JPH0798487B2 - Roll connector alignment device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention aligns the neutral position of a steering shaft and the neutral position of a spiral coil tape member in a steering column in an electrical connection mechanism between a vehicle steering shaft and a steering column. The present invention relates to a roll connector alignment device for temporarily fixing the roll connector.

[Prior art]

Around the steering shaft of an automobile, a connector device having a structure for electrically connecting the steering wheel and the steering column while allowing the shaft to rotate is required. Generally, it is fixed to the steering column side. A casing is composed of a stator and a rotor attached to the steering shaft side and rotatable with the shaft, and a spiral coil tape (strip-shaped coated electric wire) is housed inside the casing to form a roll connector device. This coil tape retains electrical connection while allowing rotation of the shaft by loosening or tightening the spiral state, regardless of whether the steering shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. However, because of the spiral shape, it is impossible to evenly allow the shaft to rotate in both directions when the shaft is loosened or tightened too much. Therefore, the neutral position of the steering shaft rotation angle (straight steering state),
With respect to the spiral state of the coil tape, it is necessary to assemble the two in a state where the neutral position where the rotatable amount in both directions is approximately the same is matched, and the handle is attached to the steering shaft with the position adjusted and temporarily fixed. It will be. Then, after the mounting of the handle is completed, the above-mentioned temporary fixing must be released again. Also, this alignment must be reproducible each time the roll connector device is disassembled and assembled.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

There are various types of conventional techniques used for the above-described alignment, but many of them have positioning holes provided at predetermined positions of the stator and the rotor, and pin members are inserted into and removed from the holes. By doing so, each operation of temporary fixing and releasing is performed. However, in the current situation, a sufficient operation space cannot be provided around the place where each operation is actually performed, and a complicated operation is forced to insert and remove the pin member. In particular, when pulling out the pin member when releasing the temporary fixing, the column cover has become an obstacle to make the operation difficult. In addition, there is a fear that the pulled-out pin member may be lost. The present invention has been devised in order to effectively solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a roll connector and a positioning device in which temporary fixing and releasing operations in positioning are extremely simple.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The position adjusting device for a roll connector according to the present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above and achieve the object. That is, the recess means and the projection means that can be engaged and disengaged from each other by the combination of the recess and the projection make a pair to form a casing of the roll connector, and the rotor that smoothly rotates with respect to the stator. Each of which is separately provided, and one of the concave means and the convex means is rotatable with respect to the attached stator or rotor, and the other is fixed with respect to the attached member, The rotatable means is provided with a resistance against the rotation by the position holding means at a position where it is projected to engage with the fixed means and at a position where it is retracted so as to be disengaged from the fixed means. In this position, when the rotor rotates relative to the stator, the rotatable means does not come into contact with the member provided with the fixed means. Is constructed sea urchin.

[Action]

In the device for aligning the roll connector according to the present invention, the relative movement of the convex means and the concave means engages and disengages each other, and this relative movement is obtained by rotational movement of the rotor of the roll connector with respect to the stator. To be Also,
When engaging and disengaging the convex means and the concave means, either the convex means or the concave means can escape to the other means by the rotation of the means itself. Further, in both the engaged state and the disengaged state, the position holding means gives a resistance to the rotatable means to restrict the rotation, so that the rotatable means should be rotated. Attempts to maintain the same condition for relatively small force. As a result, in the state where the convex means and the concave means are engaged with each other, the rotation of the rotatable means is regulated to some extent by the resistance given from the position holding means, and with a slight force, the rotation is restricted. The engagement is not released, and a so-called temporarily fixed state is exhibited. Therefore, in this state, the convex means and the concave means may be arranged so that the neutral position of the steering shaft and the neutral position of the spiral coil tape member in the steering column are aligned, and temporarily fixed in the engaged state. If the handle is attached to the steering shaft and the handle is turned a little after the attachment is completed, the engagement between the convex means and the concave means overcomes the resistance by the position holding means and is released. In the disengaged state and the disengaged state, even if the rotor makes a rotational movement with respect to the stator, the rotatable means maintains the disengaged state. There is no contact between the means and the recessed means and the rotational movement of the rotor is not impeded.

