JP4615378B2 - Rotating connector and temporary fixing pin for rotating connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary connector used for transmitting an electrical signal, an optical signal, or both signals between two relatively rotating members, and a temporary fixing pin for a rotary connector that temporarily fixes the relative rotational state thereof. .

  A rotary connector used in an automobile includes a rotary case and a fixed case that are rotatably connected. The fixed case is fixed to a steering column of the vehicle, and the rotary case is fixed to a handle. The rotating case rotates relative to the fixed case as the handle rotates. Then, the flat cable is spirally accommodated in the annular space between the rotating case and the fixed case, and one end of the flat cable is connected to the rotating case side and the other end is connected to the fixed case side. The rotating case side rotating to the stationary case side is electrically or optically connected.

In such a rotary connector, the relative position with respect to the fixed case when the rotary case is at the center of the entire rotation region is referred to as a neutral position.
When the rotary connector is assembled to the vehicle, the neutral position of the rotary case is matched with the handle position corresponding to when the vehicle goes straight. Therefore, until the rotary connector is assembled to the vehicle, it is required to temporarily fix the rotary case in a neutral position with respect to the fixed case.
This temporary fixing is performed with a temporary fixing pin, and the temporary fixing pin is folded to make the rotating case freely rotatable. When the temporarily fixing pin is folded, it partially remains in the fixing case, but this remaining part is evidence that the rotating case was temporarily fixed before assembly.

A conventional rotary connector has a structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rotary connector and the temporary fixing pin for the rotary connector, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the rotary connector temporarily fixed by the temporary fixing pin.
As shown in FIG. 4, the rotary connector temporary fixing pin 4 includes an arm portion 4a extending in the horizontal direction, a ring-shaped finger hook portion 4b continuous to one end side of the arm portion 4a, and the other end side of the arm portion 4a. The thin-walled portion 4d is formed integrally with the thin-walled portion 4d and the fixed remaining portion 4c extending continuously downward from the arm portion 4a so as to be continuous with the thin-walled portion 4d. The thin-walled portion 4d is fixed to the arm portion 4a. It is formed by the notch provided in the boundary part with the remaining part 4c.
In a state where the rotating case 2 is temporarily fixed to the neutral case 1 with respect to the fixed case 1, the fixed remaining portion 4 c of the temporary fixing pin 4 is provided in the outer cylinder portion 5 of the fixed case 1 as shown in FIG. 5. The arm portion 4 a is held by the engaging portion 6 formed of a slot, and a projection 8 a provided on the top surface 8 of the rotating case 2 is engaged with the engagement hole 12.
Further, in order to release the temporarily fixed state of the rotating case 2, the finger hooking portion 4b is pulled with a finger or the like (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5), the arm portion 4a is rotated with the thin portion 4d as a fulcrum, and the thin portion The arm 4a is separated by breaking at 4d and removed from the rotating case 2 and the fixed case 1, and the fixed remaining portion 4c is left in the fixed case 1 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In the figure, reference numeral 3 is a flat cable, and reference numerals 7 and 9 are connector portions.

  By the way, in the temporarily fixed state, the above-described temporarily fixing pin 4 is mounted with the arm portion 4a extending on the top surface 8 of the rotating case 2 toward the inner cylindrical portion 11. For this reason, when the rotary connector 10 is assembled to a steering device (not shown), the finger hooking portion 4b interferes with the assembling work, and thus it has been necessary to release the temporarily fixed state immediately before the assembling. If it does so, there existed a possibility that the rotation case 2 might shift | deviate from a neutral position during an assembly | attachment operation | work.

As another example, a temporary fixing pin 21 as shown in FIG. 6 is used. The temporary fixing pin 21 is obtained by integrally providing an annular finger hook portion 23 on the upper end of a columnar pin body portion 22 having a thin portion 22a. The finger hook portion 23 extends upward in parallel with the pin body portion 22 from the upper end of the pin body portion 22, extends laterally at a substantially right angle to the pin body portion 22, and is obliquely upward with respect to the pin body portion 22. It has an approximately track-like annular shape that faces the surface.
The temporary fixing pin 21 is attached to the rotary connector so that the finger hook portion 23 is inclined and rises on the top surface of the rotating case, and in this state, the finger hook portion 23 is centered on the top surface of the rotating case. The overhang in the direction is smaller than in the case of the temporary fixing pin 4. Therefore, when the rotary connector is assembled to the steering device, the finger hook portion 23 does not interfere with the assembling work and can be assembled while being temporarily fixed.
JP-A-11-97141

