Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable... – Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2002-05-21
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390838
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary connector attached to a steering shaft of an automobile or the like and adapted to effect electrical connection between electric devices provided in a steering wheel and a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a rotary connector has been proposed which electrically connects an electric device provided in a steering wheel with an electric device provided in a vehicle body.
A rotary connector, which makes it possible to establish electrical connection between an electric device provided in a steering wheel, which is a rotary member, and an electric device provided in a vehicle body, which is a stationary member, accommodates a flexible electric cable or an optical fiber (which will be hereinafter generally referred to as “flexible cable”) wound between a rotor portion rotated by the steering wheel and a case constituting a stator portion, one end of the cable being fastened to the rotor portion, the other end thereof being fastened to the stator portion, electrical connection between the electric devices being made possible by utilizing winding and rewinding of the flexible cable.
A conventional rotary connector will be described with reference to drawings.
FIG. 8
is an exploded perspective view of a conventional rotary connector;
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of the conventional rotary connector;
FIG. 10
is an enlarged sectional view of portion A of
FIG. 9
;
FIG. 11
is a perspective view of an upper rotor portion and a lead block in the conventional rotary connector;
FIG. 12
is a perspective view of the lead block of the conventional rotary connector; and
FIG. 13
is a perspective view of a lower rotor portion of the conventional rotary connector.
First, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, this rotary connector
100
generally comprises an upper rotor member
11
, a lower rotor member
12
, a cable accommodating portion
13
and a lower cover
14
, which are connected concentrically and rotatably, and a flexible cable
15
accommodated and wound in the space between the upper and lower rotor members
11
and
12
and the cable accommodating portion
13
and the lower cover
14
, both ends of the flexible cable
15
being electrically led out indirectly to the exterior of the cable accommodating portion
13
, etc. through an inner lead block
16
and an outer lead block
17
. The inner lead block
16
is locked to the outer edge portion of the upper rotor member
11
, and the outer lead block
17
is locked to the outer edge portion of the lower cover
14
.
And, the upper rotor member
11
and the lower rotor member
12
are combined to form an integral unit serving as a movable member housing, and the cable accommodating portion
13
and the lower cover
14
are combined to form an integral unit serving as a stationary member housing. When the movable member housing is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, the flexible cable
15
is wound or rewound in the space.
In this rotary connector
100
, the upper and lower rotor members
11
and
12
forming the movable member housing and the cable accommodating portion
13
and the lower cover
14
forming the stationary member housing are engaged with each other relatively loosely, and a relatively large clearance is formed in the engagement portion. Due to the play between the movable member housing and the stator member housing owing to the clearance in this engagement portion, the stability in the rotation of the rotary connector
100
is maintained.
In this rotary connector
100
, generally constructed as described above, the stationary member housing consisting of the cable accommodating portion
13
and the lower cover
14
is secured to a vehicle body (not shown), and the movable member housing consisting of the upper rotor member
11
and the lower rotor member
12
is secured to a hub (not shown) of a steering shaft. Further, both ends of the flexible cable
15
are connected to electric devices provided in the vehicle body and the steering wheel through connectors
18
and
19
, whereby the rotary connector is used as an electrical connection means for a motor-vehicle-mounted air back system, a horn circuit, etc.
Next, the upper rotor member
11
and the inner lead block
16
of the conventional rotary connector
100
will be described.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, the upper rotor member
11
of the rotary connector
100
is formed of a synthetic resin material, molded, has a substantially ring-like configuration, and comprises a small diameter cylindrical portion
11
b
having a round center hole
11
a
at its center, an intermediate diameter cylindrical portion
11
c
outwardly (upwardly) connected to the small diameter cylindrical portion
11
b
, a large diameter cylindrical portion
11
d
outwardly (upwardly) connected to the intermediate diameter cylindrical portion
11
c
, and a circular flange portion
11
e
outwardly protruding from the upper end portion of the large diameter cylindrical portion
11
d.
Further, at a predetermined position of a flat portion
11
f
between the intermediate diameter cylindrical portion
11
c
and the large diameter cylindrical portion
11
d
, there is provided a substantially box-shaped accommodating portion
11
g
which protrudes outwardly (upwardly), and a substantially rectangular opening
11
n
is provided in a part of an upper surface
11
p
of this accommodating portion
11
g
. To achieve a uniform balance in weight in order that the upper rotor member
11
may rotate in a stable manner, this accommodating portion
11
g
is thin-walled and light in weight. Further, on the inner wall of the small diameter cylindrical portion
11
b
, there are provided a plurality of (e.g., four) engagement portions
11
h
which are substantially triangular-pyramid-shaped, a plurality of (e.g., two) prism-shaped protrusions which are parallel with the axis, and a substantially rectangular recess
11
j.
The upper surface
11
k
of each engagement portion
11
h
(See
FIG. 10
) is formed as a plane orthogonal to the axis of the movable member housing, and the lower surface
11
m
there is inclined so as to make a predetermined angle with respect to the axis.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, the inner lead block
16
of the rotary connector
100
is formed of a synthetic resin material, shaped, and comprises a joint base
16
a
having a substantially U-shaped section, a joint cover
16
b
arranged so as to close the open surface of the joint base
16
a
, and a substantially flat joint bar
16
c
which is arranged between the joint base
16
a
and the joint cover
16
b
. Further, connected to both ends of the joint bar
16
c
are a plurality of (e.g., four) lead lines
20
and the joint cable
15
(See FIG.
8
), electrical conduction being established between each lead line
20
and the flexible cable (See FIG.
8
).
The lead lines
20
are led out to the exterior from one end surface of the inner lead block
16
.
The joint cover
16
b
comprises a cover portion
16
d
closing the open surface of the joint base
16
a
, a box portion
16
e
outwardly protruding from the cover portion
16
d
, and a pair of flanges
16
f
provided in the middle section of the opposed side walls of the box portion
16
e
. Further, a partition
16
g
is provided in the interior of the box portion
16
e
, the upper surface of the partition
16
g
being flush with the upper surface of the box portion
16
e.
The joint base
16
a
and the joint cover
16
b
are joined together by an appropriate means such as snap-in engagement to form an integral unit, with the joint bars
16
c
being accommodated therein.
The inner lead block
16
is accommodated in the accommodating portion
11
g
of the upper rotor member
11
. In this state, the lead lines
20
of the inner lead block
16
are led out to the exterior from the opening
11
n
, and a part of the upper end surface of the inner lead block
16
is in contact with the upper wall
11
p
of the accommodating portion
11
g.
The upper surface of the partition
16
g
and the upper
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
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