JP3133371B2 - Cable reel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cable reel applied to a steering device of a motor vehicle and the like, and electrically connecting a fixed body and a movable body using a flexible cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cable reel connects a fixed body and a movable body movably mounted on the fixed body by a flexible cable, and rotates like a steering device of an automobile. It is used as an electrical connection means between a finite number of movable bodies and a fixed body.

[0003] In this type of cable reel, the ratio of the flexible cable to the total cost is high, and the required length of the flexible cable is shortened to reduce the cost. Is U.S. Pat.
No. 455 specification.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cable reel disclosed in the above-mentioned patent specification. As shown in the figure, a movable body 10 is fixed to a cylindrical fixed body 100.
1 is rotatably mounted, and has a ring-shaped space 102 defined between the fixed body 100 and the movable body 101.
Flexible cables 103 and 104 are housed therein. These flexible cables 103 and 104 are fixed
0 and the space 10 fixed to the movable body 101, respectively.
2 and within the space 102, the fixed body 1
The winding direction is stored in the outer cylindrical portion of the movable member 101 and the inner cylindrical portion of the movable body 101 in a reverse direction, and a U-shaped inversion portion is formed at a position where the winding direction is changed. Further, the space 102 has a plurality of rollers 10 along its circumferential direction.
5,106 groups are arranged, and the flexible cable 1
03 is looped to one of the groups of rollers 105, and the reverse of the flexible cable 104 is
Looped into one of six groups.

In the cable reel constructed as described above, for example, when the movable body 101 is rotated clockwise in FIG.
02 in the circumferential direction, and the flexible cables 103 and 104
Is a rewinding state in which the outer cylinder portion side of the fixed body 100 is increased. Conversely, when the movable body 101 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the inverted portions of the flexible cables 103 and 104 also move in the same direction, and the flexible cables 103 and 104 are moved.
Is in a tightly wound state in which a large amount is wound around the inner cylinder portion side of the movable body 101. During the winding and the rewinding, the rollers 105 and 106 move in the same direction by receiving the force from the reversing portions of the flexible cables 103 and 104.

[0006]

According to the cable reel according to the conventional proposal described above, since the winding direction of the flexible cable is reversed between the inner tube portion and the outer tube portion, the flexible cable is wound. As compared with a cable reel in which is wound in the same direction (in a spiral shape) around the inner tube portion and the outer tube portion, the required length of the flexible cable can be significantly shortened, and the cost can be reduced. Can be reduced. In addition, since a plurality of rollers are arranged between the portion wound around the inner tube portion and the portion wound around the outer tube portion of the flexible cable, the flexible cable can be moved substantially all around the ring-shaped space. Can be regulated radially over
Winding or rewinding operations can be performed smoothly.

However, the dimension between the flexible cable wound around the inner cylinder and the flexible cable wound around the outer cylinder (dimension L in FIG. 11) is F varies depending on the winding state, and when all of the flexible cables are rewound to the outer cylindrical portion on the large diameter side, the L dimension becomes the maximum,
The L dimension is minimized when all of the flexible cables are wound around the smaller diameter inner cylinder. For this reason, even if a plurality of rollers are arranged in a tight state in the space assuming the minimum L dimension, when the flexible cable is unwound from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder, it is wound around the inner cylinder. Play occurs between the outermost peripheral portion of the turned flexible cable and each roller. Therefore, when the movable body is rotated in the rewind direction in this state,
The flexible cable wound around the inner cylindrical portion is not fed out to the reversing portion, and may bulge radially outward (toward the outer cylindrical portion) in the middle thereof. When the flexible cable is rotated, the flexible cable wound around the outer cylindrical portion is not fed out to the inverting portion, and may expand radially inward (toward the inner cylindrical portion) in the middle thereof. There has been a problem that the swollen portion buckles due to the excessive rotation and the flexible cable is damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a highly reliable cable reel which prevents buckling of a flexible cable. is there.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fixed body, a movable body concentrically and rotatably mounted on the fixed body, and a fixed body. A flexible cable housed in a space defined between an inner cylindrical portion provided on one of the movable bodies and an outer cylindrical portion provided on the other. In the cable reel in which the winding direction is changed at the reversing portion and wound in the opposite direction around the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion, the cable moves into the space following the reversing portion of the flexible cable. And an elastic member to be wound around the inner cylindrical portion by the elastic member .
Turn the flexible cable around the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part.
While being pressed and urged over the entire circumference, it is wound around the outer cylinder.
The most important feature is that the flexible cable is pressed and urged over substantially the entire inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion .

[0010]

When the movable body is rotated in one direction, the flexible cable is wrapped around the inner cylindrical part or rewound around the outer cylindrical part by the reversal part moving in the same direction, and the flexible cable is flexible. The elastic member also moves in the same direction following the reverse portion of the cable. In this case, the flexible cable wound around the inner cylindrical portion and the flexible cable wound around the outer cylindrical portion are respectively provided over substantially the entire circumference of the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion by the elastic members. When the movable body is rotated in either the unwinding direction or the winding direction, the flexible cable passes through the reversing portion to the outer tube portion or the inner tube portion. , And does not buckle on the way to the reversing part.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a cable reel according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of an upper case of the cable reel, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG.

As shown in these figures, a cable reel according to the present embodiment comprises a lower case 1, an upper case 2 rotatably mounted on the lower case 1,
2, a flexible cable 3 housed between the two, a connecting member 4 disposed between the flexible cables 3, a plurality of rollers 5 and a spring 6 held by the connecting member 4. I have.

The lower case 1 includes a bottom plate 8 having a center hole 7 formed in the center thereof, and an outer cylindrical portion 9 erected on the outer periphery of the bottom plate 8.
And is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom as a whole. On the other hand, the upper case 2 is a top plate 1 having an inner cylindrical portion 10 suspended in the center.
The inner cylinder 10 is rotatably connected to the lower case 1 by being guided by the center hole 7 and the outer edge of the top plate 11 by the outer cylinder 9. The bottom plate 8 and the outer cylindrical portion 9 of the case 1 and the top plate 11 and the inner cylindrical portion 10 of the upper case 2 define a ring-shaped space 12 in plan view.

The flexible cable 3 is composed of a flat cable in which conductors parallel to each other are laminated with a pair of insulating films. In the case of this embodiment, a flat cable in which five conductors are embedded is used. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the flexible cable 3 is connected to a first connector 13 fixed to the outer tubular portion 9, and is led out of the lower case 1 via the first connector 13. ing. On the other hand, the other end of the flexible cable 3 is connected to a second connector 14 fixed to the inner cylindrical portion 10, and is led out of the upper case 2 via the second connector 14. Further, the flexible cable 3 is wound counterclockwise from the first connector 13 to the inner wall of the outer tubular portion 9, and from there, U
It is inverted in the shape of a letter (hereinafter, this is referred to as an inverted portion 3 a), and is further wound around the outer wall of the inner cylindrical portion 10 in a clockwise direction and is housed in the space 12 so as to reach the second connector 13. .

The connecting member 4 is formed of a pair of C-shaped members in plan view, and is disposed in the space 12 so as to face each other with a predetermined interval. Guide grooves 4a extending in the radial direction are formed at constant intervals in the circumferential direction on inner surfaces of the connecting members 4 opposed to each other, and a pair of rollers 5 is provided in each guide groove 4a via a spring 6. Each is arranged to be able to enter and exit. Accordingly, each of the rollers 5 (hereinafter referred to as 5 a) protruding from the outer peripheral edge of the connecting member 4 is elastically urged by a spring 6 radially outward, that is, toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 9. The rollers 5 projecting from the inner peripheral edge of the connecting member 4 (hereinafter referred to as 5b) are elastically urged by a spring 6 radially inward, that is, toward the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 10. The reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 is looped on the peripheral surface of one end of the connecting member 4.

