JP2017027739A - Rotary connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rotary connector capable of ensuring reliability of power transmission path.SOLUTION: A rotary connector 1 includes: a stationary-side outer enclosure 2; an internal rotating body 3 rotating synchronously with a steering shaft 6; and a circular conductor 4 electrically connecting the external enclosure 2 and the internal rotating body 3 each other. The internal rotating body 3 includes a cam part 7 pressing an inner wall surface of the circular conductor 4 and rotates, while the circular conductor 4 is pressed by the cam part 7, when the steering shaft 6 is rotated. At this time, the circular conductor 4 is pressed by the cam part 7 for eccentric operation, thereby maintaining an electrical contact between the circular conductor 4 and the external enclosure 2, and an electrical contact between the circular conductor 4 and the internal rotating body 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary connector that secures conduction between a fixed side and a movable side by turning a movable side rotating body that is energized to a fixed-side casing.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a steering roll connector is well known as a rotating connector that ensures electrical conduction of two components that rotate with respect to the other (see Patent Document 1, etc.). The steering roll connector includes a stationary stator and a rotating rotator. A spiral cable that can be tightened and loosened when the rotator is rotated is accommodated in the space inside the stator and the rotator. A load (airbag device and switches) provided on the steering wheel is connected to the rotator, and electricity is supplied from the stator to the vehicle body via a spiral cable.

JP 2010-129187 A

  In the case of a steering roll connector using a flexible cable, for example, the flexible cable may be broken due to curing at low temperatures, or the flexible cable may be disconnected due to excessive rotation of the rotator. Therefore, there has been a need to develop a steering roll connector with high reliability of the energization transmission path.

  The objective of this invention is providing the rotation connector which can ensure the reliability of the transmission path of electricity supply.

  In the rotary connector that solves the above problem, the stationary casing and the movable rotating body are electrically connected, and the rotating body is allowed to rotate with respect to the casing. A circular conductor disposed in a space formed between the casing and the rotating body to ensure electrical continuity between them and to be eccentric with respect to the rotating body; A cam portion that is provided on the rotating body, and that pushes the circular conductor in a radial direction to bring the circular conductor into contact with both the casing and the rotating body with a conductive surface, and the rotating body includes When the cam portion is rotated with respect to the casing, the circular conductor is eccentrically operated by changing the pushing position of the circular conductor, whereby the rotating body, the contact of the circular conductor, the circular conductor, and The contacts of the housing move sequentially in the circumferential direction Come, these conduction state is maintained.

  According to this configuration, when the rotating body rotates, the rotating body rotates while pushing the circular conductor at the cam portion. At this time, the circular conductor is pushed by the cam portion and changes its position, thereby maintaining the electrical contact between the circular conductor and the casing and the electrical contact between the circular conductor and the rotating body. . That is, the electrical connection between the casing and the rotating body when the rotating body rotates with respect to the casing is realized by the circular conductor that is moved by being pushed by the cam portion of the rotating body. For this reason, in realizing the electrical connection between the rotating body and the housing, for example, wiring such as a flexible cable may not be used. Accordingly, in this respect, it is possible to ensure the reliability of the energization transmission path.

  In the rotary connector, it is preferable that the circular conductor includes a slit portion that divides the circular shape of the circular conductor in the middle. According to this configuration, even if the circular conductor expands due to temperature or the like, the diameter of the circular conductor is maintained by the slit portion so as to be in contact with both the housing and the rotating body. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the reliability of conduction by the circular conductor.

  In the rotary connector, it is preferable that the slit portion is formed in a tapered shape with a notch formed obliquely. According to this configuration, even if the slit portion is formed in the circular conductor, the slit portion does not have to be a gap without a conductor in the energization transmission path. Therefore, when the rotating body is rotated, the energization between the rotating body and the circular conductor is not interrupted, and further, the energization between the casing and the circular conductor is not interrupted, which is further advantageous in ensuring the reliability of conduction.

