Rotary Connector Rotation Limit Structure for Flat Cable Neutral Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotary connector devices face issues with recognizing the neutral position of a rotary member without using a neutral mechanism, leading to potential damage or deformation of the flat cable due to excessive tightening or loosening of the winding.
Innovation Solution
A rotary connector device with specific structures for the rotary and fixed members, including a recessed part and projection part, regulates the rotation angle to avoid excessive tightening and loosening, allowing neutral position recognition without a neutral mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a neutral mechanism is used to fix the neutral position, then the neutral position can be recognized without fail, but the device complexity increases and environmental protection/costs are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the neutral mechanism (neutral pin or neutral tape) from the system entirely. Instead of adding a neutral mechanism to fix the neutral position, the invention extracts this component and replaces it with a different approach using the recessed part and projection part structure that regulates rotation angle without requiring neutral position fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical neutral mechanism (neutral pin or neutral tape) with a geometric constraint system consisting of a recessed part having a C-shape and a projection part. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical neutral position fixation while still enabling neutral position recognition and preventing excessive rotation.
2Ease of operation
If the rotary member is allowed to rotate freely to achieve lock-to-lock turns, then the steering wheel rotation range is sufficient, but the flat cable may be damaged by excessive tightening or loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed part and projection part structure provides preliminary constraint against excessive rotation in both tightening and loosening directions. By pre-establishing these geometric boundaries, the system prevents the flat cable from experiencing excessive winding or unwinding that would cause damage, while still allowing the necessary steering rotation range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-configures the recessed part and projection part to automatically regulate the rotation angle before excessive rotation can occur. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that the neutral position can be recognized and the rotation limited without requiring active control or additional mechanisms during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rotary member structure is simplified to remove the neutral mechanism, then environmental protection and costs are improved, but the neutral position recognition becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed part and projection part structure is designed to be self-indicating. The geometric configuration itself provides the neutral position information without requiring additional neutral mechanisms. The structure serves its own function of indicating the neutral position while regulating rotation, eliminating the need for separate neutral position indication systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a rotary connector device making it possible to ascertain easily the neutral position of a rotating body relative to a fixed body without using a neutral mechanism and to avoid the occurrence of excessive tightening or excessive loosening when winding a flat cable. A rotary connector device 1 is provided with a rotating body 10, a fixed body 20, and a flat cable 40 housed in a housing space 70, wherein the rotating body 10 is assembled to be rotatable around a rotation axis 7 of the rotating body 10 with respect to the fixed body 20, the rotating body 10 has a sliding surface 18 that slides against the fixed body 20, the fixed body 20 has a sliding receiving surface 28 facing the sliding surface 18 of the rotating body 10, a recess 50 having a C-shaped extension shape is formed on one of the sliding surface 18 and the sliding receiving surface 28, a protrusion 60 that can move in the recess 50 is provided on the other one of the sliding surface 18 and the sliding receiving surface 28, and a rotation range of the rotating body 10 with respect to the fixed body 20 is regulated by the extension length of the recess 50 in which the protrusion 60 can move.