Sign assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a signage assembly. The signage assembly is for a vehicle and comprises a signage member, a cover, and a retaining assembly for retaining the signage member on the cover, wherein the signage member comprises an edge portion and a middle portion, the cover comprises an opening portion, and the signage member is secured to the opening portion, and the retaining assembly comprises a securing member and a support member, wherein the securing member is for securing the edge portion of the signage member to a first surface of the cover; and the support member is disposed on the first surface and spans the opening portion at at least a portion of the middle portion of the signage member to be located on either side of the opening portion respectively to support the signage member at the middle portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle accessories, and more specifically, to nameplate components in vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] In addition to vehicle steering functions, the steering wheel assembly integrates other functions. For example, a signage component can also be integrated into the steering wheel assembly. This signage component is used to identify the vehicle product. The signage component can include simple geometric shapes, letters, horizontal lines, or combinations thereof.

[0003] Typically, the badge assembly is mounted on the cover of the steering wheel airbag. The badge assembly is secured to the front or rear side of the cover, for example, via fasteners. However, during airbag deployment, both the cover and the badge assembly are subjected to the impact force exerted by the inflation of the airbag, causing both to deform. Furthermore, because the cover and badge assembly are made of different materials, they deform to different degrees, which can lead to the badge assembly detaching from the cover or even flying off.

[0004] Therefore, a signage assembly that can be reliably fixed is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sign assembly that can be reliably fixed.

[0006] The present invention provides a sign assembly for a vehicle, comprising a sign component, a cover, and a retaining assembly for holding the sign component on the cover.

[0007] in,

[0008] The sign component includes an edge portion and a middle portion, the cover includes an opening, and the sign component is fixed to the opening.

[0009] The retaining assembly includes a fastener and a support, wherein the fastener is used to secure the edge portion of the sign member to a first surface of the cover; and the support is disposed on the first surface and extends across the opening at at least a portion of the middle portion of the sign member, such that it is located on both sides of the sign member, thereby supporting the sign member at the middle portion.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the support member is provided with a circumferential positioning part, which is used to cooperate with the edge part to position the sign component in the circumferential direction.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edge portion includes a first edge portion and a second edge portion that are different from each other, and the circumferential positioning portion of the support member is configured as a groove that adapts to the second edge portion so that the second edge portion passes through the groove and is then fixed to the cover.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shape and / or number of the first edge portion and the second edge portion are set to be different.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first edge portion is configured as an arc portion, and the second edge portion is configured as a plurality of arm portions.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the middle portion of the sign component is configured to be recessed relative to the edge portion in a direction away from the support member, so as to be flush with the second surface of the cover opposite to the first surface.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sign component includes a feature portion disposed on the middle portion, and the feature portion is disposed on the side of the middle portion opposite to the support member.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edge portion is fixed to the cover via a plurality of uniformly distributed fasteners.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, both the sign component and the support component are constructed to have regular shapes.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fastener includes a pin. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same symbols denote the same elements, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 A signage component according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0021] Figure 2 The components in a sign assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following describes specific embodiments of the signage component according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings below are provided to illustrate the principles of the invention. The invention is not limited to the described preferred embodiments; the various embodiments described can be used individually or in any combination. The scope of protection of the invention is defined by the claims.

[0023] Furthermore, spatially related terms (such as "up," "down," "left," and "right") are used to describe the relative positional relationship between elements shown in the accompanying drawings and other elements. Therefore, spatially related terms can be applied to directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings. Clearly, while all these spatially related terms refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings for ease of explanation, those skilled in the art will understand that directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings can be used.

[0024] Figure 1 A signage component according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically. Figure 2 The diagram schematically illustrates components in a signage assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a sign assembly in an assembled state according to an embodiment of the present invention, and... Figure 2 A signage assembly in a detached state according to this embodiment is shown. Reference is made below. Figure 1 and Figure 2 A signage component according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the sign assembly 10 according to the present invention can be used in vehicles, specifically, mounted on the steering wheel of a vehicle. The sign assembly 10 may include simple geometric shapes, letters, dashes, or other marking features, or combinations thereof, to display vehicle-related information, such as the vehicle's brand. The sign assembly 10 includes a sign member 11, a cover 12, and a retaining assembly for holding the sign member 11 on the cover.

