JP3224933B2 - Cable reel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cable reel for electrically connecting a pair of housings relatively rotatably connected via a flexible cable. And a lock mechanism for holding both housings in the rotation neutral position until they are incorporated into the lock mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cable reel of this kind is generally composed of a pair of housings connected to each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and a flexible cable housed in an annular space defined between the two housings. The both ends of the flexible cable are led out of the housing while being fixed to both housings. This flexible cable has a plurality of conductors parallel to each other, and a dedicated connector is attached to a distal end of a portion derived from the housing. When one of the housings is rotated forward or backward, the flexible cable is wound or unwound in the space in accordance with the direction of rotation. Is maintained by a flexible cable.

[0003] The cable reel configured as above is
It is incorporated between members having a finite number of rotations, such as a steering device of an automobile, and is used as an electrical connection means such as an airbag system or a horn circuit. That is, one housing of the cable reel is mounted on the steering column side, and the other housing is mounted on the handle side, and external devices such as an airbag inflator and a horn switch are connected to connectors at both ends of the flexible cable. However, in this case, the flexible cable must be installed so that it can be wound or unwound by substantially the same amount based on the neutral position of the handle.

Therefore, it is necessary to lock both housings at the neutral position until the cable reel is incorporated into the steering device. A cable reel provided with such a lock mechanism has been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 3-35981. . In the cable reel disclosed in the publication, a lock member is attached to both housings positioned at the rotation neutral position, so that free rotation of both housings is locked until the housing is incorporated into the steering device. The lock member is removed from both housings when one of the housings is fixed to the steering column.

[0005]

In recent years, connectors connected to both ends of a flexible cable have been provided in a housing itself, and external devices such as airbags and inflators have been directly connected using the connectors. A direct coupling type cable reel is disclosed in
No. 299882. In this device, since the connector is integrally provided in the housing, the flexible cable and the external device are electrically connected at the same time when the cable reel is incorporated into the steering device, and the cable reel and the external device are connected. The connection process can be simplified.

However, in the direct coupling type connector, since a plurality of terminals are exposed from the housing, it is necessary to cover the connector with a cover member in order to prevent deformation of these terminals and to enhance dust resistance. There is. For this reason, in the cable reel assembling process, the lock member and the cover member described above must be separately attached, and there has been a problem that the assembling work becomes complicated. In addition, usually, after the cable reel is assembled into the steering device, the cable reel is subjected to an inspection process of whether or not the external device is correctly connected.However, if the external device can be connected to the connector by removing the cover member. Since the electrical characteristics are satisfied, even if the lock member is still attached, the presence or absence of the lock member cannot be checked in this inspection process, and the user forgets to remove the lock member. There was also.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cable reel which is excellent in assembling workability and does not forget to remove a lock member. is there.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pair of relatively rotatably connected housings, wound in a space between the two housings, and parallel to each other. A flexible cable having a plurality of conductors, and both ends of the flexible cable are electrically led to the outside while being fixed to the housing. Connected to an external device via a direct coupling type connector provided in the housing , and
Jetty having an opening provided in one of the housings
And it is arranged inside this jetty and is exposed from the opening
In cable reel comprised of a plurality of terminals, said locking member for preventing a free rotation of both between the two housings mounted removably, the jetty open to the locking member
The most important feature is that the cover that covers the mouth is integrally formed.

[0009]

In the manufacturing process of the cable reel, when the lock members are mounted on the two housings positioned at the rotation neutral position, the free rotation of both housings is prevented by the lock members, and the two housings are positioned at the rotation neutral position. The fitted cable reel can be integrated into the steering device. At this time, the lock member is provided on the housing.
Because the cover that covers the opening of the jetty of the direct coupling type connector is integrally formed , each terminal exposed from the opening of the jetty is protected simultaneously with the mounting of the lock member, and a separate cover member is attached to the connector. There is no need to cover it.

Further, when the lock member is removed from the two housings in the process of assembling the cable reel into the steering device, the locked state of the two housings is released and the cover is also removed from the connector. And can be electrically connected. In other words, since the external device cannot be connected to the connector without removing the cover integrated with the lock member, the electric connection between the cable reel and the external device must be established after the cable reel is assembled into the steering device. By performing the inspection, it is possible to determine whether or not the lock member has been removed, and it is possible to eliminate a defective product caused by forgetting to remove the lock member.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable reel according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where a lock member is mounted on the cable reel. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a first housing made of a synthetic resin, and the first housing 1 has a disc-shaped bottom plate 2 and an outer cylindrical portion 3 erected on an outer peripheral edge thereof. A center hole 4 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 2. Reference numeral 5 denotes a second housing made of a synthetic resin. The second housing 5 has a disc-shaped top plate 6 and an inner cylinder portion 7 vertically provided at the center thereof. The shaft insertion hole 8 is provided in 7. The first housing 1 and the second housing 5 are configured such that the outer peripheral edge of the top plate 6 is guided to the upper edge of the outer cylindrical portion 3 and the lower edge of the inner cylindrical portion 7 is guided to the center hole 4 of the bottom plate 2. As a result, they are relatively rotatably connected, but the free rotation is prevented by a lock member described later. 9
Denotes a flexible cable, and the flexible cable 9 is made of a so-called strip-shaped flat cable in which a plurality of parallel conductive wires are laminated with a pair of insulating films,
It is housed in an annular space defined between the bottom plate 2 and the outer cylinder portion 3 on the first housing 1 side and the top plate 6 and the inner cylinder portion 7 on the second housing 5 side. The flexible cable 9 is spirally wound in the space, and one end of the flexible cable 9 is led out of the first housing 1 in a state of being fixed to the outer cylindrical portion 3. Is connected to a dedicated connector 10. The other end of the flexible cable 9 is led out of the second housing 5 via a direct coupling type connector 11 erected on the upper surface of the top plate 6. This connector 11
It comprises a plurality of terminals 11a connected to the respective conductors of the flexible cable 9 and a jetty 11b surrounding these terminals 11a, and each terminal 11a is exposed from an upper surface opening of the jetty 11b.

