Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R16/00—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for
  • B60R16/02—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements
  • B60R16/023—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
  • B60R16/027—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column

Definitions

• the invention is based on a device for transmitting energy designed according to the preamble of the main claim.
• Such devices are e.g. provided in order to be able to safely transmit current and / or light in motor vehicles between connection points which are rotatably held in the steering wheel and are arranged in a fixed manner in the region of the steering column.
• connection points of such a device e.g. an airbag system, a steering wheel heater, a switching device, etc. are supplied with the voltage and signals necessary for its function.
• a device corresponding to the preamble of the main claim has become known from DE 195 33 439 C1.
• a plurality of flexible lines are accommodated within an annular cavity of a housing.
• One end of the flexible lines is fixed to the stator part and the other end of the flexible lines is fixed to a rotor part of the housing that is rotatable relative to the stator part.
• the flexible lines can each be wound with their two broad sides over a U-shaped turning section with at least one turn on the axially aligned inner wall and spaced therefrom, conversely with at least one further turn on the axially aligned outer wall of the housing.
• the two narrow sides of the flexible lines are each held between the radially aligned bottom wall and the radially aligned top wall of the housing.
• Such a design necessarily results in relative movements between the flexible lines and the housing when the rotor part rotates. This is the case because the turns of the flexible lines, which are assigned to both the inner wall and the outer wall, come to rest partly on regions of the rotor part and partly on regions of the stator part.
• Such relative movements between the flexible lines and the housing in turn inevitably cause disturbing noises, which are often intolerable for reasons of comfort.
• the present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device for transmitting energy in which, with a simple structure, the relative movements with contacting contact between the at least one flexible line accommodated in the annular cavity and the housing are reduced to a minimum.
• the object is achieved in a previously known device of the type mentioned by the features specified in the characterizing part of the main claim.
• the turns of the at least one flexible line assigned to the inner wall only on the rotor assembly and the turns of the at least one flexible line assigned to the outer wall only on the stator assembly to the system come.
• the device works without causing annoying noises.
• Fig. 1 is an exploded view of such a device without flexible lines
• Fig. 3 shows a full section through such a device
• Fig. 4 shows the detail A of FIG. 3 in an enlarged view
• Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device without a cover wall.
• such a device for transmitting energy essentially consists of a housing having a stator unit and a rotor unit and at least one flexible line 1 accommodated within an annular cavity of the housing.
• the housing consists of a stator lower part 4 which has the outer wall 2 and a first bottom wall region 3, and a first cover wall region 5 having the stator upper part 6 and a rotor lower part 9 having the inner wall 7 and a second bottom wall region 8 and a rotor upper part 11 having a second cover wall region 10.
• a ring-shaped first ramp 12 is formed on the first bottom wall region 3 of the stator lower part 4.
• An annular second ramp 13, which is arranged opposite the first ramp 12 at a distance, is also formed on the first cover wall area 5 of the stator upper part 6.
• there is in one piece a ring-shaped third ramp 14 on the second cover wall area 10 of the upper rotor part 11 and a fourth ramp 15 at a distance opposite it on the second bottom wall area 8 of the lower rotor part 9.
• the first ramp 12 and the second ramp 13 are directly the outer wall 2 and the third ramp 14 and fourth ramp 15 are directly assigned to the inner wall 7 of the housing.
• the four flexible lines 1 come between the first ramp on the stator side, that is to say assigned to the outer wall 2 12 and the second ramp 13 leading to the plant.
• the four flexible lines 1 come with their two narrow sides on the rotor side, that is to say assigned to the inner wall 7 of the housing, between the third ramp 14 and the fourth ramp 15, because these two ramps 14, 15 also determine the height of the annular cavity of the Housing on the inside wall with little play to the width of the restrict four flexible lines 1.
• Each of the four ramps 12, 13, 14, 15 thus has a narrow, annular guide surface. To minimize contact, the free edge areas of the guide surfaces are each provided with a chamfer.
• the turns of the four flexible lines 1 assigned to the outer wall 2 thus come exclusively to rest on the stator assembly and the turns of the four flexible lines 1 facing the inner wall 7 come exclusively to rest on the rotor assembly.
• the four flexible lines 1 therefore perform a relative movement with respect to the housing only in the area of their U-shaped turning sections 16. It is particularly advantageous that the narrow sides of the U-shaped turning sections 16 only come into contact with their transition sections in the area of the narrow, ring-shaped guide surfaces of the four ramps 12, 13, 14, 15. In the entire area of the arcuate central sections of the U-shaped turning sections 16, there is no contact between the flexible lines 1 and the housing. The creation of disturbing noises is thus effectively prevented.
