JP7501327B2 - Terminal block - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a terminal block.

Patent document 1 discloses a relay socket that is substantially rectangular. The relay socket has a bottom surface on which a rail mounting portion is formed, and an upper surface that is substantially parallel to the bottom surface. The upper surface has two surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other and differ in distance from the bottom surface in the height direction perpendicular to the bottom surface.

JP 2007-323897 A

The relay socket has multiple lead wire insertion holes arranged side by side in the thickness direction of the relay socket on each of the two top faces. Therefore, when the relay socket is viewed in a diagonal direction that intersects with the bottom face, it is difficult to visually identify each lead wire insertion hole, which can make wiring difficult.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a terminal block that allows for easy wiring.

An example terminal block of the present disclosure includes:
a housing having a mounting surface and a connection surface opposite to the mounting surface, the housing being attached to an external device via the mounting surface and having an external wiring connected to the connection surface;
the connection surface includes a plurality of opening surfaces each having an opening capable of receiving the external wiring, the opening surfaces being arranged along a width direction of the housing;
The plurality of opening surfaces are arranged on an imaginary plane that inclines in a direction from the mounting surface toward the connection surface in a height direction intersecting the mounting surface as it moves from one end in the width direction toward the other end in the width direction.

The terminal block includes a housing having a mounting surface and a connection surface facing the mounting surface. The connection surface includes a plurality of opening surfaces arranged along the width direction of the housing, each of which has an opening capable of accommodating external wiring. The plurality of opening surfaces are arranged on an imaginary plane that slopes from the mounting surface toward the connection surface in a height direction that intersects with the mounting surface as it moves from one end in the width direction toward the other end in the width direction. With this configuration, when the opening surface is viewed along the direction from the connection surface toward the mounting surface, the openings provided in the opening surface are easily visible, making it possible to realize a terminal block that allows easy wiring.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal block according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the terminal block of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a side view of the terminal block of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an opening surface of the terminal block of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a modified example of the terminal block of FIG. 1 .

An example of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., terms including "up," "down," "right," and "left") will be used as necessary, but the use of these terms is intended to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, and the meanings of these terms do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the following description is essentially merely illustrative, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses. Furthermore, the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions do not necessarily correspond to reality.

The terminal block 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is, for example, a push-in connection type terminal block, and includes a housing 10 as shown in FIG. 1. For example, the housing 10 is in the shape of a thin plate, and has a mounting surface 11 and a connection surface 12 opposite the mounting surface 11. The housing 10 is attached to an external device (not shown) such as a control panel via the mounting surface 11. In addition, external wiring 100 (shown in FIG. 2) is connected to the housing 10 from the connection surface 12, and the housing 10 is connected to electronic equipment in the external device via the external wiring 100.

The mounting surface 11 constitutes a surface that extends in the width direction (e.g., X direction) of the housing 10 and in the thickness direction (e.g., Y direction) of the housing 10 that intersects with the width direction X. As an example, the mounting surface 11 has a substantially rectangular shape that extends in the width direction X when viewed along the height direction (e.g., Z direction) of the housing 10 that intersects with the mounting surface 11. In this embodiment, a mounting portion 13 is provided in the center of the longitudinal direction of the mounting surface 11 for mounting the housing 10 to a DIN rail 200 (shown in FIG. 2) of an external device.

The connection surface 12, like the mounting surface 11, constitutes a surface that extends in the width direction X of the housing 10 and the thickness direction Y of the housing 10, and as an example, has a substantially rectangular shape extending in the width direction X when viewed along the height direction Z. In this embodiment, the connection surface 12 includes an equipment connection surface 14 to which an electronic device 300 (shown in FIG. 2) such as an electromagnetic relay is connected, and a plurality of opening surfaces 15 arranged along the width direction X. Each opening surface 15 has an opening 151 provided therein.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device connection surface 14 is disposed approximately at the center of the connection surface 12 in the width direction X and extends approximately parallel to the mounting surface 11.

The multiple opening surfaces 15 are arranged on a virtual plane S that inclines in the direction from the mounting surface 11 to the connection surface 12 in the height direction Z as it moves from one end of the width direction X to the other end of the width direction X. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the virtual plane S includes a first virtual plane S1 that inclines from the right end to the left end of FIG. 2 and a second virtual plane S2 that inclines from the left end to the right end of FIG. 2. When viewed along the thickness direction Y (for example, the direction penetrating the paper surface of FIG. 2), the first virtual plane S1 and the second virtual plane S2 are arranged on different sides of the center line CL that passes through the center of the width direction X of the mounting surface 11 and extends in the height direction Z. In other words, when viewed along the thickness direction Y, the center line CL of the mounting surface 11 is arranged between the first virtual plane S1 and the second virtual plane S2 in the width direction X. The inclination angle of each of the first virtual plane S1 and the second virtual plane S2 with respect to the mounting surface 11 can be set arbitrarily depending on, for example, the configuration of the external device to which the terminal block 1 is attached.

