, in the upward/downward direction in FIG. 9 ) The intermediate tie is located between the top ends of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the pipe-facing surface 2411 . Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b can also be defined such that when the connection device 10 is attached to the conduit 40, the first and second conductors 41a, 41b are located along the thickness of the conduit 40. Between the top ends of the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b and the pipe-facing surface 2411 . Moreover, in this embodiment, the remaining gaps between the wiring duct 40 and the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b can be set so that when the connecting device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40, when the main body moves along the wiring When the width of the duct 40 swings, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b is in contact with the distribution duct 40 . In particular, in this embodiment, the gap remaining between the first wall portion 242a and the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 and the gap remaining between the second wall portion 242b and the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 The gap is suitably equal to or less than 0.5 mm, and may be 0.2 mm, for example.

The first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b are provided to respectively strengthen the first and second wall parts 242a, 242b. The first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b reduce the possibility of damage to the first and second wall parts 242a, 242b. As shown in FIG. 9 , each of the first reinforcing portions 243a is configured to face one surface of the wiring duct 40 (that is, the first surface 240a ) from the position of the first wall portion 242a on the surface of the duct along the position of the main body 24. The surface opposite to the surface 2411 (ie, the outer surface 2421a) is extended to be aligned with the height of the first wall portion 242a. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, a plurality (eg, five in this example) of first reinforcing portions 243a are provided at approximately regular intervals along the length of the first wall portion 242a. As shown in FIG. 9 , each of the second reinforcing portions 243b is configured to face one surface of the wiring duct 40 (that is, the first surface 240a ) from the position of the second wall portion 242b on the surface of the duct along the position of the main body 24. The surface opposite to the surface 2411 (ie, the outer surface 2421b) is extended to be aligned with the height of the second wall portion 242b. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, a plurality (eg, five in this example) of second reinforcing portions 243b are provided at approximately regular intervals along the length of the second wall portion 242b.

The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b are provided to increase the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 . The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b protrude from the pipe-facing surface 2411 . Each of the first and second protrusions 244a, 244b has a hemispherical shape.

In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, three in this example) first protrusions 244a are provided. The plurality of first protrusions 244a are provided in a first region 2411a of the duct-facing surface 2411 designed to face the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 (see FIGS. 6 and 9 ). The plurality of first protrusions 244a are arranged at first predetermined intervals along the length of the pipe-facing surface 2411 . In other words, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the plurality of first protrusions 244 a are arranged at first predetermined intervals along the length of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, individual top ends of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are located at the same height (on the same plane). When the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the plurality of first protrusions 244 a together form a first contact portion to contact the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, three in this example) second protrusions 244b are provided. complex The second protrusion 244b is provided in a second region 2411b of the duct-facing surface 2411 designed to face the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 (see FIGS. 6 and 9 ). The plurality of second protrusions 244b are arranged at second predetermined intervals along the length of the pipe-facing surface 2411 . In other words, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the plurality of second protrusions 244 b are arranged at second predetermined intervals along the length of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, individual top ends of the plurality of second protrusions 244b are located at the same height (on the same plane). Furthermore, the top ends of the plurality of first protrusions 244 a and the plurality of second protrusions 244 b are at the same height. In this embodiment, the first predetermined interval is equal to the second predetermined interval. When the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the plurality of second protrusions 244 b together form a second contact portion to contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . Furthermore, a plurality of (for example, three in this example) first protrusions 244a and a plurality of (for example, three in this example) second protrusions 244b are arranged side by side along the width of the pipe-facing surface 2411 set up.

The height of the first contact portion (that is, the height of the plurality of first protrusions 244a) is set such that it is measured between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first connector 21a or the second connector 21b and the first contact portion The dimension is smaller than the thickness of the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . However, the dimension measured between the protrusion 213 and the first contact portion needs to be large enough so that the first portion 424 can be inserted into the gap between the protrusion 213 and the first contact portion. This enables the first portion 424 to be sandwiched and retained between the first contact portion and the protrusion 213 , thereby helping to increase the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 . Similarly, the height of the second contact portion (that is, the height of the plurality of second protrusions 244b) is set so that the distance between the pair of protrusions 213 of the first connector 21a or the second connector 21b and the second contact portion The dimension measured between them is less than the thickness of the second portion 425 of the raceway 40 . However, the dimension measured between the protrusion 213 and the second contact portion needs to be large enough to enable the second portion 425 to be inserted into the gap between the protrusion 213 and the second contact portion. This enables the second portion 425 to be sandwiched and held between the second contact portion and the protrusion 213 , thereby helping to increase the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

The limiting portion 245 is provided to limit the pivoting range of each lever portion 212 . The restricting part 245 can prevent the rod part 212 from being excessively rotated, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the pipe connecting member 21 . More specifically, each of the restricting portions 245 is a protrusion protruding from the first surface 240a of the body 24 . The limiting portion 245 is in contact with the lever portion 212 , thereby limiting the pivoting range of the lever portion 212 . In this embodiment, each pair of restricting portions 245 restricts the pivoting range of the associated lever portion 212 to the range of when the associated link (that is, the first link 21a or the second link 21b) is in the first position. The range between the point and the point when the associated connecting element (ie, the first connecting element 21 a or the second connecting element 21 b ) is in the second position. In this embodiment, four restricting portions 245 are provided for the body 24 . Two of the four restricting parts 245 are provided for the rod part 212 of the first connecting part 21a, and the other two restricting parts 245 are provided for the rod part 212 of the second connecting part 21b. As shown in FIG. 6, two restricting portions 245 for the first connecting member 21a are provided at one end of the first surface 240a adjacent to the outer surface 240c, and are located in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. Both sides of the first connecting piece 21a. Meanwhile, two restricting portions 245 for the second connecting piece 21b are provided at one end of the first surface 240a adjacent to the outer side surface 240e, and are positioned on the second connecting piece in a direction in which the outer side surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. 21b on both sides. In this embodiment, the four restricting portions 245 form an integral part of the first surface 240 a of the body 24 . Therefore, the restricting portion 245 is provided separately from the coupling member 26 .

The holder 25 is a component for physically holding the device 50 . In this embodiment, the holder 25 is provided separately from the body 24 and is physically attached to the body 24 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 8 , the holder 25 includes a housing 28 and a fixing plate 29 .

The case 28 is a molded product of a resin material having electrical insulating properties. The housing 28 includes an attachment plate 280 , a peripheral wall 281 , and a plurality (for example, four in this example) of protrusions 282 .

Attachment plate 280 is the portion to which device 50 is attached. The attachment plate 280 has a rectangular shape (in particular, a square) in plan view. The attachment plate 280 has an opening (first opening) 280a. The opening 280a is used to enable the connector cable 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) connecting the device 50 to the device connection portion 22 to be able to through it. The opening 280a is disposed in the central area of the attachment plate 280 . The opening 280 a has a substantially rectangular shape and is about one-ninth the size of the attachment plate 280 .

The attachment plate 280 further has a peripheral wall portion 280 b and a plurality of holes 283 . The peripheral wall portion 280b protrudes from the edge of the opening 280a of the attachment plate 280 toward the fixing plate 29 (ie, upward in FIG. 8 ). The peripheral wall portion 280b surrounds the opening 280a along its entire periphery. A plurality of holes 283 are provided to pass through the screw shafts for the attachment device 50 . A plurality of holes 283 are disposed near the opening 280a.

The peripheral wall 281 protrudes from the edge of the attachment plate 280 along the thickness of the attachment plate 280 . In particular, the peripheral wall 281 protrudes from the edge of the attachment plate 280 toward the body 24 so as to surround the attachment plate 280 . The peripheral wall 281 has the shape of a rectangular frame in plan view. The peripheral wall 281 has four side walls 281a-281d. Among the four side walls 281a-281d, the side walls 281a, 281c face each other, and the side walls 281b, 281d face each other. The peripheral wall 281 also has an opening (second opening) 281e. The opening 281e is to allow a connector cable 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) connecting the device 50 to the device connection portion 22 to pass therethrough. The opening 281e is formed through the side wall 281a. The opening 281e has a substantially rectangular shape. The opening 281e has the shape of a cutout. The side of the opening 281e opposite to the attachment plate 280 is opened.

The four protrusions 282 are used to fix the holder 25 to the body 24 by screws S11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Four protrusions 282 are disposed on the attaching plate 280 . Four protrusions 282 protrude from the attaching plate 280 toward the main body 24 . Each of the protrusions 282 has a cylindrical shape and has a hole for the shaft of the screw S11 to pass inside. As shown in FIG. 8 , the four protrusions 282 are arranged with four-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the center of the attaching plate 280 . More specifically, the four protrusions 282 are disposed near the respective middles of the four side walls 281 a - 281 d of the peripheral wall 281 .

The housing 28 further has a plurality (for example, four in this example) of protrusions 284 and a plurality of (for example, four in this example) protrusions 285 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the four protrusions 284 are used to fix the fixing plate 29 to the housing 28 by screws S13 . Four protrusions 284 are disposed on the attaching plate 280 . Four protrusions 284 are fixed towards the attachment plate 280 Plate 29 protrudes. Each of the bosses 284 has a cylindrical shape. Each of the bosses 284 has a screw hole 284a at the top end to engage with the screw S13. The four protrusions 284 are arranged with four-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the center of the attachment plate 280 . More specifically, four protrusions 284 are disposed near four corners of the attachment plate 280 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the four protrusions 285 are used to position the fixing plate 29 relative to the housing 28 . Four protrusions 285 are disposed on the attaching plate 280 . Each of the protrusions 285 has an L shape in plan view. The four protrusions 285 are disposed near the four corners of the attachment plate 280 and are disposed to surround the four protrusions 284 .

The fixing plate 29 is a metal plate. The fixing plate 29 has a rectangular shape (in particular, a square) in plan view. The fixing plate 29 has a smaller size than the attachment plate 280 . As shown in FIG. 8, the fixing plate 29 has an opening (third opening) 290a, a plurality of screw holes 290b, and a plurality of (for example, four in this example) holes 290c. The opening 290a is to allow a connector cable 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) connecting the device 50 to the device connection portion 22 to pass therethrough. The opening 290 a is provided through the central area of the fixing plate 29 . The opening 290a is large enough to allow the peripheral wall portion 280b to pass inside. In this example, peripheral wall portion 280b is designed to fit within opening 290a. The plurality of screw holes 290 b respectively accommodate screws for attaching the device 50 to the connection device 10 . Moreover, the plurality of screw holes 290b are disposed at corresponding positions of the plurality of holes 283 of the fixing plate 29 facing the housing 28 . The four holes 290c are used to fix the fixing plate 29 into the housing 28 . The four holes 290c are disposed at corresponding positions of the four protrusions 284 of the fixing plate 29 facing the housing 28 . In this example, four holes 290c are disposed near four corners of the fixing plate 29 .

In order to fix the fixing plate 29 to the attachment plate 280 of the housing 28, the screws S13 can be screwed into the screw holes 284a of the four bosses 284 through the four holes 290c respectively. In this case, the fixing plate 29 can be easily positioned relative to the housing 28 by making the four corners of the fixing plate 29 adjoin the inner corners of the four protrusions 285 of the housing 28 . In addition, the peripheral wall portion 280b of the housing 28 is adapted to fix The opening 290a of the plate 29 enables the fixing plate 29 to be temporarily held by the housing 28, thereby facilitating the connection work with the screw S13.