Reference numeral 12 denotes the lock member described above. The lock member 12 has a bag-like cover 12a having an open lower surface, a knob 12b protruding upward from the cover 12a, and extends horizontally from the side surface of the cover 12a. Arm 12c
And is integrally formed of a synthetic resin, hard rubber, or the like. The cover 12a is a pier 11b of the connector 11.
The arm 12c has a hole 12d at the distal end thereof. On the other hand, a projection 13 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3 of the first housing 1 corresponding to the lock member 12, and a boss 14 is provided upright on the upper surface of the projection 13. I have. Further, a thin portion 13a is formed at a connection portion between the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3 and the protrusion 13, and the thin portion 13a is provided with the protrusion 13 in the first housing 1.
It functions as a break when removed from

FIG. 1 shows a non-locked state before the lock member 12 is mounted on the cable reel, and FIG. 2 shows a locked state in which the lock member 12 is mounted on the cable reel. The lock member 1
The second cover 12a is put on the ridge 11b of the connector 11, and the arm 12c is fixed to the projection 13 by the hole 12d being heated by the boss 14.

Next, the operation of the cable reel according to the above-described embodiment will be described by taking, as an example, a case where the first housing 1 is used as a fixed body and the second housing 5 is used as a movable body. In this case, the first housing 1 of the cable reel is fixed to the steering column side, and the second housing 5 is fixed to the steering wheel. Must be able to rotate from the neutral position of the handle by an equal amount in both the forward and reverse directions.
Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the cable reel, as shown in FIG. 1, after the first and second housings 1 and 5 are rotatably connected with the flexible cable 9 wound in the space, The two housings 1 and 5 are positioned in the rotation neutral state. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the cover 12a of the lock member 12 is put on the connector 11 of the second housing 5, and the hole 12d of the arm 12c is inserted into the boss 14, and the boss 14 is heated in this state. Arm 12c is fixed to the projection 13 of the first housing 1. As a result, even if a rotational force acts on the second housing 5, the ridge 11b of the connector 11 can be rotated by the cover 12a located in the rotational direction.
, The relative rotation of the first and second housings 1 and 5 is prevented by the lock member 12. Therefore, even if vibration is applied during transportation of the cable reel or the like, the lock member 12 is prevented from dropping off the cable reel by the heat of the boss 14 and can be maintained as it is until it is incorporated into the steering device.

When the cable reel is incorporated into a steering device not shown, the first housing 1 is fixed to the steering column while the lock member 12 is mounted on the cable reel, and the steering shaft is connected to the second housing 5. From the shaft insertion hole 8. Next, when the lock member 12 is pulled out from the cable reel with the jig or finger interposed between the knobs 12b, the projection 13 fixed to the arm 12c is pulled out during the pulling-out process.
Since it is broken at a and separated from the first housing 1, the lock member 12 can be easily removed from the cable reel, and at the same time, the cover 12a can be removed from the connector 11. Thereafter, when the steering hub is press-fitted into the steering shaft and the handle integrated with the steering hub is fixed to the second housing 5, the rotation neutral position of the cable reel is set relative to the rotation neutral position of the handle. Can be matched. A connector 10 led out of the first housing 1 via a flexible cable 9 is connected to an external device such as an air bag driving circuit or a horn circuit mounted on the vehicle body side. Is connected to an external device such as an airbag inflator or a horn switch mounted on the handle.

At the time when the cable reel is completely assembled into the steering device, the cable reel is subjected to an inspection process for checking whether or not the cable reel and the external device are correctly connected. This inspection checks the continuity between the handle and the corresponding external device on the vehicle body side. If the electrical characteristics are satisfied in this inspection process, the electrical connection between the cable reel and the external device is good. Not only that the lock member 12 is securely removed from the cable reel. That is, in the above embodiment, the cover 12a integrated with the lock member 12
Since the external device cannot be connected to the connector 11 unless the cable member is removed, the electrical connection between the cable reel and the external device is inspected, so that the lock member 12 can be connected.
Can be determined, and defective products caused by forgetting to remove the lock member 12 can be eliminated.