[0026] The sign component 11, cover 12 and retaining assembly described above are described in more detail below.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sign component 11 includes an edge portion and a middle portion 112. In this example, the edge portion includes a first edge portion 111A and a second edge portion 111B that are distinct from each other. Specifically, the first edge portion 111A is constructed as an arc portion, and the second edge portion 111B is constructed as two arm portions. Vehicle-related information, such as geometric shapes, is provided on the middle portion 112 of the sign component 11. It can be understood that... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the orientation of the sign component 10 shown, this information is located on the back of the middle portion 112. Figure 1 and Figure 2The side of the middle portion 112 that can be seen is the front, and therefore cannot be seen. Through the different first edge portions 111A and second edge portions 111B described above, even though the back of the middle portion 112 cannot be seen, the correct installation orientation of the sign component 11 can still be ensured. It should be noted that the above references... Figure 1 The first and second edge portions described are merely examples. The first and second edge portions of the sign component according to the present invention can also be configured to have different numbers, or different shapes and numbers. For example, the first edge portion can be configured as a first arm portion, while the second edge portion can be configured as three second arms portions, and the lengths of the first and second arms portions are configured to be different.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cover 12 of the sign assembly 10 is an open bowl shape and, together with the housing (not shown) of the steering wheel airbag, defines a receiving space to accommodate components of the steering wheel airbag, such as the airbag and gas generator. The cover 12 includes an opening 12A, which in... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example, it is roughly circular, but its entirety cannot be observed due to obstruction. Furthermore, the sign component 11 is fixed to the opening 12A so that the aforementioned vehicle-related information on the back of the middle portion 112 of the sign component 11 is displayed to the outside at the opening 12A. Moreover, it is defined that for the wall where the opening 12A of the cover 12 is located, it is possible to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 One side of the wall observed is the first surface, and the side of the wall opposite the first surface is the second surface.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the retaining assembly of the sign component 10 includes a fixing member 131 and a support member 132. The fixing member 131 is used to fix the first edge portion 111A and the second edge portion 111B of the sign component 11 to the first surface of the cover 12, which is the aforementioned front surface. Similarly, the support member 132 is disposed on this first surface. Furthermore, the support member 132 extends across the opening 12A at least a portion of the middle portion 112 of the sign component 11, so that it is located on both sides of the sign component 11, i.e., on the sign component 11 at... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The top and bottom sides of the middle. Specifically, in Figure 1 In the middle section 112, the support member 132 crosses the opening 12A at the right half of the middle section 112, such that the opening 12A and the support member 132 are located on both sides of the sign member 11. Specifically, in Figure 1In the middle, the opening 12A is located on the lower side of the sign member 11, and the support member 132 is located on the upper side of the sign member 11. Therefore, the support member 132 supports the sign member 11 at the middle part 112.

