Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable... – Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2002-12-31
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
active
06500016
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable reel structure for mounting into a vehicle steering system e.g. for automobiles. The cable reel structure includes a fixed member and a mobile member (rotor part) mounted thereon in a freely rotatable manner. More particularly, the invention concerns a plurality of connector units mounted on the mobile member. In such connector units, connections can easily be established between electrical cables (external circuits) and bus bars (internal circuits).
2. Description of Background Information
A steering wheel of a vehicle generally contains an airbag and an inflator for inflating the airbag. In such a construction, the cable reel, i.e. rotary connector, serves as a means for connecting the inflator to the vehicle's body side circuit. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the cable reel
1
includes a fixed member
2
that defines an external cylindrical portion and a bottom guard portion, and a mobile member
5
that defines an internal cylindrical portion and a top guard portion, the two members together forming a torus-shaped enclosure having a hollow inner space. As mentioned above, the mobile member
5
is mounted with the fixed member
2
in a freely rotatable manner. The fixed member
2
is then fixed with a combination switch body
3
, which is in turn fixed to a steering column
4
. Conversely, the mobile member
5
is fitted with a steering wheel. The torus-shaped enclosure contains a flat cable
6
in a spiraled condition. One end portion of the flat cable
6
is attached to the fixed member
2
, while the other end portion is attached to the mobile member
5
, so that the latter is connected to an external electrical cable. When the steering wheel is turned in a clockwise or counter-clockwise manner, the flat cable
6
is wound or unwound in conjunction with corresponding rotations of the mobile member
6
.
The mobile member
5
includes a top guard portion carrying a connector unit
7
, which projects towards the steering wheel. The flat cable
6
is connected to outside electrical circuits through the connector unit
7
. When the number of outside circuits to be connected thereto is rather limited, the connector unit
7
may include only one array of pole cavities. However, when the number of outside circuits must be increased, the connector unit
7
may include two arrays of pole cavities, so as to form a multipolar configuration in the connector unit
7
, as shown in FIG.
2
.
Alternatively, the connector unit
7
may be divided into two subdivisions
7
A and
7
B located on different sites of the top guard portion, as shown in FIG.
3
.
However, when the connector unit
7
is enlarged on a single site and the number of poles therein is increased, the number of electrical cables to be connected will be increased correspondingly. The end portions of the electrical cables will then become more entangled and difficult to handle. The structure of the connector unit
7
thus becomes more complex, and the number of steps for assembling the structure is increased.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 3
, the connector unit
7
may be divided into two subdivisions
7
A and
7
B, which are placed at two symmetrically opposed positions on a diametrical center line of the mobile member
5
.
In the above construction, the mobile member is mounted onto the fixed member which is immobilized at a fixed position. In such a construction, however, a plurality of connector units e.g.
7
A and
7
B cannot be welded successively simply by displacing the mobile member through a rotating action. For instance, a welding machine, equipped with an anvil
10
and a horn
11
, must first be provided (shown in broken lines in FIG.
3
). The anvil
10
and horn
11
, once placed over the mobile member
5
, are then reciprocated in a linear direction in the direction of the arrows in
FIG. 3
while performing welding. Accordingly, when one of the subdivisions
7
A and
7
B is welded, the other, which is located diametrically opposite, must be placed in a position interfering with the anvil
10
.
Accordingly, when the mobile member
5
is assembled with the fixed member
2
, which is immobilized in turn, a plurality of subdivisions
7
A and
7
B can no longer be welded by an ultrasonic or resistance welder simply by effecting a rotating displacement of the mobile member
5
.
Accordingly, the bus bars and electrical cables in the plurality of subdivisions
7
A and
7
B must be welded with the mobile member
5
not yet attached to the fixed member
2
and thus able to move up and down. Alternatively, the electrical cables may be connected to the connector units of the mobile member
5
, before the latter is attached to the fixed member
2
. However, in such a case, the assembling operation of the cable reel
1
will become very complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve such problems, the present invention has been contemplated to provide a cable reel structure which includes a torus-shaped enclosure defined by a fixed member and a mobile member mounted thereon, the torus-shaped enclosure containing a flat cable or harness. The above mobile member includes a top guard portion, from which a plurality of connector units extend upwardly. The above flat cable or harness is then connected to bus bars. Subsequently, these bus bars are weld-bonded to the electrical cables in those connector units.
To this end, there is provided a cable reel structure configured to be mounted into a steering system for vehicles. The cable reel structure includes a fixed member, a mobile member having a top guard portion, and an enclosure having a diametrical center line and storing a flat cable. The flat cable contains several conductor elements respectively including a first end portion to be fixed to the fixed member and a second end portion to be fixed to the mobile member, such that the flat cable can be connected to outside circuits.
The second end portions of the conductor elements respectively include bus bars bonded thereto.
Further, the top guard portion of the mobile member includes at least first and second connector units adapted to receive the outside circuits, and each of the at least first and second connector units contains the bus bars extending there through.
The at least first and second connector units can then be placed in staggered positions with respect to the diametrical center line, such that, even after the mobile member has been mounted on the fixed member, welding of the bus bars to the outside circuits can be performed, successively in the at least first connector unit and the at least second connector unit, by rotating the mobile member after the welding has been performed in the at least first connector unit.
Preferably, the cable reel structure is defined by a fixed member and a mobile member so as to form a torus-shaped enclosure.
Preferably yet, the welding is performed by a welding machine including an anvil and a horn. The anvil and the horn form a working zone, within which they are moved closer to, or farther from, each other, while performing the welding in the at least first connector unit, and the staggered positions are defined such that the at least second connector unit is placed outside the working zone.
Suitably, the at least first and second connector units respectively include the same number of connector poles.
As mentioned above, a plurality of connector units are placed at staggered positions to one another. Accordingly, when the bus bars and outside circuits (electrical cables) in a first connector unit have been welded, the mobile member can be rotated around a fixed axis. The bus bars and outside circuits in a second connector unit are then welded without being impeded by the first connector unit. In this manner, welding operations can be performed even after the mobile member has been mounted onto the fixed member. Welding operations are thus carried out more efficiently, and are more amenable to automation.
Further, when the connector units are configured so as to each conta
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Paumen Gary
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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