Pad for steering device

Abstract

The steering device pad (22) is configured in such a manner that the steering device pad (22) is disposed on the upper surface side of a boss part (4) of a steering device (1), and an exterior decoration part (45) is disposed in a region of a top wall part (26) covering the boss part. A steering device pad is provided with: a pad main body (23); and a light source section (55) disposed on the rear surface side of the top wall section of the mat main body. The top wall portion has a low light-transmissive portion and a high light-transmissive portion having different light transmittances. The highly light-transmissive portion allows light emitted from the light source portion to pass therethrough and forms an exterior decoration portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering pad having a structure in which a decorative portion is arranged on an upper surface side of a boss portion of a steering device and a top wall portion covering the boss portion is provided. Background Art

[0002] Currently, as a pad for a steering device (steering wheel), there is a structure in which a decorative body as a decorative portion is provided in a region of a top wall portion and the decorative body can be made to emit light, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-238879.

[0003] However, conventional mats have a structure in which a decorative body, separate from the mat, is attached to the top wall, and a light source is also provided to illuminate the decorative body. Consequently, conventional mats have a large number of components, leaving room for improvement in terms of weight reduction, manufacturing time, and cost reduction. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a steering pad that can suppress an increase in the number of parts while improving the aesthetic appearance, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0005] The steering pad of the present invention is formed into the structure shown below:

[0006] The steering pad is configured to be disposed on the upper surface side of a boss portion of the steering device and to have an exterior decorative portion disposed in a region of a top wall portion covering the boss portion, and has:

[0007] a pad body; and

[0008] a light source portion disposed on the back side of the top wall portion of the pad body and configured to illuminate the exterior decorative portion;

[0009] The top wall portion has a low light transmittance portion and a high light transmittance portion with different light transmittances.

[0010] The highly light-transmitting portion can transmit the light emitted from the light source portion to constitute the decorative portion.

[0011] Regarding the steering pad of the present invention, the top wall portion of the pad body is constructed to have a low-light-transmittance portion and a high-light-transmittance portion having different light transmittances, and the high-light-transmittance portion is constructed to allow light irradiated from a light source portion arranged on the back side of the top wall portion to pass through. Moreover, the high-light-transmittance portion constitutes an exterior decoration portion of the area arranged on the top wall portion. That is, regarding the steering pad of the present invention, a part of the top wall portion is set as a high-light-transmittance portion (exterior decoration portion), and it is not a structure in which a separate component for decoration is installed. Moreover, the exterior decoration portion composed of the high-light-transmittance portion can be made to emit light at a specified time. Therefore, the increase in the number of components can be suppressed, and lightweighting can also be achieved.

[0012] Therefore, the steering pad of the present invention can suppress an increase in the number of components while improving the aesthetic appearance, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0013] Specifically, the steering pad of the present invention is preferably configured such that the top wall portion is formed by laminating a light-transmitting layer and a non-light-transmitting layer disposed on the surface side of the light-transmitting layer, and has an opening formed by cutting the non-light-transmitting layer.

[0014] The opening and the light-transmitting layer constitute a high light-transmitting portion.

[0015] If the steering pad is constructed in this manner, the opening is formed by simply cutting the non-translucent layer stacked on the surface side of the translucent layer, thereby forming a highly translucent portion (i.e., the decorative portion). This results in a simple structure and ease of manufacture. Furthermore, when illuminated by the light source, the visible light emitted by the light source diffuses within the translucent layer and radiates from the opening. This ensures that the opening (i.e., the decorative portion) emits light uniformly.

[0016] Furthermore, the steering pad of the aforementioned structure is preferably configured such that the pad body is formed from a light-transmitting base material, and the non-light-transmitting layer is formed in a thin film to cover the surface of the top wall portion. With this configuration, the light-transmitting layer can be formed from the pad body itself, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the steering pad of the above structure is preferably configured such that the base material is colored in a cloudy white color. With this configuration, even if the base material (translucent layer) is visually visible through the opening, for example, the area below the base material, i.e., the components housed within the boss portion, is difficult to visually identify, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0018] Furthermore, the steering pad of the above structure is preferably configured such that the top wall portion is entirely covered with a coating layer. This configuration reduces the risk of step differences around the opening, improving the appearance and enhancing the feel during use.

