JP7832068B2 - wireless device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a wireless device.

Conventionally, wireless devices powered by batteries are known. These wireless devices comprise a battery, drive components (such as circuit boards and antennas) powered by the battery, and a housing that encloses the battery and drive components. The housing includes a housing member into which the battery and other components are inserted and housed, and a cover member that closes the opening. Examples of this type of wireless device are disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-63859

Incidentally, in battery-powered wireless devices, if the battery is a primary battery, replacement is required as the State of Charge (SOC) value decreases. However, when replacing the battery in such a wireless device, the cover component is removed from the housing component to expose the battery through the insertion opening. If the worker can touch the drive components, it becomes difficult to guarantee quality.

Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a wireless device that allows for battery replacement without degradation of quality.

The present invention comprises a battery unit comprising a battery, an electric wire with one end electrically connected to each pole of the battery, and a battery-side connector with the other ends of each of the two electric wires electrically connected; a drive component powered by the battery's power supplied via the battery-side connector; a housing member having a housing chamber for housing the battery unit and the drive component inserted through an opening; a cover member assembled to the housing member and closing the opening in a closed position; and a sliding mechanism for sliding the cover member relative to the housing member between an open position with a portion of the opening open and the closed position. The drive component comprises a substrate and a plurality of mounted components mounted on the mounting surface of the substrate, wherein one of the plurality of mounted components is a power connector connected to the battery-side connector, and another is an antenna for wirelessly transmitting information, and the open position of the cover member relative to the housing member is such that the battery unit can be freely inserted into and removed from the housing chamber while the drive component remains covered by the cover member from the insertion side, and the battery-side connector can be freely attached to and detached from the power connector.

The wireless device according to the present invention allows for battery unit replacement while the drive components are covered by the cover member. Therefore, in this wireless device, contact with the drive components by workers can be avoided during replacement, thus enabling battery unit replacement while suppressing deterioration of the drive component's quality.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wireless device according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view of the wireless device of the embodiment as seen from the cover member side. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a wireless device with the cover member in the first open position. Figure 4 is a plan view of the wireless device as seen from the cover member side in the first open position. Figure 5 is a side view of a wireless device with the cover member in the first open position. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a wireless device with the cover member in the second open position. Figure 7 is a plan view of the wireless device as seen from the cover member side in the second open position. Figure 8 is a side view of the wireless device with the cover member in the second open position. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in Figure 2. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in Figure 4. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in Figure 7. Figure 12 is a plan view of the wireless device with the cover removed, seen from the insertion side. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the battery unit. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the cover member.

The embodiments of the wireless device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[Embodiment]
One embodiment of the wireless device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14.

Reference numeral 1 in Figures 1 to 11 indicates the wireless device of this embodiment. This wireless device 1 is a battery-powered device that operates using power supplied from a battery, and uses this power to wirelessly transmit information. For example, this wireless device 1 is installed outdoors and electrically connected to an outdoor meter (not shown), such as a gas meter, via a communication line, We1 (Figures 2 and 5). Various types of information are input from the meter as transmission information to this wireless device 1 via the We1. This wireless device 1 transmits the transmission information to a monitoring center via a telecommunication line. For example, this wireless device 1 receives meter reading results (gas usage, etc.) and transmits this reading result information to the monitoring center as transmission information at a predetermined timing, or receives warning information (gas shutoff information, etc.) from the meter and transmits this warning information to the monitoring center as transmission information whenever the information is received.

The wireless device 1 comprises a battery unit 10 equipped with a battery 11, and a drive component 20 powered by the battery 11 (Figures 1, 3, 6, 12, and 13). Furthermore, the wireless device 1 includes a housing member 30 with a housing chamber 30b for accommodating the battery unit 10 and drive component 20 inserted through an insertion opening 30a, and a cover member 40 assembled to the housing member 30 and closing the insertion opening 30a in the closed position (Figures 1 to 11). The wireless device 1 also includes a sliding mechanism 50 that slides the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30 between an open position (with a portion of the insertion opening 30a open) and a closed position (Figures 3, 5, 6, and 8 to 11). Note that in Figure 1, for illustrative purposes, a hole is made in the cover member 40 to expose the housing chamber 30b.

The insertion opening 30a is an opening in the storage chamber 30b, and has a virtual plane perpendicular to the direction in which the opening was made. For example, in the storage member 30, if the insertion opening 30a is formed as an opening along a single plane, that plane becomes the virtual plane. Furthermore, in the storage member 30, the insertion opening 30a may be formed as an opening composed of a combination of multiple planes, as in this example. In this case, the plane perpendicular to the direction in which the opening was made is considered the virtual plane.

The housing chamber 30b, when viewed from the insertion opening 30a side, has a first housing section 30b ₁ in which the battery unit 10 is housed and a second housing section 30b ₂ in which the drive component 20 is housed, arranged in series (Figures 5, 8, and 12). In other words, the housing chamber 30b has the battery unit 10 and the drive component 20 arranged in series when viewed from the insertion opening 30a side. In this housing chamber 30b, the first housing section 30b ₁ is located on the closed position side in the sliding direction of the slide mechanism 50, and the second housing section 30b ₂ is located on the open position side in the sliding direction of the slide mechanism 50. In other words, in this housing chamber 30b, the battery unit 10 is housed on the closed position side in the sliding direction of the slide mechanism 50, and the drive component 20 is housed on the open position side in the sliding direction of the slide mechanism 50.

The battery unit 10 comprises a battery 11, wires We2 to which one end is electrically connected to each pole of the battery 11, and a connector (hereinafter referred to as the "battery-side connector") 12 to which the other ends of the two wires We2 are electrically connected (Figure 13). The battery unit 10 shown here comprises a plurality of cylindrical batteries (in this case, three cylindrical primary batteries) 11. In this battery unit 10, the plurality of batteries 11 are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and are wrapped together in a film member 13, and two wires We2 are connected to the battery pack 14 composed of the plurality of batteries 11 and the film member 13. This battery unit 10 includes busbars 15 within the film member 13 that physically and electrically connect the plurality of batteries 11 to each pole. One end of one wire We2 is physically and electrically connected to the other busbar 15 and is brought out to the outside of the film member 13. Furthermore, one end of the other wire We2 is physically and electrically connected to the other busbar 15, and is led out of the film member 13.

