Rotary connection device

Details Rotary connection device Rotary connection device

2000-12-15

2002-10-29

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...

Relatively movable about axis

Reexamination Certificate

active

06471528

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary connection device to be used for electric connection between parts relatively rotatable with each other in automobiles, domestic electric appliances, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 4
, a steering wheel mounting part of an automobile is provided with a steering shaft
2
supported rotatably in a bracket
1
fixed on the body, and a switching device
3
and a rotary connection device
4
above the bracket
1
. A steering wheel
6
is mounted on the tip end part of the steering shaft
2
projecting upward through the switching device
3
and the rotary connection device
4
so as to be rotated integrally with the shaft
2
. Moreover, electric equipment
7
such as a horn switch and an air bag can be mounted on the steering wheel
6
, as needed. The switching device
3
is, for example, an assembly of switches for a turn signal lamp, a wiper, or the like, with operation levers
8
,
9
mounted on the right and left side surfaces thereof for a changeover operation of the switches.
As shown in an exploded view of
FIG. 6
, the rotary connection device comprises a flat cable (flexible flat cable . . . . FFC)
13
stored in a spirally wound state in a ring-like space
12
formed between a fixed side case
10
to be fixed on the body side, and a rotary side rotor
11
to be rotated integrally with the steering wheel
6
such that a connector
15
mounted on the other side end part of the flat cable
13
via an end member
15
′ is connected with a connector
16
of the bracket
1
as well as a connector mounted on the inner side end part of the flat cable
13
via an end member
17
′ is connected with a connector
18
of the electric equipment
7
. The numeral
19
denotes a cover,
20
a C ring (stopper ring) for fixing the rotor
11
rotatably on the case
10
, and
21
a smoothing sheet.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, in the rotary connection device after assembly, the rotor
11
can be rotated with respect to the case
10
, with the inner circumferential surface part of the center hole part
10
a
of the case
10
and the outer circumferential surface part of the center axis part
11
a
of the rotor
11
serving as the rotational sliding part.
According to rightward or leftward rotation of the rotor
11
following a rotating operation of the steering wheel rightward or leftward, the flat cable
13
can be tightened or loosened with respect to the rotor
11
.
However, due to friction between the surfaces facing with each other, a “shoo, shoo” rotational sliding noise may be generated at the time of tightening or loosening the flat cable
13
. In order to restrain such a rotational sliding noise, a flat cable
13
applied with a matte (like a satin finished surface having minute roughness) treatment on one surface for reducing the sliding friction has been proposed, however, it cannot restrain the rotational sliding noise satisfactorily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been achieved for solving the conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide a rotary connection device capable of effectively restraining the rotational sliding noise of a flat cable.
In order to solve the problems, the invention provides a rotary connection device comprising a fixed side case, a rotary side rotor rotatable in the case, and a flat cable stored in a spirally wound state in a ring-like space part formed between the case and the rotor, wherein a film of a solid lubricant is coated on both sides or one side of the flat cable.
According to the invention, since a film of a solid lubricant is coated on both sides or one side of the flat cable, only the film and the surface facing thereto, or the films slide with each other at the time of tightening or loosening the flat cable, and thus the sliding friction can be reduced drastically at the time of rotational sliding.
The film coating operation with the solid lubricant can be executed in either the flat cable operation or the flat cable assembly.
Moreover, the film of the solid lubricant is preferably a fluorine based film, but can be a molybdenum based film, or a silicon based film.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6022230 (2000-02-01), Matsumoto
patent: 6164994 (2000-12-01), Bolen et al.
patent: 6196488 (2001-03-01), Sakata et al.

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