[0019] Furthermore, the steering pad of the above structure is preferably configured such that the light source portion includes: a substrate; a visible light source mounted on the substrate and emitting visible light when lit; and a light guide that deflects and diffuses the visible light emitted from the visible light source.

[0020] The light guide is arranged so as to cover the area below the opening over the entire surface.

[0021] The visible light source is arranged on the side of the light guide.

[0022] If the steering pad is formed into such a structure, the visible light emitted from the visible light source is incident from the side of the light guide when the visible light source is turned on, and is radiated from the opening portion (exterior decoration portion) arranged above the light guide, so that the visible light can be radiated from the opening portion in a fully deflected and diffused state in the light guide. In addition, the light guide is configured to cover the area below the opening portion over the entire surface. Therefore, when the visible light source is turned on, unevenness can be suppressed, the opening portion (exterior decoration portion) can be made to emit light evenly as a whole, and the appearance can be made more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, with respect to the steering pad of the above structure, the visible light source is formed into a structure in which the visible light source is arranged on the side of the light guide, so that the increase in the volume of the light source portion can also be suppressed.

[0023] Furthermore, the steering pad of the above structure is preferably configured such that the folded airbag is accommodated inside the boss portion.

[0024] The top wall portion is formed into the following structure, that is, when the airbag is expanded, the predetermined breaking portion arranged at a predetermined position is broken to open the plurality of door portions,

[0025] The planned breakage portion is formed so as to bypass the light source portion.

[0026] If the steering pad is formed into such a structure, even if the airbag is accommodated inside and the light source portion is arranged on the back side of the top wall portion, the predetermined breaking portion can be broken and the door portion can be smoothly opened at the initial stage of airbag inflation, allowing the airbag to inflate rapidly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a top view of a steering wheel (steering device) using a pad as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment, showing Figure 1 II-II part.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a partially enlarged plan view showing an area near the pad of the steering wheel according to the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a region near a pad of a steering wheel according to an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the light source portion of the pad along the front-back direction.

[0032] Figure 6 It is a schematic bottom view of a pad body of a steering wheel according to an embodiment.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic plan view of a light source unit used for the mat according to the embodiment.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a diffusion state of visible light in a light guide in a steering wheel according to an embodiment.

[0035] Figure 9 It is a partially enlarged plan view showing the lighting state of the visible light LED in the steering wheel according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. A steering pad (hereinafter referred to as a "pad") 22 of the embodiment is used for Figures 1 to 4 The steering device (steering wheel) 1 shown. In the embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the steering wheel 1 as a steering device comprises: an annular ring portion 2, which is gripped during rotational steering operation; a boss portion 4, which is arranged at the center of the annular portion 2; and a plurality of (three in the embodiment) spoke portions 3, which connect the annular portion 2 and the boss portion 4. As structural components, Figure 1 、 2 As shown, the steering wheel 1 includes a steering wheel body (steering device body) 7 and an airbag device 15 disposed on an upper portion of the boss portion 4 .

[0037] In addition, in this specification, unless otherwise stated, the front-back, top-bottom, left-right directions are described based on the straight-line steering state of the steering wheel 1 mounted on the vehicle. Figure 2) direction is set as the up-down direction, the direction perpendicular to the rotation center axis C of the annular portion 2 and along the front-to-back direction of the vehicle is set as the front-to-back direction, and the direction perpendicular to the rotation center axis C of the annular portion 2 and along the left-to-right direction of the vehicle is set as the left-to-right direction.

