Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Masanori Kuramoto

Hiroyuki Bannai

Kunihiko Sasaki

Hironori Kato

Kazuyuki Mori

Shunichi Toyomasu

A clock spring connector including a fixed member, a movable member rotatably connected to the fixed member, and a rotary plate fixedly connected to the movable member and rotatably mounted on the fixed member. The movable member includes a ceiling plate and a bottom plate connected together by an outer cylindrical portion, both the ceiling member and the movable member defining central openings. The movable member is received in the central openings such that an annular space is defined between an outer surface of the movable member and the outer cylindrical portion. A flexible cable is accommodated in the annular space and includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible cable is connected to the movable member and to a support section of the rotary plate, the support section being located further from the center of rotation of the movable member than the edges of the central openings of the ceiling and bottom walls. The rotary plate includes a projection which is connectable to the steering wheel at a point which is further from the center of rotation of the movable member than the edges of the central openings of the ceiling and bottom walls, thereby applying a large torque to the movable member through the rotary plate when the steering wheel is rotated by a driver.

Clock spring connector

A clock spring connector has a fixed body; a movable body rotatably installed on the fixed body; a flexible cable wound between these fixed body and the movable body; and a lock member provided for restricting mutual rotation between the fixed body and the movable body. The clock spring connector further has an engaging portion provided on one of the fixed body and the movable body; a supporting portion having a key groove on the other of the fixed body and the movable body; and the lock member being provided with an engagement portion capable of engaging with the engaging portion and disengaging therefrom and a key capable of entering into the key groove and engaging with the supporting portion by being turned.

The present invention relates to a clock spring used for the steering system of an automobile or the like in which a flexible cable is utilized to make an electrical connection between a fixed member and a movable member. The clock spring includes a stationary housing; a rotor rotatably mounted to the stationary housing; the flexible cable wound in a cable accommodating portion defined between the stationary housing and the rotor; and a cover fixed to the stationary housing so as to cover the opened end of the cable accommodating portion. The improvement of this invention resides in a construction by which ribs are provided in the cable accommodating portion to restrict the flexible cable to a position more in the inner periphery of the rotor than in the outer periphery of the same.

Clock spring

A harness protecting device of a steering column having a telescopic function includes a protector, having a cable penetrating section in the front and the rear, equipped so as to contract and expand at will across the fixing and moving sides of the steering column having the telescopic function. A pair of flexible bow-like holders in the protector, for dividing a plurality of single core cables from the penetrating section, into two in the width direction of the protector in order to retain the cables. The cables, which are connected to electrical equipment attached to the moving side of the steering column, and which are wired along the steering column, are wired along the bow-like holders in the protector so as to contract and expand. Further, the harness protecting device includes a connecting part, with bifurcated connecting rods, equipped to the moving side of the steering column, and a box-like fixing housing which is equipped to the fixing side of the steering column, and which is slidably connected to the connecting rods of the connecting part. The cables are housed in a space partitioned by the connecting part and the fixing housing, and are arranged so as to contract and expand in the width direction of the fixing housing in the space.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi, Japan

Masanori Kuramoto