The holder 25 is physically attached to the second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24, so that the attachment plate 280 faces the second surface 240b. More specifically, screwing the screws S11 into the four screw holes 24040 of the main body 24 through the holes of the four protrusions 282 of the holding member 25 enables the holding member 25 to be physically attached to the second surface 240 b of the main body 24 .

When the device 50 is attached to the holder 25 , screws can be screwed into the fixing plate 29 through the holes of the device 50 and the holes of the housing 28 . The fixing plate 29 is made of metal material, thus increasing the attachment strength of the device 50 to the holder 25 compared to the case of directly fixing the device 50 to the attachment plate 280 made of resin. Furthermore, in order to connect the device 50 to the device connection part 22 by the connector cable 80, the connector cable 80 can be passed through the opening 280a of the attachment plate 280, the opening 290a of the fixing plate 29, the opening 281e of the peripheral wall 281, and can be The connector 81 of the connector cable 80 is connected to the device connection part 22 . In this embodiment, a portion of the connector cable 80 may be accommodated in the holder 25 . This reduces exposure of the connector cable 80 , thereby helping to protect the connector cable 80 .

(1.2.4.2) Circuit block

As shown in FIG. 1 , the circuit block 30 includes a first communication unit 31 , an output unit 32 , a processing unit 33 , a power supply unit 34 , a notification unit 35 , and an operation unit 36 .

The first communication unit 31 includes a communication interface conforming to the power line communication standard, and has the capability of transmitting and receiving communication signals through the power line communication. Any of a variety of known standards may be employed to establish power line communications. For example, a high-resolution power line communication standard may be used. These communication interfaces conforming to the power line communication standard may have known configurations, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The first communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the pipe connection member 21 . More specifically, the first communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the first and second terminals 214a, 214b of the first connecting piece 21a of the pipe connecting member 21 . Therefore, attaching the duct connection member 21 to the wiring duct 40 makes the first communication unit 31 It can be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 . Therefore, the first communication unit 31 has the ability to receive a communication signal (first communication signal) from the wiring duct 40 via the power line communication through the duct connection member 21 (ie, the first communication unit 31 has the ability to receive). In addition, the first communication unit 31 also has the ability to transmit the communication signal (second communication signal) to the wiring duct 40 through the power line communication through the duct connection member 21 (that is, the first communication unit 31 has the ability to transmit). That is, two-way communication can be established through the first communication unit 31 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the output unit 32 is a circuit including a second communication unit 321 and a converter unit 322 .

The second communication unit 321 is a circuit for communicating with the device 50 according to a communication protocol different from the power line communication according to the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31 . The second communication unit 321 establishes communication conforming to a communication protocol different from the power line communication. Examples of signals conforming to a communication protocol different from power line communication include signals conforming to the Signaling Ethernet® standard and serial signals. In this embodiment, the second communication unit 321 has the ability to transmit signals conforming to the signal Ethernet® standard (ie, has the ability to transmit) and the ability to receive such signals (ie, has the ability to receive). As shown in FIG. 1 , the second communication unit 321 is connected to the device connecting portion 22 . Therefore, the second communication unit 321 outputs signals conforming to a communication protocol different from the power line communication through the device connection part 22 and receives the signals through the device connection part 22 . In this way, the second communication unit 321 communicates with the device 50 through the connector cable 80 connected to the device connection part 22 .

The converter unit 322 is a circuit for generating second power meeting a power standard different from the first power based on the first power obtained through the pipe connection member 21 and supplying the second power to the device 50 . As mentioned above, the first power is AC power (such as 60/50Hz, 100/200V commercial AC power), and the second power is the power conforming to the PoE standard and may be 48V DC power. Accordingly, the converter unit 322 may be implemented as a power converter circuit including an AC/DC converter. As shown in FIG. 1 , the converter unit 322 is connected to the device connection part 22 . Therefore, the converter unit 322 will conform to a different power than the first The second power of the power standard is output to the device connection part 22 . That is, the converter unit 322 supplies the second power to the device 50 via the connector cable 80 connected to the device connection part 22 .

In this embodiment, the output unit 32 complies with the Power over Ethernet standard and serves as a so-called "power sourcing equipment". In addition, the power supply method may be a method of superimposing current on the two pairs used for communication of the connector cable 80 (that is, a so-called "Alternative A (Alternative A)" method), or a method of using two pairs that are not used. The method of supplying power (that is, the so-called "Alternative B2 (Alternative B2)" method) depends on which is appropriate. That is, the output unit 32 utilizes the device connection part 22 to communicate with the device 50 and supply power to the device 50 . This facilitates connecting the connection device 10 to the device 50 for communication and power supply purposes.

The processing unit 33 is a control circuit for controlling the operation of the connecting device 10 . The processing unit 33 can be implemented, for example, as a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. That is, the one or more processors execute the functions of the processing unit 33 by executing one or more programs stored in the one or more memories. In this embodiment, the processing unit 33 is configured such that the second communication unit 321 converts the first communication signal received from the distribution duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 into a signal conforming to a communication protocol different from the power line communication, and outputs the converted signal after the signal. In addition, the processing unit 33 is also configured so that the first communication unit 31 converts the signal received by the second communication unit 321 from the device 50 through the connector cable 80 into a communication signal conforming to the power line communication (that is, the second communication signal), And output the second communication signal. That is, the processing unit 33 may only have the capability of relaying signals between the first communication unit 31 and the second communication unit 321 . In addition, the processing unit 33 may further have the ability to control the device 50 according to the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31 . Optionally, the processing unit 33 may further have the ability to enable the second communication unit 321 to collect information from the device 50 and enable the first communication unit 31 to transmit the information to the management and control device 60 through the wiring duct 40 .

The power supply unit 34 is a circuit for supplying operating power to the processing unit 33 . In this embodiment, the power supply unit 34 is based on the output of the converter unit 322 of the output unit 32 (also That is, the second power) to generate the power required to drive the processing unit 33 . The power supply unit 34 may be implemented as a power supply circuit including one or more DC/DC converters. These power supply circuits may have known configurations, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The notification unit 35 may include one or more display devices. Examples of display devices include lamps, such as light emitting diodes. Optionally, the notification unit 35 may include an electroacoustic transducer such as a speaker or a buzzer in addition to or instead of a display device. That is, the notification through the notification unit 35 is not necessarily a visual notification, but can also be an audible notification. For example, the processing unit 33 can cause the notification unit 35 to provide a notification about the status of the connection device 10 (eg, whether the connection device 10 is functioning well or malfunctioning due to some error). Alternatively, the processing unit 33 can enable the notification unit 35 to provide a notification according to the first communication signal received by the first communication unit 31 .

The operating unit 36 is a circuit for changing settings of the connection device 10 or initializing the connection device 10 . The operating unit 36 may include one or more switches. Examples of switches include dip switches, slide switches, push button switches, and various other known switches. An example of a setting change of the connection device 10 includes switching from a master to a slave, and vice versa. In this embodiment, the operating unit 36 is exposed on the outer surface 240d of the main body 24, as shown in FIG. 2 .

(1.3) Attachment method

The connection device 10 can be attached to the wiring duct 40 in the following manner. Firstly, the rod portion 212 is rotated as required to place the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b at the first position. In this state, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this state, if the connecting device 10 is improperly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 comes into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21a, 21 b is inserted into the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . This prevents the connection device 10 from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 . That is, this reduces the chance of the connection device 10 being attached to the raceway 40 in the wrong way. On the other hand, if the connection device 10 is correctly positioned relative to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 It will not be in contact with the top end of the protrusion 44 , so it will not hinder the insertion of the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 . This enables the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be inserted into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 .

After the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 can be rotated to move the first and second connectors 21a, 21b from the first position to second position. This makes in each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b, the pair of protrusions 213, 213 can be physically supported by the two edges of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40, as shown in Figure 9. represented by a chain of dots. Moreover, in the first connection part 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. This enables the duct connection member 21 to not only be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 but also be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 .

The connecting device 10 includes first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b protruding from both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . When the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b face the first and second side surfaces 4211 , 4221 respectively along the width of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b can be used as a portion that reduces the swing of the body 24 along the width of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, the connection device 10 contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connection device 10 includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b), which are respectively provided on the pipe-facing surface 2411 arranged to face the wiring duct 40. In the first area 2411a and the second area 2411b. When the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first contact portion (first protrusion 244 a ) contacts the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) is in contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, at least one of the first and second contact portions can be used to reduce the distance of the body 24 along the wiring duct 40. Wiggle part of the width. Therefore, the connection device 10 contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connection device 10 further includes coupling members 26 , each of which has a coupling hole 26 a for coupling the connection device 10 to the cable-shaped member 93 . This facilitates coupling of the connection device 10 to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10 is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10 is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cord-shaped member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10 falling off the raceway 40 . In particular, the coupling member 26 is provided separately from the body 24 and secures the coupling member 26 to the body 24 . Accordingly, the coupling member 26 may be made of a stronger material than the body 24 . This reduces the possibility of the coupling member 26 being damaged to such an extent that the connecting device 10 falls off from the wiring duct 40 when the connecting device 10 is suspended on the wiring duct 40 through the cord member 93 . Therefore, providing the coupling member 26 not only facilitates the coupling of the connection device 10 to the distribution duct 40 via the cable-shaped member 93 , but also reduces the probability of the connection device 10 falling off from the distribution duct 40 .

(1.4) Suspension

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the hanger 90 may be used to couple the connecting device 10 to the raceway 40 via a cable member 93 . A hanger 90 may be used with the attachment device 10 to prevent the attachment device 10 from falling off. That is, the hanging member 90 reduces the probability that the connection device 10 falls off from the distribution duct 40 .

In order to reduce the chance of the connection device 10 falling off from the distribution duct 40 even when the connection device 10 accidentally falls off from the distribution duct 40 , the connection device 10 may be coupled to the distribution duct 40 in advance by the cord-like member 93 . In general, however, the raceway 40 typically does not have a portion specifically designed to attach the cord member 93 thereto. Therefore, attaching the cord member 93 to the raceway 40 is generally cumbersome. In contrast, hanger 90 facilitates attachment of cord member 93 to raceway 40 . Thus, the hanger 90 enables the connection device 10 to be easily coupled to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 .

The hanger 90 includes a body 91 , a connecting piece 92 , a cable member 93 , and a coupling member 94 . The body 91 is coupled to one of the coupling members 26 of the connection device 10 by means of a cable member 93 . The body 91 has a circular box shape. The body 91 has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) along its thickness. However, the body 91 does not necessarily have the shape of such a circular box, but may also have the shape of a polygonal box. Connector 92 may be used to attach hanger 90 to raceway 40 . The connecting piece 92 is disposed on the first surface along the thickness of the main body 91 . The connector 92 includes a protruding portion 921 and a pair of convex portions 922 , 922 . The protrusion 921 protrudes from the first surface along the thickness of the body 91 . The protrusion 921 has a cylindrical shape. The protrusion 921 itself has a size small enough to pass through the opening 43 of the housing 42 . The pair of protrusions 922 , 922 protrude from the protrusion 921 to both sides. The width of the pair of protrusions 922 , 922 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the protrusion 921 . The cord member 93 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the cord member 93 is fixed to the second surface along the thickness of the body 91 . The second end of the cord member 93 is fixed to the coupling member 94 . Examples of cord members 93 include ropes and wires. Any cord-like member 93 can be used without limitation, but suitably has a strength high enough to bear at least the weight of the connection device 10 . The coupling member 94 is used to easily attach the cord member 93 to the coupling member 26 . The coupling member 94 is coupled to the coupling member 26 by passing a portion thereof through the coupling hole 26 a of the coupling member 26 . In this embodiment, the coupling member 94 is a so-called "snap hook". However, this is only an example of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting.

