Electric cable winding device, and steering wheel power-supplying device and seat power-supplying device using electric cable winding device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electric cable winding device making it possible to smoothly pull out or wind up a flat cable as a subject member moves, as well as a steering wheel power-supplying device and a seat power-supplying device using the electric cable winding device.　A cable winding device 1a comprises: a cable 10 connected to a steering wheel 820 able to move along the axial direction Z; and an accommodation section 20 for retaining another side of the cable 10 and winding and accommodating part of the cable 10. The accommodation section 20 comprises: a retention section 50 arranged radially inward; a cylindrical outer cylinder section 60 arranged radially outward of the retention section 50; and a guide section 42 for guiding a first cable 11 to the exterior and the interior along the axial direction Z. Further provided is a synchronization mechanism 30 for synchronizing movement of the steering wheel 820 in the axial direction Z and rotation of the outer cylinder section 60.

Description

Electrical cable winding device, and steering wheel power supply device and seat power supply device using the electrical cable winding device

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric cable winding device capable of pulling out or winding up a flat cable, and to a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device using the electric cable winding device.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an electric cable winding device that includes a ribbon-shaped flat cable and a housing portion that houses the flat cable, and that can unwind or rewind the flat cable in response to movement in a predetermined direction of a target member to which the flat cable is attached (see Patent Document 1). However, smooth operation is required when the flat cable is unwinded or rewinded in response to the movement of the target member.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-218150

[0004] The present invention aims to provide an electric cable winding device that can smoothly pull out or wind up a flat cable in accordance with the movement of a target member, as well as a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device that use the electric cable winding device.

[0005] This invention is provided with a belt-shaped flat cable having one side connected to a target member that can move along a predetermined direction, and a housing portion that holds the other side of the flat cable and winds and houses a part of the flat cable, the one side of the part of the flat cable housed in the housing portion from a midpoint to the one side being a first cable, and the other side of the part of the flat cable housed in the housing portion from the midpoint to the second cable, and a holding portion that is arranged radially inside the housing portion and holds the side of the second cable opposite to the midpoint, and a holding portion that holds the midpoint and is arranged radially outside the holding portion and holds the flat cable. the electric cable winding device is characterized in that it is provided with a cylindrical outer tube portion that rotates around a rotation axis direction along the belt width direction of the bull, and a guide portion that guides the first cable to the outside and inside along the predetermined direction, and is provided with a rotation synchronization mechanism that synchronizes the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer tube portion, and by the rotation of the outer tube portion in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction, the first cable guided from the guide portion is unwound or wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion, and the second cable is unwound or wound tight between the holding portion and the outer tube portion.

[0006] The rotation synchronization mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that rotates the outer tube portion relatively in accordance with the movement of the target member along the predetermined direction, and includes, for example, a structure that converts the movement of the target member along the predetermined direction and the rotation of the outer tube portion into each other by meshing with a gear provided along the circumferential direction of the outer tube portion, and a structure that directly or indirectly transmits the rotation of a motor to the outer tube portion to move the target member along the predetermined direction.

[0007] The above-mentioned phrase "in accordance with the movement of the target member" includes cases where the outer tube portion is rotated in conjunction with the movement of the target member, cases where the rotation of the outer tube portion and the movement of the target member are performed simultaneously, and cases where the target member is moved in conjunction with the rotation of the outer tube portion.

[0008] This invention allows the flat cable to be smoothly pulled out or wound in accordance with the movement of the target member. More specifically, a housing section holds one end of a ribbon-shaped flat cable connected to a target member and holds the other end of the flat cable while winding and accommodating a portion of the flat cable. The housing section is provided with a holding section disposed radially inward and holding the opposite side of the intermediate portion of the second cable. A cylindrical outer tube section is disposed radially outward of the holding section and holds the intermediate portion of the second cable. The outer tube section rotates about a rotation axis extending along the width direction of the flat cable. The housing section is further provided with a guide section that guides the first cable between the inside and outside in a predetermined direction, and a rotation synchronization mechanism is provided that synchronizes the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer tube section.

[0009] Therefore, the rotation synchronization mechanism can rotate the outer tubular portion that holds the intermediate portion in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction, and the first cable can be wound up or unwound around the outer circumferential surface of the outer tubular portion. This allows the first cable to be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or the first cable to be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside, in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction.

[0010] On the other hand, as the outer tubular part that holds the intermediate portion rotates, the second cable is unwound or tightened between the holding part and the outer tubular part, thereby suppressing the load acting on the second cable routed between the holding part and the outer tubular part.

[0011] The electric cable winding device configured in this manner can smoothly pull out or wind one side of the first cable from the guide portion and suppress the load acting on the second cable routed between the holding portion and the outer tube portion, thereby allowing the flat cable to be smoothly pulled out or wound in response to the movement of the target member while reducing the load on the flat cable.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, a rotary gear extending in a circumferential direction is provided on the outer cylindrical portion, and the rotation synchronization mechanism has a shaft portion extending in the predetermined direction and having one end connected to the target member, and the shaft portion is provided with a plurality of shaft-side meshing teeth extending in the predetermined direction and partially meshing with the rotary gear. The shaft-side meshing teeth may mesh directly or indirectly with the rotary gear.

[0013] According to this invention, the shaft portion moves in a predetermined direction in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction, and therefore the shaft-side meshing teeth that mesh with the rotary gear move in the predetermined direction. In other words, the rotation synchronization mechanism can synchronize the linear movement of the target member in the predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer cylindrical portion using the shaft-side meshing teeth and the rotary gear. Therefore, with a simple structure, it is possible to synchronize the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer cylindrical portion, and it is possible to reliably and smoothly pull out the first cable from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or to smoothly wind the first cable from the outside to the inside.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the outer tube portion may be provided with a cable holding tube that holds the first cable and unwinds or winds the first cable around its outer circumferential surface, and a cylindrical axial side arrangement portion that is arranged on one side of the cable holding tube in the direction of the rotation axis, and the rotating gear may be provided on the axial side arrangement portion.

[0015] According to this invention, the cable holding tube, which winds or unwinds the first cable around its outer circumferential surface, and the shaft-side portion, to which rotation is transmitted, are offset in the rotation axis direction, so that the outer tubular portion can be rotated in accordance with the movement of the target member at a position that does not interfere with the first cable. Therefore, with a simple structure, it is possible to reliably synchronize the movement of the target member in a predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer tubular portion.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the rotary gear may be provided on an inner circumferential surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion, and an intermediate gear that meshes with the rotary gear and the shaft-side meshing teeth may be provided between the shaft portion and the inner circumferential surface. According to this invention, the shaft portion that constitutes the rotation synchronization mechanism is disposed radially inside the shaft-side arrangement portion, and the movement of the shaft portion in a predetermined direction and the rotation of the outer tube portion can be relatively converted via the intermediate gear disposed radially inside the shaft-side arrangement portion. Therefore, the electric cable winding device can be made more compact in the radial direction, and the first cable can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or the first cable can be smoothly wound from the outside to the inside.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the intermediate gear may be connected to a motor that rotates the intermediate gear about an axis that is aligned with the rotation axis direction. According to this aspect, the shaft portion can be moved in a predetermined direction and the outer tubular portion can be rotated via the intermediate gear connected to the motor. Therefore, the first cable can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or the first cable can be smoothly wound from the outside to the inside, in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the rotary gear may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion, and the shaft-side meshing teeth may directly mesh with the rotary gear. With this invention, it is possible to reliably synchronize the movement of the target member in a predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer cylindrical portion with a simpler structure in which the shaft-side meshing teeth provided on the shaft portion are simply meshed with the rotary gear provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the flat cable may be configured by stacking multiple flat cables in the thickness direction, and the second cable may have an inner winding portion wound on the radially inner side of the outer tube portion, an outer winding portion wound on the radially outer side, and multiple arc-shaped bent portions that are boundary portions between the inner winding portion and the outer winding portion, and the bent portions may be evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0020] According to this invention, when the target member moves in a predetermined direction and the outer tube portion rotates in one circumferential direction, the bent portion of the second cable, both ends of which are fixed to the outer tube portion and the holding portion, moves to one side in the circumferential direction, while the second cable is unwound from the inner wound portion. Furthermore, the spirally wound outer wound portion is wound and tightened while the second cable is unwound from the inner wound portion. This allows the position of the bent portion of the second cable to be adjusted, and the outer wound portion can be wound and tightened while the inner wound portion is unwound. Therefore, the electric cable winding device configured in this manner can reduce the load acting on the second cable between the outer tube portion and the holding portion.