  In the rotary connector, it is preferable that the circular conductor includes a plurality of conductive portions serving as current paths, and a load is connected between the conductive portions to form a closed circuit of the load. According to this configuration, when a closed circuit of a load is formed, it is possible to cope with this by providing a plurality of conduction portions.

  In the rotating connector, a dielectric that is disposed in a gap formed between the casing and the rotating body and electrically connects a load and an AC power source to construct a transmission path for energizing to pass a small alternating current. It is preferable to provide a member. According to this configuration, by sandwiching the dielectric member in the gap between the casing and the rotating body, it is possible to allow a small alternating current to flow through the load, and the slip resistance between the casing and the rotating body. Can be kept low.

  In the rotating connector, it is preferable that the cam portion includes a small rotating member that can rotate while pressing the circular conductor. According to this configuration, it is possible to smoothly perform the movement when the rotating body pushes the circular conductor at the cam portion.

  In the rotary connector, it is preferable that the cam portion is a protrusion that presses the circular conductor with a shape protruding toward the circular conductor. According to this configuration, the shape of the cam portion can be simple.

  The rotary connector includes a recess formed in one of the circular conductor and the housing, and a protrusion formed on the other of the circular conductor and the housing, and the recess engages with the recess. It is preferable that a conductive portion serving as a current path or an insulating portion that does not pass the current is formed therebetween. According to this configuration, since the circular conductor and the casing are locked in a concave-convex shape, it is possible to secure, for example, a conductive area or use as a rotation guide.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the reliability of the transmission path of electricity supply is securable in a rotation connector.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the rotary connector of the first embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of a rotation connector. The perspective view of a circular conductor. The top view of a circular conductor. (A), (b) is an operation | movement figure of a rotation connector. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotation connector of 2nd Embodiment. The equivalent circuit diagram of the electric circuit which sends a small electric current by alternating current. The perspective view of the circular conductor of another example. The cam part of another example is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. (A), (b) is a fragmentary sectional view of the rotation connector in another example. The block diagram of the cam part of another example. The block diagram of the electric circuit of the load of another example of another.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a rotary connector will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary connector 1 is a kind of steering roll connector, and includes a housing on the fixed side (hereinafter referred to as an external housing 2) and a rotating body (hereinafter referred to as an internal circuit) on the rotation side. And a circular conductor 4 disposed between the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3 so as to be allowed to move. In the case of this example, the internal rotating body 3 is disposed on the radially inner side of the external housing 2 so as to be relatively rotatable. A predetermined amount of space 5 is formed between the outer casing 2 and the internal rotating body 3, and the circular conductor 4 is allowed to move in this space 5 and stored.

The external housing 2 is a so-called stator and has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. The external housing 2 is attached so as not to rotate by being assembled and fixed to the vehicle body.
The circular conductor 4 is made of, for example, metal and has an annular shape. The circular conductor 4 ensures electrical continuity between the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3 by electrically connecting the conductive portion of the external housing 2 and the conductive portion of the internal rotating body 3. The center Pa of the circular conductor 4 is arranged eccentrically (displaced) with respect to the center P1 of the internal rotating body 3. The circular conductor 4 is preferably, for example, a perfect circle.

  The internal rotating body 3 is a so-called rotator and rotates integrally with the steering shaft (handle post) 6 on the same axis. The internal rotating body 3 includes a cam portion 7 that brings the circular conductor 4 into contact with both the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3 with a conductive surface by pushing the circular conductor 4 in the radial direction. In the case of this example, a cam portion 7 capable of pressing the circular conductor 4 toward the outer side in the radial direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) is provided on the outer periphery of the internal rotating body 3. The cam portion 7 presses the outer wall surface of the circular conductor 4 against the inner wall surface of the external housing 2 by pressing the inner wall surface of the circular conductor 4 outward. That is, the cam portion 7 and the external housing 2 are in contact with each other with the circular conductor 4 interposed therebetween.