2, the multiple opening surfaces 15 in the first imaginary plane S1 and the second imaginary plane S2 are arranged at intervals along the width direction X. In this embodiment, the multiple opening surfaces 15 are arranged at equal intervals along the width direction X in each of the first imaginary plane S1 and the second imaginary plane S2. The opening 151 of each opening surface 15 is configured to be able to accommodate the external wiring 100. The external wiring 100 accommodated inside the housing 10 through the opening 151 is connected to the connection terminal 110 accommodated inside the housing 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the opening 151 has a generally elliptical shape when viewed along the width direction X (e.g., the direction penetrating the paper surface of FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, each of the multiple opening faces 15 has a display unit 17 that displays information about the external wiring 100 that can be connected through the opening 151 of each opening face 15. The display unit 17 is, for example, configured as a flat surface colored in a color different from the other parts of the housing 10, and is arranged around the opening 151 of each opening face 15. For example, if the color of the entire housing 10 excluding the display unit 17 is gray, the display unit 17 is colored red or white, which is different from gray. This displays the specifications (for example, the type of current that can be input and the rated voltage) of the connection terminal 110 to which the external wiring 100 is connected through the opening 151 of each opening face 15.

As shown in FIG. 4, a display protrusion 18 is provided on an adjacent surface 141 adjacent to each opening surface 15 of the connection surface 12 and closer to the device connection surface 14 than each opening surface 15 in the width direction X. The display protrusion 18 has an inclined surface 181 that is inclined in the same direction as the adjacent opening surface 15 and at a different angle from the virtual plane S on which the adjacent opening surface 15 is located. The inclined surface 181 is provided with an auxiliary display unit 182 that displays information about the external wiring 100 that can be connected through the opening 151 of the opening surface 15 that is adjacent in the width direction X and located farther away than the device connection surface 14. FIG. 4 shows the auxiliary display unit 182 composed of numbers as an example, but the auxiliary display unit 182 can be composed of symbols including Chinese characters and English letters.

The terminal block 1 of this embodiment can provide the following effects:

The terminal block 1 includes a housing 10 having an attachment surface 11 and a connection surface 12 facing the attachment surface 11. The connection surface 12 includes a plurality of opening surfaces 15 arranged along the width direction X of the housing 10, each of which is provided with an opening 151 capable of accommodating an external wiring 100. The plurality of opening surfaces 15 are arranged on an imaginary plane S that is inclined in a direction from the attachment surface 11 toward the connection surface 12 in a height direction Z that intersects with the attachment surface 11 as it moves from one end of the width direction X toward the other end of the width direction X. With this configuration, when the opening surface 15 is viewed along the direction from the connection surface 12 toward the attachment surface 11, the opening 151 provided in the opening surface 15 is easily visible, and the opening 151 can be easily viewed without moving the viewpoint. As a result, a terminal block 1 that allows easy wiring can be realized.

The imaginary planes S are a first imaginary plane S1 and a second imaginary plane S2, and when viewed along a thickness direction Y that intersects with the width direction X and the height direction Z, a center line CL that passes through the center of the width direction X of the mounting surface 11 and extends in the height direction Z is disposed between the first imaginary plane S1 and the second imaginary plane S2 in the width direction X. This configuration makes it possible to more reliably realize a terminal block 1 that allows easy wiring.

When viewed along the width direction X, the opening 151 has a generally elliptical shape. This configuration further enhances the visibility of the opening 151, resulting in a terminal block 1 that allows for easier wiring.

The multiple opening surfaces 15 are spaced apart along the width direction X. This configuration further improves the visibility of the openings 151, resulting in a terminal block 1 that allows for easier wiring.

Each of the multiple openings 15 has a display section 17 that displays information about the connectable external wiring 100. This configuration makes it possible to realize a terminal block 1 that allows for easier wiring.

The terminal block 1 can also be configured as follows:

The virtual plane S is not limited to being composed of a first virtual plane S1 and a second virtual plane S2, but may be composed of, for example, one virtual plane, or three or more virtual planes.

