JP7634466B2 - Media Converter - Google Patents

Description

Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 Applicable Sales Dates and Sales Places List

The present invention relates to a media converter consisting of a communication unit housed in a communication device storage case, and in particular to a media converter in which the communication unit can be easily and securely attached to and replaced in the communication device storage case.

A media converter in which the communication unit is housed in a communication equipment storage case (assembly rack) needs to be configured to allow the communication unit to be inserted and removed, as the functions and performance of the communication unit 20 are continually improved. The communication equipment storage case needs to be highly user-friendly so that the communication unit can be smoothly inserted and installed.

For example, a known example of a conventional communication device storage case for storing a communication unit is a rack-mounted communication device storage case that stores a device and a power supply unit that supplies power to the device, and is attached to a device storage rack. The device storage case has an insertion opening formed on the back of the roughly box-shaped main body case, and a mounting plate for mounting the power supply unit is attached to the insertion opening so that it can be inserted and removed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, as a conventional communication device storage case for storing communication units, a rack-mounted media converter is known, which is configured by inserting communication devices into multiple storage compartments with an opening on the front and fixing them with a fixing means, and is attached to a device storage rack. The media converter is characterized by comprising an inner base in the form of a horizontally long rectangular plate with multiple mounting parts formed in the left and right directions, a roughly U-shaped separator consisting of left and right side panels and a back panel that is attached to the mounting parts of the inner base and guides the communication devices when they are inserted, an inner cover that surrounds the left and right sides and back of the multiple separators and connects and fixes the inner base and the multiple separators with a fixing means, a storage unit that forms multiple storage compartments with the inner cover, the inner base, and the separator is attached, a base with multiple openings corresponding to each storage compartment of the storage unit, and a cover that covers the top surface of the base (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-306682 A JP 2007-305706 A

However, as in Patent Document 1, when the mounting plate slides along the guide groove when attaching or detaching the communication unit 20, the guide groove may wear or deteriorate over time, and the communication unit is ultimately fixed in place with screws, which is time-consuming.

In addition, as in Patent Document 2, when inserting a communication unit into a roughly U-shaped separator, a multi-layered device configuration is required, including an inner cover on which the roughly U-shaped separator is arranged, a cover, and a base. Since the device is made up of complex parts, it is cumbersome and requires a lot of work to maintain each part. In addition, the communication unit is ultimately fixed in place with screws, which requires a lot of work to fix.

In other words, in a conventional media converter in which a communication unit is housed in a communication device storage case, attachment and detachment of the communication unit 20 requires time-consuming screw fixing work, and it cannot be said that it can be easily attached and detached.

Media converters that simply and securely house a communications unit in a communications device storage case in a detachable manner are expected to improve work efficiency, and although there is a high market demand, they are not yet widely known.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a media converter that is configured so that a communication unit can be easily and securely housed in a communication device storage case so that it can be easily and securely attached and detached.

The media converter disclosed in this application is comprised of a storage case part formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit part that is inserted through the opening and detachably fixed, in which the storage case part includes an insertion base part that extends from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking part formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base part, and the communication unit part includes an arm-shaped extension arm part that extends from the insertion rear end, and a protrusion part that is disposed on the underside of the extension arm part at a position corresponding to the locking part when the communication unit part is fixed to the storage case part.

Thus, in a media converter consisting of a storage case part formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit part that is inserted through the opening and fixed in a removable manner, the storage case part has an insertion base part that extends from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking part formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base part, and the communication unit part has an arm-shaped extension arm part that extends from the insertion rear end, and is fixed to the storage case part on the underside of the extension arm part. and a protrusion disposed at a position corresponding to the locking portion when the communication unit is inserted. This allows the protrusion to engage with the locking portion and be firmly fixed to the opening at a position where the rear end of the communication unit is flush with the opening and where the longitudinal direction of the extending arm portion and the bottom surface of the storage case portion are aligned, eliminating the need for external fixing means such as screws, improving operability with a single insertion, while maintaining locking strength, and allowing the communication unit to be smoothly and firmly fixed in a detachable manner.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the communication unit is configured to be lower in height than the opening as necessary, and a gap is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit and the opening when the communication unit is fixed to the opening. In this way, the communication unit is configured to be lower in height than the opening, and a gap is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit and the opening when the communication unit is fixed to the opening. Therefore, when the communication unit is inserted or removed from the opening, the extension arm can move freely up and down inside the opening when the protrusion engages with the locking portion due to the space (play area) formed by the gap in the height direction of the opening, and the communication unit can be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, an elastic member having a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit as necessary. Since an elastic member having a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit, when the communication unit is inserted or removed from the opening, the elastic member contacts the inner upper surface of the opening in the space (play area) formed by the gap in the height direction of the opening, and supports the smooth movement of the communication unit by applying an appropriate pressure to the upper surface of the communication unit with its elastic force, thereby facilitating the up and down movement of the extension arm when the protrusion engages with the locking portion and promoting stable fixation, thereby enabling the communication unit to be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