[0021] Conversely, when the target member moves in a predetermined direction and the outer tube portion rotates in the other circumferential direction, the bent portion moves to the other side of the circumference, and the flat cable is wound around the inner winding portion. Furthermore, the spirally wound outer winding portion is unwound and unreeled onto the inner winding portion. This allows the position of the bent portion of the second cable to be adjusted, and the inner winding portion can be tightened while the outer winding portion is unwound. Therefore, the electric cable winding device configured in this manner can reduce the load acting on the second cable between the outer tube portion and the holding portion.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, a rotating table that is rotatable relative to the storage section may be provided between the outer tube section and the holding section, a rotating roller that is supported on the rotating table and is arranged on the inner surface side of the bent-back section and is rotatable around a direction parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotating table, and a guide that is positioned circumferentially away from the outer surface of the rotating roller on the rotating table and is arranged on the outer surface side of the bent-back section.

[0023] According to this invention, a rotary table rotatable about a rotation axis and a rotating roller supported on the rotary table and rotatable about the rotation axis are provided. The rotating roller is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the bent portion. Furthermore, a guide is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the bent portion. Therefore, when the bent portion moves to one side or the other in the circumferential direction during winding or unwinding of the second cable, the inner or outer peripheral surface of the bent portion comes into contact with the rotating roller or the guide, thereby pulling the rotating roller or pushing the guide. This causes the rotary table to rotate (revolve). Furthermore, the rotating roller can also rotate (spin) in response to the unwinding of the second cable, allowing the second cable to be smoothly guided. Furthermore, friction and wear of the second cable can be prevented.

[0024] The present invention is also characterized in that it uses the above-mentioned electric cable winding device, the target member is a handle having an electrical component connected to one end of the first cable, the other end of the second cable held in the holding portion is connected to an electrical component on the electricity supply source side, and the rotation synchronization mechanism is a handle power supply device that rotates the outer tube portion in accordance with movement of the handle along the specified direction.

[0025] This invention makes it possible to synchronize the movement of the handle in a specified direction with the rotation of the outer tube portion, thereby ensuring that the first cable can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or that the first cable can be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside, and electricity can be supplied to the handle.

[0026] The present invention is also characterized in that it uses the above-mentioned electric cable winding device, the target member is a seat that has an electrical component to which one side end of the first cable is connected and that slides in the predetermined direction, the other side end of the second cable held in the holding portion is connected to an electrical component on the electricity supply source side, and the rotation synchronization mechanism is a seat power supply device that rotates the outer tube portion in accordance with the movement of the seat along the predetermined direction.

[0027] This invention makes it possible to synchronize the movement of the seat in a specified direction with the rotation of the outer tube portion, thereby ensuring that the first cable can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion, or that the first cable can be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside, and electricity can be supplied to the seat.

[0028] The present invention provides an electric cable winding device that can smoothly pull out or wind up a flat cable in accordance with the movement of a target member, as well as a handle power supply device and a seat power supply device that use the electric cable winding device.

[0029] Schematic diagram of a handlebar power supply device. Schematic perspective view of an electric cable winding device. Schematic exploded perspective view of an electric cable winding device. Explanatory diagram of an outer wall portion. Explanatory diagram of a holding portion. Explanatory diagram of an outer cylinder portion. Explanatory diagram of a retainer. Explanatory diagram of a synchronization mechanism. Explanatory diagram of a method of assembling an electric cable winding device. Explanatory diagram of a method of assembling an electric cable winding device. Explanatory diagram of a method of assembling an electric cable winding device. Explanatory diagram of a handlebar power supply device. Explanatory diagram of a handlebar power supply device. Explanatory diagram of an electric cable winding device in another embodiment. Explanatory diagram of an outer cylinder portion and an electric cable winding device in another embodiment. Schematic diagram of a seat power supply device. Schematic side view of an electric cable winding device in another embodiment.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a handle power supply device 2, Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cable winding device 1, and Fig. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the cable winding device 1. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an outer wall portion 40, and Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a holding portion 50. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an outer tube portion 60, Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a retainer 70, and Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of a synchronization mechanism 30 as viewed from the left side YL.

[0031] 9 to 12 are explanatory views of a method for assembling the cable winding device 1, and FIGS. 13 and 14 are explanatory views of the handlebar power supply device 2. FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of a cable winding device 1a according to another embodiment, and FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of the outer tube portion 60a and the cable winding device 1a. FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the seat power supply device 3, and FIG. 18 is an explanatory view of the cable winding device 1a according to another embodiment in which the second cable 12 is wound in a spiral shape and accommodated.

[0032] 2 and 4 to 7 will be described in detail. Fig. 2(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the cable winding device 1 as viewed from the left side YL, the lower side XD, and the front side ZF, and Fig. 2(b) shows a schematic perspective view of the cable winding device 1 as viewed from the left side YL, the upper side XU, and the rear side ZR. Fig. 4(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the outer wall portion 40 as viewed from the left side YL, the upper side XU, and the rear side ZR, and Fig. 4(b) shows a schematic plan view of the outer wall portion 40. Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic front view of the holding portion 50 as viewed from the front side ZF, Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic side view of the holding portion 50 as viewed from the left side YL, and Fig. 5(c) shows a schematic side view of the holding portion 50 as viewed from the right side YR. Fig. 6(a) shows a schematic side view of the outer cylinder portion 60 as viewed from the left side YL, Fig. 6(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 6(a), Fig. 7(a) shows a schematic side view of the retainer 70 as viewed from the left side YL, and Fig. 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 7(a).

[0033] 9 to 16 will be described in detail. Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic side view of the state in which the intermediate gear 31 and the outer cylinder portion 60 are assembled to the outer wall portion 40, and Fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section seen from the arrow A-A in Fig. 9(a). Fig. 10 shows a schematic side view of the state in which the holding portion 50 is further assembled to the outer wall portion 40, and Fig. 10(b) shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section seen from the arrow A-A in Fig. 10(a).

[0034] Fig. 11(a) is a schematic side view of the outer wall portion 40 with the retainer 70 further housed therein and the cable 10 routed therethrough, and Fig. 11(b) is an enlarged view of the portion corresponding to the retainer 70 in Fig. 11(a). Fig. 12(a) is a schematic side view of the housing portion 20 with the synchronization mechanism 30 assembled thereto, and Fig. 12(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section taken along the arrows A-A in Fig. 12(a). Note that in Fig. 12, the cable 10, holding portion 50, and retainer 70 are omitted from the illustration in order to clearly show the engagement between the outer tube portion 60 and the synchronization mechanism 30.

[0035] Fig. 13(a) is a schematic diagram of the cable winding device 1 in a state where the handle 820 has been moved to the forward side ZF, and Fig. 13(b) is a schematic side view of the state where the synchronization mechanism 30 has been assembled to the storage portion 20. Note that in Fig. 13(b), the holding portion 50 and the retainer 70 are omitted from the illustration in order to clarify the engagement between the outer tube portion 60 and the synchronization mechanism 30. Fig. 14(a) is a schematic diagram of the cable winding device 1 in a state where the handle 820 has been moved to the forward side ZF, and Fig. 14(b) is a schematic side view of the cable winding device 1.

[0036] 15(a) and 15(b) are a schematic perspective view and a schematic exploded perspective view of the cable winding device 1a as viewed from the left side YL, the upper side XU, and the rear side ZR, respectively. Fig. 16(a) is a schematic side view of the outer tube portion 60a as viewed from the right side YR, and Fig. 16(b) is a schematic side view of the cable winding device 1a as viewed from the right side YR.

[0037] 1, the direction in which the main shaft portion 810 extends is referred to as the axial direction Z. Among the directions perpendicular to the axial direction Z, the direction perpendicular to the width of the first cable 11 led out from the cable winding device 1 is referred to as the first direction X, and the width direction of the first cable 11 led out from the cable winding device 1 is referred to as the second direction Y. The above-mentioned directions are the same as the corresponding directions in FIGS. 2 to 18.

[0038] 2(a), the left side along the axial direction Z is the front side ZF, the right side is the rear side ZR, the left side along the first direction X is the upper side XU, and the right side is the lower side XD. Also, the upper side along the second direction Y is the left side YL, and the lower side is the right side YR. In order to clarify the interior of the storage unit 20, the cover attached to the left side YL of the storage unit 20 is not shown in FIGS. 2 to 16 and 17.

[0039] 1, a steering device 800 for steering a vehicle has a handle 820 attached to the tip of a main shaft portion 810 of a steering shaft extending in the axial direction Z, and can transmit the operation of the handle 820 to steered wheels provided on the vehicle. The main shaft portion 810 having such a function is equipped with a so-called telescopic mechanism that can adjust the position of the handle 820 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (axial direction Z).

[0040] Furthermore, a shaft insertion portion (not shown) is provided at the tip portion 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. A rotary connector device 830 is attached to the shaft insertion portion, which accommodates electric wires connected to electrical equipment mounted on handle 820 and holds main shaft portion 810 and handle 820 so as to be rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise relative to the shaft insertion portion. One end of cable 10 extending from cable winding device 1 is connected to the bottom side (base end side) of rotary connector device 830.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the cable winding device 1 is composed of a ribbon-shaped cable 10, a storage section 20 that holds the other end of the cable 10 and winds and stores a portion of the cable 10, and a synchronization mechanism 30 that inserts the storage section 20 in the axial direction Z.