  The cam portion 7 includes a small rotating member 8 that can rotate while pressing the circular conductor 4. The small rotating member 8 of this example operates like a wheel that can rotate around the axis La of the shaft portion 9 extending in the vertical direction. In this case, when the internal rotating body 3 rotates, the cam portion 7 moves so as to push the inner wall surface of the circular conductor 4 while the small rotating member 8 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the circular conductor 4 includes a plurality (two in this example) of conducting portions 11 that serve as a current path in the circular conductor 4. The conduction part 11 of this example is configured to connect the power supply 14 by electrically connecting a terminal 12 for electrical connection provided in the external housing 2 and a terminal 13 for electrical connection provided in the internal rotating body 3. The load 15 is conducted. The reason why there are two conducting parts 11 is that the electrical circuit of the load 15 is closed by connecting the load 15 between the conducting parts 11. In the case of this example, one terminal 12a on the power supply side is connected to the positive electrode of the load 15 through one conduction part 11a and one terminal 13a on the load 15 side, and the other terminal 12b on the other electrode side is connected to the other terminal Is connected to the negative electrode of the load 15 through the conductive portion 11b and the other terminal 13b on the load 15 side. These conducting portions 11a and 11b are arranged side by side along the axis L1 direction (vertical direction) of the circular conductor 4. An insulating portion (insulating material) 16 is interposed between the two conducting portions 11a and 11b in order to ensure these insulations. The load 15 includes, for example, an airbag device or a heater device provided on the steering wheel. The power source 14 is preferably a high-current DC power source, for example.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the circular conductor 4 includes a slit portion 18 that divides the circular shape of the circular conductor 4 halfway. By the way, since the circular conductor 4 is formed of metal, when the circular conductor 4 expands due to temperature, the circular conductor 4 does not come into contact with either or both of the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3 at high temperatures. It is conceivable that the diameter of the is increased. As a countermeasure, a slit portion 18 is provided in the circular conductor 4 so that a part thereof overlaps. At this time, in order to prevent the overlapped portion from becoming too thick, the slit portion 18 is formed in a tapered shape with an incision formed obliquely.

Next, the operation of the rotary connector 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
As illustrated in the flow of FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B, when the internal rotating body 3 rotates integrally with the steering shaft 6 in accordance with the rotation operation of the steering wheel (not shown), the internal rotating body 3 is The cam portion 7 rotates while pressing the inner wall surface of the circular conductor 4. At this time, the cam portion 7 changes the pushing position of the circular conductor 4 along the circumferential direction of the circular conductor 4 (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5), whereby the center position of the circular conductor 4 moves. In other words, the circular conductor 4 takes a revolving motion with respect to the rotating internal rotating body 3. As a result, the contact 20 between the inner rotating body 3 and the circular conductor 4 and the contact 21 between the outer casing 2 and the circular conductor 4 sequentially move in the circumferential direction, and the conduction between the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3 is established. Is maintained.

  That is, the center of the circular conductor 4 is moved when the position pushed by the cam portion 7 is changed, and the circular conductor 4 moves so as to contact the inner wall surface of the outer casing 2 while changing the position. As described above, the center of the circular conductor 4 of this example rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the internal rotating body 3 (they also take a movement that turns little by little). That is, it can be said that the internal rotating body 3 is eccentrically operated. For this reason, energization of the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3 is maintained. Thereby, the current of the power source 14 continues to flow through the terminal 12 → the circular conductor 4 → the terminal 13, and the load 15 can be conducted.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When the steering shaft 6 is rotated, the internal rotating body 3 rotates while pushing the circular conductor 4 by the cam portion 7. At this time, when the circular conductor 4 is pushed by the cam portion 7 and is eccentrically operated, the electrical contact between the circular conductor 4 and the outer casing 2 and the electrical contact between the circular conductor 4 and the inner rotating body 3 are caused. Maintained. That is, the circular conductor 4 that eccentrically operates the electrical connection between the external casing 2 and the internal rotary body 3 when the internal rotary body 3 rotates with respect to the external casing 2 by the cam portion 7 of the internal rotary body 3. To achieve. For this reason, in realizing the electrical connection between the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3, for example, wiring such as a flexible cable may not be used. Therefore, in this respect, the reliability of the energization transmission path can be ensured.

