JPH0367744A - Cable protecting device of steering column - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely protect a single-core cable by causing a pair of elastic bow-shaped holders to hold plural single-core cables to be connected to electrical parts such as a cable reel and the like, and causing each of the single-core cables to follow the pair of holders being curved and deformed. CONSTITUTION:A steering wheel 1 fixed to the moveable side member 3 of a steering column and a cable reel main body 4 are freely moved by a telescopic mechanism in the direction of the axis of a steering shaft. In this case, a protector main body 5 is interposed between the cable reel main body 4 and the fixed side member 2 of the steering column. The protector main body 5 comprises a connector 11 fixed to the cable reel main body 4, and a storage case 12 enclosing the connector 11 while allowing the connector 11 to freely slide therein and fixed to the fixed side member 2. A pair of elastic bow-shaped holders 13, 14 are arranged between the connector 11 and the storage case 12, and a single-core cable 10 is passed through the inside of each holder 13, 14 so as to permit expansion and contraction of the cable 10 in its cross direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a harness protection device for a steering column, in particular a steering column having a telescopic function.

[Conventional technology]

As is well known, the steering column is equipped with a harness consisting of multiple lead wires that are connected to various electrical components around the steering wheel. Especially in a telescopic type steering column, the harness expands and contracts due to telescopic operation. A wiring structure that can absorb this is required.

Therefore, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 63-32527, in order to absorb such expansion and contraction of the harness, the intermediate portion of the harness is stored in a loop shape under the steering column. It is known that a loop spool is attached so that the diameter of the loop can be contracted or expanded in accordance with the telescopic operation of the steering column.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional wiring structure described above, a boss part is formed in the harness spool and is inscribed in the harness loop, and the diameter of the loop is contracted or expanded based on the sliding contact part with the boss part. Therefore, stress tends to be generated particularly at the sliding contact portion with the boss portion when the diameter of the loop is reduced. Further, since the harness spool is formed in a multi-stage spiral chamber structure in order to store the harness in a loop shape as described above, the thickness width of the harness spool becomes large. As a result, the space occupied below the steering column increases, which reduces the knee space for the driver and impairs comfort.

The present invention has been made in view of the actual state of the prior art, and its purpose is to prevent stress from occurring when the harness expands and contracts, and to minimize the space occupied under the steering column. Our goal is to provide a steering column harness protection device that can.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a protector body which has cable insertion portions at the front and rear portions and is telescopically mounted across the fixed side and movable side of a steering column having a telescopic function. , a pair of flexible arcuate holders provided in the protector body, which part the plurality of single-core cables introduced from the insertion portion in the width direction of the protector body, and hold the cables; A cable connected to an electrical component attached to the movable side of the steering column and routed along the steering column is extendably routed along the arcuate holder within the protector main body. shall be.

[Effect]

When electrical components such as cable reels move as the steering wheel moves in the axial direction, the multiple single-core cables connected to the electrical components are sorted into a pair of arcuate holders.
It deforms following these holders.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cable protection device according to this embodiment is mounted on a steering device with a telescopic function. In the figure, 1 is a steering wheel, 2 is a fixed side member of a steering column, and 3 is a steering wheel. The movable side member of the column, 4 is the cable reel body (
The steering wheel 1 and cable reel body 4 attached to the movable member 3 of the steering column are rotated in the axial direction of the steering shaft (direction of arrow A-B) by a telescopic mechanism (not shown). It is now possible to move to. 5
shows a protector body interposed between the cable reel body 4 and the fixed side member 2 of the steering column, and this protector body 5 is expandable and retractable in the direction of the above-mentioned arrow AB.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of the cable reel main body 4. In the figure, 6 indicates a movable body and 7 indicates a fixed body, and the movable body 6 and the fixed body 7 are rotatably snap-coupled. There is. A flat cable 8 is housed in a space surrounded by the movable body 6 and the fixed body 7 in a state where it is wound with a plurality of turns, and the starting end of the winding is led out to the outside of the movable body 6. Further, a plurality of single-core cables 10 are connected to the winding end of the flat cable 8 via a connector 9, and these single-core cables 10 are led out to the outside of the fixed body 7. The flat cable 8 is made by laminating a plurality of conductors with a pair of flexible films,
The number of conductors in this embodiment is five, two of which are used for the air bag circuit, and the remaining three are used for the cruise control circuit and the horn circuit.

Next, the details of the protector main body 5 are shown in FIGS.
) Explain using diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the protector main body 5, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the protector main body 5 with the first case removed. As shown in these figures, the protector main body 5 includes a connecting body 1) fixed to the cable reel main body 4, and a connecting body 1) that slidably includes the connecting body 1) and the fixed side member 2 of the steering column. A storage case 12 fixed to the stationary side member, and first and second holders 13.1 arranged between the connecting body 1) and the storage case 12.
4, and the groups of single-core cables 10 led out from the fixed body of the cable reel body 4 are connected to both holders 13
．． 14 and passes through the protector main body 5, it is connected to a connector on the vehicle body side via a connector attached to its lower end.