[0042] The cable 10 is a ribbon-shaped transmission line made up of three overlapping flexible flat cables 10x, each of which has a plurality of flat rectangular conductors arranged in parallel at a predetermined pitch and coated with an electrical insulator. One end of the cable 10 is electrically connected via a rotary connector device 830 to an electric wire connected to the electrical circuit of an electrical device such as a horn switch or an airbag unit located on a steering wheel 820. The other end of the cable 10 is electrically connected to a wire harness 840 connected to electrical equipment E1 mounted on the vehicle. This allows the cable 10 to electrically connect the electrical equipment E1 in the vehicle with the electrical equipment in the steering wheel 820. The ribbon width of the cable 10 is aligned with the second direction Y.

[0043] In this embodiment, the cable 10 is made up of three overlapping 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 needed, such as by overlapping four flexible flat cables 10x to form the cable 10. Furthermore, some of the flexible flat cables 10x may be dummy cables that do not have conductivity.

[0044] The cable 10 configured in this manner includes a first cable 11 that is stored in a storage section 20 that is configured to be approximately circular in shape when viewed from the side in the second direction Y and can be inserted and removed in the axial direction Z, a second cable 12 that is stored inside the storage section 20 with a portion of its other end wound in a spiral shape, and a cable side connector 13 that is the other end of the second cable 12 and is electrically connected to the wire harness 840 (see Figure 3).

[0045] 2( a) and 2(b), the accommodation section 20 is a substantially annular cylindrical case that allows the first cable 11 to be inserted and removed in the axial direction Z and that accommodates a portion of the second cable 12 by being wound around it. In detail, as shown in Fig. 3, the accommodation section 20 is configured with an outer wall section 40 that forms the outer wall of the accommodation section 20, a holding section 50 that holds the other end of the cable 10 inside the outer wall section 40, an outer tube section 60 that is disposed radially outside the holding section 50, a retainer 70 that is placed between the holding section 50 and the outer tube section 60, and a cover (not shown) that closes an opening on the left side YL of the accommodation section 20.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the outer wall portion 40 is integrally formed of an outer wall main body 41 having a generally circular ring shape with a bottom, a guide portion 42 extending from the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall main body 41 toward the rear side ZR, and a housing-shaped connector connection portion 43 extending toward the opposite side from the guide portion 42.

[0047] The outer wall main body 41 has a bottom surface portion 411 formed in a generally circular shape in a side view, and an outer peripheral wall 412 erected toward the left side YL from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 411. The bottom surface portion 411 is a circular bottom plate having a predetermined outer diameter, and is provided with linear holes 413 and circular holes 414 that penetrate in the plate thickness direction (second direction Y).

[0048] The linear hole 413 is a linear through-hole along the axial direction Z and has a predetermined width in the first direction X, and is provided slightly below the center of the bottom surface portion 411 on the side XD. As shown in FIG. 4( b), the circular hole 414 is a substantially circular through-hole with an outer diameter approximately 0.4 times the outer diameter of the bottom surface portion 411, and is provided below the center of the bottom surface portion 411 on the side XD in side view. The circular hole 414 and the linear hole 413 thus provided partially overlap each other. More specifically, the linear hole 413 is provided so as to overlap the circular top portion of the circular hole 414 on the upper side XU.

[0049] The outer peripheral wall 412 is an outer wall that is generally circular in side view and stands upright from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 411 so as to be a predetermined length longer than the width of the cable 10. An upper side XU of the outer peripheral wall 412 configured in this manner is provided with a notch 415 that is cut out in the axial direction Z. Furthermore, a communication port 416 that communicates between the outside and the inside is provided in a location of the outer peripheral wall 412 that corresponds to the linear hole 413.

[0050] 4(b), the notch 415 is a slit formed by cutting out the outer peripheral wall 412 from the end on the left side YL by a length substantially equal to the width of the cable 10, and has a spacing in the first direction X that is sufficiently wider than the thickness of the cable 10. In other words, the notch 415 is configured so that the cable 10, whose band width direction is oriented along the second direction Y, can be inserted in the axial direction Z. The communication opening 416 is a through-hole that penetrates the bottom of the outer peripheral wall 412 and a portion of the outer peripheral wall 412 corresponding to the cable-side connector 13 in the axial direction Z, and has the same width as the straight hole 413.

[0051] A guide portion 42 is provided on the rear side ZR of the cutout portion 415 to guide the cable 10 inserted through the cutout portion 415 in the axial direction Z. The guide portion 42 has a first extending portion 421 extending from a conical top portion of the upper side XU of the outer peripheral wall 412 toward the rear side ZR, and a second extending portion 422 extending from the outer peripheral wall 412 toward the tip of the first extending portion 421.

[0052] 4(b), the first extending portion 421 is a rectangular flat plate that extends in the axial direction Z from a circular top portion on the upper side XU of the outer peripheral wall 412 to a position where the second extending portion 422 extends. The length of the first extending portion 421 in the second direction Y is slightly longer than the width of the cable 10 and slightly shorter than the height of the outer peripheral wall 412. The end face of the left side YL of the first extending portion 421 is flush with the outer peripheral wall 412.

[0053] The second extending portion 422 is a flat plate extending in the first direction X from approximately the center of the cone portion on the upper side XU and the front side ZF of the outer peripheral wall 412, and has the same height as the first extending portion 421. In addition, the end face on the left side YL of the second extending portion 422 is flush with the outer peripheral wall 412, similar to the first extending portion 421.

[0054] The tip of the second extending portion 422 configured in this manner does not abut the first extending portion 421, and is spaced apart by a distance wider than the thickness of the cable 10. That is, at the tip portions of the first extending portion 421 and the second extending portion 422, a guide opening 423 that opens in the axial direction Z is formed so that the cable 10 can be inserted therethrough.

[0055] The connector connection portion 43 is a rectangular parallelepiped housing and is provided on the opposite side of the guide portion 42 in the axial direction Z. The connector connection portion 43 is configured so that its left side YL can be opened and closed (not shown) so that the cable-side connector 13 provided on the other end of the second cable 12 can be housed and fixed therein. The front side ZF of the connector connection portion 43 is configured so that it can be connected to a connector (not shown) provided at one end of the wire harness 840. By connecting the connector provided at one end of the wire harness 840 to the connector connection portion 43 in this way, the cable-side connector 13 housed in the connector connection portion 43 and the rotary connector device 830 are electrically connected.

[0056] The holding portion 50 is a cylindrical body with a bottom that can be housed in the outer wall portion 40 and can be locked and fixed inside the outer wall portion 40. In detail, as shown in Figures 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c), the holding portion 50 has a cylindrical inner tube portion 51, a flange portion 52 that extends radially outward from the center of the inner tube portion 51, and a mounting surface 53 that is provided at the lower end of the inner tube portion 51.

[0057] The inner tube portion 51 is a tubular body that is generally circular in side view and has a central axis that coincides with the center of the outer wall portion 40 when housed in the outer wall portion 40. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b), the inner tube portion 51 has an outer diameter that is shorter than the outer diameter of the outer wall 412 and a height that is slightly shorter than the height of the outer wall 412. Specifically, the inner tube portion 51 is a generally cylindrical body in which the ends of the inner tube portion 51 and the outer wall 412 on the left side YL are at the same height when the holding portion 50 is engaged and fixed to the outer wall portion 40. The inner tube portion 51 is configured to be sufficiently thicker in the radial direction than the thickness of the cable 10.

[0058] The inner tube portion 51 configured in this manner is provided with a harness holding portion 511 that can hold the cable 10 at a position corresponding to the connector connection portion 43 when the holding portion 50 is engaged and fixed to the outer wall portion 40, as shown in Figure 5 (b).

[0059] The harness holding portion 511 protrudes slightly radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 51 at a position facing the connector connection portion 43 when the holding portion 50 is fastened to the outer wall portion 40. The harness holding portion 511 configured in this manner has an inner slit 512 with openings on the left side YL and on the radially outer side. The inner slit 512 has a gap twice the thickness of the cable 10, and can hold the bent portion of the cable 10 (second cable 12).

[0060] 5(b), the flange portion 52 is a ring plate that extends radially outward from the center of the inner cylindrical portion 51 and has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall 412. The length from the end of the left side YL of the inner cylindrical portion 51 to the flange portion 52 is slightly longer than the width of the cable 10, so that the cable 10 can be wound around it. The inner slit 512 is provided from the end of the left side YL of the inner cylindrical portion 51 to the inner slit 512.

