JPH09148024A - Steering roll connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate complication in the neutral fixing operations for a steering roll connector equipped with a neutral fixing means, and also eliminate wastefulness with component parts. SOLUTION: Relative to a stator 4, a rotator 5 is made slidable in the axial direction of a rotary shaft between a first position as a mounting position for a steering device and a second position, and a spring 7 is furnished to energized this rotator 5 from the first to the second position. A engaging recess 5d is provided in the rotator 5, and the stator 4 is equipped with a engaging projection 4a which is engaged with the recess 5d when the rotator 5 is put in the second position in the neutral position and is separated from the recess 5d when put in the first position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is mounted between a steering column and a steering wheel of an automobile,
The present invention relates to a steering roll connector used to electrically connect a steering wheel to a vehicle body side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a steering roll connector has
As shown in FIG. 3, which is a plan view, and FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV thereof, in a donut-shaped casing including a stator 11 including a substrate 11a and a peripheral wall 11b and a rotator 12, a spiral shape is formed. The wound flat cable 13 is housed, and one end of the flat cable 13 is fixed to a connection terminal (not shown) on the stator 11 side, and the other end is fixed to a connection terminal (not shown) on the rotator 12 side. . Then, by fixing the stator 11 to a steering column (not shown) and further assembling a steering wheel (not shown), the rotator 12 is connected to the steering wheel, and when the steering wheel is turned, the flat cable 13 The rotator 12 rotates while the winding state changes.

As described above, since the winding state of the flat cable 13 changes with the rotation of the steering wheel, if the neutral position of the winding state does not match the neutral position of the steering wheel, the steering wheel is being fully rotated. Therefore, the flat cable 13 may be stretched on the tight side or the loose side. Therefore, conventionally, the rotation of the rotator 12 with respect to the stator 11 is restricted to the neutral position by the pin 14 provided as the neutral fixing means, and when the steering roll connector 10 and the steering wheel are attached to the steering device,
The pin 14 is pulled out in the direction of arrow A.

[0004]

On the other hand, in this type of steering roll connector, in the inspection process, the neutral fixing pin 14 is pulled out, the rotator 12 is rotated to inspect, and after the inspection is completed, the neutral position is confirmed. Since the neutral fixing pin 14 is attached again, the work of attaching and removing the neutral fixing pin 14 is required many times, and there is a problem that the work is complicated. Further, since the neutral fixing pin 14 pulled out from the steering roll connector 10 is discarded when it is mounted on an actual vehicle, there is a problem in that parts are wasted.

Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to eliminate the complexity of the neutral fixing work and the waste of parts in the steering roll connector provided with the neutral fixing means.

[0006]

A steering roll connector according to the present invention is characterized in that it is constructed as follows in order to solve the above technical problems. That is, first, the rotator is configured to be slidable relative to the stator in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the rotator between the first position and the second position, and the first position attaches the steering roll connector to the steering device. It is defined as the position of the rotator with respect to the stator. Further, the rotator is provided with urging means for urging the rotator in a direction from the first position to the second position, and the neutral fixing means includes an engaging recess formed in one of the rotator and the stator and a neutral position of the flat cable. An engaging projection that engages the engaging recess when the rotator is in the second position at the position and that disengages from the engaging recess at the first position.

[0007]

In the above structure, in the state before the roll connector is attached to the steering device, the rotator is biased toward the second position when it is in the neutral position, so that the engaging projection engages with the engaging recess. Therefore, the rotation of the rotator is restricted. Further, for example, if the roll connector is attached to the inspection column and is set to the first position, the rotator can be rotated, so that the inspection can be performed. Then, when the inspection is completed, the rotator is returned to the neutral position and the roll connector is removed from the inspection strut, so that the rotator is locked again. When mounted on an actual vehicle, the rotator can be rotated simply by attaching the neutral position to the steering device.

As described above, according to the above configuration, complicated work such as attaching and detaching pins in the inspection process and the attaching process to the actual vehicle is unnecessary. Further, it is not necessary to use useless parts such as the conventional neutral fixing pin that is discarded after being mounted on the actual vehicle.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view of this steering roll connector, and FIG.
IIa-IIa line sectional drawing, FIG.2 (b) is the IIb-IIb line enlarged sectional view of FIG.

