Electric cable winding device, and handle power feeding device and sheet power feeding device using electric cable winding device

Abstract

To provide an electric cable winding device which can cope with a rotating operation in addition to a sliding operation of an attachment target and can smoothly pull out and wind up a flat cable.SOLUTION: A cable winding device 1 includes: a cable 10 including a first cable 11 and a second cable 12; and a housing 20 that houses the cable 10. The housing 20 includes: a first housing part 30 having a first housing space S1 and a second housing part 40 having a second housing space S2. The first housing part 30 is provided with a rotator 31 that rotates about an axial direction Z while holding one side of the first cable 11. The second housing part 40 is provided with a lead-out part 42 that guides the second cable 12 pulled out from the second housing space S2 or wound around the second housing space S2. The lead-out part 42 is provided with a direction changing roller 45 that changes a direction of a band width direction of the second cable 12 from the axial direction Z to a first direction X and guides the same.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric cable winding device that can accommodate both sliding and rotating movements of an object to which it is attached, and to a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device that use the electric cable winding device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electric cable winding devices have been known (see Patent Document 1). The electric cable winding device includes a band-shaped flat cable and a housing portion that houses the flat cable, and is configured so that the flat cable is pulled out or wound up in response to a sliding movement of an object to which it is attached. Such electric cable winding devices are used, for example, as seat power supply devices that supply power to vehicle seats.

[0003] In recent years, the object to which the electric cable winding device is attached, such as a seat, may not only slide but also rotate. In such a case, it has been impossible to use a conventional electric cable winding device that cannot follow the rotational movement when the object to which the electric cable winding device is attached rotates in addition to sliding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-218150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an electric cable winding device that can accommodate not only sliding movements but also rotational movements of the object to which it is attached, and that can smoothly pull out and wind up a flat cable, as well as a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device that use the electric cable winding device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized in that the electric cable winding device comprises a ribbon-shaped flat cable and a storage section that stores the flat cable, the storage section having a first storage section with a first space therein and a second storage section with a second space therein, the flat cable having a first cable that is stored in the first space with at least a portion wound in a spiral shape, and a second cable that is stored in the second space with at least a portion wound in a spiral shape, the first cable and the second cable being electrically conductive, the first storage section having a rotary holding section that holds one side of the first cable and rotates around a rotation axis direction along the ribbon width direction of the flat cable, the second storage section having a guide opening that guides the second cable that is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the second space or wound from the outside to the inside, and the guide opening having a direction change section that changes the orientation of the second cable in the ribbon width direction from the rotation axis direction to a predetermined guide direction and guides it.

[0007] According to the present invention, the electric cable winding device can accommodate not only the sliding movement of the object to be attached but also the rotational movement thereof, and can smoothly pull out and wind up the flat cable. More specifically, in an electric cable winding device provided with a ribbon-shaped flat cable and a storage section for storing the flat cable, the storage section has a first storage section having a first space therein and a second storage section having a second space therein.

[0008] The flat cable includes a first cable accommodated in the first space with at least a portion thereof spirally wound, and a second cable accommodated in the second space with at least a portion thereof spirally wound, and the first cable and the second cable are electrically conductive. Furthermore, the first accommodating section is provided with a rotary holding section that rotates about a rotation axis along the width direction of the flat cable while holding one side of the first cable, and the second accommodating section is provided with a guide opening that guides the second cable that is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the second space or wound from the outside to the inside. Therefore, it can accommodate not only the sliding movement of the object to which it is attached but also the rotational movement.

[0009] In the electric cable winding device configured as described above, a direction changer is provided at the guide port to change the orientation of the second cable in the belt width direction from the rotation axis direction to a predetermined guide direction, so that even if the direction in which the second cable is pulled out of the second housing part is different from the rotation axis direction, which is the sliding direction of the attachment object, the direction of the second cable can be changed by the direction changer, and the second cable can be smoothly pulled out and wound up.

[0010] As an aspect of the present invention, the direction changer may have a rotating roller that rotates while being in contact with a main surface of the second cable. According to this invention, the direction of the second cable is changed by the direction change unit composed of the rotating roller, but because the rotating roller rotates, the direction change unit and the second cable do not slide against each other, and the direction of the second cable can be smoothly changed by the direction change unit, allowing the second cable to be pulled out or wound up more smoothly.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the rotating roller may rotate about an oblique axis that is oblique to the rotation axis direction and the guiding direction in an imaginary plane along which the rotation axis direction and the guiding direction are aligned.

[0012] With this invention, even if the angle of change in direction by the direction change section is steep, the rotating roller rotates around the diagonal axis, so the direction can be changed while reducing the load acting on the second cable, allowing the second cable to be smoothly pulled out or wound up.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the second accommodating portion may be disposed on the outer diameter side of the first accommodating portion, and a holding portion may be provided to hold a boundary portion between the first cable and the second cable. According to this invention, the size in the rotational axis direction can be made more compact than when the first housing portion and the second housing portion are arranged along the rotational axis. Therefore, space in the rotational axis direction can be saved. Furthermore, because the holding portion holds the boundary portion between the first cable and the second cable, the first cable housed in the first space and the second cable housed in the second space can be housed without being affected by the housing state of each other.

[0014] As another aspect of the present invention, the first housing portion and the second housing portion may be arranged along the rotation axis direction. This invention allows the size to be made more compact when viewed from the rotation axis direction than when one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion is arranged on the inner diameter side and the other is arranged on the outer diameter side, thereby enabling space saving in the radial direction.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the second storage section may be provided with a winding auxiliary section that assists in winding the second cable, and the winding auxiliary section may be composed of a spring material that is biased by the withdrawal of the second cable and applies a biasing force to the second cable being wound up.

[0016] According to this invention, the winding assist part made of a spring material is biased by the sliding of the attachment object in the unwinding direction. Then, the second cable is wound and accommodated in the second space by the sliding of the attachment object in the winding direction, and the biasing force of the biased winding assist part acts on the second cable being wound in the second space. Therefore, the second cable can be wound more smoothly than when the attachment object is slid in the winding direction.

[0017] The present invention is also characterized in that it is a handle power supply device that uses the above-mentioned electric cable winding device, one side of the first cable is connected to an electrical component of the handle that enables sliding and rotating movements, the end side of the second cable that is guided through the guide port is connected to an electrical component on the electricity supply source side, and the rotating shaft is connected to the handle. According to this invention, electricity can be supplied while responding to the rotational movement as well as the sliding movement of the handle, and the flat cable can be smoothly pulled out and wound up.

[0018] The present invention is also characterized in that it is a seat power supply device that uses the above-mentioned electric cable winding device, one side of the first cable is connected to an electrical component of the seat that enables sliding and rotating movements, the end side of the second cable that is guided through the guide port is connected to an electrical component on the electricity supply source side, and the rotation shaft is connected to the seat. According to this invention, electricity can be supplied while responding to the rotational movement as well as the sliding movement of the seat, and the flat cable can be smoothly drawn out and wound up. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] This invention makes it possible to provide an electric cable winding device that can accommodate not only sliding movements but also rotational movements of the object to be attached, and that can smoothly pull out and wind up a flat cable, as well as a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device that use the electric cable winding device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electric cable winding device. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an electric cable winding device; [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a housing portion in which a cable is housed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a second cable is accommodated in a second accommodating section. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second housing portion in which a second cable is housed when the handle is slid. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second housing portion in which a second cable is housed when the handle is slid. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a first housing portion in which a first cable is housed when the handle is rotated; [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a retainer and a spiral spring according to another embodiment, viewed from below. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second housing portion in which a second cable is housed in another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second housing portion in which a second cable is housed when the handle is slid in another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second housing portion in which a second cable is housed when the handle is slid in another embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment; FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second storage section in another embodiment. [Figure 18]10 is an explanatory diagram of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment; FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a second storage section according to another embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is a schematic perspective view of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment; FIG. [Figure 22] 10 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment; FIG. [Figure 23] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an electric cable winding device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the cable winding device 1, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the cable winding device 1. Fig. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the first accommodating section 30, Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the retainer 50, Fig. 5 shows an explanatory diagram of the second accommodating section 40, and Fig. 6 shows a plan view of the leaf spring member 60. Fig. 7 shows an explanatory diagram of the accommodation state of the accommodation body 20 in which the cable 10 is accommodated, and Fig. 8 shows an explanatory diagram of the second accommodating section 40 in which the second cable 12 is accommodated.

[0022] Figures 9 and 10 show explanatory diagrams of the second cable 12 housed in the second housing section 40 when the handle 820 is slid, and Figure 11 shows an explanatory diagram of the first cable 11 housed in the first housing section 30 when the handle 820 is rotated.

[0023] 3 to 5 and 7 to 11 will be described in detail. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic plan view of the first accommodating portion 30, Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic plan view of the stator 32, and Fig. 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 3(a). Fig. 4(a) shows a plan view of the retainer 50, and Fig. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 4(a). Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second accommodating portion 40, Fig. 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 5(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in Fig. 5(a).

[0024] Fig. 7(a) shows a schematic plan view of the housing body 20 in which the first cable 11 is housed, Fig. 7(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the housing body 20 in which the first cable 11 is housed, and Fig. 8 shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40 in which the second cable 12 is housed. Note that Fig. 7(a) does not show the rotator 31 in order to clearly show the first cable 11 housed in the second housing space S2. Fig. 7(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the cable winding device 1 corresponding to the cross section seen from the arrow AA in Fig. 3(a).

[0025] FIG. 9(a) is a schematic diagram of the state in which the handle 820 has been slid to the upper side ZU, and FIG. 9(b) is a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40 in which the second cable 12 has been housed when the handle 820 has been slid to the upper side ZU. FIG. 10(a) is a schematic diagram of the state in which the handle 820 has been slid to the lower side ZD, and FIG. 10(b) is a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40 in which the second cable 12 has been housed when the handle 820 has been slid to the lower side ZD. FIG. 11(a) is a schematic plan view of the first housing section 30 in which the handle 820 has been rotated clockwise, and FIG. 11(b) is an enlarged view of portion a in FIG. 11(a). Note that FIG. 11(a) omits the rotator 31 in order to clearly illustrate the first cable 11 housed in the second housing space S2. In FIG. 1, the main shaft 810 inserted into the cable winding device 1 and the handle 820 connected to the main shaft 810 from the upper side ZU are shown by dashed lines.

