Patent ID: 6264487
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A rotary connector comprising:(a) an annular outer case;(b) an inner case disposed at the inner side of said annular outer case in such a manner as to be rotatable relatively to said annular outer case, wherein said inner case comprises a cylindrical portion and a cover portion which covers the upper side of an annular space formed with said annular outer case and said cylindrical portion of said inner case;(c) a lower-side-cover for covering the lower side of said annular space, wherein said lower-side-cover is fixed to said annular outer case;(d) a flexible flat cable disposed in said annular space in such a manner as to be wound along the inner wall of said outer case in a first direction and along the outer wall of said cylindrical portion of said inner case in a second direction which is opposite to said first direction via the reversed portion of said flat cable, wherein both ends of said flat cable are respectively electrically connected to outer members;(e) a guide ring having a cut-portion where said reversed portion of said flat cable passes through, wherein said guide ring is disposed in said annular space in such a manner as to be rotatable in the state that said guide ring elastically contacts with the lower side of said cover portion of said inner case;(f) a plurality of cylindrical rollers, wherein the intermediate supporting portion of each of said rollers is rotatably supported by said guide ring in the state that the rotation axis of said roller slants, and the lower portion of the outer end-side and the upper portion of the inner end-side of each of said rollers respectively contact with said flat cable, also the circumference-side of each of said rollers elastically contacts with the upper side of said lower-side-cover.