  (2) The circular conductor 4 includes a slit portion 18 that divides the circular shape of the circular conductor 4 halfway. Thus, even if the circular conductor 4 expands due to temperature, the diameter of the circular conductor 4 is maintained at a size that contacts both the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3 by the slit portion 18 provided in the middle. The Therefore, it becomes more advantageous to ensure the reliability of conduction by the circular conductor 4.

  (3) The slit part 18 is formed in the taper shape which cut | incised diagonally. As a result, even if the slit portion 18 is formed in the circular conductor 4, the slit portion 18 does not have to be an energization gap without a conductor in the energization transmission path. Therefore, when the internal rotating body 3 is rotated, the energization between the internal rotating body 3 and the circular conductor 4 is not interrupted, and further, the energization between the external housing 2 and the circular conductor 4 is not interrupted. It will be advantageous.

  (4) Two conducting portions 11 a and 11 b provided on the circular conductor 4 are connected to the positive electrode of the load 15 and the other is connected to the negative electrode of the load 15, thereby forming a closed circuit of the load 15. . Therefore, even when a closed circuit of the load 15 is formed, this can be dealt with.

  (5) The cam portion 7 includes a small rotating member 8 that can rotate while holding the circular conductor 4. Therefore, the movement when the rotating inner rotating body 3 pushes the circular conductor 4 by the cam portion 7 can be smoothly performed by the rotation of the small rotating member 8.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, a current transmission path for flowing a large DC current to the load (first load) 15 in the configuration of the first embodiment is secured, and a transmission path for flowing a small current by alternating current is further added. It is an example. Therefore, in 2nd Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as 1st Embodiment, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and only a different part is explained in full detail.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the inner rotating body 3 is formed with a recess 30 having a groove shape. The recessed part 30 is formed in one belt over the perimeter along the axial center L1 of the internal rotation body 3. FIG. The outer casing 2 is formed with a protrusion 31 that is inserted into the recess 30 of the internal rotating body 3. The protrusions 31 are formed in a single band over the entire circumference along the axis L <b> 1 of the internal rotating body 3 so as to match the shape of the recess 30.

  The gap 32 provided between the recess 30 and the protrusion 31 is provided with a dielectric member 35 that electrically connects the AC power source 33 and the second load 34 and constructs an energization transmission path through which a small alternating current flows. It is installed. More specifically, the gap 32 includes a first gap 32a located on the radially outer side of the internal rotating body 3 and a second gap 32b located on the radially inner side. The first dielectric 32 is located in the first gap 32a. The member 35a is sandwiched, and the second dielectric member 35b is sandwiched in the second gap 32b. The first dielectric member 35a and the second dielectric member 35b are preferably made of, for example, a sheet material of Teflon (registered trademark: polytetrafluoroethylene). The first dielectric member 35a and the second dielectric member 35b are formed in an annular shape (annular shape) in accordance with the shape of the recess 30 (projection 31), and the first dielectric member 35a is more than the second dielectric member 35b. The diameter is large. The second load 34 is preferably, for example, a switch that can be operated with a small current.

  The dielectric member 35 (the first dielectric member 35a and the second dielectric member 35b) has an AC power source 33 connected to one end and a second load 34 connected to the other end. The second load 34 may be anything that operates with a small alternating current, for example. Not only power transmission but also signal transmission or both power and signal transmission may be used.

  Incidentally, the dielectric member 35 such as Teflon has an advantage of low friction characteristics. Therefore, if the dielectric member 35 is sandwiched in the gap 32 between the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3, the inner rotating body 3 rotates. It is possible to keep slip resistance low when moving. In particular, since Teflon has the least frictional property among all substances, if it is interposed in the gap 32, it is advantageous in that the slip resistance can be significantly reduced. Moreover, the insulation of the outer housing | casing 2 and the internal rotation body 3 is also ensured.

