JPH0195476A - Connector device for car steering - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent offensive sounds such as sliding and hammering noises caused by a spiral cable by providing a curvilinear part greater than the thickness of the spiral cable in at least one edge part of the tape-form spiral cable. CONSTITUTION:A spiral cable 17 is formed in a tape form, and is provided with curvilinear parts 17a in both edge parts. This, as the spiral cable 17 comes in contact with a fixed part 9 and a moving part 10 at each curvilinear part 17a, the contact surface is reduced so that the sliding noise of the spiral cable is diminished. Further, as the curvilinear part 17a is formed protruding greather than the thickness of the spiral cable 17, the contact surface with the adjacent spiral cable 17 is reduced, and thus the hammering noise caused by the adjacent cables can be also diminished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a vehicle steering connector device for connecting an electrical component provided in a vehicle steering wheel to an electrical circuit on a steering column side.

(Prior art) Electrical parts such as a horn switch installed on a vehicle's steering wheel are generally connected to an electric circuit on the steering column side via a slip ring, etc., but recently there has been a method to ensure a more reliable electrical connection between the two. In order to achieve this, a connector device using a spiral cable has been put into practical use (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-66045).

FIG. 6(a) is an exploded view of a steering portion incorporating this type of connector device, and FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector device, in which l indicates a steering column that accommodates the steering link shaft 2; 3 is a combination switch consisting of a light switch 4, a wiper switch 5, etc.
6 is a connector device, and 7 is a steering wheel.

The connector device 6 includes a fixed part 9 having a hollow part 8 through which the steering shaft 2 passes, a disk-shaped movable part 10,
The fixed part 9 is fixed to the combination switch 3 by a mounting part 9a, and the movable part 1O is connected to the core bar 7a of the steering wheel 4 by a mounting pin loa and rotates together with the steering wheel 7. The spiral cable 11 is formed into a tape shape by covering a plurality of conductive wires with resin, and is housed in a space 12 formed by a fixed part 9 and a movable part 10, and is loosely wrapped around the hollow part 8 4 to 5 times. It is wrapped. spiral cable 11
The inner end of is connected to the terminal 13 of the movable part l'0,
The external cable 14 is connected to electrical components on the steering wheel 7 side, such as a horn switch, a gas generator for an air bag device, and an operation switch for an automatic speed adjustment device. - On the other hand, the outer end of the spiral cable 11 is connected to the terminal 15 of the fixed part 9, and the movable part Even if the lO rotates, the movement is absorbed by the spiral cable 11, ensuring reliable electrical connection between the steering wheel side and the steering column side.

However, in conventional connector systems, the edge of the spiral cable may come into contact with the fixed part 9 or the movable part 10 of the device, or adjacent spiral cables may collide with each other (see Figure 6 (b)). During steering, especially when the steering wheel returns after turning a curve, sliding or tapping noises may be emitted, and these sliding or tapping noises are the cause of abnormal noises.

(Object and Structure of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of abnormal noise due to a spiral cable used in a steering connector device.

To achieve this objective, in the present invention, at least one edge of the tape-shaped spiral cable is provided with a curved portion larger than the thickness of the spiral cable, so that the spiral cable contacts the fixed part and the movable part of the connector device. The structure is designed to reduce the contact surface between the surfaces and the spiral cables.

(Example) The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a vehicle steering connector device according to the present invention, in which the same reference numerals as in FIG. 6 indicate the same components.

In the figure, 17 is a resin spiral cable, and the spiral cable 17 is formed into a tape shape.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), curved portions 17a are provided at both edges.
is provided. Although the thickness of the spiral cable is approximately 0.2 ms, the curved portion 17a has a circular cross section (for example, a radius of 0.15 m5 or more) that protrudes from the thickness of the cable. The curved portion 17a can be formed by setting the shape of the nozzle during extrusion molding. Reference numeral 17b may be a conducting wire provided on the flat portion of the spiral cable 17, or the conducting wire 17b may be buried in the curved portion 17a as shown in FIG. 2(B).

With the above configuration, the spiral cable 17
Since the contact surface 7a comes into contact with the fixed part 9 and the movable part 10 and the contact surface becomes small, the sliding noise of the spiral cable is reduced. In addition, since the curved portion 17a is formed to protrude from the thickness of the spiral cable 17, the adjacent spiral cable 17a
Since the contact surface with 7 becomes smaller, the tapping noise between adjacent spiral cables can also be reduced.

Next, FIG. 3 shows another embodiment. In this embodiment, curled portions 17c are provided at both edges of the spiral cable 17.

Both edges of the curled portion 17c are curved to the same side (right side in the figure), have an arc 17d of 180° or more, and have a tip 17e that is curled inward. Also, curl part 1
7c becomes thinner toward the tip 17e, and is easily deflected and has sufficient elasticity.

By providing the curled portion 17c as described above, the contact surface with the fixed portion 9 and the movable portion 10 becomes smaller, and therefore the sliding noise is also reduced. Furthermore, even if adjacent spiral cables 17 collide with each other, the curled portions 17c act as a buffer material, as shown in FIG. 3(B), and the contact surface is also small, so the hitting noise is reduced. In this embodiment, the curled portions 17c are curled on the same side or in opposite directions (that is, in an S-shape).
You can also curl it.

FIG. 4 shows a further different embodiment, in which the spiral cable 17 is folded in half to form a curved portion 17f. The curved portion 17f may be formed by heating and bending the cable, or may be formed by extrusion molding in a shape that is folded in half from the beginning.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the connector device according to the present invention, in which flocks 18 are provided on the inner surfaces of the fixed part 9 and the movable part 10. The flocking 18 is made by, for example, applying adhesive to the inner surfaces of the fixed part 9 and the movable part 10, and then
It can be formed by spraying nylon pile (nylon m fiber) using static electricity. Due to the buffering effect of the flocked hair 18, the sliding noise between the fixed part 9 and the movable part 10 and the spiral cable 17 is further reduced, and the collision between the spiral cables is also weakened, so that the hammering noise is further reduced.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, in the present invention, at least one edge of the tape-shaped spiral cable is provided with a curved portion larger than the thickness of the spiral cable, so that the fixed portion and the movable portion of the spiral cable and the connector device are connected to each other. Since the structure is designed to reduce the contact surface between the spiral cables and the spiral cables,
This has the effect of preventing abnormal noises such as sliding noise and tapping noise caused by the spiral cable.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vehicle steering connector device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are sectional views of a spiral cable used in the connector device of FIG. 1, and FIG.
A) and (B) and FIG. 4 are cross-sectional views of spiral cables in other embodiments, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional connector device. l... Steering column, 6... Connector device. 7... Steering wheel, 8... Hollow part, 9...
...Fixed part, io-...Movable part, 11. 17... Spiral cable, 12... Space, 18... Flocked patent applicant Hiroshi Suzuki, Patent attorney, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Figure 6 (B) C)

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Formed by a fixed part that is formed to surround the steering shaft and fixed to the steering column side, a movable part that is formed to surround the steering shaft and rotates together with the steering wheel, and the fixed part and the movable part. The steering shaft is wound around the steering shaft several times and stored in the space, one end is fixed to the fixed part and the other end is fixed to the movable part, and the electrical parts on the steering wheel side and the steering column side a spiral cable connected to an electric circuit, the spiral cable is shaped like a tape, and is wound so that both edges thereof face the fixed part and the movable part, respectively, and at least one of the two edges A connector device for a vehicle steering, characterized in that a curved portion larger than the thickness of a spiral cable is formed in the connector device. (2) The vehicle steering connector device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed part and the movable part are flocked on surfaces facing the edge of the spiral cable.