Next, the operation of the cable reel according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to an example in which the lower case 1 is used as a fixed body and the upper case 2 is used as a movable body. First, when the upper case 2 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 2, the reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 moves clockwise by a smaller rotation amount than the upper case 2 and has a length equal to the movement amount. The flexible cable 3 is fed out from the outer tube portion 9 side and wound around the inner tube portion 10 side. In this case, the reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 presses and moves clockwise while making contact with the peripheral surface at one end of the connecting member 4 with relatively small frictional resistance, and the rollers 5a and 5b
The rollers 5a are urged in the direction of the outer cylinder 9 and the direction of the inner cylinder 10 by the elastic force of the roller 5a. Moves clockwise while being held by the connecting member 4 on the flexible cable 3 wound around the inner cylindrical portion 10. Accordingly, the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer cylinder portion 9 is prevented from bulging and biasing inward in the radial direction by the group of the rollers 5a, and the flexible cable 3 on the outer cylinder portion 9 side is prevented. The flexible cable 3 is smoothly fed out in the direction of the reversing part 3a and is wound around the inner cylinder part 10 side.

Conversely, when the upper case 2 is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2, the reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 moves counterclockwise by a smaller amount of rotation than the upper case 2. And a flexible cable 3 having a length equal to the moving amount.
Is unwound from the inner cylinder 10 side and is rewound to the outer cylinder section 9 side. In this case, the reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 makes contact with the peripheral surface of the other end on the side opposite to the peripheral surface of the connection member 4 where the reversing portion 3a has been looped, with a relatively small frictional resistance. The roller 5a is pressed in a clockwise direction, whereby the group of rollers 5a is moved on the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer cylindrical portion 9.
The group b moves counterclockwise on the flexible cable 3 wound around the inner cylindrical portion 10 while being held by the connecting member 4, respectively.
The flexible cable 3 wound around is prevented from bulging and biasing outward in the radial direction, and the flexible cable 3 on the inner cylinder portion 10 side is prevented.
Is smoothly fed out in the direction of the reversing portion 3a and is rewound to the outer cylinder portion 9 side.

In the cable reel according to the first embodiment, since the flexible cable 3 is wound around the outer tubular portion 9 and the inner tubular portion 10 in the opposite direction via the reversing portion 3a, it is necessary. The length of the flexible cable 3 can be shortened,
As a result, the total cost can be reduced and the size can be reduced. Further, the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer cylindrical portion 9 comes into contact with each of the rollers 5a resiliently urged by the spring 6, and extends over substantially the entire circumference in the inner circumferential surface direction of the outer cylindrical portion 9. During the tightening operation, the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer tubular portion 9 does not bulge inward in the radial direction, and can be similarly wound around the inner tubular portion 10. Since the flexible cable 3 is in contact with the rollers 5b elastically urged by the spring 6 and is elastically urged toward the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 10 over substantially the entire circumference, the flexible cable 3 is used during the rewinding operation. ,
The flexible cable 3 wound around the inner cylinder 10 does not bulge radially outward. Therefore, even when the upper case 2 is rotated in any direction, the rotational force is reliably transmitted to the reversing portion 3a of the flexible cable 3 and the diameter of the flexible cable 3 reaches the reversing portion 3a. The problem of swelling in the direction and buckling can be prevented. Furthermore, the flexible cable 3
And the rollers 5a and 5b are in contact with very small frictional resistance, so that the flexible cable 3 can be moved smoothly and the tightening or rewinding operation can be reliably performed.

In the first embodiment, the connecting member 4 and the connecting member 4 are formed by bringing the reversing portions 3a of the flexible cable 3 into contact with the peripheral surfaces of both ends of the connecting member 4, respectively.
In the above description, the rollers 5a, 5b and the spring 6 held in the above-described manner are moved in the circumferential direction by following the movement of the reversing portion 3a, but the slipper is connected to one end of the connecting member 4 in which the reversing portion 3a is looped. Then, when the upper case 2 is rotated to any one of the upper case 2, the reversing portion 3a may contact the slippery body. With this configuration, the reversing portion 3a does not largely separate from the end of the connecting member 4.