[0038] like Figure 2 、 4 As shown, the steering wheel body 7 includes a core 8 configured to connect the annular portion 2, the boss portion 4, and the spoke portion 3; a cover layer 9 covering the annular portion 2 and the spoke portion 3 of the core 8; a skin layer 10 covering the outer circumference of the cover layer 9; and a lower cover 12 covering the lower surface of the boss portion 4. The core 8 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. The cover layer 9 is formed of a soft foam material such as foamed polyurethane. The skin layer 10 is formed of a synthetic resin sheet or leather such as natural leather, synthetic leather, or artificial leather. The lower cover 12 is made of a synthetic resin.

[0039] like Figure 2 、 4 As shown, the airbag device 15 includes: an airbag 16, which is folded and stored; an inflator 17, which supplies inflation gas to the airbag 16; a cushion 22, which is arranged on the upper surface side of the boss portion 4 and covers the folded airbag 16; an airbag retainer 19, which retains the airbag 16, the inflator 17, and the cushion 22; and a retainer 18, which is used to install the airbag 16 and the inflator 17 on the airbag retainer 19.

[0040] The airbag 16 is formed into a bag-like shape made of a flexible sheet. Although not shown in detail, the airbag 16 is inflated so that inflation gas flows into it and is in a disk-like shape that can cover the entire upper surface of the annular portion 2 .

[0041] The inflator 17 includes a cylindrical main body 17 a having a plurality of gas discharge ports 17 b provided at an upper portion thereof for discharging inflation gas, and a flange 17 c protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the main body 17 a .

[0042] The retainer 18 is made of a square, annular thin metal plate. Bolts (not shown) protrude downwardly from the four corners of the retainer 18. The retainer 18 is positioned within the airbag 16 so that the bolts (not shown) sequentially penetrate the airbag 16, the airbag retainer 19, and the flange 17c of the inflator 17. Nuts (not shown) are tightened onto the bolts protruding from the flange 17c, thereby attaching the airbag 16 and inflator 17 to the airbag retainer 19.

[0043] The airbag retainer 19 is made of a thin metal plate, such as Figure 2 、 4As shown, the airbag 16, the inflator 17, and the cushion 22 are held. The airbag holder 19 is a member for attaching the airbag device 15 to the steering wheel body 7 side by means of a horn switch unit (not shown).

[0044] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the pad 22 is arranged on the upper surface side of the boss portion 4 of the steering wheel 1. In the embodiment, the pad 22 includes a pad body 23 and a light source portion 55 arranged on the back side of a top wall portion 26 of the pad body 23, which will be described later.

[0045] The pad body 23 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and in the embodiment, is made of a polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). More specifically, the pad body 23 is formed of a TPO base material colored in a turbid white color to have light translucency. Figure 2 、 4 As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pad body 23 includes a top wall portion 26 and side walls 25 extending in a cylindrical shape from the lower surface of the top wall portion 26. The top wall portion 26 covers the upper portion of the airbag 16 folded and stored within the boss portion 4. The side walls 25 cover the front, rear, left, and right sides of the folded airbag 16.

[0046] The top wall portion 26 includes a door placement portion 27 formed from the inner region of the side wall portion 25 and a peripheral edge portion 33 formed from the outer region of the side wall portion 25. The door placement portion 27 includes a front door portion 28 that opens forward when opened, a left rear door portion 29, and a right rear door portion 30 that open to the left rear and the right rear when opened (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 、 4 , 6). The front door portion 28 is composed of the area around the front half of the door configuration portion 27. The outer shape of the front door portion 28 as viewed from above is set to a semicircular shape. The left rear door portion 29 and the right rear door portion 30 are constructed so as to divide the area around the rear half of the door configuration portion 27 into two parts in the left-right direction. The outer shape of the left rear door portion 29 and the right rear door portion 30 as viewed from above is set to a 1 / 4 circle. A predetermined breaking portion 31 that can break when the airbag 16 is inflated is arranged around the front door portion 28, the left rear door portion 29, and the right rear door portion 30 (refer to Figure 1 、 3 , 6). In the embodiment, the predetermined breaking portion 31 is formed by cutting the top wall portion 26 from the back side. Specifically, a V-shaped cutout is continuously arranged (see Figure 4 、 5 ).