The drive component 20 is powered by the battery 11 in the battery unit 10, supplied via the battery-side connector 12. This drive component 20 comprises a circuit board 21 and a plurality of mounting components 22 mounted on the mounting surface 21a of the circuit board 21 (Figure 12). The circuit board 21 shown here is a rigid printed circuit board (a so-called rigid circuit board), and various mounting components 22 are appropriately mounted on the mounting surface 21a. This circuit board 21 may be a double-sided rigid circuit board or a single-sided rigid circuit board. The circuit board 21 is then housed in the storage chamber 30b with its mounting surface 21a facing the insertion opening 30a.

The multiple mounted components 22 include, one of which is a connector (hereinafter referred to as the "power connector") 22A connected to the battery-side connector 12, and another of which is an antenna 22B for wirelessly transmitting information (Figure 12). Furthermore, this drive component 20 includes, as a mounted component 22, a connector (hereinafter referred to as the "external input connector") 22C connected to the connector (hereinafter referred to as the "external connector") 501 at the end of the electric wire We1 (Figure 12).

In this drive component 20, instrument information (such as inspection results and warning information) is input via the external connector 501 and the external input connector 22C. The drive component 20 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing this instrument information (not shown). Furthermore, the drive component 20 includes a control unit that transmits the input instrument information and RAM storage information as transmission information via a telecommunications line from the antenna 22B to the monitoring center (not shown).

Furthermore, this drive component 20 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 22F as a mounted component 22, which lights up or blinks when, for example, instrument information is input or during communication with the monitoring center, or when the SOC value of the battery pack 14 decreases (Figure 12).

On the circuit board 21, the power connector 22A, antenna 22B, external input connector 22C, and LED 22F are each mounted on the same mounting surface 21a (Figure 12). The RAM and control unit are also mounted on the same mounting surface 21a of the circuit board 21. Here, the power connector 22A and other components are mounted on the mounting surface 21a facing the insertion opening 30a. The power connector 22A and external input connector 22C are mounted on the battery unit 10 side of the circuit board 21, with their connection ports to the other connectors (battery-side connector 12 and external connector 501) facing the first housing section 30b ₁ on the battery unit 10 side. The LED 22F is mounted on the battery unit 10 side of the circuit board 21, similar to the power connector 22A and other components. The antenna 22B is an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving information via a telecommunications line, and is mounted on the end of the circuit board 21 opposite to the battery unit 10 side.

The housing member 30 and the cover member 40 are molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The housing member 30 is installed on the target location, such as an outdoor wall, for example, by screw fastening. The housing member 30 shown here has an opening 30a perpendicular to the vertical direction when installed on the target location. In the following, unless otherwise specified, "installation state" refers to the installation state of the wireless device 1 (housing member 30 and cover member 40) on the target location.

The housing member 30 has a bottom wall 31 that is positioned opposite the insertion opening 30a with a gap between them, and has a pair of parallel sides that extend vertically when installed (Figures 5 and 8). The housing member 30 also has side walls 32 that extend vertically from each side of the bottom wall 31 (Figures 3, 6, and 12). Furthermore, the housing member 30 has an upper wall 33 connecting the vertically upward ends of the bottom wall 31 and the two side walls 32 when installed, and a lower wall 34 connecting the vertically downward ends of the bottom wall 31 and the two side walls 32 when installed (Figure 12).

This storage member 30 has a storage chamber 30b, which is a space enclosed by its bottom wall 31, two side walls 32, an upper wall 33, and a lower wall 34. Therefore, in this storage member 30, the openings enclosed by the ends of the two side walls 32, the upper wall 33, and the lower wall 34 on the opposite side from the bottom wall 31 (hereinafter referred to as "opening ends") become the insertion openings 30a. In this storage member 30, the bottom wall 31 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and the two side walls 32, the upper wall 33, and the lower wall 34 are each suspended from each side of the bottom wall 31 as flat plates.

Furthermore, in this housing member 30, the space on the upper wall 33 side of the housing chamber 30b becomes the first housing section 30b ₁ , and the space on the lower wall 34 side of the housing chamber 30b becomes the second housing section 30b _2. The two side walls 32 shown here have a height in the direction of protrusion from the bottom wall 31 that is higher on the second housing section 30b ₂ side than on the first housing section 30b ₁ side, and the opening position of the insertion port 30a is higher on the second housing section 30b ₂ side than on the first housing section 30b ₁ side, thereby making the depth of the housing chamber 30b deeper on the second housing section 30b ₂ side than on the first housing section 30b ₁ side (Figures 5 and 8).

In the first housing section 30b ₁ , the battery unit 10 is housed with the electric wire We 2 and the battery-side connector 12 positioned on the side of the second housing section 30b ₂ that is closer to the battery pack 14 (Figure 12). In the battery pack 14 within the first housing section 30b ₁ , each battery 11 is arranged in parallel along the bottom wall 31 with its axis oriented vertically and perpendicular to that axis when installed. Multiple clamping parts 35a are vertically extended from the bottom wall 31 of the first housing section 30b ₁ to clamp the battery pack 14 from vertically above and vertically below when installed (Figure 12, some parts omitted).

In the second housing section 30b ₂ , the drive components 20 are housed with a mounting surface 21a on which the power connector 22A, antenna 22B, and external input connector 22C are mounted, facing the insertion opening 30a (Figure 12). In this second housing section 30b ₂ , the power connector 22A and external input connector 22C are mounted on the end of its mounting surface 21a on the first housing section 30b ₁ side, with their connection ports to the mating connectors (battery-side connector 12, external connector 501) facing the first housing section 30b _1. In this second housing section 30b ₂ , the antenna 22B is mounted on the end of its mounting surface 21a on the lower wall 34 side.