  FIG. 7 shows an equivalent circuit 38 of the electric circuit of the second load 34. As can be seen from the figure, the AC power supply 33 is connected to the second load 34 via the first dielectric member 35a and the second dielectric member 35b. In the case of this example, since the dielectric member 35 is sandwiched in the gap 32 between the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3, the relative dielectric constant of this portion increases. That is, the C capacitance of capacitive coupling in the equivalent circuit 38 is increased. As a result, a current easily flows through the equivalent circuit 38, so that the stability of the circuit operation is ensured.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, in addition to (1) to (5) described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(6) By disposing the dielectric member 35 in the gap 32 formed between the outer casing 2 and the internal rotating body 3, and electrically connecting the AC power source 33 and the second load 34 by the dielectric member 35, Establish an energization transmission path that allows a small alternating current to flow. Therefore, a small alternating current can be passed through the second load 34, and the slip resistance between the external housing 2 and the internal rotating body 3 can be kept low.

Note that the embodiment is not limited to the configuration described so far, and may be modified as follows.
As shown in FIG. 8, in each embodiment, the slit portion 18 may have a straight shape in which the cut is not inclined. In this case, the cam portion 7 crosses the step of the slit portion 18 when the circular conductor 4 expands. Therefore, for example, the tip of the slit portion 18 may be formed in an uneven shape to ensure a contact surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in each embodiment, the cam portion 7 may be configured to mesh with the external housing 2 via the gear 41. This is because, for example, when the cam portion 7 is fixed to the circular conductor 4, the circular conductor 4 slides with the outer casing 2, and therefore, in order to avoid this, it rotates in cooperation with the outer casing 2. A gear 41 may be provided to suppress the occurrence of sticking. In this case, a structure in which the gear 41 does not engage with each other, that is, a structure in which a simple disk rotates by contacting the external housing 2 may be employed.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, in each embodiment, the rotary connector 1 has a recess 45 formed in one of the outer housing 2 and the circular conductor 4 (FIG. 10 is formed in the circular conductor 4). ) And a protrusion 46 (FIG. 10 is formed on the external housing 2) that is formed on the other of the external housing 2 and the circular conductor 4 and engages with the recess 45. And between the recessed part 45 and the protrusion 46, it is good to form the conduction | electrical_connection part 11 used as the path | route of an electric current, or the insulation part 16 which does not flow an electric current. Incidentally, FIG. 10A is an example in which the conductive portion 11 is formed between the recess 45 and the protrusion 46, and FIG. 10B is the case where only the insulating portion 16 is between the recess 45 and the protrusion 46. It is an example formed. In this case, since the outer casing 2 and the circular conductor 4 are locked in a concavo-convex shape, for example, an area of conduction can be ensured (widened) or used as a rotation guide.

  -In each embodiment, the recessed part 45 may be any of a curved surface shape (wave shape) as shown in FIG. 10A and a shape having a clear step as shown in FIG. Moreover, in the pattern of FIG.10 (b), it is good also considering the conduction | electrical_connection part 11 as a curved surface shape (waved shape). Of course, it is also possible to change the recessed part 45 into another shape.

  -Like the example shown to Fig.10 (a), in each embodiment, the conduction | electrical_connection part 11 may be formed in curved surface shape (wave shape), for example. If it carries out like this, a contact area can be increased, and also it becomes a guide which prevents that the circular conductor 4 shifts | deviates to an up-down direction.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in each embodiment, the cam portion 7 may be a protrusion that presses the circular conductor 4 by taking a shape protruding toward the circular conductor 4. In this case, it becomes possible to make the cam part 7 into a simple shape.

