JP3338342B2 - Rotating connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rotary connector for making electrical connection between a pair of rotatably connected housings by using a flexible cable, and more particularly to a rotary connector for a steering device of an automobile. The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for holding both housings in a rotating neutral position until assembled.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A rotary connector is generally constituted by a pair of housings rotatably connected to each other and a flexible cable wound in an annular storage section defined between the housings. Both ends of the flexible cable are electrically led out to the outside while being fixed to both housings. When the movable housing is rotated with respect to the fixed housing, the flexible cable is wound or unwound in the housing in accordance with the direction of rotation. The connection is maintained via a flexible cable.

[0003] In the rotary connector thus constructed, a housing fixed to a combination switch or the like, which is a stator member of a steering device of an automobile, is provided.
A movable housing is attached to a handle, which is a rotor member of a steering device, and is used as an electrical connection means such as an airbag inflator or a horn switch attached to the handle. In this case, the rotary connector must be able to rotate by the same amount in both the forward and reverse directions with respect to the rotation neutral position of the steering wheel, and therefore, the lock attached to the rotary connector until the rotary connector is assembled to the steering device. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a rotary connector with a lock mechanism in which members hold both housings in a rotation neutral position.

[0004] As a conventional example of such a rotary connector with a lock mechanism, a rotary connector described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-47882 is disclosed in which a fixed part, a finger hook and a locking piece are integrally formed on a synthetic resin locking member. At the same time, a thin portion is formed between the remaining fixed portion and the finger hook portion, and the free rotation of both housings is locked by using the lock member.
That is, with respect to the two housings positioned at the rotation neutral position, the remaining fixed portion of the lock member is held in the engagement hole of one housing, and the locking piece is locked to the rotation restricting portion of the other housing. The free rotation of both housings is locked by the lock member, and this locked state is maintained until immediately before the rotary connector is assembled to the steering device.

When the rotary connector is mounted on the steering device, the finger or jig is hung on the finger hook and pulled when the rotary connector is assembled to the steering device, so that the finger hook and the locking piece are broken at the thin portion and removed from the housing. Then, the locking operation of the two housings by the locking member is released. In this unlocked state, the fixed remaining portion is broken from the locking member at the thin portion and remains in the engagement hole of one of the housings, so that the lock member can be checked for detachment by the presence of the fixed remaining portion. It has become.

[0006]

However, in the above-described conventional rotary connector, the finger hook portion and the remaining fixed portion of the lock member are arranged in a line in the pulling direction of the finger hook portion via the thin portion. When the thin portion is set to such a mechanical strength that it can be easily torn off, the external force acting when the fixed remaining portion of the lock member is pushed into the engagement hole of the housing, the vibration when the rotary connector is transferred in the locked state, The thin portion may be undesirably broken by an external force or the like improperly applied to the lock member. Conversely, if the mechanical strength of the thin portion is increased to the extent that the locking operation can be reliably maintained, the lock is released. In doing so, there is a problem that the lock member is hardly broken at the thin portion.

[0007]

According to the rotary connector of the present invention, a first housing and a second housing rotatably connected to each other, and a flexible cable for electrically connecting the two housings are provided. A lock member that is detachable from the two housings and that prevents free rotation between the two housings when the two housings are mounted.
A finger hook portion connected to one end of the arm portion, a thin portion provided at the other end portion of the arm portion, and a fixed remaining portion continuous with the thin portion and extending from the arm portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the thin portion are integrated. Formed into
The thin portion is formed by a notch provided at a boundary portion between the arm portion and the remaining fixed portion, a convex portion is provided on one of opposing surfaces of the notch, and free rotation between the two housings is provided. When the lock is prevented, the fixed remaining portion is held by the locking portion of the first housing, and the arm portion is engaged with the rotation restricting portion of the second housing, so that the distance between the two housings is reduced. At the time of unlocking to be rotatable, the arm portion is broken from the thin portion and separated from the fixed remaining portion,
The remaining fixed portion is retained in the locking portion.