The hanger 90 can be attached to the raceway 40 in the following manner. Firstly, adjust the orientation of the suspension member 90 relative to the distribution duct 40 so that the pair of convex portions 922 , 922 of the connecting member 92 are aligned with the length of the opening 43 of the distribution duct 40 . In this state, the connector 92 is inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . After the connector 92 is inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the conduit 40 , the suspension 90 is rotated to align the pair of convex portions 922 , 922 of the connector 92 with the width of the opening 43 of the conduit 40 . This enables the convex portions 922 , 922 to be physically supported by both edge portions (ie, first and second portions 424 , 425 ) of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . In this way, the hanger 90 is physically attached to the raceway 40 .

Next, the coupling member 94 of the hanger 90 is secured to the coupling member 26 of the connection device 10 . This enables the body 91 of the hanger 90 to be coupled to the connection device 10 by means of the cord member 93 . In this way, the connection device 10 is coupled to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Thus, the hanger 90 facilitates the attachment of the cord member 93 to the raceway 40 . That is, this enables the connection device 10 to be easily coupled to the wiring duct 40 via the cord member 93 .

(2) Modification

It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative examples of various embodiments of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting. Rather, the above-described exemplary embodiments may be easily modified in various ways depending on design choices or any other factors without departing from the scope of the present invention. Variations of the above-described exemplary embodiments will be enumerated one after another.

(2.1) First modified example

10-14 show a connection device 10A according to a first modification. The connection device 10A includes a housing 20A, which is distinct from the housing 20 of the connection device 10 . The housing 20A includes a main body 24A and a holder 25 . While the body 24A of the housing 20A is different from the body 24 of the housing 20 , the holder 25 of the housing 20A is the same as the holder 25 of the housing 20 . In the following description, any constituent element of the connection device 10A according to the first modification that has the same function as the counterpart of the connection device 10 according to the above-mentioned embodiment will be denoted by the same reference symbols as the counterpart, and will be omitted here. It is described in detail to avoid redundancy.

The body 24A (and the body 24 ) accommodates the circuit block 30 therein. The body 24A has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIG. 10 ) 240 a and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIG. 10 ) 240 b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24A is the surface of the body 24A configured to face the raceway 40 (ie, the raceway attachment surface). The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24A is the surface of the body 24A designed to face away from the raceway 40 . The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24A is an attachment surface (a holder attachment surface) to which the holder 25 is physically attached. The body 24A further has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c-240f.

The body 24A further includes a mounting portion 241, a first and a second wall portion 246a, 246b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, a plurality of limiting portions 245, and a first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24A. The coupling member 26 is shown in FIG. 11 . In the first modification, the mounting portion 241, the plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and the plurality of restricting portions 245 are the same as their counterparts in the above-mentioned embodiment.

The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are provided to improve the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 . The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from the first surface 240a of the body 24A including the duct-facing surface 2411 . More specifically, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from the central area of the pipe-facing surface 2411 . As shown in Figure 14, when the body 24A is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b face the first and second walls respectively along the width of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40. And the second inner surface 431,432.

More specifically, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude from one surface of the main body 24A configured to face the wiring duct 40 (ie, the first surface 240a), and are located at the center of the duct-facing surface 2411 area. In particular, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protrude in a direction perpendicular to the duct facing surface 2411 . In addition, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are located in the central area along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411 . Also, the first and second wall portions 246 a , 246 b face each other along the width of the pipe facing surface 2411 . In particular, the first and second wall portions 246 a , 246 b extend linearly along the length of the duct-facing surface 2411 and are as long as the duct-facing surface 2411 .

In the first modification, the heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are defined such that when the connection device 10A is attached to the wiring duct 40, the top ends of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are positioned along the Between the middle of the thickness of the wiring duct 40 and the duct-facing surface 2411 . Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b can also be defined such that when the connection device 10A is attached to the distribution duct 40, the top ends of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are along the top of the distribution duct 40. thickness between the first and second conductors 41a, 41b and the pipe-facing surface 2411 . Also, in this variation, the configuration can be The remaining gaps between the conduit 40 and the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are set such that when the connecting device 10A is attached to the conduit 40, when the body 24A swings along the width of the conduit 40, the first And at least one of the second wall portions 246a, 246b is in contact with the wiring duct 40 . In particular, in this modified example, the gap remaining between the first wall portion 246a and the first inner surface 431 of the wiring duct 40 and the gap remaining between the second wall portion 246b and the second inner surface 432 of the wiring duct 40 The gap is suitably equal to or less than 0.5 mm, and may be 0.2 mm, for example. Naturally, when the body 24A is held by the distribution duct 40 via the duct connection member 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b can contact the first and second inner surfaces 431, 432 of the distribution duct 40, respectively. .

As shown in FIG. 12 , there is at least one attachment hole 2401 along the thickness of the first surface 240 a of the body 24A, and the pipe connection member 21 is attached to the at least one attachment hole 2401 . In this modified example, the first surface 240 a has two attachment holes 2401 . Furthermore, around each of the attachment holes 2401 of the first surface 240a, a plurality of (for example, two in this modified example) screw holes 2402 are provided. Furthermore, the first surface 240 a has recesses 2403 , each of which is disposed in a region covering the associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated two screw holes 2402 . Each recess 2403 has a rectangular shape. The associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated two screw holes 2402 are disposed at the bottom of the concave portion 2403 . In addition, a first support portion 2404 and a second support portion 2405 are further provided around each attachment hole 2401 of the first surface 240a. The first and second support portions 2404 , 2405 support the associated stem portion 212 such that the stem portion 212 remains out of contact with the associated coupling member 26 . A first support portion 2404 is provided on the first surface 240 a between the associated attachment hole 2401 and the mounting portion 241 . The first supporting portion 2404 is a convex portion having an arc shape in a plan view. The first support portion 2404 is disposed along a portion of the attachment hole 2401 facing the installation portion 241 . The first support portion 2404 forms an integral part of the first surface 240a of the body 24A. The first supporting portion 2404 is used as a fitting convex portion of the body 24A. On the first surface 240 a , a second support portion 2405 is provided opposite to the mounting portion 241 with respect to the associated attachment hole 2401 . The second support portion 2405 has a linear convex shape in plan view. The second supporting portion 2405 is disposed between the two restricting portions 245 associated with the associated attachment hole 2401 . The first supporting part 2404 and the second The height of the supporting portion 2405 is lower than that of the restricting portion 245 . In this modified example, corresponding top ends of the first supporting portion 2404 and the second supporting portion 2405 are located on the same plane.

The coupling member 26 is used to couple the connecting device 10A to the raceway 40 by means of the cable member 93 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The coupling member 26 according to this modified example may be the same as the counterpart of the above-described embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the first supporting portion 2404 is fitted into the fitting cutout 260 a of the flat plate portion 260 , and the fitting cutout 260 a is used to allow the first supporting portion 2404 to pass therethrough. In addition, the flat plate portion 260 has a plurality of (for example, two in this modified example) holes 260b. The two holes 260b are used to fix the coupling member 26 to the body 24A by screws. Each coupling member 26 is disposed in an associated recess 2403 of the body 24A, and an associated first support portion 2404 disposed on the body 24A is fitted into the fitting cutout 260a of the coupling member 26 . Next, screws are screwed into the screw holes 2402 of the body 24A through the holes 260b of the flat plate portion 260 so that the coupling member 26 can be fixed to the body 24A. In this modified example, the coupling member 26 is made of metal material. For example, the coupling member 26 can be formed by punching and folding a metal plate. The coupling member 26 is provided separately from the body 24A, and the coupling member 26 is fixed to the body 24A.

In this modified example, the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21b of the pipe connecting member 21 are also attached to the main body 24A through the attachment hole 2401 of the main body 24A. That is, each of the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b is inserted into the associated attachment hole 2401 so that the protrusion 211 can rotate around its central axis. In this modified example, around each attachment hole 2401 of the main body 24A, a related coupling member 26 and related first and second supporting parts 2404, 2405 are provided. As shown in FIG. 13 , the flat plate portion 260 and the first and second support portions 2404 , 2405 of the coupling member 26 are disposed between the first surface 240 a and the associated rod portion 212 . The first and second support parts 2404, 2405 support the rod part 212 so that the rod part 212 is kept out of contact with (the flat plate part 260 of) the coupling member 26 .

The connection device 10A can be attached to the wiring duct 40 in the following manner. First, rotate the rod part 212 according to the need to place the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b in the first position, as shown in FIG. 14 Indicated by a chain of double dots. In this state, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this state, if the connecting device 10A is improperly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 comes into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21a, 21 b is inserted into the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . This prevents the connection device 10A from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 . That is, this reduces the chance of the connection device 10A being attached to the raceway 40 the wrong way. At the same time, if the connecting device 10A is correctly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 will not be in contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby not obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a. , 21b are inserted into the casing 42 of the wiring duct 40 . This enables the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be inserted into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 .

After the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 can be rotated to move the first and second connectors 21a, 21b from the first position to second position. This enables the pair of protrusions 213, 213 to be physically supported by the two edges of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the conduit 40 in each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b, as shown in Figure 14. indicated by the line. Moreover, in the first connection part 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. This enables the duct connection member 21 to not only be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 but also be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 .

The connection device 10A includes first and second wall portions 246 a , 246 b protruding from a central area of the duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . When the body 24A is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b face the first and second inner side surfaces 431 respectively along the width of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 , 432. Therefore, even when the main body 24A swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swinging of the main body 24A. Therefore, the connection device 10A contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connecting device 10A includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b), which are respectively provided on the duct-facing surface 2411 arranged to face the wiring duct 40. In the first area 2411a and the second area 2411b. When the main body 24A is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first contact portion (first protrusion 244 a ) contacts the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) is in contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, even when the body 24A swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swing of the body 24A. Therefore, the connection device 10A contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Moreover, the connection device 10A further includes coupling members 26 , each of which has a coupling hole 26 a for coupling the connection device 10A to the cable-shaped member 93 . This facilitates coupling of the connection device 10A to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10A is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10A is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cord-like member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10A falling off the raceway 40 . In particular, the coupling member 26 is provided separately from the body 24A, and the coupling member 26 is fixed to the body 24A. Accordingly, the coupling member 26 may be made of a stronger material than the body 24A. This reduces the possibility of the coupling member 26 being damaged to such an extent that the connecting device 10A falls off from the wiring duct 40 when the connecting device 10A is suspended on the wiring duct 40 through the cable-shaped member 93 .