In this second housing section 30b ₂ , there are multiple mounting sections 35b on which the drive component 20 is placed with a gap from the bottom wall 31, and a first clamping section 35c and a second clamping section 35d that sandwich the drive component 20 between the respective mounting sections 35b, which are suspended from the bottom wall 31 (Figure 12). The peripheral edge of the substrate 21 is placed on the mounting sections 35b. The first clamping section 35c has, for example, a shaft portion that is inserted into the through hole 21b of the substrate 21, and a claw portion that, at the point of insertion, engages with the peripheral edge of the through hole 21b on the mounting surface 21a on the insertion opening 30a side. The second clamping section 35d has, for example, a claw portion that engages with the peripheral edge of the substrate 21 on the mounting surface 21a on the insertion opening 30a side.

The upper wall 33 shown here has its wall portion 33a on the insertion opening 30a side (hereinafter referred to as the "opening wall portion") protruding beyond the outer wall surfaces of the two side walls 32 (Figures 1, 3, and 6).

Furthermore, the lower wall 34 shown here has a notch 34a cut out from the insertion opening 30a side (Figure 12). The instrument's wire We1 is drawn into the housing chamber 30b through this notch 34a. A grommet 61 is fitted into the notch 34a, through which the wire We1 is inserted and which closes the through-hole formed between it and the cover member 40 (Figure 12).

For example, the instrument's wire We1 is routed through its through-hole, through the gap between the substrate 21 and the bottom wall 31, and towards the insertion opening 30a of the substrate 21. The external connector 501 at the end of the wire We1 is then connected to the external input connector 22C on the substrate 21. The bottom wall 31 is provided with a holding portion that secures the wire We1 by sandwiching it between the substrate 21 and the bottom wall 31 (not shown).

For example, the holding part clamps the electric wire We1 in a groove that runs along the direction in which the electric wire We1 is drawn in from the notch 34a to the housing chamber 30b (the direction in which the electric wire is drawn in). In this wireless device 1, for example, by appropriately adjusting the arrangement of the notch 34a and the external input connector 22C, and by making the extension direction of the holding part's groove intersect with the direction in which the electric wire is drawn in, the electric wire We1 can be routed in an S-shape in the gap between the substrate 21 and the bottom wall 31, and the electric wire We1 can be held by the holding part midway through the S-shape. As a result, in this wireless device 1, even if the electric wire We1 is pulled from the outside, the force is absorbed by the holding part, thus preventing displacement of the electric wire We1 within the housing chamber 30b, and consequently, the external connector 501 and the external input connector 22C can remain connected.

Furthermore, the housing member 30 has a covering portion 36 with a covering opening 36x that faces vertically downwards to the end located vertically upwards when installed in the housing chamber 30b (Figures 1 to 12). This covering portion 36 is provided at the end located vertically upwards when installed in the first housing portion 30b _1. This covering portion 36 is placed over the housing chamber 30b from the outside with a gap between it and the housing chamber 30b, with the covering opening 36x facing vertically downwards.

This covering portion 36 has a main covering wall 36a that protrudes from the opening end of the upper wall 33 on the insertion opening 30a side and covers the end of the insertion opening 30a on the upper wall 33 side with a gap between it and the end (Figures 1 to 12). As will be described later, the end of the insertion opening 30a on the upper wall 33 side is closed by the fitting portion 46 of the cover member 40 in the closed position. The main covering wall 36a is positioned opposite the fitting portion 46 of the cover member 40 in the closed position. For this reason, the main covering wall 36a is positioned opposite the portion of the insertion opening 30a that is closed by the fitting portion 46 with a gap between it and the end. The main covering wall 36a shown here is a wall that protrudes from the opening end of the upper wall 33 on the insertion opening 30a side (the end of the opening wall portion 33a on the insertion opening 30a side) toward the lower wall 34 side, and is an inclined wall that moves away from the insertion opening 30a as it approaches the lower wall 34 (Figures 5 and 8 to 11).

Furthermore, this covering portion 36 has ribs 36b (hereinafter referred to as "vertical ribs") that protrude from the outer wall surface of the side wall 32, are connected to the opening wall portion 33a of the upper wall 33, and extend vertically in the installed state (Figures 3, 5, 6, and 8 to 11). Each of these two vertical ribs 36b is connected to the end of the opening wall portion 33a on the bottom wall 31 side (Figures 9 to 11). Therefore, these two vertical ribs 36b are each spaced apart from the main covering wall 36a. Moreover, each of these two vertical ribs 36b extends vertically downward from the covering opening 36x in the installed state (Figures 3, 5, 6, and 8 to 11). The two vertical ribs 36b shown here each extend to the outer wall surface of the lower wall 34.

Furthermore, this covering portion 36 is arranged opposite the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 with a gap between them, and has sub-covering walls 36c for each combination of the side wall 32 and vertical rib 36b, connecting the ends of the opening wall portion 33a of the upper wall 33, the main covering wall 36a, and the vertical rib 36b (Figures 1 to 8).

In this covering portion 36, the opening enclosed by the ends of the main covering wall 36a and the two sub-covering walls 36c on the lower wall 34 side, the two vertical ribs 36b, and the two side walls 32 becomes the covering opening 36x.

The housing member 30 has ribs 37 (hereinafter referred to as "intersecting ribs") that protrude from the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 and extend from the vertical rib 36b toward the bottom wall 31 (Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8 to 11). The intersecting ribs 37 have a wall surface that is on the same plane as the end face on the covering opening 36x side of the sub-covering wall 36c, which is positioned opposite the pair of side walls 32 (Figures 5 and 8). Each of the two intersecting ribs 37 shown here extends to the bottom wall 31.

