Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Takeo Nakamura

Yoshiyuki Nakade

Masahiko Fujita

Ryoichi Taniuchi

Ichiro Tateishi

Naoaki Matsui

Daiki Kaburagi

Takashi Ichimura

Noriko Hasegawa

Manabu Shiroshita

An on-vehicle lever switch includes a main body portion, a lever body, and a switch contact. The lever body includes a knob rockably held by the main body portion and protruding outward, a drive shaft extending in the direction along which the knob protrudes and being rotatably held in the knob, and a rotational operation portion fixed to the drive shaft. The switch contact is disposed at the main body portion, and carries out electrical connection by rocking or rotating of the lever body. The knob can be divided into two portions, a first knob portion and a second knob portion, along the extending direction. The first knob portion and the second knob portion are coupled to each other by a first member provided in the inner part of the first knob portion and a second member provided in the inner part of the second knob portion.

On-vehicle lever switch

A turning direction indicator device includes an actuator that rotates by an operation of the operating lever, a cam body that shifts in a rearward direction approaching a cancel cam. The cam body is rotatable about a rotation axis, and shifts in the rearward direction when the actuator rotates. The cam body includes a rear wall surface opposite to the cancel cam. The rear wall surface has two end parts symmetrical to each other with respect to the longitudinal axis. A spring elastically contacts the end parts to urge the cam body in the rearward direction. The spring also urges the cam body in a rotating direction about the rotation axis when the longitudinal axis of the cam body rotates. The turning direction indicator device suppresses a hitting noise produced by the cam body and a release element with such a simple structure, and operates reliably.

Turning direction indicator device

A turning direction indicator device includes an actuator that rotates by an operation of an operating lever so as to be positioned at neutral and operational positions, a cover that has a lower surface having a guide groove therein extending in a rearward direction toward the cancel cam, a cam body that has an upper surface sliding with respect to the lower surface of the cover, an urging spring that urges the cam body in the rearward direction, a release element that rotates together with the actuator, and a grease provided between the upper surface of the cam body and the lower surface of the cover. The cam body includes ridges projecting from the upper surface of the cam body. The turning direction indicator device suppresses a hitting noise produced by the cam body and the release element with such a simple structure, and operates reliably.

An operative body is provided at one end of an arm attached behind a steering wheel. The arm protrudes from the outer periphery of the steering wheel. The operative body has a plurality of operative buttons. Such a structure enables various kinds of operation, and provides a vehicle switch assembly easily operable by extending a finger for manipulation only, while grasping the steering wheel with the hands.

Vehicle switch assembly

Automotive lever switch

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.

Growing community of inventors

Fukui, Japan

Takeo Nakamura