JPH05144533A - Slip ring - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce sliding noise, and to improve sealing effect to a foreign matter by placing a rubber plate between a conductor plate and a first housing, and by elastically connecting the outer peripheral end of the rubber plate to a second housing. CONSTITUTION:A rubber plate 8 and an intermediate case 9 made of synthetic resin are put on and fixed to a housing 1. Fixed contacts 10 are arranged on the inner circumferential wall as well as outer peripheral wall of the intermediate case 9, and a fixed contact 11 is arranged between each contact 10 in an annular form. A printed board 12 is fixed to the inside of a housing 3, and moving contacts 13, 14 that are in contact with contacts 10, 11, are held on the lower surface of the board 12. Tongue pieces 8a, 8b of the rubber plate 8 are elastically connected to an inner cylindrical part 4 as well as an outer cylindrical part 5 of the housing 3. When a steering wheel is rotated and is operated, sliding noise is generated since the contacts 14, 15 and 10, 11 are rubbed with each other, and they are damped and are absorbed by the rubber plate 8. The noise is reduced thereby, while sealing effect is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slip ring for electrically connecting a fixed body and a movable body by sliding contact between a conductor plate and a contact.

The slip ring has one housing provided with an annular conductor plate and the other housing provided with a contactor slidably contacting the conductor plate. For example, a column (stator member of a vehicle-mounted steering device). ) By fixing one housing to the steering wheel (rotor member) and the other housing,
The electrical connection between the rotor and the stator can always be maintained regardless of the rotation angle of the steering wheel.

As described above, since the slip ring maintains the electrical connection by the sliding contact between the conductor plate and the contact, the conductor plate and the contact rub against each other while the steering wheel is rotating. The resulting sliding noise is generated.
The slip ring disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-82247 has a vibration-proof rubber interposed between a housing and a conductor plate supported by the housing, and the vibration-proof rubber attenuates the sliding noise. It is like this.

[0004]

According to the slip ring disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, since the sliding sound can be attenuated by propagating through the housing and reaching the outside by the vibration isolating rubber.
The noise can be reduced to some extent. However, there is also a sliding noise that leaks to the outside through the joint portion of both housings, and in particular, for both housings that are rotatably connected, the dimensional variation tends to increase as the outer joint portion that has a longer distance from the center. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the outer joint portion with a gap that allows for the variation in advance, and the sliding noise leaking from this gap has a large influence. In addition, since there is a gap between the joints of both housings in this manner, external moisture, sulfide gas, or foreign matter such as dust may enter through the gap, and the conductor plate and the contact may be oxidized or sulfided. There is also a problem in that dust adheres and conduction failure occurs.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention is to provide a slip ring capable of reducing sliding noise and having a high sealing effect.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises first and second housings which are rotatably connected to each other, and the first housing is provided with an annular conductor plate. In the slip ring, wherein the second housing is provided with a contactor slidably contacting the conductor plate, a rubber plate is provided between the conductor plate and the first housing. The outer peripheral edge was elastically contacted with the second housing.

Further, according to the present invention, the conductor plate is placed and fixed on the rubber plate.

[0008]

The sliding noise generated by the sliding movement of the contact and the conductor plate is attenuated by the rubber plate, so that the noise propagating through the first housing and reaching the outside is reduced. In addition, since the outer joint portion of the first and second housings is sealed by the rubber plate, sliding noise leaking to the outside through the joint portion is blocked and foreign matter such as sulfide gas, water or dust is blocked. Is also prevented.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a sectional view of a slip ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first housing provided in the slip ring.

In these figures, 1 is a synthetic resin first housing having a through hole 2 in the center, 3 is a synthetic resin second housing having an inner cylinder portion 4 and an outer cylinder portion 5, The two housings 1 and 3 are rotatably connected to the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 4 by a shaft stopper ring 6 fitted onto the lower end. Of the inner and outer joints of the first and second housings 1 and 3, a washer 7 having excellent lubricity such as Teflon is provided in the inner joint, and a gap is formed in the outer joint. G is formed. The gap G is set in advance in consideration of the dimensional variation of each part.
By providing, the lower end of the outer tubular portion 5 can rotate smoothly without rubbing against the surface of the first housing 1 when rotating the second housing 3.

A rubber plate 8 and a synthetic resin middle case 9 are placed and fixed on the first housing 1. Two first fixed contacts 10 formed into a cylindrical shape are formed on the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall of the middle case 9, respectively.
Six second fixed contacts 11 formed in a ring shape are arranged between the fixed contacts 10 in the embodiment, and these fixed contacts 10 and 11 are concentrically formed around the through hole 2. It is arranged. Each of the fixed contacts 10 and 11 is made of a metal plate such as brass and is integrated with the middle case 9 by insert molding. The fixed contacts 10 and 11 are provided on the lower surface of the first housing 1 via lead wires (not shown). It is connected to the connector terminal in the portion 1a. Further, the tongue piece 8 extending obliquely downward is formed on the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the rubber plate 8.
a and 8b are formed respectively, the entire circumference of one tongue piece 8a is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 4, and the entire circumference of the other tongue piece 8b is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 5. There is. Also, the rubber plate 8
A plurality of protrusions 8c are integrally formed concentrically on the top surface of each of the first and second fixed contacts 1.
It is in contact with the lower surfaces of 0 and 11.

