Electrical connectors – Interrelated connectors relatively movable during use – Movement about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-19
2003-11-04
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Interrelated connectors relatively movable during use
Movement about axis
C439S164000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary connector Attached to a steering apparatus of an automobile or the like and used as respective electric connecting means between electric apparatuses such as a steering heater apparatus and an air bag system provided to a vehicle body and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a rotary connector for electrically connecting an electric apparatus provided to a steering apparatus such as a steering heater and an electric apparatus provided to a vehicle body.
The rotary connector enables electric connection between an electric apparatus provided to a steering wheel constituting a rotary member and an electric apparatus provided to a vehicle body constituting a fixed member, contains a flexible electric cable or optical fiber cable (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as “flexible cable”) wound in a space in a case constituting a rotor portion (movable side housing) driven to rotate (pivot) by the steering wheel and a stator portion (fixed side housing), and fixes one end thereof to the rotor portion and other end thereof to the stator portion to thereby enable electric connection between the respective electric apparatus by utilizing winding and rewinding the flexible cable.
An explanation will be given of a conventional rotary connector in reference to the drawing.
FIG. 28
is a plane view showing a conventional rotary connector,
FIG. 29
is a plane view of an essential portion showing a flexible cable of the conventional rotary connector,
FIG. 30
is a side view of the essential portion showing the flexible cable of the conventional rotary connector,
FIG. 31
is a plane showing a lead block of the conventional rotary connector,
FIG. 32
is a side view showing the lead block of the conventional rotary connector,
FIG. 33
is a plane view of an essential portion for explaining attachment of the flexible cable and the lead block of the conventional rotary connector and
FIG. 34
is a side view of the essential portions for explaining attachment of the flexible cable and the lead block of the rotary connector.
As shown by
FIG. 28
, a rotary connector
120
is generally constituted by a fixed side housing
101
, a movable side housing
102
rotatably connected to the fixed side housing
101
, one sheet of flexible cable
103
constituting a flat cable contained in a space
114
formed between the fixed side and the movable side housings
101
and
102
, a moving member
104
pivotably arranged between the fixed side and the movable side housings
101
and
102
and respective single pieces of lead blocks
105
and
106
connected to both ends of the one sheet of the flexible cable
103
.
The fixed side housing
101
is provided with an outer cylinder
107
in a cylindrical shape, a bottom wall (not illustrated) in a circular shape provided at an end of the outer cylinder
107
and a hole (not illustrated) in a circular shape provided at a central portion of the bottom wall. Meanwhile, the movable side housing
102
is provided with an inner cylinder
108
in a cylindrical shape and an upper wall (not illustrated) substantially in a circular ring shape provided at one end of the inner cylinder
108
, the outer cylinder
107
and the inner cylinder
108
are coaxially arranged and a containing portion
109
in a ring-like shape constituting the space
114
is partitioned between the two outer and inner cylinders
107
and
108
.
The moving member
104
is arranged at inside of the containing portion
109
and the moving member
104
is constituted by a rotary plate
110
in a ring-like shape, a group of a plurality of rollers
111
supported on the rotary plate
110
and a pair of fixed columns
112
in a cylindrical shape having circular hollow holes The pair of fixed columns
112
are formed integrally with the rotary plate
110
. Further, an opening
113
inserted with one flexible cable
103
is formed between one of the fixed columns
112
and the roller
111
.
The flexible cable
103
is pasted with a plurality of (for example, four) of conductors
123
each comprising a copper foil (Cu) or the like in a strip-like shape having a very thin dimension on one face of an insulating film constituting a base film in a strip-like shape and for convenience, the flexible cable
103
is shown in white. An outer end of the flexible cable
103
is electrically and mechanically connected to the lead block
105
constituting a fixed side joint fixed to the outer cylinder
107
and is electrically led out to outside of the fixed side housing
101
via the lead block
105
.
Further, an inner end of the flexible cable
103
is electrically and mechanically connected to the lead block
106
constituting a movable side joint-fixed to the inner cylinder
108
and is electrically led out to outside of the movable side housing
102
via the lead block
106
.
Next, an explanation will be given of the conventional flexible cable in reference to the drawings.
As shown by FIG.
29
and
FIG. 30
, the flexible cable
103
in a strip-like shape constituting the flat cable, is provided with a first and a second insulating film
121
and
122
comprising a resin material of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like, formed in a thin film shape, laminated in two sheets thereof and constituting a long-sizedbase film, and the conductor
123
in the strip-like shape arranged in a state in which a substantially total portion thereof is sandwiched between the first and the second insulating films
121
and
122
, and comprising a plurality (for example, four) of copper foils (Cu) respectively formed in an equal width dimension and arranged in parallel at equal intervals.
Further, the respective conductor
123
is provided with a first base conductor
123
a
a total portion of which is sandwiched between the first and the second insulating films
121
and
122
and a first exposed conductor
123
b
extended from the first base conductor
123
a
, exposed from front ends of the first and the second insulating films
121
and
122
and projected outwardly.
Further, one face of the front end of the respective first exposed conductor
123
b
is pasted with a holding film
124
in a strip-like shape comprising PET or the like for holding a free end side of the respective first exposed conductor
123
b.
Further, such a constitution is provided at both ends of the flexible cable
103
.
Further, as shown by FIG.
31
and
FIG. 32
, the lead block
105
is provided with a base
131
comprising an insulating material and a plurality of first connection terminals
132
arranged to the base
131
by, for example, insert molding.
Further, the base
131
comprises, for example, an insulating synthetic resin material, formed by molding, constituted substantially by a rectangular shape and arranged with a through hole
131
a
in a rectangular shape substantially at a central portion of the base
131
.
Further, a front end side (upper side of
FIG. 31
) of the base
131
is provided with an inclined base
131
b
projected outwardly from an upper face of the base
131
.
The first connection terminal
132
is provided with a plurality (for example, four) of first connections
132
a
comprising a flat plate material of a conductive metal such as copper, formed by pressing, having a predetermined width dimension and arranged at equal intervals and first outer terminals
132
b
extended outwardly from the first connections
132
a
. The first connection terminal
132
is integrated with the base
131
by being insert-molded into the inclined base
131
b
of the base
131
. The width dimension of the first connection terminal
132
is set to a width dimension substantially the same as the width dimension of the first base conductor
123
a
and the first exposed conductor
123
b
of the flexible cable
103
.
Under the state, substantially the central portion of the first connection
132
a
of the first connection terminal
132
is arranged to span over the through hole
1
Matsuzaki Nobuo
Saiso Kenichi
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Patel Tulsidas
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