Rotary electronic component

Abstract

A rotary electronic component (80) applies a moderate elastic force to the sliding portion (50a) towards the annular electrode (32) and holds the sliding portion (50a) in place by providing a buffer member (82) between the sliding portion (50a) of the slider (50) and the rotor (40). This suppresses vibration of the sliding portion (50a) and reduces metal fatigue of the slider (50). Furthermore, by impregnating the buffer member (82) with lubricant and bringing a portion of the buffer member (82) into contact with the annular electrode (32), lubricant can be applied to the annular electrode (32). This smooths the sliding of the sliding portion (50a) and further reduces wear on the contact area. Additionally, the buffer member (82) functions by wiping the surface of the annular electrode (32), thus collecting dust and other foreign matter on the annular electrode (32) and preventing adverse effects of foreign matter on the contact area. Therefore, this rotary electronic component (80) achieves a long service life and high operational reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a rotating electronic component that extends rotational life by reducing wear of the sliding element and metal fatigue. Background Technology

[0002] Rotating electronic components, such as variable resistors or encoders, maintain electrical conduction while rotating through the contact of sliding elements. Slip rings in these components play a crucial role in rotating mechanisms such as industrial robots, conveyor systems, game consoles, and pan-tilt heads for surveillance cameras, supplying power or transmitting signals between the stationary and rotating parts. They rotate at high frequencies, and some even rotate continuously. Therefore, there is a particular need to reduce wear and metal fatigue of the sliding elements and extend their rotational life. To address this problem, the inventors of this application have made the invention described in [Patent Document 1]: by providing a through-hole at the edge of a ring electrode, the through-hole is offset from the sliding track of the sliding element, reducing wear caused by the steps of the through-hole and metal fatigue caused by vibration.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-162314 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in recent years, there has been a demand to extend the rotational life from the previous 3 million revolutions to 10 million revolutions, which requires further wear countermeasures and metal fatigue countermeasures for sliding parts.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a rotating electronic component that reduces wear and metal fatigue of the sliding parts and extends the rotational life compared to the past.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] (1) This invention

[0011] The above-mentioned problems are solved by providing a rotating electronic component comprising: a rotor 40; a housing 20 that houses the rotor 40 and allows the rotor 40 to rotate; an electrode substrate 30 having an annular electrode 32 concentric with the rotation axis of the rotor 40 on its side surface; and a slider 50 disposed on the rotor 40 and in contact with the annular electrode 32 for electrical communication. The rotating electronic component is characterized in that...

[0012] The sliding member 50 includes: a sliding portion 50a, which is arc-shaped and protrudes towards the electrode substrate 30, and is in contact with and conductively communicates with the annular electrode 32; a fixing portion 50b, which is used to fix it to the rotor 40; and a connecting portion 50c, which connects the sliding portion 50a and the fixing portion 50b, wherein the connecting portion 50c and the fixing portion 50b are bent towards the electrode substrate 32 at a predetermined angle.

[0013] A soft and absorbent buffer member 82 is provided between the sliding part 50a and the rotor 40. The contact range between the buffer member 82 and the sliding part 50a is set from the top part of the sliding part 50a to half of the sliding part 50a. Moreover, the buffer member 82 is configured to be longer than the top part of the sliding part 50a. The buffer member 82 applies force to the sliding part 50a toward the annular electrode 32 to suppress the vibration of the sliding member 50.

[0014] (2) The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing a rotating electronic component according to (1) above, wherein the rotating electronic component is characterized in that the buffer member 82 has an average pore diameter of 20 μm to 50 μm and a porosity of 70% to 90% and an apparent density of 0.15 g / cm³. 3 ~0.25g / cm 3 It is composed of raw materials made of polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyolefin.

[0015] (3) The above problems are solved by providing a rotating electronic component according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the rotating electronic component is characterized in that a lubricant is impregnated in the buffer member 82.

[0016] (4) The above problems are solved by providing a rotating electronic component according to (3) above, wherein a portion of a buffer member 82 contacts an annular electrode 32, the buffer member 82 applying a lubricant to the annular electrode 32 and wiping the annular electrode 32.