In use, when the handle is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, the rotational force is transmitted to the second housing 5, and the second housing 5 rotates in the same direction. For example, when the handle is rotated counterclockwise from the rotation neutral position, the second housing 5 also rotates counterclockwise in conjunction with the rotation, and the flexible cable 9 is wound around the inner cylinder 7. Conversely, when the handle is rotated clockwise, the second housing 5 is also rotated clockwise in conjunction therewith, and the flexible cable 9 is rewound to the outer cylinder 3 side,
In either state, the electrical connection between the housings 1, 5 is maintained via the flexible cable 9.

In the first embodiment of the present invention described above,
A cover 12a for protecting the connector 11 of the second housing 5 is integrally formed with the lock member 12 for preventing free rotation between the two housings 1 and 5, so that the lock member 12 is mounted on the cable reel at the same time as the connector. 11 can be protected, and there is no need to separately cover the connector 11 with a cover member, so that the assembling work can be easily performed. Also,
Since the cover 12a has a regulating wall that abuts on the jetty 11b of the connector 11 in the rotation direction, in other words, since the connector 11 forms a part of the lock mechanism, the second housing 5 has an impact on the lock member 12. There is no need to provide a corresponding rotation stopper, and the lock mechanism can be simplified. further,
Since the lock member 12 is fixed to the projection 13 of the first housing 1 so as not to fall off from the cable reel, it is not necessary to tightly attach the cover 12a to the connector 11, and the attachment and detachment of the cover 12a can be easily performed. It can be carried out.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a cable reel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and portions corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the cover 12a of the lock member 12 is formed in a flat plate shape, and
A pair of regulating pins 15 are erected on the housing 5 and the remaining configuration is basically the same. in this case,
The cover 12a has only a protective function of covering the upper opening of the connector 11, but since the arm 12c and the restricting pin 15 abut against each other in the rotation direction of the second housing 5, the first and second housings 1 and 5 have the same function. The relative rotation is the lock member 12
Blocked by In this case, the relative rotation of the housings 1 and 5 can be prevented with a simple configuration in which the regulating pins 15 and 15 are erected.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the first housing 1 is used as a fixed body and the second housing 5 is used as a movable body has been described.
It is also possible to use the housing 5 as a fixed body and the first housing 1 as a movable body.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the direct coupling type connector 11 is provided only in the second housing 5 and the first housing 1 is provided with the connector 10 led out to the outside has been described. The connectors of the housings 1 and 5 may both be of the direct coupling type. Further, contrary to the above embodiments,
It is also possible to fix one end of the lock member to the second housing 5 side and provide a direct coupling type connector covered by the cover on the first housing 1 side.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the lock member 1
2 is inserted into the boss 14 provided on the projection 13, and the heat of the boss 14 is tightened to lock the lock member 12.
Has been described above, but it is also possible to simplify the process and to facilitate the assembling work by simply press-fitting the boss 14 into the hole 12d. Alternatively, a boss may be provided on the lock member 12 side and a hole may be provided on the protrusion 13 side. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the thin portion 13a is provided at the base of the protrusion 13 has been described. However, the thin portion may be provided only at the broken portion of the lock member 12, or the lock member 12 and the protrusion 1 may be provided.
3 may be provided.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the process of manufacturing the cable reel, when the lock members are attached to the two housings positioned at the rotation neutral position, the free rotation of both the housings is locked and at the same time, the direct coupling provided on the housings is provided. Ta
Since each terminal of the Ip connector is protected, the assembling work can be easily performed. In addition, when the lock member is removed from both housings in the process of assembling the cable reel into the steering device, the cover is unlocked together with the two housings. Since the cable member is also removed from the connector, it is possible to determine whether or not the lock member has been removed by inspecting the electrical connection between the cable reel and the external device, and it is possible to reliably prevent the lock member from being forgotten.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable reel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where a lock member is mounted on the cable reel.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a cable reel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing 3 outer cylinder part 5 2nd housing 7 inner cylinder part 9 flexible cable 11 connector 11a terminal 11b pier 12 lock member 12a cover 12b knob 12c arm 12d hole 13 protrusion 13a thin part 14 boss 15 regulation Pin (regulation protrusion)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 35/04 B60R 16/02 675 B62D 1/04

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A flexible cable having a plurality of conductors wound in a space between the housings and having a plurality of conductors parallel to each other; The flexible cable is electrically led out to the outside in a state where both ends are fixed to the housing, and at least one of the leading portions is connected to a direct coupling type connector provided on the housing. Is connected to the
Jetty having an opening provided in one of the housings
And it is arranged inside this jetty and is exposed from the opening
In cable reel comprised of a plurality of terminals, said locking member for preventing a free rotation of both between the two housings mounted removably, the jetty open to the locking member
A cable reel in which a cover for covering a mouth is integrally formed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover is
A cable reel formed in a bag shape capable of storing the jetty . 3. The housing according to claim 1, wherein a restricting protrusion is provided on a housing provided with the connector, and the restricting protrusion is arranged to face the rotation direction of the housing via the lock member. A cable reel characterized by the following.