[0026] 1, the direction in which the main shaft portion 810 extends is referred to as the axial direction Z, and among the directions perpendicular to the axial direction Z, the direction along the belt width direction of the base-end cable 14 led out from the cable winding device 1 is referred to as the first direction X. The direction perpendicular to the first direction X and the axial direction Z is referred to as the second direction Y.

[0027] 1, the upper side along the axial direction Z is the upper side ZU, the lower side is the lower side ZD, the left side along the first direction X is the left side XL, and the right side along the first direction X is the right side XR. Also, the right side along the second direction Y is the front side YA, and the left side is the back side YB.

[0028] 1, steering device 800 for steering a vehicle has handle 820 attached to the tip of main shaft portion 810 of a steering shaft, and can transmit the operation of handle 820 to steering wheels provided on the vehicle. Main shaft portion 810 having such a function is equipped with a so-called telescopic mechanism that can adjust the position of handle 820 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0029] A shaft insertion portion (not shown) is provided at the tip of main shaft portion 810, through which main shaft portion 810 is inserted so as to be rotatable in response to operation of handle 820. Cable winding device 1 is attached to the shaft insertion portion, which holds main shaft portion 810 and handle 820 so as to be rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise relative to the shaft insertion portion.

[0030] The cable winding device 1 electrically connects the wire harness 830 connected to electrical equipment (not shown) mounted on the vehicle to the handlebars 820, and can maintain the electrical connection between the electrical equipment and the handlebars 820 in response to adjustment of the position of the handlebars 820 in the fore-and-aft direction (axial direction Z).

[0031] The cable winding device 1 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the cable winding device 1 includes a ribbon-shaped flexible cable 10 and a housing 20 that houses a portion of the cable 10.

[0032] Cable 10 is a ribbon-shaped transmission line made up of three overlapping so-called flexible flat cables 10x, each of which has a plurality of flat rectangular conductors arranged in parallel at a predetermined pitch and covered with an electrical insulator. One end of cable 10 is electrically connected to an electric wire connected to an electrical circuit of an external device such as a horn switch or airbag unit disposed on steering wheel 820, and the other end of cable 10 is electrically connected to wire harness 830 connected to electrical devices (not shown) mounted on the vehicle. In this way, cable 10 can electrically connect the electrical devices in the vehicle to steering wheel 820.

[0033] In this embodiment, the cable 10 is formed by stacking three flexible flat cables 10x, but the number of flexible flat cables 10x does not have to be three. For example, the number of flexible flat cables 10x can be adjusted as appropriate, such as by stacking four flexible flat cables 10x to form the cable 10.

[0034] 2, the housing 20 is integrally formed of a first housing section 30 that houses a portion of one end of the cable 10 (referred to as first cable 11) and a second housing section 40 that houses a portion of the other end of the cable 10 (referred to as second cable 12). The first housing section 30 and the second housing section 40 are stacked in the axial direction Z (see FIG. 1).

[0035] The first accommodating portion 30 is a so-called rotary connector device that has a first accommodating space S1 therein that can accommodate the first cable 11 in a spirally wound state. More specifically, the first accommodating section 30 is composed of a rotator 31 located on the upper side ZU, a stator 32 located on the lower side ZD of the rotator 31, and a sleeve 33 engaged and fixed to the rotator 31 so as to sandwich the stator 32. A retainer 50 is provided inside the first accommodating section 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0036] 3(a) and 3(c), the rotator 31 is integrally formed of a substantially annular rotation-side ring plate 311 having a substantially circular through-hole in the center in plan view, and an inner peripheral wall portion 312 standing upright toward the downward side ZD from the inner peripheral edge of the rotation-side ring plate 311. In addition, a rotator-side connector accommodating portion 313 that protrudes toward the upward side ZU and functions as a connector is provided on the upper surface of the rotation-side ring plate 311.

[0037] The rotation side ring plate 311 is an annular plate-like body having an inner diameter that allows the lower part of the handle 820 to be inserted therethrough. The inner circumferential wall portion 312 is a substantially cylindrical body that protrudes from the inner edge of the rotation-side ring plate 311 toward the downward side ZD, and forms the inner circumferential surface of the first housing portion 30. The lower end of the inner circumferential wall portion 312 protrudes toward the radially inner side of the rotation-side ring plate 311, and forms an insertion hole on the radially inner side through which the tip of the main shaft portion 810 can be inserted (see FIG. 3(c)). Note that the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 312 is provided with a locking and fixing portion (not shown) that can be locked with the stator 32, a handle locking portion (not shown) that can be locked with the handle 820, and the like.

[0038] The rotator side connector accommodating portion 313 is an accommodating portion that accommodates a connecting connector attached to one end of the first cable 11 accommodated in the first accommodating space S1, and can connect from the outside a handle side connector 821 provided at the end of an electric wire that is electrically connected to external devices such as a horn switch or airbag unit mounted on the handle 820 (see Figure 1).

[0039] As shown in Figures 3(b) and 3(c), the stator 32 is integrally formed of a fixed side ring plate 321 that forms the lower surface of the first accommodating section 30, an approximately cylindrical outer wall portion 322 that stands upright from the outer edge of the fixed side ring plate 321 toward the upper side ZU, and a harness lead-out portion 323 that protrudes outward from the outer wall portion 322.

[0040] The fixed side ring plate 321 is a plate-like body having an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the rotating side ring plate 311 and an inner diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the protruding portion protruding radially inward from the lower end of the inner peripheral wall portion 312, and having a circular ring shape when viewed from above.

[0041] 3(b) and 3(c), two annular ribs 34 protruding upward ZU are provided at a predetermined distance in the radial direction on the upper surface of the annular fixed-side ring plate 321. In addition, the fixed-side ring plate 321 is provided with a stator-side through-hole 35 that penetrates a portion of the plate in the plate thickness direction (axial direction Z).

[0042] The annular rib 34 is a rib that is circular in plan view and protrudes from the fixed-side ring plate 321 by a height substantially equal to the plate thickness of the fixed-side ring plate 321. Two annular ribs 34 configured in this manner are provided at a predetermined interval in the radial direction of the fixed-side ring plate 321 in plan view.

[0043] The stator-side through-hole 35 is a rectangular through-hole that penetrates the fixed-side ring plate 321 in the axial direction Z, and is formed along a direction of 45 degrees clockwise with respect to the rear side YB in plan view. More specifically, the stator-side through-hole 35 is a through-hole that penetrates from slightly radially outward of the inner edge of the fixed-side ring plate 321 to the outer edge of the fixed-side ring plate 321 in a generally rectangular shape with a width slightly larger than the width of the cable 10. The annular rib 34 is provided at a location where the stator-side through-hole 35 of the fixed-side ring plate 321 is provided, so as to straddle the stator-side through-hole 35 in the circumferential direction.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3(c), the outer wall portion 322 is a cylindrical outer wall that stands on the upper side ZU from the outer edge of the fixed side ring plate 321, and an upper slit 36 ​​through which the cable 10 can be inserted is provided at a location corresponding to the harness lead-out portion 323.

[0045] The upper slit 36 ​​has a width substantially equal to the thickness of the cable 10, and is formed by cutting out the outer peripheral wall portion 322 in the axial direction Z along the tangential direction of the fixed-side ring plate 321 in a plan view. The upper slit 36 ​​configured in this manner can guide the first cable 11 wound inside the outer peripheral wall portion 322 to the harness leading-out portion 323, and can also hold the other end of the first cable 11.

[0046] In plan view, the harness outlet portion 323 is a housing that protrudes from the rear side YB of the outer peripheral wall portion 322 toward the left side XL, and has an opening on the lower side ZD. That is, in plan view, the harness outlet portion 323 is provided radially outside the stator-side through-hole 35. Note that an upper side ZU of the harness outlet portion 323 can be covered with a cover (not shown).

[0047] The harness outlet portion 323 configured in this manner has an internal space that communicates with the stator-side through-hole 35, and can accommodate the cable 10 that has been redirected downward ZD by bending the other end of the first cable 11 that has been inserted through the upper slit 36. The cable 10 accommodated inside the harness outlet portion 323 can be guided into the stator-side through-hole 35 by further bending it radially inward.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3(c), the sleeve 33 has an annular sleeve bottom surface 331, a sleeve outer peripheral wall 332 that stands upward ZU from the outer peripheral edge of the sleeve bottom surface 331, and a sleeve inner peripheral wall 333 that stands in the axial direction Z from the inner peripheral edge of the sleeve bottom surface 331.

[0049] Sleeve bottom surface 331 is an annular plate-like body having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of inner circumferential wall portion 312 and an inner diameter large enough to allow the tip portion of main shaft portion 810 to pass through. The sleeve outer peripheral wall 332 is a peripheral wall that is circular in plan view and stands upright from the outer edge of the sleeve bottom surface 331 toward the upper side ZU, with its upper end portion protruding radially outward from the sleeve bottom surface 331. The inner peripheral surface of the sleeve outer peripheral wall 332 is provided with an interlocked fixed portion (not shown) that can be interlocked with the interlocking fixed portion provided on the inner peripheral wall portion 312.

[0050] The sleeve inner peripheral wall 333 is cylindrical and has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the tip of the main shaft portion 810, and the tip of the main shaft portion 810 can be inserted from the lower side ZD toward the upper side ZU. The sleeve inner peripheral wall 333 is configured to be able to engage with the main shaft portion 810 in the circumferential direction (not shown).

[0051] 3(c), in the first housing section 30 assembled with the rotator 31, stator 32, and sleeve 33 configured as above, the rotator 31 and sleeve 33 are locked and fixed in place with the fixed-side ring plate 321 sandwiched between the inner circumferential wall portion 312 and the sleeve outer circumferential wall 332. This allows the rotator 31 and sleeve 33 to rotate relative to the stator 32, with the central axis of the rotating-side ring plate 311 in a plan view serving as the rotation center axis R.