The cover member 40 has a cover body 41 that closes the lower wall 34 side of the covering portion 36 at the insertion opening 30a in a closed position (that is, it closes the portion located vertically below the covering portion 36 at the insertion opening 30a when installed) (Figures 1 to 11 and 14). Furthermore, this cover member 40 has cover side walls 42 for each side wall 32 that cover the lower wall 34 side of the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 below the covering portion 36 in a closed position (that is, it covers the portion located vertically below the covering portion 36 on the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 when installed) (Figures 1 to 8 and 14). Additionally, this cover member 40 has a cover lower wall 43 that covers the outer wall surface of the lower wall 34 in a closed position (Figure 14).

In this cover member 40, the cover body 41 is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape that matches the shape of the insertion opening 30a. Two cover side walls 42 and a cover bottom wall 43 are vertically attached from the four sides of this cover body 41 as flat plates.

Here, the cover body 41 is assembled with a lens member 62 that, when in the closed position, allows light from the LED 22F of the drive component 20 to be emitted outwards, protruding into the housing chamber 30b (Figures 1 to 4, 10, and 14).

Furthermore, the cover member 40 has fitting portions 46 that protrude vertically upward from each end of the cover body 41 and the two cover side walls 42, which are located vertically upward in the installed state, and that are fitted into the inside of the covering portion 36 through the covering opening 36x along the inner wall surface of the covering portion 36, thereby closing the portion of the insertion opening 30a that is covered by the covering portion 36 when in the closed position (Figures 3 to 11 and 14). These fitting portions 46 protrude from each end face of the cover body 41 and the two cover side walls 42, which are located vertically upward in the installed state.

This fitting portion 46 has a main fitting wall 46a that is positioned opposite the inner wall surface of the main covering wall 36a in the closed position, and sub-fitting walls 46b for each side wall 32 that are connected to the main fitting wall 46a and interposed between the opposing side walls 32 and sub-covering walls 36c in the closed position (Figures 3 to 11 and 14).

The main inset wall 46a shown here is positioned with its outer wall surface facing the inner wall surface of the main covering wall 36a with a small gap between them in the closed position (Figure 9). Therefore, this main inset wall 46a is an inclined wall tilted vertically at the same angle as the main covering wall 36a, and its outer wall surface is positioned facing the inner wall surface of the main covering wall 36a with the same gap.

Furthermore, the sub-insertion wall 46b shown here, for example, when in the closed position, is positioned with its inner wall surface facing the outer wall surface of the side wall 32, with a small gap between it and the opposing side wall 32 and the sub-covering wall 36c. When in the closed position, the end of the sub-insertion wall 46b, located on the bottom wall 31 side, faces the vertical rib 36b protruding from the opposing side wall 32. In other words, this sub-insertion wall 46b is housed within the groove formed by the side wall 32, vertical rib 36b, and sub-covering wall 36c in the housing member 30. This sub-insertion wall 46b forms a triangular shape connecting the end located vertically upward in the installed state on the cover side wall 42 to the end of the main insertion wall 46a.

The cover member 40, with its fitting portion 46 in the open position, covers the opening of the second housing portion 30b ₂ in the insertion opening 30a together with the drive component 20 inside the second housing portion 30b ₂ (Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8). Therefore, in this wireless device 1, the battery unit 10, which is exposed from the opening of the first housing portion 30b ₁ in the insertion opening 30a, is attached and detached when the cover member 40 is in the open position. In this first housing portion 30b ₁ , in order to improve the ease of attaching and detaching the battery-side connector 12 of the battery unit 10 and the power connector 22A of the drive component 20, it is desirable to house the battery pack 14 on the bottom wall 31 side rather than on the same plane as the mounting surface 21a on the insertion opening 30a side of the circuit board 21. Also, in this wireless device 1, as the battery pack 14 is positioned, the antenna 22B will be located on the insertion opening 30a side of the battery pack 14, so that a decrease in the transmission and reception performance of the antenna 22B can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this wireless device 1, by not using waterproofing materials such as gaskets to prevent the ingress of liquids such as water into the housing chamber 30b, the replacement of such waterproofing materials is eliminated, and the increase in the number of parts is suppressed, thereby reducing product costs and running costs. Also, by not using waterproofing materials, this wireless device 1 suppresses the deterioration of waterproofing performance due to the aging of waterproofing materials.

Therefore, in this wireless device 1, the waterproofing performance is enhanced by first utilizing the covering portion 36 of the housing member 30 and the fitting portion 46 of the cover member 40. In other words, in this wireless device 1, the covering portion 36 is positioned as far vertically upward in the installed state, and the fitting portion 46 is inserted into this covering portion 36 from a covering opening 36x that faces vertically downward. As a result, in this wireless device 1, the covering portion 36 acts like an umbrella, preventing the ingress of liquids such as water into the housing chamber 30b.

Next, in this wireless device 1, the area vertically below the covering portion 36 of the housing member 30 in the installed state is covered from the outside by the cover member 40. Specifically, the main cover body 41 closes the insertion opening 30a of the housing chamber 30b, the corresponding side walls 32 are covered from the outside by the cover side walls 42, and the bottom wall 34 is covered from the outside by the cover bottom wall 43. In this wireless device 1, the notch 34a of the bottom wall 34 forms a through hole between it and the cover bottom wall 43, and this through hole is closed with a grommet 61. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, the ingress of liquids such as water into the housing chamber 30b can be suppressed even vertically below the covering portion 36 in the installed state.