In the rotary connector according to the present invention, the notch is formed in a wedge shape. In the rotary connector of the present invention, the first housing is a fixed body,
The second housing is a movable body.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rotary connector and a lock member of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of mounting the lock member of FIG. 1 on the rotary connector. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rotary connector A includes a fixed housing 1 as a first housing, a movable housing 2 as a second housing, and a winding housed inside these two housings 1 and 2. Spun flexible cable 3
(See FIG. 3), and the lock member 4 is attached to and detached from the rotary connector A.

The fixed housing 1 made of synthetic resin is formed into a bottomed shape having a ring-shaped outer cylinder portion 5, and a holding wall 6 and a direct connector 7 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 5. It is integrally molded. As shown in FIG.
Has a slot 6a as an engaging portion, and a step 6b is formed on both inner wall sides of the slot 6a. In the case of the present embodiment, the holding wall 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape and the slot 6a is formed.
The upper and lower ends are open, but the holding wall 6 may be formed into a bottomed shape or another shape as long as at least the upper end of the slot 6a is open.

The movable housing 2 is also made of synthetic resin. The movable housing 2 is rotatably connected to the fixed housing 1 so as to cover the open surface of the fixed housing 1. ing. Movable housing 2
A projection 8a as a rotation restricting portion and a direct connector 9 are integrally formed on the top surface 8, and an inner cylindrical portion 10 is vertically provided at the center of the top surface 8. As shown in FIG.
The above-described flexible cable 3 is wound, for example, in a spiral shape in an annular storage portion defined inside the housings 1 and 2, and both ends of the flexible cable 3 are connected to the housings 1 and 2. 2, the direct connectors 7, 9
And is electrically led out to the outside.

The lock member 4 includes an arm 4a extending in the horizontal direction, an annular finger hook 4b connected to one end of the arm 4a, and a thin portion provided on the other end of the arm 4a. 4d
And a fixed remaining portion 4c extending downward through the thin portion 4d.
These are integrally formed using a synthetic resin. The arm portion 4a and the fixed remaining portion 4c are continuous so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other, but a wedge-shaped notch 1
1 is formed, and the portion is a thin portion 4d. Also, on one of the opposing surfaces (upper surface) of the notch 11,
A convex portion 11a projecting downward is formed, and the convex portion 11a is formed.
Is opposed to the other surface (lower surface) of the notch 11 with a small gap. The arm 4a has an engagement hole 12
Are formed, and a reinforcing rib 4e is formed from the upper surface of the arm 4a to the finger hook 4b. Further, a bifurcated snap piece 13 is formed in the fixed remaining portion 4c.

The rotary connector A configured as described above
Fixed side housing 1 for stator member of steering device
By attaching the movable housing 2 to the handle, which is a rotor member of the steering device, the airbag inflator and the horn
Used as connection means such as switches. When assembling the rotary connector A, the movable housing 2
Must be able to rotate approximately the same amount in both the forward and reverse directions with respect to the rotation neutral position of the steering wheel. Therefore, in the manufacturing stage of the rotary connector A, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, after the movable housing 2 is positioned at the rotation neutral position with respect to the fixed housing 1, the locking member 4
Is inserted into the slot 6a of the fixed housing 1.

When the lock member 4 is further pushed in, the snap piece 13 of the lock member 4 is snapped into the step portion 6b of the holding wall 6 and the arm portion 4 as shown in FIG.
The projection 8a of the movable housing 2 is inserted into the engagement hole 12a, and as a result, the rotation of the movable housing 2 is prevented by the lock member 4. Therefore, the movable side housing 2 does not rotate unnecessarily with respect to the fixed side housing 1 while the rotary connector A is being conveyed, for example, and can be maintained as it is until immediately before assembly to the steering device.

