An automobile steering wheel with airbag device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present specification provides a kind of automobile steering wheel with air bag device, air bag device includes cover plate, air bag, shell and air bag support, shell is attached to steering wheel hub area by horn switch device, horn switch device includes: pin, the stem of pin passes through the mounting hole of shell and is fixed on steering wheel by fixing piece, the head of pin is placed between mounting hole and air bag support, biasing member is placed between the bottom of shell and steering wheel, always push the shell to move in the direction away from steering wheel, until after contact the lower end surface of the head of pin stop;Fixed contact is set on the upper end surface of pin, movable contact is fixed on the lower surface of air bag support, air bag has through hole, movable contact passes through through hole and is opposite to fixed contact.Fixed contact is set on the top of pin, movable contact is set on air bag support, press cover plate can make movable contact move towards the direction close to fixed contact, to make horn device start, can omit traditional horn plate component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of automotive steering wheel technology, specifically to an automotive steering wheel with an airbag device. Background Technology

[0002] The horn pressing mechanism of a car steering wheel is integrated into the steering wheel body. A spring separates the horn plate and the contact point. Pressing the horn plate connects the circuit, and the horn sounds. Releasing the horn plate causes the spring to spring the horn plate and contact point apart, breaking the circuit and stopping the horn. Currently, steering wheel horn plates are installed inside the steering wheel body, which takes up considerable space within the steering wheel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the embodiments of this specification provide a car steering wheel with an airbag device. By setting a fixed contact on the top of a pin and setting a movable contact on an airbag bracket, the movable contact passes through the airbag and corresponds to the fixed contact. Pressing the cover plate can cause the movable contact to move closer to the fixed contact, thereby activating the horn device. This eliminates the need for a traditional horn plate component and reduces the space occupied by the horn device in the steering wheel.

[0004] This specification provides the following technical solution in its embodiments: a car steering wheel with an airbag device, the airbag device including a cover plate, an airbag, a housing, and an airbag bracket, the airbag bracket being placed inside the airbag and the opening edge of the airbag being fixed to the airbag bracket, the airbag bracket and the folded airbag being placed inside a receiving cavity formed by the cover plate and the housing, the housing being attached to the steering wheel hub area via a horn switch device.

[0005] The horn switch device includes:

[0006] A pin, the shank of which passes through a mounting hole in the housing and is secured to the steering wheel by a fastener, the head of which is positioned between the mounting hole and the airbag bracket.

[0007] An offset component is positioned between the bottom of the housing and the steering wheel, and continuously pushes the housing away from the steering wheel until it contacts the lower end face of the head of the pin and stops.

[0008] A fixed contact is located on the upper end face of the head of the pin.

[0009] The movable contact is fixed to the lower surface of the air bag support. The air bag has a through hole, through which the movable contact passes and faces the fixed contact.

[0010] When the cover plate is pressed, the movable contact moves downward together with the housing and the air bag bracket, so that the movable contact comes into contact with the fixed contact part and is in a conductive state, thereby triggering the horn switch device.

[0011] Preferably, the air bag support has a central through hole for embedding a gas generator and a plurality of studs located around the central through hole. The plurality of studs pass through the through holes around the air bag opening, the through holes of the housing, and the through holes on the flange of the gas generator in sequence and extend outward, and are fixed by nuts.

[0012] Preferably, the movable contact is disposed on the boss of the air bag bracket, and the boss extends further toward the fixed contact than the plane where the root of the stud is located. The housing is provided with a protrusion for accommodating the boss and the head of the pin.

[0013] Preferably, the housing is attached to the steering wheel hub area via three sets of horn switch devices, located at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions on the edge of the airbag bracket, respectively.

[0014] Preferably, the periphery of the central through hole has a folded portion extending into the housing and a flanged bend at the end of the folded portion. The folded portion gradually expands outward to guide the airflow of the gas generator, and the flanged bend contacts the folded gas bag.

[0015] Preferably, the outer periphery of the mounting hole of the housing is provided with a hollow cylindrical shell member extending into the housing. The shell member and the housing are integrally injection molded. An elastomer is provided inside the shell member. The elastomer has engaging flanges at both ends that clamp the mounting hole of the housing. One of the engaging flanges is held on the shell member. The shank of the pin passes through the central opening of the elastomer and extends toward the steering wheel.