[0030] It is understood that in the sign assembly of the present invention, the support member houses the sign component in a structure similar to a "pocket". Even when both the cover and the sign assembly deform due to the impact force exerted by the expansion of the steering wheel airbag's airbag, and even if the cover and sign assembly deform to different degrees due to their different materials, the sign component is fixed to the first surface of the cover by the fastener, thus preventing the sign component from flying outwards from the cover. Simultaneously, the support member can support the sign component upwards in the vertical direction of the vehicle, preventing the sign component from falling downwards. Therefore, the sign assembly according to the present invention can be reliably secured.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support member 132 is provided with a circumferential positioning portion 133, which specifically consists of two slots and is used to engage with the second edge portion 111B to position the nameplate member 11 in the circumferential direction. It is understood that the second edge portion 111B passes through the slots before being fixed to the cover 12, which facilitates accurate circumferential positioning of the nameplate member 11. Advantageously, after the mounting direction of the nameplate member 11 is determined by the two edge portions above, positioning the nameplate member in the circumferential direction more accurately determines the mounting direction of the nameplate member 11. It should be noted that this is merely an example, and the circumferential positioning portion is not limited to the above form; for example, it can also take the form of a mark.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, when the sign component 11 is to be installed onto the cover 12, the installation direction of the sign component 11 is determined by observing the fit between the first edge portion 111A and the second edge portion 111B and the circumferential positioning portion 133. Figure 2 The orientation is as shown, with the first edge portion 111A on the left and the second edge portion 111B on the right. Then, the sign component 11 is passed through the left side of the support member 132 and exits through the circumferential positioning portion 133, thus completing the circumferential positioning of the sign component 11. This further ensures a more accurate installation orientation for the sign component 11. Finally, the sign component 11 is fixed to the first surface of the cover 12 using the fastener 131. Therefore, the installation process of the sign component 11 and the cover 12 is complete.

[0033] As an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1As shown, the middle portion 112 of the sign component 11 is configured to be recessed relative to the edge portions (relative to both the first and second edge portions) in a direction away from the support member, so as to be flush with the second surface of the cover opposite to the first surface. This is beneficial for the sign component and the cover to have a better outer surface.

[0034] As one embodiment of the present invention, the fastener includes pins; and the pins are evenly distributed at the edge. However, this is merely an example, and the fastener of the present invention is not limited thereto; for example, it may also take the form of a welded part.

[0035] As one embodiment of the present invention, both the sign component 11 and the support member 132 are constructed with regular shapes. This facilitates simple processing, but this is merely an example, and the sign component and support member of the present invention are not limited thereto, but can be customized according to actual circumstances.

[0036] As mentioned above, although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A sign assembly (10) for a vehicle, comprising a sign member (11), a cover (12), and a retaining assembly for retaining the sign member (11) on the cover (12). Its features are, The sign component (11) includes an edge portion and a middle portion (112), the cover (12) includes an opening (12A), and the sign component (11) is fixed to the opening (12A). The retaining assembly includes a fastener (131) and a support (132), wherein the fastener (131) is used to secure the edge portion of the sign member (11) to a first surface of the cover (12); and the support (132) is disposed on the first surface and extends across the opening (12A) at least a portion of the middle portion (112) of the sign member (11) so as to be located on both sides of the sign member (11) respectively with the opening (12A), thereby supporting the sign member (11) at the middle portion (112).

2. The signage component (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The support member (132) is provided with a circumferential positioning part (133), which is used to cooperate with the edge part to position the sign component (11) in the circumferential direction.

3. The signage component (10) according to claim 2, wherein, The edge portion includes a first edge portion (111A) and a second edge portion (111B) that are different from each other, and the circumferential positioning portion (133) of the support member (132) is configured as a groove that fits the second edge portion (111B) so that the second edge portion (111B) passes through the groove and is then fixed to the cover (12).

4. The signage component (10) according to claim 3, wherein, The shape and / or number of the first edge portion (111A) and the second edge portion (111B) are set to be different.

5. The signage component (10) according to claim 4, wherein, The first edge portion (111A) is configured as an arc portion, and the second edge portion (111B) is configured as a plurality of arm portions.

6. The signage component (10) according to claim 5, wherein, The middle portion (112) of the sign component (11) is configured to be recessed relative to the edge portion in a direction away from the support (132) so as to be flush with the second surface of the cover (12) opposite to the first surface.

7. The signage component (10) according to claim 6, wherein, The sign component (11) includes a feature portion disposed on the middle portion (112), and the feature portion is disposed on the side of the middle portion (112) opposite to the support member (132).

8. The signage component (10) according to claim 7, wherein, The edge portion is secured to the cover (12) via a plurality of evenly distributed fasteners (131).

9. The signage component (10) according to claim 8, wherein, Both the sign component (11) and the support component (132) are constructed to have regular shapes.

10. The signage component (10) according to claim 7, wherein, The fastener (131) includes a pin.

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