The media converter disclosed in this application has an elastic member disposed on the side of the communication unit as necessary. In this way, since an elastic member is disposed on the side of the communication unit, when the communication unit is inserted or removed from the opening, the smooth movement of the communication unit is supported in the lateral direction of the opening, and the vertical movement of the extension arm when the protrusion engages with the locking portion is smoothed and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit can be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the storage case and the communication unit are made of metal as necessary. In this way, since the storage case and the communication unit are made of metal, when the communication unit is inserted and supported and fixed, the device as a whole exhibits a magnetic shielding function, and it is possible to block external magnetic noise and block the emission of internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external components, thereby creating a higher quality communication environment.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material as necessary. In this way, since the elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material, when the communication unit is inserted and supported and fixed, the elastic member that is fixed in contact with the storage case performs a magnetic shielding function together with the storage case, and it is possible to easily and efficiently block the emission of external magnetic noise and internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external members, thereby creating a higher quality communication environment.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the extending arm portion is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit portion as necessary. In this way, since the extending arm portion is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit portion, the extending arm portion can rotate in the vertical direction, and the vertical movement of the communication unit portion that occurs during the pivoting movement of the extending arm portion is smoothly maintained by the space (play area) formed by the gap portion via the elastic member, and the movement of the communication unit portion is supported, and the vertical movement of the extending arm portion is smoothed when the protrusion portion fits into the locking portion, and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit portion can be more smoothly and detachably fixed.

In the media converter disclosed in this application, the storage case has multiple openings, and the communication unit is composed of multiple pieces, and is fixed to each of the openings, as necessary. In this way, since the storage case has multiple openings, and the communication unit is composed of multiple pieces, and is fixed to each of the openings, it is possible to accommodate multiple communication units, and high versatility is obtained according to a variety of uses.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the storage case is provided with guide means consisting of plate portions arranged at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit 20 fixed to the opening as necessary. In this way, since the storage case is provided with guide means consisting of plate portions arranged at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit 20 fixed to the opening, when the communication unit is inserted or removed from the opening, the movement of the communication unit to the storage position is guided from both left and right sides by the guide means, and is supported smoothly and stably, so that the communication unit can be more smoothly fixed in a detachable manner.

In the media converter disclosed in the present application, the plate portion has an arched shape along the longitudinal direction as necessary. In this way, since the plate portion has an arched shape along the longitudinal direction, when the communication unit portion is inserted or removed from the opening, the plate portion is in a low arched position near the opening, so that the communication unit portion is initially positioned in the direction of movement by lightly fixing the communication unit portion. As the communication unit portion moves further inward from the opening, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes higher, so that the communication unit portion is fixed with higher strength. As the communication unit portion moves further inward from the opening, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes lower, so that the communication unit portion is lightly fixed at the final fixed position, so that the ease of fixing is improved, and the guiding means can support smooth attachment and removal of the communication unit portion.

1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of a communication unit and a storage case of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a guide means of a storage case of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a guide means of a storage case of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of an elastic body of a communication unit of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an operation of fixing a communication unit of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention to a storage case; 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an operation of fixing a communication unit of the media converter according to the first embodiment of the present invention to a storage case; 1 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which a communication unit of a media converter according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted and fixed; 11 is an explanatory diagram of a communication unit and a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a detailed configuration diagram of a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a detailed configuration diagram of a communication unit of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which a communication unit is inserted and fixed in a storage case of a media converter according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1(a), the media converter of the first embodiment is composed of a storage case portion 10 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening 11 on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit portion 20 that is inserted through this opening 11 and fixed in a removably manner. The storage case portion 10 is equipped with an insertion base portion 12 that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped to the rear surface side, and a locking portion 13 that is formed as a rectangular hole drilled in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion 12, and the communication unit portion 20 is equipped with an arm-shaped extending arm portion 21 extending from the rear end of the insertion base portion 12, and a protrusion portion 22 that is arranged on the underside of the extending arm portion 21 in a position that fits into the rectangular hole of the locking portion 13 when the communication unit portion 20 is fixed to the storage case portion 10.