[0061] The mounting surface 53 is a bottom surface provided at the lower end (the end on the right side YR) of the inner cylindrical portion 51, on which the holder 50 is placed on the outer wall portion 40. More specifically, the mounting surface 53 covers the radially inner side of the inner cylindrical portion 51 and extends a predetermined length radially outward from the inner cylindrical portion 51. The mounting surface 53 has a shape in which a portion of a flat plate having a generally circular outer shape in side view is penetrated in the plate thickness direction so as to correspond to the linear hole 413 and the circular hole 414 when the holder 50 is engaged and fixed to the outer wall portion 40. Here, the through holes provided in the mounting surface 53 that correspond to the linear hole 413 and the circular hole 414 are referred to as inner through-holes 531. Furthermore, the mounting surface 53 is provided with a locking and fixing portion (not shown) at a predetermined circumferential position for locking and fixing to the bottom surface portion 411.

[0062] Furthermore, the inner cylindrical portion 51 is radially penetrated at a location on the right side YR of the flange portion 52 that corresponds to the inner through-portion 531. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5( c), the right side YR of the inner cylindrical portion 51 is provided with a first through-portion 513 that penetrates radially along the axial direction Z to correspond to the linear hole 413, and a second through-portion 514 that penetrates the lower side XD of the inner cylindrical portion 51 to correspond to the circular hole 414.

[0063] 6( a) and 6(b), the outer cylinder portion 60 is a cylindrical body that is housed in the outer wall portion 40 and can rotate relative to the outer wall portion 40 and the holding portion 50. In more detail, when housed in the outer wall portion 40, the outer cylinder portion 60 is composed of an outer cylinder main body 61 that is disposed between the outer wall main body 41 and the inner cylinder portion 51, and a plurality of outer cylinder inner teeth 62 that protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder main body 61.

[0064] The outer cylinder body 61 is a substantially cylindrical body having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall 412 and the same height as the inner cylinder portion 51. More specifically, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder body 61 is twice the length from the center of the outer wall body 41 to the apex of the lower side XD of the circular hole 414. The radial thickness of the outer cylinder body 61 is equal to the distance between the apex of the upper side XU of the circular hole 414 and the outer peripheral wall 412. The end face of the left side YL of the outer cylinder body 61 is configured to be flush with the end face of the left side YL of the outer peripheral wall 412 when housed in the outer wall portion 40.

[0065] The outer tube body 61 configured in this manner has an outer tube holding portion 63 that penetrates in the radial direction. The outer tube holding portion 63 is a slit with a gap large enough to allow the cable 10 to pass through, and is generally S-shaped in side view. More specifically, in side view, the radially outer portion of the outer tube holding portion 63 extends to one side in the circumferential direction as it moves radially inward. Furthermore, the central portion of the thickness of the outer tube holding portion 63 extends to the other side in the circumferential direction as it moves radially inward. Furthermore, the radially inner portion of the outer tube holding portion 63 extends to one side in the circumferential direction as it moves radially inward. The outer tube holding portion 63 is provided from one end to the other end of the outer tube body 61 in the second direction Y.

[0066] 6(b), the outer tube body 61 configured in this manner includes a cable holding tube 611 on the left side YL around which the cable 10 can be wound, and an axial side arrangement portion 612 arranged on the right side YR of the cable holding tube 611. The axial side arrangement portion 612 protrudes slightly radially outward from the cable holding tube 611.

[0067] When housed in the outer wall portion 40, the cable retaining tube 611 is in the range facing the left side YL of the flange portion 52 of the inner tube portion 51, and the shaft side arrangement portion 612 is in the range facing the right side YR of the flange portion 52 of the inner tube portion 51.

[0068] 6(b), the external cylinder internal teeth 62 are tapered teeth that protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612 and are provided at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction. In other words, an internal gear 64 made up of a plurality of external cylinder internal teeth 62 arranged along the circumferential direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612.

[0069] When the outer tube portion 60 configured in this manner is housed together with the holding portion 50 in the outer wall portion 40, it forms a storage space S between the holding portion 50 and the outer tube portion 60 in which the second cable 12 is wound and housed (see Figure 10 (a)).

[0070] The retainer 70, which is placed between the holding portion 50 engaged and fixed to the outer wall portion 40 and the outer tube portion 60, is composed of a rotating table 71 placed on the flange portion 52 and a plurality of rotating rollers 72 that can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b).

[0071] The rotary table 71 is a plate-like body having an annular shape in plan view, an inner diameter smaller than that of the inner cylinder portion 51, and a width slightly narrower than that of the flange portion 52, and is provided with an outer edge rib 711 on its outer edge that protrudes a predetermined length toward the right side YR (see FIG. 7(b)). In addition, six support shafts 712 are provided upright on the upper surface of the rotary table 71 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and upright wall portions 713 are provided between the support shafts 712.

[0072] In a side view, the support shafts 712 are generally cylindrical bodies erected from the radial center of the turntable 71, and six of them are provided at equal intervals around the circumference of the turntable 71. The support shafts 712 configured in this manner allow the rotating rollers 72 to be attached from the left side YL.

[0073] The rotating roller 72 has a diameter slightly smaller than the width (radial length) of the turntable 71 in a side view, and is generally cylindrical with a height generally equal to the width of the cable 10. A recess into which the support shaft 712 can be inserted is provided on the right side YR of the rotating roller 72. When the rotating roller 72 configured in this manner is placed over the support shaft 712, it can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise around a rotation axis aligned with the support shaft 712 as the center of rotation.

[0074] The upright wall portion 713 is a wall that stands upright from the rotary table 71 between the support shafts 712, and has a guide surface 73 that faces the rotating rollers 72 attached to the support shafts 712 at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction. As shown in Fig. 7(a) , the guide surface 73 is an arc-shaped flat surface that curves along the outer circumferential surface of the rotating roller 72. In other words, the curvature of the guide surface 73 is approximately the same as the curvature of the rotating rollers 72.

[0075] The retainer 70 configured in this manner is placed on the flange portion 52. Therefore, it can rotate relative to the outer wall portion 40 and the holding portion 50 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions around the center of the outer wall portion 40 in a side view, without being affected by the rotation of the outer tube portion 60.

[0076] Next, we will explain the synchronization mechanism 30 that is assembled to the accommodating section 20. As shown in Fig. 8, the synchronization mechanism 30 has an intermediate gear 31 and a rod-shaped gear 32 that can mesh with each other. As shown in Fig. 8, the intermediate gear 31 is a so-called pinion gear in which a plurality of intermediate teeth 312 protrude radially outward at a predetermined pitch from a cylindrical gear body 311.

[0077] The gear body 311 is a cylindrical body having a thickness sufficiently greater than that of the bottom surface portion 411. More specifically, the thickness of the gear body 311 is approximately equal to the sum of the height (length in the second direction Y) of the shaft-side portion 612 and the thickness of the bottom surface portion 411. The intermediate teeth 312 are teeth having the same shape as the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 and are arranged circumferentially of the gear body 311 at intervals equal to the pitch of the outer cylinder internal teeth 62. In other words, the intermediate teeth 312 and the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 are configured to be able to mesh with each other. A motor mounting portion 313 is provided in the center of the gear body 311, penetrating in the second direction Y and connecting to a motor rotation shaft M1 rotated by a motor M (see FIG. 2).

[0078] 8, the rod-shaped gear 32 is a so-called rack gear in which teeth that mesh with the intermediate teeth 312 are cut into a rod-shaped body having a predetermined rigidity. In more detail, the rod-shaped gear 32 has a rod-shaped shaft main body 321 that extends along the axial direction Z, and a plurality of shaft-side meshing teeth 322 that protrude from the shaft main body 321 toward the downward side XD.

[0079] The shaft body 321 is an inverted L-shaped rod whose bottom side extends downward toward the XD, and one end is connected to the handle 820. The shaft body 321 is configured to be slightly longer than the length from the base end of the handle 820 to the location where the cable winding device 1 is disposed when the handle 820 is disposed on the rear side ZR.

[0080] The shaft-side meshing teeth 322 protruding from the left side YL of the shaft main body 321 toward the downward side XD have the same shape as the intermediate teeth 312, and a plurality of the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 are provided in the axial direction Z at the same pitch as the pitch of the intermediate teeth 312 provided on the intermediate gear 31. In other words, the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 are configured to be able to mesh with the intermediate teeth 312.

[0081] Next, a brief description will be given of a method for assembling the cable winding device 1. First, the intermediate gear 31 attached to the motor M is placed in the circular hole 414 from the right side YR, and the outer tube portion 60 is placed on the left side YL so as to be aligned with the center of the outer wall main body 41 in a side view, and then moved to the right side YR to accommodate the outer tube portion 60 in the outer wall portion 40. As a result, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the outer tube main body 61 is placed inside the bottom surface portion 411, and the outer tube internal teeth 62 (internal gear 64) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft-side placement portion 612 can be engaged with the intermediate teeth 312.