As shown in FIG. 12, in each embodiment, for example, when the load 15 is controlled by a CPU or the like, the load 15 may be provided with three or more terminals (three terminals in the figure).
In each embodiment, the casing (the outer casing 2 in this example) may be disposed on the radially inner side of the steering shaft 6, and the rotating body (the inner rotating body 3 in this example) may be disposed on the radially outer side. .

In each embodiment, the cam portion 7 can be changed to various shapes as long as the circular conductor 4 can be pushed.
-In each embodiment, the shape of the slit part 18 is not restricted to the taper shape cut diagonally, If it can ensure conduction | electrical_connection, it can be changed into another shape.

-In each embodiment, the number of conduction | electrical_connection parts 11 is not restricted to two, You may provide three or more according to the number of the circuits used as the object of conduction | electrical_connection.
-In each embodiment, although what kind of thing may be employ | adopted as the raw material of the circular conductor 4, it is preferable to use the raw material excellent in heat-resistant expansion | swelling.

-In 2nd Embodiment, the dielectric member 35 is not limited to the product made from Teflon, You may change into another member.
In the second embodiment, the dielectric member 35 is not limited to be provided in one zone in the rotation direction of the steering shaft 6, and may be formed only in a part.

In the second embodiment, the dielectric member 35 may be disposed anywhere as long as it is a gap (space) formed between the outer casing 2 and the inner rotating body 3.
In the second embodiment, a plurality of circuits for passing a small alternating current may be formed.

In each embodiment, the load (first load) 15 and the second load 34 can be changed to various devices and apparatuses.
-In each embodiment, the rotation connector 1 is not limited to the steering roll connector mounted in a vehicle, but can be applied to various apparatuses and apparatuses provided with a rotating member.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rotary connector, 2 ... Housing | casing (external housing | casing), 3 ... Rotating body (internal rotating body), 4 ... Circular conductor, 5 ... Space, 7 ... Cam part, 8 ... Small rotating member, 11 (11a, 11b) ) ... conduction part, 15 ... load (first load), 16 ... insulation part, 18 ... slit part, 20, 21 ... contact point, 32 ... gap, 33 ... AC power supply, 34 ... load (second load), 35 ( 35a, 35b) ... dielectric member, 45 ... concave, 46 ... projection.

Claims (8)

In the rotary connector in which conduction between the fixed side and the movable side is ensured by allowing the fixed body and the movable side rotating body to be electrically connected and allowing the rotation body to rotate with respect to the housing.
A circular conductor disposed in a space formed between the casing and the rotating body, ensuring electrical continuity thereof, and being eccentrically positioned with respect to the rotating body;
A cam portion that is provided on the rotating body and has a conductive surface in contact with both the casing and the rotating body by pressing the circular conductor in a radial direction;
When the rotating body rotates with respect to the housing, the cam portion changes the pushing position of the circular conductor, whereby the circular conductor operates eccentrically, and the contact between the rotating body and the circular conductor A rotary connector characterized in that the circular conductor and the contact point of the casing are sequentially moved in the circumferential direction, and these conductive states are maintained. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the circular conductor includes a slit portion that divides the circular shape of the circular conductor halfway. The rotary connector according to claim 2, wherein the slit portion is formed in a tapered shape with an incision formed obliquely. The said circular conductor is provided with the some conduction | electrical_connection part used as the path | route of an electric current, and forms a closed circuit of the said load by connecting load between these conduction | electrical_connection parts. Rotating connector as described. A dielectric member that is disposed in a gap formed between the casing and the rotating body and constructs an energization transmission path for passing a small alternating current by electrically connecting a load and an alternating current power supply. The rotation connector as described in any one of 1-4. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the cam portion includes a small rotary member that is rotatable while pressing the circular conductor. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the cam portion is a protrusion that presses the circular conductor by a shape protruding toward the circular conductor. A recess formed in one of the circular conductor and the housing;
A protrusion formed on the other side of the circular conductor and the housing, and the recess is locked with the protrusion;
The rotary connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a conductive portion serving as a current path or an insulating portion that does not pass the current is formed between the recess and the protrusion.