In other words, the media converter according to the first embodiment is configured by detachably housing the communication unit section 20 in the storage case section 10.

The storage case section 10 functions as a collective rack (communication device storage case) for the communication unit section 20. The rectangular parallelepiped shape of the storage case section 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a box shape, and includes both rectangular parallelepiped and cubic shapes.

The rectangular parallelepiped back of the storage case 10 has an opening 11. The communication unit 20 can be removably inserted into this opening 11.

On the surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the storage case 10, there are mounted a power supply module that supplies the power required for the communication functions of the communication unit 20, a backup power supply that provides fault tolerance in the event of a power supply failure, and a fan module that exhausts the internal air.

The insertion platform 12 that constitutes the storage case 10 can be made of the same material as the main body of the storage case 10. The insertion platform 12 extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped to the rear side, allowing the communication unit 20 to be temporarily placed thereon when attaching or detaching the communication unit 20, improving the ease of attachment and detachment.

The locking portion 13 constituting the storage case portion 10 is not particularly limited in shape as long as it is recessed. There is also no limitation as to whether the locking portion 13 penetrates to the bottom surface. For example, the locking portion 13 may be a hole shape that does not penetrate to the bottom surface, or the locking portion 13 may be a hole shape that penetrates to the bottom surface.

The extending arm 21 that constitutes the communication unit 20 has an arm shape that extends from the rear end of the insertion (the rear end opposite the tip that is inserted into the opening 11), making it easy to hold as a handle when carrying the device and also functioning as a fixing member for the storage case 10.

The material of the extension arm 21 that constitutes the communication unit 20 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a metal material because it is easier to obtain a sufficient fixing strength with the storage case 10.

The extension arm 21 that constitutes the communication unit 20 is fixed to the side wall of the communication unit 20, and after this fixing, the extension arm 21 may or may not be movable. For example, if it is not movable, it can be fixed so that it does not move from the communication unit 20. For example, if it is movable, it can be supported by a shaft on the side wall of the communication unit 20.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the communication unit 20 is configured to have a height lower than the opening 11, and it is preferable that a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit 20 and the opening 11 when the communication unit 20 is fixed to the opening 11.

It is also preferable that an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap S is provided on the upper surface of the communication unit 20.

1(b), the communication unit 20 can be inserted (in a direction D) from an obliquely upward direction toward the opening 11 into a space (play area) of height _L1 formed by a gap S in the height direction of the opening 11. The space of the gap S allows the communication unit 20 to move up and down freely inside the opening 11, and when the communication unit 20 is finally inserted to a position M where the rear end of the communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11 as shown in FIG. 1(c), the elastic member 23 is firmly fixed to the gap S, and the communication unit 20 is securely held in the storage case 10.

The internal structure of the storage case 10 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the storage case 10 has guide means 14 made of plate portions arranged at positions corresponding to both the left and right sides of the communication unit 20 fixed to the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 2(a) which shows the bottom plate of the storage case 10.

By providing this guide means 14, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the movement of the communication unit 20 to the storage position is guided smoothly and stably by the guide means 14 from both the left and right sides, allowing the communication unit 20 to be more smoothly and removably fixed.

The shape of the plate portion constituting the guide means 14 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the plate portion have an arched shape along the longitudinal direction (parallel to the direction D in which the communication unit portion 20 is inserted).

As a result of this arched shape, as shown in FIG. 2(a), when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the plate portion is in a low arched position near the opening 11, so the initial direction of travel D can be determined reliably by lightly fixing the communication unit 20. As the communication unit 20 moves further inward from the opening 11, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes higher, and the unit is fixed with greater strength. As the communication unit 20 moves further from the opening 11 to the vicinity of the final fixed position, the position of the arched shape of the plate portion becomes lower. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the communication unit 20 is lightly fixed at the final fixed position, making it easier to fix, and the guiding means 14 can support the smooth attachment and removal of the communication unit 20.