[0082] Next, the holding portion 50, which is positioned on the left side YL in alignment with the center of the outer wall main body 41 in a side view, is moved to the right side YR, the mounting surface 53 is placed on the bottom surface 411, and the holding portion 50 is engaged and fixed to the outer wall portion 40. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 10( a) and 10(b), the intermediate gear 31 is placed in the second through-hole 514 and the inner through-hole 531 provided corresponding to the circular hole 414. That is, the meshing state between the inner gear 64 and the intermediate teeth 312 is maintained. Furthermore, when the holding portion 50 is housed in the engaged and fixed outer wall portion 40, the outer tube portion 60 is not fixed to the outer wall portion 40, and therefore the outer tube portion 60 can rotate relative to the outer wall portion 40 and the holding portion 50 around a rotation axis along the second direction Y.

[0083] Next, with the holding portion 50 and the outer tube portion 60 housed in the outer wall portion 40, the retainer 70 is placed in the housing space S formed between the inner tube portion 51 and the outer tube main body 61, and the cable 10 is routed relative to the outer wall portion 40. More specifically, with the retainer 70 placed on the upper surface of the flange portion 52, one end of the cable 10, which is made up of three overlapping flexible flat cables 10x, is passed through the guide opening 423, and a portion of the cable 10 (first cable 11) is inserted into the guide portion 42. Then, the other end of the first cable 11 that has been inserted into the guide portion 42 is inserted into the cutout portion 415. This allows the first cable 11 to be routed between the outer wall 412 and the cable holding tube 611.

[0084] 11( a), a portion of the first cable 11 routed between the outer peripheral wall 412 and the cable holding tube 611 is wound counterclockwise a predetermined number of times around the outer peripheral surface of the cable holding tube 611, and the other end of the first cable 11 is inserted into and held by the outer tube holding portion 63. This allows the other end of the cable 10 to be guided into the accommodation space S formed between the holding portion 50 and the outer tube portion 60. The other end of the first cable 11, which is the central portion of the cable 10 and held by the outer tube holding portion 63, is referred to as the intermediate portion 14.

[0085] Then, the other end (second cable 12) of the cable 10 guided into the accommodation space S is spirally wound around an axis along the second direction Y, and the other end of the second cable 12 is fixed to the holding portion 50. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11B , the second cable 12 accommodated in the accommodation space S is wound counterclockwise a predetermined number of times around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611 so that the width of the three overlapping flexible flat cables 10x is aligned with the second direction Y. Furthermore, each flexible flat cable 10x wound around the cable holding tube 611 is inserted between the rotating roller 72 and the guide surface 73 at equal intervals and rewound, and then wound clockwise around the outer circumferential surface of the harness holding portion 511 so that the cables overlap each other. The other end of the second cable 12 is then bent toward the left side YL and held by the harness holding portion 511 from the radially inner side. The other end of the second cable 12 held by the harness holding portion 511 is led out to the left side YL, and is bent appropriately and accommodated in the connector connection portion 43 .

[0086] Here, the portion wound around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611 is referred to as an outer wound portion 121, and the portion wound around the inner tube portion 51 is referred to as an inner wound portion 122. The portion inserted between the rotating roller 72 and the guide surface 73 and wound back is referred to as a wound back portion 123 (see FIG. 11(b)).

[0087] Then, the rod-shaped gear 32 is inserted from the rear side ZR into the communication opening 416 and the first through-portion 513 in the outer wall portion 40. At this time, the rod-shaped gear 32 is inserted from the rear side ZR to the front side ZF along the linear hole 413. This allows the intermediate teeth 312 of the intermediate gear 31 arranged in the circular hole 414 to mesh with the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 of the rod-shaped gear 32 that passes through the communication opening 416 and the first through-portion 513 (see FIG. 12( a)).

[0088] This allows the synchronization mechanism 30 to be assembled into the storage section 20, which houses the holding section 50, outer tube section 60, and retainer 70 inside the outer wall section 40, and the cable winding device 1 can be assembled by winding a portion of the cable 10 to store it.

[0089] In the cable winding device 1 assembled in this manner, one end of the shaft main body 321 is connected to the handle 820, the motor rotation shaft M1 of the motor M is assembled to the motor mounting portion 313 from the right side YR, and the connector at the tip end of the wire harness 840 is connected to the connector connection portion 43. This allows electrical connection between the electrical equipment E1 mounted on the vehicle and the cable 10. The cable winding device 1 that electrically connects the electrical equipment of the handle 820 to the mounted electrical equipment E1 in this manner functions as a handle power supply device 2 that can supply power to the electrical equipment of the handle 820 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0090] The handle power supply device 2, in which the cable 10 is inserted into the housing portion 20 and the synchronization mechanism 30 is connected to the housing portion 20, can smoothly move the first cable 11 in and out in the axial direction Z in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z. The movement of the first cable 11 in and out will be briefly described below.

[0091] For example, by rotating the motor rotation shaft M1 connected to the motor mounting portion 313 of the intermediate gear 31 counterclockwise, the gear body 311 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 that mesh with the intermediate teeth 312 protruding from the gear body 311 are pushed forward ZF, so that the shaft body 321 can be moved forward ZF. By moving the shaft body 321 forward ZF in this manner, the handle 820 connected to one end of the shaft body 321 can be moved forward ZF (see FIG. 13( a)).

[0092] Furthermore, as the intermediate gear 31 rotates counterclockwise, the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 that mesh with the rod-shaped gear 32 are pushed counterclockwise, causing the outer cylinder portion 60 to rotate counterclockwise. In this manner, as the outer cylinder portion 60 that holds the intermediate portion 14, which is the other end of the first cable 11, rotates counterclockwise, the first cable 11 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder main body 61. That is, the cable winding device 1 rotates the outer cylinder portion 60 counterclockwise in synchronization with the movement of the handle 820 toward the forward side ZF, and can wind the first cable 11, which loosens as the handle 820 moves toward the forward side ZF, from the guide portion 42 onto the inside of the outer wall portion 40. Therefore, the first cable 11, which loosens as the handle 820 moves toward the forward side ZF, can be prevented from becoming tangled, and a load can be prevented from being applied to the first cable 11 (see FIG. 13( b)).

[0093] Furthermore, as described above, the movement of the rod-shaped gear 32 to the forward side ZF causes the outer tube portion 60 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the outer wound portion 121, one end of which is held by the outer tube portion 60 and wound counterclockwise around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611, is unwound. Furthermore, in the accommodation space S, the rewound portion 123 between the inner wound portion 122, the other end of which is held in the inner slit 512, and the outer wound portion 121 is pressed against the guide surface 73. As a result, the retainer 70 rotates counterclockwise, and the inner wound portion 122 wound around the harness holding portion 511 is wound.

[0094] This makes it possible to adjust the winding length of the outer wound portion 121 wound counterclockwise around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611 and the inner wound portion 122, the other end of which is held in the inner slit 512, in the accommodation space S. This makes it possible to suppress the load on the second cable 12 caused by the rotation of the outer tube portion 60 holding one end of the second cable 12.

[0095] Furthermore, when the motor M connected to the motor mounting portion 313 of the intermediate gear 31 is rotated clockwise with the handle 820 positioned on the forward side ZF, the gear body 311 rotates clockwise. As a result, the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 that mesh with the intermediate teeth 312 protruding from the gear body 311 are pushed toward the rearward side ZR. This causes the shaft body 321 to move toward the rearward side ZR, and the handle 820 connected to one end of the shaft body 321 can be moved toward the rearward side ZR.

[0096] Furthermore, as the intermediate gear 31 rotates clockwise, the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 that mesh with the rod-shaped gear 32 are pushed clockwise, causing the outer cylinder portion 60 to rotate clockwise. In this manner, as the outer cylinder portion 60 that holds the other end side of the first cable 11, the intermediate portion 14, rotates clockwise, the first cable 11 is unwound from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder main body 61. That is, the cable winding device 1 rotates the outer cylinder portion 60 clockwise in synchronization with the movement of the handle 820 toward the rear side ZR, and can pull out the first cable 11, which is subjected to a tensile force in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 toward the front side ZF, from the guide opening 423 to the outside of the outer wall portion 40. Therefore, the cable winding device 1 can suppress the load generated in the first cable 11, which becomes taut in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 toward the rear side ZR.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, the movement of the rod-shaped gear 32 toward the rear side ZR causes the outer tube portion 60 to rotate clockwise. As a result, one end of the outer tube portion 60 is held by the outer tube portion 60, and the outer wound portion 121, which is wound counterclockwise around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611, is wound. Furthermore, in the accommodation space S, the rewound portion 123 between the outer wound portion 121 and the inner wound portion 122, the other end of which is held in the inner slit 512, pulls the rotating roller 72 and rotates the retainer 70 clockwise. As a result, the inner wound portion 122 wound around the harness holding portion 511 is unwound. As a result, in the accommodation space S, the winding length of the outer wound portion 121, which is wound counterclockwise around the inner circumferential surface of the cable holding tube 611, and the inner wound portion 122, the other end of which is held in the inner slit 512, can be adjusted. Therefore, the handle power supply device 2 can reduce the load on the second cable 12 caused by the rotation of the outer tube portion 60 that holds one end of the second cable 12 .