[0017] Invention Effects

[0018] The rotary electronic component of this invention applies a moderate elastic force to the sliding portion towards the annular electrode by providing a buffer member between the sliding portion of the slider and the rotor, thereby holding the sliding portion in place. This suppresses vibration of the sliding portion and reduces metal fatigue of the slider. Furthermore, by impregnating the buffer member with lubricant and bringing a portion of the buffer member into contact with the annular electrode, lubricant can be applied to the annular electrode. This smooths the sliding of the sliding portion, further reducing wear on the contact area. Additionally, the buffer member functions by wiping the surface of the annular electrode, thus collecting dust and other foreign matter on the annular electrode and preventing adverse effects from foreign matter on the contact area. Therefore, the rotary electronic component of this invention achieves a long service life and high operational reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the rotor side after the electrode substrate has been removed, with the slip ring of the present invention applied.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an electrode substrate to which the slip ring of the present invention is applied.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slip ring using the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the sliding portion of the slip ring to which the present invention is applied. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of the rotary electronic component according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, a slip ring 80 will be used as an example of the rotary electronic component, but the present invention is not limited to a slip ring. It can be applied to any rotary electronic component, such as a variable resistor or encoder, that has an annular electrode concentric with the rotation axis of the rotor and a sliding member in contact with and conducting through the annular electrode.

[0024] Here, Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the rotor 40 side after the electrode substrate 30 has been removed, with the slip ring 80 of the present invention applied. Additionally, Figure 2 Figures (a) and (b) show the outer and inner surface sides (the surfaces on the side of the annular electrode 32) of the electrode substrate 30. Additionally, Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which the slip ring 80 of the present invention is provided with the electrode substrate 30. Additionally, Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the sliding portion of the slip ring 80 to which the present invention is applied. Furthermore, the slip ring 80 to which the present invention is applied shown here is an example for illustrating the present invention; therefore, the number of poles or the structure, appearance design, wiring pattern, and other configurations are not limited thereto.

[0025] First, the configuration of the existing portion of the slip ring 80 to which the present invention is applied will be described. Figures 1-3 The slip ring 80 shown includes: a rotor 40; a housing portion 20 that houses the rotor 40 and allows the rotor 40 to rotate; an electrode substrate 30 that has an annular electrode 32 concentric with the rotation axis of the rotor 40; and a slider 50 disposed on the rotor 40 and in contact with the annular electrode 32 of the electrode substrate 30.

[0026] Furthermore, the housing portion 20 constituting the slip ring 80 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and manufactured by molding, and has a rotor housing portion 21 on its inner side. Also, as... Figure 3 As shown, an electrode substrate 30 is provided on one side of the rotor housing 21, and a rotor support member 22 with a diameter smaller than that of the rotor 40 is provided on the other side of the rotor housing 21.

[0027] Furthermore, the rotor 40 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and manufactured by molding, and has a shaft cylinder 42 with shaft holes 44 protruding outwards from the center. This shaft cylinder 42 functions as the rotation axis of the rotor 40 and passes through the electrode substrate 30, with at least the shaft holes 44 exposed from the electrode substrate 30. Additionally, a sliding member 50 is fixed to the rotor 40, and a cable storage portion 47 is provided behind the sliding member 50 to store the cable 52 connected to the sliding member 50. The cable 52 passes through cable access holes 48 formed around the shaft cylinder 42 and connects to the connector 10 on the back side.

[0028] Furthermore, the sliding member 50 is formed of a flexible metal sheet and is provided on the rotor 40 in the same number as the annular electrodes 32. The sliding member 50 mainly consists of an arc-shaped sliding portion 50a that contacts and conducts through the annular electrodes 32, a fixing portion 50b for fixing to the rotor 40, and a connecting portion 50c that connects the sliding portion 50a and the fixing portion 50b. The connecting portion 50c and the fixing portion 50b are bent at a predetermined angle. Regarding the method of fixing the sliding member 50 to the rotor 40, any method can be used, but it is preferable to insert the fixing protrusion on the rotor 40 side into the fixing hole formed by the hole in the fixing portion 50b, and fix it by bonding or thermal riveting, etc. Furthermore, in this slip ring 80, as a characteristic component of the present invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, a buffer member 82 is provided between the sliding portion 50a of the slider 50 and the rotor 40, and this buffer member 82 is soft and absorbent. Furthermore, this buffer member 82 will be described in detail later.