The opening 151 is not limited to being substantially elliptical when viewed along the width direction X, and may have any shape capable of accommodating the external wiring 100.

The multiple opening surfaces 15 are not limited to being spaced apart from one another along the width direction X, and may be connected to adjacent opening surfaces 15, for example.

The display unit 17 and auxiliary display unit 182 may be omitted.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be applied to a terminal block in which a plurality of opening surfaces are arranged along the width direction of the housing and arranged on a virtual plane that is inclined in the height direction and in the direction from the mounting surface toward the connection surface from one end of the width direction of the housing toward the other end of the width direction. For example, the present disclosure is not limited to a push-in connection type terminal block 1, but can also be applied to a screw connection type terminal block 1 as shown in FIG. 5. As an example, in the terminal block 1 of FIG. 5, an opening 151 is formed from the opening surface 15 to the adjacent surface 141 adjacent to the opening surface 15. The opening 151 is configured to be able to accommodate a screw 120. An annular wall portion 152 extending in the height direction Z is formed on the edge of the opening 151.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings. Finally, various aspects of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, reference symbols will also be used as examples.

The terminal block 1 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes:
a housing 10 having a mounting surface 11 and a connection surface 12 opposite to the mounting surface 11, the housing 10 being attached to an external device via the mounting surface 11 and having external wiring connected to the connection surface 12;
The connection surface 12 includes a plurality of opening surfaces 15 each having an opening 151 capable of accommodating the external wiring,
The multiple opening surfaces 15 are arranged on an imaginary plane S that inclines in a direction from the mounting surface 11 toward the connection surface 12 in a height direction that intersects with the mounting surface 11 as it moves from one end of the width direction to the other end of the width direction.

The terminal block 1 according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is
The virtual plane S includes a first virtual plane S1 and a second virtual plane S2,
When viewed along the thickness direction that intersects the width direction and the height direction, a center line CL that passes through the center of the mounting surface 11 in the width direction and extends in the height direction is located between the first imaginary plane S1 and the second imaginary plane S2 in the width direction.

The terminal block 1 according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is
When viewed along the width direction, the opening 151 has a substantially elliptical shape.

The terminal block 1 according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure is
The multiple open surfaces 15 are arranged at intervals along the width direction.

The terminal block 1 according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure is
Each of the plurality of openings 15 has a display section 17 that displays information about the connectable external wiring.

In addition, by appropriately combining any of the various embodiments or modifications described above, it is possible to achieve the effects of each. In addition, it is possible to combine embodiments with each other, or to combine examples with each other, and it is also possible to combine features of different embodiments or examples.

The terminal block disclosed herein can be applied to, for example, relay sockets.

Reference Signs List 1 Terminal block 10 Housing 11 Mounting surface 12 Connection surface 13 Mounting portion 14 Device connection surface 141 Adjacent surface 15 Opening surface 151 Opening 152 Wall portion 17 Display portion 18 Display protrusion 181 Inclined surface 182 Auxiliary display portion 100 External wiring 110 Connection terminal 120 Screw 200 DIN rail 300 Electronic device

Claims (4)

a housing having a mounting surface and a connection surface opposite to the mounting surface, the housing being attached to an external device via the mounting surface and having an external wiring connected to the connection surface;
the connection surface includes a plurality of opening surfaces each having an opening capable of receiving the external wiring, the opening surfaces being arranged along a width direction of the housing;
the plurality of opening surfaces are disposed on an imaginary plane that is inclined in a direction from the mounting surface toward the connecting surface in a height direction intersecting the mounting surface as it moves from one end in the width direction toward the other end in the width direction ,
Each of the plurality of openings has a display unit that displays information about the connectable external wiring,
The connection surface is provided with an indicator protrusion adjacent to each of the plurality of opening surfaces,
the indication projection has an inclined surface that is inclined in the same direction as each of the adjacent opening surfaces and at an angle different from the imaginary plane on which each of the adjacent opening surfaces is disposed,
The terminal block has an auxiliary display portion on the inclined surface that displays information about the connectable external wiring. The virtual planes include a first virtual plane and a second virtual plane,
2. The terminal block of claim 1, wherein when viewed along a thickness direction intersecting the width direction and the height direction, a center line passing through the center of the width direction of the mounting surface and extending in the height direction is located between the first imaginary plane and the second imaginary plane in the width direction. The terminal block of claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening has a generally elliptical shape when viewed along the width direction. A terminal block according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the multiple opening surfaces are spaced apart along the width direction.

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