JPH0822877A - Current-carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a current-carrying device in which the space for installation of an epicyclic shaft is secured and a flat cable and the epicyclic shaft can be made to move following each other without varying the size of the device. CONSTITUTION:This current-carrying device has an inner cylinder 4 and an outer cylinder 1 which rotate and move relative to each other, and a flat cable 6 (electric conductor) wound by plural turns and enclosed in a space formed between both cylinders. An epicyclic shaft 5 is disposed between both cylinders in such a way as to rotate on its axis and around the inner cylinder via reduction gear mechanisms 1b, 4a provided to the respective cylinders 1, 4. The U-shaped curved part 6c of the flat cable 6 is wound on the epicyclic shaft 5, and the angle at which the epicyclic shaft 5 rotates around the inner cylinder and the angle at which the U-shaped curved part 6c of the flat cable 6 moves are made to follow each other by means of the reduction gear mechanisms 1b, 4a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an energizing device for energizing a rotating side of a steering wheel of an automobile and a fixed side of a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an example of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-39907.
There is one as shown in FIGS. In addition, FIG.
FIG. 6 is a conceptual plan view of this energizing device, and FIG. 6 shows a meshing state of gears of this energizing device.

Reference numeral 31 in the drawing denotes a fixed outer cylinder, and a rotatable inner cylinder 32 is arranged concentrically with the outer cylinder 31.
The planetary shaft 33 is arranged between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 32. The outer cylinder 31 is provided with an internal gear (the number of teeth Z1), the inner cylinder 32 is provided with an external gear (the number of teeth Z2), and the planetary shaft 33 is provided with the internal gear and the external gear. An integral planetary gear (number of teeth Z3) that meshes with is provided.

On the other hand, reference numeral 34 in the figure is a flat cable, both ends of which are attached to an outer cylinder 31 and an inner cylinder 32, respectively. Both ends of the flat cable 34 are respectively connected to a fixed-side electric device and a rotating-side electric device (both not shown), whereby the fixed-side electric device and the rotating-side electric device are energized. . While the flat cable 34 is wound around the inner cylinder 32, it is arranged along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 31,
Further, a U-shaped curved portion 34a in the middle portion is wound around the planetary shaft 33.

When the inner cylinder 32 is rotated in the direction of arrow F from the flat cable 34 shown in FIG. 5A, the planet shaft 33 revolves around the inner cylinder 32 while rotating on its own axis. As a result, the flat cable 34 is wound up from the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 32 and sequentially laid along the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 31 (see FIG. 5B). On the other hand, this FIG.
When the inner cylinder 32 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow F from the state shown in (b), the flat cable 34 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 32. In such a case, the U-shaped curved portion 34a of the flat cable 34 is wound around the planetary shaft 33 so that the planetary shaft 33 guides the U-shaped curved portion 34a to ensure the reliability of the operation.

In FIG. 5 (a), the flat cable 34 is wound around the inner cylinder 32 only once for the sake of explanation. However, in the case of energizing between the steering wheel and the vehicle body, it is wound more. As a result, the rotation of the steering wheel, which is rotated several times, is absorbed.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional device, the revolution angle of the planetary shaft 33 (θ1 in FIG. 6) and the U-shaped flat cable 34 when the inner cylinder 32 is rotated. It is difficult to match the movement angle of the bending portion 34a (θ2 in FIG. 5B), and therefore, the U-shaped bending portion 34a of the flat cable 34 due to the planetary shaft 33.
It is difficult to secure the guidance performance of.

That is, the case where this energizing device is applied to a steering section of an automobile will be described. The inner diameter φA of the outer cylinder 31 and the outer diameter φB of the inner cylinder 32 are substantially determined by the steering shaft diameter and the steering diameter. For example, φA = 90 mm and φB = 40 mm, and in this case, the outer diameter φC of the planetary shaft 33 is 25 mm.

Here, assuming that the module of each gear is 1, the number of teeth Z1 of the internal gear, the number of teeth Z2 of the external gear, and the number of teeth Z3 of the planetary gear are Z1 = 90 and Z2 = 4, respectively.
0, Z3 = 25.

(B) The revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33.

On the other hand, an internal gear (number of teeth Z1) provided on the outer cylinder 31 and an external gear (number of teeth Z) provided on the inner cylinder 32.
2) Assuming a planetary gear (number of teeth Z3) provided on the planetary shaft 33, the rotation ratio T of the gear is obtained from the following equation (1).