[0016] Preferably, the elastomer is made of elastic rubber, silicone, or soft plastic.

[0017] Preferably, the fixing component includes a retaining spring, which is fixed to the steering wheel. The retaining spring is always moving towards the pin due to its own elastic bias. The pin has a locking groove at its end, and the retaining spring elastically embeds into the locking groove.

[0018] Preferably, a hollow cylindrical resin component is provided between the lower part of the pin and the steering wheel. The resin component is fixed at the mounting opening of the steering wheel. The inner wall of the resin component is provided with a plurality of elastic ribs, and the elastic ribs abut against the outer wall of the pin.

[0019] Preferably, the upper surface of the resin component is provided with an elastic material portion.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve include at least:

[0021] By setting a new horn switch device, with the fixed contact set on the top of the pin and the movable contact set on the air bag bracket, the movable contact passes through the air bag and corresponds to the fixed contact. Pressing the cover plate can move the movable contact closer to the fixed contact, thereby activating the horn device. This eliminates the need for traditional horn plate components and reduces the space occupied by the horn device in the steering wheel. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a car steering wheel with an airbag device provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the unassembled airbag and airbag bracket of a car steering wheel with an airbag device provided in this application.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembled structure of the airbag and airbag bracket of the car steering wheel with airbag device provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a car steering wheel with an airbag device provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pins for installing an automobile steering wheel with an airbag device, as provided in this application.

[0028] In the diagram, 1. Cover plate; 2. Air bag; 3. Shell; 4. Air bag bracket; 41. Folding part; 42. Flanged bending part; 5. Pin; 6. Offset part; 7. Fixed contact; 8. Movable contact; 9. Steering wheel; 10. Protrusion; 11. Through hole; 12. Stud; 13. Central through hole; 14. Boss; 15. Elastomer; 16. Resin part; 17. Fixing part; 18. Shell component; 19. Locking groove. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0032] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0033] Furthermore, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the described aspects can be practiced without these specific details.

[0034] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] like Figures 1-4 As shown, a car steering wheel with an airbag device is disclosed. The airbag device includes a cover plate 1, an airbag 2, a housing 3, and an airbag bracket 4. The airbag bracket 4 is placed inside the airbag 2, and the opening edge of the airbag 2 is fixed to the airbag bracket 4. The airbag bracket 4 and the folded airbag 2 are placed inside the receiving cavity formed by the cover plate 1 and the housing 3. The housing 3 is attached to the hub area of ​​the steering wheel 9 via a horn switch device.

[0036] The horn switch device includes:

[0037] Pin 5, the shank of which passes through the mounting hole of the housing 3 and is fixed to the steering wheel 9 by the fastener 17, the head of which is positioned between the mounting hole and the airbag bracket 4.

[0038] The biasing member 6 is placed between the bottom of the housing 3 and the steering wheel 9, and always pushes the housing 3 away from the steering wheel 9 until it contacts the lower end face of the head of the pin 5 and stops.

[0039] The fixing contact 7 is located on the upper end face of the head of the pin 5.

[0040] The movable contact 8 is fixed to the lower surface of the air bag support 4. The air bag 2 has a through hole 11, through which the movable contact 8 passes and is opposite to the fixed contact 7.

[0041] When the cover plate 1 is pressed, the movable contact 8 moves downward together with the housing 3 and the air bag bracket 4, so that the movable contact 8 comes into contact with the fixed contact 7 and is in a conductive state, thereby triggering the horn device.

[0042] A new horn switch device is designed, eliminating the need for the traditional horn plate component. By setting the fixed contact 7 of the horn switch device on the top of the pin 5 and setting the movable contact 8 on the air bag bracket 4, a through hole is opened on the air bag 2. The movable contact 8 passes through the through hole 11 and corresponds to the fixed contact 7. When the cover plate 1 is under pressure, the cover plate 1 presses the housing 3 and the air bag bracket 4 downward relative to the pin 5. The movable contact 8 moves together with the air bag bracket 4. When the movable contact 8 contacts the fixed contact 7 on the top of the pin 5, the horn device is triggered to start working.

[0043] It should be noted that the movable contact 8 is located above the fixed contact 7. The upper surface area of ​​the fixed contact 7 can be set to be larger than the lower surface area of ​​the movable contact 8 to ensure that the movable contact 8 can contact the fixed contact 7 when it moves downward, thereby triggering the horn device.

