Cable type electric connector

• US 5,752,843 A
• Filed: 08/19/1996
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneko, Kazuhiro, Kawamoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US08/699,406
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 439/164, 439/15
• US Class Current: 439/164
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/027 between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/025 having a flexible conductor wound around a rotation axis

Abstract

As a part of a cable type electric connector, an annular housing structure is used which has a first cable leading portion. An annular guide body is rotatably and coaxially received in the annular housing structure. The annular guide body has a cable passing slot. An annular rotor is coaxially disposed on the annular housing structure. The annular rotor has a second cable leading portion. A flat cable is passed through the cable passing slot of the annular guide body so that the flat cable is divided into an inner flat cable part movably received in a circular space surrounded by the annular guide body and an outer flat cable part movably received in an annular space formed around the annular guide body. The inner flat cable part has an inner end exposed to the outside through the second cable leading portion and the outer flat cable part has an outer end exposed to the outside through the first cable leading portion. A lock mechanism is employed for locking at least one the annular rotor and the annular guide body relative to the annular housing structure.

Claims

1. A cable type electric connector for use with a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an annular housing structure having an outer cylindrical wall and a first cable leading structure;

a steering wheel cover shaped to cover a back side of said steering wheel upon said cover being mounted to said back side, said steering wheel cover having a circular rotor structure integrated therewith, said circular rotor structure being coaxially and rotatable disposed on said annular housing structure, said circular rotor structure having a circular center opening;

an inner cylindrical wall integral with and formed on said circular rotor structure and projecting from a peripheral portion of said circular center opening toward a bottom of said annular housing structure, said inner cylindrical wall having a second cable leading structure; and

a flat cable movably spiraled in an annular space defined between said outer cylindrical wall and said inner cylindrical wall, said flat cable having an inner end portion exposed to the outside through said second cable leading structure and an outer end portion exposed to the outside through said first cable leading structure; and

a plurality of projections projecting radially outwardly from a root portion of said inner cylindrical wall, each projection defining a step on which one edge of said flat cable slidably contacts.

2. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 1, in which the outer cylindrical wall of said annular housing structure is formed with an annular flange which slidably contacts a raised peripheral portion of the circular recess of said steering wheel cover.

3. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 2, in which said annular housing structure is formed with a plurality of latch lugs which are slidably engageable with a latching edge formed on a leading end of said inner cylindrical wall of said circular rotor structure.

4. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said projections projecting radially outwardly from the root portion of said inner cylindrical wall further has a deeper step on which one edge of said annular guide body slidably contacts.

5. A cable type electric connector for use with a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an annular housing structure having an outer cylindrical wall and a first cable leading structure;

a steering wheel cover adapted to be mounted to a back side of the steering wheel, the steering wheel cover having a circular rotor structure integrated therewith, the circular rotor structure being coaxially and rotatably disposed on the annular housing structure, the circular rotor structure having a circular center opening;

an inner cylindrical wall integrally formed on the circular rotor structure and axially projecting from a peripheral portion of the circular center opening toward a bottom of the annular housing structure, the inner cylindrical wall having a second cable leading structure;

a flat cable movably spiraled in an annular space defined between the outer cylindrical wall and the inner cylindrical wall, the flat cable having an inner end portion exposed to the outside through the second cable leading structure and an outer end portion exposed to the outside through the first cable leading structure; and

a plurality of projections projecting radially outwardly from a root portion of the inner cylindrical wall, each projection defining a step on which one edge of the flat cable slidably contacts.

6. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the outer cylindrical wall of the annular housing structure is formed with an annular flange, which slidably contacts a raised peripheral portion of the circular recess of the steering wheel cover.

7. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the annular housing structure is formed with a plurality of latch lugs, which are slidably engageable with a latching edge formed on a leading end of the inner cylindrical wall of the circular rotor structure.

8. A cable type electric connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the projections further has a deeper step on which one edge of the annular guide body slidably contacts.