JP4999105B2 - Rotating connector device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary connector device, and more particularly, to a rotary connector device used to transmit signals such as electric signals and optical signals, or these signals and power simultaneously between a rotary case and a fixed case.

  The rotary connector device transmits electric power, an electric signal, an optical signal, or a combination of these signals and electric power between a rotating case and a fixed case, which are two members that rotate relatively. The rotary connector device is provided, for example, in a steering device of an automobile, and is used for starting the airbag by making an electrical connection between the vehicle body and the airbag.

  An annular space is formed inside the rotating case and the fixed case, and a ring member (retainer) having a plurality of rollers is accommodated in the annular space. This ring member is accommodated in the annular space so as to be movable in the circumferential direction. The flat cable is spirally wound and accommodated in the annular space, one end of the flat cable is connected to the fixed case side, and the other end of the flat cable is connected to the rotating case.

  The rotating case and the fixed case of the rotating connector device are fixed to the rotating case with a neutral fixing pin so that the rotating case does not rotate with respect to the fixed case, and the rotating connector device is delivered to the automobile manufacturer. . In the automobile manufacturer, the rotating connector device is attached to the steering device after the neutral fixing pin is pulled out at the position of the steering where the vehicle body of the vehicle goes straight.

However, the rotating case of the rotary connector device rotates until the neutral fixing pin is pulled out and attached to the steering device. For this reason, when the operator returns the positional relationship between the fixed case and the rotating case to the neutral state, the rotating direction of the rotating case is changed, and the rotating case is displaced by one rotation with respect to the fixed case. There is a problem that will be installed. Such a problem occurs even when the rotary connector device is delivered to an automobile dealer.
Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes that when the steering device is incorporated in a steering wheel, the neutral position locking means is automatically released by a column pin or a boss on the steering side.
JP-A-9-169275

However, in the rotary connector device described in Patent Document 1, the column pin and boss on the steering side may not be provided depending on the structure of the steering device, and the fixed state between the fixed case and the rotary case is reliably maintained. It is hoped that it can be done.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector device that can reliably prevent the rotating case from rotating when the steering device is mounted on the steering device in order to solve the above-described problems.

In order to solve the above problems, a rotary connector device of the present invention is a rotary connector device mounted on a steering device, and includes a ring-shaped fixed case,
A ring-shaped rotating case that is rotatably combined with the fixed case;
A band-shaped transmission line disposed in a ring-shaped space formed by the rotating case and the fixed case;
A retainer for holding a roller for guiding the transmission line;
An urging member storage portion that is fixed to the rotating case side and stores an urging member;
A stopper for maintaining a neutral position between the rotating case and the fixed case by being arranged in the biasing member housing and moving by the force of the biasing member;
The fixed case has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position, and the retainer has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position,
The stopper is retracted from the opening and the opening against the force of the biasing member by being pushed by a pushing member of the steering device.

  In the rotary connector device according to the present invention, preferably, the biasing member storage portion on the rotary case side has a protrusion, and the fixing case is formed with a fitting hole for fitting the protrusion. It is characterized by being.

In the rotary connector device according to the present invention, preferably, the biasing member is a coil spring, one end of the coil spring is in contact with the stopper, and the other end of the coil spring is on the bottom surface of the biasing member storage portion. It is retained.
The rotary connector device according to the present invention is preferably characterized in that the fixed case has a protrusion for preventing the stopper from moving except in the neutral position.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when attaching to a steering device, the rotation connector apparatus which can prevent reliably that a rotation case rotates is provided.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the rotary connector device of the present invention.
A rotary connector device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a rotator (corresponding to a rotating case) 2 and a stator (corresponding to a fixed case) 3 and is attached to a steering device of an automobile. Both the rotator 2 and the stator 3 have a ring shape, and form a ring-shaped space 4. For example, the rotator 2 is fixed to the steering wheel side, and the stator 3 is fixed to the steering column side.

