Foldable steering wheel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable steering wheel, comprising a hub, a rim portion installed on the outer side of the hub, and an armature consisting of spokes connecting the rim portion and the hub, wherein the rim portion is composed of an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion, and includes a folding portion that causes the lower rim portion to be folded from the armature.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable steering wheel, and more specifically, to a foldable steering wheel that provides a convenience space for the driver while the vehicle is stopped or ensures boarding convenience when the driver gets in and out of the vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, the steering wheel is a steering device that controls the direction of a vehicle's movement, and drivers always hold the steering wheel to ensure the vehicle travels in the direction they intend while driving. However, even when the vehicle is stationary and steering is not required, the steering wheel remains in its original position, failing to provide the driver with sufficient clearance and resulting in very poor space utilization.

[0004] Accordingly, an Easy Access mode is applied in which the steering wheel moves up or the seat moves backward when the driver gets in or out of the vehicle, but the lower rim of the steering wheel still takes up a lot of space in the driver's seat, and there is a problem in that the driver's knee space is reduced due to the steering wheel rim when charging the electric vehicle or during autonomous driving.

[0005] To improve this, there is a growing demand for foldable steering wheels in which the rim of the steering wheel folds to secure space in the driver's seat.

[0006] The background technology of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1271806 (Registered September 29, 2011; Title of Invention: Steering Wheel for Automobiles). The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention relates to a foldable steering wheel that can provide a driver's convenience space while stopped inside a vehicle or ensure boarding convenience when the driver gets in and out of the vehicle by means of a structure in which the rim of the steering wheel is folded. means of solving the problem

[0010] A foldable steering wheel according to the present invention comprises a hub, a rim portion installed on the outer side of the hub, and an armature consisting of spokes connecting the rim portion and the hub, wherein the rim portion is composed of an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion, and may include a folding portion that causes the lower rim portion to be folded from the armature.

[0011] In addition, the folding part may include a hinge bracket formed on each side of the lower rim part and a pair of folding drive parts that are each coupled to the hinge bracket and fixed to the spoke to rotate the hinge bracket by an operation signal.

[0012] In addition, the folding drive unit may include a folding motor fixed to the spoke and a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the folding motor to the rotation of the hinge bracket.

[0013] In addition, the driving force of the folding motor can be switched in a perpendicular direction by the power transmission unit and transmitted to the hinge bracket.

[0014] In addition, the power transmission unit may include a worm gear formed on the drive shaft of the folding motor and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear and is coupled to the hinge bracket by a rotation shaft.

[0015] In addition, the spoke is provided with a fixing part for fixing the folding drive unit, and the fixing part may include a seating part on which the folding drive unit is seated and a fixing bracket that covers and fixes the folding drive unit seated on the seating part.

[0016] Additionally, the fixed portion includes a flow prevention portion that prevents movement of the rotating shaft, and the flow prevention portion may include a plurality of bearings formed on the rotating shaft and a flow prevention groove formed to correspond to the seating portion and the fixed bracket so as to fix the bearings.

[0017] In addition, the folding motor and the power transmission unit can be modularized by a case.

[0018] In addition, the above case includes a motor receiving portion in which the folding motor is received and a gear receiving portion in which the power transmission portion is received, and the gear receiving portion may be provided with a detachable opening cover to allow the interior to be opened.

[0019] In addition, the spoke is provided with a housing that accommodates the remote control assembly, and the housing can be supported by the fixed bracket. Effects of the invention

[0021] As described above, the steering wheel according to the present invention has a lower rim portion that folds or unfolds in the direction opposite to the driver, thereby enabling the securing of space in the driver's seat. This allows for securing extra space within the driver's seat when the driver gets in or out of the vehicle or while the vehicle is stopped, thereby increasing space utilization and convenience.

[0022] In addition, the present invention can maintain the folded or unfolded state of the lower rim portion by means of a folding motor and a worm gear, so that the driver can feel driving stability without feeling any strangeness when steering the vehicle through the steering wheel.