[0098] In the above-described handle power supply device 2, the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z and the rotation of the outer tube portion 60 are synchronized by rotating the intermediate gear 31 using the motor M. However, the intermediate gear 31 does not necessarily have to be rotated by the motor M. For example, the outer tube portion 60 may be rotated by the motor M. This allows the handle 820 to move in the axial direction Z in accordance with the rotation of the outer tube portion 60 via the synchronization mechanism 30. Furthermore, the handle 820 may be directly moved in the axial direction Z using the motor M, or the handle 820 may be moved in the axial direction Z manually without using the motor M. Even in this case, the outer tube portion 60 can be rotated in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z via the synchronization mechanism 30.

[0099] Furthermore, the cable winding device 1 synchronizes the movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer cylinder portion 60 by meshing the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 (inner gear 64) protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the shaft side arrangement portion 612 with the intermediate teeth 312. However, the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 (inner gear 64) do not have to be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft side arrangement portion 612.

[0100] 15 and 16, a cable winding device 1a in which the outer cylinder internal teeth 62 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612 will be described. In the following description of the cable winding device 1a, the same components as those in the cable winding device 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0101] Like the cable winding device 1, the cable winding device 1a is composed of a ribbon-shaped cable 10, a storage section 20a that holds the other end of the cable 10 and winds and stores a portion of the cable 10, and a rod-shaped gear 32 that is inserted through the storage section 20a in the axial direction Z (see Figure 15).

[0102] The accommodation section 20a is a substantially annular cylindrical case corresponding to the accommodation section 20, and like the accommodation section 20, the first cable 11 can be inserted and removed in the axial direction Z and a portion of the second cable 12 is wound around and accommodated therein. In detail, as shown in Figures 15(a) and 15(b), the accommodation section 20a is configured with an outer wall portion 40a forming the outer wall of the accommodation section 20a, a holding portion 50a corresponding to the holding portion 50, an outer cylinder portion 60a corresponding to the outer cylinder portion 60, a retainer 70 placed between the holding portion 50 and the outer cylinder portion 60, and a cover (not shown) that closes an opening on the left side YL of the accommodation section 20.

[0103] As shown in Figure 15 (b), the outer wall portion 40a is integrally formed of an outer wall main body 41a having a generally circular ring shape with a bottom, a guide portion 42 extending from the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall main body 41a toward the rear side ZR, and a housing-shaped connector connection portion 43 extending toward the opposite side from the guide portion 42.

[0104] Like the outer wall main body 41, the outer wall main body 41a is composed of a bottom surface portion 411a corresponding to the bottom surface portion 411 and an outer peripheral wall 412a corresponding to the outer peripheral wall 412. The bottom surface portion 411a has the same configuration as the bottom surface portion 411 except that it does not have the linear hole 413 or the circular hole 414. The outer peripheral wall 412a also has the same configuration as the bottom surface portion 411 except that it has an insertion portion 417 formed by cutting out the right side YR of the guide portion 42 in the radial direction so that the rod-shaped gear 32 can be inserted therethrough.

[0105] The holding portion 50a does not have a flange portion 52 or a mounting surface 53, and is composed only of the inner cylinder portion 51, and is configured integrally with the bottom surface portion 411a. That is, the outer wall portion 40a is configured such that the holding portion 50a (inner cylinder portion 51) protrudes from the bottom surface portion 411a toward the left side YL.

[0106] 16(a) and 16(b), the outer cylinder portion 60a is a cylindrical body that is housed in the outer wall portion 40 and can rotate relative to the outer wall portion 40a and the holding portion 50a. In more detail, when housed in the outer wall portion 40a, the outer cylinder portion 60a is composed of an outer cylinder main body 61a that is disposed between the outer wall main body 41a and the inner cylinder portion 51, and a plurality of outer cylinder external teeth 62a that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder main body 61a.

[0107] The outer tube main body 61a has the same structure as the outer tube main body 61, except that a portion corresponding to the shaft-side placement portion 612 is recessed radially inward. As shown in FIG. 16( a), the outer tube external teeth 62a are teeth of the same shape as the outer tube internal teeth 62 and protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side placement portion 612. More specifically, the outer tube external teeth 62a protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface at the lower end portion of the shaft-side placement portion 612, which is recessed radially inward. The tips of the outer tube external teeth 62a are approximately flush with the cable holding tube 611. The outer tube external teeth 62a configured in this manner are arranged circumferentially at the same pitch as the outer tube internal teeth 62. That is, an external gear 64a consisting of a plurality of outer tube external teeth 62a arranged along the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side placement portion 612.

[0108] The outer wall portion 40a, the holding portion 50a, the outer tube portion 60a, and the retainer 70 configured in this manner constitute the cable winding device 1a, similar to the cable winding device 1. Note that the method of assembling the cable winding device 1a is the same as the method of assembling the cable winding device 1, and therefore details thereof will be omitted.

[0109] The cable winding device 1a is assembled such that the outer cylinder external teeth 62a are exposed from an insertion portion 417 provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 412, and the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 mesh with the outer cylinder external teeth 62a (external gear 64a) (see FIG. 15(a)). By connecting one end of the shaft main body 321 provided with the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 to the handle 820, the cable 10 can be pulled out or wound from the guide portion 42 as with the cable winding device 1, in accordance with movement of the handle 820 in the axial direction Z.

[0110] Specifically, by moving the handle 820 toward the forward side ZF or the rearward side ZR, the shaft main body 321 moves toward the forward side ZF or the rearward side ZR. As a result, the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 protruding from the shaft main body 321 push the outer-cylinder external teeth 62a (external gear 64a) toward the forward side ZF or the rearward side ZR, causing the outer cylinder portion 60 to rotate counterclockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, similar to the cable winding device 1, the first cable 11 is wound or unwound on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder main body 61. That is, the cable winding device 1a can rotate the outer cylinder portion 60a counterclockwise or counterclockwise in synchronization with the movement of the handle 820 toward the forward side ZF or the rearward side ZR. As a result, the first cable 11, which becomes loose or tense as the handle 820 moves toward the forward side ZF or the rearward side ZR, can be wound or pulled out from the guide portion 42 to the inside of the outer wall portion 40. Therefore, similar to the cable winding device 1, the cable winding device 1a can suppress the load generated in the first cable 11 that becomes loose or tense as the handle 820 moves toward the forward side ZF.

[0111] Furthermore, although the cable winding devices 1 and 1a described above function as a steering wheel power supply device 2 that electrically connects an electric device E1 mounted on a vehicle, the cable 10, and the steering wheel 820, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 17 , one end of the cable 10 may be connected to an electric member E2 connected to an electric device such as a seat heater provided on a seat member 900, and an electrical connector 960 connected to an electric device E3 mounted on the vehicle may be connected to the connector connection portion 43, thereby functioning as a seat power supply device 3 that can supply power from the main body to the seat member 900.

[0112] 17 , the seat member 900 is composed of a seat body 910 which is a seat portion, a pair of rails 920 extending along the first direction X, and a connecting member 930 which straddles the pair of rails 920 and is configured to be slidable along the rails 920. The bottom surface of the seat body 910 is fixed to the connecting member 930.

[0113] The cable winding device 1, 1a arranged on the front side ZF of the rail 920 is connected to the seat member 900 configured in this manner. More specifically, the shaft main body 321 is connected to the connecting member 930, and one end of the cable 10 is connected to an electric member E2 connected to an electric component such as a seat heater provided in the seat main body 910. In addition, an electric connector 950 of a vehicle-side wire harness 940 connected to electric devices E3 mounted on the vehicle main body is connected to the front side ZF of the connector connection portion 43. As a result, similar to the case where the cable 11 is connected to the handlebar 820, the first cable 11 can be pulled out or wound up as the seat member 900 slides in the axial direction Z, as shown in FIG. 17 .

[0114] In this way, the cable winding device 1, 1a functions as a seat power supply device 3 that can supply power from the vehicle body (electrical equipment E3) to the electrical equipment of the seat member 900, and can wind and pull out the first cable 11 in response to the sliding movement of the seat member 900.