FIG. 2 shows a space 4 between the rotator 2 and the stator 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, a retainer 10 as a ring member, a flat cable 9, a regulating roller 5, and a roller 6 are disposed in the annular space portion 4. The retaining roller 10 includes a regulating roller 5. And rollers 6 are arranged at intervals.

The regulating roller 5 and the roller 6 are rollers that guide the flat cable 9. The flat cable 9 is a flexible band-shaped transmission line that transmits one or more of electric power, electrical signals, or optical signals, and a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel are covered with an electrically insulating covering. Yes.
As shown in FIG. 2, the flat cable 9 is spirally wound along the inner peripheral surface of the stator 3, and one end portion of the flat cable 9 is connected to the molded portion 9 </ b> B, and the other end of the flat cable 9. The part is connected to the mold part 9C. The winding direction is reversed at the reversing part 9D in the middle of the mold part 9B. The flat cable 9 is housed in the space 4 in a state in which the neutral position of the tightening and loosening of the rotator 2 is adjusted so that the rotator 2 can rotate by the same number of rotations when rotating clockwise and counterclockwise. . Hereinafter, this neutral position of winding tightening and loosening will be referred to as a true neutral position.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structure of the rotary connector device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and a cored bar 101 of the automobile steering device 100. FIG. 3 shows a state before the cored bar 101 of the steering device 100 moves in the S direction. The cored bar 101 is a pressing member formed so as to protrude from the steering device 100 in the S direction.

  In the cross section of the rotary connector device 1 shown in FIG. 3, the rotator 2, the stator 3, the retainer 10, and the regulating roller 5 are shown. A retainer 10 and a regulating roller 5 are housed in a space 4 formed by the rotator 2 and the stator 3. In FIG. 3, for simplification of illustration, the cross section of the right half rotary connector device 1 is shown with the central axis CL as the center, and the left half rotary connector device 1 is omitted by a broken line.

  In FIG. 3, the relative positional relationship between the rotation direction of the rotator 2 and the stator 3 is in the true neutral position G. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotator 2 has a substantially cylindrical sleeve 13. The sleeve 13 is shown in FIG. 4 and has a ring-shaped extension 14. One opening 15 is formed in the extended portion 14.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lower part of the stator 3 has a coil spring accommodating portion 20. The coil spring housing portion 20 is also shown in FIG. 4, and the coil spring housing portion 20 is a substantially cylindrical member as shown in FIG. 4, but has an outer peripheral wall 22, a bottom surface portion 24, and a lock portion 23. . The bottom surface portion 24 of the coil spring housing portion 20 is fixed to the inner wall portion 21 of the sleeve 13. A space between the outer peripheral wall 22, the bottom surface portion 24 of the outer peripheral wall 22, and the inner peripheral wall 21 of the sleeve 13 is a storage space 31 in which the coil spring 30 is stored. A coil spring 30 is stored in the storage space 31.

Therefore, the coil spring housing portion 20, the sleeve 13, the coil spring 30, and the stopper 34 are elements constituting the rotator 2, and the sleeve 13 is fixed to the rotator 2.
The lock portion 23 is a protrusion formed at 3 to 5 positions at equal intervals around the central axis CL on the outer peripheral wall 22 of the coil spring storage portion 20, but as shown by a portion H in FIG. The protrusions are not formed on the other portions of the outer peripheral wall 22 of the 20.

