Measuring and testing – Simulating operating condition – Marine
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-08-14
McCall, Eric S. (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Simulating operating condition
Marine
C033S0010DD
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272912
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering angle sensor unit, attached to a steering shaft of an automobile or the like, for detecting information on rotation of a steering wheel, and for electrically connecting electric devices respectively provided in the steering wheel and a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 10 and 11
illustrate a conventional one of such a steering angle sensor unit. This conventional steering angle sensor unit
31
consists of a rotary connector
32
and a steering sensor
46
. The rotary connector
32
comprises a stator
37
, which is operative to support a first rotor
33
and a second rotor
45
connected to each other in such a manner as to be rotatable, a rotary-side lead block
34
supported by the first rotor, a stationary-side lead block
41
supported by the stator
37
, and a flexible cable
44
accommodated in the stator
37
.
The first rotor
33
is formed from an insulating material like a cylinder. A flange portion
33
a
is integrally formed like a ring in such a manner as to extend over the entire circumference of an outer wall at the top end portion of the first rotor
33
. A U-shaped holding portion
33
b
is erected on the top surface of this flange portion
33
a
along an edge portion of a rectangular hole bored in a part of the flange portion
33
a.
A step-like portion
33
c
extending radially is formed on the inner circumferential wall of the first rotor
33
, as illustrated in
FIG. 11. A
pair of engaging projections
33
d
are provided on the top surface of this step-like portion
33
c
in such a way as to be separated 180°, and have top end portions, each of which projects from the first rotor
33
.
The rotary-side lead block
34
has a top end portion, to which a connector
36
is attached through a connecting cable
35
, and has a bottom end portion attached to the first rotor
33
in such a fashion as to be protruded downwardly from the rectangular hole of the first rotor
33
and held by the holding portion
33
b.
The stator
37
consists of a cylindrical cable case
38
and a disk-like lower cover
39
, both of which are formed from an insulating material. A top surface plate
38
a
is integrally formed at the top end portion of the cable case
38
in such a manner as to extend over the entire inner circumference of the case
38
and as to have an opening
38
b
at the central portion thereof. The lower cover
39
has a hole
39
a
formed in the central portion thereof and an arcuate groove
39
b
opened at an end thereof to the outer circumferential portion, and is attached to the bottom end portion of the cable case
38
. The hole
39
a
and the opening
38
b
of the cable case
38
face to each other and constitute a through hole
40
. Moreover, the inside of the cable case
38
communicates with the outside thereof through the groove
39
b.
Further, the first rotor
33
is inserted from the opening
38
b
into this stator
37
. The flange portion
33
a
abuts against the top surface plate
38
a.
Furthermore, the bottom end portion of the rotary-side lead block
34
is placed in the cable connector
38
. The connecting cable
35
and the connector
36
are placed outside the stator
37
.
The stationary-side lead block
41
has a top end portion, to which a connector
43
is attached through a connecting cord
42
, and a bottom end portion supported by the lower cover
39
and is placed in the stator
37
. Further, the connecting cord
42
and the connector
43
are led to the outside of the stator
37
through the groove
39
b
of the lower cover
39
.
The flexible cable
44
is constituted by embedding a plurality of electrically conductive wires in flexible elongated tape in such a way as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the tape. Both end portions of any of the electrically conductive wires are exposed from the surface of the tape at both end portions of the tape. Further, this flexible cable
44
is wound around the outer circumferential wall of the first rotor
33
and accommodated in the stator
37
. The flexible cable
44
has an end portion, which is supported by the bottom end portion of the rotary-side lead block
34
and electrically connected to the connector
36
through the connecting cord
35
, and also has the other end portion that is supported at the top end portion of the stationary-side lead block
41
and electrically connected to the connector
43
through the connecting cord
42
.
The second rotor
45
is formed from an insulating material like a cylinder, and has a top end portion, in which a claw portion
45
a
is integrally formed like a ring in such a way as to extend over the outer circumferential wall and in which a pair of notch portions
45
b
are shaped like the contour of a pen head tapered off toward the bottom end thereof and opposed to each other. Further, a flange portion
45
c
is integrally formed to the bottom end portion of the second rotor
45
and shaped like a ring in such a manner as to extend over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential wall. A pair of hole portions
45
d
are bored in this flange portion
45
c
in such a way as to be separated 180°. Further, this second rotor
45
is inserted into the stator
37
from the hole
39
a
of the lower cover
39
. The second rotor
45
is connected through the through hole
40
to the first rotor
33
by latching the claw portion
45
a
onto the step-like portion
33
c
of the first rotor
33
and holding the claw portion
45
a.
The second rotor
45
is rotatably supported by the stator
37
together with the first rotor
33
so that the flange portion
45
c
abuts against the bottom surface of the lower cover
39
.
On the other hand, the steering angle sensor
46
comprises a rotary member
55
, which connects an upper rotary member
47
to a lower rotary member
48
, a stationary member
48
, which supports this rotary member
55
so that this rotary member
55
can rotate, and an amount-of-rotation detecting means
51
that is supported by the stationary member
48
and adapted to detect an amount of rotation of the rotary member
55
.
The upper rotary member
47
is formed from an insulating material like a cylinder. A flange portion
47
a
is integrally formed like a ring in such a manner as to extend over the entire circumference of an outer wall at the top end portion of the upper rotary member
47
. A pair of projection portions
47
b
are formed on the top surface of this upper rotary member
47
in such a way as to be separated 180°. Further, an extension portion
47
c
inwardly extending over the entire circumference of the upper rotary member
47
is formed like a ring on the bottom portion of the member
47
. A pair of convex portions
47
d
projecting downwardly are provided on this extension portion
47
c
in such a manner as to be separated 180°. Moreover, a ring-like projection
47
e
is provided in such a way as to face the inner circumferential wall of the upper rotary member
47
and to be extended from this portion
47
c.
The stationary member
48
is constituted by an upper insulating case
49
and a lower insulating case
50
and formed like a cylinder. A top surface plate
49
a
of the upper case
49
and a bottom surface plate
50
a
of the lower case
50
have hole portions
49
b
and
50
b,
respectively. Further, the upper rotary member
47
is inserted from the hole portion
49
b
of the upper case
49
into this stationary member
48
. The flange portion
47
a
abuts against the top surface plate
49
a
of the upper case
49
. The extension portion
47
c
and the pair of convex portions
47
d
are placed in the stationary member
48
.
The amount-of-rotation detecting means
51
comprises a disk-like code plate
52
, in which a plurality of slits
52
a
are formed at a predetermined interval in a circumferential direction, and a detecting device
53
having a light emitting element
53
a
and a light receiving element
53
b
placed on an outer circumferential portion of this code plate
52
in su
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
McCall Eric S.
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