[0052] The first housing portion 30 defines a first housing space S1 that is annular in plan view and is surrounded by the rotating-side ring plate 311, the inner peripheral wall portion 312, the fixed-side ring plate 321, and the outer peripheral wall portion 322. The first housing space S1 is provided with a retainer 50 that is rotatable relative to the first housing portion 30 around the central rotation axis R in plan view.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the retainer 50 is composed of a rotary table 51 placed on a fixed side ring plate 321 and a plurality of rotating rollers 52 that can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0054] The rotary table 51 is a plate-like body having an annular shape in a plan view, which is slightly narrower than the fixed-side ring plate 321, and is provided with an outer edge rib 511 on its outer edge that protrudes downward on the ZD by the same length as the height of the annular rib 34 (see FIG. 4(b)). In addition, six support shafts 512 are provided upright on the upper surface of the rotary table 51 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and upright wall portions 513 are provided between the support shafts 512.

[0055] In plan view, the support shafts 512 are generally cylindrical bodies erected from the radial center of the turntable 51, and six of them are provided at equal intervals around the circumference of the turntable 51. The support shafts 512 configured in this manner can have the rotating rollers 52 attached from the upper side ZU.

[0056] In plan view, the rotating roller 52 has a diameter slightly smaller than the width (radial length) of the turntable 51 and is generally cylindrical with a height generally equal to the width of the cable 10. A recess into which the support shaft 512 can be inserted is provided on the lower side ZD of the rotating roller 52. By placing the rotating roller 52 over the support shaft 512, the rotating roller 52 configured in this manner can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise around a rotation axis along the support shaft 512 as the center of rotation.

[0057] The upright wall portion 513 is a wall that stands upright from the rotary table 51 between the support shafts 512, and has a guide surface 53 that faces the rotating rollers 52 attached to the support shafts 512 at a predetermined circumferential distance. 4(a), the guide surface 53 is an arc-shaped plane curved along the outer circumferential surface of the rotating roller 52. That is, the curvature of the guide surface 53 is the same as the curvature of the rotating roller 52.

[0058] The retainer 50 configured in this manner is placed on the fixed-side ring plate 321. Therefore, it can rotate relative to the first housing portion 30 in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions around the rotation center axis R in a plan view, without being affected by the rotation of the rotator 31 that accompanies the rotation operation of the handle 820.

[0059] The second accommodating section 40, which is stacked on the lower side ZD of the first accommodating section 30, is a accommodating member that is generally annular in plan view and has a second accommodating space S2 that accommodates the second cable 12, which is the other end side of the first cable 11 accommodated in the first accommodating section 30. As shown in Fig. 5 , the second accommodating section 40 is composed of a accommodating section main body 41 that accommodates the second cable 12, and an outlet section 42 that leads out the other end of the second cable 12.

[0060] 5(a) and 5(b), the accommodating section main body 41 is composed of an outlet-side ring plate 411 having an annular shape in a plan view, an outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 standing upright from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411, and an outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 standing upright from the inner peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411. The outlet-side ring plate 411, the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412, and the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413, together with the inner peripheral wall portion 312, form a second accommodating space S2 that accommodates the second cable 12 formed by spirally winding a portion of the cable 10.

[0061] 5(a), the output-side ring plate 411 is an annular ring plate in plan view, having an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the fixed-side ring plate 321 and an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the fixed-side ring plate 321. More specifically, the inner diameter of the output-side ring plate 411 is slightly longer than the length from the rotation center axis R to the radially inner end of the stator-side through-hole 35 provided in the rotation-side ring plate 311 in plan view.

[0062] The outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 standing upward from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411 is a cylindrical outer peripheral wall, and is disposed on the lower side ZD of the outer peripheral wall portion 322. The outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 configured in this manner is provided with a lower slit 43, through which the cable 10 can be inserted, at a position corresponding to the outlet portion 42.

[0063] The lower slit 43 has a width slightly larger than the thickness of the cable 10, and is formed by cutting out the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 in the axial direction Z along the tangential direction of the outlet-side ring plate 411 in a plan view. The lower slit 43 configured in this manner can guide the other end of the second cable 12, which is wound around the inner peripheral surface of the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412, to the outlet portion 42.

[0064] The outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 is a cylindrical inner circumferential wall that stands upward ZU from the inner circumferential edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411 and has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve 33. In other words, the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 is configured so that the sleeve 33 can be inserted therethrough in the axial direction Z. As shown in FIG. 5(a) , the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 configured in this manner is provided with a holding portion 44 that holds the cable 10 inserted through the stator-side through-hole 35.

[0065] The retaining portion 44 protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the outlet-side inner wall 413 at a position corresponding to the radially inner end of the stator-side through-hole 35, straddling the inner surface of the outlet-side inner wall 413, and has an inner slit 441 through which the cable 10 that has been bent and redirected to the downward side ZD is inserted.

[0066] The inner slit 441 is a slit having openings on the upper side ZU and the radially outer side. That is, the inner slit 441 communicates with the stator-side through-hole 35 and the second accommodating space S2. The inner slit 441 configured in this manner can hold the bent portion of the cable 10 that is further bent radially outward, of the cable 10 that is bent toward the downward side ZD, and can guide the cable 10 into the second accommodating space S2.

[0067] Further, the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 is provided with a leaf spring member 60 that applies a radially outward biasing force to the cable 10 housed in the second housing space S2 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 6, the flat spring component 60 is made up of a spring shaft portion 61 and four spring projections 62 projecting from the spring shaft portion 61.

[0068] The spring shaft portion 61 is a cylindrical body configured to be fitted onto the outside of the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413. When the spring shaft portion 61 is fitted onto the outside of the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413, a spring-side slit 611 through which the cable 10 can be inserted is provided at a position corresponding to the inner slit 441.

[0069] The spring protrusions 62 are elastic metal spring members. More specifically, the spring protrusions 62 are protrusions that protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the spring shaft portion 61 so as to be inclined counterclockwise in a plan view, and are provided at four locations at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical spring shaft portion 61. The tip portions of the spring protrusions 62 are arc-shaped and curve radially inward as they approach the tip.

[0070] The spring protrusion 62 configured in this manner elastically deforms in the radial direction, with the connecting portion with the spring shaft portion 61 as a fulcrum. That is, the spring protrusion 62 can apply a biasing force in the radially outward direction by applying an external force in the radially inward direction.

[0071] 5(a), the lead-out portion 42 is a hollow housing that protrudes from the rear side YB of the lead-out-side outer peripheral wall 412 toward the left side XL in a plan view, and is disposed on the lower side ZD of the harness lead-out portion 323. Further, a direction changing roller 45 is provided inside the lead-out portion 42 to change the direction of the other end of the cable 10 that has been inserted through the lower slit 43 toward the lower side ZD.

[0072] In detail, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the outlet portion 42 has a pair of first wall portions 421 protruding from the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 to the left side XL, a second wall portion 422 connecting the ends of the pair of first wall portions 421 on the left side XL, and a partition wall 423 facing the second wall portions 422.

[0073] The first wall portion 421 is a wall configured to be longer in the axial direction Z than the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412, and extends from the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 in the first direction X. The upper end of the first wall portion 421 is flush with the upper end of the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412. That is, the first wall portion 421 slightly protrudes downward ZD beyond the accommodating portion main body 41. The length in the first direction X of the first wall portion 421 arranged on the far side YB is longer than the length in the first direction X of the harness outlet portion 323. The first wall portions 421 configured in this manner are provided in pairs in the second direction Y so as to be flush with the main surfaces of the corresponding harness lead-out portions 323 .

[0074] The second wall portion 422 is a wall having the same height as the first wall portion 421, and connects the ends of the paired first wall portion 421 on the left side XL. The second wall portion 422 has a main surface along the second direction Y.

[0075] The partition wall 423 is a partition wall facing the second wall portion 422 across a predetermined gap in the first direction X, and connects the right side XR of the pair of first wall portions 421 in the second direction Y. A slit having the same shape as the lower slit 43 is provided at the end of the rear side YB of the partition wall 423, and the cable 10 inserted through the lower slit 43 can be guided to the left side XL.

[0076] The lead-out portion 42, which is thus constituted by the first wall portion 421, the second wall portion 422, and the partition wall 423, has a space formed therein for redirecting the second cable 12 led out from the second accommodating space S2 toward the downward side ZD. The lead-out portion 42 also has a lead-out opening 424 for leading out the cable 10 to the downward side ZD. The upper side ZU of the lead-out portion 42 can be covered with a cover (not shown).

[0077] 5(c), the direction-changing roller 45 provided inside the lead-out portion 42 is a member for winding the cable 10 around it and guiding the cable 10 to the downward side ZD. More specifically, the direction-changing roller 45 is integrally formed of a connecting shaft portion 451 that straddles the opposing second wall portion 422 and the partition wall 423, and a cylindrical portion 452 provided in the center of the connecting shaft portion 451.

[0078] The connecting shaft 451 is a thin rod-shaped body that connects the second wall 422 and the partition wall 423 so as to straddle the central portions of these walls in the second direction Y, and is inclined toward the downward side ZD as it extends toward the left side XL. Both ends of the connecting shaft 451 configured in this manner are rotatably held by the second wall 422 and the partition wall 423, respectively.

[0079] The columnar portion 452 is a cylindrical body having a sufficient height relative to the width of the cable 10, and the connecting shaft portion 451 passes through the center of the circular bottom surface in the height direction. That is, like the connecting shaft portion 451, the columnar portion 452 is inclined toward the downward side ZD as it extends toward the left side XL.