(2.2) The second modified example

15-18 show a connection device 10B according to a second modification. The connection device 10B includes a housing 20B, which is different from the housing 20 of the connection device 10 . The housing 20B includes a body 24B and a holder 25 . Although the body 24B of the housing 20B is different from the body 24 of the housing 20 , the holder 25 of the housing 20B is the same as the holder 25 of the housing 20 . In the following description, any constituent element of the connecting device 10B according to the second modification that has the same function as the counterpart of the above-mentioned connecting device 10 or 10A will be denoted by the same reference symbols as the counterpart, and details thereof will be omitted here. narrative to avoid redundancy.

The body 24B (and the body 24 ) accommodates the circuit block 30 therein. The body 24B has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIG. 15 ) 240 a and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIG. 15 ) 240 b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24B is the surface of the body 24B configured to face the raceway 40 (ie, the raceway attachment surface). The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24B is the surface of the body 24B designed to face away from the wiring duct 40 . The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24B is an attachment surface (a holder attachment surface) to which the holder 25 is physically attached. The body 24B further has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c-240f.

The body 24B further includes a mounting portion 241 and first and second wall portions 242a, 242b on the first surface 240a, as shown in FIG. 16 . The main body 24B further includes a plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b, a plurality of first and second convex portions 244a, 244b, and a plurality of restricting portions 247a, 247b on the first surface 240a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17 , the first surface 240 a of the body 24B has an attachment hole 2401 , a supporting portion 2406 , and a latching protrusion 2407 .

The attachment hole 2401 is a hole to which the pipe connecting member 21 is attached. In this modified example, the first surface 240 a has two attachment holes 2401 .

The support portions 2406 are respectively disposed around their associated attachment holes 2401 on the first surface 240a. The support portions 2406 each support the associated rod portion 212 thereon. The support portion 2406 is an annular convex portion. The support portions 2406 each protrude from the first surface 240 a to surround the associated attachment hole 2401 . The support portion 2406 forms an integral part of the first surface 240a of the body 24B.

The latch protrusion 2407 is provided for its associated support 2406 . The latch protrusion 2407 is disposed on the supporting portion 2406 to fit into the hook hole 2121 of its associated rod portion 212 of the pipe connecting member 21 when the rod portion 212 is at a predetermined position. As used herein, the predetermined position refers to the position of the rod portion 212 when the protrusion 211 is in a position where the protrusion 211 cannot pass through the opening 43 (ie, in the second position).

The first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may be almost the same as their counterparts in the above-described embodiments. In this modified example, neither the first nor the second wall portion 242a, 242b has the tapered surface 2423a, 2423b.

A plurality of (for example, five in this example) first protrusions 244a together form a first contact portion. The five first protrusions 244 a are provided in a region including the first surface 240 a of the duct-facing surface 2411 designed to face the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . The middle three of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are located inside the pipe-facing surface 2411, but the other two first protrusions 244a at both ends are mostly located outside the pipe-facing surface 2411, and partly located on the pipe surface. within the surface 2411. Moreover, the top ends of the plurality of first protrusions 244a are located at the same height (that is, located on the same plane). A plurality of (for example, five in this example) second protrusions 244b together form a second contact portion. The five second protrusions 244b are provided in a region including the first surface 240a of the duct-facing surface 2411 designed to face the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . The middle three of the plurality of second protrusions 244b are located inside the pipe-facing surface 2411, but the other two second protrusions 244b at both ends are mostly located outside the pipe-facing surface 2411, and partly located on the pipe surface. within the surface 2411. Moreover, the top ends of the plurality of second protrusions 244b are located at the same height (that is, located on the same plane). Furthermore, the respective top ends of the plurality of first convex portions 244a and the plurality of second convex portions 244b are located at the same height.

The restricting portions 247a, 247b are provided to restrict the pivoting range of the lever portion 212 . More specifically, each of the restricting portions 247a, 247b is a protrusion protruding from the first surface 240a of the body 24B. Each of the restriction parts 247a, 247b is a rectangular convex part.

Each of the restriction parts 247a, 247b is in contact with the associated lever part 212, thereby limiting the pivoting range of the lever part 212. In this modified example, the restricting portions 247a, 247b restrict the pivoting range of the rod portion 212 to a range between the first restricting position and the second restricting position. The first limiting position is the position when the relevant connecting part (which is the first connecting part 21 a or the second connecting part 21 b ) is in the first position. The second limiting position is the position when the relevant connecting part (which is the first connecting part 21 a or the second connecting part 21 b ) is in the second position. change here In one embodiment, two pairs of restricting portions 247a, 247b are provided for the main body 24B. One of the two pairs of restraints 247a, 247b is associated with the stem portion 212 of the first connector 21a, while the other pair of restraints 247a, 247b is associated with the stem 212 of the second connector 21b. As shown in FIG. 16, the two limiting portions 247a, 247b provided for the first connecting member 21a are located at one end of the first surface 240a adjacent to the outer surface 240c, and are located in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. Both sides of the first connecting piece 21a. At the same time, the two limiting portions 247a, 247b provided for the second connecting member 21b are located at one end of the first surface 240a adjacent to the outer surface 240e, and are located on the second connecting member in the direction in which the outer surfaces 240d, 240f face each other. 21b on both sides. In this modification, the two pairs of restricting portions 247a, 247b form an integral part of the first surface 240a of the body 24B.

In this modified example, each of the restriction parts 247 b has a coupling hole 2470 . The coupling hole 2470 passes through the restricting portion 247b along its width. Therefore, the restricting portion 247b is U-shaped in side view. The coupling hole 2470 is used to couple the connection device 10B to the cord member 93 . That is, the restricting portion 247 b facilitates the coupling of the connection device 10B to the wiring duct 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10B is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10B is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cable-like member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10B falling off the raceway 40 . That is, according to this modified example, the restricting portion 247b functions as the coupling member 26 according to the above-described embodiment and the first modified example. Therefore, the restricting portion 247 b also functions as the coupling member 26 .

The connection device 10B can be attached to the wiring duct 40 in the following manner. Firstly, the rod portion 212 is rotated as required to place the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b at the first position, as shown by the double-dot chain in FIG. 18 . In this state, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this state, if the connecting device 10B is improperly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 comes into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21a, 21 b is inserted into the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . This prevents the connection device 10B from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 . That is, this reduces the possibility of attaching the connecting device 10B in a wrong way. Focus on the chances of the raceway 40. At the same time, if the connecting device 10B is correctly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 will not come into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby not obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a. , 21b are inserted into the casing 42 of the wiring duct 40 . This enables the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be inserted into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 .

After the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 can be rotated to move the first and second connectors 21a, 21b from the first position to second position. This enables the pair of protrusions 213, 213 to be physically supported by the two edges of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the conduit 40 in each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b, as shown in Figure 18. indicated by the line. Moreover, in the first connection part 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. This enables the duct connection member 21 to not only be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 but also be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 .

The connection device 10B includes first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b protruding from both sides of a duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . When the main body 24B is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b face the first and second side surfaces 4211 , 4221 respectively along the width of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, even when the body 24B swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swing of the body 24B. Therefore, the connection device 10B contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connecting device 10B includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b). When the main body 24B is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21 , the first contact portion (first protrusion 244 a ) contacts the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) is in contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, even when the body 24B swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions is in contact with the wiring duct 40. The wiring ducts 40 are in contact, thereby reducing wobble of the body 24B. Therefore, the connection device 10B contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Moreover, the connecting device 10B further includes restricting portions 247 b, each of which has a coupling hole 2470 for coupling the connecting device 10B to the cable-shaped member 93 . This facilitates coupling of the connection device 10B to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10B is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10B is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cable-like member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10B falling off the raceway 40 .

(2.3) The third modified example

19-22 show a connection device 10C according to a third modified example. The connection device 10C includes a housing 20C, which is different from the housing 20 of the connection device 10 . The housing 20C includes a body 24C and a holder 25 . While the body 24C of the housing 20C is different from the body 24 of the housing 20 , the holder 25 of the housing 20C is the same as the holder 25 of the housing 20 . In the following description, any constituent element of the connection device 10C according to the third modification that has the same function as the counterpart of the above connection device 10, 10A, or 10B will be denoted by the same reference symbols as the counterpart, and will be referred to herein as A detailed description thereof is omitted to avoid redundancy.

The body 24C (and the body 24 ) accommodates the circuit block 30 therein. The body 24C has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIG. 19 ) 240 a and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIG. 19 ) 240 b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24C is the surface of the body 24C configured to face the raceway 40 (ie, the raceway attachment surface). The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24C is the surface of the body 24C designed to face away from the raceway 40 . The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24C is an attachment surface to which the holder 25 is physically attached (holder attachment surface). The body 24C further has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c-240f.

The body 24C further includes a mounting portion 241, a first and a second wall portion 246a, 246b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a plurality of restricting portions 247a, 247b on the first surface 240a, as Figure 20 shows. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 21 , the first surface 240 a of the body 24C has an attachment hole 2401 , a support portion 2406 , and a latch protrusion 2407 .

The connection device 10C can be attached to the wiring duct 40 in the following manner. Firstly, the rod portion 212 is rotated as required to place the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b at the first position, as shown by the double-dot chain in FIG. 22 . In this state, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this state, if the connecting device 10C is improperly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 comes into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21a, 21 b is inserted into the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . This prevents the connection device 10C from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 . That is, this reduces the chance of the connection device 10C being attached to the raceway 40 in the wrong way. At the same time, if the connecting device 10C is correctly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 will not come into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thus not obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a. , 21b are inserted into the casing 42 of the wiring duct 40 . This enables the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be inserted into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 .

After the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 can be rotated to move the first and second connectors 21a, 21b from the first position to second position. This enables the pair of protrusions 213, 213 to be physically supported by the two edges of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 in each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b, as shown in Figure 22. indicated by the line. Moreover, in the first connection part 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. This enables the duct connection member 21 to not only be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 but also be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 .

The connection device 10C includes first and second wall portions 246a, 246b protruding from a central area of the duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . When the main body 24C is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b follow the wiring duct 40 The width of the opening 43 faces the first and second inner side surfaces 431, 432 respectively. Therefore, even when the body 24C swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swinging of the body 24C. Therefore, the connection device 10C contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connecting device 10C includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b). When the main body 24C is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21 , the first contact portion (first protrusion 244 a ) contacts the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) is in contact with the second portion 425 of the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, even when the body 24C swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swing of the body 24C. Therefore, the connection device 10C contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connecting device 10C further includes restricting portions 247 b, each of which has a coupling hole 2470 for coupling the connecting device 10C to the cable-shaped member 93 . This facilitates coupling of the connection device 10C to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connection member 21 of the connection device 10C is detached from the distribution pipe 40 , the connection device 10C is still suspended on the distribution pipe 40 through the cable-shaped member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10C falling off the raceway 40 .

