Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable... – Relatively movable about axis
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2001-07-31
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Relatively movable about axis
C439S015000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267610
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a cable reel and turn indicator switches onto a steering shaft in automobiles. The structure of the invention allows, inter alia, to obviate the need for equipment hitherto considered essential. It therefore simplifies the construction of automobiles fittings and improves fitting process efficiency. In this technical field, the turn indicator switches are also known as winker- or blinker-lighting switches.
2. Description of Background Information
FIGS. 1
to
3
show a known structure for mounting a cable reel and turn indicator switches onto a steering shaft. Such a steering shaft
1
includes an outer tube (tubular ring)
1
a
at the end where the steering wheel is fitted. An edge of the tubular ring
1
a
is bonded to three or four stays
2
by welding. These stays
2
are arranged at a given interval in the circumferential direction. The switch body
3
is then fixed onto the stays
2
by first bolts
4
. The diametrically opposing sides of the switch body
3
are then provided with a corresponding lighting switch holder
3
a
or
3
b
, into which a turn indicator switch
5
A or
5
B is laterally inserted. The corresponding lighting switch holder
3
a
or
3
b
and turn indicator switch
5
A or
5
B are then clamped by second bolts
6
. Further, the upper side (as shown in
FIG. 1
) of the switch body
3
includes three or four projecting cable reel holders
3
c
which are arranged at a given interval in the circumferential direction of the switch body
3
. The cable reel
7
includes corresponding holder portions
8
a
extending horizontally from the base of its fixed element
8
. Subsequently, the holder portions
8
a
are clamped onto the cable reel holders
3
c
by third bolts
9
.
In the prior art techniques mentioned above, a switch body
3
is first fixed on stays
2
projecting from a steering shaft
1
by means of first bolts. The turn indicator switches
5
A and
5
B are then fixed to the switch body
3
by second bolts, while a cable reel
7
is fixed to the switch body
3
by third bolts. In such a construction, bolt-fixing sites amount to about ten, and may downgrade the precision in their mutual positioning.
Moreover, such a structure must employ a number of bolts, e.g., for fixing the switch body
3
. It also calls for many fittings or fixtures, adding to material costs. Furthermore, the high number of bolts increases the number of screwing steps, further raising production costs.
In view of the above, a main object of the invention is to provide a fitting structure in which the number of fittings and bolt-fixing sites is reduced, so that productivity of car parts assemblies is improved, and production costs are reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end, there is provided a structure for mounting a cable reel and turn indicator switches onto a steering shaft. The structure includes three or four substantially L-shaped first stays extending from the steering shaft and arranged at a given interval in the circumferential direction of the shaft. The cable reel then engages the first stays. The structure further includes two-level stays which form a space therebetween, whereby the turn indicator switches are fitted into the space.
Preferably, the two-level stays include two second stays which are arranged respectively between two first stays and extend substantially perpendicularly from the steering shaft. They also include corresponding third stays which extend from the cable reel and are arranged in substantially parallel relation over the length of the second stays, whereby the turn indicator switches are fitted into a space between the second stays and the third stays.
Preferably yet, the two-level stays include two second stays arranged respectively between two first stays. Each of the second stays then includes a first support which extends substantially perpendicularly from the steering shaft, and a second support which initially extends perpendicularly from the first support, then in parallel relation over the length of the first support, whereby the turn indicator switches are fitted into a space between the first support and the second support.
The turn indicator switches may respectively include a first face and a second face, the first face including a first protrusion with a first recess, with the second face including a second protrusion with a second recess. The first recess thus engages with the second stays, while the second recess engages with the third stay. The turn indicator switches and the steering switches and the steering shaft are then fixed by a fixing device.
Likewise, the turn indicator switches respectively include a first face and a second face, the first face including a first protrusion with a first recess, with the second face including a second protrusion with a second recess. The first recess thus engages with the first support, while the second recess engages with the second support. The turn indicator switches and the steering shaft are then fixed by a fixing device.
In a preferred embodiment, the cable reel and the first stays are held by a holding device.
In such a case, the first stays includes respectively a vertical portion extending in parallel relation over the length of the steering shaft, the vertical portion having an internal circular face and a substantially median section thereon. The holding device then includes stoppers, which extend from the median section of the internal circular face towards the cable reel.
Alternatively, the cable reel may include an external circular face, whereas the first stays may include an internal circular face. The holding device then includes a pair of complementary locking devices respectively provided on the external circular face of the cable reel and on the internal circular face of the first stays.
As mentioned above, the present invention obviates the need for a switch body which was considered as an essential part of the steering shaft structure. The cable reel and the turn indicator switches are thus directly fitted onto the stays extending from the steering shaft. In other words, the first stays serve not only for fitting with the cable reel, but also for fixing the turn indicator.
The third stays extend from the cable reel fitted with the first stays. The second stays extend from the steering shaft. The turn indicator switches are then fitted between the third stays and the second stays. In such a configuration, the cable reel is fixed not only with the steering shaft, but also with the turn indicator switches, by virtue of the first stays. The position of the cable reel can thus be properly adjusted, so that the precision of its fixture position is improved. Likewise, the turn indicator switches are fixed not only with the steering shaft, but also with the cable reel, by virtue of the second stays. The position of the turn indicator switches can thus be properly adjusted, so that the precision of its fixture position is improved.
As mentioned above, the turn indicator switches and the steering shaft may be fixed by a fixing device. However, when stays are press-fitted into the recesses, use of the fixing device is not necessarily required.
Further, the cable reel and the first stays are fixed without using bolts, and likewise for the turn indicator switches and the second and third stays. Consequently, about ten bolting sites, otherwise thought necessary, are obviated. Accordingly, the mounting process is greatly simplified.
Furthermore, as there is no longer any need for a switches body, the steering shaft structure is rendered lighter, and can be miniaturized.
In a variant second embodiment, a pair of complementary locking devices are provided on the external circular face of the cable reel and on the first stays, so that the cable reel and the first stays are fixed by locking. They are then fixed with a fixing device. In this embodiment, the turn indicator switches respectively include a first face and a second face, the first face including a first pro
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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