[0080] The first accommodating section 30 and the second accommodating section 40 configured in this manner are stacked in the axial direction Z in a state in which the first cable 11 and the second cable 12, which are parts of the cable 10, are accommodated in the first accommodating space S1 and the second accommodating space S2, as described above. The cable 10 accommodated in the first accommodating space S1 and the second accommodating space S2 will be briefly described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0081] 7(a), the first cable 11 accommodated in the first accommodation space S1 is wound clockwise in a plan view around the outer circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 312 so that the width of the three overlapping flexible flat cables 10x is aligned along the axial direction Z. Furthermore, each flexible flat cable 10x wound around the inner circumferential wall portion 312 is inserted between the rotating roller 52 and the guide surface 53 at equal intervals, rewound, and wound counterclockwise around the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential wall portion 322 so as to overlap.

[0082] Here, the portion wound around the inner circumferential wall portion 312 is referred to as the first inner wound portion 111, and the portion wound counterclockwise along the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential wall portion 322 is referred to as the first outer wound portion 112. The portion inserted between the rotating roller 52 and the guide surface 53 and wound back is referred to as the first wound back portion 113.

[0083] One end of the first cable 11 wound and accommodated in the first accommodation space S1 is coupled to the rotator-side connector accommodation portion 313. That is, one end of the first cable 11 is held by the rotator 31. This allows the cable 11 and the external device to be electrically connected by connecting the connector of an electric wire connected to the electrical circuit of the external device mounted on the handle 820 to the rotator-side connector accommodation portion 313.

[0084] The other end of the first outer wound portion 112 wound around the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential wall portion 322 is bent toward the downward side ZD and is inserted into the upper slit 36 ​​and accommodated inside the harness guide-out portion 323. The other end of the first cable 11 is held in the upper slit 36.

[0085] Furthermore, the cable 10 whose direction has been changed toward the downward side ZD is further bent along the radial direction, and the other end side is further bent toward the downward side ZD by a length from the bending position along the stator-side through hole 35 (see FIG. 2). Of the cable 10 bent in two stages in this way, the radial portion is routed along the stator-side through hole 35 so as to follow the stator-side through hole 35, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0086] Furthermore, the cable 10 bent toward the downward side ZD is further bent toward the radially outward side and inserted into the inner slit 441 (see FIGS. 2, 7(b), and 8). That is, the cable 10 is held by the holding portion 44. The cable 10 held by the holding portion 44 in this manner is guided from the radially inner end of the stator-side through-hole 35 toward the inner slit 441, and extends from the inner slit 441 toward the second accommodating space S2. Here, the portion of the cable 10 that is routed along the stator-side through-hole 35 and held by the holding portion 44 is referred to as an intermediate portion 13.

[0087] 8, the cable 10 (second cable 12) extending from the inner slit 441 toward the second accommodating space S2 is wound counterclockwise in plan view along the inner circumferential surface of the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 so as to abut against the outer surface of the spring projection 62. The main surface of the second cable 12 wound around the spring projection 62 in this manner presses the spring projection 62 radially inward. As a result, the spring projection 62 bends radially inward with the connection portion with the spring shaft 61 as a fulcrum, and a biasing force radially outward is generated in the spring projection 62.

[0088] The other end of the second cable 12 wound in the second housing space S2 is inserted into the downward slit 43 and guided into the outlet portion 42. The second cable 12 guided into the outlet portion 42 in this manner is wound so that its main surface abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 452. This allows the second cable 12 to be redirected toward the downward side ZD, and the cable 10 can be guided to the downward side ZD from the outlet 424. Here, the portion of the cable 10 guided from the outlet portion 42 toward the downward side ZD is referred to as the base-end cable 14.

[0089] In addition, the end of the base-end cable 14 is provided with a base-end connector 141 that can be connected to an equipment-side connector 831 provided on a wire harness 830 connected to electrical equipment (not shown) installed in the vehicle (see Figure 2).

[0090] The main shaft portion 810 is inserted from the lower side ZD into the cable winding device 1 that accommodates a portion of the cable 10 in this manner, and the handle 820 is engaged with the rotator 31 from the upper side ZU with the handle-side connector 821 of the handle 820 connected to the rotator-side connector accommodating portion 313. As a result, with the handle 820 engaged with the rotator 31, the handle 820 and the main shaft portion 810 are connected to each other, and the stator 32 can be fixed to the shaft insertion portion through which the main shaft portion 810 is inserted. Then, by connecting the base end connector 141 to the device-side connector 831, the electric devices in the vehicle and the handle 820 can be electrically connected.

[0091] The cable winding device 1 connected to the main shaft portion 810 and the handle 820 in this manner can rotate the rotator 31 and the sleeve 33 relative to the stator 32 fixed to the shaft insertion portion in accordance with the rotation of the handle 820.

[0092] The cable winding device 1 configured with the cable 10 accommodated in this manner and the housing 20 that accommodates the cable 10 can accommodate not only the sliding movement in the axial direction Z of the handle 820 attached to the cable winding device 1, but also the rotational movement about the rotation center axis R along the axial direction Z. Furthermore, the cable winding device 1 can be configured compactly in the axial direction Z, and can smoothly pull out and wind up the base-end side cable 14, and can also smoothly wind up the base-end side cable 14.

[0093] For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the handle 820 is slid upward from a predetermined position to the upper side ZU, the base-end cable 14 led out from the lead-out port 424 to the lower side ZD is pulled out. More specifically, by sliding the handle 820 upward from a predetermined position ZU, a tensile force acts on the proximal cable 14, pulling the proximal cable 14 downward ZD (see FIG. 9(a)). The tensile force acting on the proximal cable 14 in this manner is transmitted through the cable 10 and acts on the second cable 12, causing the second cable 12 to be pulled out from the second housing space S2 toward the lead-out portion 42. At this time, the second cable 12, which is spirally wound in the second housing space S2, deforms so as to reduce its diameter in plan view, as shown in FIG. 9(b), and the second cable 12 is smoothly pulled out from the second housing space S2 toward the lead-out portion 42. Therefore, the cable 10 is pulled out from the lead-out portion 42 toward the downward side ZD.

[0094] Furthermore, inside the lead-out portion 42, the second cable 12 inclines toward the downward side ZD as it extends toward the left side XL, and is wound around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion 452 that is assembled so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the connecting shaft portion 451. Therefore, when the base-end cable 14 is pulled out from the lead-out portion 42, the cylindrical portion 452 rotates, and the second cable 12 is smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside of the accommodating body 41, and the pulling direction of the second cable 12 can be easily changed from the left side XL to the downward side ZD. Furthermore, when the second cable 12 is pulled out, the cylindrical portion 452 around which the main surface of the second cable 12 is wound rotates, and therefore, sliding between the cylindrical portion 452 and the second cable 12 prevents the second cable 12 from rubbing against each other and becoming worn.

[0095] In addition, as the second cable 12 is drawn out toward the lead-out portion 42, the second cable 12, which has been reduced in diameter in the second accommodating space S2, comes into contact with the spring protrusion 62, and the spring protrusion 62 is further pressed radially inward (see FIG. 9(b)). Therefore, a larger biasing force acts on the spring protrusion 62.

[0096] On the other hand, when the handle 820 is slid downward ZD from the predetermined position, the tensile force acting on the base-side cable 14 is relaxed. Therefore, the second cable 12 is pressed radially outward by the biasing force of the spring projection 62 acting on the second cable 12, and the second cable 12 wound in a spiral shape in the second accommodating space S2 expands in diameter (see FIG. 10(b)). As a result, the second cable 12 is wound into the second accommodating space S2, and the base-side cable 14 led out from the lead-out portion 42 is housed in the lead-out portion 42.

[0097] At this time, similar to when the cable 10 is pulled out, the base-end cable 14 is pulled back from the lead-out portion 42, causing the cylindrical portion 452 to rotate. This allows the second cable 12 to be smoothly pulled in from the outside toward the inside of the accommodating body 41, and the direction in which the second cable 12 is pulled in can be easily changed from the upward side ZU to the right side XR. Furthermore, pulling back the second cable 12 causes the cylindrical portion 452, around which the main surface of the second cable 12 is wound, to rotate, which prevents the second cable 12 from sliding against the cylindrical portion 452, causing the second cable 12 to rub against and wear out.

[0098] In this way, the cable winding device 1 is pulled out from or wound up in the second housing 40 in response to the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z, and therefore the length of the base-end side cable 14 can be adjusted in response to the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z. Therefore, the cable winding device 1 can maintain an electrical connection state between the electric devices in the vehicle and the handle 820.

[0099] 11 , when the handle 820 fixed to the rotator 31 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view, the rotator 31 rotates counterclockwise in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 820. At this time, the first rewinding portion 113 pulls the rotating roller 52 counterclockwise, and one end of the first cable 11 is further wound around the inner circumferential wall portion 312. This causes the retainer 50 to rotate counterclockwise, and the first outer winding portion 112 wound around the outer circumferential wall portion 322 is unwound into the first inner winding portion 111 as the rotating roller 52 rotates.

[0100] Similarly, when the handle 820 is rotated clockwise in a plan view, the rotator 31 rotates clockwise in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 820. At this time, the first rewound portion 113 is pressed against the guide surface 53, so that the retainer 50 rotates clockwise and the first inner wound portion 111 wound around the inner circumferential wall portion 312 is unwound. Then, due to the clockwise rotation of the retainer 50, the unwound first inner wound portion 111 is wound around the outer circumferential wall portion 322 in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating roller 52.

[0101] In this way, in the cable winding device 1, the first cable 11 is wound tight or loose in the first accommodation space S1 in response to the rotation of the handle 820, and can follow the rotation of the handle 820.

[0102] In this way, the cable winding device 1 functions as a handle power supply device 2 that can supply power from the main body to the handle 820. Furthermore, in response to the sliding movement of the handle 820, the second housing section 40 can pull out and wind up the cable 10, and in response to the rotational movement of the handle 820, the first housing section 30 can make the cable 10 follow the rotational movement of the handle 820.

[0103] Furthermore, since the cable winding device 1 is assembled such that the first accommodating section 30 and the second accommodating section 40 are stacked in the axial direction Z, the cable winding device 1 can be configured to be compact when viewed in a plan view.

[0104] The cable winding device 1 described above is configured to be able to smoothly pull out and wind up the cable 10 by accommodating the leaf spring member 60 inside the second accommodating section 40, but the configuration for winding up the cable 10 is not limited to this. For example, a spring material that is spiral in plan view, such as a power spring, may be used instead of the leaf spring member 60.