  On the other hand, in the stator 3, three or five fitting holes 29 are formed at equal intervals along the entire circumference around the central axis CL. Accordingly, each of the plurality of lock portions 23 can be fitted into a plurality of corresponding fitting hole portions 29, and the sleeve 13 and the coil spring storage portion 20 are each locked to the stator 3 around the central axis CL. It can be rotated and positioned at every angle at which 23 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inner peripheral wall 21 has a hole 33. The hole 33 is formed along the S direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stopper 34 includes a stopper protruding portion 36, a stepped portion 37, a coil spring receiving portion 38, and a cored bar receiving portion 39. A cored bar receiving portion 39 of the stopper 34 passes through the hole portion 33 and protrudes toward the central axis CL.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper protrusion 36 is a portion that protrudes in the T direction through the opening 15 of the extension portion 14. The step portion 37 is a portion that receives the lower surface of the extended portion 14 of the sleeve 13. The cored bar receiving portion 39 is a flat part, and is a part that is pushed in the S direction by the cored bar 101 when the cored bar 101 is lowered in the S direction. The coil spring receiving portion 38 is a portion that receives the upper end portion of the coil spring 30. The lower end portion of the coil spring 30 is held on the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 24.

  On the other hand, the retainer 10 shown in FIG. 3 is a ring-shaped member and has an L-shaped section as shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a state where the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 are in the neutral position relationship described above. 5 and 7 show a state where the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 are not in the neutral position relationship described above. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the core metal 101 of the steering device 100 has moved in the S direction with respect to the rotary connector device 1 in the true neutral state shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the metal core 101 is raised again in the T direction in a state not in the neutral position relationship described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the retainer 10 has an L-shaped section. That is, in the state where the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 are in the above-described neutral position relationship, the retainer 10 at the position corresponding to the stopper 34 has the stopper protrusion 36 that is applied to the opening 15 and the opening 36S by the force of the coil spring 30. There are no protrusions or the like that do not prevent the fitting. However, as shown in FIG. 7, when the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 are not in the neutral position relationship described above, one protrusion 16 of the retainer 10 is formed to protrude in the S direction.

  The rotator 2 rotates in synchronization with the steering, and the retainer 10 rotates in synchronization with the flat cable. Because the rotation speed of the retainer 10 is a fraction of the rotation speed of the rotator 2, the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 are aligned in the neutral position without both the protrusion 16 and the protrusion 40. There is only one place.

Next, a usage example of the above-described rotary connector device 1 will be described.
FIG. 3 shows a state before the cored bar 101 of the steering device 100 moves in the S direction. The relative positional relationship between the rotation direction of the rotator 2 and the stator 3 is in the true neutral position G. That is, the opening 15 of the extended portion 14 of the sleeve 13 is at a position corresponding to the stopper protrusion 36 of the stopper 34. However, the protrusion 16 of the retainer 10 shown in FIG. 7 is not positioned in the state of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the rotary connector device 1 is mounted on the steering device 100, the metal core 101 of the steering device 100 has not yet been lowered in the S direction, and therefore the stopper 34 is moved in the T direction by the force of the coil spring 30. Is pressed. Therefore, the stepped portion 37 is abutted against the lower surface of the sleeve 13 by the force of the coil spring 30 and is positioned in the T direction, and the stopper protruding portion 36 is fitted in the opening 15. Moreover, the stopper protrusion 36 does not abut against the retainer 10. That is, the retainer 10 has an opening 36S into which the stopper protrusion 36 of the stopper 34 is inserted only in the true neutral position G. Therefore, the stopper protrusion 36 is a coil spring with respect to the opening 15 and the opening 36S. It can be fitted by 30 forces.
Therefore, the positional relationship in the rotational direction about the central axis CL of the rotator 2, the stator 3, and the retainer 10 is securely fixed by the stopper protrusion 36.

  In FIG. 5, only the retainer 10 is in the same state as the neutral position, and the retainer 10 is not in the position corresponding to the stopper protrusion 36 as in the case of FIG. 3. However, the positional relationship between the stator 3 and the rotating units of the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 is different from the case where the three of the stator 3, the rotator 2 and the retainer 10 in FIG. The protruding portion 40 of the stator 3 protrudes in the V direction. This V direction is a direction orthogonal to the T direction and the S direction, and is directed to the central axis CL.

  As a result, the stopper protrusion 36 is pressed in the T direction by the coil spring 30, but the stopper protrusion 36 cannot be protruded due to the movement in the T direction being pressed by the protrusion portion 40 of the stator 3. Therefore, in this case, the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 cannot be fixed by the stopper protrusion 36.