【Example】

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a roll connector alignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. The figure shows the external appearance of the roll connector, and the casing 1 has a steering shaft (not shown) through which a through hole 2 is opened. The casing 1 is composed of a stator 3 and a rotor 4. Stator 3
Is fixedly attached to the steering column (not shown) side to form a lower bottom wall and an outer peripheral wall of the casing 1, and the rotor 4 forms an upper bottom wall and an inner peripheral wall of the casing 1. It is attached to the steering shaft.
Therefore, the rotor 4 rotates clockwise and counterclockwise with respect to the fixed stator 3 as the steering shaft rotates. Although not shown, a spiral coil tape is housed in the casing 1 like a general roll connector, and its inner peripheral end serves as a contact terminal of the rotor 4 and its outer peripheral end serves as a contact terminal of the stator 3. Each is connected. Therefore, there is a neutral position where a substantially equal amount of rotation can be taken in both the tightening direction and the loosening direction of the coil tape. The stator 3 has a recess 5 formed at a position facing the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall of the rotor 4,
At the position on the rotor 4 which faces the concave portion 5 of the stator 3 in a state where the neutral position of the coil tape and the neutral position of the steering shaft, that is, the position of the steering shaft where the wheels are in a straight traveling state, coincides with the star as a convex means The shaped member 6 is rotatably supported by the rotor 4. In this star-shaped member 6, one of the nubs projects from the top to form a convex portion 7, and the first trough portion on the opposite side of the rotary shaft 8 from the convex portion 7. 9 is located on both sides of the second,
The third troughs 10 and 11 are located respectively. This convex portion 7
Enters the recess 5 of the stator 3 and engages with it,
As the rotor 4 rotates, it is pushed by the side wall surface of the concave portion 5, so that the star-shaped member 6 rotates around the rotation shaft 8, and the convex portion 7 slips out of the concave portion 5 and separates. On the other hand, the convex portion 7 and the concave portion 5
In the engaged state with, one end of the leaf spring member 12 is in contact with the first valley portion 9, and its elastic force acts in the direction of the rotary shaft 8. Therefore, the star-shaped member 6 cannot freely rotate around its rotation axis 8, and a force larger than the rotation restricting force of the leaf spring member 12 tends to rotate the star-shaped member 6. It can rotate only when it acts. Then, a force larger than the rotation restricting force can be easily obtained by attaching the handle to the steering shaft and then turning the handle. When the star-shaped member 6 is rotated and the convex portion 7 and the concave portion 5 are separated from each other, the second valley portion 10 or the third valley portion 10
One end of the leaf spring member 12 comes into contact with 11. Even in this state, the rotation restricting force acts, so that the star-shaped member 6 maintains its posture. Therefore, even if the handle is turned, the convex portion 7 and the concave portion 5 do not interfere with each other and do not hinder the rotation of the handle. The leaf spring member 12 has one end fixed to the upper bottom wall of the rotor 4 and the free end abutting the star member 6. In this way, by rotating the star-shaped member 6, the roll connector can be aligned and temporarily fixed in that state, and the temporary release is completed only by attaching the handle to the steering shaft and then turning the handle. it can. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a convex means and a concave means in another embodiment of the present invention, in which the concave portion and the convex portion are reversed from those in the above-mentioned embodiment. That is, the convex portion 7'is formed on the stator 3 ', and the concave portion 5'is formed on the top of the rotatable star member 6'.
Are formed. In each of the above-described embodiments, each means of unevenness is formed on the bottom surface of the casing because the joint portion of the stator and the rotor is located on the bottom surface of the casing.
Needless to say, when the joint portion is located on the peripheral side surface, these means are formed on the peripheral side surface. Also, the rotatable star-shaped member 6 or 6'is
Alternatively, it may be provided on the rotor 3 or 3 ', in which case the recess 5 or the protrusion 7'is formed on the rotor 4 or 4'.

【effect】

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects are exhibited. That is, the roll connector can be easily aligned and temporarily fixed and released in that state. Particularly, temporary release can be completed only by attaching the handle to the steering shaft and then turning the handle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an alignment device for a roll connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the convex part means and concave part means in an example. 1 ... Casing, 2 ... Steering shaft insertion hole, 3 ... Stator, 4 ... Rotor, 5 ... Recess as concave means, 6 ... Star-shaped member as convex means, 7 ...
Convex part, 8 ... Rotating shaft, 9 ... First as position holding means
Valley, 10 ... second valley as position holding means, 11 ... third valley as position holding means, 12 ... leaf spring member as position holding means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A stator (3) which forms a casing (1) of a roll connector by forming a pair of a recess means (5) and a projection means (6) which can be engaged and disengaged from each other by a combination of a recess and a projection. ) And a rotor (4) smoothly rotating with respect to the stator, respectively.
Either the concave means (5) or the convex means (6) is rotatable with respect to its attached stator (3) or rotor (4) and the other with respect to its attached member. The fixed and rotatable means (6) has a position holding means (9) in a projecting position to engage with the fixed means (5) and in a retracted position to disengage. , 10, 11, 12) provides resistance to the rotation, and in the retracted position, when the rotor (4) rotates relatively to the stator (3), the one of the rotatable A device for aligning a roll connector, wherein the means (6) does not contact the member provided with the fixed means (5). 2. The convex means comprises a star-shaped member (6) which is rotatably supported and has a plurality of apexes, wherein the star-shaped member (6) is located at one of the apexes. Has a convex portion (7) formed so as to protrude from other top portions, and the first valley is located at a position opposite to the convex portion (7) with respect to the rotation axis (8) of the star-shaped member (6). The second part on both sides of the part (9) and the first valley part (9),
Third troughs (10, 11) are formed, and the position holding means (9, 10, 11, 12) is provided with a spring member (12) at any one of the troughs (9, 10, 11). 2. The roll connector alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the roll connector is configured to abut.