Electrical connector assembly for vehicular steering wheel
AssigneeMolex Incorporated
InventorsEdward J. Plocek, William H. Hyslop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly is provided for components that are rotatable relative to one another, such as a steering column and a steering wheel for a vehicle. The assembly comprises a steering column cassette and an opposed mateable steering wheel cassette. Concentric recesses are formed in the mating face of at least one of the cassettes. The opposed mating surfaces are further defined by discrete concentric conductive portions formed on the cassettes. At least one resilient electrically conductive contact member is resiliently engaged between the cassettes to make redundant electrical contact with the opposed concentric contact portions of each cassette. The cassettes may be appropriately configured for environmental sealing.
Claims24
An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical connection between first and second members at least one of which is rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising:
- a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and a plurality of annular conductive portions plated on said mating face;
- a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said first and second housings being rotatable relative to one another, said second housing having a plurality of annular conductive portions plated on the mating face thereof generally in register with the annular conductive portions on the mating face of said first housing to define pairs of opposed annular conductive portions, the annular conductive portions of said first and second housings being in spaced relationship to one another;
- and
- at least one resilient conductor member disposed between the mating faces of said first and second housings and retained at a radial position for resiliently engaging both annular electrically conductive portions in one said pair of opposed annular conductive portions for achieving electrical connection therebetween while permitting rotation of said first and second housings relative to one another.
An electrical connector assembly mounted about the longitudinal axis of a torque transmitting shaft which shaft passes through said assembly and has a rotational relationship with a part which is stationary or rotating for achieving electrical connection between first and second members at least one of which is rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising:
- a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on said mating face;
- a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said first and second housings being rotatable relative to one another, said second housing having at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on the mating face thereof generally in register with the annular conductive portion on the mating face of said first housing to define at least one pair of opposed annular conductive portions, the annular conductive portions of said first and second housings being in spaced relationship to one another;
- at least one resilient conductor member disposed between the mating faces of said first and second housings and retained at a radial position for resiliently engaging both annular electrically conductive portions in one said pair of opposed annular conductive portions for achieving electrical connection therebetween while permitting rotation of said first and second housings relative to one another;
- and
- said mating faces of said first and second housings are formed to define sealing means for environmentally sealing said first and second housings to one another.
An electrical connector assembly mounted about the longitudinal axis of a torque transmitting shaft which shaft passes through said assembly and has a rotational relationship with a part which is stationary or rotating for achieving electrical connection between first and second members at least one of which is rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising:
- a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on said mating face;
- a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said first and second housings being rotatable relative to one another, said second housing having at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on the mating face thereof generally in register with the annular conductive portion on the mating face of said first housing to define at least one pair of opposed annular conductive portions, the annular conductive portions of said first and second housings being in spaced relationship to one another;
- and
- at least one resilient electrically conductive sphere disposed between the mating faces of said first and second housings and retained at a radial position for resiliently engaging both annular electrically conductive portions in one said pair of opposed annular conductive portions for achieving electrical connection therebetween while permitting rotating of said first and second housings relative to one another.
An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical contact between a first member and a second member which is rotatable relative to said first member, said assembly comprising:
- a first housing comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face formed with an array of concentric recesses therein, each of said concentric recesses comprising a continuous annular surface portion having an electrically conductive material plated thereto for defining an array of concentric electrically conductive surface portions on the mating face of said first housing;
- a second housing comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, the mating face of said second housing being characterized by an array of concentric electrically conductive portions plated thereto and disposed generally in register with and spaced from the electrically conductive portions of said first housing, said second housing being mounted to said first housing for relative rotation therebetween about the axis of said concentric electrically conductive portions of said first and second housings;
- and
- a resilient electrically conductive wave washer mounted in each of the respective concentric recesses of said first housing, said wave washer being dimensioned for resiliently contacting the conductive portions in the associated recess of said first housing and the corresponding annular conductive portion of the second housing registered therewith, whereby the resilient spring washers maintain electrical contact between the respective registered concentric electrically conductive portions of said first and second housings for all rotational positions of said first and second housings relative to one another
An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical contact between a first member and a second member which is rotatable relative to said first member, said assembly comprising:
- a first housing comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face formed with an array of concentric recesses therein, each of said concentric recesses comprising a continuous annular surface portion having an electrically conductive material plated thereto for defining an array of concentric electrically conductive surface portions on the mating face of said first housing;
- a second housing comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, the mating face of said second housing being characterized by an array of concentric electrically conductive portions plated thereto and disposed generally in register with and spaced from the electrically conductive portions of said first housing, said second housing being mounted to said first housing for achieving relative rotation therebetween about the axis of said concentric electrically conductive portions of said first and second housings;
- and
- at least one resilient electrically conductive sphere disposed in each of said recesses of said first housing, said sphere being dimensioned for resiliently contacting the electrically conductive portion of the associated recess in said first housing and the electrically conductive portion of said second housing in register therewith.
An electrical connector assembly for completing electrical connections between a nonrotatable vehicular steering column and a rotatable vehicular steering wheel, said assembly comprising:
- a steering column cassette for mounting to the steering column, said steering column cassette comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face with a plurality of concentric annular recesses formed therein, said steering column cassette further comprising an array of annular conductive portions securely disposed respectively in the annular recesses on the mating face;
- a steering wheel cassette for mounting to the rotatable steering wheel, said steering wheel cassette comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face which is mateable with the mating face of said steering column cassette, an array of discrete annular concentric conductive portions disposed on the mating face of said steering wheel cassette and dimensioned for being placed in registration with the concentric conductive portions of said steering column cassette;
- and
- at least one resilient conductor disposed in each respective recess of said steering column cassette and dimensioned for being resiliently engaged intermediate the associated annular conductive portion of said recess and the annular conductive portion on the steering wheel cassette in register therewith, whereby each resilient conductor provides electrical contact between each registered pair of annular conductive portions for all rotational orientations of said steering wheel relative to said steering column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.