JPH0650276Y2 - Electrical connection between steering wheel and steering column - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrical connection device between a steering wheel and a steering column in a vehicle steering system, and more particularly to an electrical connection device including a positioning device in a neutral position.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a spiral coil tape member including a plurality of flexible conductors is generally used for electrical connection between a steering wheel and a steering column in a vehicle steering system. For example, the example disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 53-118243 is such. This is because the handle is naturally rotatable with respect to the steering column, and transmits electric signals from switches, such as horns, provided on the handle to the steering column side, which is the fixed part. In addition, it is necessary to devise an electric wiring that absorbs the turning motion of the handle. Therefore, the spiral coil tape member has been devised as a device for this electrical wiring.

However, since the coil tape member has to follow the rotational movement, its spiral shape is deformed when an external force is applied. However, when the electrical connecting device is mounted on an automobile, the coil tape member must be mounted with the spiral shape of the coil tape member being in a neutral state. This is because if the coil tape member is mounted in a biased state, the consistency of the neutral position with the coil tape member, the handle, and the steering mechanism side is lost.

Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the spiral shape of the coil tape member is kept in a neutral state before being mounted on a vehicle, and the neutral state is released after the coil tape member is mounted on the vehicle. To provide such an electrical connection device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (Structure / Operation / Effect) In order to achieve the above technical problems, the present invention has the following structure.

That is, in the electrical connection device equipped with the spiral coil tape member between the steering wheel and the steering column, the spiral coil tape member is housed in the housing case. The storage case includes a lower case fixed to the steering column side and an upper case rotatably attached to the lower case so as to rotate together with the handle. A film-shaped tape member that locks the upper and lower cases relatively non-rotatably is provided. The film tape member is formed so as to straddle between the upper and lower cases and to be adhered to each outer surface thereof, and to be located along the boundary line between the upper and lower cases when adhered. It has a notch.

According to the above configuration, the coil tape member can be stored in the storage case in a spiral shape in a neutral state. Then, in this state, the upper case and the lower case are assembled, and the tape member is temporarily fixed relatively non-rotatably. Therefore, as long as the tape member is not released, the coil tape member can maintain its neutral state in the storage case. After that, the electrical connecting device accommodating the coil tape member in the above state may be mounted at a predetermined position of the automobile with the steering mechanism in a neutral state.

If the handle is rotated after the mounted state, the tape member is broken from the notch by rotating the upper case rotating with the handle with respect to the lower case. As a result, the engagement between the upper and lower cases by the tape member is released, and the upper case becomes rotatable with respect to the lower case.

Therefore, by using the electrical connection device of the present invention,
It is possible to correspond the neutral position of the spiral shape of the coil tape member and the neutral position of the steering mechanism without deviation. Moreover, the method is an effective means capable of achieving the above-mentioned measures with an inexpensive member such as a film tape.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the present embodiment is an embodiment of the electrical connecting device in which the enclosure walls for connectors protruding on the outer surfaces of the upper and lower cases are mounted.

In FIG. 1, the spiral coil tape member 3 is housed in a substantially disk-shaped housing case composed of an upper case 1 and a lower case 2. The upper case 1 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 1f, a cylindrical boss portion 1b for the winding shaft of the coil tape member 3 formed in the center thereof, and a connector protruding on the surface of the bottom wall 1f. Enclosing wall 1a and pin 1e protruding toward the handle 11 side
And are integrally formed. The take-up shaft boss 1b
The steering shaft penetrates the steering wheel. A groove 1c and a locking claw 1d that follows the groove 1c are formed on the outer periphery of the lower end of the boss portion 1b. The pin 1e is adapted to be fitted in a pin hole formed in the handle side member 11, whereby the upper case 1 and the handle 11 can be integrally rotated.

On the other hand, the lower case 2 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, has a boss 2b having a hole through which the winding shaft boss 1b penetrates at the center thereof, and is integrally formed with the bottom wall 2c. The connector enclosing wall 2a is provided. And the lower case 2 is
It is fixed to the steering column member 12 with screws 10 or the like. The boss portion 1b for the winding shaft of the upper case 1 is inserted into the hole of the boss 2b of the fixed lower case 2,
The boss 2b and the groove 1c on the outer circumference of the lower end of the winding shaft boss 1b of the upper case 1 are fitted together. Further, the upper case 1 has the groove
A locking claw 1d following 1c prevents the lower case 2 from coming off. In this way, the upper and lower cases 1 and 2 cooperate to form a case for accommodating the spiral coil tape member 3 having a constant height.