On the other hand, a printed circuit board 12 is fixed inside the second housing 3, and the printed circuit board 1 is fixed.
A first movable contact 13 that contacts both of the first fixed contacts 10 and a second movable contact 14 that contacts each of the second fixed contacts 11 are held on the lower surface of 2. These first and second movable contacts 13 and 14 are leaf springs 15 and 1, respectively.
6, the leaf springs 15 and 16 have their rear ends soldered to the printed circuit board 12, and take-out portions provided on the top surface of the second housing 3 via lead wires (not shown). It is connected to the connector terminal in 3a.

The slip ring constructed as described above is
The first housing 1 and the second housing 3 are fixed to a stator side column and the like provided in a vehicle-mounted steering device and a rotor side steering wheel, respectively, and are used as connecting means for a horn circuit and an airbag circuit. .. In use, when the steering wheel is operated to rotate, the second housing 3 rotates in conjunction with it, and the first movable contact 13 rotates and slides on the vertical sliding surface of the first fixed contact 10. The second movable contact 14 rotationally slides on the horizontal sliding surface of the second fixed contact 11. Therefore, the conduction between the rotor side and the stator side does not depend on the rotation angle of the steering wheel, regardless of the movable contact points 14, 1
5 and the fixed contacts 10 and 11 are constantly maintained.

During such use, sliding noise is generated due to friction between the movable contacts 14 and 15 and the fixed contacts 10 and 11. Most of this sliding noise is rubber that contacts the fixed contacts 10 and 11. Noise that is attenuated and absorbed by the plate 8, propagates through the first housing 1, and reaches the outside is reduced. Further, the sliding sound propagating in the internal space of the slip ring is blocked by the rubber plate 8 elastically contacting the inner tubular portion 4 and the outer tubular portion 5 of the second housing 3, so that the first and second The noise leaking to the outside through the joint portion of the housings 1 and 3 is also reduced. Moreover, since the rubber plate 8 has a sealing function, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as external sulfide gas, moisture, or dust from entering the inside through the joint portion of the first and second housings 1, 3. It is possible to eliminate the conduction failure of the contact portion due to these foreign matters.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a slip ring according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the portions corresponding to those in FIG. In the case of the present embodiment, the holding cylinder 17 which is erected inside the first housing 1
In addition, three first fixed contacts 10 formed into a cylindrical shape are fixed at predetermined intervals in the axial direction, and five second fixed contacts 11 formed into a ring shape.
Are fixed directly on the rubber plate 8. A first movable contact 13 that contacts each first fixed contact 10 and each second fixed contact 1
The second movable contacts 14 contacting with each other are the leaf springs 1
It is held by a holder 18 fixed inside the second housing 3 via 5, 16 and is connected to a connector terminal (not shown) in the take-out portion 3a. The other structure is basically the same as that of the first embodiment described above.

In the second embodiment, since the rubber plate 8 can absorb the radial variation of the second fixed contact 11 which expands and contracts due to the temperature change, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment. The effect of preventing the second fixed contact 11 from peeling off is also obtained.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the first housing 1 is fixed to the stator side column and the second housing 3 is fixed to the rotor side steering wheel has been described. On the contrary, it is also possible to fix the first housing 1 to the rotor side and the second housing 3 to the stator side.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the tongue pieces 8a and 8b formed on the inner and outer peripheral edges of the rubber plate 8 are attached to the second housing 3.
The case where the inner and outer joints of the first and second housings 1 and 3 are sealed by the rubber plate 8 by elastically contacting the inner and outer cylinders 4 and 5 of When the washer 7 is used, the inner peripheral edge of the rubber plate 8 and the inner cylindrical portion 4 may be separated from each other, because the washer 7 provided in the portion has a torque output function and a sealing function.

[0019]

As described above, as described above. According to the invention,
Not only can the sliding sound generated by the sliding contact between the contactor and the conductor plate be prevented from propagating to the outside, but also foreign matter such as sulfide gas, moisture, or dust can be prevented from entering the inside, and It is possible to provide a slip ring that can be reduced in size and has no conduction failure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a slip ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first housing included in the slip ring of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a slip ring according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 1st housing 2 2nd housing 4 Inner cylinder part 5 Outer cylinder part 7 Washer 8 Rubber plates 8a and 8b Tongue piece 8c Protrusion 10 First fixed contact (conductor plate) 11 Second fixed contact (conductor plate) 13 first movable contact (contact) 14 second movable contact (contact)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Nakuoka 1-7 Yukiya Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Toru Tsushima 1-7 Otsuka-cho, Yutani, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first and a second housings rotatably connected to each other, wherein the first housing is provided with an annular conductor plate, and the second housing is in sliding contact with the conductor plate. In a slip ring provided with contacts, a rubber plate is provided between the conductor plate and the first housing, and an outer peripheral edge of the rubber plate is elastically contacted with the second housing. Slip ring to do. 2. The slip ring according to claim 1, wherein the conductor plate is placed and fixed on the rubber plate.