In addition to the arched shape, the guide means 14 can also be in a straight line shape or pole shape as shown in FIG. 3(a). A pole shape refers to a straight, elongated cylindrical shape, and it is preferable that both ends of the cylindrical shape are rounded without edges. Even in this case, the communication unit 20 can be smoothly inserted or removed from the opening 11 along the straight line shape or pole shape, and as shown in FIG. 3(b), the communication unit 20 is lightly fixed on both sides at the final fixed position, improving ease of fixing, and the guide means 14 can support smooth attachment and removal of the communication unit 20.

This communication unit 20 can have various connection terminals on the back (rear end for insertion) as slots for various cards. This communication unit 20 is a media converter in the narrow sense that controls the communication of information on the communication cable connected from this connection terminal, and for example, to give only a few examples, media converters compatible with various communication speeds such as 1G/10G/100G/200G/400G can be used, and these media converters can be equipped with optional amplifiers as necessary. Examples of such amplifiers include booster amplifiers and preamplifiers, which can increase the allowable optical loss.

The rear of the communication unit 20 is provided with a section for connecting a communication cable such as a LAN connector or optical connector. The connector for this communication cable is appropriately selected according to the communication speed. In addition, the front (insertion tip) of the communication unit 20 facing the storage case 10 is provided with a connection connector for connecting to a power source and control signals inside the storage case 10.

In addition, power sources such as AC 100/240V and DC 24/48V, and monitoring modules such as a console port and an Ethernet port are arranged in the storage case section 10.

As for the position of the elastic member 23, as shown in FIG. 4(a), it is preferable to arrange the elastic member 23 on the side as well as the top surface of the communication unit 20. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4(b), it is also possible to arrange the elastic member 23 only on the top surface of the communication unit 20.

In this way, in a media converter that is composed of a storage case part 10 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an opening 11 on the rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit part 20 that is inserted through this opening 11 and fixed in a detachable manner, the storage case part 10 is equipped with an insertion base part 12 that extends continuously from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape to the rear surface side, and a locking part 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base part 12, and the communication unit part 20 is equipped with an arm-shaped extension arm part 21 that extends from the insertion rear end, and the storage unit part 20 is attached to the lower side of the extension arm part 21. Since the communication unit 20 has a protrusion 22 disposed at a position corresponding to the locking portion 13 when fixed to the case portion 10, as shown in FIG. 5(a), at position M where the rear end of the insertion of the communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11, and at a position where the longitudinal direction of the extending arm 21 is aligned with the bottom surface of the storage case portion 10, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the protrusion 22 fits into the locking portion 13 and is firmly fixed to the opening 11, making it possible to firmly and detachably fix the communication unit 20 without the need for external fixing means such as screws.

As shown in FIG. 5, the communication unit 20 is configured to have a height lower than the opening 11, and it is preferable that a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit 20 and the opening 11 when the communication unit 20 is fixed to the opening 11.

By forming this gap S, the communication unit 20 has a movable area in the height direction within the opening 11 of the storage case 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), it is preferable that the extension arm 21 of the communication unit 20 is supported by an axis 21a disposed on the side wall of the communication unit 20, thereby allowing it to move in the height direction.

It is also preferable that an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap S is provided on the upper surface of the communication unit 20.

When the communication unit 20 is inserted into or removed from the opening 11, the elastic force of the elastic member 23 reduces the contact resistance with the storage case 10, allowing the communication unit 20 to be smoothly inserted and removed from the storage case 10. At position M where the rear end of the inserted communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the extending arm 21 supported by the axis 21a on the side wall of the communication unit 20 is rotated by the axis 21a and lifted upward (direction A), so that the extending arm 21 serves as a support at position T and the communication unit 20 is lifted upward (direction B). The communication unit 20 is then lifted into a space (play area) of height _L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11 (direction C), and the elastic member 23 securely holds the communication unit 20 on the inner upper surface of the opening 11 via the gap S.

Next, as shown in Figure 5 (b), the extending arm portion 21 journaled on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20 rotates and is pulled downward (direction A'), so that the space (play area) formed by the gap portion S between the opening 11 and the communication unit portion 20 is lowered to height _L2 ( _L2 > _L1 ) (direction B'), and the communication unit portion 20 naturally descends (direction C'). As a result, the protrusion portion 22 of the extending arm portion 21 naturally fits into the locking portion 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base portion 12 of the storage case portion 10.