[0105] Second Embodiment 12 to 15, a cable winding device 1a that uses a spiral spring 60a, which is a spring material that is spiral in plan view, as a configuration for winding up a cable 10. In the following description of the cable winding device 1a, the same components as those in the cable winding device 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] Here, Fig. 12 shows a schematic perspective view of the retainer 50 and the spiral spring 60a provided in the second housing portion 40a as viewed from the lower side ZD, and Fig. 13 shows an explanatory diagram of the second housing portion 40a in which the second cable 12 is housed. Figs. 14 and 15 show explanatory diagrams of the second housing portion 40a in which the second cable 12 is housed when the handle 820 is slid.

[0107] Fig. 13(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40a with the second cable 12 housed therein, and Fig. 13(b) shows a schematic plan view of the spiral spring 60a provided in the second housing section 40a in Fig. 13(a). Fig. 14(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40a with the second cable 12 housed therein when the handle 820 is moved to the upper side ZU, and Fig. 14(b) shows a schematic plan view of the spiral spring 60a provided in the second housing section 40a in Fig. 14(a). Fig. 15(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40a with the second cable 12 housed therein when the handle 820 is moved to the lower side ZD, and Fig. 15(b) shows a schematic plan view of the spiral spring 60a provided in the second housing section 40a in Fig. 15(a).

[0108] In Figures 13(b), 14(b) and 15(b), in order to clearly illustrate the spiral spring 60a, the retainer 50 and the second cable 12 are shown with dashed lines, thereby illustrating the retainer 50 and the second cable 12 in a transparent state.

[0109] The cable winding device 1a has substantially the same shape as the cable winding device 1, except that the second accommodating section 40a constitutes the accommodating body 20 instead of the second accommodating section 40. As shown in Fig. 12, the second accommodating section 40a is provided with a retainer 50a and a spiral spring 60a instead of the leaf spring member 60 in the second accommodating space S2.

[0110] The retainer 50a has the same shape as the retainer 50, except for the width (radial length) of the rotary table 51. More specifically, the retainer 50a is composed of a rotary table 51a placed on the outlet-side ring plate 411, and a plurality of rotating rollers 52 that can rotate on their own axes while being supported by the rotary table 51a.

[0111] The rotary table 51a is a plate-like body having an annular shape in plan view, and has the same shape as the rotary table 51 except for its radial width. As shown in Fig. 12, a spiral spring 60a having a spiral shape in plan view is provided on the lower side ZD of the rotary table 51a.

[0112] The spiral spring 60a is a so-called power spring formed by winding a highly elastic metal strip counterclockwise in a plan view (see FIGS. 12 and 13(b)). One end of the spiral spring 60a is fastened to the outer edge rib 511, and the other end of the spiral spring 60a is fastened to the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412.

[0113] In the second accommodating section 40a thus provided with the retainer 50a and the spiral spring 60a, the second cable 12 is wound in a spiral shape and stored in the second accommodating space S2, similar to the first cable 11 stored in the first accommodating space S1, as shown in Figure 13(a).

[0114] More specifically, the cable 10 extending from the inner slit 441 toward the second housing space S2 is wound clockwise in a plan view around the outer peripheral surface of the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 so that the width of the three overlapping flexible flat cables 10x is aligned along the axial direction Z. Furthermore, each flexible flat cable 10x wound around the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 is inserted between the rotating roller 52 and the guide surface 53 at equal intervals, rewound, and then wound counterclockwise around the inner peripheral surface of the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 in an overlapping state.

[0115] Here, the portion of the second cable 12 that is wound clockwise around the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 is referred to as the second inner wound portion 121, and the portion that is wound counterclockwise along the inner peripheral surface of the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 is referred to as the second outer wound portion 122. The portion that is inserted between the rotating roller 52 and the guide surface 53 and wound back is referred to as the second wound back portion 123 (see FIG. 13(a)).

[0116] 13(b), when the second cable 12 is wound around the retainer 50a, the spiral spring 60a is wound in a counterclockwise spiral shape in a plan view, connecting the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 and the outer edge rib 511. Therefore, the spiral spring 60a can bias the retainer 50a in the circumferential direction in response to the relative rotation of the retainer 50a with respect to the outlet-side ring plate 411.

[0117] The other end of the second wound portion 123 wound around the inner circumferential surface of the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413 is inserted into the lower slit 43 and guided into the outlet portion 42, similar to the cable winding device 1. The second cable 12 guided into the outlet portion 42 is then wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 452, thereby changing its direction to extend from the left side XL toward the lower side ZD, and can be led out of the outlet 424 to the lower side ZD.

[0118] The cable winding device 1a configured in this manner has the same effects as the cable winding device 1. For example, when the handle 820 is slid upward ZU from a predetermined position, the base-end cable 14 is pulled out from the lead-out portion 42. That is, the second cable 12 is pulled out from the second housing space S2 toward the lead-out portion 42. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14( a), the second rewinding portion 123 pulls the rotating roller 52 counterclockwise, causing the retainer 50 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the second inner winding portion 121 wound around the lead-out side inner circumferential wall 413 is unwound to the second outer winding portion 122 as the rotating roller 52 rotates.

[0119] 14(b), the retainer 50a is rotated counterclockwise in this manner, whereby the spiral spring 60a is wound tight, and a biasing force in the clockwise direction is generated in the retainer 50a.

[0120] On the other hand, when the handle 820 is slid downward ZD from the predetermined position, the tension acting on the base-side cable 14 is relaxed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15( a), the retainer 50 rotates clockwise due to the biasing force acting on the spiral spring 60a. This clockwise rotation of the retainer 50 causes the rotating roller 52 to press the second rewound portion 123 of the second cable 12 between the second inner wound portion 121 and the second outer wound portion 122 in the clockwise direction. As a result, the retainer 50 rotates clockwise, and the second inner wound portion 121 is wound around the outlet-side inner circumferential wall 413. As a result, the second outer wound portion 122 along the inner circumferential surface of the outlet-side outer circumferential wall 412 is also wound, and the second cable 12 is pulled into the second housing space S2. Therefore, the second cable 12 can be rewound into the second housing space S2.

[0121] In this way, similar to the cable winding device 1, the cable winding device 1a functions as a handle power supply device 2 that can supply power from the vehicle body to the handle 820. Furthermore, the cable winding device 1a can wind or pull out the cable 10 in the second housing portion 40 in response to the sliding movement of the handle 820, and can make the cable 10 follow the rotational movement of the handle 820 in the first housing portion 30 in response to the rotational movement of the handle 820.

[0122] In the cable winding devices 1, 1a configured as described above, the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 are configured as a single unit, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, as shown in Fig. 16, a connecting portion 15 that connects the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 may be provided between the first cable 11 and the second cable 12, i.e., at a location corresponding to the intermediate portion 13.

[0123] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the connecting portion 15 is composed of a first connector 151 connected to the other end of the first cable 11 and a second connector 152 connected to one end of the second cable 12.

[0124] The first connector 151 is a connector that connects to the conductor of the first cable 11 along the first direction X, and includes an L-shaped bus bar therein that is bent toward the downward side ZD, and has an insertion hole on the lower side into which the second connector 152 can be fitted. The first connector 151 configured in this manner is housed inside the harness lead-out portion 323.

[0125] Note that coupling unit 15 may be configured to electrically and physically couple the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 by connecting connectors or terminals provided at the end of the first cable 11 and the end of the second cable 12. Coupling unit 15 may also be configured to electrically and physically couple the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 by connecting the connectors or terminals provided at the end of the first cable 11 and the end of the second cable 12 to a connector or a bus bar.

[0126] Furthermore, as described above, the cable winding device 1, 1a is configured so that the base-side cable 14 can be pulled out or retracted from the lead-out portion 42 along the axial direction Z, and therefore the base-side cable 14 can be made to follow the sliding movement of the handle 820 along the axial direction Z. However, the base-side cable 14 is not limited to being pulled out or retracted along the axial direction Z, and may be configured so that the base-side cable 14 can be pulled out or retracted, for example, along a first direction X perpendicular to the axial direction Z.

[0127] (Third embodiment) 17 and 18, a cable winding device 1b configured to be able to pull out or rewind the base-end cable 14 along the first direction X will be briefly described below. In the following description of the cable winding device 1b, the same components as those in the above-described cable winding device 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0128] Here, Fig. 17(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the second housing section 40b, and Fig. 17(b) shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40b in which the second cable 12 is housed. Fig. 18(a) shows a schematic plan view of the sheet member 900 to which the cable winding device 1b is attached after sliding, and Fig. 18(a) shows a schematic plan view of the sheet member 900 to which the cable winding device 1b is attached after rotating. In Fig. 18, the cable winding device 1b attached to the lower side ZD of the sheet main body 910 is shown by a dashed line.

[0129] The cable winding device 1b has the same configuration as the cable winding device 1, except that the cable winding device 1b includes a second housing portion 40b instead of the second housing portion 40. 17(a) and 17(b), the second accommodating section 40b is configured with a accommodating section main body 41 that accommodates the second cable 12, and an outlet section 42b that outlets the other end of the second cable 12. A leaf spring member 60 is provided inside the accommodating section main body 41 (second accommodating space S2).

[0130] The lead-out portion 42b is a hollow housing configured so that the other end of the second cable 12 inserted through the downward slit 43 can be led out toward the left side XL, and has substantially the same configuration as the lead-out portion 42. That is, the lead-out portion 42b protrudes from the rear side YB of the lead-out-side outer peripheral wall 412 toward the left side XL, and like the lead-out portion 42, a direction changing roller 45 is provided inside.

[0131] In detail, as shown in FIG. 17(a), the outlet portion 42b has a pair of first wall portions 421 along the first direction X, a second wall portion 422b connecting the ends of the pair of first wall portions 421 on the left side XL, and an end wall 423b facing the second wall portion 422.