In this wireless device 1, although the insertion portion 46 is inserted into the covering portion 36, gaps are created between the covering portion 36 and the cover body 41, and between the covering portion 36 and each cover side wall 42. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, there is a possibility that liquids such as water may enter these gaps. To address this, in the housing member 30 and the cover member 40, the end faces of the cover body 41 and the two cover side walls 42, which are vertically upward in the installed state (i.e., the end faces where the base of the insertion portion 46 is located), are positioned opposite the end face of the covering portion 36 on the covering opening 36x side, with a gap between them, and the groove formed by this gap is used as the main drainage channel 71 (Figures 1, 2, and 9). Here, in the covering portion 36, the end face on the covering opening 36x side is positioned on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction in the installed state. Similarly, in the cover member 40, the end faces of the cover body 41 and the two cover side walls 42, which are vertically upward in the installed state, are positioned on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction.

The main drainage channel 71 shown here has a main groove 71a formed by a gap between the end face of the main covering wall 36a on the covering opening 36x side and the end face of the cover body 41 that is located vertically upward in the installed state (Figures 1 and 2). In this main groove 71a, the respective end faces of the main covering wall 36a and the cover body 41 in their opposing positions become the groove side walls, and the outer wall surface of the main fitting wall 46a of the fitting portion 46 becomes the groove bottom.

Furthermore, the main drainage channel 71 consists of a gap between the end face of the sub-covering wall 36c on the covering opening 36x side and the wall surface of the intersecting rib 37 (the wall surface on the covering opening 36x side) and the end face of the cover side wall 42 located vertically upward in the installed state. It has lateral grooves 71b for each combination of the sub-covering wall 36c and cover side wall 42, connected to the end of the main groove 71a on the cover side wall 42 side (Figures 1 and 2). In these lateral grooves 71b, the respective end faces of the sub-covering wall 36c and cover side wall 42 in their opposing configurations become groove side walls, and the wall surface of the intersecting rib 37 and the end face of the cover side wall 42 in their opposing configurations also become groove side walls. In these lateral grooves 71b, the outer wall surface of the sub-fitting wall 46b of the fitting portion 46 becomes the groove bottom.

In this wireless device 1, liquids such as water that have entered the main groove 71a from the outside flow into, for example, the lateral groove 71b. In the lateral groove 71b, liquids that have entered from the outside and liquids that have flowed in from the main groove 71a flow down the groove side wall to the bottom wall 31, and are then discharged to the outside. Furthermore, the liquid in the lateral groove 71b flows down the outer surface of the sub-insertion wall 46b, which is the bottom of the groove, into the groove between the side wall 32, the vertical rib 36b, and the sub-covering wall 36c of the housing member 30, and flows down the vertical rib 36b to the bottom wall 34. Here, in this wireless device 1, since the ends of each vertical rib 36b on the bottom wall 34 side are not covered by the cover member 40, the liquid that has flowed down the vertical rib 36b to the bottom wall 34 is discharged to the outside. Thus, this wireless device 1 utilizes the groove formed by the gap between the covering portion 36 and the cover member 40 as the main drainage channel 71. By guiding liquid that enters this main drainage channel 71 to the outside, it suppresses the intrusion of liquid through the gap, thus ensuring waterproof performance without the use of waterproofing materials such as gaskets.

Furthermore, in this wireless device 1, considering the case where the liquid in the main drainage channel 71 enters the space between the covering portion 36 and the fitting portion 46 due to water pressure, a configuration is adopted to guide the liquid out. Specifically, on the outer wall surfaces of the main fitting wall 46a and the two sub-fitting walls 46b, a recessed sub-drainage channel 72 is provided, extending from the end of one sub-fitting wall 46b on the side of one vertical rib 36b to the end of the other sub-fitting wall 46b on the side of the other vertical rib 36b (Figures 3 to 11 and 14). This sub-drainage channel 72 is provided in at least one location. When multiple sub-drainage channels 72 are provided, the groove width of the sub-drainage channel 72 on the side of the main groove 71a is made the widest. Here, two sub-drainage channels 72 (first sub-drainage channel 72A, second sub-drainage channel 72B) are provided.

For example, the two secondary drainage channels 72 in this example each have a main groove 72a that linearly connects the ends of the secondary embedded walls 46b on the outer surface of the main embedded wall 46a, and lateral grooves 72b for each secondary embedded wall 46b that linearly connect the main groove 72a to the end on the vertical rib 36b on the outer surface of the secondary embedded wall 46b (Figures 4 and 7).

In this wireless device 1, liquid that has seeped between the insertion part 46 and the covering part 36 from the main drainage channel 71 flows into the secondary drainage channel 72. This liquid then flows through the lateral groove 72b into the groove between the side wall 32, the vertical rib 36b, and the secondary covering wall 36c of the housing member 30, and flows along the vertical rib 36b to the lower wall 34, where it is discharged to the outside. In this way, the waterproof performance of this wireless device 1 can be improved.

As previously described, the sliding mechanism 50 slides the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30 between an open position, where a portion of the insertion opening 30a is opened, and a closed position. The open position of the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30 allows for easy insertion and removal of the battery unit 10 from the housing chamber 30b, while the drive component 20 remains covered by the cover member 40 from the insertion opening 30a side. Furthermore, it allows for easy attachment and detachment of the battery-side connector 12 to the power connector 22A.

The sliding mechanism 50 is provided between each of the paired side walls 32 and the cover side wall 42.

In this type of wireless device 1, the cover member 40 is usually slid relative to the housing member 30 in a direction along the virtual plane of the insertion opening 30a. However, in the wireless device 1 shown here, unlike the usual sliding direction, the cover member 40 is slid relative to the housing member 30 in a direction that intersects the virtual plane. This sliding mechanism 50 is configured to slide the cover member 40 diagonally relative to the housing member 30 from the closed position to the open position in a direction that intersects the insertion opening 30a (i.e., a direction that intersects the virtual plane of the insertion opening 30a). In other words, this sliding mechanism 50 is configured to slide the cover member 40 diagonally relative to the housing member 30 from the open position to the closed position in a direction that intersects the insertion opening 30a. In this wireless device 1, as previously shown, the lens member 62 is assembled to the cover body 41 with the lens member 62 protruding into the housing chamber 30b. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, by sliding the cover member 40 from the closed position to the open position or from the open position to the closed position relative to the housing member 30 in such an oblique sliding direction, contact between the lens member 62 and the drive component 20 (particularly the antenna 22B) during the sliding is avoided.