• a guide ring 17 is fixed on the lower rotor part 9 opposite the cover wall of the housing.
• the first bottom wall region 3 of the stator lower part 4 is thus received between the underside of the rotor lower part 9 and the main surface of the guide ring 17 facing the cover wall.
• the lower rotor part 9 is thus mounted exactly on the lower stator part 4.
• a first bearing bead 18, which comes into contact with the first bottom wall region 3 is formed on the foot surface of the lower rotor part 9 facing away from the cover wall.
• a second bearing bead 19 is formed on the first bottom wall area 3 on the head surface of the guide ring 17.
• Both the first bearing bead 18 and the second bearing bead 19 are designed to form a stable bearing.
• a slide bearing is thus realized which offers good preconditions for avoiding disturbing noises because the friction which inevitably occurs with such a bearing is reduced to a minimum.
• the underside of the guide ring 17 facing away from the cover wall has in one piece a diaphragm arrangement 20, which is a functional part of an optoelectronic steering angle sensor, which is not shown in detail.
• a roller bearing In order to realize a particularly stable mounting of the rotor assembly on the casing tube of the steering column, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity, a roller bearing, not shown for the sake of simplicity, can be fixed on the guide ring 17.
• the rotor assembly is positively coupled to the steering wheel for the purpose of driving it in rotation, and the stator assembly is fixed for the purpose of its secure attachment to a further component which is fixedly assigned to the steering column.
• the attachment can take place via clip elements that come into operative connection with one another or alternatively via a screw connection.
• the stator assembly can also be attached directly to the casing tube of the steering column.
• the upper stator part 6 is fixed to the lower stator part 4 via first clip connections 21.
• the stator assembly is formed by the operative connection of the clip connections 21.
• the upper rotor part 11 and the lower rotor part 9 can be fixed to one another via second clip connections 22, so that the rotor assembly is formed when the same is operatively connected.
• the guide ring 17 is also fixed on the lower rotor part 9.
• the clip connections 21, 22, 23 each consist of several clip lugs, which engage in a form-fitting manner in appropriately designed clip recesses or clip windows.
• two first plug-in coupling areas 24 are provided on the lower stator part 4 for fixing the one ends 25 of the four flexible lines 1.
• a first plug-in coupling area 24 and a second plug-in coupling area 26 are each provided for fixing two one ends 25 and two other ends 27 of the four flexible lines 1, respectively.
• two driving pins 28 are integrally formed on the upper rotor part 11 for operative connection or rotary driving with the steering wheel (not shown for the sake of simplicity).
• the two driving pins 28 come into positive engagement with corresponding recesses in the steering wheel when it is mounted on the steering spindle.
• a locking rocker 30, which is actuated by means of a plunger 29, is present, which is acted upon by a helical compression spring 31. Only during the assembly of the steering wheel is the locking effect of the locking rocker 30 automatically canceled because an active element present on the steering wheel acts on the locking rocker 30 via the tappet 29.
• a securing member 32 is fixed on the upper rotor part 11.
• the securing member 32 can only be removed from the upper rotor part 11 again by mechanical destruction.
• the securing member 32 has a predetermined breaking point such that a smaller, defined part of the securing member 32 remains on the upper rotor part 11.
• the securing member 32 is attached so that the opening necessary for actuating the plunger 29 is completely covered, so that the plunger or the locking rocker 30 cannot be actuated.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Steering Controls (AREA)
• General Details Of Gearings (AREA)
• Electric Cable Arrangement Between Relatively Moving Parts (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=7910671

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (17)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (20)

• 1999
  • 1999-06-09 DE DE19926278A patent/DE19926278C1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-06-02 EP EP00942010A patent/EP1183167B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-06-02 JP JP2001503295A patent/JP4121742B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-06-02 ES ES00942010T patent/ES2244450T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-06-02 WO PCT/EP2000/005054 patent/WO2000076811A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2000-06-02 DE DE50010706T patent/DE50010706D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-06-02 AU AU56775/00A patent/AU5677500A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-02 BR BRPI0007697-0A patent/BR0007697B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2001
  • 2001-06-20 US US09/885,685 patent/US6364676B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (6)

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