[0132] The second wall portion 422b is a wall having the same height as the first wall portion 421, and connects the ends of the paired first wall portion 421 on the left side XL. The second wall portion 422b has a main surface along the second direction Y. The end of the lower side ZD of the second wall portion 422b configured in this manner is provided with an outlet slit 425 through which the cable 10 can be inserted in the first direction X (see FIG. 17(a)).

[0133] The lead-out slit 425 is a concave groove formed by recessing the lower end of the second wall portion 422b by a height substantially equal to the thickness of the cable 10. The length of the lead-out slit 425 in the second direction Y is slightly longer than the width of the cable 10. In other words, the lead-out slit 425 can lead out the cable 10, whose width is aligned in the second direction Y, to the left side XL.

[0134] The end wall 423b is a wall that connects the end portion on the right side XR of the first wall portion 421 disposed on the far side YB to the first wall portion 421 in the second direction Y. The lead-out portion 42b, which is constituted by the first wall portion 421, the second wall portion 422b, and the end wall 423b, has a space formed therein for changing the width direction of the second cable 12 led out from the second accommodating space S2. As shown in Fig. 17(b), a direction changing roller 45 is attached to the space provided inside the lead-out portion 42b.

[0135] The direction changing rollers 45 attached to the outlet portion 42b are attached in a different direction than the direction changing rollers 45 attached to the outlet portion 42. More specifically, the direction changing rollers 45 attached to the outlet portion 42b are integrally formed of a connecting shaft portion 451 that straddles the opposing first wall portions 421 and a cylindrical portion 452 provided in the center of the connecting shaft portion 451, as shown in FIG.

[0136] The connecting shaft 451 is a thin rod-shaped body that connects the first wall portions 421 so as to straddle the central portions of the first wall portions 421 in the second direction Y, and is inclined toward the downward side ZD as it moves toward the front side YA. In addition, both ends of the connecting shaft 451 are held rotatably relative to the opposing first wall portions 421.

[0137] In the second accommodating section 40b configured in this manner, the second cable 12, which is continuous with the first cable 11 that is spirally wound and accommodated in the first accommodating space S1, is spirally wound and accommodated in the second accommodating space S2, similar to the second accommodating section 40. The other end of the second cable 12 that passes through the lower slit 43 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section 452 from the lower side ZD, as shown in FIG.

[0138] By winding the cable 10 led out from the second accommodating space S2 around the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 452 configured in this manner, the width direction of the cable 10 along the rotation center axis R (axial direction Z) can be changed to be along the second direction Y. Then, the other end of the second cable 12, whose width direction has been changed to be along the second direction Y, can be led out from the lead-out slit 425 to the left side XL. That is, just as the cable 10 (base-end-side cable 14) whose width direction is along the first direction X is pulled out or wound in the axial direction Z in the cable winding device 1, 1a, the cable 10 (base-end-side cable 14) whose width direction is along the second direction Y can be pulled out or wound in the first direction X in the cable winding device 1b.

[0139] The cable winding device 1b configured in this manner can be attached to a sheet member 900, for example, as shown in FIG. Here, as shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the seat member 900 is composed of a seat body 910 which is the seat portion, a pair of rails 920 extending along the first direction X, and a connecting member 930 which rotatably connects the seat body 910 and is configured to be able to slide along the rails 920.

[0140] The rotator 31 is then connected and fixed to the surface of the lower side ZD of the seat main body 910, and the stator 32 and the second accommodating portion 40 are fixed to the connecting member 930. That is, the seat main body 910 and the connecting member 930 can be connected via the cable winding device 1b. Note that the rotator-side connector accommodating portion 313 of the cable winding device 1b is connected to a connector (not shown) of an electric wire connected to an electric circuit of an external device such as a heater provided in the seat member 900. Also, the base-end connector 141 provided at the tip of the base-end cable 14 is connected to a main body-side connector 941 of a seat-side harness 940 connected to electric devices (not shown) mounted on the vehicle.

[0141] 18(a), as the sheet member 900 slides in the first direction X, the base-end cable 14 can be pulled out or wound up. Also, as shown in FIG. 18(b), in response to the rotation of the sheet member 900 about the rotation center axis R, the rotator 31 can be rotated relative to the stator 32 fixed to the connecting member 930. As a result, the sheet member 900 can be rotated about the rotation center axis R along the axial direction Z as the rotation axis.

[0142] In this way, the cable winding device 1b functions as a sheet power supply device 3 that can supply power from the main body to the sheet member 900, and in response to the sliding movement of the sheet member 900, the second storage section 40 winds and pulls out the cable 10, and in response to the rotational movement of the sheet member 900, the first storage section 30 can cause the cable 10 to follow the rotational movement of the handle 820.

[0143] Furthermore, in the cable winding device 1, 1a, the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40, 40a are assembled together so as to be stacked in the axial direction Z, and the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40, 40a are slid along the axial direction Z together with the handle 820. However, the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40, 40a do not necessarily have to be configured as an integral unit.

[0144] (Fourth embodiment) The second housing portion 40c capable of adjusting the distance from the first housing portion 30 and the cable winding device 1c using the second housing portion 40c will be briefly described below with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. In the following description of the second housing portion 40c and the cable winding device 1c, the same components as those of the second housing portions 40, 40a and the cable winding devices 1, 1a will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0145] Fig. 19 shows a schematic perspective view of the housing body 20c, and Fig. 20 shows a schematic plan view of the second housing section 40c housing the second cable 12. In Fig. 19, the second housing section 40c stacked on the first housing section 30c is shown by a dashed line, and the second housing section 40c slid upward ZU relative to the first housing section 30c is shown by a solid line.

[0146] The cable winding device 1c includes, instead of the housing 20 in the cable winding device 1, a housing 20c that is configured with a first housing section 30c and a second housing section 40c that are configured as separate bodies. The first housing portion 30c has the same configuration as the first housing portion 30 except that the harness outlet portion 323 protrudes further from the left side XL, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0147] The second storage portion 40c is composed of a storage portion main body 41c corresponding to the storage portion main body 41 and an outlet portion 42c corresponding to the outlet portion 42. Like the accommodating body 41, the accommodating body 41c is composed of an outlet-side ring plate 411c that is annular in plan view, an outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 that stands upward on the upper side ZU from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411c, and an outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 that stands upward on the upper side ZU from the inner peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411c. The outlet-side ring plate 411c, the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412, and the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413, together with the inner peripheral wall portion 312, form a second accommodating space S2 that accommodates the second cable 12 around which a portion of the cable 10 is wound. The outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413 is provided with a leaf spring member 60 that applies a biasing force radially outward to the cable 10 accommodated in the second accommodating space S2.

[0148] The outlet-side ring plate 411c is provided with a stator-side connector accommodating portion 414 that functions as a connector and protrudes downward toward the downward side ZD from a position corresponding to the holding portion 44. The stator-side connector accommodating portion 414 is an accommodating portion that accommodates a connector attached to the other end of the second cable 12 accommodated in the second accommodating space S2, and can be connected to an apparatus-side connector 831 provided at the end of the wire harness 830.

[0149] The holding portion 44 provided on the outlet-side ring plate 411c is configured to be able to hold the base-end connector 141 attached to the other end of the cable 10 in place of the inner slit 441. The holding portion 44 configured in this manner can electrically connect the device-side connector 831 connected to the stator-side connector housing portion 414 and the base-end connector 141.

[0150] The outlet portion 42c has substantially the same shape as the outlet portion 42, except that the attachment direction of the direction change roller 45 is different. The direction change roller 45 attached inside the outlet portion 42c is a member for winding the cable 10 to change the direction of the cable 10, and is integrally formed of a connecting shaft portion 451 that straddles the opposing second wall portion 422 and partition wall 423, and a cylindrical portion 452 provided in the central portion of the connecting shaft portion 451.

[0151] The connecting shaft 451 attached to the outlet portion 42c is a thin rod-shaped body that connects the second wall portion 422 and the partition wall 423 so as to straddle the central portions of these walls in the second direction Y, and is inclined toward the upper side ZU as it extends toward the left side XL. Both ends of the connecting shaft 451 configured in this manner are rotatably held by the second wall portion 422 and the partition wall 423, respectively.

[0152] In the housing body 20c constituted by the first housing portion 30c and the second housing portion 40c, the first cable 11 housed in the first housing space S1 extends downwardly from the harness outlet portion 323. The cable 10 (middle portion 13) led out from the harness outlet portion 323 is guided from the upper side ZU to the outlet portion 42c, and is redirected to the right side XR where it is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 452 (see FIG. 18).

[0153] The cable 10, which has been redirected to the right side XR, is inserted through the lower slit 43 and introduced into the second storage space S2, where it abuts against the outer surface of the spring protrusion 62 and is wound in a spiral shape clockwise in plan view along the inner surface of the outlet side inner wall 413 so that the other end gradually becomes radially inward.

[0154] Furthermore, the base-end connector 141 attached to the other end of the cable 10 can be held by the holding portion 44 and electrically connected to the device-side connector 831 connected to the stator-side connector housing portion 414. This allows electrical devices connected to the wire harness 830 to be electrically connected to the cable 10. The second housing portion 40 is fixed to the location where the wire harness 830 is routed.

[0155] The second cable 12 wound in a spiral shape and accommodated in the second accommodating space S2 presses the spring projection 62 radially inward in the second accommodating space S2, so that the spring projection 62 can be bent radially inward with the connection point with the spring shaft 61 as a fulcrum. As a result, a biasing force is generated in the spring projection 62 radially outward.

[0156] In the cable winding device 1c configured in this manner, for example, by sliding the handle 820 connected to the rotator 31 upward from a predetermined position toward the upper side ZU, a tensile force acts on the intermediate portion 13. The tensile force acting on the intermediate portion 13 in this manner is transmitted through the cable 10 and acts on the second cable 12, causing the second cable 12 to be pulled out from the second accommodating space S2 toward the outlet portion 42. At this time, the second cable 12 wound in a spiral shape in the second accommodating space S2 deforms so as to reduce its diameter in a plan view, and the second cable 12 is smoothly pulled out from the second accommodating space S2 toward the outlet portion 42. Therefore, the cable 10 is pulled out from the outlet portion 42 toward the upper side ZU.

