A spring clock is a mechanism that supplies power and switching inputs to a car’s steering wheel, allowing it to rotate while maintaining connections to airbags, horns, and switches. Advances in technology have led to more complex functions, requiring a more sophisticated clock. Clock springs are typically spring-loaded spools with a length of wire wound around them, and are mounted inside the steering column. They require replacement after airbag deployment.
In motorsport terms, a spring clock is a spiral connector mechanism that supplies power and switching inputs to the steering wheel of a car. This mechanism allows the wheel to rotate through its full range of motion while maintaining connections between the airbag, horn, and steering-mounted switches. A clock spring is typically a spring-loaded spool with a length of round or ribbon wire wound around it, one end of which plugs into a socket on the steering wheel and the other plugs into the car’s circuitry. The wire supplies power to the airbag and interfaces with any other switches on the steering wheel. When the wheel is turned in either direction, it pulls the cable off the reel against spring pressure, and when it is returned to the neutral position, the spring winds the cable back onto the reel.
Advances in automotive technology have seen an increasing number of auxiliary switch functions and equipment mounted on vehicle steering wheels. The ability to control many of the features in a vehicle that are commonly accessed while driving without losing contact with the steering wheel, or having to look away from the road, certainly makes sense. The increased focus on driver safety has also seen the installation of safety equipment such as airbags in most newer car steering wheels. However, getting power to and from all of these flywheel-mounted devices poses a problem, due to the constant spinning of the flywheel.
Older vehicles usually just had a horn button or ring on the wheel that drew its power from a simple copper slip ring and carbon brush system. However, catering for complex switching functions and power supplies requires something more sophisticated and led to the introduction of the clock. This device is usually mounted inside the steering column and consists of a circular housing with a length of flat or round cable inside. One end of the cable is static and connected to the vehicle’s circuitry. The other end plugs into a receptacle on the steering wheel boss and can be retracted to keep up with the movement of the steering wheel.
The reel on which the cable is wound is typically spring loaded, allowing the reel to feed the cable when the wheel is turned and automatically rewind the cable when the wheel returns to its neutral position. Although most clock spring assemblies have excellent life cycles, they sometimes require replacement. This job is best left to a professional unless the car owner is really technically helpful. The clock spring units used to power the driver’s airbags generally require replacement after airbag deployment due to localized fusion of the connectors caused by the gas conversion process.
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