Specifically, the sliding mechanism 50 is configured to slide the cover member 40 in two directions relative to the housing member 30, with an intermediate position between the open and closed positions as the boundary. This sliding mechanism 50 is configured to diagonally slide the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30 between the closed and intermediate positions in a direction intersecting the insertion opening 30a, and to slide the cover member 40 parallel to the housing member 30 between the open and intermediate positions in a direction along the opening of the insertion opening 30a. In other words, this sliding mechanism 50 is configured to diagonally slide the cover member 40 from bottom to top and from top to bottom in a direction intersecting the vertical direction relative to the housing member 30 in its installed state, and also to slide the cover member 40 parallel to the vertical direction relative to the housing member 30 in its installed state.

Between the housing member 30 and the cover member 40, the sliding mechanism 50 comprises a main sliding mechanism 50A responsible for the sliding motion of the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30, and a secondary sliding mechanism 50B that assists the sliding motion of the main sliding mechanism 50A and maintains the sliding position of the main sliding mechanism 50A (Figures 3, 5, 6, and 8 to 11).

Between the pair of side walls 32 and the cover side wall 42, the main sliding mechanism 50A comprises a main guide rail 51 provided on one of the outer wall surfaces of the side wall 32 and the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42, and a first main guide projection 52 and a second main guide projection 53 provided on the other side, which are guided along the main guide rail 51 (Figures 5, 8 to 11, and 14). The main sliding mechanism 50A shown here has the main guide rail 51 on the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 and a pair of first and second main guide projections 52 and 53 on the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42.

Furthermore, between the paired side walls 32 and the cover side wall 42, the sub-slide mechanism 50B includes a sub-guide rail 55 provided on one of the outer wall surfaces of the side wall 32 and the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42, and a sub-guide projection 56 provided on the other side, which is guided along the sub-guide rail 55 (Figures 5, 8 to 11, and 14). The sub-slide mechanism 50B shown here has the sub-guide rail 55 on the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 and the sub-guide projection 56 on the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42. The sub-guide rail 55 is positioned closer to the bottom wall 31 and the lower wall 34 than the main guide rail 51.

The housing member 30 has a flat plate-shaped bulge 38 that extends from the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 to the same plane as the end face on the protruding side of the vertical rib 36b (Figures 5 and 8 to 11). The main guide rail 51 and the sub-guide rail 55 are each formed by recessing a part of their bulge 38 into a groove. The bulge 38 has a flat plate portion 38a that is positioned opposite the outer wall surface of the side wall 32 with a gap between it and the second housing section 30b ₂ side and closer to the insertion opening 30a than the main guide rail 51 (Figures 5 and 8 to 11), and the vertical rib 36b extends to the outer wall surface of the lower wall 34 in a manner that avoids the main guide rail 51 between the flat plate portion 38a and the outer wall surface of the side wall 32.

Each main guide rail 51 has a first oblique guide section 51a that slides the cover member 40 diagonally relative to the housing member 30 between the closed position and the intermediate position, and a first parallel guide section 51b that slides the cover member 40 parallel to the housing member 30 between the open position and the intermediate position (Figures 5 and 8 to 11). Here, in order to align the entry angle of the fitting section 46 into the covering section 36 with the sliding direction of the oblique slide, the inclination angle of the first oblique guide section 51a with respect to the vertical in the installed state, the inclination angle of the main covering wall 36a of the covering section 36, and the inclination angle of the main fitting wall 46a of the fitting section 46 are matched.

Here, the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 are arranged vertically on the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42, spaced apart from each other in the installed state (Figure 14). Here, the first main guide projection 52 is positioned on the fitting portion 46 side, and the second main guide projection 53 is positioned on the cover lower wall 43 side. The first main guide projection 52 is formed in a disc shape with its central axis perpendicular to the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42. On the other hand, the second main guide projection 53 has an arc-shaped circumferential wall surface on the side facing the first main guide projection 52, and a flat plate-like circumferential wall surface on the opposite side of the first main guide projection 52, aligned with the rail width direction (groove width direction) of the first oblique guide portion 51a of the main guide rail 51.

The first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 are guided vertically along the main guide rail 51 without changing their alignment direction. For this reason, the main guide rail 51 is formed with a rail width (groove width) that allows the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 to be guided vertically while maintaining their alignment. In this case, the alignment direction of the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 and the rail width direction (groove width direction) of the first oblique guide section 51a intersect but are not perpendicular. In contrast, in this case, the alignment direction of the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 and the rail width direction (groove width direction) of the first parallel guide section 51b are perpendicular. Therefore, in the main guide rail 51, the rail width (groove width) of the first parallel guide section 51b is made wider than or equal to the size of the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53, within a range that does not hinder the sliding motion, and the rail width (groove width) of the first oblique guide section 51a is made wider than the rail width (groove width) of the first parallel guide section 51b.

Furthermore, in the closed position, the main slide mechanism 50A engages the first main guide projection 52 with the guide side wall on the insertion opening 30a side of the first oblique guide portion 51a, and engages the second main guide projection 53 with the guide side wall on the bottom wall 31 side of the first oblique guide portion 51a (Figure 9). This allows the main slide mechanism 50A to suppress relative movement of the cover member 40 with respect to the housing member 30 in the closed position in the direction of its engagement.

Furthermore, the housing member 30 has a first locking portion 54A positioned within the first oblique guide portion 51a of the main guide rail 51, which locks the movement of the second main guide projection 53 toward the open position in the closed position, thereby keeping the cover member 40 in the closed position (Figures 5, 8, and 9). This first locking portion 54A is a bulge extending from the bottom of the groove of the first oblique guide portion 51a. In the closed position, the closed-position end of this first locking portion 54A locks the open-position end of the second main guide projection 53. For example, here, the corners of the ends of the first locking portion 54A and the second main guide projection 53 are brought into contact.