[0115] The cable winding device 1, 1a configured in this manner includes a handle 820 movable along the axial direction Z and a ribbon-shaped cable 10 connected at one side to the seat main body 910, and a storage section 20, 20a that holds the other side of the cable 10 and winds and stores a portion of the cable 10. Here, one side of a middle portion 14 of the portion of the cable 10 stored in the storage section 20, 20a is referred to as a first cable 11, and the other side of the middle portion 14 is referred to as a second cable 12. The storage section 20, 20a is further provided with a holding section 50, 50a disposed radially inward and holding the side of the second cable 12 opposite to the middle portion 14, a cylindrical outer tube portion 60, 60a that holds the middle portion 14 and is disposed radially outward of the holding section 50, 50a and rotates about a rotation axis direction along the ribbon width direction of the cable 10, and a guide section 42 that guides the first cable 11 between the outside and the inside along the axial direction Z. Also provided is a synchronization mechanism 30 or a rod-shaped gear 32 that synchronizes the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 in the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a. By the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 in the axial direction Z, the first cable 11 guided from the guide portion 42 is unwound or wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a, and the second cable 12 is unwound or wound tight between the holding portions 50, 50a and the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a.

[0116] This allows the cable 10 to be smoothly pulled out or wound up in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910. More specifically, the housing 20, 20a holds the other side of the belt-shaped cable 10, one side of which is connected to the handle 820 and the seat body 910, and winds and houses a portion of the cable 10. The housing 20, 20a is provided with a holding portion 50, 50a disposed radially inward and holding the side opposite to the intermediate portion 14 of the second cable 12. Further, a cylindrical outer tube portion 60, 60a is disposed radially outward of the holding portion 50, 50a and holds the intermediate portion 14 and rotates about a rotation axis direction along the belt width direction (second direction Y) of the cable 10. Furthermore, the housing 20, 20a is provided with a guide portion 42 that guides the first cable 11 between the outside and the inside along the axial direction Z, and a synchronization mechanism 30 or a rod-shaped gear 32 that synchronizes the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 in the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer tube portion 60, 60a.

[0117] Therefore, in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 in the axial direction Z, the synchronization mechanism 30 or the rod-shaped gear 32 can rotate the outer tubular portions 60, 60a that hold the intermediate portion 14, and the first cable 11 can be wound up or unwound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer tubular portions 60, 60a. This allows the first cable 11 to be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or the first cable 11 to be smoothly wound up or unwound from the outside to the inside, in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 in the axial direction Z.

[0118] Meanwhile, as the outer tubular portions 60, 60a that hold the intermediate portion 14 rotate, the second cable 12 is unwound or tightened between the holding portions 50, 50a and the outer tubular portions 60, 60a, thereby suppressing the load acting on the second cable 12 routed between the holding portions 50, 50a and the outer tubular portions 60, 60a.

[0119] The cable winding device 1, 1a configured in this manner can smoothly pull out or wind up one side of the first cable 11 from the guide portion 42, and can suppress the load acting on the second cable 12 routed between the holding portion 50, 50a and the outer tube portion 60, 60a. Therefore, the cable 10 can be smoothly pulled out or wound up in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat body 910 while reducing the load on the cable 10.

[0120] The outer cylinder portions 60, 60a are provided with an inner gear 64 and an outer gear 64a extending in the circumferential direction. The rod-shaped gear 32 has a shaft main body 321 extending in the axial direction Z and one end of which is connected to the handle 820 and the seat main body 910. The shaft main body 321 is provided with a plurality of shaft-side meshing teeth 322 extending in the axial direction Z and partially meshing with the inner gear 64 and the outer gear 64a.

[0121] As a result, the shaft main body 321 moves along the axial direction Z in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 along the axial direction Z, and therefore the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 that mesh with the inner gear 64 and the outer gear 64a move in the axial direction Z. That is, the synchronization mechanism 30 and the rod-shaped gear 32 can synchronize the linear movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 in the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a via the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 and the inner gear 64 and the outer gear 64a. In this way, the cable winding device 1, 1a can synchronize the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 in the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a with a simple structure. Therefore, the cable winding device 1, 1a can reliably and smoothly pull out the first cable 11 from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or smoothly wind up the first cable 11 from the outside to the inside.

[0122] Furthermore, the outer tube portions 60, 60a are provided with a cable holding tube 611 that holds the first cable 11 and winds or unwinds the first cable 11 around the outer peripheral surface, and a cylindrical shaft-side portion 612 that is disposed on one side of the cable holding tube 611 in the rotation axis direction. The inner gear 64 and the outer gear 64a are provided in the shaft-side portion 612.

[0123] In this way, the cable holding tube 611, which winds or unwinds the first cable 11 around its outer circumferential surface, and the shaft-side arrangement portion 612, to which rotation is transmitted, are disposed offset in the rotation axis direction (second direction Y). Therefore, rotation that corresponds to the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 can be transmitted at a position that does not interfere with the first cable 11. Therefore, with a simple structure, it is possible to reliably synchronize the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 along the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer tube portions 60, 60a.

[0124] Furthermore, in the cable winding device 1, the inner gear 64 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612, and an intermediate gear 31 that meshes with the inner gear 64, the outer gear 64a, and the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 is provided between the shaft main body 321 and the inner circumferential surface. As a result, the shaft main body 321 is disposed radially inside the shaft-side arrangement portion 612, and movement of the shaft main body 321 along the axial direction Z and rotation of the outer tube portion 60 can be relatively converted via the intermediate gear 31 disposed radially inside the shaft-side arrangement portion 612. Therefore, the cable winding device 1 can be made more compact in the radial direction, and the first cable 11 can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or the first cable 11 can be smoothly wound from the outside to the inside.

[0125] Furthermore, the intermediate gear 31 is connected to the motor M that rotates the intermediate gear 31 about an axis that is aligned with the rotation axis direction, and therefore the shaft main body 321 can be moved along the axial direction Z and the outer cylinder portion 60 can be rotated via the intermediate gear 31 connected to the motor M. Therefore, in accordance with the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 in the axial direction Z, the first cable 11 can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or the first cable 11 can be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside.

[0126] On the other hand, in the cable winding device 1a, the outer gear 64a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612, and the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 directly mesh with the outer gear 64a. This makes it possible to reliably synchronize the movement of the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 along the axial direction Z with the rotation of the outer cylinder portion 60a with a simpler structure in which the shaft-side meshing teeth 322 provided on the shaft main body 321 are simply meshed with the outer gear 64a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion 612.

[0127] In addition, in the cable winding device 1, 1a, the cable 10 is configured by stacking multiple cables in the thickness direction, and the second cable 12 has an inner winding portion 122 wound on the radially inner side of the outer tube portion 60, 60a, an outer winding portion 121 wound on the radially outer side, and multiple arc-shaped wound portions 123 which are the boundary portions between the inner winding portion 122 and the outer winding portion 121, and the wound portions 123 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0128] As a result, when the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 move in the axial direction Z to rotate the outer tube portions 60, 60a in one circumferential direction, the wound portion 123 of the second cable 12, both ends of which are fixed to the outer tube portions 60, 60a and the holding portions 50, 50a, moves to one side in the circumferential direction, while the second cable 12 is unwound from the inner winding portion 122. Furthermore, the spirally wound outer winding portion 121 is wound and tightened while the second cable 12 is unwound from the inner winding portion 122. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the wound portion 123 of the second cable 12, and also to wind and tighten the outer winding portion 121 while unwinding the inner winding portion 122. Therefore, the cable winding device 1, 1a can reduce the load acting on the second cable 12 between the outer tube portions 60, 60a and the holding portions 50, 50a.

[0129] Conversely, when the handle 820 and the seat main body 910 move in the axial direction Z, causing the outer tube portion 60, 60a to rotate in the other circumferential direction, the cable 10 is wound around the inner winding portion 122 while the wound portion 123 moves to the other side in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the spirally wound outer winding portion 121 is unwound and unreeled while being fed out to the inner winding portion 122. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the wound portion 123 of the second cable 12, and also to wind and tighten the inner winding portion 122 while unwinding the outer winding portion 121. Therefore, the cable winding device 1, 1a can reduce the load acting on the second cable 12 between the outer tube portion 60, 60a and the holding portion 50, 50a.

[0130] In addition, between the outer tube portion 60, 60a and the holding portion 50, 50a, there are provided a rotating table 71 that is rotatable relative to the storage portion 20, 20a, a rotating roller 72 that is supported by the rotating table 71 and is arranged on the inner surface side of the rewinding portion 123 and is rotatable around a direction parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotating table 71, and a guide surface 73 that is located circumferentially away from the outer surface of the rotating roller 72 on the rotating table 71 and is arranged on the outer surface side of the rewinding portion 123.

[0131] This cable winding device includes a rotary table 71 that is rotatable about a rotation axis and a rotating roller 72 that is supported by the rotary table 71 and rotatable about the rotation axis. The rotating roller 72 is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of a rewinding portion 123. A guide surface 73 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the rewinding portion 123. Therefore, when the rewinding portion 123 moves to one side or the other in the circumferential direction during winding or unwinding of the second cable 12, the inner or outer circumferential surface of the rewinding portion 123 comes into contact with the rotating roller 72 or the guide surface 73, thereby pulling the rotating roller 72 or pushing the guide surface 73. This causes the rotary table 71 to rotate (revolve). Furthermore, the rotating roller 72 can also rotate (spin) in response to the unwinding of the second cable 12, allowing the second cable 12 to be smoothly guided. Furthermore, the second cable 12 can be prevented from being worn due to friction.