[0029] Additionally, the electrode substrate 30 has a rotor hole 36 in its central portion for the rotor 40's shaft sleeve 42 to be rotatably inserted, such as... Figure 2As shown in (b), on the surface of the rotor 40, a plurality of annular electrodes 32 are formed in a substantially concentric circle with respect to the rotor bore 36 (shaft bore 44) and of different diameters, according to the number of poles of the slip ring 80 (eight in this example). Additionally, as... Figure 2 As shown in (a), lead-out electrodes 34 corresponding to the annular electrodes 32 are formed on the outer surface of the electrode substrate 30. Furthermore, a through-hole 38 is formed in the electrode substrate 30 to connect the annular electrodes 32 and the lead-out electrodes 34, allowing them to be connected. Additionally, the lead-out electrodes 34 are again led out to the rotor surface via the through-hole 38' and connected to the terminals of the connector 12.

[0030] Furthermore, the rotor 40 is rotatably housed within the rotor housing portion 21 of the housing portion 20 and sealed with the electrode substrate 30. At this time, the shaft sleeve 42 of the rotor 40 is rotatably inserted into the rotor hole 36 of the electrode substrate 30. Thus, the rotor 40 is pivotally supported and rotatably rotated within the housing portion 20. Additionally, at this time, the sliding portion 50a of the slider 50 is pressed against the corresponding annular electrode 32 side by its own elasticity and the elasticity of the buffer member 82, and the annular electrode 32 contacts and conducts with the slider 50.

[0031] Here, the buffer member 82, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described. As previously described, the buffer member 82 is disposed between the sliding portion 50a of the slider 50 of the rotating electronic component and the rotor 40, and is soft and absorbent. Furthermore, the contact range between the buffer member 82 and the sliding portion 50a is set from the top end of the sliding portion 50a to halfway down the sliding portion 50a.

[0032] Furthermore, the sliding portion 50a is subjected to a moderate force towards the annular electrode 32 by the elastic force of the buffer member 82. This suppresses vibrations in the sliding member 50 caused by the rotation of the rotor 40. Consequently, metal fatigue of the sliding member 50 is reduced, enabling a longer lifespan for the rotary electronic component. Additionally, since the buffer member 82 holds the sliding portion 50a, lateral (radial) oscillation of the sliding portion 50a is prevented, reducing wear and metal fatigue in that direction, and preventing the sliding portion 50a from detaching from the annular electrode 32. This further extends the lifespan of the rotary electronic component and improves operational reliability.

[0033] Furthermore, the buffer member 82 is preferably configured to be longer than the top end of the sliding portion 50a, and its thickness is optimized such that a portion of the buffer member 82 makes adequate contact with the annular electrode 32. Additionally, it is preferable to impregnate the buffer member 82 with a lubricant such as contact grease that does not impair conductivity. In this configuration, by rotating the rotor 40 while the buffer member 82 is in contact with the annular electrode 32, the lubricant impregnated in the buffer member 82 is applied to the surface of the annular electrode 32. This allows the sliding portion 50a to slide smoothly. Furthermore, sliding noise can be suppressed, and wear deviations in the sliding portion 50a caused by differences in the rotation direction of the rotor 40 can be reduced. This further reduces wear on the sliding portion 50a. Furthermore, by rotating the buffer member 82 while in contact with the annular electrode 32, the buffer member 82 functions to wipe the surface of the annular electrode 32. Therefore, dirt, dust, and debris on the annular electrode 32 are collected by the buffer member 82, preventing foreign objects from adversely affecting the sliding part 50a. Furthermore, this invention enables the extension of the lifespan of the rotating electronic components and improves operational reliability.

[0034] Furthermore, the cushioning member 82 is preferably made of a porous raw material made of synthetic resin that possesses softness and water absorption. However, if the material is too brittle, the cushioning member 82 itself may wear down and disintegrate due to prolonged use, becoming a source of foreign matter. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material with a certain degree of strength and density, particularly one with an average pore diameter of 20 μm to 50 μm, a porosity of 70% to 90%, and an apparent density of 0.15 g / cm³. 3 ~0.25g / cm 3 Raw materials made of polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyolefin to varying degrees.