Furthermore, the first locking portion 54A has an inclined surface 54a on the open position side that moves away from the bottom of the groove of the first inclined guide portion 51a as it moves from the open position side towards the closed position side (Figures 5 and 8 to 11). As the second main guide projection 53 moves through the first inclined guide portion 51a from the open position side towards the closed position side, it moves along its inclined surface 54a and overcomes the first locking portion 54A.

In each cover side wall 42, two notches 42a are provided in the vertical direction of the installed state, with the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 separated by them. The portion 42b between these two notches 42a is made flexible (Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 14). The first locking portion 54A utilizes the deflection of the portion 42b to allow the second main guide projection 53 to move over the first main guide projection 53 as it moves from the open position to the closed position within the first oblique guide portion 51a. Conversely, when the second main guide projection 53 moves from the closed position to the open position within the first oblique guide portion 51a, the portion 42b is deflected, for example, by the force acting between the corners of the locked ends of the first locking portion 54A and the second main guide projection 53, causing the second main guide projection 53 to ride up onto the first locking portion 54A.

Here, the first locking portion 54A is positioned close to the guide side wall on the bottom wall 31 side of the first oblique guide portion 51a, creating a gap between it and the guide side wall on the insertion opening 30a side of the first oblique guide portion 51a that is greater than or equal to the diameter of the first main guide projection 52 (Figure 9). The first main guide projection 52 passes through this gap as it moves between the open and closed positions within the first oblique guide portion 51a.

Furthermore, the housing member 30 has a second locking portion 54B positioned within the first parallel guide portion 51b of the main guide rail 51. This second locking portion 54B prevents the cover member 40 from detaching from the housing member 30 in the open position by locking the second main guide projection 53 in the open position (Figures 10 and 11). The second locking portion 54B is a bulge extending from the bottom of the groove of the first parallel guide portion 51b, and its end face on the closed position side locks the second main guide projection 53.

Next, each sub-guide rail 55 has a second oblique guide portion 55a that slides the cover member 40 diagonally relative to the housing member 30 between the closed position and the intermediate position, and a second parallel guide portion 55b that slides the cover member 40 parallel to the housing member 30 between the open position and the intermediate position (Figures 5 and 8 to 11). The second oblique guide portion 55a is inclined at the same angle as the first oblique guide portion 51a.

The sub-guide projection 56 is positioned on the lower wall 43 side of the cover, beyond the pair of first and second main guide projections 52 and the respective portions 42b of the two cover side walls 42. This sub-guide projection 56 is formed in a disc shape with its central axis perpendicular to the inner wall surface of the cover side wall 42.

This sub-slide mechanism 50B aims to assist the sliding motion of the main slide mechanism 50A and maintain the sliding position by widening the rail width (groove width) of the sub-guide rail 55 to the same size as or larger than the sub-guide projection 56, within a range that does not hinder the sliding motion. As a result, the sub-slide mechanism 50B can lock the sub-guide projection 56 to the guide side wall on the insertion opening 30a side and the guide side wall on the bottom wall 31 side of the second oblique guide section 55a in the closed position. Therefore, the sub-slide mechanism 50B can suppress the relative movement of the cover member 40 with respect to the housing member 30 in the closed position in the direction of locking.

Between the housing member 30 and the cover member 40 shown here, there is a rotation mechanism 57 that rotates the cover member 40 in the open position relative to the housing member 30, thereby pulling the closed end of the cover member 40 away from the insertion opening 30a (Figures 10 and 11). Here, along with the rotation of the cover member 40, the closed end of the fitting portion 46 is pulled away from the insertion opening 30a. In this example, the rotation mechanism 57 is constructed using the main slide mechanism 50A. For convenience, the open position of the cover member 40 reached by the sliding motion will be referred to as the first open position (Figures 3 to 5 and 10), and the open position of the cover member 40 reached by the rotation motion from this first open position will be referred to as the second open position (Figures 6 to 8 and 11).

First, when the cover member 40 is in the first or second open position, the first main guide projection 52 and the second main guide projection 53 are located within the first parallel guide portion 51b in the main slide mechanism 50A. However, if the sub-guide projection 56 is located within the second parallel guide portion 55b in the sub-slide mechanism 50B, the cover member 40 will have difficulty rotating relative to the housing member 30. Therefore, the sub-slide mechanism 50B is configured such that when the cover member 40 is in the first or second open position, the sub-guide projection 56 moves out of the second parallel guide portion 55b and is positioned outside the housing member 30 (Figures 10 and 11).

Next, when the cover member 40 is in the first open position, the second main guide projection 53 is locked to the second locking portion 54B by the main slide mechanism 50A (Figure 10). Therefore, the rotation mechanism 57 rotates the cover member 40 in the first open position relative to the housing member 30 toward the second open position, using the two second main guide projections 53 as axes of rotation (Figures 10 and 11).

However, in the main slide mechanism 50A, since the first main guide projection 52 is also present in the first parallel guide section 51b, similar to the second main guide projection 53, when the cover member 40 in the first open position is rotated relative to the housing member 30 using the second main guide projection 53 as the axis of rotation, the first main guide projection 52 abuts against the guide side wall on the insertion opening 30a side of the first parallel guide section 51b, hindering the rotation of the cover member 40. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 57 is provided with a relief groove 57a in the guide side wall on the insertion opening 30a side of the first parallel guide section 51b, into which the first main guide projection 52 enters as the cover member 40 rotates from the first open position toward the second open position (Figures 10 and 11). This relief groove 57a also serves as a rotation restricting groove that limits the rotation angle of the cover member 40 relative to the housing member 30, and locks the first main guide projection 52 in the second open position.