(2.4) Fourth modified example

23-27 show a connection device 10D according to a fourth modification. The connection device 10D includes a housing 20D that is distinct from the housing 20 of the connection device 10 . The housing 20D includes a body 24D and a holder 25 . While the body 24D of the housing 20D is different from the body 24 of the housing 20 , the holder 25 of the housing 20D is the same as the holder 25 of the housing 20 . In the following description, any constituent element of the connection device 10D according to the fourth modification that has the same function as the counterpart of the above-mentioned connection device 10 will be denoted by the same reference symbols as the counterpart, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here to save Avoid redundancy.

The body 24D (and the body 24 ) accommodates the circuit block 30 therein. The body 24D has a first surface (ie, the upper surface in FIG. 23 ) 240 a and a second surface (ie, the lower surface in FIG. 23 ) 240 b in the thickness direction. The first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24D is the surface of the body 24D configured to face the raceway 40 (ie, the raceway attachment surface). The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24D is the surface of the body 24D designed to face away from the wiring duct 40 . The second surface 240b along the thickness of the body 24D is an attachment surface (a holder attachment surface) to which the holder 25 is physically attached. The body 24D further has an outer peripheral surface composed of four outer surfaces 240c-240f.

The body 24D further includes a mounting portion 241, a first and a second wall member 248a, 248b, a plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b, and a pair of coupling members 26D on the first surface 240a along the thickness of the body 24D , as shown in Figure 24. In the fourth modification, the mounting portion 241 and the plurality of first and second protrusions 244a, 244b are the same as their counterparts in the above-mentioned embodiment.

The first wall member 248a includes a first wall portion 2480a, a pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a, and a pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a. The first wall portion 2480a, the pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a, and the pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a are integrally formed with each other. Furthermore, the first wall member 248a also forms an integral part of the body 24D. Likewise, the second wall member 248b includes a second wall portion 2480b, a pair of extending portions 2484b, 2484b, and a pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b. The second wall portion 2480b, the pair of extension portions 2484b, 2484b, and the pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b are integrally formed with each other. In addition, the second wall member 248b also forms an integral part of the body 24D.

The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are provided to increase the stability of the mechanical connection with the wiring duct 40 . The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from the first surface 240a of the body 24D including the duct-facing surface 2411 . More specifically, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from both sides of the pipe-facing surface 2411 . As shown in Figure 27, when the body 24D is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b face the first and second walls respectively along the width of the wiring duct 40. Side surfaces 4211, 4221.

More specifically, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude from one surface of the body 24D configured to face the wiring duct 40 (ie, the first surface 240a), and are located on both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411. side. In particular, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b protrude in a direction perpendicular to the duct-facing surface 2411 . In addition, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are located on both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411 along the width thereof. Furthermore, the first and second wall portions 2480 a , 2480 b face each other along the width of the pipe facing surface 2411 . The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b extend linearly along the length of the duct-facing surface 2411 and are as long as the duct-facing surface 2411 .

The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b have surfaces 2481a, 2481b (ie, outer surfaces 2481a, 2481b) opposite the duct-facing surface 2411 . Outer surfaces 2481a, 2481b extend from first surface 240a of body 24D. The first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b also have surfaces 2482a, 2482b facing the duct-facing surface 2411 (ie, inner side surfaces 2482a, 2482b). Inner side surfaces 2482a, 2482b extend from duct facing surface 2411 . Moreover, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b further have tapered surfaces 2483a, 2483b connected to the inner surfaces 2482a, 2482b at their top ends, respectively. In this case, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the tapered surface 2483a is inclined away from the inner side surface 2482a, so that the gap between the tapered surface 2483a and the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 increases accordingly. big. Likewise, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the tapered surface 2483b slopes away from the inner side surface 2482b such that the gap between the tapered surface 2483b and the second side surface 4221 of the raceway 40 increases correspondingly. That is, the tapered surfaces 2483a, 2483b facilitate insertion of the raceway 40 into the space between the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b.

In the fourth modification, the heights of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are defined such that when the connection device 10D is attached to the wiring duct 40, the top ends of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are positioned along the Between the middle of the thickness of the wiring duct 40 and the duct-facing surface 2411 . Alternatively, the heights of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b can also be defined such that when the connecting device 10D is attached to the distribution duct 40, the top ends of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b are along the top of the distribution duct 40. Thickness It is located between the first and second conductors 41a, 41b and the pipe-facing surface 2411 . Also, in this modified example, the remaining gap between the wiring duct 40 and the first and second wall parts 2480a, 2480b can be set so that when the connecting device 10D is attached to the wiring duct 40, when the main body 24D When the width of the wiring duct 40 swings, at least one of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b is in contact with the wiring duct 40 . In particular, in this modified example, the gap remaining between the first wall portion 2480a and the first inner surface 431 of the wiring duct 40 and the gap remaining between the second wall portion 2480b and the second inner surface 432 of the wiring duct 40 The gap is suitably equal to or less than 0.5 mm, and may be 0.2 mm, for example. Naturally, when the body 24D is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b can be in contact with the first and second inner surfaces 431, 432 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. .

The pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a extend from two longitudinal ends of the first wall portion 2480a along the length of the first wall portion 2480a, as shown in FIG. 24 . The pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a face the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21b respectively along the width of the pipe facing surface 2411 . The pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a each have the shape of a rectangular plate. The pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a are as tall as the first wall portion 2480a, but less wide than the first wall portion 2480a. In addition, the surface of the pair of extension parts 2484a, 2484a opposite to the first and second connecting parts 21a, 21b is flush with the outer surface 2481a of the first wall part 2480a. Furthermore, the extension portion 2484a facing the second connection piece 21b has a coupling hole 2486a passing through the extension portion 2484a along its width. The coupling hole 2486 a is provided to couple the connection device 10D to the cord member 93 . The extension 2484 a having the coupling hole 2486 a serves as a coupling member for coupling the connection device 10D to the cord member 93 .

The pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b extend from two longitudinal ends of the second wall portion 2480b along the length of the second wall portion 2480b, as shown in FIG. 24 . The pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b face the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21b respectively along the width of the pipe facing surface 2411 . Each of the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b has a shape of a rectangular plate. The pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b are as tall as the second wall portion 2480b, but less wide than the second wall portion 2480b. In addition, the pair of extensions 2484b, The surface of the position 2484b opposite to the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b is flush with the outer surface 2481b of the second wall portion 2480b. Furthermore, the extension portion 2484b facing the first connecting piece 21a has a coupling hole 2486b passing through the extension portion 2484b along its width. The coupling hole 2486b is provided to couple the connection device 10D to the cord member 93 . The extension 2484b having the coupling hole 2486b serves as a coupling member for coupling the connection device 10D to the cord member 93 .

As shown in FIG. 24 , the pair of limiting portions 2485a, 2485a respectively extend from the pair of extending portions 2484a, 2484a away from the first wall portion 2480a. Each of the pair of restricting portions 2485a, 2485a is a rectangular parallelepiped convex portion. The pair of restraints 2485a, 2485a is as wide as the pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a, but less tall than the pair of extensions 2484a, 2484a. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24 , the pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b respectively extend from the pair of extending portions 2484b, 2484b away from the second wall portion 2480b. Each of the pair of restricting portions 2485b, 2485b is a rectangular parallelepiped convex portion. The pair of restraints 2485b, 2485b is as wide as the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b, but less tall than the pair of extensions 2484b, 2484b.

The restricting portions 2485a, 2485b are configured to restrict the pivoting range of the rod portion 212 . The limiting parts 2485a, 2485b can prevent the rod part 212 from being over-rotated, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the pipe connecting member 21 . More specifically, the restricting parts 2485a, 2485b are in contact with the rod part 212 to restrict the pivoting range of the rod part 212 . In this embodiment, the restricting portions 2485a, 2485b restrict the pivoting range of the rod portion 212 to the point and the relative point when the relevant connecting member (ie, the first connecting member 21a or the second connecting member 21b) is in the first position. The range between the points when the connecting part (ie, the first connecting part 21 a or the second connecting part 21 b ) is located at the second position.

As shown in FIG. 25 , there is at least one attachment hole 2401 along the thickness of the first surface 240 a of the body 24D, and the pipe connection member 21 is attached to the at least one attachment hole 2401 . In this modified example, the first surface 240 a has two attachment holes 2401 . In addition, around each of the attachment holes 2401 of the first surface 240a, a plurality of (for example, two in this example) screw holes 2402 are provided. Furthermore, the first surface 240a has recesses 2403, each of which is arranged to cover the associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated two In the area of the screw hole 2402. Each recess 2403 has a rectangular shape. The associated attachment hole 2401 and the associated two screw holes 2402 are disposed at the bottom of each recess 2403 . Furthermore, on the first surface 240a, a support portion 2408 is disposed around each attachment hole 2401 . Each support portion 2408 supports its associated stem portion 212 to prevent the stem portion 212 from contacting the coupling member 26D. Each support portion 2408 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the associated attachment hole 2401 on the first surface 240a. The support portion 2408 forms an integral part of the first surface 240a of the body 24D. The height of the supporting portion 2408 is lower than that of the restricting portions 2485a, 2485a. In addition, there is at least one hook hole 2409 along the thickness of the first surface 240a of the body 24D. The first surface 240a has two hook holes 2409 . The two hook holes 2409 are respectively disposed beside the coupling hole 2486a of the first wall member 248a and the coupling hole 2486b of the second wall member 248b.

The coupling member 26D is used to couple the connection device 10D to the raceway 40 via the cable member 93 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The coupling member 26D is made of metal material. For example, the coupling member 26D can be formed by performing punching and folding processes on a metal plate. The coupling member 26D is provided separately from the body 24D, and the coupling member 26D is fixed to the body 24D. Each of the coupling members 26D has a coupling hole 26 a for coupling the connection device 10D to the cord member 93 . More specifically, each coupling member 26D has a flat plate portion 262 , a protruding portion 263 , and a latch portion 264 . The flat plate portion 262 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The flat plate portion 262 has dimensions small enough to fit in the associated recess 2403 of the body 24D. In this case, the depth of the concave portion 2403 is smaller than the thickness of the flat plate portion 262 . The flat plate portion 262 has an opening 262a. The opening 262a is used to expose its associated attachment hole 2401 and its associated support portion 2408 . The flat portion 262 further has a plurality (for example, two in this example) of holes 262b. The two holes 262b are used to fix the coupling member 26D to the body 24D by the screws S14. Each coupling member 26D further includes a latch protrusion 262c. The latch protrusion 260c is configured so that the flat plate portion 262 fits into the hook hole 2121 of the relevant rod portion 212 of the pipe connecting member 21 when the rod portion 212 is at a predetermined position. The protruding portion 263 is disposed away from one surface of the body 24D (ie, the first surface 240 a ) and protrudes from the flat plate portion 262 . The protruding portion 263 protrudes from one end along the length of the flat plate portion 262 . The protrusion 263 has the shape of a flat plate. In this example, the coupling hole 26a is provided through the protrusion 263 so that the protrusion 263 has a U-shaped appearance. Providing the coupling hole 26 a through the protrusion 263 facilitates coupling the connection device 10D to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . The latch portion 264 extends from one longitudinal end of the flat portion 262 along the length of the flat portion 262 . The latch portion 264 has a rectangular plate shape.