[0023] In addition, the present invention can improve assembly and provide a compact fixed structure by modularizing the folding motor and the power transmission unit by the case, and can prevent foreign substances from entering the interior by the case.

[0024] In addition, the present invention can improve the assembly of the folding drive unit by means of a fixing part provided on the spoke, and can prevent unintended removal of the worm wheel by preventing movement, thereby improving operational reliability. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a key part to explain the folding drive unit of a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the key parts to explain the folding drive unit of a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of AA of Figure 3. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the folding operation of a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the folding process of a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In this process, the thickness of lines or the size of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms described below are defined in consideration of their functions in the present invention, and these may vary depending on the intent or practice of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view for explaining a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a key part for explaining a folding drive unit of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a key part for explaining a folding drive unit of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view AA of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the folding operation of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the folding process of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a foldable steering wheel (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an armature (110) including a rim portion (114) and a folding portion (130) that causes a portion of the rim portion (114) of the armature (110) to be folded.

[0031] The armature (110) may include a hub (112), a rim portion (114) installed on the outer side of the hub (112), and a spoke (117) connecting the rim portion (114) and the hub (112).

[0032] The hub (112) is formed in the center of the armature (110) and can function as a base that is connected to the steering column. The spokes (117) can extend to both sides of the hub (112) and be connected to the rim (114).

[0033] A space is formed on the upper part of the hub (112) and the spoke (117) to accommodate various parts. An airbag module and a horn switch may be provided on the upper part of the hub (112), and a folding drive unit (140), which will be described later, may be provided on the upper part of the spoke (117).

[0034] Also, a lower cover (118) that surrounds the hub (112) and the spoke (117) is provided on the rear side of the hub (112) and the spoke (117), and can cover various parts provided on the hub (112) and the spoke (117).

[0035] For example, the armature (110) may include aluminum or magnesium material, and a grip body part (120) may be formed by foaming on the outside of the armature (110), and a handle cover such as leather may be provided on the outside of the grip body part (120).

[0036] The rim portion (114) of the foldable steering wheel (100) according to the present embodiment consists of an upper rim portion (115) and a lower rim portion (116). The lower rim portion (116) can be folded from the armature (110) by the folding portion (130).

[0037] That is, the present invention can be applied not only to general vehicles but also to autonomous vehicles, and the folding part (130) can fold the lower rim part (116) in the opposite direction of the driver by means of an operating signal to maximize the driver's seat space.

[0038] The operation signal may include the driver's operation signal, whether the vehicle is started, whether a mode is set, whether it is parked or stopped, etc.

[0039] The folding part (130) may include a hinge bracket (132) formed on each side of the lower rim part (116) and a pair of folding driving parts (140) that are each coupled to the hinge bracket (132) and fixed to the spoke (117) and rotate the hinge bracket (132) by an operation signal.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the folding drive unit (140) is formed in pairs and is provided on each spoke (117) and connected to a hinge bracket (132). The folding drive unit (140) may include a folding motor (142) and a power transmission unit (144).

[0041] The folding motor (142) is fixed to the spoke (117), and the power transmission unit (144) can transmit the driving force of the folding motor (142) to the rotation of the hinge bracket (132). At this time, the driving force of the folding motor (142) can be switched in a perpendicular direction by the power transmission unit (144) and transmitted to the hinge bracket (132).

[0042] That is, the drive shaft of the folding motor (142) is positioned toward the lower rim portion (116), and the direction is switched by the power transmission portion (144) so ​​that the hinge bracket (132) can be rotated and the lower rim portion (116) can be folded.

[0043] For example, the power transmission unit (144) may include a worm gear (145) formed on the drive shaft of the folding motor (142) and a worm wheel (146) that meshes with the worm gear (145) and is coupled to the hinge bracket (132) by a rotation shaft (147).

[0044] The folding motor (142) and the power transmission unit (144) can be modularized by the case (150).

[0045] The case (150) may include a motor receiving portion (152) in which a folding motor (142) is received and a gear receiving portion (154) in which a power transmission portion (144) is received.