In this way, the extending arm portion 21 is pivotally supported on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20, allowing the extending arm portion 21 to rotate in the vertical direction, and the vertical movement of the communication unit portion 20 that occurs when the extending arm portion 21 rotates is smoothly maintained by the space (play area) formed by the gap portion via the elastic member 23, and supports the movement of the communication unit portion 20, smoothing the vertical movement of the extending arm portion 21 when the protrusion portion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and promoting stable fixation, improving operability while maintaining lock strength, and allowing the communication unit portion 20 to be more smoothly and removably fixed.

In addition, when the communication unit 20 is fixed to the opening 11, a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the communication unit 20 and the opening 11. When the communication unit 20 is inserted into or removed from the opening 11, the space (play area) formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11 facilitates the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13, allowing the communication unit 20 to be more smoothly fixed in a detachable manner.

Furthermore, since an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), in the space (play area) of height _L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11, the elastic member 23 comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the opening 11 and applies an appropriate amount of pressure to the upper surface of the communication unit 20 by its elastic force, thereby supporting the smooth movement of the communication unit 20, as shown in FIG. 5(b), thereby facilitating the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and promoting stable fixation, so that the communication unit 20 can be more smoothly and removably fixed.

In this way, since the elastic member 23 is arranged on the side of the communication unit 20, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, the smooth movement of the communication unit 20 is supported in the lateral direction of the opening 11, and the vertical movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 is smoothed and stable fixation is promoted, so that the communication unit 20 can be more smoothly and removably fixed.

Furthermore, since an elastic member 23 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the gap is disposed on the upper surface of the communication unit 20, when the communication unit 20 is inserted or removed from the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a), in the space (play area) of height _L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11, the elastic member 23 comes into contact with the inner upper surface of the opening 11 and applies an appropriate amount of pressure to the upper surface of the communication unit 20 by its elastic force, thereby supporting the smooth movement of the communication unit 20, as shown in FIG. 5(b), thereby facilitating the up and down movement of the extending arm 21 when the protrusion 22 engages with the locking portion 13 and promoting stable fixation, so that the communication unit 20 can be more smoothly and removably fixed.

In addition to the above-mentioned configuration of the extension arm portion 21, as shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to configure the extension arm portion 21 so that it is supported by a shaft 21a arranged on the side wall of the communication unit portion 20, and the range of motion of the extension arm portion 21 is narrow, so that the extension arm portion 21 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the storage case portion 10.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, when the communication unit 20 is housed in the storage case 10, the communication unit 20 and the storage case 10 are fitted together on the front side (the surface facing the back side) of the storage case 10, rather than the position M of the rear end of the communication unit 20, so that the entire surface of the rear end of the communication unit 20 becomes the back side of the storage case 10, and it is also possible to configure the position M of the rear end of the communication unit 20 not to be flush with the opening 11.

6(a), the extending arm portion 21 rotates on the shaft 21a and moves up and down compactly, whereby the elastic member 23 is securely held on the inner upper surface of the opening 11 via the gap S, while the space (play area) of height _L1 formed by the gap S in the height direction of the opening 11 continues to maintain height _L1 , and the extending arm portion 21 rotates and is pulled downward, whereby the protrusion 22 of the extending arm portion 21 naturally fits into the locking portion 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion platform portion 12 of the storage case portion 10. In other words, the extending arm portion 21 moves slightly up and down, so that locking and unlocking are easily performed by fitting into the locking portion 13.

The materials of the storage case section 10 and the communication unit section 20 are not particularly limited, but are preferably made of metal. The metal is not particularly limited, but for example, a magnetic shielding material can be used. The magnetic shielding material is not particularly limited, but for example, iron or aluminum can be used.

As described above, since the storage case section 10 and the communication unit section 20 are made of metal, when the communication unit section 20 is inserted and supported and fixed, the entire device exhibits a magnetic shielding function, and it is possible to block external magnetic noise and block the emission of internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external components, creating a higher quality communication environment.

In this case, the material of the elastic member 23 is not particularly limited, but for example, a magnetic shielding material can be used. This magnetic shielding material is not particularly limited, but for example, metallic copper can be used.

