Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Ichiro Tateishi

Yoshiyuki Nakade

Masahide Onishi

Hisashi Nishikawa

Ryoichi Taniuchi

Takeo Nakamura

Naoaki Matsui

Takashi Ichimura

Toshihiro Nomura

Satoru Fukui

To provide a rotation angle detector with high detecting accuracy for use in association with a steering wheel on a vehicle and the like, a rotation angle detector is constructed by providing a recess surrounding a shaft portion in a top face of a detecting member, and extending a shaft support, formed on an upper cover, into the recess.

Rotation angle detector

A rotation angle detector includes a rotor, first and second detecting elements which rotate according to a rotation of the rotor, first and second detecting units for detecting rotations of the first and second detecting elements, respectively, and a control unit for detecting a rotation angle of the rotor based on a first signal when a difference between the first and second signals output from the first and second detecting units ranges within a predetermined range. The rotation angle detector has a simple structure and detects the rotation angle of the rotor accurately

A rotational angle detector detects, with a detecting unit, a rotation of a rotary body rotating in cooperation with a steering wheel as a detection signal having a cyclic waveform that gradually increases or decreases in one cycle, calculates the detection signal as a rotational angle of the rotary body, and stores the detection signal. The rotational angle detector is used for detecting the rotational angle of a steering wheel of a car and allows the angle detection at a high solution in a simple structure.

Rotational angle detector and rotational angle detecting method

In a rotation-angle detector, a first detector detects a movement of a driven body following the rotation of a change gear engaged with a rotary gear of a rotary body, and outputs the detection result as a detection signal which gradually increases or decreases. At the same time, a second detector detects a rotation of a detecting gear engaged with the change gear or directly with the rotary gear of the rotary body and outputs the detection result as a detection signal which repeats continuously. A detecting circuit detects a rotation angle of the rotary body based on these two detection signals. This structure allows the rotation-angle detector to produce a smaller detection error, and be downsized. Further, only a simple calculation in the detecting circuit is necessary.

The invention comprises a case having an opening, electronic parts and a wiring board installed in the case, a connector plug body fixed to the case, and a lid disposed in the opening of the case. The connector plug body has terminals and base. The terminals have an upper terminal projecting in upper direction from the base, and a lower terminal projecting from lower direction of the base. The lower terminal is electrically connected to the wiring board. The lid has a connector housing. The upper terminal projects into the connector housing. The base is fixed in the case, and hence the connector plug body is fixed to the case. The case has a connector fixing part projecting from the inner bottom of the case. The connector fixing part is positioned in lower direction of the connector housing, and the base is fixed in the connector fixing part. The connector housing is integrally formed with the lid. In this configuration, the connector area is reduced. The entire electronic device with connector is reduced in size. When manipulating the electronic device with connector, the stress applied to the wiring board is prevented. Deterioration of performance during manipulation is prevented, and an electronic device with connector having an excellent reliability is obtained.

Electronic device with connector and method of manufacturing the same

A rotary connector, which is generally used for the steering device of an automobile, for establishing electrical connections via a flexible flat cable between an electric circuit fixed to the steering column and an electric circuit attached to the steering wheel. The rotary connector of the present invention has guiding means for the flat cable for smooth winding. Guide piece is formed at recess C on inner cylinder B, with one end formed in one piece with the bottom surface of lid A of inner case . A proximity to the inside end of flat cable is inserted into gap between the inner wall of guide piece and the periphery of recess C disposed on inner cylinder B of inner case . Flat cable is then guided out from the edge surface of edge portion A formed so as to tilt the tip of guide piece in the periphery direction. It is thus possible to provide an easy to assemble and economical rotary connector with the number of parts minimized.

Rotary connector

A revolving connector includes an outer case having a housing section for accommodating a lower section of a fixed pin, an inner case having a holder for holding part of the fixed pin and being mounted to the outer case rotatably relative to the outer case, a stopper pin extending through the fixed pin and the housing section, and a flat cable coiled and housed in a space formed between the outer and inner cases, both the ends of the flat cable being fixed to the outer and inner cases, respectively. At its lower section, the fixed pin has an engaging hole through which the stopper pin extends and a slit communicating from the hole to an end face of the fixed pin, so that an elastic tip is formed at the lower section of the fixed pin. This structure allows the flat cable to maintain its neutral position not only at assembling but also at warehousing and transporting. This flexible flat cable is used in the revolving connector employed in a steering device of a car. The connector electrically couples the outer case and the inner case that is rotatable relative to the outer case.

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Fukui, Japan

Ichiro Tateishi