[0046] The motor receiving portion (152) is formed in a cylindrical shape to surround the exterior of the folding motor (142) so that the folding motor (142) is coupled thereto, and inside the gear receiving portion (154), a worm gear (145) and a worm wheel (146) are arranged to mesh with each other in a right-angle direction. A rotation shaft (147) is coupled to the worm wheel (146) and coupled to the hinge bracket (132).

[0047] Additionally, the gear housing (154) may include a removable open cover (156) to open the interior. Since the open cover (156) is removable, maintenance of the worm gear (145) and worm wheel (146) provided inside is easy.

[0048] The spoke (117) may be provided with a fixing part (160) that fixes the folding drive unit (140). The fixing part (160) can function as a configuration that firmly fixes the folding drive unit (140), thereby improving assembly and preventing unintended removal of the worm gear (145) and worm wheel (146).

[0049] The fixed part (160) may include a seating part (162) on which the folding drive part (140) is seated, and a fixing bracket (164) that covers and fixes the folding drive part (140) seated on the seating part (162).

[0050] The folding drive unit (140) coupled to the case (150) is formed in a right-angle shape, and the seating unit (162) is formed on the spoke (117) in a shape corresponding to the case (150).

[0051] The fixing bracket (164) is formed in a right-angle shape to fix one straight section and the other straight section of the folding drive unit (140), and can fix the folding drive unit (140) to the seating portion (162) by covering the upper surface of the folding drive unit (140).

[0052] The fixed part (160) may include a flow prevention part (170) that prevents movement of the rotating shaft (147).

[0053] The flow prevention part (170) may include a plurality of bearings (172) formed on the rotation shaft (147) and a flow prevention groove (174) formed to correspond to the seating part (162) and the fixing bracket (164) so ​​as to fix the bearings (172).

[0054] In this embodiment, two bearings are shown on the rotating shaft (147), but this is not limited thereto, and the number of bearings (172) can be changed depending on the length of the rotating shaft (147).

[0055] And, a fixing bridge (166) is formed on the spoke (117) to cover and fix the rear end of the folding motor (142). Thus, one end of the fixing bracket (164) covers and fixes the central part of the folding motor (142), and the fixing bridge (166) covers and fixes the rear end of the folding motor (142), thereby doubling the fixing force.

[0056] Meanwhile, the spoke (117) may be provided with a receiving housing (180) that accommodates a remote control assembly (182). The receiving housing (180) may be positioned on the upper part of the folding drive unit (140) to form the exterior of the spoke (117) portion. Additionally, the receiving housing (180) may be supported by a fixing bracket (164).

[0057] The operation and effects of a foldable steering wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention are described below.

[0058] First, referring to FIG. 3, when examining the arrangement of each component, a folding drive unit (140) is provided on the upper part of each spoke (117), and the folding drive unit (140) can be modularized by a case (150) and coupled to the spoke (117). Since the folding drive unit (140) can be made into a component by the case (150), it has the effect of improving assembly.

[0059] Then, the folding drive unit (140), which is modularized by the case (150), is seated on the seating portion (162) and fixed by the fixing bracket (164). At this time, the rear end of the folding motor (142) is fixed to the fixing bridge (166) formed integrally with the spoke (117), and the middle part of the folding motor (142) and the right-angle rotation axis (147) are fixed by the fixing bracket (164). At this time, the bearing (172) formed on the rotation axis (147) is received and fixed in the anti-movement groove (174) of the seating portion (162) and the fixing bracket (164), so that the folding drive unit (140) can be firmly fixed to the spoke (117).

[0060] In this way, the structure, which is primarily protected by the case (150) and secondarily protected and fixed by the fixing part (160), can prevent unintended removal of the worm gear (145) and worm wheel (146) and prevent eccentricity of the rotation shaft (147), thereby improving operational reliability.

[0061] Next, looking at the folding operation, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the folding operation of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the folding process of a foldable steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Referring to FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8, a foldable steering wheel (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is formed with a fixed upper rim portion (115) and a foldable lower rim portion (116), and the lower rim portion (116) can be folded in the opposite direction of the driver by driving a folding motor (142) by an operating signal.