As described above, since the elastic member 23 is made of a magnetic shielding material, when the communication unit 20 is inserted and supported, the elastic member 23, which is fixed in contact with the storage case 10, exerts a magnetic shielding function together with the storage case 10. This makes it possible to easily and efficiently block the emission of external magnetic noise and internal magnetic noise without requiring any extra external components, thereby creating a higher quality communication environment.

As described above, the media converter according to the first embodiment has a storage case section 10 that includes an insertion base section 12 that extends from the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped to the rear side, and a locking section 13 formed in a groove shape on the upper surface side of the insertion base section 12, and the communication unit section 20 has an arm-shaped extending arm section 21 that extends from the rear end of the insertion section, and a protrusion section 22 that is disposed below the extending arm section 21 at a position corresponding to the locking section 13 when the communication unit section 20 is fixed to the storage case section 10. When the rear end of the insertion of the communication unit 20 is flush with the opening 11, and when the extending arm 21 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the underside of the storage case 10, the protrusion 22 fits into the locking portion 13 and is firmly fixed to the opening 11 as a stopper, as shown in FIG. 7. This eliminates the need for external fixing means such as screws, and allows the communication unit 20 to be smoothly and firmly fixed in place while maintaining locking strength with a single insertion, improving workability.

Second Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 8, the media converter according to the second embodiment comprises the storage case portion 10 and the communication unit portion 20, similar to the first embodiment, and further, the storage case portion 10 has a plurality of openings 11, and the communication unit portion 20 is made up of a plurality of pieces and fixed to each of the openings 11.

As shown in FIG. 9, the storage case 10 has multiple openings 11 corresponding to multiple communication unit sections 20.

This communication unit 20 can be available in a variety of sizes with different widths, and can have the structure shown in Figure 10, for example.

In addition, in the opening 11 (empty slot) where the communication unit 20 is not inserted and fixed, the same structure as the communication unit 20 (the extension arm 21
A blind (shielding object) having the shaft 21a, the protrusion 22, and the elastic member 23 can be inserted and fixed.

In this way, the storage case 10 has multiple openings 11, and the communication unit 20 is made up of multiple pieces and fixed to each of the openings 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to accommodate multiple communication units 20. For example, as one example, the communication unit 20 can be equipped with up to four media converters compatible with various communication speeds such as 1G/10G/100G/200G/400G, or up to eight such media converters, or a mixture of such media converters can be arranged, allowing for a variety of arrangements, and providing high versatility for a variety of uses.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Storage case portion 11 Opening 12 Insertion base portion 13 Locking portion 14 Guide means 20 Communication unit portion 21 Extension arm portion 21a Shaft 22 Protrusion portion 23 Elastic member

Claims (10)

A media converter including a storage case formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening on a rear surface of the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a communication unit inserted through the opening and removably fixed thereto,
the storage case includes an insertion base portion extending continuously from a bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped toward the rear surface side, and a locking portion formed in a groove shape on an upper surface side of the insertion base portion,
a communication unit portion including an arm-shaped extension arm portion extending from an insertion rear end, and a protrusion portion disposed on the underside of the extension arm portion at a position corresponding to the locking portion when the communication unit portion is fixed to the storage case portion. 2. The media converter of claim 1,
The communication unit is configured to have a height lower than that of the opening,
The media converter according to claim 1 , wherein a gap is formed between an upper surface of the communication unit and the opening when the communication unit is fixed to the opening. 3. The media converter according to claim 2,
A media converter comprising: an elastic member having a size corresponding to a dimension of the gap, the elastic member being disposed on an upper surface of the communication unit; 4. The media converter according to claim 3,
A media converter comprising: an elastic member disposed on a side surface of the communication unit. 5. The media converter according to claim 3,
The media converter, wherein the storage case and the communication unit are made of metal. 6. The media converter according to claim 5,
The media converter, wherein the elastic member is made of a magnetic shielding material. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The media converter, wherein the extending arm portion is pivotally supported on a side wall of the communication unit portion. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The storage case portion has a plurality of openings,
The media converter, wherein the communication unit portion is composed of a plurality of communication units, each of which is fixed to one of the openings. The media converter according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A media converter, characterized in that the storage case portion includes guide means each formed of a plate portion disposed at positions corresponding to both left and right side surfaces of the communication unit portion fixed to the opening portion. 10. The media converter of claim 9,
The media converter, wherein the plate portion has an arched shape along a longitudinal direction.

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