JPH06203940A - Connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a highly reliable connector device used for steering device for an automobile in which the generation of buckling of a tape cable when rotating is prevented. CONSTITUTION:In a connector device in which a spirally wound tape cable 2 extending from the inner cylinder part 3a of an inner cylinder side housing 3 and the outer cylinder part 4a of an outer cylinder side housing 4 is housed in both housings 3, 4, and both housing 3, 4 are relatively rotated, a buckling preventing member 1 is fixed to the inner cylinder part 3a so as to be laid along both surfaces of the tape cable 2 near the inner cylinder part 3a. Even when a rotating force exceeding rotation limit acts in the winding loosening direction to curve the tape cable 2 in S-shape, the buckling preventing member 1 suppresses the curving, so that the generation of buckling is suppressed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector device which is used in a steering device of an automobile or the like and electrically connects members which perform a relative rotational operation with a limited number of revolutions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional connector device of this type will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional connector device, and FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof. In the figure, 2 is a tape-shaped electric wire having a predetermined length corresponding to the number of revolutions, 2
a and 2b are connection terminals respectively connected to both ends of the tape-shaped electric wire 2, 3 is an inner cylinder side housing, 3a is an inner cylinder part thereof,
Reference numeral 4 denotes an outer cylinder side housing, 4a denotes an outer cylinder portion thereof, and 5 denotes a plate-shaped buckling prevention member.

One end of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 has a connection terminal 2
to the inner cylinder side housing 3 via a, and the other end is a connection terminal 2b
Is connected and fixed to the outer cylinder side housing 4 via
It is spirally wound from the inner cylindrical portion 3a to the outer cylindrical portion 4a. Then, the wound tape-shaped electric wire 2 is housed in the internal space, and the two housings 3 and 4 are combined so as to be aligned with each other in the axial direction thereof and to rotate relatively. The tape-shaped electric wire 2 is configured to absorb relative rotation by tightening and loosening.

Further, by repeating the rotation, the inner cylindrical portion 3a
In order to prevent the occurrence of a so-called buckling phenomenon in which the tape-shaped electric wire 2 in the vicinity is bent in an S shape, a plate-shaped buckling prevention which is usually fixed to the inner tubular portion 3a along the outer peripheral surface of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is prevented. A member 5 is provided. The buckling prevention member 5
Also has a role as a stopper when an attempt is made to apply a predetermined number of rotations or more in the winding loosening direction.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connector device, when the rigidity of the tape-shaped electric wire itself is relatively weak or when the rigidity of the tape-shaped electric wire deteriorates due to repeated rotation, the unwinding direction is increased. When a rotational force of a predetermined number of revolutions or more is applied to the tape-shaped electric wire, the tape-shaped electric wire and the buckling prevention member are partly separated from each other as shown by an arrow A in FIG. However, there is a problem that the wire is broken when it is buckled and severe.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable connector device which suppresses the buckling phenomenon.

[0007]

In order to solve this problem, the connector device according to the present invention has an inner cylinder having a buckling prevention member along not only the outer peripheral surface of the wound tape-shaped electric wire but also the inner peripheral surface thereof. It is configured to be fixed to the inner cylinder portion of the side housing.

[0008]

According to this structure, even if an attempt is made to bend the tape-shaped electric wire so that a part of the tape-shaped electric wire projects toward the inner peripheral surface side due to the rotational force exceeding the limit acting on the tape-shaped electric wire, both sides of the tape-shaped electric wire are sandwiched. Since the buckling prevention member is provided at the end, the buckling cannot be caused, and the buckling phenomenon can be suppressed.

[0009]

1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof. However, in this figure, the same members as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same members and components will be omitted. 1 and 2
1, a buckling prevention member 1 having a U-shaped cross section is fixed to the inner cylindrical portion 3a, and the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is inserted between the outer peripheral side portion 1a and the inner peripheral side portion 1b.

According to this construction, when a rotational force exceeding the limit is applied in the winding loosening direction, the tape-shaped electric wire 2 first tries to bend so as to project to the outer peripheral surface side, and the outer peripheral side portion 1
Adhere to a. When the rotational force is further applied, the bending is further suppressed by the outer peripheral side portion 1a, so that contrary to the above, it projects toward the inner peripheral surface side and tries to absorb the stress in the inner cylindrical portion 3a direction. However, the bending toward the inner peripheral surface side is also suppressed by the inner peripheral side portion 1b, and the buckling phenomenon of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is prevented. In particular, this buckling prevention effect is more prominent when the rigidity of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is reduced by repeated rotation. According to the experiment, the limit rotational speed at which buckling occurs is 1.5 in the case of this embodiment as compared with the case of the conventional example.
It was confirmed that it reached up to 5 times.

Further, in the case of this embodiment, since the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is sandwiched by the U-shaped buckling prevention member 1, the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is limited to the inner cylindrical portion 3a direction due to buckling at the time of limit rotation. The proof strength as a stopper that prevents the coil from being caught beyond the range is larger than that in the case of the conventional example because the buckling hardly occurs. Further, the buckling prevention member 1 has a back portion 1c.
Therefore, the buckling prevention member 1 itself has high rigidity, and the strength to withstand the force of bending and expanding the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is also large. Therefore, the strength as a stopper is also large, and experiments have confirmed that the stopper strength reaches 1.5 to 2 times that of the conventional example.

Next, in the above embodiment, the outer peripheral side portion 1a of the buckling prevention member 1 and the outer peripheral surface of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 were further adhered with an adhesive tape, and the stopper strength was examined. As a result, it was confirmed that the stopper strength was increased by 1.5 times as compared with the case without adhesion. In addition, when the inner peripheral surface of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is adhered and when both surfaces of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 are adhered, the stopper strength is improved as compared with the case where the tape-shaped electric wire 2 is not adhered. Further, other adhesive means such as an adhesive may be used as an adhesive means between the two, instead of using an adhesive tape.

In the above embodiment, the buckling prevention member 1 having a U-shaped cross section is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the inner peripheral surface of the tape-shaped electric wire 2 and It suffices that the buckling prevention members are provided along both surfaces of the tape-shaped electric wire 2, such as the plate-shaped buckling prevention members provided along the outer peripheral surfaces.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, in the connector device of the present invention, the buckling prevention member is fixed to the inner tubular portion of the inner tubular side housing along both surfaces of the tape-shaped electric wire. This makes it possible to suppress buckling of the tape-shaped electric wire that tends to occur when a rotational force exceeding the limit is applied and to improve the strength as a stopper, and a connector with excellent reliability that can withstand repeated rotation. It realizes the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector device.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional connector device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the connector device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 buckling prevention member 1a outer peripheral side part 1b inner peripheral side part 1c back part 2 tape-shaped electric wires 2a, 2b connection terminal 3 inner cylinder side housing 3a inner cylinder part 4 outer cylinder side housing 4a outer cylinder part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An inner cylinder side housing, an outer cylinder side housing, and a tape-shaped electric wire connecting the both housings, the both housings are assembled so as to be relatively rotatable, and the tape electric wire is formed by the both housings. In a connector device that is spirally housed in a formed space, a buckling prevention member is fixed to an inner cylinder part of the inner cylinder side housing along both surfaces of the tape-shaped electric wire near the inner cylinder part. This is a connector device. 2. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the buckling prevention member has a U-shaped cross section. 3. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the buckling prevention member is also fixed to the tape-shaped electric wire.