[0047] Furthermore, a non-translucent paint is applied to the entire surface (upper surface) of the top wall portion 26 (except for the opening 46 described later) to form a coating film 36 (see FIG. Figure 4 、5 In the embodiment, specifically, a black paint such as an acrylic or polyurethane paint is used as the paint. The coating film 36 formed by applying this paint is not light-transmissive. Specifically, the top wall portion 26 is laminated with: a light-transmissive layer 40 comprising a base portion 35 formed of a turbid white substrate; and a black, non-light-transmissive layer 41 (coating film 36) disposed on the surface of the light-transmissive layer 40 (base portion 35).

[0048] In addition, the front door portion 28 of the top wall portion 26 is provided with an exterior decoration portion 45. In the embodiment, specifically, Figure 3 As shown, the exterior decoration portion 45 is formed of a plurality of English letters L (specifically, the letter "GOSEI") arranged in a row on the left-right side near the rear edge 28a of the front door portion 28. Specifically, in the front door portion 28 of the embodiment, the non-light-transmitting layer 41 is cut into the shape of each English letter L to form an opening 46, and the portion (opening 46) formed by cutting the non-light-transmitting layer 41 constitutes the exterior decoration portion 45. In the case of the embodiment, the coating film 36 is formed except for the portion of each English letter L, thereby forming the opening 46. In detail, the exterior decoration portion 45 is widely arranged in the left-right direction in the vicinity of the rear edge 28a of the front door portion 28 so as to cover the entire area in the left-right direction. In the case of the embodiment, inside the opening 46, the transparent layer 48 fills the opening 46 so as to form a surface that is coplanar with the surface of the non-light-transmitting layer 41 (having the same thickness as the coating film 36) (refer to Figure 4 、 5 ). Apply colorless and transparent coating such as acrylic acid, polyurethane, etc. to form a transparent layer 48. In addition, as Figure 4 、 5 As shown, a coating layer 49 is formed on the entire surface of the top wall portion 26 (the surface of the non-light-transmitting layer 41) (including the area of ​​the opening 46). The coating layer 49 is provided to protect the surface of the gasket 22 (top wall portion 26). The coating layer 49 is formed from a colorless, transparent coating agent such as an acrylic or polyurethane coating agent.

[0049] Regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, in the top wall portion 26, the area where the non-light-transmitting layer 41 is arranged is not light-transmitting, and only the area of ​​the opening portion 46 is light-transmitting. That is, the top wall portion 26 is formed as follows, namely, having a low-light-transmitting portion 51 (the area where the non-light-transmitting layer 41 is arranged) and a high-light-transmitting portion 52 (the opening portion 46 (transparent layer 48) and the light-transmitting layer 40 (base 35)) with different light transmittances. In addition, a plating layer that can present a metallic color and has light transmittance can be arranged in the opening portion 46 instead of a transparent layer. Specifically, regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, the light transmittance of the low-light-transmitting portion 51 is set to 0%, and the light transmittance of the high-light-transmitting portion 52 is set to about 1 to 99% (preferably about 1 to 10%).

[0050] The light source portion 55 is disposed on the back side of the top wall portion 26, specifically, on the back side of the area where the exterior decorative portion 45 is disposed, that is, on the back side of the area on the rear side of the front door portion 28 (see FIG. Figure 4 、 5 The light source unit 55 includes a substrate 56 , a visible light source (visible light LED 57 ) mounted on the substrate 56 , and a light guide 59 .

[0051] The substrate 56 is arranged on the lower side of the airbag 16. In the embodiment, the substrate 56 is formed into a rectangular plate shape that is larger than the light guide 59 and covers the lower side of the light guide 59 over the entire surface. Specifically, the substrate 56 is formed into a rectangular shape with a large width in the left-right direction. In the embodiment, the visible light source (visible light LED 57) is mounted on the upper surface side of the front end side of the substrate 56 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 5 ). In the case of an embodiment, as Figure 3 、 7 As shown, four visible light sources (visible light LEDs 57 ) are arranged in a horizontal direction.