  In FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 3, when the relative positional relationship between the rotation direction of the rotator 2 and the stator 3 is in the true neutral position G, the core metal 101 of the steering device 100 is lowered in the S direction. The metal core receiving portion 39 of the stopper 34 is pushed down into the coil spring housing chamber 31 against the force of the coil spring 30. Thereby, the stopper protrusion 36 is withdrawn from the opening 15. The three members of the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 have no fixed relationship, and the rotator 2 can rotate with respect to the stator 3 as the steering rotates. This makes it possible to perform a steering operation (turn the handle).

  FIG. 7 shows another example of the positional relationship among the three members of the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 in a state where the core metal 101 does not press the core metal receiving portion 39 of the stopper 34. The rotator 2 is in the state of the first rotation or the second rotation in the right rotation or the left rotation. Since it is apparently in the neutral position, the opening 15 of the stator 3 corresponds to the stopper 34, but since the retainer 10 is not in the neutral position, the lower end of the protrusion 16 of the retainer 10 is the stopper protrusion 36 of the stopper 34. You are hitting. Accordingly, even if the stopper projection 36 of the stopper 34 is pushed in the T direction by the force of the coil spring 30, the stopper projection 36 cannot rise in the T direction, and the stopper projection 36 cannot enter the opening 15. For this reason, the rotator 2 can rotate with respect to the stator 3 in synchronization with the steering.

  FIG. 8 shows another example of the positional relationship among the three members of the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 in a state where the core metal 101 does not press the core metal receiving portion 39 of the stopper 34. In this case, the protruding portion 40 of the stator 3 suppresses the rising of the stopper protruding portion 36, and the protruding portion 16 of the retainer 10 also suppresses the rising of the stopper protruding portion 36. Thereby, even if the stopper protrusion 36 of the stopper 34 is pushed by the force of the coil spring 30, it does not rise in the T direction and cannot enter the opening 15. For this reason, the rotator 2 can rotate with respect to the stator 3 in synchronization with the steering.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the sleeve 13 and the coil spring accommodating portion 20 are disposed at the lower portion of the stator 3, and the coil spring accommodating portion 20 includes the coil spring 30 and the coil spring 30. A stopper 34 is accommodated.
As shown in FIG. 3, the stator 3 and the retainer 10 are opened at a position corresponding to the stopper in the neutral position so that the stopper 34 can be inserted in the T direction only in the true neutral position G. It has the part 15, and the protrusion part 16 (refer FIG. 7) of the retainer 10 is not located.

  In the state of the true neutral position G shown in FIG. 3, the rotation of the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 is fixed by inserting the stopper 34 into the opening 15. Since the relative rotational positional relationship between the stator 3 and the rotator 2 does not change, the rotary connector device can be shipped.

  At positions other than the true neutral position, the stator 3 and the retainer 10 at least do not have the opening 15, or the retainer 10 has a protrusion 16 as shown in FIG. 7. Thereby, since the stopper 34 cannot move in the T direction, the rotation of the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10 can be released.

When the metal core 101 (boss) of the steering device 100 presses the stopper 34, the stopper 34 is retracted from the opening 15, so that the steering can be rotated.
When the mandrel 101 of the steering device 100 is retracted from the stopper 34 in this true neutral position, the coil spring 30 pushes up the stopper 34 again, and the stopper 34 fits into the opening 15. Therefore, the stator 3, the rotator 2, and the retainer 10. Can be fixed.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.
The sleeve 13B has a ring-shaped portion 14B, and an opening 15B is formed in the ring-shaped portion 14B. A stopper 34 is disposed in the coil spring storage portion 20. The coil spring accommodating portion 20 has an outer wall portion 22B and a bottom surface portion 24B having an L-shaped cross section, and a coil spring 30 is held on the bottom surface portion 24B.