T = (Z2 / Z3) × (Z3 / Z1) = Z2 / Z1 (1) Further, the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 shown in FIG. 6 when the inner cylinder 31 is rotated once is As is clear from the figure, it is obtained from the following equation (2).

Θ1 = T × 360 ° (2) Therefore, the number of teeth of the internal gear provided on the outer cylinder 31 Z1 = 9
0, the number of teeth Z2 of the external gear provided on the inner cylinder 32 = 40,
When the number of teeth Z3 of the planetary gear provided on the planetary shaft 33 is set to Z3 = 25, the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 is 158 ° from the equations (1) and (2) assuming that the gear rotation ratio T = 0.44. Becomes

(B) Moving angle θ of the U-shaped curved portion 34a
2.

Next, assuming that the inner diameter φA of the outer cylinder 31, the outer diameter φB of the inner cylinder 32, and the outer diameter φC of the planetary shaft 33, the length L of the flat cable 34 in the state shown in FIG. 5A, that is, the inner cylinder. The length L of the flat cable 34 separated from the outer cylinder 32 by rotating 32 in the direction opposite to the arrow F direction once.
As is clear from the figure, since it is the total of the length wound around the inner cylinder 32 by one turn and the length wound around the planetary shaft 33 by 1/2 turn, the following equation (3) is established.

L = B × π + C × π / 2 (3) Further, FIG. 5B shows the inner cylinder 32 from the state shown in FIG. 5A.
Shows the state when the is rotated once in the direction of arrow F,
The length of the flat cable 34 in the state of FIG. 5B is equal to the length L because the inner cylinder 32 is only rotated once in the direction of arrow F.

As is clear from FIG. 5B, the U-shaped curved portion 34a of the flat cable 34 when the inner cylinder 32 is rotated once in the direction of arrow F from the state shown in FIG. 5A.
If the movement angle of is θ2, the following equation (4) is established between the movement angle θ2 and the length L.

L = (A × π × θ2 / 360 °) + (B × π × θ2 / 360 °) + C × π / 2 (4) ) Therefore, from the formula (3) and the formula (4), the U-shaped curved portion 3
The movement angle θ2 of 4a is obtained from the following equation (5).

Θ2 = B × 360 ° / (A + B) (5) Then, temporarily, the inner diameter φA of the outer cylinder 31 is 90 mm, and the inner cylinder 3 is
When the outer diameter φ2 of 2 is 40 mm (the module of each gear is 1), the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 34a is calculated from the equation (5), and the movement angle θ2 is 11
It becomes 1 °.

This is because the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 when the inner cylinder 32 is rotated once is 158 ° from the item (a), so that the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 is a U-shaped curve. This means that the movement angle θ2 of the portion 34a does not match, that is, the movement of the planetary shaft 33 does not follow the movement of the U-shaped curved portion 34a.

(C) When the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 is made to follow the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 34a.

If the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33 is made to follow the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 34a of the flat cable 34 in order to eliminate the above-mentioned inconsistency, the following equation (6) is established. .

Θ1 = T × 360 ° = θ2 = 111 ° (6) Therefore, according to the formulas (6) and (1), the internal gear of the external gear 31 is When the number of teeth Z1 is set to 90 (the module of each gear is set to 1 as described above), the inner cylinder 32
The number of teeth Z2 of the externally toothed gear provided in is 2 = 28, and the inner cylinder 3
2 has an outer diameter φB = 28 mm, which results in interference with the steering shaft diameter (= 40 mm).

When the number of teeth of the external gear provided on the inner cylinder 32 is Z2 = 40, the number of teeth of the internal gear provided on the outer cylinder 31 is Z1 = 129, and the modules of the respective gears are Since it is 1, the inner diameter φA of the outer cylinder 31 is 129 mm, and the outer diameter of the outer cylinder 31 expands and interferes with the column cover, and the appearance is impaired.

(D) The moving angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 34a
When is made to follow the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 33.

On the other hand, assuming that the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 34a is made to follow the revolution angle θ1 (= 158 °), the following equation (7) is established from equation (5).