The connecting body 1) is made of a synthetic resin molded article, and has a block-shaped mounting base 15 and a pair of connecting rods 16 extending bifurcated from the mounting base 15, as shown in FIG.

A cover 17 having the same shape as the mounting base 15 is screwed onto the mounting base 15 (see FIG. 2), and a cable insertion portion is formed by both. A locking pawl 18 is provided upright on the inner bottom surface of this cable insertion portion. Further, hemispherical protrusions 16a are integrally formed at the tips of both connecting rods 16, respectively.

The storage case 12 is composed of a first case 19 and a second case 20 that are joined and integrated with each other using screws, and these are made of synthetic resin molded products. FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the first case 19, and as is clear from the figure, the first case 19 has a rectangular mounting hole 21 and a plurality of ribs 22 protrude from the back surface. ing. These ribs 22
has a hemispherical cross section and extends radially around the mounting hole 21.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the second case 20, and as is clear from the figure, a circular mounting hole 23 is bored in the center of the second case 20, and the periphery of this mounting hole 23 and Second
An annular wall 24 and a jetty 2 are provided on the outer peripheral edge of the case 20, respectively.
5 are erected.

Guide grooves 25a are formed on both inner surfaces of the jetty 25, and the protrusion 16a of the connecting rod 16 fits into the guide grooves 2.5.
It is designed to slide along a.

Further, a plurality of ribs 26 having a hemispherical cross section are formed on the inner bottom surface of the second case 20, and these ribs 26 extend radially around the mounting hole 23. Said jetty 2
5 extend downward and come close to each other to form a relatively narrow cable insertion portion.Furthermore, a locking pawl 27 is provided upright on the inner bottom surface of this cable insertion portion. The first case 19 and second case 20 configured in this way are joined and integrated using screws as described above, but in this state, the ribs 22 and 26 of both cases 19 and 20 are opposite to each other. is set to.

7 is a front view of the first holder 13, FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the first holder 13.
This is an exploded perspective view of, and as is clear from these figures,
The first holder 13 includes a holder base 28 and a cover film 2.
9, both of which have bottom shapes made of highly flexible synthetic resin. The holder base 28 includes a strip-shaped body 30 that is elongated and has locking protrusions 30a at both ends, tongue pieces 31 that stand up on both side edges of the strip-shaped body 30 at a predetermined interval, and a tongue piece 31 that is placed in the center of the strip-shaped body 30. The tongue piece 31 and the partition wall 32 are arranged in an alternating manner along the longitudinal direction of the band-shaped body 30. The partition wall 32 is arranged upright at a predetermined interval and has a protrusion 32a at the tip. On the other hand, the cover film 29 has an elongated shape that is slightly shorter than the strip, and has slits 33 formed at a predetermined interval in the center thereof. This cover film 29 is integrated with the holder base 28 by inserting the slit 33 into the partition wall 32, and the protrusion 32a
This prevents it from falling off. In this state, the first holder 13 has two spaces R+ and Rz divided by each partition wall 32 at both bottoms (see FIG. 8), and one or two of the single-core cables 10 group Books are stored here.

The second holder 14 is also configured in the same manner as the first holder 13, and the same reference numerals with dashes are given to corresponding members here to omit repeated explanation.

Returning to FIG. 3, the first and second holders 13, 14 each lock each locking protrusion 30a, 30''a with both locking claws 18, 27.
By inserting and locking the connectors into the mounting base 15 of the connecting body 1) and the second case 20 of the storage case 12, it is fixed in an arcuate manner, depending on the relative position of the connecting body 1) and the storage case 12. It is possible to move between the annular wall 24 and the jetty 25. Five single-core cables 10 are held in two groups in both of these holders 13 and 14.

That is, as shown in FIG. 10, among the two single-core cables 10a and 10b necessary for the airbag circuit, one is inside the space R8 of the first holder 13, and the other is inside the second holder 1.
Three single-core cables IOC, 10d are housed in the space R'1 of 4 and are necessary for the cruise control circuit board and the horn circuit.

10e, one is in the space R2 of the first holder 13,
The remaining two cables are housed in the space R''2 of the second holder 14. Therefore, the five single-core cables 10 groups (10a to 10a) led out from the fixed body 7 of the cable reel body 4
10e) is a group including one airbag single-core cable 10a and the other single-core cable 10 in the connecting body 1).
After being divided into two groups including b, the first and second groups
They are held and guided by holders 13 and 14 and reach the storage case 12, where they are bundled together and led out of the storage case 12.

Of the cable reels that are placed at the bottom of the tank as described above, the movable body 6 of the cable reel body 4 is fixed to the steering wheel 1 side, the fixed body 7 is fixed to the movable side member 3 of the steering column, and the connecting body 1 of the protector body 5 is fixed to the movable side member 3 of the steering column. ) is attached to the fixed body 7, and the storage case 12 is attached to the fixed side member 2 of the steering column.
Each is fixed and used. When the steering wheel 1 is rotated to one side, the flat cable 8 is wound around the inner ring wall of the movable body 6, and when the steering wheel 1 is rotated to the other side, the flat cable 8 is wrapped around the outer ring wall of the fixed body 7. In either state, the electrical connection between the movable body 6 and the fixed body 7 is maintained via the flat cable 8 and the single-core cable 10 connected thereto. There is.