[0052] Visible light LEDs 57 are used as visible light sources that emit visible light when lit. In the embodiment, as the visible light LEDs 57, a full-color LED (so-called three-color LED) is used that is capable of changing color by encapsulating a light source capable of emitting red light, green light, and blue light in one package and changing the brightness of each light source. The visible light LEDs 57 are arranged on the side of the light guide 59. In the embodiment, the visible light LEDs 57 are arranged on the long side, i.e., in front, of the light guide 59 formed into a rectangle as described later. Specifically, as described above, a plurality of visible light LEDs 57 (four in the embodiment) are arranged in front of the light guide 59 along the long side (i.e., the left-right direction) of the light guide 59. Each visible light LED 57 is mounted on the substrate 56 (see FIG. 5 ) in such a manner that it can emit visible light VL toward the rear of the light guide 59 side. Figure 5 、 8 The visible light LED 57 is electrically connected to an operating circuit (not shown) and can be lit in a manner that emits visible light VL of a predetermined color by receiving an operating signal from the operating circuit (not shown).

[0053] The light guide 59 is arranged at a position directly below the arrangement area of ​​the exterior decorative portion 45 (i.e., the opening 46). The light guide 59 has an outer shape that covers the entire surface below the exterior decorative portion 45 and is wider than the exterior decorative portion 45 in the front-back and left-right directions (in the case of the embodiment, it is a rectangle with a larger width in the left-right direction) (see Figure 3 、 7The light guide 59 is formed into a structure such that the visible light VL emitted from the visible light LED 57 arranged in the front enters from the incident surface 59a formed by the front end surface, deflects (refracts and guides the light) and diffuses it inside, and widely emits the light from the upper surface 59b side (refer to FIG. Figure 8 ). The light guide 59 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin. In the embodiment, a reflective layer 61 is provided on the lower surface 59c side of the light guide 59 (between the light guide 59 and the substrate 56) (see Figure 5 ). The reflective layer 61 is configured to deflect the visible light VL incident on the light guide 59 upward. In the embodiment, the reflective layer 61 is formed by partially coating the lower surface 59c of the light guide 59 with white paint. Specifically, the reflective layer 61 is partially formed on the lower surface 59c side of the light guide 59 at five locations directly below the English letters L (openings 46) forming the exterior decorative portion 45 (see Figure 7 ).

[0054] The light source unit 55 is mounted on the back side of the front door 28 (see FIG. 28 ) so that the upper surface 59b of the light guide 59 is in contact with the lower surface (back surface) of the top wall 26 (front door 28) over the entire surface. Figure 4 、 5 ). In addition, the light source portion 55 (specifically, the substrate 56) is arranged in the area of ​​the front door portion 28 when viewed from the upper and lower sides. That is, the light source portion 55 (substrate 56) is arranged at a position that does not cover the predetermined breaking portion 31 formed on the top wall portion 26 on the upper and lower sides. In other words, the predetermined breaking portion 31 is formed to bypass the light source portion 55. In the case of the embodiment, when the visible light LED 57 is turned on, the visible light VL emitted from the upper surface 59b side of the light guide 59 is further diffused in the base 35 (transparent layer 40) of the top wall portion 26, and in the state after being diffused in the base 35 (transparent layer 40), it is radiated to the outside through the opening portion 46 (transparent layer 48) (refer to Figure 8 ). That is, regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, when the visible light LED 57 is turned on, the visible light VL is deflected and diffused inside the light guide 59 and the base 35 (translucent layer 40). Moreover, when the steering wheel 1 is viewed from above, as shown in FIG. Figure 9 As shown, the plurality of English letters L (the characters of "GOSEI", i.e., the exterior decoration portion 45) constituting the opening 46 are suppressed to cause uneven brightness, so that the entire portion emits light uniformly (in Figure 9 (Shading is used to display the glowing state in the image).