[0157] Furthermore, inside the lead-out portion 42, the second cable 12 inclines toward the upper side ZU as it extends toward the left side XL, and is wound around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion 452 that is assembled so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the connecting shaft portion 451. Therefore, when the intermediate portion 13 is pulled out from the lead-out portion 42, the cylindrical portion 452 rotates, allowing the second cable 12 to be smoothly pulled out from the second accommodating space S2 and easily changing the direction in which the second cable 12 is pulled out from the left side XL to the axial direction Z. Furthermore, when the second cable 12 is pulled out, the cylindrical portion 452 around which the main surface of the second cable 12 is wound rotates, and therefore, sliding between the cylindrical portion 452 and the second cable 12 prevents the second cable 12 from rubbing against each other and becoming worn.

[0158] On the other hand, when the handle 820, which has been slid upward ZU, is then slid downward ZD, the tensile force acting on the intermediate portion 13 is relaxed. As a result, the biasing force of the spring projection 62 acting on the second cable 12 presses the second cable 12 radially outward so as to expand its diameter. As a result, the second cable 12 is wound in the second housing space S2, and the intermediate portion 13, which has been led out from the lead-out portion 42, is housed in the lead-out portion 42. In this way, the cable winding device 1c can maintain an electrical connection between the electric devices in the vehicle and the handle 820 in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z.

[0159] At this time, similar to when the cable 10 is pulled out, the cylindrical portion 452 rotates as the intermediate portion 13 is pulled back from the lead-out portion 42, allowing the second cable 12 to be smoothly pulled into the second housing space S2 and the direction in which the second cable 12 is pulled in to be easily changed from the upper side ZU to the right side XR. Furthermore, pulling back the second cable 12 rotates the cylindrical portion 452 around which the main surface of the second cable 12 is wound, so that the cylindrical portion 452 and the second cable 12 slide against each other, preventing the second cable 12 from rubbing against each other and wearing out.

[0160] Furthermore, in the above-described cable winding device 1, the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40 are integrally assembled so as to be stacked in the axial direction Z, and the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40 are slid along the axial direction Z together with the handle 820. However, the first accommodating portion 30 and the second accommodating portion 40 do not necessarily have to be stacked in the axial direction Z.

[0161] Fifth Embodiment 21 to 23, a cable winding device 1d in which the second accommodating section 40d is disposed radially outward of the first accommodating section 30 will be described. In the description of the second accommodating section 40d and the cable winding device 1d, the same components as those in the above-described second accommodating sections 40, 40a and cable winding devices 1, 1a will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0162] Fig. 21 shows a schematic perspective view of cable winding device 1d, and Fig. 22 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of cable winding device 1d. Fig. 23(a) shows a schematic plan view of housing 20c, and Fig. 23(b) shows an enlarged view of part b in Fig. 23(a).

[0163] The housing 20d, which together with the cable 10 constitutes the cable winding device 1d, is integrally formed of a first housing section 30d that houses the first cable 11 and a second housing section 40d that is positioned radially outside the first housing section 30d and houses the second cable 12, as shown in Figures 21 and 22.

[0164] 22 and 23(a), the first accommodating portion 30d is composed of a rotator 31 located on the upper side ZU, a stator 32d located on the lower side ZD of the rotator 31, and a sleeve 33 engaged and fixed to the rotator 31 so as to sandwich the stator 32d. A retainer 50 is provided inside the first accommodating portion 30d.

[0165] As shown in Figures 21, 22 and 23(a), the stator 32d is integrally formed of a fixed side ring plate 321d that forms the lower surface of the first accommodating section 30, and an approximately cylindrical outer wall portion 322d that stands upright from the outer peripheral edge of the fixed side ring plate 321d toward the upper side ZU.

[0166] The fixed-side ring plate 321d is part of an annular flat plate that is integral with the outlet-side ring plate 411d, which will be described later. More specifically, the fixed-side ring plate 321d is an annular flat plate that has an inner diameter equal to that of the fixed-side ring plate 321 and an outer diameter that is slightly larger than that of the fixed-side ring plate 321. The fixed-side ring plate 321d has substantially the same structure as the fixed-side ring plate 321, except that the stator-side through-holes 35 are not provided.

[0167] The outer peripheral wall portion 322d is a cylindrical outer peripheral wall that stands on the upper side ZU from the outer peripheral edge of the fixed-side ring plate 321d, and has a thickness greater than the plate thickness of the outer peripheral wall portion 322. The outer peripheral wall portion 322d configured in this manner is provided with an insertion slit 37 through which the cable 10 can be inserted.

[0168] 23(b), the insertion slit 37 is a narrow slit-like passage that curves gently counterclockwise from the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 322d toward the radially outward side, then curves back clockwise, and is formed so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 322d. The insertion slit 37 configured in this manner can sandwich and securely hold the inserted cable 10.

[0169] The second accommodating section 40d, which is arranged radially outside the first accommodating section 30, is composed of an accommodating section main body 41d that accommodates the second cable 12 and an outlet section 42 that outlets the other end of the second cable 12. 23(a), the accommodating body 41d is composed of an outlet-side ring plate 411d that is annular in plan view, an outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 that stands upright from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet-side ring plate 411d, and a ring cover 415d that closes an opening formed on the upper side ZU of the accommodating body 41, and is provided with a retainer 50d inside. The outlet-side ring plate 411d, the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412, and the ring cover 415d, together with the outer peripheral wall portion 322d, form a second accommodating space S2 that accommodates the second cable 12.

[0170] The outlet-side ring plate 411d is part of an annular flat plate formed integrally with the fixed-side ring plate 321d, and is disposed radially outward of the fixed-side ring plate 321d. That is, the outlet-side ring plate 411d is an annular flat plate with a larger diameter than the outlet-side ring plate 411. The outer peripheral wall portion 322d stands at the boundary between the outlet-side ring plate 411d and the fixed-side ring plate 321d.

[0171] The ring cover 415d is a plate-like body that combines an annular flat plate formed in substantially the same shape as the outlet-side ring plate 411d with a flat plate in the same shape as the upper surface of the outlet portion 42, and can close the opening on the upper side ZU of the second accommodating portion 40d. The ring cover 415d is configured to be able to be engaged with the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412.

[0172] The outlet-side ring plate 411d and the outlet-side outer peripheral wall 412 configured in this manner, together with the outer peripheral wall portion 322d corresponding to the outlet-side inner peripheral wall 413, have substantially the same structure as the second accommodating portion 40a. The retainer 50d provided inside the second accommodating portion 40d, which has substantially the same structure as the second accommodating portion 40a, has the same structure as the retainer 50 except for its size. Therefore, a detailed description of the retainer 50d will be omitted. The retainer 50d is connected to the outer peripheral wall portion 322d via the spiral spring 60a.

[0173] The thus configured housing 20d, like housing 20a, can accommodate a first cable 11 wound in a spiral shape in the first housing section 30, and can accommodate a second cable 12 wound in a spiral shape in the second housing section 40d.

[0174] In detail, by routing the other end of the first cable 11 housed in the first storage space S1 through the insertion slit 37, the other end of the first cable 11 is held and the cable 10 can be led out to the second storage space S2 formed radially outside the first storage space S1.

[0175] The cable 10 led out from the insertion slit 37 into the second accommodating space S2 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 322d in a clockwise direction in a plan view in the second accommodating space S2. Then, each flexible flat cable 10x wound around the outer peripheral wall portion 322d is inserted between the rotating roller 52 and the guide surface 53 at equal intervals, rewound, and wound counterclockwise along the inner peripheral surface of the lead-out side outer peripheral wall 412 in an overlapping state.

[0176] The other end of the first cable 11 and one end of the second cable 12 are inserted into the bent insertion slit 37 and are thereby held by the insertion slit 37. Here, in the second accommodating section 40d, the cable 10 held in the insertion slit 37 is referred to as an intermediate section 13.

[0177] The second cable 12 accommodated in the second accommodation space S2 in this manner is inserted through the lower slit 43 and guided into the outlet portion 42. The second cable 12 guided into the outlet portion 42 has its main surface wound around the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 452. As a result, the cable winding device 1d, like the cable winding devices 1 and 1a, can redirect the second cable 12 to the downward side ZD and can guide the cable 10 from the outlet 424 to the downward side ZD.

[0178] In this way, the cable winding device 1d, like the cable winding device 1, can pull out or wind up the cable 10 in the axial direction Z from the outlet portion 42, so that it can follow the rotation of the attachment object attached to the first accommodating portion 30 and accommodate the sliding movement of the attachment object.

[0179] In the above-described embodiment, the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1c, and 1d are used in the steering device 800 to function as the steering wheel power supply device 2. However, the use of the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1c, and 1d is not limited to the steering device 800. For example, by arranging the direction changing roller 45 in the same manner as the cable winding device 1b, the base end cable 14 can be pulled out or wound in the first direction X. Therefore, the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1c, and 1d can be used in the seat member 900 to accommodate the sliding movement of the seat main body 910 in the first direction X. In this way, the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1c, and 1d can function as the seat power supply device 3.

[0180] As described above, the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d each include a ribbon-shaped cable 10 and housings 20, 20a, 20c, and 20d that house the cable 10. The housings 20, 20a, 20c, and 20d each include a first housing section 30, 30c, and 30d that have a first housing space S1 therein and a second housing section 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d that have a second housing space S2 therein. The cable 10 includes a first cable 11 that is housed in the first housing space S1 in a state where at least a portion of the cable 10 is spirally wound, and a second cable 12 that is housed in the second housing space S2 in a state where at least a portion of the cable 10 is spirally wound, and the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 are electrically conductive. The first accommodating sections 30, 30c, and 30d are provided with a rotator 31 that rotates around an axial direction Z along the width direction of the cable 10 while holding one side of the first cable 11. The second accommodating sections 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d are provided with lead-out sections 42, 42b, and 42c that guide the second cable 12 that is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the second accommodating space S2 or wound from the outside to the inside, and the lead-out sections 42, 42b, and 42c are provided with direction-changing rollers 45 that change the orientation of the second cable 12 in the width direction from the axial direction Z to a predetermined first direction X and guide the second cable 12.