[0044] It should also be noted that the biasing element 6 can be a spring, which is sleeved on the rod of the pin 5. The top of the spring contacts the bottom of the housing 3 and pushes the housing 3 to contact the lower end face of the head of the pin 5.

[0045] like Figures 2-3As shown, in some embodiments, the air bag support 4 has a central through hole 13 for embedding a gas generator and a plurality of studs 12 located around the central through hole 13. The plurality of studs 12 pass through the through holes around the opening of the air bag 2, the through holes of the housing 3, and the through holes on the flange of the gas generator in sequence and extend outward, and are fixed by nuts. By opening the central through hole 13 on the air bag support 4, the gas generator passes through the through hole and extends into the air bag 2, ensuring that the gas generator supplies gas to the air bag 2. At the same time, the air bag support 4, the air bag 2, the housing 3 and the flange of the gas generator are connected by bolts to realize the fixing operation of the gas generator.

[0046] like Figures 2-3 As shown, in some embodiments, the movable contact 8 is disposed on the boss 14 of the air bag bracket 4. The boss 14 extends further toward the fixed contact 7 than the plane where the root of the stud 12 is located. The housing 3 is provided with a protrusion 10 for accommodating the boss 14 and the head of the pin 5. The air bag bracket 4 extends to form the boss 14 on the side near the pin 5. At the same time, the housing 3 is provided with a protrusion 10 to accommodate the boss 14. The boss 14 and the protrusion 10 not only provide more space for the air bag 2 to fold, but also, when the air bag 2 is inflated and unfolded, the boss 14 will press the air bag 2 near the movable contact 8 tightly into the protrusion 10, which can prevent the air bag 2 from leaking at the movable contact 8.

[0047] like Figures 2-4 As shown, in some embodiments, the housing 3 is attached to the hub area of ​​the steering wheel 9 via three sets of horn switch devices, located at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions on the edge of the airbag bracket 4, respectively. By setting three sets of horn switches, which are arranged in an isosceles triangle at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions on the edge of the airbag bracket 4, it is convenient for the driver to press the cover plate 1 so that the movable contact 8 can contact the fixed contact 7, ensuring the control effect of the horn switch on the horn device.

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the periphery of the central through hole 13 has a folded portion 41 extending into the housing 3 and a flanged bending portion 42 at the end of the folded portion 41. The folded portion 41 gradually expands outward to guide the airflow of the gas generator. The flanged bending portion 42 contacts the folded air bag 2. By providing a gradually expanding folded portion 41 on the side of the central through hole 13 near the inside of the housing 3, the folded portion 41 can guide the flow when the gas generator inflates the air bag 2. The end of the folded portion 41 is bent to form the flanged bending portion 42. The bent portion of the flanged bending portion 42 contacts the air bag 2. The bent portion is relatively smooth and can avoid scratching the air bag 2.

[0049] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a hollow cylindrical shell member 18 extending into the interior of the housing 3 is provided around the mounting hole of the housing 3. The shell member 18 and the housing 3 are integrally injection molded. An elastomer 15 is provided inside the shell member 18. The elastomer 15 has engaging flanges at both ends that clamp the mounting hole of the housing 3. One of the engaging flanges is held on the shell member 18. The shank of the pin 5 passes through the central opening of the elastomer 15 and extends toward the steering wheel. The shell member 18 and the housing 3 are integrally injection molded, eliminating the need to manufacture the shell member 18 separately for installation. The elastomer 15 is provided inside the shell member 18 and is installed at the mounting hole of the housing 3 through the engaging flange. It is held on one side by the shell member 18 to ensure the stability of the interaction between the elastomer 15 and the pin 5.

[0050] In some embodiments, the elastomer 15 is made of elastic rubber, silicone, or soft plastic, and one of elastic rubber, silicone, or soft plastic can be selected as the elastomer 15 according to the actual situation.

[0051] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the fixing member 17 includes a retaining spring, which is fixed to the steering wheel 9. The retaining spring is always moving towards the pin under its own elastic bias. The pin 5 has a locking groove 19 at its end, and the retaining spring elastically embeds into the locking groove 19. Under its own elastic bias, the retaining spring moves towards the pin 5 and is elastically embedded in the locking groove 19 at the end of the pin 5, thereby fixing the pin 5.