As shown in FIG. 26, each coupling member 26D is disposed in an associated recess 2403 of the body 24D such that the associated support member 2408 provided for the body 24D is exposed in the opening 262a of the coupling member 26D. At this time, the latch portion 264 is inserted into the main body 24D through the relevant hook hole 2409 of the main body 24D. Then, screw the screw S14 into the screw hole 2402 of the body 24D through the hole 262b of the flat plate portion 262, so that the coupling member 26D can be fixed to the body 24D. This enables the coupling member 26D to be fixed to the body 24D via the flat plate portion 262 , thereby increasing the fixing strength of the coupling member 26D relative to the body 24D. Furthermore, the latch portion 264 of the coupling member 26D is inserted into the body 24D through the associated hook hole 2409 . This also increases the securing strength of the coupling member 26D relative to the body 24D. In this case, in the coupling member 26D associated with the first connector 21a, the coupling hole 26a faces the coupling hole 2486b of the second wall member 248b, as shown in FIG. 26 . That is, the cord member 93 is coupled to the connection device 10D through the coupling holes 26a, 2486b. On the other hand, in the coupling member 26D associated with the second connector 21b, the coupling hole 26a communicates with the coupling hole 2486b of the first wall member 248a. That is, the cord member 93 is coupled to the connection device 10D through the coupling holes 26a, 2486b. This enables the cord member 93 to be directly coupled to both the coupling member 26D and the body 24D, thereby increasing the coupling strength of the cord member 93 to the connection device 10D.

In this modified example, the first and second connecting parts 21a, 21b of the pipe connecting member 21 are also attached to the main body 24D through the attachment hole 2401 of the main body 24D. That is, each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b is inserted into a relevant one of the attachment hole 2401 so that the protruding portion 211 thereof can rotate around its central axis. In this case, there are support portions 2408 around the respective attachment holes 2401 of the body 24D. As shown in FIG. 26, the flat plate portion 262 of each coupling member 26D is arranged on the first surface 240a and the associated rod portion. Between 212. The support portion 2408 supports the associated stem portion 212 so that the stem portion 212 remains out of contact with (the flat plate portion 262 of) the associated coupling member 26D.

The connection device 10D can be attached to the wiring duct 40 in the following manner. Firstly, the rod portion 212 is rotated as required to place the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b at the first position, as shown by the double-dot chain in FIG. 27 . In this state, the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40 . In this state, if the connecting device 10D is improperly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 comes into contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21a, 21 b is inserted into the housing 42 of the raceway 40 . This prevents the connection device 10D from being improperly connected to the raceway 40 . That is, this reduces the chance of the connection device 10D being attached to the raceway 40 in the wrong way. At the same time, if the connecting device 10D is correctly positioned with respect to the wiring duct 40, the duct-facing surface 2411 of the mounting portion 241 will not be in contact with the top end of the convex portion 44, thereby not obstructing the first and second connecting pieces 21a. , 21b are inserted into the casing 42 of the wiring duct 40 . This enables the first and second connectors 21 a , 21 b to be inserted into the housing 42 of the wiring duct 40 .

After the first and second connectors 21a, 21b are inserted into the housing 42 through the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, the lever 212 can be rotated to move the first and second connectors 21a, 21b from the first position to second position. This enables the pair of protrusions 213, 213 to be physically supported by the two edges of the opening 43 of the housing 42 of the conduit 40 in each of the first and second connectors 21a, 21b, as shown in Figure 27. indicated by the line. Moreover, in the first connection part 21a, the first, second, and third terminals 214a, 214b, 214c are electrically connected to the first, second, and third conductors 41a, 41b, 41c of the wiring duct 40, respectively. This enables the duct connection member 21 to not only be physically attached to the wiring duct 40 but also be electrically connected to the wiring duct 40 .

The connection device 10D includes first and second wall portions 2480 a , 2480 b protruding from a central region of the duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . When the body 24D is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b The width of the opening 43 of the channel 40 faces the first and second inner side surfaces 431, 432, respectively. Therefore, even when the body 24D swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swing of the body 24D. Therefore, the connection device 10D contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Furthermore, the connecting device 10D includes a first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) and a second contact portion (second convex portion 244b). Therefore, even when the body 24D swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, at least one of the first and second contact portions contacts the wiring duct 40, thereby reducing the swing of the body 24D. Therefore, the connection device 10D contributes to improving the stability of the mechanical connection with the raceway 40 .

Moreover, the connection device 10D further includes coupling members 26D, each of which has a coupling hole 26 a for coupling the connection device 10D to the cable-shaped member 93 . This facilitates coupling of the connection device 10D to the raceway 40 via the cord member 93 . Therefore, even if the pipe connecting member 21 of the connecting device 10D is detached from the wiring duct 40 , the connecting device 10D is still suspended on the wiring duct 40 through the cable-shaped member 93 . This reduces the chance of the connection device 10D falling off the raceway 40 . In particular, the coupling member 26D is provided separately from the body 24D, and the coupling member 26D is fixed to the body 24D. Accordingly, the coupling member 26D may be made of a stronger material than the body 24D. This reduces the chance of the coupling member 26D being damaged to such an extent that the connecting device 10D falls off the raceway 40 when the connecting device 10D is suspended from the raceway 40 through the cable member 93 .

The connection device 10D further includes the pair of extension parts 2484a, 2484a and the pair of extension parts 2484b, 2484b. The extensions 2484a, 2484b enable the first and second connecting pieces 21a, 21b to be protected. For example, the extensions 2484a, 2484b can reduce the chance of accidental rotation of the first and second connecting members 21a, 21b due to collision with an object that is unintentionally detached from the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the first and second connecting elements 21a, 21b are hidden behind the extending portions 2484a, 2484b, thus improving the appearance of the connecting device 10D.

(2.5) Other modifications

According to a modified example, the body 24 may further include at least one first rib 249a and at least one second rib 249b, as shown in FIG. 28 . In the example shown in FIG. 28, a plurality (for example, three in this example) of first ribs 249a and a plurality of (for example, three in this example) second ribs 249b are provided.

The first rib 249a protrudes from a surface of the first wall portion 242a facing the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 (hereinafter referred to as “inner surface 2422a ”). Each first rib 249a has a surface facing the first side surface 4211 of the wiring duct 40 (hereinafter referred to as "inside surface 2499a"). In addition, the three first ribs 249a are arranged at equal intervals along the length of the first wall 242a. It should be noted that each of the first ribs 249a is disposed beside the associated first reinforcing portion 243a along the width of the first wall portion 242a (ie, the right/left direction in FIG. 28 ). That is, each first reinforcing portion 243a also helps to strengthen its associated first rib portion 249a.

As shown in FIG. 29, each first rib portion 249a extends along the height of the first wall portion 242a. In this case, the angle defined by the inner side surface 2499a of each first rib 249a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is smaller than the angle defined by the inner side surface 2422a of the first wall portion 242a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 . That is, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the distance between each first rib 249a and the respective inner side surface 2499a, 2422a of the first wall portion 242a also increases. However, the angle defined by the first rib 249a with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is equal to or greater than 90 degrees.

The second rib 249b protrudes from a surface of the second wall portion 242b facing the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 (hereinafter referred to as “inner surface 2422b ”). Each second rib 249b has a surface facing the second side surface 4221 of the wiring duct 40 (hereinafter referred to as "inside surface 2499b"). In addition, the three second ribs 249b are arranged at equal intervals along the length of the second wall 242b. It should be noted that each of the second ribs 249b is disposed beside the associated second reinforcing portion 243b along the width of the second wall portion 242b (ie, the right/left direction in FIG. 28 ). That is, each second reinforcing portion 243b also helps to strengthen its associated second rib portion 249b.

As shown in FIG. 29, each second rib portion 249b extends along the height of the second wall portion 242b. In this case, the angle defined by the inner side surface 2499b of each second rib 249b with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is smaller than the angle defined by the inner side surface 2422b of the second wall portion 242b with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 . That is, as the distance from the pipe-facing surface 2411 increases, the distance between each second rib 249b and the respective inner side surfaces 2499b, 2422b of the second wall portion 242b also increases. However, the angle defined by the second rib 249b with respect to the duct-facing surface 2411 is equal to or greater than 90 degrees.

The connecting device 10 includes first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b protruding from both sides of the duct-facing surface 2411 configured to face the wiring duct 40 . Furthermore, in the example shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 , the connecting device 10 further includes first and second ribs 249 a, 249 b protruding from the first and second wall portions 242 a, 242 b toward the wiring duct 40 . Therefore, when the main body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the first and second ribs 249a, 249b are arranged along the width of the wiring duct 40, respectively. Facing the first and second side surfaces 4211, 4221. Therefore, even when the body 24 swings along the width of the wiring duct 40, the first wall portion 242a or the second wall portion 242b contacts the wiring duct 40 via the first rib 249a or the second rib 249b. This reduces wobble of the body 24 .

Moreover, as the distance from the pipe-facing surface 2411 increases, the distance between each first rib 249a and the respective inner side surfaces 2499a, 2422a of the first wall portion 242a also increases. Likewise, as the distance from the duct-facing surface 2411 increases, the distance between each second rib 249b and the respective inner side surface 2499b, 2422b of the second wall portion 242b also increases. This widens the space between the first and second wall portions 242 a , 242 b , thus facilitating the attachment of the connecting device 10 to the wiring duct 40 . In addition, the provision of the first and second ribs 249 a, 249 b enables the first and second wall portions 242 a, 242 b to indirectly contact the wiring duct 40 . This reduces wobble of the body 24 thereby improving the stability of the mechanical connection to the raceway 40 . That is, this improves the stability of the mechanical connection to the raceway 40 while facilitating the attachment of the connection device 10 to the raceway 40 .

These first and second ribs 249a, 249b are also applicable to the connection device 10B according to the second modification example and the connection device 10D according to the fourth modification example. The number of first ribs 249a provided does not have to be equal to or greater than two. Likewise, the number of the second ribs 249b is not necessarily equal to or greater than two. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the first rib 249a and the second rib 249b at the same time. Alternatively, only (plural) first ribs 249a or only (plural) second ribs 249b may be provided.

In another modified example, the coupling member 26 does not necessarily have the above-mentioned structure. Furthermore, the coupling member 26 does not necessarily have to be provided separately from the body 24 . Alternatively, the coupling member 26 may form an integral part of the body 24 . Also, although two coupling members 26 are provided according to the above-described exemplary embodiment, the number of coupling members 26 provided is not particularly limited but may be one. The coupling member 26 can even be omitted if not necessary. The same statement also applies to the coupling member 26D.

In yet another modification, with regard to the latch protrusion 260c, the predetermined position may be the position of the associated lever portion 212 (ie, the first position) when the associated protrusion 211 can pass through the opening 43 . Furthermore, the latch protrusion 260c does not necessarily have to be provided to the associated coupling member 26 . Alternatively, a latch protrusion 260c may be provided to the body 24 . The latch protrusion 260c can even be omitted if not necessary. The same statement also applies to the latch protrusion 262c.

In yet another modification, the support member 27 does not necessarily have to be provided separately from the body 24 . Alternatively, the support member 27 may form an integral part of the body 24 . The support member 27 can even be omitted if not necessary.

In yet another modified example, instead of the mounting portion 241, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b, the plurality of first and second reinforcing portions 243a, 243b, the plurality of first and second convex portions 244a, 244b, and the plurality of All the restricting parts 245 must be disposed on the first surface 240a. Optionally, these parts may be provided separately from the body 24 .