When the lock member 4 is snapped into the holding wall 6, a gap between the lower surface of the arm portion 4 a of the lock member 4 and the upper surface of the top surface 8 may be caused by, for example, a design dimension tolerance. A minute gap 17 may be formed. In this state, the thin portion 4d is located near the upper end portion of the holding wall 6 and at a lowered position without protruding upward from the upper surface of the top surface 8, so that the thin portion 4d hinders the assembly operation. No. When the lock member 4 is further pushed in, for example, a finger or a jig is hooked on the finger hook 4b and pushed down.
Is in contact with the lower surface of the notch 11, and the amount of downward movement of the finger hook 4b is restricted even when the gap 17 is formed. Further, the downward movement amount of the finger hook 4b by the convex portion 11a is restricted when vibrations generated during the transportation of the rotary connector A or when external downward pressure is accidentally applied to the finger hook 4b. Similarly, the amount of downward movement is regulated. The protrusion 11a contacts the lower surface of the notch 11 opposed by a small gap to regulate the amount of movement of the finger hook 4b, so that it is necessary to separate the thin portion 4d from the thin portion 4d. This prevents external pressure from being applied.

When assembling the rotary connector A to the steering device, a finger or a jig is hooked on the finger hook 4b of the lock member 4 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
Direction), and the lock member 4 is detached from the rotary connector A. At this time, the slot 6a of the fixed side housing 1
The fixed remaining part 4c is snap-coupled to the fixed remaining part 4c.
c and the finger hook 4b, the arm 4a is formed between the finger hook 4b and the arm 4a according to the principle of leverage.
And the thin portion 4d having a lower mechanical strength than other portions is easily broken. As a result, the arm portion 4a and the fixed remaining portion 4c are separated by the thin portion 4d, and the fixed remaining portion 4c remains in the fixed side housing 1 while being snap-coupled to the slot 6a.
a is removed together with the lock member 4. Therefore, by visually observing the broken state of the fixed remaining portion 4c after the lock is released, it is possible to prevent re-attachment after the lock member 4 is once attached.

In another modified example of the lock member 4 shown in FIG. 4, the direction of the protrusion 11a provided on the upper surface of the notch 11 formed in the lock member 4 facing the first embodiment is changed. And a protrusion 11b projecting upward from the lower surface of the notch 11 is formed at a small gap on the opposing upper surface. In this example as well, the amount of downward movement of the finger hook 4b is regulated by the protrusion 11b, as described above.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a rotary connector and a lock member according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a front view showing the lock member of FIG. In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the relationship between the first housing and the second housing is opposite to that of the first embodiment, and the outer cylinder of the fixed housing 1 is not shown. An annular bottom plate (not shown) and a top plate 14 are integrated with the portion 5, and a stopper wall 15 as a rotation restricting portion is formed on the top plate 14. At the center between the bottom plate and the top plate 14, the inner cylinder portion 10 of the movable side housing 2 is rotatably connected, and a slot 16 as a locking portion is formed on the top surface of the inner cylinder portion 10. . on the other hand,
The lock member 4 includes an arm 4a extending in the horizontal direction, a U-shaped finger hook 4b continuous to one end of the arm 4a, and a fixed remaining portion 4c extending downward from the other end of the arm 4a. Are integrally formed, and the distal end of the arm 4a is a lock portion 4f protruding laterally. Further, a wedge-shaped notch 11 is formed at a boundary portion between the arm portion 4a and the fixed remaining portion 4c, and the portion is a thin portion 4d. A protruding portion 11a is formed so as to protrude from the lower surface, and the tip of the protruding portion 11a is opposed to the lower surface via a small gap.

The rotary connector B thus configured is
After the movable housing 2 is positioned at the rotation neutral position with respect to the fixed housing 1 in the manufacturing stage, the remaining fixed portion 4c of the lock member 4 is removed from the slot 1 of the movable housing 2.
Insert into 6. When the lock member 4 is further pushed in, the snap piece 13 of the lock member 4 is snapped into a step (not shown) in the slot 16 and the lock portion 4f projecting sideways from the arm 4a is fixed to the fixed housing 1. The rotation of the movable housing 2 is prevented by the lock member 4.

Further, in this state, even if, for example, an external pressure is applied to the finger hook 4b of the lock member 4 by mistake to move the finger hook 4b downward, the projection 11a on the upper surface of the notch 11
However, the thin portion 4b is not applied with an external force enough to separate the thin portion 4d by contacting the lower surface opposed thereto via a minute gap, thereby restricting the downward movement amount of the finger hook portion 4b. .