[0063] That is, when the folding motor (142) is operated by the driver's operation signal, whether the vehicle is started, whether the mode is set, whether it is parked or stopped, etc., the driving force of the folding motor (142) is transmitted by the worm gear (145) and the worm wheel (146) so that the rotating shaft (147) rotates, thereby giving rotational force to the hinge bracket (132).

[0064] By rotating the hinge bracket (132), the lower rim portion (116) can be folded as shown in FIG. 8 to maximize the convenience space of the driver's seat.

[0065] In the rotation of the lower rim portion (116), the control of the end of the rotation can be prevented by the controller detecting a change in the current value caused by a physical stopper, thereby preventing overload of the folding motor (142). In addition, the control of the upper rotation is determined by the interference contact between the end surface of the lower rim portion (116) and the end of the upper rim portion (115), and the control of the lower rotation can be determined by the interference contact of the stopper within the armature (110).

[0066] In this way, when interference contact occurs at the end, the current value of the folding motor (142) increases, and after the controller recognizes the increased current value, it can stop the operation of the folding motor (142).

[0067] As described above, according to the present invention, the lower rim portion can be folded or unfolded in the direction opposite to the driver, thereby securing space in the driver's seat. This allows for securing extra space within the driver's seat when the driver gets on or off the vehicle or while the vehicle is stopped, thus providing the effect of increasing space utilization and convenience.

[0068] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom.

[0069] Therefore, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the patent claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0071] 100 : Steering wheel 110 : Amateur 112 : Herb 114 : Rimbu 115 : Upper rim 116 : Lower rim 117 : Spoke 118 : Low cover 120 : Grip body 130 : Folding part 132 : Hinge bracket 140 : Folding drive unit 142 : Folding motor 144 : Power transmission unit 145 : Worm gear 146 : Worm wheel 147 : Rotation axis 150 : Case 152: Motor housing 154: Gear housing 156 : Opening cover 160 : Fixing part 162: Seating part 164: Fixing bracket 166 : Fixed bridge 170 : Flow prevention part 172 : Bearing 174 : Anti-slip groove 180: Housing 182: Remote control assembly

Claims

Claim 1 The apparatus comprises a hub, an armature consisting of a rim portion installed on the outer side of the hub and a spoke connecting the rim portion and the hub; the rim portion comprises an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion, and includes a folding portion that causes the lower rim portion to be folded from the armature, wherein the folding portion includes hinge brackets formed on each side of the lower rim portion; and a pair of folding drive units each coupled to the hinge brackets and fixed to the spokes to rotate the hinge brackets by an operating signal, wherein the folding drive unit includes a folding motor fixed to the spokes; and a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the folding motor to the rotation of the hinge brackets, wherein the power transmission unit includes a worm gear formed on the drive shaft of the folding motor; A foldable steering wheel comprising a worm wheel that meshes with the worm gear and is coupled to the hinge bracket by a rotation axis, wherein the spoke is provided with a fixing part that fixes the folding drive unit; wherein the fixing part includes a seating part on which the folding drive unit is seated; and a fixing bracket that covers and fixes the folding drive unit seated on the seating part, wherein the fixing part includes a movement prevention part that prevents movement of the rotation axis; wherein the movement prevention part includes a plurality of bearings formed on the rotation axis; and a movement prevention groove formed to correspond to the seating part and the fixing bracket so as to fix the bearings, wherein the bearings are received in the movement prevention groove to prevent movement and eccentricity of the rotation axis and are supported to maintain the meshing state between the worm gear and the worm wheel. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 A foldable steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that the folding motor and the power transmission unit are modularized by a case. Claim 9 A foldable steering wheel according to claim 8, wherein the case comprises a motor receiving portion in which the folding motor is received; and a gear receiving portion in which the power transmission portion is received; and wherein the gear receiving portion is provided with a detachable opening cover to allow the interior to be opened. Claim 10 A foldable steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the spoke is provided with a receiving housing for accommodating a remote control assembly, and the receiving housing is supported by the fixing bracket.

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