In yet another modified example, the mounting portion 241 does not necessarily have a rectangular shape in a plan view, but may also have a polygonal or circular shape. In addition, the pipe facing surface 2411 does not have to be The entire upper surface of the installation part 241 may be only a part of the upper surface. Optionally, the pipe-facing surface 2411 of the installation part 241 may not have the step 2412 .

In yet another modified example, when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b can be directly connected to the first wall along the width of the wiring duct 40, respectively. and the second side surfaces 4211, 4221 in contact. Optionally, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may only partially, not completely face each other along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411, or may not necessarily face each other along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411. to each other. In short, the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b only need to protrude from one surface of the body 24 configured to face the wiring duct 40 (that is, the first surface 240a), and be positioned at the side of the duct-facing surface 2411. sides. Optionally, each of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b may consist of a plurality of walls disposed along the length of the wiring duct 40 when the body 24 is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21. small wall. The heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b are not particularly limited. The heights of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b need not necessarily be defined so that when the connection device 10 is attached to the wiring duct 40, along the thickness of the wiring duct 40 (that is, in the upward/downward direction in FIG. ) is located between the top ends of the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b and the pipe-facing surface 2411. The same description also applies to the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b.

In still another modified example, the number of the first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b is not necessarily five, although the number is assumed to be five in the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment. Alternatively, the number of first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b can also be one or more. In yet another modified example, the number of the first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b does not necessarily have the structure adopted in the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment. Alternatively, the first and second reinforcing parts 243a, 243b may have any other structures for reinforcing the first and second wall parts 242a, 242b.

In yet another modified example, the height of the first protrusion 244a and the height of the second protrusion 244b are not limited in particular. Therefore, the height of the first contact portion (first convex portion 244a) does not necessarily have to be defined as The dimension measured between the pair of convex portions 213 and the first contact portion of the first connecting member 21 a or the second connecting member 21 b is smaller than the thickness of the first portion 424 of the wiring duct 40 . Likewise, the height of the second contact portion (second convex portion 244b) is not necessarily defined so that the height measured between the pair of convex portions 213 of the first connector 21a or the second connector 21b and the second contact portion The size is smaller than the thickness of the second portion 425 of the raceway 40 . And, a first predetermined interval between a plurality of (for example, three in this example) first protrusions 244a and a second predetermined interval between a plurality of (for example, three in this example) second protrusions 244b The intervals can be different from each other. Furthermore, the plurality (for example, three in this example) of the first protrusions 244a and the plurality (for example, three in this example) of the second protrusions 244b are not necessarily necessarily along the width of the pipe-facing surface 2411 And set side by side. Furthermore, the first and second protrusions 244a, 244b do not necessarily have a spherical shape, but may also have a columnar, conical, or truncated cone shape. The first and second protrusions 244a, 244b may also have polygonal or circular shapes in plan view. Furthermore, the number of the first and second protrusions 244a, 244b does not necessarily have to be five, although the number is assumed to be five in the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment. Instead, the number of first protrusions 244a and the number of second protrusions 244b may be one or more. Also, either one of the first contact portion (first convex portion 244 a ) or the second contact portion (second convex portion 244 b ) may be provided instead of both.

In yet another variation, the restricting portion 245 does not necessarily have to form an integral part of the body 24 . Alternatively, the restricting portion 245 may be provided separately from the body 24 . For example, the restriction 245 may form an integral part of any of the coupling members 26 . In the above-described exemplary embodiments, each connecting piece is provided with two restricting portions 245 . However, the number of restricting parts 245 provided is not particularly limited, but may be one. If not necessary, the restricting portion 245 can be omitted. The same description also applies to the restricting portions 2485a, 2485b.

In still another modified example, when the main body 24A is held by the wiring duct 40 via the duct connecting member 21, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b can be directly spaced along the width of the opening 43 of the wiring duct 40, respectively. In contact with the first and second inner side surfaces 431 , 432 . The first and second wall portions 246a, 246b do not have to face each other along the width of the duct-facing surface 2411 . Optionally, each of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be composed of the following: when the body 24A is connected via the pipe connection member 21 A plurality of small wall portions arranged along the length of the wiring duct 40 when held by the wiring duct 40 . The heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are also not limited. The heights of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b are not necessarily defined so that when the body 24A of the connection device 10A is attached to the wiring duct 40 via the duct connection member 21, the height of the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b The top end is located between the middle of the thickness of the wiring duct 40 and the duct facing surface 2411 along the thickness of the wiring duct 40 (ie, the upward/downward direction in FIG. 14 ).

In yet another variation, the first and second wall portions 246a, 246b may be provided together with the first and second wall portions 242a, 242b or the first and second wall portions 2480a, 2480b.

In yet another variation, the first and second support portions 2404 and 2405 do not necessarily form an integral part of the body 24A. Alternatively, the first and second support portions 2404, 2405 may be provided separately from the body 24A. If not necessary, the first and second supporting parts 2404 and 2405 can be omitted. Likewise, the support portion 2406 need not necessarily form an integral part of the body 24B. Alternatively, the support portion 2406 may be provided separately from the body 24B. If not necessary, the supporting part 2406 can be omitted. The same description is also applicable to the supporting part 2408 .

In yet another variation, with regard to the latch protrusion 2407 , the predetermined position may be the position of the associated rod portion 212 when the associated protrusion 211 can pass through the opening 43 (ie, the first position). In addition, the latch protrusion 2407 does not necessarily have to be provided on the associated support portion 2406 . The latch protrusion 2407 can even be omitted if not necessary.

In yet another variation, the restricting portions 247a, 247b do not necessarily form an integral part of the body 24B. Alternatively, the restriction parts 247a, 247b may be provided separately from the body 24B, and the restriction parts 247a, 247b may be fixed to the body 24B. In the third modified example described above, each connector is provided with two restricting portions 247a, 247b. However, the number of restricting parts 247a, 247b provided is not particularly limited, but may be one. Optionally, the limiting portion 247b may not have the coupling hole 2470 . Alternatively, the restriction part 247a may have a coupling hole 2470 . The limiting parts 247a and 247b can be omitted unless necessary.

The casing ( 20 , 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D) of the connection device ( 10 , 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) does not necessarily have the above configuration. In particular, the pipe connection member 21, the device connection part 22, and the auxiliary power supply part 23 may have known shapes as long as their functions can be performed. For example, conduit connection member 21 may be physically attached to raceway 40 at at least one point. The shape of the duct connection member 21 may be changed according to the shape of the wiring duct 40 . Also, in the above embodiments, the single device connection part 22 is used to communicate with and supply power to the given device 50 . However, this is only an example of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively, one device connection 22 may be used to communicate with device 50 while the other device connection 22 may be used to supply power to device 50 . That is, in the output unit 32 , the second communication unit 321 and the converter unit 322 can be connected to the device 50 through two different connector cables 80 . Furthermore, the device connection part 22 does not have to be connected to the device 50 through the connector cable 80 . Optionally, the device connecting portion 22 can be disposed on the second surface 240b of the body ( 24 , 24A- 24D). In this case, the connection portion between the connector cable 80 and the device connection portion 22 can be hidden behind the holder 25 . Alternatively, the device connecting portion 22 does not have to be fixed on the second surface 240b itself of the body ( 24 , 24A- 24D ), but can be arranged on a portion protruding from the second surface 240b. This enables the device connection portion 22 to face a different direction from the second surface 240b. For example, the connector 81 of the connector cable 80 may be connected to the device connection part 22 in a direction perpendicular to the normal of the second surface 240b. This facilitates reducing the thickness of the housing (20, 20A-20D). Furthermore, the housing (20, 20A-20D) may have a plurality of device connections 22, or may have no device connections 22 at all. If the housing ( 20 , 20A- 20D ) does not have the device connection portion 22 , the output unit 32 can communicate with the device 50 wirelessly and supply power to the device 50 . Furthermore, the auxiliary power supply unit 23 is not a necessary component.

In yet another modified example, the body ( 24 , 24A- 24D ) does not necessarily have the above-mentioned structure. For example, the body (24, 24A-24D) need not necessarily have the shape of a compressed box, but may have the shape of a box with a height. Furthermore, in a plan view, the body ( 24 , 24A- 24D ) does not necessarily have a square shape, but may also have a polygonal shape (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape) or a circular shape.

In yet another modified example, the holder 25 can be integrally formed with the body ( 24 , 24A- 24D ). In addition, the holder 25 does not necessarily have the above structure. Optionally, the housing ( 20 , 20A- 20D ) may not have the holder 25 . That is, the housing (20, 20A-20D) needs to at least include the body (24, 24A-24D).

In yet another variation, the circuit block 30 of the connection device (10, 10A-10D) may have a battery and may be configured to operate from the battery. In this case, the connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) does not necessarily draw power from the raceway 40 . That is, the connection device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) may not have the power supply unit 34 in this case. Optionally, the connection device (10, 10A-10D) may include a charger circuit for charging the battery. This enables the connection device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) to operate even when the connection device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) cannot draw power from the raceway 40 . Furthermore, the connection device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) does not necessarily have to include the processing unit 33 . In this case, the connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) needs to be configured to transmit and receive signals between the first communication unit 31 and the second communication unit 321 of the output unit 32 . Furthermore, the connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) does not necessarily include the notification unit 35 or the operation unit 36 . That is, the connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ) needs to at least include the housing 20 , the first communication unit 31 , and the output unit 32 . In this case, the first communication unit 31 may have at least one of receiving capability or transmitting capability. Likewise, the second communication unit 321 may have at least one of receiving capability or transmitting capability.

The wiring duct 40 does not necessarily have to have the configuration described above, but may have a known configuration (such as a duct rail or a lighting rail). That is, any track can be used as the distribution conduit 40 as long as the track is installed in a facility to transmit power. In the illustrated embodiment described above, the raceway 40 is installed on the ceiling of the facility. However, this is only an example of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively, the raceway 40 may be installed on a wall of the facility or any other location without limitation. Furthermore, the wiring duct 40 does not necessarily have to include the third conductor 41c. In this case, the pipe connection member 21 may not have the third terminal 214c.

Furthermore, the management and control device 60 and the adapter 70 are not necessary components of the equipment system. That is, the equipment system needs to at least include the connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ), the wiring duct 40 , and the device 50 . Also, any number of connecting devices (10, 10A-10D), raceways 40, or devices 50 may be provided. In other words, the equipment system may include at least one connecting device ( 10 , 10A- 10D ), at least one wiring conduit 40 , and at least one device 50 . When the equipment system includes a plurality of connection devices (10, 10A-10D), the destination of the first communication signal can be specified by adding the address of the connection device (10, 10A-10D) to the first communication signal.

It should be noted that the facility where the equipment system is installed is not necessarily a factory. The facility can be residential (eg, single-family dwelling or multi-family dwelling) or non-residential (eg, factory, commercial facility, hospital, office, or building).