[0181] As a result, the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d can accommodate not only the sliding movement but also the rotational movement of the handles 820 and 910 to which they are attached, and can pull out and wind up the cable 10 smoothly. In more detail, in cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d each having a ribbon-shaped cable 10 and a housing 20, 20a, 20c, 20d for housing the cable 10, the housing 20, 20a, 20c, 20d has a first housing section 30, 30c, 30d having a first housing space S1 therein and a second housing section 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d having a second housing space S2 therein.

[0182] The cable 10 includes a first cable 11 that is accommodated in the first accommodation space S1 with at least a portion thereof wound in a spiral shape, and a second cable 12 that is accommodated in the second accommodation space S2 with at least a portion thereof wound in a spiral shape, and the first cable 11 and the second cable 12 are electrically conductive. Furthermore, the first accommodation sections 30, 30c, and 30d are provided with a rotator 31 that rotates about an axial direction Z along the width direction of the cable 10 while holding one side of the first cable 11, and the second accommodation sections 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d are provided with lead-out sections 42, 42b, and 42c that guide the second cable 12 that is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the second accommodation space S2 or wound from the outside to the inside. Therefore, it is possible to accommodate not only the sliding movement of the handle 820 and the seat member 900 to which it is attached, but also the rotational movement.

[0183] In the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d configured in this manner, the lead-out portions 42, 42b, and 42c are provided with direction-changing rollers 45 that guide the second cable 12 by changing the orientation of the band width direction of the second cable 12 from the axial direction Z to the first direction X. Therefore, even if the direction in which the second cable 12 is drawn out of the second accommodating portions 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d is different from the axial direction Z, which is the sliding direction of the attachment target, the direction of the second cable 12 is changed by the direction-changing rollers 45, and the second cable 12 can be smoothly drawn out or wound up.

[0184] Furthermore, the direction changing roller 45 has a cylindrical portion 452 that rotates while being in contact with the main surface of the second cable 12. This allows the direction of the second cable 12 to be changed by the direction changing roller 45 formed by the cylindrical portion 452. At this time, because the cylindrical portion 452 rotates, there is no sliding between the direction changing roller 45 and the second cable 12, and the direction of the second cable 12 can be smoothly changed by the direction changing roller 45, allowing the second cable 12 to be pulled out or wound up more smoothly.

[0185] Furthermore, in a virtual plane (XZ plane) along which the axial direction Z and the first direction X are aligned, the columnar portion 452 rotates about an oblique axis that intersects with the axial direction Z and the first direction X. As a result, even if the angle of the direction changed by the direction changing roller 45 is steep, the columnar portion 452 rotates about the oblique axis, so that the direction can be changed while reducing the load acting on the second cable 12, and the second cable 12 can be smoothly pulled out or wound up.

[0186] In addition, a leaf spring member 60 or a spiral spring 60a that assists in winding up the second cable 12 is provided in the second storage section 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, and the leaf spring member 60 or the spiral spring 60a is made of a spring material that is biased by the pulling out of the second cable 12 and applies a biasing force to the second cable 12 being wound up.

[0187] As a result, the leaf spring member 60 or spiral spring 60a made of a spring material is biased by the sliding of the attachment object, such as the handle 820 or the seat member 900, in the pull-out direction. Then, the second cable 12 is wound and accommodated in the second housing space S2 by the sliding of the attachment object in the winding direction. At this time, the biasing force of the biased leaf spring member 60 or spiral spring 60a acts on the second cable 12 being wound in the second housing space S2. Therefore, the second cable 12 can be wound more smoothly than when the attachment object is slid in the winding direction.

[0188] Furthermore, the handle power supply device 2 uses cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1c, and 1d, and one side of the first cable 11 is connected to an electrical member of the handle 820 that enables sliding and rotating movements, and the end side of the second cable 12 that is guided from the lead-out portions 42, 42b, and 42c is connected to an electrical member on the electricity supply source side, and the rotator 31 is connected to the handle 820. This allows electricity to be supplied while responding to the rotating movement as well as the sliding movement of the handle 820, and can be configured compactly.

[0189] Furthermore, the seat power supply device 3 uses a cable winding device 1b, and one side of the first cable 11 is connected to an electric member of the seat member 900 that enables sliding and rotating movements, and the end side of the second cable 12 that is guided from the lead-out portion 42b is connected to an electric member on the electricity supply source side, and the rotator 31 is connected to the seat member 900. This allows electricity to be supplied while responding to the rotating movement as well as the sliding movement of the seat member 900, and can be configured compactly.

[0190] Furthermore, in the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, the first accommodating portions 30, 30c, 30d and the second accommodating portions 40, 40a, 40b, 40c are arranged along the axial direction Z. This allows the size to be made more compact when viewed from the axial direction Z than when one of the first accommodating portions 30, 30c and the second accommodating portions 40, 40a, 40b, 40c is arranged on the inner diameter side and the other is arranged on the outer diameter side. This allows for space saving.

[0191] Meanwhile, in the cable winding device 1d, the second housing portion 40d is disposed on the outer diameter side of the first housing portion 30d, and is provided with an insertion slit 37 that holds the boundary portion between the first cable 11 and the second cable 12. This allows the size in the axial direction Z to be made more compact than when the first housing portion 30d and the second housing portion 40d are disposed along the axial direction Z. Therefore, space can be saved in the axial direction Z. Furthermore, because the insertion slit 37 holds the boundary portion between the first cable 11 and the second cable 12, the first cable 11 housed in the first housing space S1 and the second cable 12 housed in the second housing space S2 can be housed without their housing states affecting each other.

[0192] In the correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the flat cable of this invention corresponds to the cable 10 of the embodiment, and similarly, The housing portion corresponds to the housing bodies 20, 20a, 20c, and 20d. The first space corresponds to the first accommodation space S1, The first storage section corresponds to the first storage sections 30, 30c, and 30d, The second space corresponds to the second accommodation space S2, The second storage portions correspond to the second storage portions 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d, The first cable corresponds to the first cable 11, The second cable corresponds to the second cable 12, The rotation axis direction corresponds to the axial direction Z, The rotation holding part corresponds to the rotator 31, The guide openings correspond to the outlet portions 42, 42b, and 42c. The direction change portion corresponds to the direction change roller 45, The electric cable winding device corresponds to the cable winding device 1, The rotating roller corresponds to the cylindrical portion 452, The guiding direction corresponds to the first direction X, The holding portion corresponds to the insertion slit 37, The winding assisting portion corresponds to the leaf spring member 60 and the spiral spring 60a, The handle is compatible with the 820 handle. The handle power supply device corresponds to the handle power supply device 2, The seat corresponds to the seat member 900, The seat power supply device corresponds to the seat power supply device 3, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0193] For example, in this embodiment, the main shaft portion 810 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the steering wheel may be configured to be operable by electrically connecting the steering wheel to the steering wheel connected to the cable winding devices 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. Furthermore, the use of the steering wheel 820 and the steering device 800 is not limited to use in vehicles such as automobiles. For example, they may be used in ships or aircraft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d... Cable winding device 2...Handle power supply device 3...Seat power supply device 10...Cable 11...Daiichi Cable 12...Second cable 20, 20a, 20c, 20d...container 30, 30c, 30d...First storage section 31...Rotator 37...Insertion slit 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d...Second storage section 42,42b,42c...Derivation part 45...Direction change roller 60... Leaf spring member 60a...spiral spring 452...Cylindrical part 820...Handle 900...Sheet member Z…Axis direction X…first direction S1...First storage space S2: Second containment space

Claims

1. The cable includes a ribbon-shaped flat cable and a housing portion for housing the flat cable. the storage section includes a first storage section having a first space therein and a second storage section having a second space therein; the flat cable includes a first cable that is accommodated in the first space with at least a portion thereof wound in a spiral shape, and a second cable that is accommodated in the second space with at least a portion thereof wound in a spiral shape, and the first cable and the second cable are electrically conductive; the first housing portion is provided with a rotation holding portion that holds one side of the first cable and rotates about a rotation axis direction along a width direction of the flat cable, The second accommodating section is provided with a guide port for guiding the second cable that is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the second space or wound from the outside to the inside of the second space, The guide port is provided with a direction changer that changes the orientation of the second cable in the belt width direction from the rotation axis direction to a predetermined guide direction and guides the second cable. Electrical cable winding device.

2. The direction changer has a rotating roller that rotates while being in contact with the main surface of the second cable.

2. The electric cable winding device according to claim 1.

3. The rotating roller is In an imaginary plane along which the rotation axis direction and the guiding direction are aligned, the rotation axis rotates about an oblique axis that intersects with the rotation axis direction and the guiding direction.

3. An electric cable winding device according to claim 2.

4. The second accommodating portion is disposed on the outer diameter side of the first accommodating portion, A holding portion is provided to hold the boundary portion between the first cable and the second cable.

4. An electric cable winding device according to claim 1.

5. The second accommodating section is provided with a winding assist section that assists in winding the second cable, The winding auxiliary portion is configured with a spring material that is biased by the pulling out of the second cable and applies a biasing force to the second cable being wound up.

5. An electric cable winding device according to claim 4.

6. The first storage section and the second storage section are arranged along the rotation axis direction.

4. An electric cable winding device according to claim 1.

7. The second accommodating section is provided with a winding assist section that assists in winding the second cable, The winding auxiliary portion is configured with a spring material that is biased by the pulling out of the second cable and applies a biasing force to the second cable being wound up.

7. An electric cable winding device according to claim 6.

8. Using the electric cable winding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, One side of the first cable is connected to an electrical member of the handle that allows sliding and rotating movements; an end of the second cable guided through the guide port connected to an electrical member on an electricity supply source side; The first storage portion is connected to the handle. Handle power supply device.

9. Using the electric cable winding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, One side of the first cable is connected to an electrical component of the seat that enables sliding and rotating movements; an end of the second cable guided through the guide port connected to an electrical member on an electricity supply source side; The first storage section is connected to the seat. Seat power supply device.

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