JPH0355954B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrical connection device between a steering wheel and a steering column in a vehicle steering system.

Prior Art Conventionally, in the electrical connection between the steering wheel and the steering column in a vehicle steering system, generally,
Flexible spiral coil tapes with multiple conductors were used (for example,
53-118243). Because the handle
Naturally, it is rotatable with respect to the steering column, and therefore, it is necessary to transmit electrical signals from a switch installed on the steering wheel, such as a horn, to the steering column, which is a fixed part. It was necessary to devise an electrical wiring arrangement to absorb the rotational movement of the handle.

Furthermore, even in devices in which the above-mentioned electrical wiring has been devised, the problem of cutting the spiral coil tape itself may occur. This is because, in a steering system for an automobile, the steering wheel normally rotates about three times in the left and right radial directions, and any further rotation of the steering wheel is mechanically locked on the steering side. Therefore, if the neutral state of the spiral coil tape, that is, the state where the spiral diameters are approximately equal, and the neutral state of the steering wheel, the steering wheel of the spiral coil tape may It may become impossible to follow the rotation, or the coil tape itself may be cut.

As a means of solving this problem, for example,
Publication No. 170473 etc. are disclosed. In this disclosed example, by combining a spiral coil tape and a slip ring, the above problem can be solved by the slip of the slip ring when the handle is turned as hard as possible when the spiral coil tape is wound on one side. There have been proposals to do so. However, this proposal requires management of two factors: the contact resistance of the slip ring and the reliability of the spiral coil tape, and has the problem that the mechanism is complicated and the cost is high.

Technical Problems of the Present Invention Therefore, the technical problems to be solved by the present invention are to provide a steering wheel that can reduce failure factors and reliably prevent misalignment between the spiral coil tape and the steering wheel, which tends to occur before installation on an actual vehicle. The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection device between steering columns.

Summary (Structure) of the Present Invention In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention was structured as follows.

That is, in an electrical connection device provided between the steering wheel and the steering column, the electrical connection device is arranged on the outer periphery of the steering shaft, and
A case for storing a spiral coil tape consisting of a pair of upper and lower case parts, a slide plate disposed on the upper surface of the upper case part so as to be slidable in the radial direction, and a steering plate located on the inner periphery of the case.・
A component of the turn signal switch mechanism that is housed in the steering column and includes a slider hold sleeve that is fitted into the outer periphery of the shaft, fixed to the lower case portion, and holds the slide plate slidably in the radial direction. The steering apparatus includes a cancel cam sleeve mounted on the outer periphery of the steering shaft so as to be freely movable in the axial direction, and a spring means that always urges the cancel cam sleeve axially outward.

The lower case portion is fixed to the steering column, while the upper case portion is rotatably attached to the lower case portion so as to rotate together with the steering wheel. Moreover, a spiral groove having a center that coincides with the rotation center of the upper case part is formed on the upper surface of the upper case part, and one end of the spiral coil tape is connected to the terminal part of the upper case part.
Directly or indirectly (via printed wiring board)
The other end is connected directly or indirectly (via a printed wiring board) to the terminal section of the lower case section.
Each is fixed.

The slide plate is provided with a protrusion that fits into the spiral groove, and has a central hole in the center thereof through which the cancel cam sleeve passes, and the slider hold sleeve has a protrusion that fits into the spiral groove. The cylindrical body is provided with a pair of opposing notched windows that slide through the cylindrical body. Further, the cancel cam sleeve has an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the center hole of the slide plate, and a large diameter portion located within the center hole at a protruding position protruded outward by the spring means. and a small diameter that is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the center hole and has an outer diameter that allows the slide plate to move in the radial direction, and that is located in the center hole at the push-in position where the slide plate is pushed in against the force of the spring means. It has a section.