The agent performing the functions of the above-mentioned connecting device includes a computer system. In this case, the computer system may include a processor and a memory as main hardware components. The agent performs the functions of the connection device according to the invention by causing the processor to execute a program stored in the memory of the computer system. The program can be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system. Alternatively, the program may also be downloaded via a telecommunication line, or recorded on some non-transitory storage medium (such as a memory card, compact disc, or hard disk drive, any of which is readable by the computer system) Distributed later. The processor of a computer system may consist of a single or a plurality of electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). As used herein, an "integrated circuit" such as an IC or LSI is called by different names depending on its degree of integration. Examples of integrated circuits include system LSI, very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI), and very large scale integrated circuits (ULSI). Alternatively, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable logic device that allows reconfiguration of connections or circuit parts inside the LSI may also be used as the processor. These electronic circuits may be integrated together on a single chip or distributed over multiple chips, as appropriate. The plurality of wafers may be integrated together in a single device or distributed to a plurality of devices without limitation.

(3) Appearance

As can be seen from the foregoing description of the embodiments and modifications thereof, the present invention has the following aspects. In the following description, reference symbols are inserted in parentheses only for clearly illustrating the correspondence relationship of constituent elements between the following aspects of the present invention and the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments.

The first aspect is a connection device (10; 10A; 10D), which includes a pipe connection member (21), a body (24; 24A), and a coupling member (26; 26D). The duct connection member (21) is intended to be physically attached to a raceway (40) for transmitting power therethrough. The body (24; 24A; 24D) is intended to be held by the wiring duct (40) via the duct connection member (21). The coupling member (26; 26D) has a coupling hole (26a) to couple the connecting device (10; 10A; 10D) to a cord member (93). The coupling member (26; 26D) is provided separately from the body (24; 24A; 24D) and the coupling member (26; 26D) is fixed to the body (24; 24A; 24D). This aspect enables the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) to be easily coupled to the raceway (40) via the cord member (93) and reduces the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) from the raceway (40) chance of falling out.

The second aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to the first aspect. In a second aspect, the body (24; 24A) has a fitting protrusion (27; 2404) on a surface (240a) thereof configured to face the wiring duct (40). The coupling member (26) has a fitting notch (260a), the fitting protrusion (27; 2404) is fitted to the fitting notch (260a), and the fitting notch (260a) allows the fitting protrusion Ministry (27; 2404) crosses. This aspect increases the fixation strength of the coupling member (26) to the body (24; 24A).

The third aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to the second aspect. In a third aspect, the pipe connection member (21) includes: a protrusion (211) protruding from a surface (240a) of the body (24; 24A) and configured to rotate around its central axis; and a rod (212) configured to rotate the protrusion (211) about the central axis. The raceway (40) has an opening (43) extending along the length of the raceway (40). The duct connection member (21) is intended to be inserted into the wiring duct (40) by passing the protrusion (211) through the opening (43) and then rotating the protrusion (211) around its central axis to Physically attached to the raceway (40). The coupling member (26) is disposed between the one surface of the body (24; 24A) and the rod (212). This aspect increases the fixation strength of the coupling member (26) to the body (24; 24A).

The fourth aspect is an embodiment of the connecting device (10; 10A) according to the third aspect. In the fourth aspect, the fitting protrusion (27; 2404) is disposed between the one surface (240a) of the body (24; 24A) and the rod (212), and supports the rod ( 212) to keep the stem (212) out of contact with the coupling member (26). This aspect reduces the chance of interference between the stem (212) and the coupling member (26).

The fifth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to the fourth aspect. In a fifth aspect, the fitting protrusion (27) has the shape of a ring surrounding the protrusion. This aspect enables the stem (212) to be supported by the fitting protrusion (27) with increased stability.

The sixth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to any one of the third to fifth aspects. In the sixth aspect, the coupling member (26) includes: a flat plate portion (260) disposed between the surface (240a) of the body (24; 24A) and the rod portion (212); and The one surface (240a) of the body (24; 24A) has a protruding portion (261) protruding from the flat plate portion (260). The coupling hole (26a) is provided at least through the protrusion (261). This aspect enables the connection device (10) to be easily coupled to the wiring duct (40) via the cord member (93), and increases the fixing strength of the coupling member (26) to the body (24; 24A).

The seventh aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to any one of the third to sixth aspects. In the seventh aspect, the rod portion (212) has a hook hole (2121) on its surface facing the coupling member (26). The coupling member (26) has a latching protrusion (260c) intended to fit the hook of the rod (212) when the rod (212) is in a predetermined position in the hole (2121). This aspect reduces the chance of accidental displacement of the stem (212) from a predetermined position.

The eighth aspect is an embodiment of the connecting device (10; 10A) according to the seventh aspect. In the eighth aspect, the predetermined position is the position of the rod part (212) when the protruding part (211) cannot pass through the opening (43). The probability that the pipe connecting member (21) is unintentionally detached from the distribution pipe (40) is reduced.

A ninth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to any one of the third to eighth aspects. In a ninth aspect, the connecting device (10; 10A) further includes a restricting portion to restrict the pivoting range of the rod portion (212). This aspect reduces the chance of damage to the pipe connection member (21).

The tenth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A) according to the ninth aspect. In the tenth aspect, the restricting portion (245) is provided separately from the coupling member (26). This aspect enables the restricting portion ( 245 ) and the coupling member ( 26 ) to be made of their respective appropriate materials.

The eleventh aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10: 10A; 10D) according to any one of the first to tenth aspects. In an eleventh aspect, the coupling member (26; 26D) is made of metal material. This aspect helps to increase the strength of the coupling member (26; 26D).

A twelfth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects. In a twelfth aspect, the duct connection member ( 21 ) is configured not only to be physically attached to the raceway ( 40 ), but also to be electrically connected to the raceway ( 40 ). This aspect enables the conduit (40) and the device (50) to be electrically connected together.

The thirteenth aspect is an embodiment of the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) according to the twelfth aspect. In a thirteenth aspect, the connection device (10; 10A) includes a first communication unit (31) and an output unit (32). The first communication unit (31) is accommodated in the body (24; 24A; 24D), and is configured to be connected to the wiring duct (40) through the duct connecting member (21) so as to pass through the wiring duct ( 40) to establish power line communication. The output unit (32) is accommodated in the body (24; 24A; 24D), and includes a second communication unit (321) and a converter unit (322). The second communication unit (321) is configured to establish communication with a device (50) according to a communication protocol different from the power line communication. The converter unit (322) is configured to generate power corresponding to the first power based on the first power taken from the distribution duct (40) via the duct connection member (21) second power of a different power standard and supply the second power to the device (50). This aspect even enables a device (50) that meets a different power standard than the raceway (40) to communicate with and be powered by a connected device via the raceway (40).

The fourteenth aspect is an embodiment of the connecting device (10; 10A; 10D) according to the thirteenth aspect. In a fourteenth aspect, the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) further includes a device connection part (22) configured to be connected to the device (50) via a connector cable (80). The second communication unit (321) is configured to communicate with the device (50) via the connector cable (80) connected to the device connection part (22). The converter unit (322) is configured to supply the second power to the device (50) via the connector cable (80) connected to the device connection (22). This aspect facilitates the connection so that the connected device (10; 10A; 10D) can communicate with and supply power to the device (50).

A fifteenth aspect is a suspension (90) for use with the connection device (10; 10A; 10D) according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects. The suspension (90) comprises: a body (91) intended to be coupled to the coupling member (26) of the connecting device (10; 10A; 10D) through a cable-like member (93); and a connecting piece A portion (92) to be physically attached to a raceway (40) for transmitting power therethrough. This aspect reduces the probability of the connecting device (10) falling off from the wiring duct (40).

10: Connection device

20: shell

21:Pipeline connection components

21a: first connector

21b: Second connecting piece

22: Device connection part

240a: first surface

240b: second surface

240c: Outer surface

240d: Outer surface

240e: Outer surface

240f: outside surface

241: Installation Department

242: wall

243: Strengthening Department

245: Restricted Department

24: Ontology

25: Holder

26:Coupling components

26a: coupling hole

280a: opening

281: Zhoubi

281e: opening

282: convex seat

285: convex part

28: shell

290a: opening

29: Fixed plate

40:Wiring duct

4211: first side surface

421: first side wall part

422: second side wall portion

423: flat part

43: opening

44: convex part

80: Connector cable

81: connector

90: Suspension

91: Ontology

921: protrusion

922: convex part

92: Connector

93: cable member

94:Coupling components

S11: screw

Claims (15)

A connecting device comprising: a duct connection member configured to be physically attached to a raceway for transmitting power therethrough; a body configured to be held by the raceway via the conduit connection member; and a coupling member having a coupling hole configured to couple the connecting device to a cord member, The coupling member is provided separately from the body, and the coupling member is fixed to the body. Such as the connection device of claim 1, wherein the body has a fitting protrusion on a surface thereof configured to face the raceway, and The coupling member has a fitting cutout, the fitting protrusion is adapted to the fitting cutout, and the fitting cutout allows the fitting protrusion to pass through. Such as the connection device of claim 2, wherein The plumbing components include: a protrusion protruding from a surface of the body and configured to rotate about its central axis; and a rod configured to rotate the protrusion about the central axis, the raceway has an opening extending along the length of the raceway, the conduit connection member is configured to be physically attached to the conduit by inserting the projection through the opening and then rotating the projection about its central axis, and The coupling member is disposed between the one surface of the body and the rod. Such as the connection device of claim 3, wherein The fitting protrusion is disposed between the one surface of the body and the rod, and supports the rod so that the rod remains out of contact with the coupling member. Such as the connection device of claim 4, wherein The fitting protrusion has the shape of a ring surrounding the protrusion. The connecting device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein The coupling member includes: a flat plate portion disposed between the one surface of the body and the rod portion; and a protrusion protruding from the flat plate portion away from the one surface of the body, and The coupling hole is at least disposed through the protrusion. The connecting device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the rod has a hook hole on its surface facing the coupling member, and The coupling member has a latch protrusion intended to fit into the hook hole of the rod when the rod is in a predetermined position. Such as the connection device of claim 7, wherein The predetermined position is the position of the rod when the protrusion cannot pass through the opening. The connecting device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a restricting portion configured to restrict the pivoting range of the rod portion. Such as the connection device of claim 9, wherein The restricting portion is provided separately from the coupling member. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The coupling member is made of metal material. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The conduit connection member is configured not only to be physically attached to the raceway, but also to be electrically connected to the raceway. Such as the connection device of claim 12, including: a first communication unit housed in the body and configured to be connected to the raceway via the pipe connection member to establish power line communication through the raceway; and an output unit, which is housed in the body, and includes a second communication unit and a converter unit, the second communication unit is configured to establish communication with a device according to a communication protocol different from the power line communication, the converter The power unit is configured to generate second power meeting a different power standard than the first power based on the first power taken from the raceway via the duct connection member, and to supply the second power to the device. The connection device according to claim 13, further comprising a device connection part configured to be connected to the device via a connector cable, wherein the second communication unit is configured to communicate with the device via the connector cable connected to the device connection, and The converter unit is configured to supply the second power to the device via the connector cable connected to the device connection. A suspension for use with the connection device of any one of claims 1 to 14, the suspension comprising: a body configured to be coupled to the coupling member of the connection device through a cord member; and A connector portion configured to be physically attached to a raceway for transmitting power therethrough.

Images