On the other hand, the coil tape member 3 to be housed is fixed and connected at its inner and outer ends to the respective ones of the printed wiring boards 4a and 4b provided on the extension lines along the circumferential direction of the coil tape member 3, respectively. ing. When the coil tape member 3 is fixed to each of the wiring boards 4a and 4b, the coil tape member 3 is fixed so that its spiral state is maintained in a neutral state. Then, in this state, the film-shaped tape member 5 straddles the upper case 1 and the lower case 2 and is adhered to the outer surface of each of the cases 1 and 2. The film tape member 5 has a substantially T-shaped appearance. And the member 5
The T-shaped head 5a of is adhered to the upper surface of the upper case, and
The leg portion 5b is provided with a notch 5c for facilitating breakage, and is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the lower case 2 so that the notch 5c is substantially located on the boundary line between the upper and lower cases 1 and 2. .

A part of one of the wiring boards 4a and 4b is projected upward in the axial direction of the coil tape member 3,
The upper case 1 penetrates outward. The projecting portion is inserted into the connector enclosing wall 1a of the upper case 1 and thus serves as a male side terminal of the connector.
A part of the other wiring board 4b projects downward in the axial direction of the coil tape member 3 and penetrates the lower case 2 outward. The projecting portion is inserted into the connector enclosing wall 2a of the lower case 2 to form a male side terminal of the connector.

According to the above configuration, the spiral coil tape member 3 housed in the housing case is housed and held with the spiral shape being neutral. Moreover, the upper case 1 and the lower case 2 are temporarily fixed by the film tape member 5 so that the upper case 1 does not rotate with respect to the lower case 2. Therefore,
As the electrical connection device, the film tape member 5 is used.
It is possible to always keep the neutral state except that the temporary fixing member is removed or broken between the upper and lower cases 1 and 2. Therefore, if this electrical connection device is arranged at a predetermined position between the steering wheel 11 and the steering column side 12 of the automobile and the steering mechanism is fixed to the steering wheel 11 in a neutral state, the spiral coil tape member 3 and the neutral position of the steering mechanism correspond to each other.

In addition, the handle side electric signal is connected by the connector method of the printed wiring board 4a in which the handle side electric signal line serves as a male side terminal of the connector on the upper case 1 side, and the electric conductor inside the coil tape member 3 (not shown). Via the ()) to the electric signal line on the steering column side connected to the printed wiring board 4b on the lower case 2 side by a connector method, and thus transmitted to the steering column side.

In the above structure, the electrical connection device of the present invention can be released from the temporary fixing by mounting the device on an automobile and rotating the handle 11 to exert the intended function. Because before installation on the car,
This is because the lower cases 1 and 2 are temporarily fixed and thus the determined state is maintained. Then, since the temporary fixing is released by performing the first steering wheel turning operation after mounting on the automobile, the neutral position of the steering mechanism side is not misaligned thereafter. Furthermore, such temporary fixing can be achieved at low cost.

By the way, it is also suitable to break the film-shaped tape member 5 that the perforation is formed in that portion instead of the notch 5c provided in the film-shaped tape member 5. It is also useful to note the surface of the tape member 5 when handling the electrical connecting device.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a sectional view of an essential part of an electrical connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in FIG.
The drawing is a view on arrow III in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the film tape member. 1 ... Upper case, 2 ... Lower case, 3 ... Coil tape member, 5 ... Temporary fastening member (film tape), 10 ...
Screws, 11 …… Handle, 12 …… Steering column side member, 1a, 2a …… Enclosure wall for connector, 1b …… Rolling shaft boss, 1c …… Groove, 1d …… Locking claw, 1e… …pin,
1f …… bottom wall, 2b …… boss, 2c …… bottom wall, 4a, 4b …… printed wiring board, 5a …… head part, 5b …… leg part, 5c …… notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An electric signal line wired on the steering column side and a handle (11) rotatable with respect to the column.
In order to connect the electric signal line wired to the side with each other, the flexible signal is formed in a spiral shape so as to follow the rotation of the handle (11), and along the spiral direction. Coiled coil tape member having a plurality of electric conductors (3)
In the electrical connecting device equipped between the steering column and the steering wheel, the coil tape member (3) is stored in a storage case, and the storage case is on the steering column side (12). A lower case (2) fixed to the lower case (2) and an upper case (1) rotatably attached to the lower case (2) so as to rotate together with the handle (11). A film tape for locking the cases (1, 2) in a relatively non-rotatable manner is provided, and the film tape member (5) extends over the upper and lower cases (1, 2). When it is adhered to the outer surface and when it is adhered, the upper and lower cases (1,
An electrical connection device between a steering wheel and a steering column, comprising a notch (5c) formed so as to be located along the boundary line of 2).