[0052] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a hollow cylindrical resin component 16 is provided between the lower part of the pin 5 and the steering wheel 9. The resin component 16 is fixed at the mounting opening of the steering wheel 9. The inner wall of the resin component 16 is provided with a plurality of elastic ribs. The elastic ribs abut against the outer wall of the pin. The resin component 16 can deform to facilitate installation. The inner wall of the resin component 16 is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed elastic ribs, which can eliminate the noise generated by the vibration of the pin 5.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, an elastic material portion is provided on the upper end surface of the resin part 16. By providing an elastic material portion on the upper end surface of the resin part 16, the elastic material portion can play a buffering role, further reducing the vibration of the pin 5 and avoiding abnormal noise caused by the vibration of the pin.

[0054] The various embodiments in this specification can be referred to interchangeably for the same or similar parts. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the method embodiments described later are relatively simple in description since they correspond to the system, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the system embodiments.

[0055] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A steering wheel with airbag device, the airbag device comprising a cover plate, an airbag, a housing and an airbag bracket, the airbag bracket being placed in the airbag and the airbag opening edge being fixed on the airbag bracket, the airbag bracket and the airbag in folded state being placed inside the containing cavity constituted by the cover plate and the housing, the housing being attached to the steering wheel hub area through a horn switch device, characterized in that the horn switch device comprises: a pin, the rod part of the pin passing through the mounting hole of the housing and being fixed on the steering wheel through a fixing part, the head part of the pin being placed between the mounting hole and the airbag bracket, a biasing part being placed between the bottom of the housing and the steering wheel, always pushing the housing to move away from the steering wheel until it stops after contacting the lower end surface of the head part of the pin, a fixed contact being arranged on the upper end surface of the head part of the pin, a movable contact being fixed on the lower surface of the airbag bracket, the airbag having a through hole, the movable contact passing through the through hole and being opposite to the fixed contact, the airbag bracket having a central through hole for embedding a gas generator, the peripheral edge of the central through hole having a folding part extending to the inside of the housing and a flange bending part at the end of the folding part, the folding part gradually expanding outward to provide guidance for the gas flow of the gas generator, the flange bending part contacting the airbag in folded state, wherein pressing the cover plate, the movable contact moves downward together with the housing and the airbag bracket, so that the movable contact contacts the fixed contact part to be in a conductive state, thereby triggering the horn switch device. The airbag bracket further has a plurality of studs located at the peripheral edge of the central through hole, a plurality of the studs respectively pass through the through holes of the airbag opening peripheral edge, the housing and the flange plate of the gas generator in turn and extend outward, and are fixed by nuts. The movable contact is arranged on the boss of the airbag bracket, the boss further extends to the direction of the fixed contact compared to the plane where the root of the stud is located, and the housing is provided with a protruding part for accommodating the boss and the head part of the pin. The housing is attached to the steering wheel hub area through three groups of horn switch devices, respectively located at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions of the edge of the airbag bracket. The peripheral edge of the mounting hole of the housing is provided with a hollow cylindrical shell member extending to the inside of the housing, the shell member and the housing are integrally injection molded, the shell member is provided with an elastic body, the elastic body is formed with clamping flanges clamping the mounting hole of the housing at both ends, one side clamping flange is retained on the shell member, and the rod part of the pin passes through the central opening of the elastic body and extends to the steering wheel. The elastic body is made of elastic rubber, silicone or soft plastic. The fixing part comprises a snap spring fixed on the steering wheel, the snap spring is always moved to the direction close to the pin under the elastic biasing action of itself, the end of the pin is provided with a clamping groove, and the snap spring is elastically embedded in the clamping groove. ​ 2. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 1, characterized by ​ 3. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 2, characterized by ​ 4. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 3, characterized by ​ 5. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 1, wherein ​ 6. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 5, wherein ​ 7. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 1, wherein ​ 8. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 7, characterized by A hollow cylindrical resin member is arranged between the lower part of the pin and the steering wheel, the resin member is fixed at the mounting port of the steering wheel, the inner wall of the resin member is provided with a plurality of elastic ribs, and the elastic ribs abut against the outer wall of the pin.

9. The automobile steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 8, wherein An elastic material part is arranged on the upper end face of the resin member.

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