When assembling the rotary connector B to the steering device, a finger or a jig is hung on the finger hook 4b of the lock member 4 and lifted upward, so that a thin portion 4d is formed between the arm 4a and the fixed remaining portion 4c. , The fixed remaining part 4c
Remains in the movable side housing 2 while being snap-coupled to the slot 16, but the finger hook 4 b, the arm 4 a, and the lock 4 f are removed together with the lock 4.

In the above-described embodiment, the notch 11
Is formed in a wedge shape, but the notch 11 is not limited to a wedge shape, but may be, for example, a rectangular shape or an arc shape.

[0023]

The present invention is the embodiment described above, and has the following effects. The rotary connector according to the present invention may further include an arm, a finger hook connected to one end of the arm, a thin portion provided on the other end of the arm, and the thin portion. A fixed portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the arm portion; and the thin portion is formed by a notch provided at a boundary between the arm portion and the fixed portion, and a facing surface of the notch. Is provided with a convex portion, and the remaining fixed portion of the lock member is held by the locking portion of the first housing, and the arm portion of the lock member is engaged with the rotation restricting portion of the second housing. By preventing free rotation between the two housings, the arm can be easily broken from the remaining part by levering the lever when unlocking by pulling the finger hook upward. can do.

[0024] Further, the convex portion provided on the opposing surface of the notch allows the remaining fixed portion of the lock member to be inserted into the locking portion of the first housing or to be erroneously added to the finger hook portion of the lock member. The downward movement amount of the finger hook portion due to external pressure in the direction or vibration when transferring the rotary connector is regulated, so that the arm portion is broken from the remaining fixed portion by the regulation of the downward movement amount. That is to be able to prevent that.

In the rotary connector according to the present invention, since the notch is formed in a wedge shape, the arm portion can be easily broken from the remaining portion without lowering the mechanical strength of the thin portion. Further, in the rotary connector of the present invention, when the first housing is used as a fixed body and the second housing is used as a movable body, the remaining fixed part is retained in the fixed side housing when unlocked, so it is fixed during use. The remaining portion is less likely to fall off from the locking portion, and the occurrence of noise due to the retained fixed remaining portion can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rotary connector and a lock member according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an operation of attaching the lock member of FIG. 1 to a rotary connector.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main part when the lock member of FIG. 1 is locked.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another embodiment of the lock member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a rotary connector and a lock member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the lock member of FIG. 5;

[Description of Signs] 1 Fixed-side housing (first housing) 2 Movable-side housing (second housing) 3 Flexible cable 4 Lock member 4a Arm portion 4b Finger hook portion 4c Fixed remaining portion 4d Thin portion 4f Lock portion 5 Outer cylinder part 6 Holding wall 6a Slot (locking part) 6b Step 8 Top surface 8a Projection (rotation restriction part) 10 Inner cylinder part 11 Notch 11a Convex part 12 Engagement hole 14 Top plate 15 Stopper wall (rotation restriction part) ) 16 slots (locking part)

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A first housing and a second housing rotatably connected to each other; a flexible cable for electrically connecting the first and second housings; A lock member for preventing free rotation between the two housings when the housing is mounted, the lock member having an arm, a finger hook connected to one end of the arm, and the other end of the arm; And a fixed remaining portion that is continuous with the thin portion and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the arm portion. The thin portion is provided at a boundary between the arm portion and the fixed remaining portion. The notch is formed, and a convex portion is provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the notch, and when locked, the free rotation between the two housings is prevented. While being held by a locking portion, the arm portion is connected to the second The arm portion is broken from the thin portion and separated from the fixed remaining portion when unlocked by being engaged with the rotation restricting portion of the housing so that the two housings can rotate freely, and the fixed remaining portion is locked by the locking portion. A rotary connector, wherein the rotary connector is held in the rotary connector. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notch is
A rotary connector characterized by being formed in a wedge shape. 3. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the first housing is a fixed body, and the second housing is a movable body.