Clock spring steering wheel power assembly
AssigneeSymtec Limited
InventorsJoseph C. Bauer, Riley T. Harlan, Tom Donnillon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to systems for providing a pathway for at least one electrical conductor to supply current from a vehicle or marine craft power source to a steering wheel comprising at least one working element for heating or controls. The present invention utilizes a clock spring assembly inside a channel created by a housing mount and a housing base and encased in a housing cover for infinite rotation of the steering wheel while still maintaining a path for current to travel through the clock spring to the wheel.
Claims14
A clock spring steering wheel power assembly for providing current to a steering wheel while allowing for infinite rotation of the steering wheel, the steeling wheel power assembly comprising;
- a housing mount for connection to a vehicle or a marine craft;
- a clock spring assembly connected to the housing mount, said clock spring assembly including an electrical connection to the vehicle or a marine craft at a first end and the steering wheel at a second end;
- a housing base assembly disposed to freely rotate within the clock spring assembly, said second end of the clock spring assembly extending through the housing base;
- and
- a housing cover that connects to the housing base, said housing base holding the clock spring assembly and the housing mount.
A clock spring steering wheel power assembly for providing current to a steering wheel while allowing for infinite rotation of the steering wheel, the steeling wheel clock spring power assembly comprising;
- a fixed housing mount, said fixed housing mount including a pair of posts extending from a first face and a clock spring base extending from an opposing face;
- a rotatable housing base that includes a cylindrical base post that mates with an aperture in the clock spring base of the housing mount;
- a clock spring that is disposed about the clock spring base;
- and
- a housing cover that forms a cylinder about the clock spring and the housing mount;
- said housing cover including fasteners to connect with the housing base;
- wherein said clocks spring and housing base may rotate freely clockwise or counterclockwise more than 360 degrees while still maintaining an electrical connection to the housing mount.
A clock spring steering wheel power assembly of claim 13 further including an inner dual lip seal and an outer dual lip seal, wherein the inner dual lip seal is positioned between the housing base and the housing mount and the outer dual lip seal is positioned housing cover and the housing mount.
A method of supplying current to a steering wheel across an infinitely rotating joint, the method comprising;
- connecting a steering wheel to a housing base, said housing base including a hollow shaft to engage a steering assembly of a vehicle or marine craft;
- connecting a housing mount to the vehicle or marine craft;
- disposing a clock spring between the housing mount and the housing base, said clock spring fixedly attached to the housing mount at a first end and rotatably connected to the housing base at the second end;
- and
- connecting an electrical power line to the clock spring through the housing mount;
- wherein a current travels from through the clock spring and then to the steering wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.