US 5,683,260 AGranted

Rotary connector

AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsHironori Kato, Masanori Nakao, Yuichi Ida

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A rotary connector including a first housing rotatably connected to a second housing and forming an annular space therebetween, and a flexible cable wound within the annular spacing. According to a first aspect, the conductors of the flexible cable associated with an airbag circuit are spaced further apart than conductors for other circuits mounted on a steering wheel. A direct connector includes first terminals connected to the airbag conductors and second terminals connected to the other conductors. The first and second terminals are spaced apart and/or divided by a divider to prevent interference during assembly. In accordance with the second aspect, a locking member for preventing relative rotation of the first and second housings prior to assembly on a vehicle includes a cover portion for covering an open end of the direct connector.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A rotary connector comprising:

a first housing;
a second housing rotatably coupled to the first housing, the first and second housings defining an annular space therebetween;
and
a flexible cable wound in the annular space, said flexible cable including a plurality of parallel conductors, first and second ends of said flexible cable being electrically connected to an exterior of the first and second housings such that the first and second ends of said flexible cable are fixed to said first and second housings, respectively at least one of said first and second extending ends of said flexible cable being connected to an external device through a direct connector provided on one of said first and second housings,
a locking member removably connected to the first and second housings for prohibiting relative rotation between said first and second housings,
wherein a cover for covering said direct connector is formed integrally with said locking member.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/631,045Filed 12 Apr 1996 · division
Priority: JP 6-0383469 Mar 1994
Granted: 4 Nov 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B60R 16/027
For transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems: between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and…
H01R 35/025
Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members: having a flexible conductor wound around a rotation axis
B60R
Vehicle fittings and parts
H01R
Electrically-conductive connections