(Operation/Effect) According to the above configuration, the cancel cam sleeve is made to protrude outward in the axial direction of the steering shaft by the spring means, and in this protruding position, the notch window of the slider hold sleeve and the cancel cam The large diameter portion of the sleeve faces. The upper case part is rotatable relative to the lower case part, and the protrusion of the slide plate fits into the spiral groove of the upper case part, and the slide plate penetrates the slider hold sleeve. Guided to move. Therefore, when the upper case portion rotates, the slide plate moves in the radial direction.

However, at the protruding position, the inner diameter of the central hole of the slide plate and the outer diameter of the large diameter portion are approximately equal, so the slide plate interferes with the large diameter portion and cannot move in the radial direction. This is because the spiral groove and the protrusion of the slide plate become interlocked, preventing rotation of the upper case portion.

However, when the cancel cam sleeve is in the pushed-in position, the cancel cam sleeve facing the cutout window of the slider hold sleeve has a small diameter portion. Therefore, there is a sufficient distance between the inner surface of the center hole of the slide plate and the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion. Therefore, when the upper case portion rotates, the spiral groove of the case portion allows the slide plate to move in the radial direction until it interferes with the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion. Further, the spiral coil tape also follows the rotation of the upper case portion and is wound up or rewound.

That is, when the cancel cam sleeve is in the protruding position, the upper case part cannot rotate, so the spiral coil tape is maintained as it is, and when the cancel cam sleeve is in the pushed position, the upper case part cannot rotate. It is rotatable, and thus the spiral coil tape changes its shape as it rotates.

Therefore, by connecting the terminal part of the upper case part and the electric signal line on the steering wheel side, and also connecting the terminal part of the lower case part and the electric signal line on the steering column side, it is possible to The handlebar side and the steering column side are electrically connected via the shaped coil tape.

Moreover, with this device, the upper and lower case parts cannot rotate relative to each other unless the cancel cam sleeve is pushed in by some means to the pushed-in position, and the spiral coil tape is installed in a coiled state corresponding to the neutral position of the steering wheel. Then, the spiral coil tape can be held in the above-mentioned wound state. Furthermore, when the present device is mounted on an actual vehicle, if the cancel cam sleeve is pushed into the push-in position by, for example, the handle, the upper case portion can rotate together with the handle.

That is, the misalignment factor of the spiral coil tape with respect to the steering neutral position is eliminated, and the electrical connection is influenced by the reliability of the coil tape alone. Furthermore, the cancel cam sleeve is a component of the turn signal switch mechanism, and therefore the steering
The structure within the column is not complicated.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

1 and 2, numeral 4 indicates a spiral coil tape, and the coil tape 4 is arranged around the outer periphery of the steering shaft, and is attached to a case consisting of a pair of upper and lower case parts 1 and 2. It is stored. A slide plate 6 is disposed on the upper surface 1b of the upper case part 1 so as to be slidable in the radial direction; A slider hold sleeve 5 that holds the slide plate 6 slidably in the radial direction is also provided. In addition, a cancel cam sleeve 3 is a component of the turn signal switch mechanism housed in the steering column and is attached to the outer periphery of the steering shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction.
and a spring 12 that always urges the cam sleeve 3 outward in the axial direction.

To explain the details in more detail, lower case part 2
has an approximately disk shape, and has a disk-shaped bottom wall 2a, an annular outer annular wall 2b and an inner annular wall 2c integrally formed on the inner and outer peripheral portions thereof, and has a central portion of the bottom wall 2a. The boss portion is surrounded by the inner circumferential annular wall 2c. And the bottom wall 2a
A seat 2e on which the printed wiring board 9 is attached is provided on the lower surface of the
A hole is formed at a position corresponding to the inner end of the spiral coil tape 4 for guiding the inner end to the outside. The inner lead-out portion 4a of the coil tape 4 led out from the hole is fixed with an adhesive or the like to a printed wiring board 9 fixed at a predetermined position, and each electric current protruding from the lead-out end is Conductor 4b
are fixed to predetermined positions on the wiring board 9 by soldering or the like. A connector fitting outer shell 7a is attached to the wiring board 9, and a connector pin 7b penetrates the wiring board 9 and protrudes into the outer shell 7a, thereby connecting the terminal section 7 of the lower case section 2. is forming.

