Lear Corporation

Michael R Corrunker

Laverne R Newman

Dragan Bogovican

Paul R Chandler

Pavel Bucu

An improved electrical commutator which is particularly useful in a vehicle steering wheel system, includes sets of wire brushes or fingers on a first plate. The wire brushes or fingers contact plural co-planar rings on a second plate. The two plates rotate relative to each other. The wire brushes or fingers decrease the likelihood that any one of the sets will have a short circuit. Should any one of the wires bend, break, or come out of contact with its associated contact ring, there is a likelihood that at least several of the other wires will remain in contact. In addition, there are plural sets of wire brushes or fingers associated with each of the contact rings, again increasing the likelihood that the circuit will remain intact. In other features, the plural sets may be mounted such that circumferentially spaced ones of the sets face opposed directions. In this way, there is no difference in the resistance to rotation, or the quality of the electrical communication, when the wheel is turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

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Dearborn Heights, MI, United States of America

Michael R Corrunker