[0035] Next, the operation of the slip ring 80 using the present invention will be briefly described. First, the housing portion 20 (electrode substrate 30) of the slip ring 80 is fixed to the fixed portion of the device. Additionally, the rotor 40 of the slip ring 80 is connected to the rotating portion of a monitoring camera or similar device via the shaft hole 44. Thus, the rotor 40 of the slip ring 80 rotates together with the rotating portion of the device. Next, the wiring on the fixed portion side is connected to the connector 12 of the electrode substrate 30. Additionally, the wiring on the rotating portion side is connected to the connector 10 of the rotor 40. Thus, the wiring on the fixed portion side and the wiring on the rotating portion side are electrically connected via the connector 12, through hole 38', lead electrode 34, through hole 38, annular electrode 32, sliding member 50, cable 52, and connector 10. Furthermore, when the rotating portion rotates, the rotor 40 of the slip ring 80 rotates, and the sliding member 50a slides while maintaining its connection with the annular electrode 32.

[0036] At this time, the buffer member 82 applies a moderate elastic force to the sliding portion 50a towards the annular electrode 32 and holds the sliding portion 50a in place. This suppresses vibration of the sliding portion 50a, reducing metal fatigue of the sliding member 50. Furthermore, lateral swaying of the sliding portion 50a is suppressed, preventing it from detaching from the annular electrode 32. Moreover, by impregnating the buffer member 82 with lubricant and bringing a portion of the buffer member 82 into contact with the annular electrode 32, the annular electrode 32 is coated with lubricant. This makes the sliding of the sliding portion 50a smoother, further reducing wear on the contact portion. Additionally, the buffer member 82 functions by wiping the surface of the annular electrode 32. This collects dust and other foreign matter on the annular electrode 32, preventing adverse effects from foreign matter on the contact portion with the sliding portion 50a. Thus, the sliding member of the rotary electronic component (slip ring 80) using the present invention, with the assistance of the buffer member 82, reduces metal fatigue and wear, resulting in a long service life and high operational reliability.

[0037] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the present invention is not limited to the slip ring 80, and can be applied to rotary electronic components having a sliding member that is in contact with and conductive with the annular electrode. Additionally, the present invention can be implemented with modifications that do not depart from its spirit.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0039] 20. Shell section

[0040] 30 Electrode substrate

[0041] 32 Ring electrode

[0042] 40 rotors

[0043] 50 Slider

[0044] 50a Sliding part

[0045] 80 Slip ring (rotary electronic component)

[0046] 82. Buffer component.

Claims

1. A rotating electronic component comprising: a rotor; a housing portion for housing the rotor and enabling the rotor to rotate; an electrode substrate having an annular electrode concentric with the rotation axis of the rotor on its rotor-side surface; and a sliding member disposed on the rotor and in contact with the annular electrode for electrical communication, characterized in that... The sliding member includes: a sliding portion that is arc-shaped and protrudes towards the electrode substrate, and is in contact with and conductively communicates with the annular electrode; a fixing portion for fixing to the rotor; and a connecting portion that connects the sliding portion and the fixing portion, wherein the connecting portion and the fixing portion are bent towards the electrode substrate at a predetermined angle. A soft and absorbent buffer member is provided between the sliding part and the rotor. The contact range between the buffer member and the sliding part is set from the top part of the sliding part to half of the sliding part, so that the buffer member does not contact the connecting part. Moreover, the buffer member is configured to be longer than the top part of the sliding part. The buffer member applies force to the sliding part towards the annular electrode to suppress the vibration of the sliding member and prevent the sliding part from detaching from the annular electrode, thereby suppressing sliding noise and reducing metal fatigue and wear, and extending the life of the rotating electronic component.

2. The rotating electronic component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cushioning member is made of a polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol or polyolefin raw material having an average pore diameter of 20 to 50 μm, a porosity of 70 to 90%, and an apparent density of 0.15 to 0.25 g / cm 3 3 ​​ 3. The rotating electronic component according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, The buffer components are impregnated with lubricant.

4. The rotating electronic component according to claim 3, characterized in that, A portion of the buffer member contacts the annular electrode, and the buffer member applies lubricant to and wipes the annular electrode.

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