On the other hand, the upper case part 1 has a roughly disc-shaped bottom wall 1a.
It is rotatably attached to the lower case part 2 so as to rotate together with the handle. A spiral groove 1d having a center that coincides with the rotation center of the upper case part 1 is formed on the upper surface 1b of the upper case part 1, and a connector surrounding wall that becomes the terminal part of the upper case part 1. 1e is integrally formed. Further, a pin 1c is formed on the upper surface 1b for rotating integrally with the handle, and by fitting into a pin hole provided on the handle side, the upper case part 1 is integrally rotated with the handle. It can be rotated. In the connector surrounding wall 1e, there is a group of connector contact pieces 1 that protrude through the bottom wall 1a from inside the case.
0, and the contact piece group 10 and the other outer end of the spiral coil tape 4 are fixed and connected to form a terminal portion of the upper case portion 1.

By the way, the slide plate 6 has a rectangular cross section, includes a protrusion 6a that fits into the spiral groove 1d, and has a central hole 6b through which the cancel cam sleeve 3 passes. Further, the slider hold sleeve 5 includes a pair of opposing notched windows 5d in the boss portion 5b through which the slide plate 6 passes in the radial direction, and a collar 5a at the upper end. Furthermore, a groove 5e is formed at the lower end of the boss. Then, the groove 5e and the lower case part 2
A convex portion 2 formed at the lower end of the inner circumferential annular wall 2c of
The slider hold sleeve 5 is fixed to the lower case part 2 in a non-rotatable manner, and the slide plate 6 is slidable and movable in the radial direction. It is held and guided by the collar 5a.

On the other hand, the cancel cam sleeve 3 is a cylindrical body with a collar 3e at its upper end, and is located on the outer periphery of the steering shaft and the slider hold sleeve 5.
It is inserted into the inner circumference of the Furthermore, a spring 12 is attached to the lower end of the cam sleeve 5 to constantly bias it toward the handle. A locking tab 8b is provided at the upper end of a protruding boss 8a that protrudes the outer periphery of the steering shaft toward the handlebar from a turn signal switch body 8 that houses a turn signal switch mechanism installed in the steering column. Therefore, the cancel cam sleeve 3 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the boss 8a so as to be slidable and movable in the axial direction, and is prevented from coming off toward the handle. The other end of the spring 12 is supported by the body 8. Further, the cancel cam sleeve 3 has an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the center hole 6b of the slide plate 6, and in the protruding position where it is protruded outward and prevented from coming off by the spring 12, It has a large diameter portion 3b located within the center hole 6b, and an outer diameter that is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the center hole 6b to allow the slide plate 6 to move in the radial direction, and resists the force of the spring 12. In the push-in position, the small diameter portion 3a located in the center hole 6b and the automatic return ratchet 24 of the turn signal lever 20 are located below following the large diameter portion 3b.
A cancel cam portion 3c is provided for activating the cancel cam portion 3c. The collar 3e of the cancel cam sleeve 3 is provided with a pin 3d that allows the cam sleeve 3 to rotate integrally with the handle. The cam sleeve 3 rotates integrally with the handle.

Incidentally, the turn signal switch mechanism is a known one, and a detailed explanation of its configuration will be omitted. In addition, to briefly explain the related members, in the figure, 20 indicates a turn signal lever;
21 is a daylight switch, 22 is a turn signal switch, 23 is a moderation ball, 24 is a ratchet,
25 is a mast jacket, and 26 is a bearing.

According to the above configuration, the cancel cam sleeve 3
is in the protruding position, the cutout window 5d of the slider hold sleeve 5 and the large diameter portion 3b of the cam sleeve 3 face each other.

