US 5,314,344 AGranted

Clock spring connector

AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsYuichi Ida, Hironori Kato, Kunihiko Sasaki, Hiroyuki Bannai

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Abstract

The invention relates to a clock spring connector which permits a reduction in the length of a flexible cable and simplification of the alignment mechanism. The clock spring connector has a first housing, and a second housing, a flexible cable wound in opposite directions through a U-shaped reversed portion in the ring-like space defined by the outer cylindrical portion of the first housing and the inner cylindrical portion of the second housing, and a moving member rotating while following the reversed portion. A third mark as an indicator is provided on a spacer which partially forms the moving member so that the third mark can be visually observed from the outside when the second housing is at the neutral position.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A clock spring connector comprising:

a fixed member;
a movable member rotatably mounted to said fixed member;
a flexible cable having one end connected to the fixed member and a second end connected to the movable member, said flexible cable contained in a space between an inner cylindrical portion provided on either of said fixed member and the movable member and an outer cylindrical portion provided on the other;
and
a moving member disposed in said space and having an opening;
wherein said flexible cable is reversed within said opening of said moving member and is wound on said outer cylindrical portion and said inner cylindrical portion in opposite directions, an indicator portion is provided on said moving member, and means for visually observing the indicator portion are formed on one of the fixed member and the movable member so that said indicator portion can be visually observed from the outside when said movable member is in a neutral position of rotation.

3 more elements

A clock spring connector comprising:

a fixed member;
a movable member rotatably mounted to the fixed member, the fixed member and movable member cooperatively defining an annular space;
a flexible cable contained in the annular space, the flexible cable having one end connected to the fixed member and a second end connected to the movable member;
an annular moving member movably contained in the annular space, the annular moving member having a first indicator mark, the moving member including an opening for receiving a turned-back portion of the cable such that the cable is wound in a first direction on a first side of the moving member, and in an opposite direction on a second side of the moving member;
and
means, formed on the fixed and movable members and cooperating with the first indicator mark, for indicating when the clock spring connector is in a rotationally neutral position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.