However, the above-described temporary fixing pin 21 has the following problems. That is, when the finger hook portion 23 attached to the rotary connector is pulled obliquely upward (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 6) and is to be broken at the thin portion 22a, the pin main body is interposed via the upper portion of the annular finger hook portion 23. An upward force F acts on the portion 22 and the pin main body portion 22 locked to the fixed case may come off from the fixed case before breaking. Therefore, there has been a problem that it is impossible to confirm that the rotating case is temporarily fixed to the neutral position with respect to the fixed case before the rotating connector is assembled.
Accordingly, the present invention confirms that the rotating connector can be assembled to the steering device in a temporarily fixed state at the neutral position, and that the temporarily fixed state was obtained at the time of assembly after releasing the temporary fixing. An object of the present invention is to provide a rotating connector and a temporary fixing pin for the rotating connector.

The rotary connector of the present invention has been made as a result of earnest studies, and has a rotary case and a fixed case that are rotatably connected, and temporarily fixes the rotary case and the fixed case to each other. The temporary fixing pin further includes a first portion that is locked to the fixing case, and an extending portion that extends perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the first portion , and with a top side of the extended portion, have a finger rest forming a partial loop which extends from the extending direction end portion of the extension portion to bend on the side opposite to the extending direction, finger An end portion of the hanging portion in the extending direction is a free portion, and further includes a thin portion provided between the first portion and the second portion. At the time of fixing, the first portion is locked to the fixing case and The second portion is locked to the rotating case, and when the rotary connector is temporarily fixed, the temporary fixing pin is broken at the thin portion, the second portion is removed, and the first portion is fixed. It is characterized by keeping the state locked to the case. Here, it is desirable that the rotating case has a convex structure for locking the second portion of the temporary fixing pin.

A temporary fixing pin for a rotary connector according to the present invention is used in a rotary connector having a rotary case and a fixed case that are rotatably connected, and temporarily fixes the rotary case and the fixed case to each other. A temporary fixing pin for use, wherein the first portion is locked to the fixing case, an extending portion extending perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the first portion , and an upper side of the extending portion with it, to have a finger rest for the extending direction forms a partial loop which extends from the extending direction end portion of the extension portion to bend to the opposite side, extending direction end of said finger hold portion And a second portion that is a free end, and further includes a thin portion provided between the first portion and the second portion.

  According to the present invention, the temporary fixing pin for the rotary connector includes the first portion that is locked to the fixing case, the extending portion that extends perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the first portion, and the extension. As a structure provided with a second portion having a finger hook portion that forms a partial ring that bends in the direction opposite to the extending direction of the installation portion, and a thin portion provided between the first portion and the second portion. Therefore, after the rotary connector is temporarily fixed to the neutral position and assembled to the steering device to release the temporary fixation, the first portion which is the remaining broken portion remains in a state of being locked to the fixing case, There is an effect that it can be confirmed that it was temporarily fixed at the time of assembly.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a temporary fixing pin for a rotary connector according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is one of the rotary connectors according to the present invention to which the temporary fixing pin for a rotary connector illustrated in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary connector temporary fixing pin 31 of the present embodiment includes a first portion 32 corresponding to the main body of the temporary fixing pin and a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the first portion 32. An extended portion 33a including a linear portion extending in a straight line, a linearly extending portion 33b extending obliquely upward, and a curved finger hook portion curved to the opposite side to the first portion 32 A second portion 33 provided with 33c, and a thin portion 34 provided between the first portion 32 and the second portion 33. Here, the finger hook portion 33 c has a partial annular shape and is curved on the opposite side to the first portion 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 32 extends below the finger hook portion 33, whereas the curved portion 33 c is bent upward. In other words, the second portion 33 is equivalent to a shape in which the upper portion of the annular finger hook portion 23 is separated from the upper end of the pin main body portion 22 in the conventional example shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the temporary fixing pin 31 locks the first portion 32 to the locking portion 41 a of the fixing case 41 of the rotary connector 40 and the second portion 33 on the top surface 42 a of the rotating case 42. The rotating case 42 and the fixed case 41 are temporarily fixed to each other by being locked between a pair of convex portions 42b provided on the surface.
In order to release the temporary fixation, a finger is hooked into the curved finger hook portion 33c forming a partial ring shape of the second portion 33, and is pulled obliquely upward (in the direction of arrow C). The second portion 33 is removed from the top surface 42 a of the rotating case 42 by breaking the thin portion 34.