158 ° = B × 360 ° / (A + B) (7) If the inner diameter φA of the outer cylinder 31 is set to 90 mm, the inner cylinder can be calculated from the above equation (7). The outer diameter φ of 32 is φB = 70 mm, and φC × 2 = φA−φB.
The outer diameter φC of 3 is φC = 10.

Further, if the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 32 is φB = 40 mm.
When set to, from the above formula (7), the outer diameter of the outer cylinder 31 is φA =
The outer diameter of the planetary shaft 33 is φC = 5.5 mm.

Therefore, in any of these cases, the outer diameter φC of the planetary shaft 33 becomes too small, which causes problems in manufacturing and strength of the planetary shaft 33 and also in the U-shaped curved portion 34.
There is a possibility that the radius of curvature of a becomes too small and the flat cable 34 is bent and the conductor thereof is cut off.

Therefore, the present invention provides a current-carrying device capable of allowing the flat cable and the planetary shaft to follow each other in motion while ensuring the space for disposing the planetary shaft and without changing the size of the device. That is the issue.

[0031]

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the invention according to claim 1 has an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder which relatively rotate and move. In a current-carrying device in which an electric conductor is housed a plurality of times in a space formed between the two cylinders, a planetary gear is provided so as to rotate and revolve between the two cylinders via a reduction gear mechanism provided in the both cylinders. A shaft is provided, the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor is wound around the planetary shaft, and the revolution angle of the planetary shaft and the movement angle of the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor follow each other by the reduction gear mechanism. It is characterized by doing so.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an external gear is provided on the inner cylinder, an internal gear is provided on the outer cylinder, and a first planetary gear meshing with the external gear and a second planetary gear meshing with the internal gear are provided. A planetary shaft having a planetary gear is arranged between the two cylinders so as to rotate and revolve, and a U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor is wound around the planetary shaft.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the number of teeth of the first and second planetary gears of the planetary shaft, the externally toothed gear, and the internally toothed gear are defined by the revolution angle of the planetary shaft and the U-shape of the electric conductor. It is characterized in that the movement angle of the curved portion is set to follow each other.

[0034]

According to this structure, the planetary shaft is disposed between the two cylinders so as to rotate and revolve through the reduction gear mechanism provided in the both cylinders, and the planetary shaft has a U-shaped electric conductor. Since the curving portion is wound and the reduction gear mechanism allows the revolution angle of the planetary shaft and the movement angle of the U-shaped curving portion of the electric conductor to follow each other, the module of the external gear and the internal gear is different from the conventional one. Does not have to match, and the rotation ratio of the planetary shaft is not determined only by the number of teeth of the external gear and the internal gear. Therefore, the degree of freedom in adjusting the rotation ratio of the planetary shaft is increased, and the number of teeth of the first planetary gear and the number of teeth of the second planetary gear can be changed without changing the number of teeth of the internal gear and the number of external gears. By adjusting, the movement angle of the U-shaped curved portion of the flat cable and the revolution angle of the planetary shaft can be made to follow each other. Therefore, the movement of the flat cable and the planetary shaft can be made to follow each other without enlarging the device or narrowing the space for disposing the planetary shaft as in the conventional case.

[0035]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below based on examples.

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the structure will be described. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is an outer cylinder having a bottomed cylindrical shape.
It is fixed to a steering column (not shown). An internal gear 1b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the outer cylinder 1. A step portion 1d is formed at the center of the lower end surface 1a, and an insertion hole 1c is formed at the center thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, an upper lid 2 is provided in the upper opening of the outer cylinder 1, and a cylindrical shaft 2a of the upper lid 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 1
It is provided in a state of being inserted in c. Further, a case stopper 3 having a substantially cap shape is inserted in the hollow portion of the cylindrical shaft 2a. The locking portion 3a provided at the tip of the case stopper 3 is attached to the cylindrical shaft 2a.
When the bottom plate 3b of the case stopper 3 is brought into contact with the lower end surface 1a of the outer cylinder 1, the outer cylinder 1 and the upper lid 2 are assembled together. There is. The upper lid 2 is attached to a steering wheel (not shown) which is a rotating body.

On the other hand, the inner cylinder 4 is attached to the cylindrical shaft 2a of the upper lid 2.
However, the protrusion 4c is mounted in a state where the protrusion 4c is inserted into the arcuate hole 2d (see FIG. 3). An external gear 4a is formed at the lower end of the inner cylinder 4, and the stepped portion 1d of the outer cylinder 1 prevents the heights of the external gear 4a and the internal gear 1b from matching. Has become.