[0132] In addition, the handle power supply device 2 uses a cable winding device 1, 1a, and the other end of the second cable 12 held by the holding portion 50, 50a is connected to electrical equipment E1 on the electricity supply source side, and the rod-shaped gear 32 rotates the outer tube portion 60, 60a in accordance with the movement along the axial direction Z of the handle 820 having a rotary connector device 830 connected to one end of the first cable 11.

[0133] This allows the movement of the handle 820 along the axial direction Z to be synchronized with the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a. This ensures that the first cable 11 can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or the first cable 11 can be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside, while also allowing electricity to be supplied to the handle 820.

[0134] In addition, the seat power supply device 3 uses a cable winding device 1, 1a, and the other end of the second cable 12 held by the holding portion 50, 50a is connected to electrical equipment E3 on the power supply source side, and the synchronization mechanism 30 and the rod-shaped gear 32 have an electrical member E2 to which one end of the first cable 11 is connected, and rotates the outer tube portion 60, 60a in accordance with the movement along the axial direction Z of the seat body 910, which slides in the axial direction Z.

[0135] This allows the movement of the seat main body 910 along the axial direction Z to be synchronized with the rotation of the outer cylinder portions 60, 60a, thereby ensuring that the first cable 11 can be smoothly pulled out from the inside to the outside via the guide portion 42, or the first cable 11 can be smoothly wound up from the outside to the inside, and electricity can be supplied to the seat main body 910.

[0136] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiments, the predetermined direction of this invention corresponds to the axial direction Z, and similarly, the target member corresponds to the handle 820 or the seat main body 910, the flat cable corresponds to the cable 10, the accommodating portion corresponds to the accommodating portion 20, 20a, the intermediate portion corresponds to the intermediate portion 14, the first cable corresponds to the first cable 11, the second cable corresponds to the second cable 12, the holding portion corresponds to the holding portion 50, 50a, the outer cylinder portion corresponds to the outer cylinder portion 60, 60a, the guide portion corresponds to the guide portion 42, the rotation synchronization mechanism corresponds to the synchronization mechanism 30 or the rod-shaped gear 32, the electric cable winding device corresponds to the cable winding device 1, 1a, the rotating gear corresponds to the inner gear 64 and the outer gear 64a, the shaft portion corresponds to the shaft portion main body 321, the shaft side meshing teeth correspond to the shaft side meshing teeth 322, The cable holding tube corresponds to the cable holding tube 611, the shaft side arrangement portion corresponds to the shaft side arrangement portion 612, the intermediate gear corresponds to the intermediate gear 31, the motor corresponds to the motor M, the inner winding portion corresponds to the inner winding portion 122, the outer winding portion corresponds to the outer winding portion 121, the bent-back portion corresponds to the rewinding portion 123, the rotating table corresponds to the rotating table 71, the rotating roller corresponds to the rotating roller 72, the guide corresponds to the guide surface 73, the handle corresponds to the handle 820, the electrical components correspond to the rotary connector device 830, electrical equipment E1, electrical component E2, and electrical equipment E3, the handle power supply device corresponds to the handle power supply device 2, the seat corresponds to the seat main body 910, and the seat power supply device corresponds to the seat power supply device 3, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments, and many embodiments can be obtained.

[0137] For example, the main shaft portion 810 in this embodiment is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the main shaft portion 810 may be configured to electrically connect the steering wheel 820, which is connected to the cable winding device 1, 1a, to the steering wheel, thereby enabling the steering wheel to be operated. Furthermore, the use of the steering wheel 820 and the steering device 800 is not limited to vehicles such as automobiles. For example, the steering wheel 820 and the steering device 800 may be used in ships or aircraft.

[0138] In addition, in the present embodiment, the retainer 70 is accommodated in the accommodation space S in which the second cable 12 is accommodated, but the retainer 70 is not necessarily required. For example, the second cable 12 may simply be bent back in an arc shape in the circumferential direction in the accommodation space S, as in the cable winding devices 1, 1a, and wound-back portions 123 may be provided at equal intervals.

[0139] 18, which is a schematic side view of another embodiment, for example, the second cable 12 may be housed in a loose spiral shape, with the intermediate portion 14 held by the outer tubular portions 60, 60a and the other end held by the holding portion 50, 50a. By housing the second cable 12 in a loose spiral shape in this manner, the second cable 12 can be wound or unwound in accordance with the rotation of the outer tubular portions 60, 60a.

[0140] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a...electric cable winding device 2...handle power supply device 3...seat power supply device 10...cable 11...first cable 12...second cable 14...middle portion 20, 20a...storage portion 30...synchronization mechanism 31...intermediate gear 32...rod-shaped gear 42...guide portion 50, 50a...holding portion 60, 60a...outer cylinder portion 64, 64a...inner gear 71...rotary table 72...rotating roller 73...guide surface 122...inner winding portion 121...outer winding portion 123...rewinding portion 321...shaft portion main body 322...shaft side meshing teeth 611...cable holding tube 612...shaft side arrangement portion 820...handle 910...seat main body M...motor Z...axial direction E1...electrical equipment E2...electrical member

Claims

1. A flat cable belt-shaped one side of which is connected to a target member that can move along a predetermined direction; and a housing section that holds the other side of the flat cable and winds and houses a portion of the flat cable, wherein the one side of the midpoint of the portion of the flat cable housed in the housing section is a first cable, and the other side of the midpoint is a second cable, and the housing section is provided with: a holding section that is arranged radially inward and holds the opposite side of the midpoint of the second cable; a cylindrical outer tube section that holds the midpoint and is arranged radially outward of the holding section and rotates around a rotation axis that is along the band width direction of the flat cable; and a guide section that guides the first cable between the outside and the inside along the predetermined direction; and a rotation synchronization mechanism that synchronizes the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction with the rotation of the outer tube section, an electric cable winding device in which the outer tube portion rotates in accordance with the movement of the target member in the predetermined direction, causing the first cable guided from the guiding portion to be unwound or wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion, and the second cable to be unwound or wound tight between the holding portion and the outer tube portion.

2. An electric cable winding device as described in claim 1, wherein a rotating gear is provided on the outer tube portion along the circumferential direction, and the rotation synchronization mechanism has a shaft portion along the specified direction, one end of which is connected to the target member, and the shaft portion is provided with a plurality of shaft-side meshing teeth that are along the specified direction and some of which mesh with the rotating gear.

3. An electric cable winding device as described in claim 2, wherein the outer tube portion is provided with a cable holding tube that holds the first cable and unwinds or winds the first cable around its outer circumferential surface, and a cylindrical shaft side arrangement portion that is arranged on one side of the cable holding tube in the direction of the rotation axis, and the rotating gear is provided on the shaft side arrangement portion.

4. An electric cable winding device as described in claim 3, wherein the rotary gear is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion, and an intermediate gear that meshes with the rotary gear and the shaft-side meshing teeth is provided between the shaft portion and the inner peripheral surface.

5. An electric cable winding device according to claim 4, wherein the intermediate gear is connected to a motor that rotates the intermediate gear around an axis that is aligned with the rotation axis direction.

6. An electric cable winding device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the rotary gear is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-side arrangement portion, and the shaft-side meshing teeth directly mesh with the rotary gear.

7. An electric cable winding device as described in claim 3, wherein the flat cable is configured by stacking multiple flat cables in the thickness direction, and the second cable has an inner winding portion wound on the radially inner side of the outer tube portion, an outer winding portion wound on the radially outer side, and multiple arc-shaped bent portions that are boundary portions between the inner winding portion and the outer winding portion, and the bent portions are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.

8. An electric cable winding device as set forth in claim 7, wherein: between the outer tube portion and the holding portion, there are provided: a rotary table which is rotatable relative to the storage portion; a rotating roller which is supported on the rotary table and is arranged on the inner peripheral surface side of the bent-back portion and is rotatable around a direction parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotary table; and a guide which is arranged on the outer peripheral surface side of the bent-back portion at a position circumferentially spaced from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller on the rotary table.

9. A handle power supply device using the electric cable winding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the target member is a handle having an electric member connected to one end of the first cable, the other end of the second cable held in the holding part is connected to an electric member on the electricity supply source side, and the rotation synchronization mechanism rotates the outer tube part in accordance with movement of the handle along the predetermined direction.

10. A seat power supply device using the electric cable winding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the target member is a seat that has an electric member to which one end of the first cable is connected and that slides in the predetermined direction, the other end of the second cable held in the holding part is connected to an electric member on the electricity supply source side, and the rotation synchronization mechanism rotates the outer tube part in accordance with the movement of the seat in the predetermined direction.

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