Napolex Corporation

Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Toshiaki Asakura

Hiroyuki Sato

Hiroyuki Bannai

Kengo Saito

Seishi Takahashi

Yasuhisa Osumi

Toshiyuki Hoshi

Mitsuo Tsushima

Hiroshi Hanzawa

Yuji Inada

Satoshi Terashita

Makoto Hirohashi

Rei Kosaka

Keisuke Aikawa

A rotary connector includes a case including a housing space and fixed to a vehicle body that includes a steering wheel including a steering-side electric component, a rotor that is rotatable around a rotational axis relative to the case, a first connector provided on the rotor and electrically connected to the steering-side electric component, a second connector provided on the case and electrically connected to a vehicle-side electric component in the vehicle body, a flexible cable that is provided in a wound state in the housing space of the case and electrically connects the first connector to the second connector, and a controller that is disposed between the first connector and the flexible cable and performs a predetermined process on an electric signal transmitted between the first connector and the flexible cable. The controller is configured to rotate together with the rotor.

Rotary connector

A rotary connector includes a fixed housing having an outer cylindrical section, a movable housing, having an inner cylindrical section, and rotatably connected to the fixed housing, a main cable accommodated inside an annular space formed between the outer cylindrical section and the inner cylindrical section, a sub cable having one end connected to one end of the main cable and the other end connected to an external terminal, and a lead block. The lead block has a first block, to which the one end of the main cable and the one end of the sub cable are fixed, and a second block, which is fixed at an arrangement angle crossing an angle at which the first block is arranged, and to which the other end of the sub cable and the external terminal are fixed.

Rotary connector and method for assembling same

A rotor-side lead block integrally holds a plurality of external connection terminals electrically and directly connected to a connection land of a first sub FPC. The first sub FPC is housed and fixed in the rotor-side connector portion. The external connection terminals and the connection land of the first sub FPC are connected to each other via solder. The first holding member holds the connection land of the first sub FPC between the rotor-side lead block and the first holding member.

A rotary connector includes a rotor, a stator rotatably assembled on the rotor, a main flexible printed circuit having two side edges that are linear and parallel to each other, and wound and coiled within an annular space part formed between the rotor and the stator, a first sub flexible printed circuit mounted on one end part of the main flexible printed circuit, and connecting a connection terminal provided on the one end part and an external connection terminal provided on the rotor, and a second sub flexible printed circuit mounted on another end part of the main flexible printed circuit, and connecting a connection terminal provided on the other end part and an external connection terminal provided on the stator.

Movable end portions of cables and are fixed to a movable lead block, and fixed end portions of the cables are fixed to a fixed lead block. The movable lead block is mounted so as to be inserted into a cylindrical portion of a rotary body in a direction along a rotation center line, and the fixed lead block is mounted so as to be inserted into a lead block attachment portion of a lower housing in the direction along the rotation center line. The movable end portions and the fixed end portions of the cables are positioned at the same heights as those of the cables in a wiring space.

Rotary connector having a cable in a wiring space between a rotary body and a housing

In a rotary connector where a moving body turning with the rotation and revolution of planetary gears and flat cables including inverted portions at middle portions thereof are received in a receiving space between outer and inner cylindrical bodies, a bottom plate of a stationary-side housing is provided with an annular protrusion that comes into contact with lower surfaces of the planetary gears and a hollow portion that is positioned outside the annular protrusion in a radial direction, and the hollow portion is positioned directly below in a vertical direction when the stationary-side housing is mounted on an installation portion of a vehicle. Accordingly, a foreign matter entering the receiving space falls down onto the bottom plate and is accumulated in the hollow portion. Therefore, the hindrance to the rotation of the planetary gears, when the planetary gears catch a foreign matter, can be prevented.

After a lead block, which is assembled by fitting a required number of pin terminals into an insulating support member, is connected to an end portion of a flat cable, the lead block is mounted on a lower connector holding portion of a rotary connector. The lower connector holding portion is formed of downward protruding portions of an outer cylindrical portion and a lower cover that are snap-fitted to each other. The downward protruding portion includes a receiving recess, and the downward protruding portion includes a holding wall portion. Tip portions of the pin terminals are inserted into insertion holes of the holding wall portion, so that the lead block is mounted. While stopper portions of the pin terminals are interposed between the holding wall portion and an outer wall of the support member, the support member is disposed so as to be positioned the receiving recess.

A rotary connector includes a stationary housing that includes an outer cylindrical body, and a movable housing that is disposed coaxially with the stationary housing and includes an inner cylindrical body facing the outer cylindrical body. An annular space portion is formed between the inner and outer cylindrical bodies facing each other and flat cables are wound and received in the annular space portion. An internal gear is provided on the outer cylindrical body of the stationary housing. A sun gear is provided on the inner cylindrical body of the movable housing. A planetary gear, which meshes with both the sun gear and the internal gear and is movable along the inner surface of a bottom plate portion of the stationary housing, is provided between the sun gear and the internal gear. The planetary gear and the sun gear include a plurality of void portions in the circumferential direction.

A rotatable connector includes a stator having an outer cylindrical portion; a rotor having an inner cylindrical portion and rotatably supported by the stator; three or more flat cables received in an annular space defined between the outer cylindrical portion and the inner cylindrical portion, the winding direction of each flat cable being halfway reversed, and opposite ends of each flat cable being fixed to the stator and the rotor, respectively; and a holder rotatably disposed in the annular space and having three or more openings through which the reversed portions of the flat cables pass. A width in the circumferential direction of a first opening is set smaller than a width in the circumferential direction of a second opening different from the first opening, and a bending strength of the flat cable passing through the first opening is set greater than that of the other flat cables.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi-ken, Japan

Toshiaki Asakura