An embodiment of the rotary connector device of the present invention is a rotary connector device mounted on a steering device, a ring-shaped fixed case, and a ring-shaped rotary case combined so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the fixed case, A band-shaped transmission line disposed in a ring-shaped space formed by the rotating case and the fixed case, a retainer that holds a roller that guides the transmission line, and a biasing member that is fixed to the rotating case side and accommodates an urging member An urging member storage portion, and a stopper that is disposed in the urging member storage portion and maintains a neutral position between the rotating case and the fixed case by being moved by the force of the urging member. The fixed case has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position, and the retainer has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position. The stopper is retracted against the force of the urging member from the opening and the opening by being pushed by the pushing member of the steering device.
Thereby, when attaching to a steering device, it can prevent reliably that a rotation case rotates.

  Further, the biasing member storage portion on the rotating case side has a protrusion, and the fixing case is formed with a fitting hole for fitting the protrusion. Thereby, the relative rotational position of the rotating case and the fixed case can be determined.

The biasing member is a coil spring, one end of the coil spring is in contact with the stopper, and the other end of the coil spring is held on the bottom surface of the biasing member storage. Thereby, a coil spring can be hold | maintained reliably and a coil spring can urge | bias a stopper stably.
In a position other than the neutral position, the fixed case has a protrusion that prevents the stopper from moving. As a result, the stopper can be prevented from moving outside the neutral position, and the rotating case can be reliably prevented from being fixed to the fixed case.

By the way, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various modified example is employable.
For example, although one large diameter object is used for the coil spring, a small coil spring may be arranged at one place or a plurality of places instead. The stopper may be arranged at one place or a plurality of places.

It is a perspective view which shows preferable embodiment of the rotation connector apparatus of this invention. It is a top view which shows the space part of a rotator and a stator. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross-section of the rotation connector apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and the metal core of the steering device of a motor vehicle. It is a perspective view which shows a sleeve and a coil spring accommodating part. It is a figure which shows the state which the raise of a stopper is stopped by the projection part of the stator. It is a figure which shows the state which the metal core of the steering device pushed down the stopper from the state of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which the raise of a stopper is stopped by the projection part of the retainer. It is a figure which shows the state which the raise of a stopper is stopped by the projection part of the stator and the projection part of a retainer. It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Rotating connector device 2 Rotator (equivalent to rotating case)
3 Stator (equivalent to a fixed case)
4 Ring-shaped space 5, 6 Roller 9 Flat cable (band-shaped transmission line)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Retainer as a ring member 13 Sleeve 15 Opening part 16 Protrusion part 20 Coil spring accommodating part (biasing member accommodating part)
29 Hole for fitting 30 Coil spring (biasing member)
34 Stopper 36S Opening portion 100 Steering device for automobile 101 Core metal (pushing member)

Claims (4)

A rotary connector device mounted on a steering device, a ring-shaped fixing case,
A ring-shaped rotating case that is rotatably combined with the fixed case;
A band-shaped transmission line disposed in a ring-shaped space formed by the rotating case and the fixed case;
A retainer for holding a roller for guiding the transmission line;
An urging member storage portion that is fixed to the rotating case side and stores an urging member;
A stopper for maintaining a neutral position between the rotating case and the fixed case by being arranged in the biasing member housing and moving by the force of the biasing member;
The fixed case has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position, and the retainer has an opening for inserting the stopper only in the neutral position,
The rotary connector device according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is retracted against the force of the biasing member from the opening portion and the opening portion by being pushed by a pushing member of the steering device.   The biasing member storage portion on the rotating case side has a protrusion, and the fixing case is formed with a fitting hole for fitting the protrusion. The rotary connector device according to 1.   The biasing member is a coil spring, one end of the coil spring is in contact with the stopper, and the other end of the coil spring is held on a bottom surface of the biasing member storage portion. The rotary connector device according to claim 1 or 2.   The rotary connector device according to claim 3, wherein the fixed case has a protrusion that prevents the stopper from moving except in the neutral position.

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