On the other hand, since the slide plate 6 is attached by fitting the protrusion 6a into the spiral groove 1d of the upper case part 1, the upper case part 1 can freely rotate relative to the lower case part 2.
When it rotates, it tries to move along the direction of the spiral groove 1d. However, since the slide plate 6 passes through the cutout window 5d, and the slider hold sleeve 5 is fixed to the lower case part 2, it cannot move along the direction of the groove 1d, and the spiral groove 1
It becomes possible to move along the radial direction a distance equal to the amount of displacement along the radial direction corresponding to the amount of displacement in the groove direction of d. However, since the large diameter portion 3b faces the inner side of the cutout window 5d, the slide plate 6 interferes with this and cannot be moved. That is, the upper case part 1 becomes unrotatable with respect to the lower case part 2 due to the slide plate 6.

However, if the cancel cam sleeve 3 is pushed to the push-in position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, in other words, if the handle is mounted,
The cutout window 5d faces the small diameter portion 3a. Since the outer surface of the small diameter portion 3a and the inner surface of the center hole 6b of the slide plate 6 face each other at a sufficient distance, the slide plate 6 is guided by the cutout window 5d and becomes movable in the radial direction. That is, when the upper case part 1 rotates together with the handle, the slide plate 6 moves in the radial direction by an amount commensurate with the rotation of the handle, since the protrusion 6a of the plate 6 fits into the spiral groove 1d. do. The stored spiral coil tape 4 also deforms its shape in the winding or unwinding direction following the rotation of the upper case portion 1, in other words, the rotation of the handle.

Further, the cancel cam sleeve 3 also serves as a cam part for automatic return of the turn signal lever 20 in the turn signal switch mechanism, and the pin 3d formed on the collar 3e of the cam sleeve 3 is inserted into the handle side. By fitting into the matching hole, the cam sleeve 3 rotates together with the handle, and the cancel cam portion 3c cooperates with the ratchet 24 to enable the lever 20 to return to the neutral position. Reference numeral 21 in the figure is a daylight switch, and the switch 2 is turned on by vertical movement of the lever 20.
1 switching can be performed. Reference numeral 22 in the figure is a turn signal switch, and when the lever 20 is tilted in the direction in which the user wants to turn, the switch 22 is turned on in that direction, and is held in position by the moderation ball 23. When the steering wheel is turned toward the neutral position after turning, the cancel cam portion 3c is caught by the ratchet 24, and the switch 22 is canceled into a straight-line state. In the figure, a bearing 26 rotatably holds the steering shaft, and the bearing 26 is held by the mast jacket 25.

According to the above configuration, the cancel cam sleeve 3
In the protruding position, that is, in the state before the handle is mounted, the upper case part 1 is held unrotatable with respect to the lower case part 2. Therefore, no external force is applied to the stored spiral coil tape 4, and the initial stored state of the coil tape 4 is maintained. When the handle is mounted, the cam sleeve 3 is pushed to the push-in position, so the upper case part 1 becomes rotatable relative to the lower case part 2.
The coil tape 4 follows the rotation of the handle.
Therefore, the electric signal wire on the handle side is connected to the upper case part 1.
By connecting the electrical signal wire on the steering column side to the terminal section 7 of the lower case section 2, the steering wheel and the steering column are connected via the spiral coil tape 4.
It is electrically connected to the column side. Moreover, the coil tape 4 has a handle that is attached to the cam sleeve 3.
Since the coil tape 4 is kept in the initial stored state before being mounted on the coil tape 4, as long as the coil tape 4 is stored in the correct state, misalignment with the steering wheel will not occur. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned cancel cam sleeve 3
Since it also serves as a component of the turn signal switch mechanism, it can be said to be a suitable example of enabling electrical connection without complicating the structure inside the steering column.