Thus, in this wireless device 1, the cover member 40 in the first open position can be rotated relative to the housing member 30, allowing the closed end of the cover member 40 to be separated from the insertion opening 30a. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, when the cover member 40 is opened by a sliding motion to attach or detach the battery unit 10, the distance between the fitting portion 46 of the cover member 40 and the power connector 22A of the drive component 20 widens in the second open position after rotation compared to the first open position before rotation. This improves the ease of attaching and detaching the battery-side connector 12 and the power connector 22A.

Furthermore, depending on the shape and arrangement of the sub-guide rail 55 and sub-guide projection 56, the sub-slide mechanism 50B may have the sub-guide projection 56 located within the second parallel guide section 55b when the cover member 40 is in the first open position. In this case, for example, a relief groove (not shown) is provided on the guide side wall on the bottom wall 31 side of the second parallel guide section 55b, into which the sub-guide projection 56 fits as the cover member 40 in the first open position rotates toward the second open position relative to the housing member 30, with the second main guide projection 53 as the axis of rotation. This allows the cover member 40 in the first open position to rotate toward the second open position relative to the housing member 30, with the second main guide projection 53 as the axis of rotation, even in this case.

This wireless device 1 holds the cover member 40, which has slid to the closed position, in the housing member 30. Here, the housing member 30 and the cover member 40 are kept in the closed position using the fitted covering portion 36 and fitting portion 46 in the closed position, two main guide rails 51 capable of locking in the closed position, a pair of first main guide projections 52 and second main guide projections 53, two first locking portions 54A and second main guide projections 53 capable of locking in the closed position, and two sub-guide rails 55 and sub-guide projections 56 capable of locking in the closed position. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, the cover side wall 42, on which the first main guide projections 52, second main guide projections 53, and sub-guide projections 56 are provided, is configured to prevent bending from pulling it away from the side wall 32.

First, the cover side wall 42 is provided with locking projections 42c that protrude along its own plane from its free end (the base on the cover body 41 side is the fixed end), at multiple locations other than the piece portion 42b (Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 14). Here, locking projections 42c are provided at a total of three locations, including two locations where the piece portion 42b is interposed. These locking projections 42c are provided on each cover side wall 42.

Next, the housing member 30 is provided with rectangular, flat projections 39 extending vertically from the outer wall surface on the bottom wall 31 side of each side wall 32 (Figures 1 and 3 to 8). Each projection 39 is provided with a through-hole-shaped locking portion 39a that allows the locking projection 42c to extend and retract before and after the closed position as the cover member 40 slides diagonally relative to the housing member 30, and that can lock the retracted locking projection 42c in the bending direction of the cover side wall 42 when it is in the closed position (Figures 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7).

This wireless device 1 can suppress the deflection of each cover side wall 42 in the closed position by the pair of locking protrusions 42c and locking parts 39a. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, the locked state of the main guide rail 51 and a pair of first and second main guide protrusions 52 and 53 can be maintained in the closed position, as can the locked state of the first locking part 54A and the second main guide protrusion 53 in the closed position, as can the locked state of the sub-guide rail 55 and sub-guide protrusion 56 in the closed position. Consequently, this wireless device 1 can hold the cover member 40 in the closed position within the housing member 30.

As described above, the wireless device 1 of this embodiment allows for the replacement of the battery unit 10 while the drive component 20 is covered by the cover member 40. Therefore, in this wireless device 1, contact with the drive component 20 by the operator during the replacement process can be avoided, thus enabling the replacement of the battery unit 10 while suppressing deterioration of the drive component 20's quality.

1 Wireless device 10 Battery unit 11 Battery 12 Battery-side connector 20 Drive component 21 Circuit board 21a Mounting surface 22 Mounted component 22A Power connector 22B Antenna 30 Housing member 30a Insertion opening 30b Housing chamber 40 Cover member 50 Slide mechanism 50A Main slide mechanism 50B Sub-slide mechanism 57 Rotation mechanism We2 Electric wire

Claims (7)

A battery unit comprising a battery, a wire with one end electrically connected to each pole of the battery, and a battery-side connector to which the other ends of each of the two wires are electrically connected,
A drive component that is powered by the battery through the battery-side connector,
A housing member having a housing chamber for housing the battery unit and the drive components inserted through the insertion opening,
A cover member is assembled to the aforementioned housing member and closes the insertion opening in the closed position,
A sliding mechanism that slides the cover member relative to the housing member between an open position in which a part of the insertion opening is opened and the closed position,
Equipped with,
The drive component comprises a substrate and a plurality of mounted components mounted on the mounting surface of the substrate.
The multiple mounting components include, one of which is a power connector connected to the battery-side connector, and another of which is an antenna for wirelessly transmitting information.
A wireless device characterized in that the open position of the cover member relative to the housing member is such that the battery unit can be freely inserted into and removed from the housing chamber while the drive component is covered by the cover member from the insertion side, and the battery-side connector can be freely attached to and detached from the power connector. The wireless device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding mechanism is configured to diagonally slide the cover member from the closed position toward the open position in a direction intersecting the insertion opening. The wireless device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding mechanism slides the cover member in two directions relative to the housing member, with an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position as the boundary, and is configured to slide the cover member diagonally relative to the housing member between the closed position and the intermediate position in a direction intersecting the insertion opening, and to slide the cover member parallel to the housing member between the open position and the intermediate position in a direction along the opening of the insertion opening. The wireless device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized by comprising a rotation mechanism that rotates the cover member in the open position relative to the housing member, thereby separating the end of the cover member on the closed position side from the insertion opening. The wireless device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that the power connector is mounted on the end of the circuit board on the battery unit side. The wireless device according to claim 4, characterized in that the power connector is mounted on the end of the circuit board on the battery unit side. The wireless device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that the sliding mechanism comprises a main sliding mechanism responsible for the sliding motion of the cover member relative to the housing member, and a sub-sliding mechanism that assists the sliding motion by the main sliding mechanism and maintains the sliding position of the sliding motion by the main sliding mechanism.