Electrical connector assembly for vehicular steering wheel

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly is provided for components that are rotatable relative to one another, such as a steering column and a steering wheel for a vehicle. The assembly comprises a steering column cassette and an opposed mateable steering wheel cassette. Concentric recesses are formed in the mating face of at least one of the cassettes. The opposed mating surfaces are further defined by discrete concentric conductive portions formed on or disposed in the cassettes. At least one resilient electrically conductive contact member is resiliently engaged between the cassettes to make redundant electrical contact with the opposed cassette. The cassettes may be appropriately configured for environmental sealing.

I claim: 
     
       1. An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical connection between first and second members at least one of which is rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising: a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on said mating face;   a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said second housing having at least one resilient annular conductive portion nonrotatably disposed on the mating face thereof generally in register with the annular conductive portion on the mating face of said first housing, the resilient annular conductive portions of said second housing including resilient undulations therein, said undulations being in direct electrical and direct mechanical contact with the annular conductive portions of the first housing in register therewith, each said resilient annular conductive portion including a contact tab for electrical connection to an electrical connector nonrotatably mounted to the second housing; and   wherein the mating face of at least one of said first and second housings comprises at least one annular recess, with at least part of the resilient annular conductive portion of said second housing being disposed in said annular recess, whereby said annular recess retains the resilient annular conductive portion at a radial position for electrically contacting the annular conductive portions in the first housing.   
     
     
       2. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first and second housings each comprise at least one annular recess in the respective mating faces thereof, the annular conductive portions thereof being disposed in said recesses. 
     
     
       3. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first and second housings each comprise a plurality of annular conductive portions disposed on the mating faces thereof, with the annular conductive portions of said first housing being registered with the respective annular conductive portions of said second housing. 
     
     
       4. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 1 wherein the contact tab of the resilient annular conductive portion extends generally parallel to the rotational axis for the relative rotatable movement between said first and second members. 
     
     
       5. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 1 further comprising a nonconductive lubricant between the mating faces of the first and second housings for preventing wear to the annular conductive portions. 
     
     
       6. An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical contact between a first member and a second member which is rotatable relative to said first member, said assembly comprising: a first nonconductive housing having a mating face formed with an array of concentric recesses therein;   a first array of annular conductors nonrotatably disposed in the concentric recesses of the first housing;   a first array of conductor means extending in nonradial directions away from the mating face of the first housing for electrical connection between the respective annular conductors in the first array of annular conductors and a first electrical connector;   a second housing having a mating face formed with an array of concentric recesses therein such that the concentric recesses on the second housing are in register with the concentric recesses of the first housing, said second housing being formed to include an array of nonradially aligned apertures extending from the respective annular recesses and away from the mating face of the second housing;   a second array of annular conductors disposed respectively in the concentric recesses of the second housing, the annular conductors in the second array of annular conductors each defining a split wave washer having a plurality of resilient undulations formed therein and having a split in the periphery thereof, the undulations being dimensioned to achieve direct electrical and direct mechanical contact with the respective annular conductors in the first array of annular conductors; and   a second array of conductor means extending in non-radial directions away from the mating face of the second housing for electrical connection between the respective annular conductors in the second array of annular conductors and a second electrical connector, the conductor means of the second array of conductor means each defining a contact tab unitary with the respective split wave washers and extending in a nonradial direction at a location thereon generally at the split therein.   
     
     
       7. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 6 wherein the annular conductors in the first array of annular conductors define split wave washers substantially identical to the split wave washers in the second array of annular conductors, and with contact tabs unitary with said split wave washers defining the first array of nonradially aligned conductor means. 
     
     
       8. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 6 wherein the annular conductors in the first array of annular conductors are insert molded into the first housing, such that the first housing defines a continuous matrix of nonconductive material surrounding and engaging at least portions of the annular conductors of the first housing. 
     
     
       9. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 6 further comprising a nonconductive lubricant between the mating faces of the first and second housings for preventing wear to the annular conductive portions. 
     
     
       10. An electrically conductive terminal for achieving electrical .Iadd.and mechanical .Iaddend.contact with a second terminal at all rotational positions about a rotational axis, said terminal being stamped and formed from a unitary piece of conductive material to define a split wave washer generally concentric with the rotational axis, said split wave washer being characterized by a plurality of undulations formed therein and a radially aligned split extending therethrough, and a pair of contact tabs extending unitarily from the wave washer on opposite sides of the split therein and aligned in a nonradial direction .Iadd.and wherein at least one of said terminals is rotatably mounted relative to the other.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       11. An assembly of electrical terminals for achieving electrical contact with one another at all relative rotational positions of said terminals about a rotational axis, said pair of terminals comprising: a first generally annular terminal substantially concentric with the rotational axis; and   a second generally annular terminal substantially concentric with the rotational axis, said second terminal in direct electrical and direct mechanical contact with said first annular terminal defining a split wave washer having a plurality of undulations therein and having a split extending therethrough, said second terminal further comprising a contact tab unitary therewith and extending in a nonradial direction from a portion thereof adjacent the split .Iadd.and wherein at least one of said terminals is rotatably mounted relative to the other.Iaddend..   
     
     
       12. An assembly of terminals as in claim 11 wherein the first terminal is substantially identical to the second terminal. 
     
     
       13. An electrical connector assembly mounted about the longitudinal axis of a torque transmitting shaft which shaft passes through said assembly and has a rotational relationship with a part which is stationary or rotating for achieving electrical connection between first and second members, at least one of said members being rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising: a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and at least one first annular conductor insert molded to said first housing such that the nonconductive portion of said first housing defines a continuous matrix of nonconductive material surrounding and supporting portions of said first annular conductor and with said first annular conductor being exposed adjacent the mating face of said first housing;   a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said first and second housings being rotatable relative to one another, said second housing having at least one second annular conductor insert molded therein such that the nonconductive portion of the second housing defines a continuous matrix surrounding and supporting portions of said second annular conductor and with the second annular conductor being exposed adjacent the mating face of said second housing to define at least one pair of opposed annular conductors, the annular conductors of the first and second housings being in spaced relationship to one another; and   at least one resilient wave washer disposed between the mating faces of said first and second housings and retained at a radial position for resiliently engaging the first and second annular conductors for achieving electrical connection therebetween, while permitting rotating of said first and second housings relative to one another.   
     
     
       14. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 13 further comprising a nonconductive lubricant between the mating faces of the first and second housings for preventing wear to the annular conductive portions. 
     
     
       15. An electrical connector assembly as in claim 14 wherein the lubricant is a substantially chemically inert hydrocarbon. .Iadd. 
     
     
       16.  An electrical connector assembly for achieving electrical connection between first and second members at least one of which is rotatable relative to the other, said assembly comprising: a first housing mountable to said first member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face and at least one annular conductive portion fixedly disposed on said mating face;   a second housing mountable to said second member and comprising a nonconductive portion having a mating face disposed in generally opposed relationship to the mating face of said first housing, said second housing having at least one resilient annular conductive portion nonrotatably disposed on the mating face thereof generally in register with the annular conductive portion on the mating face of said first housing, the resilient annular conductive portions of said second housing including resilient undulations therein, said undulations being in direct electrical and direct mechanical contact with the annular conductive portions of the first housing in register therewith, each said resilient annular conductive portion including an electrical connection to an electrical connector nonrotatably mounted to the second housing; and   wherein the mating face of at least one of said first and second housings comprises at least one annular recess, with at least part of the resilient annular conductive portion of said second housing being disposed in said annular recess, whereby said annular recess retains the resilient annular conductive portion at a radial position for electrically contacting the annular conductive portions in the first housing. .Iaddend.