In this embodiment, as a means for preventing the cancel cam sleeve 3 from coming off toward the handle side, a locking tab 8b is locked to the protruding boss 8a of the turn signal body 8. It goes without saying that even if the cam sleeve 3 is prevented from coming off by forming a locking groove on the lower end of the sleeve 3 and on the body 8 side, the same effect will be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electrical connection device between a steering wheel and a steering column according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of each member. 1... Upper case part, 1a... Bottom wall, 1b... Upper surface, 1
c... Pin, 1d... Spiral groove, 1e... Connector surrounding wall, 2... Lower case portion, 2a... Bottom wall, 2b... Outer circumferential annular wall, 2c... Inner circumferential annular wall, 2d... Convex portion, 2
e...Seat, 3...Cancel cam sleeve, 3a...Small diameter part, 3b...Large diameter part, 3c...Cancel cam part,
3d... Pin, 3e... Collar, 4... Spiral coil tape, 4a... Inner lead-out portion, 4b... Electric conductor, 5... Slider hold sleeve, 5a... Collar, 5b... Boss portion, 5c... Locking tab, 5d... Cut Missing window, 5e...
Groove, 6...Sliding plate, 6a...Protrusion, 6b...Center hole, 7...Terminal part, 7a...Outer shell for connector fitting, 7b...Connector pin, 8...Turn signal switch body, 8a...Protruding boss, 8b...Locking Tsume, 9... Printed wiring board, 10... Connector contact piece group, 11... Screw, 12... Spring, 20...
Turn signal lever, 21...day switch,
22... Turn signal switch, 23... Moderation ball, 24... Ratchet, 25... Mast jacket, 26... Bearing.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. For relay-connecting an electric signal line wired to the steering column side and an electric signal wire wired to a steering wheel that is rotatable with the steering shaft relative to the column to each other. The spiral coil tape 4 is flexible and spirally formed so as to follow the rotation of the steering wheel, and includes a plurality of conductors 4b along the spiral direction. An electrical connection device installed between the column and the above-mentioned steering wheel, which is arranged around the outer periphery of the above-mentioned steering shaft and is composed of a pair of upper and lower case parts.
a case for storing the spiral coil tape 4; a slide plate 6 disposed slidably in the radial direction on the upper surface 1b of the upper case portion 1; and an inner circumference of the case and an outer circumference of the steering shaft. a slider hold sleeve 5 which is fitted into and fixed to the lower case part 2 and holds the slide plate 6 slidably in the radial direction; and a component of the turn signal switch mechanism housed in the steering column. , a cancel cam sleeve 3 mounted on the outer periphery of the steering shaft so as to be freely movable in the axial direction, and a spring means 12 that always urges the cancel cam sleeve 3 outward in the axial direction, and the lower case part 2 includes: The upper case part 1 is fixed to the steering column side, while the upper case part 1 is rotatably attached to the lower case part 2 so as to rotate together with the steering wheel. A spiral groove 1b whose center coincides with the center is formed, one end of the spiral coil tape 4 is fixed to the terminal part of the upper case part 1, and the other end is fixed to the terminal part of the lower case part 2. The slide plate 6 is provided with a protrusion 6a that fits into the spiral groove 1d, and has a central hole 6b in the center thereof through which the cancel cam sleeve 3 passes, and the slider hold sleeve 5 has a pair of opposing notched windows 5d in its cylindrical body through which the slide plate 6 slides in the radial direction, and the cancel cam sleeve 3 has an inner diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the center hole 6b of the slide plate 6. The large diameter portion 3b, which has the same outer diameter and is located within the center hole 6b in the protruding position projected outward by the spring means 12, and the slide plate, which has the same outer diameter and is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the center hole 6b. 6 has an outer diameter that allows it to move in the radial direction, and in a pushed-in position where it is pushed in against the force of the spring means 12,
An electrical connection device between a steering wheel and a steering column, comprising a small diameter portion 3a located within the central hole 6b.