A substantially cylindrical planetary shaft 5 is arranged between the inner cylinder 4 and the outer cylinder 1. A first planetary gear 5a and a second planetary gear 5b are formed at the lower end of the planetary shaft 5 so as to be continuous in the axial direction, and the first planetary gear 5a is the external gear 4a.
In addition, the second planetary gear 5b is adapted to mesh with the internal gear 1b, and these gears form a "reduction gear mechanism".
Is configured. Furthermore, a guide pin 5c formed at the upper end of the planetary shaft 5 is inserted into an annular guide groove 2c formed in the upper lid 2.

On the other hand, reference numeral 6 in the drawing is a flat cable as an "electric conductor", and as shown in FIG. 3, connection case 6a, 6b is attached to both ends thereof, respectively. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, one connecting portion case 6 a is attached to the inner cylinder 4, and the other connecting portion case 6 b is attached to the outer cylinder 1. Further, a plug 7 is pulled out from the connecting portion case 6a through a through hole 2e of the upper lid 2, and the plug 7 is connected to a rotating side electric device (not shown). The connecting portion case 6b is connected to a fixed-side electric device (not shown), so that the fixed-side electric device and the rotating-side electric device are energized. While the flat cable 6 is wound around the inner cylinder 4, it is arranged along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 1,
Further, a U-shaped curved portion 6c in the middle portion is wound around the planetary shaft 5.

Next, the operation of the energizing device having such a structure will be described.

When the inner cylinder 4 is rotated in the direction of arrow G in FIG. 1 by rotating the steering wheel, the gear shafts 1b, 4a, 5a and 5b mesh with each other, and the planetary shaft 5 rotates in the direction of arrow I. While revolving around the inner cylinder 4 in the direction of arrow H. As a result, the U-shaped curved portion 6c of the flat cable 6 is wound around the outer peripheral surface 4b of the inner cylinder 4 while being guided by the planetary shaft 5.

On the other hand, when the inner cylinder 4 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow G, the planet shaft 5 revolves in the direction opposite to the arrow H, and the U-shaped curved portion 6c of the flat cable 6 is guided by the planet shaft 5. Meanwhile, the flat cable 6 is unwound from the outer peripheral surface 4b of the inner cylinder 4.

In such a case, each gear 1b, 4a, 5
The number of teeth of a and 5b is the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 5 and the movement angle θ of the U-shaped curved portion 6c of the flat cable 6.
Since 2 and 2 are set to follow each other, the planetary shaft 5 can favorably guide the U-shaped curved portion 6c.

That is, in FIG. 4, the number of teeth of the internal gear 1b is Z1, the number of teeth of the external gear 4a is Z2, and the first planetary gear 5a.
When the number of teeth of the gear is Z3 and the number of teeth of the second planetary gear 5b is Z4, the gear rotation ratio T'can be obtained from the following equation (8).

T ′ = (Z2 / Z3) × (Z4 / Z1) ... (8) From the above formula (8), the revolution of the planetary shaft 5 when the inner cylinder 4 is rotated once. As for the angle θ1, the following expression (9) is established similarly to the expression (2).

Θ1 = T ′ × 360 ° (9) Here, the number of teeth Z1 of the internal gear 1b provided on the outer cylinder 31 is Z1.
= 90, the number of teeth Z2 of the external gear 4a provided on the inner cylinder 4 =
40, the number of teeth Z of the first planetary gear 5a provided on the planetary shaft 5
The number of teeth Z of the second planetary gear 5b when 3 = 25
4 is required.

That is, since the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 5 and the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 6c are made to follow each other, in this case, from the equations (6) and (9) to the following equation (10). Is established.

Θ1 = T ′ × 360 ° = θ2 = 111 ° (10) Therefore, the following equation (11) is established from the equations (8) and (10).

Θ1 = (Z2 / Z3) × (Z4 / Z1) × 360 ° = θ2 = 111 ° (11) Z1 = in this equation (11) 90, Z2 = 40, Z3 = 25
Substituting each numerical value of, the number of teeth Z4 of the second planetary gear 5b =
It becomes 17.