This embodiment is different from the conventional example in that the second portion 33 extends from the upper end of the first portion 32 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the first portion 32, and further, The second portion 32 extends in an obliquely upward direction with respect to the first portion 32, and further forms a partial annular shape that bends to the opposite side to the first portion 32.
When a finger is placed on such a finger hook 33c and the second portion 33 is pulled obliquely upward (in the direction of arrow C) as shown in FIG. 3, the finger hook 33c having a free end is formed. The first portion 32 is deformed so as to open, and a lateral pulling force (breaking force) acts on the first portion 32. The upward pulling force (pulling force) of the first portion 32 is shown in FIG. Compared to conventional examples.
Therefore, when the finger is caught in the finger hook portion 33c of the second portion 33 and pulled diagonally upward (in the direction of the arrow C) and the temporary fixing pin 31 is broken at the thin portion 34, the fixed case 41 is engaged. The stopped first portion 32 does not come off from the fixing case 41, and the first portion 32, which is lower than the thin portion 34, is retained by the fixing case 41 after the temporary fixing pin 31 is broken.
Further, since the second portion 33 has a portion extending obliquely upward with respect to the first portion 32, the second portion 33 is attached to the rotary connector 40 and the second portion 33 is in the rotary case 42. Since the temporary fixing pin 31 is attached to the rotary connector 40 and the rotary case 42 is temporarily fixed at the neutral position, the rotary connector 40 is assembled to the steering device. Can do.

  In addition, the said embodiment is an example which actualized this invention, Comprising: The technical scope of this invention is not limited. For example, the shape of the finger hook portion 4b of the temporary fixing pin 4 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same as that of the second portion 33 illustrated in FIG. Various modifications are possible, such as the effect of the above.

1 is a front view of an embodiment of a temporary fixing pin for a rotary connector according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the rotation connector concerning this invention with which the temporary fixing pin for rotation connectors of the said embodiment was mounted | worn. It is front explanatory drawing of the state which made the tensile force act on the temporary fixing pin for rotation connectors of the said embodiment. It is a perspective view of the temporary fixing pin for rotation connectors of a prior art example, and a rotation connector. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a main part of a rotary connector temporarily fixed with a temporary fixing pin shown in FIG. 4. It is a front view of the temporary fixing pin for rotary connectors of another conventional example.

Reference Signs List 31 Temporary fixing pin 32 First part 33 Second part 33a, 33b Extension part 33c Finger hook part 34 Thin part 40 Rotating connector 41 Fixed case 41a Locking part 42 Rotating case 42a Top surface 42b Convex part 43 Inner cylinder Part

Claims (3)

A rotary connector having a rotary case and a fixed case that are rotatably connected, and further including a temporary fixing pin that temporarily fixes the rotary case and the fixed case to each other,
The temporary fixing pin is
A first portion locked to the fixed case;
An extending portion extending perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the first portion , and an extending portion of the extending portion that is above the extending portion and bends in a direction opposite to the extending direction. have a finger rest forming a partial loop which extends from the axial end, and a second portion extending direction end portion of the finger hanging portion is a free end,
Furthermore, a thin portion provided between the first portion and the second portion,
At the time of temporarily fixing the rotary connector, the first portion is locked to the fixed case and the second portion is locked to the rotary case.
When temporarily fixing the rotary connector, the temporary fixing pin is broken at the thin-walled portion, the second portion is removed, and the first portion is held in the fixed case. Rotating connector. The rotating case is
It has a convex structure that locks the second portion of the temporary fixing pin,
The rotary connector according to claim 1. A rotary connector temporary fixing pin that is used in a rotary connector having a rotary case and a fixed case that are rotatably connected, and temporarily fixes the rotary case and the fixed case to each other,
A first portion locked to the fixed case;
An extending portion extending perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the first portion , and an extending portion of the extending portion that is above the extending portion and bends in a direction opposite to the extending direction. have a finger rest forming a partial loop which extends from the axial end, and a second portion extending direction end portion of the finger hanging portion is a free end,
Furthermore, the temporary fixing pin for rotation connectors provided with the thin part provided between the said 1st part and the said 2nd part.

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