FIG. 5 shows a rolling contact roller 15 as the above-mentioned lubricating body.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an embodiment in which the transfer roller 15 is connected to one end of a connecting member 4 through which an inverting portion 3a is looped, via an arm 16 by using. In this case, the reversing portion 3a is connected to the connecting member 4 or the contact roller 15 according to the rotation direction of the upper case 2.
And with a small frictional resistance,
The movement of a in the circumferential direction becomes smooth. In addition, since the transfer roller 15 can be swung in the radial direction by the arm 16, when the flexible cable 3 is wound around the outer cylinder 9, the flexible cable 3 is moved toward the inner cylinder 10. When the cylinder portion 10 is dense, the cylinder portion 10 swings and biases toward the outer cylinder portion 9 to reliably guide the reversing portion 3a.

FIG. 6 shows a concave peripheral surface 17 as the above-mentioned lubricating body.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an embodiment using a curved body 17 having a curved line 17a, and the curved body 17 is connected by an arm 16 so that a peripheral surface 17a thereof is opposed to one end of the connecting member 4 via a reversing portion 3a. Have been. In this case, the reversing portion 3a and the curved body 17
Although the frictional resistance is slightly larger than that of the rolling contact roller 15 shown in FIG. 5, the U-shape of the reversing portion 3a is maintained by the peripheral surface 17a, so that the deformation of the reversing portion 3a is ensured. Can be prevented.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an embodiment in which a plurality of small rollers 18 are used as the above-mentioned lubricating body, and these small rollers 18 are pivotally supported by a swinging lever 19 having a T-shape in plan view. In this case, since the locus plotting the peripheral surface of each small roller 18 can be arranged so as to form a pseudo concave peripheral surface, the roller 18 having a very small frictional resistance with the reversing portion 3a is used. The U-shape of the reversing part 3a is
Thus, it is possible to reliably maintain.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the flexible cable 3 is in direct contact with each of the rollers 5a and 5b has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the endless belt 20 is wound around each of the rollers 5a and 5b. Turn the flexible cable 3 and each roller 5
An endless belt 20 may be interposed between a and 5b. In this case, even if the arrangement pitch between the rollers 5a and 5b is set to be large, the flexible cable 3 can be prevented from entering between two adjacent rollers 5a or 5b by the endless belt 20, which is necessary. Roller 5a,
5b can be reduced.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiments in that elastic tongue pieces 22 and 23 made of a synthetic resin, an elastic plate or the like are provided on an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of a connecting member 21 having a C shape in a plan view.
One end of each of the elastic tongues 22 and 23 is fixed to the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer tubular portion 9 and the other end of the elastic tongue pieces 22 and 23 at a fixed interval. Because the flexible cable 3 is elastically contacted, the remaining configuration is the same. Accordingly, the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer tubular portion 9 is independently pressed in the inner circumferential surface direction of the outer tubular portion 9 by the elastic force of each elastic tongue piece 22 itself. And the inner cylinder 1
The flexible cable 3 wound around 0 is pressed independently in the direction of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 10 by the elastic force of each elastic tongue 23 itself, which is almost the same as in the first embodiment. Similar effects can be obtained. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, since the connecting member 21 and the elastic tongue pieces 22 and 23 can be handled as one body, there is also an effect that the assembling workability is improved.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a pair of leaf springs 24 and 25 formed in a C shape in plan view are used. I have. These leaf springs 24 and 25 are made of a metal plate or a synthetic resin material having a high elasticity. One leaf spring 24 is formed so as to exert an elastic biasing force expanding outward, and curled portions 24a are formed at both ends. The other leaf spring 25 is formed so that an elastic biasing force that contracts inward is applied, and curls 25a are formed at both ends. The two leaf springs 24 and 25 are arranged in the space 12, and the one leaf spring 24 presses the flexible cable 3 wound around the outer cylinder 9 against the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 9, The other leaf spring 25 is a flexible cable 3 wound around the inner cylindrical portion 10.
Is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 10, and the reversing portion 3 a is looped to one of the curled portions 24 a, 25 b of both leaf springs 24, 25. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, the flexible cable 3
Although the frictional resistance between the springs and the leaf springs 24 and 25 is somewhat increased, substantially the same effects as in the first embodiment can be expected. Moreover, in the case of this embodiment, the leaf spring 2 having a simple shape is used.
The buckling of the flexible cable 3 on the outer tube portion 9 side and the inner tube portion 10 side can be prevented by the use of 4, 25, so that the cost can be reduced.