As described above, the steering wheel 1 is movable in the direction of the arrow EIIA-B in FIG. 12 by the telescopic mechanism. FIG. 3 corresponds to the state in which the steering wheel 1 is retracted to the dashed line position in FIG.
are the most extended and face each other across the annular wall 24.

On the other hand, when the steering wheel 1 is pushed to the solid line position in Fig. 12, the connecting rod 1
6 descends along the guide groove 25a of the jetty 25, and the length between the connecting body 1) and the storage case 12 becomes the minimum. It is absorbed by the curved deformation from the wall 24 toward the jetty 25, and each single-core cable 10 is also absorbed by both holders 13 and 14.
deforms according to. In this case, the end surfaces of the first and second holders 13, 14 move on the ribs 22, 26 provided on the first case 19 and second case 20, so that smooth sliding can be achieved without increasing contact resistance. It becomes possible.

In this embodiment, the plurality of single-core cables 10 are divided into two groups, and each group is held in a flexible arch-shaped holder 13,14. Local bending stress can be prevented from concentrating on the cable 10, and the protector main body 5 can be made thinner. Further, since both holders 13 and 14 are composed of a holder base 28 and a cover film 29 connected by a partition wall 32, one holder has two spaces R0R.
2 can be defined. For this reason, two single-core cables 1 for the airbag circuit assume absolute reliability and safety.
Not only can the single-core cables 10a and 10b be distributed to both holders 13 and 14, but also the single-core cables 10a and 10b can be isolated from the others in one holder, thereby preventing the single-core cables 10 from being worn out. Short circuits can be completely prevented. Furthermore, since both holders 13.14 slide on ribs 22, 26 having hemispherical cross sections formed on the first and second cases 19.20, the sliding resistance between them is reduced. Reduce both holders 13.14
In addition, each single-core cable 10 can be smoothly deformed, and together with the above-mentioned prevention of concentration of bending stress by the holder 13.14, it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the single-core cable 10. can.

Note that the number of single-core cables is not limited to the above example,
Needless to say, it can be increased or decreased as necessary.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a plurality of single-core cables connected to electrical components such as cable reels are held by a pair of flexible arcuate holders, and the single-core cables are bent and deformed. Because it follows the holder,
Even if the distance between the movable side and the fixed side of the steering column changes during telescopic operation or the like, a plurality of single-core cables can be arranged in a narrow space without interfering with each other. In addition, since the arcuate holder is configured to slide on the ribs provided on the inner surface of the protector body, the arcuate holder can be smoothly deformed to prevent damage to the single-core cable, resulting in high reliability. A steering column cable protector can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures all relate to embodiments of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a front view of the protector main body, Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, Fig. 3 is a front view of the protector main body with the first case removed, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the protector main body. 5 is a rear view of the first case, FIG. 6 is a front view of the second case, FIG. 7 is a front view of the first holder, and FIG.
The figure is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 7, and Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 7.
An exploded perspective view of the holder, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the protector body, FIG. 1) is a front view showing the protector body in a contracted state, FIG. The figure is a sectional view of the cable reel body. 2. Steering column fixed side member, 3.
...Movable side member of steering column, 4...
・・・Cable reel body (electrical parts), 5...
・Protector body, 6...Movable body, 7...
...Fixed body, 8...Flat cable, 10.
...Single-core cable, 1) ...Connection body, 1
2...Storage case, 13...First holder (arcuous holder), 14...Second holder (arcuous holder), 15...Installation Base, 16...
・Connecting rod, t9...1st case, 20...
...Second case, 22゜26...Rib, 28.
... Holder base, 29 ... Cover film, 30 ... Band-shaped body, 30a ... Locking protrusion, 31 ... Tongue piece, 32... Bulkhead, 32a... Projection, 33... Slit. Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 13 v, Figure 4 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 1O @ 1st) Figure 10 Figure 12

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A protector body which has cable insertion portions at the front and rear portions and is telescopically mounted across the fixed side and movable side of the steering column having a telescopic function; It divides the plurality of single-core cables introduced from the insertion part into two in the width direction of the protector body, and has a pair of flexible arcuate holders that hold the cables, and is attached to the movable side of the steering column. 1. A cable protection device for a steering column, characterized in that a cable connected to an electrical component and routed along the steering column is extendably routed along an arcuate holder in the protector main body. (2) In claim (1), the arcuate holder is
1. A cable protection device for a steering column, comprising: band-shaped bodies facing each other with a predetermined interval; and a partition wall connecting these band-shaped bodies. (3) The cable protection device for a steering column according to claim (1), wherein a rib is provided on the inner surface of the protector body, with which the arcuate holder comes into contact.