Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable... – Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-18
2001-10-30
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309233
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a revolving connector using a flexible flat cable. This connector is employed in a steering device of an automobile and is expected to electrically connect an outer case to an inner case to be rotatable relative to the outer case of the steering device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional revolving connector comprises the following elements:
(a) an outer case fixedly mounted to a steering column of a car;
(b) an inner case mounted to and revolving with a steering wheel; and
(c) a flat cable electrically connecting the outer case with the inner case.
This conventional revolving connector is described hereinafter with reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11
.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of the conventional revolving connector, and
FIG. 11
is an exploded perspective view of the same connector.
In
FIG. 11
, cylindrical outer case
501
has openings at upper and lower ends. Inner case
502
is housed by outer case
501
so that inner case
502
is rotatable relatively to outer case
501
. Cover
503
covers the lower opening of outer case
501
and is fixedly mounted thereto. Inner case
502
has a lid
521
covering the upper opening of outer case
501
as well as an inner cylinder
522
protruding downward from center.
An annular space (not shown) formed between the inner wall of outer case
501
and the outer wall of inner cylinder
522
accommodates a flat cable
504
. Flat cable
504
is a flexible belt-like cable incorporating a plurality of conductive wires. The cable coils a plurality of turns and has terminals
541
and
542
at both ends, respectively. Terminal
541
is fixed to outer case
501
and terminal
542
to inner case
502
. Terminal
542
is coupled to a first end of a lead wire
506
whose second end is coupled to a connector
505
.
The revolving connector structured above is mounted to a steering device of a car in the following manner. Outer case
501
is fixedly mounted to a steering column of a car (not shown). The steering wheel (not shown) is inserted into cylinder
522
of inner case
502
so that the steering wheel is mounted to inner case
502
. Terminal
541
is coupled to an electronic circuit of the steering column on the car body. Connector
505
, on the other hand, is coupled to an electronic circuit disposed in the steering wheel, so that the steering wheel is electrically coupled to the steering column.
The revolving of the steering wheel causes inner case
502
to rotate. When inner case
502
rotates counter-clockwise, cable
504
is urged outwardly and loosely coiled. When inner case
502
rotates clockwise, cable
504
is urged inwardly and tightly coiled.
The steering wheel that rotates as discussed above is electrically coupled with the steering column fixed to the car body by the cable
504
having a fixed length. Therefore, the cable
504
needs to be at a neutral position where a number of turns inwardly balances with that of the number of turns outwardly when the revolving connector is mounted to the steering device of the car in the straight-ahead position, so that the counter-clockwise rotation balances with the clockwise rotations.
When the connector is assembled, cable
504
is set in the neutral position, then a U-shaped tab
571
laterally extending from a fixed pin (pin)
507
is engaged with a holder
523
upwardly protruded from a lid
521
of inner case
502
as shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11
. At the same time, a lower section
572
of pin
507
is inserted into a box-type housing
511
disposed on the outer wall of outer case
501
. As a result, inner case
502
is temporarily held not to rotate relative to outer case
501
. Under this condition, the revolving connector is warehoused or transported, then pin
507
is upwardly pulled out just before or after the revolving connector is mounted to the steering device, so that the characteristic discussed above of the conventional connector is obtained.
However, if pin
507
is pulled out by mistake and inner case
502
rotates to miss the neutral position in a warehouse, pin
507
can still be restored. Therefore, when mounting the revolving connector to the steering device, it is yet doubtful whether or not cable
504
is in the neutral position even pin
507
is in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the problem discussed above and aims to provide a revolving connector in which a neutral position of a flat cable is assured. The revolving connector of the present invention comprises the following elements:
(a) a cylindrical outer case with a housing section on its outer wall and having an upper-end-opening;
(b) an inner case mounted to and being rotatable relative to the outer case, and having a holder at its upper face;
(c) a flexible flat cable coiled and accommodated in a space formed between an outer wall of a cylinder protruded to the center of either one of the outer case or the inner case and an inner wall of either one of the inner case or the outer case, and both ends of the flexible flat cable are fixed to the outer case and the inner case, respectively;
(d) a fixed pin having its middle part held by the holder and its lower section inserted into the housing section, so that the rotation between both the cases is regulated, the pin having an engaging hole and a slit provided near the center of the inserted end, the slit communicating from the engaging hole to a lateral face, so that an elastic tip is formed at part of the lower section; and
(e) a stopper pin extending through the engaging hole and the housing section.
Another revolving connector of the present invention comprises the following elements:
(a) a cylindrical outer case with a housing section on its outer wall and having an upper-endopening;
(b) an inner case mounted to and being rotatable relative to the outer case, and having a holder at its upper face;
(c) a flexible flat cable coiled and accommodated in a space formed between an outer wall of a cylinder protruded to the center of either one of the outer case or the inner case and an inner wall of either one of the inner case or the outer case, and both the ends of the cable are fixed to the outer case and the inner case, respectively;
(d) a fixed pin having its middle part held by the holder and lower section inserted into the housing section, so that the rotation between both the cases is regulated, the pin having an engaging hole and a slit provided near the center of the inserted end, the slit communicating from the engaging hole to a lower end, so that an elastic tip divided into two sections is provided at part of the lower section; and
(e) a stopper pin extending through the engaging hole and the housing section, and at least one side of the pin is wider than the slit's width.
Still another revolving connector of the present invention comprises the following elements:
(a) an outer case with a housing section for accommodating an end of a fixed pin;
(b) an inner case mounted to the outer case to be rotatable relative to the outer case, and having a holder for holding part of the fixed pin;
(c) a stopper pin extending through the fixed pin and the housing section;
(d) a flat cable coiled to be accommodated in a space formed between the outer case and inner case, both the ends of the cable are fixed to the outer case and the inner case, respectively.
In this structure, the fixed pin includes an engaging hole through which the stopper pin extends, and a slit communicating from the engaging hole to an end face, so that an elastic tip is formed.
In any type of the revolving connectors discussed above, the stopper pin extends through the engaging hole ofthe fixed pin and the housing section of the outer case, so that the relative revolving between the outer case and inner case is regulated, and the neutral position ofthe flat cable is secured.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5151042 (1992-09-01), Okada
patent: 5205754 (1993-04-01), Kuramoto
patent: 5238420 (1993-08-01), Miyahara et al.
patent: 5257943 (1993-11-01), Uno et al.
patent: 5286219 (1994-02-01), Ueno et al.
paten
Matsui Naoaki
Nakade Yoshiyuki
Nakamura Takeo
Taniuchi Ryoichi
Tateishi Ichiro
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Phuongchi
Paumen Gary
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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