In each of the above embodiments, a flat cable is used as an example of the flexible cable 3. Instead, a flexible cable called a round cable in which a conductor is covered with an insulating tube is used. In this case, a plurality of round wire cables may be integrated in a belt shape according to the required number of circuits.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the upper case 1 is used as a fixed body and the upper case 2 is used as a movable body has been described. On the contrary, the upper case 2 is used as a fixed body and the lower case 2 is used as a fixed body. It is also possible to use 1 as a movable body.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Prevents the flexible cable wound around the outer tube from buckling inward in the radial direction and the flexible cable wound around the inner tube from buckling in the radial outside Therefore, regardless of the direction of rotation of the movable body, the reversing portion of the flexible cable can be reliably moved in the circumferential direction by its rotational force, so that the rotation of the movable body is smooth and highly reliable. Reels can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a cable reel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of an upper case of the cable reel shown in FIG. 1 with a part thereof omitted;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

4 is a plan view showing a part of a connecting member provided on the cable reel of FIG. 1 in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a part of an upper case of a cable reel according to another embodiment of the present invention, with a part thereof omitted;

FIG. 6 is a plan view omitting a part of an upper case of a cable reel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a part of an upper case of a cable reel according to another embodiment of the present invention by omitting a part thereof.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a part of an upper case of a cable reel according to another embodiment of the present invention, with a part thereof omitted;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a cable reel according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lower case (fixed body) 2 Upper case (movable body) 3 Flexible cable 3a Inversion part 4,21 Connecting member 5,5a, 5b Roller 6 Spring 9 Outer cylinder part 10 Inner cylinder part 12 Space 15 Rolling contact roller ( 16 Arm 17 Curved body (sliding body) 17a Peripheral surface 18 Small roller (sliding body) 19 Swing lever 20 Endless belt 22, 23 Elastic tongue piece 24, 25 Leaf spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takuyuki Sakauchi 1-7, Yukitani-Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References Real Opening 2-35866 (JP, U) Real Opening 60-84087 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 3-89059 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 3-55686 (JP, U) U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,223 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 16/02 675 B62D 1/04 H02G 11/02

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A fixed body, a movable body concentrically and rotatably mounted on the fixed body, and an inner cylinder provided on one of the fixed body and the movable body. And a flexible cable housed in a space defined between the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion provided on the other side. And a cable reel wound in the opposite direction to the outer tube portion, an elastic member that moves following the reversal portion of the flexible cable is disposed in the space, and the elastic member moves to the inner tube portion by the elastic member. roll
Turn the flexible cable around the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part.
While being pressed and urged over the entire circumference, it is wound around the outer cylinder.
A cable reel configured to urge the flexible cable over substantially the entire inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion . 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an annular moving body having an opening is arranged in said space, and a reversing portion of said flexible cable is passed through said opening to hold said elastic member on said moving body. The cable reel according to claim 1, wherein 3. The elastic member comprises a spring, and a pair of rollers are rotatably supported on both ends of the spring, and these rollers are respectively protruded from an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the moving body. The cable reel according to claim 2, wherein