The casing 1 is made of plastic and has a substrate 2
The rotator 5 is combined with the stator 4 including the sub-stator 3. The base material 2 is composed of a substantially annular plate-shaped substrate 2a and a peripheral wall 2b formed on an outer peripheral edge portion thereof, and the sub-stator 3 is a peripheral wall 3a fixed to the peripheral wall 2b of the base material 2 and a radial inner side from the tip thereof. And a flange 3b extending to The sub-stator 3 is also provided with a mounting portion 3c for fixing it to a steering column (not shown). On the other hand, the rotator 5 has a generally annular plate-shaped upper wall 5a, and an inner peripheral wall 5b and an outer peripheral wall 5c formed on the inner peripheral edge portion and the outer peripheral edge portion thereof.
b is inserted into the inner hole 2c of the base material 2.

The flat cable 6 wound in a spiral shape is housed in the casing 1 thus constructed. One end of the flat cable 6 is fixed to a terminal (not shown) on the stator 4 side, and the other end is fixed to a terminal (not shown) on the rotator 5 side.
Flat cable 6 wound in a spiral with the rotation of the
Is designed to tighten and loosen.

The rotator 5 is slidable with respect to the stator 4 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the rotator 5 between a first position shown by a virtual line and a second position shown by a solid line. There is. The first position of the rotator 5 is a position relative to the stator 4 when the steering roll connector is attached to the steering device. A spring 7 is provided on the inner surface of the flange 3b of the sub-stator 3 as a biasing means for biasing the rotator 5 from the first position toward the second position. This spring 7
Can be formed integrally with the flange 3b of the sub-stator 3, or can be a separate member such as rubber or spring.

On the other hand, in order to prevent the flat cable 6 from being installed in the steering device while the winding state of the flat cable 6 is biased to either the closed side or the loose side, the stator is placed at the neutral position in the wound state of the flat cable 6. Neutral fixing means for restricting the rotation of the rotator 5 with respect to the rotor 4 is provided integrally with the stator 4 and the rotator 5. Specifically, the neutral fixing means is the rotator 5.
And an engaging projection 4a formed on the stator 4. The engagement recess 5d is
It is formed between two engaging pieces 5e formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 5c of the rotator 5. The engagement projection 4a is dimensioned to engage the engagement recess 5d in the neutral position of the flat cable 6 with the rotator 5 in the second position, while disengaging from the engagement recess 5d in the first position. ing.

If the steering roll connector is constructed as described above, the rotator 5 is biased toward the second position in the neutral position before being attached to the steering device, so that the engaging projection 4a is engaged. The rotation of the rotator 5 is restricted by engaging with the recess 5d. On the other hand, at the time of inspection, the rotator 5 can be rotated to the first position only by attaching it to the inspection column (not shown), so that the inspection can be performed. When the inspection is completed, the rotator 5 can be locked again simply by returning the rotator 5 to the neutral position and removing the roll connector from the inspection support.
When mounted on an actual vehicle, the rotator 5 can be rotated only by attaching the neutral position to the steering device.

As described above, according to the roll connector having the above structure, complicated work such as attaching and detaching the neutral fixing pin in the inspection process and the attaching process to the actual vehicle is unnecessary. In addition, there is no need for wasteful parts that are discarded after being mounted on the actual vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a steering roll connector according to the present invention.

2A is a sectional view taken along line IIa-IIa in FIG.
FIG. 2B is an enlarged sectional view taken along line IIb-IIb in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a conventional steering roll connector.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 casing 2 base material 2a substrate 2b peripheral wall 2c inner hole 3 sub-stator 3a peripheral wall 3b flange 3c mounting portion 4 stator 4a engaging protrusion 5 rotator 5a upper wall 5b inner peripheral wall 5c outer peripheral wall 5d engaging recess 5e engaging piece 6 flat cable 7 Spring

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A relatively rotatable rotator (5) and a stator
A flat cable (6) wound in a spiral shape is housed in a casing (1) consisting of (4), and one end of the flat cable (6) is a stator (4) and the other end is a rotator (5). A steering roll connector having a neutral fixing means (4a, 5d) for fixing the rotation of the rotator (5) with respect to the stator (4) at the neutral position of the flat cable (6) in the winding state. The rotator (5) is configured to be slidable with respect to the stator (4) in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the rotator (5) between a first position and a second position. It is defined as the position of the rotator (5) with respect to the stator (4) when the steering roll connector is attached to the steering device, and urges the rotator (5) in the direction from the first position to the second position. A biasing means (7) is provided, and the neutral fixing means (4a , 5d) has the engaging recess (5d) formed in one of the rotator (5) and the stator (4) and the rotator (5) in the second position at the neutral position of the flat cable (6). An engaging projection that sometimes engages with the engaging recess (5d) and that disengages from the recess (5d) when in the first position
(4a) is provided with a steering roll connector.