Therefore, the number of teeth Z4 of the second planetary gear 5b is Z4 = 1.
By setting 7, the module of each gear is set to 1 as described above, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 1 is φA = 90 mm, and the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 4 is φB = 40 mm. θ1 and the movement angle θ2 of the U-shaped curved portion 6c
And can follow each other.

According to the current-carrying device having such a structure, the planetary shaft 5 is provided with the first and second planetary gears 5a and 5b, the first planetary gear 5a is meshed with the external gear 4a, and the second planetary gear 5 is formed.
Since b is meshed with the internal gear 1b, it is not necessary to match the modules of the external gear 4a and the internal gear 1b as in the conventional case, and the rotation ratio T of the planetary shaft 5 is equal to that of the internal gear 1b.
It is not determined only by the number of teeth Z1 of b and the number of teeth Z2 of the external gear 4a. For this reason, the degree of freedom in adjusting the rotation ratio T of the planetary shaft 5 is increased, and the first planetary gear 5a without changing the number of teeth Z1 of the internal gear 1b and the number of teeth Z2 of the external gear 4a.
By adjusting the number of teeth Z3 of the flat planetary gear 5b and the number of teeth Z4 of the second planetary gear 5b.
And the revolution angle θ1 of the planetary shaft 5 can be made to follow each other. Therefore, the movements of the flat cable 6 and the planetary shaft 5 can be made to follow each other without enlarging the device or narrowing the space for disposing the planetary shaft 5 as in the conventional case.

In this embodiment, the inner cylinder 4 rotates,
The outer cylinder 1 is fixed, but the energizing device according to the present invention can be applied to a case in which the inner cylinder 4 is fixed and the outer cylinder 1 rotates. Further, in this embodiment, the electric power is supplied between the steering side and the vehicle body side, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the electric power may be supplied between other members. Further, although the flat cable 6 has been described as the “electric conductor”, the electric cable is not limited to the flat cable 6 and may be a round electric wire.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention, the planetary shaft is disposed between the two cylinders so as to rotate and revolve through the reduction gear mechanism provided in the both cylinders. Since the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor is wound around, and the revolution angle of the planetary shaft and the movement angle of the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor are made to follow each other by the reduction gear mechanism, the external gear is different from the conventional external gear. It is not necessary to match the modules of the internal gear and the internal gear, and the rotation ratio of the planetary shaft is not determined only by the number of teeth of the external gear and the internal gear. Therefore, the degree of freedom in adjusting the rotation ratio of the planetary shaft is increased, and the number of teeth of the first planetary gear and the number of teeth of the second planetary gear can be changed without changing the number of teeth of the internal gear and the number of external gears. By adjusting, the movement angle of the U-shaped curved portion of the flat cable and the revolution angle of the planetary shaft can be made to follow each other. Therefore, the movement of the flat cable and the planetary shaft can be made to follow each other without enlarging the device or narrowing the space for disposing the planetary shaft as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a current-carrying device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a current-carrying device showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a current-carrying device showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a gear meshing state in the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual plan view of a current-carrying device showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Outer cylinder 1b Internal gear (reduction gear mechanism) 4 Inner cylinder 4b External gear (reduction gear mechanism) 5 Planetary shaft 5a First planetary gear 5b Second planetary gear 6 Flat cable (electric conductor) 6c U-shaped curved portion

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A current-carrying device having an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder that relatively rotate, wherein an electric conductor is housed a plurality of times in a space formed between the two cylinders. A planetary shaft is arranged between the two cylinders so as to rotate and revolve between the two cylinders via the speed reducing gear mechanism, and the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor is wound around the planetary shaft. Of the electric conductor and the movement angle of the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor follow each other. 2. A current-carrying device having an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, which relatively rotate and move, and wherein an electric conductor is housed a plurality of times in a space formed between the two cylinders. A toothed gear is provided on each of the outer cylinders, and a planetary shaft having a first planetary gear that meshes with the outer gear and a second planetary gear that meshes with the inner gear rotates and revolves between the two cylinders. And a U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor is wound around the planetary shaft. 3. The number of teeth of the first and second planetary gears of the planetary shaft, the externally toothed gear, and the internally toothed gear are set so that the revolution angle of the planetary shaft and the U-shaped curved portion of the electric conductor move. The angle and the angle are set to follow each other.
The energizing device described.