[0055] The pad 22 of the embodiment can be manufactured in the following manner. First, a resin portion is formed by injection molding or the like. After the resin portion is formed, a black paint is applied to the surface of the top wall portion 26 (specifically, the base portion 35) to form a non-light-transmitting layer 41 (and the opening portion 46). Next, a transparent layer 48 is formed in the area of ​​the opening portion 46. Then, if a coating agent is applied to the entire surface of the top wall portion 26 (non-light-transmitting layer 41) including the area of ​​the opening portion 46 to form a coating layer 49, the pad body 23 having the exterior decorative portion 45 can be formed. Then, if the light source portion 55 is mounted on the back side of the exterior decorative portion 45 of the top wall portion 26 (the back side of the area on the side of the rear edge 28a of the front door portion 28), the pad 22 can be manufactured.

[0056] The cushion 22 thus manufactured is arranged to cover the periphery of the folded airbag 16, and the front end of the side wall portion 25 is attached to the airbag retainer 19, which is mounted with the folded airbag 16 and inflator 17. This allows the airbag device 15 to be assembled. The airbag device 15 is then mounted on the steering wheel body 7, which is mounted on the vehicle body, using a horn switch unit (not shown). By connecting the unillustrated wires extending from the inflator 17 and light source 55 to a predetermined operating circuit, the airbag device 15 can be assembled to the steering wheel body 7, and the steering wheel 1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

[0057] In the pad 22 of the embodiment, the top wall 26 of the pad body 23 is configured to include a low-light-transmittance portion 51 and a high-light-transmittance portion 52 having different light transmittances. The high-light-transmittance portion 52 is configured to transmit light (visible light VL) emitted from a light source 55 disposed on the back side of the top wall 26. Furthermore, the high-light-transmittance portion 52 constitutes the decorative portion 45 disposed in the area of ​​the top wall 26. In other words, the pad 22 of the embodiment utilizes a portion of the top wall 26 as the high-light-transmittance portion 52 (the decorative portion 45), eliminating the need for a separate component to be attached for decoration. Furthermore, the decorative portion 45 formed by the high-light-transmittance portion 52 can be illuminated at specified times. This can thereby suppress an increase in the number of components and achieve weight reduction.

[0058] Therefore, with the pad 22 of the embodiment, even if the aesthetic appearance is improved, an increase in the number of components can be suppressed, and weight reduction and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0059] Specifically, with respect to the pad 22 of the embodiment, the top wall portion 26 is constructed by stacking a light-transmitting layer 40 and a non-light-transmitting layer 41 arranged on the surface side of the light-transmitting layer 40, and has an opening portion 46 formed by cutting the non-light-transmitting layer 41. Moreover, the high-light-transmitting portion 52 is formed by the opening portion 46 and the light-transmitting layer 40. That is, with respect to the pad 22 of the embodiment, the opening portion 46 is formed only by cutting the non-light-transmitting layer 41 stacked on the surface side of the light-transmitting layer 40, thereby forming the high-light-transmitting portion 52 (i.e., the exterior decorative portion 45). Therefore, it can be formed into a simple structure and easy to manufacture. In addition, when the light source portion 55 is irradiated, the visible light VL emitted from the light source portion 55 can be radiated from the opening portion 46 in a manner that diffuses within the light-transmitting layer 40, so that the opening portion 46 (i.e., the exterior decorative portion 45) can emit light evenly. If this is not taken into consideration, the top wall may be formed of a non-light-transmitting material (eg, black TPO), and the opening may be provided by cutting the top wall itself at a predetermined location.

[0060] Furthermore, in the pad 22 of the embodiment, the pad body 23 is formed from a light-transmitting base material, and the non-light-transmitting layer 41 is formed in a thin film so as to cover the surface of the top wall 26. In other words, in the pad 22 of the embodiment, the light-transmitting layer 40 can be formed from the pad body 23 itself (the base 35 of the top wall 26), resulting in a simpler structure.

[0061] Furthermore, in the pad 22 of the embodiment, the base material (base 35) is colored in a cloudy white color. Therefore, for example, while the base material (base 35, i.e., the light-transmitting layer 40) can be visually recognized through the opening 46, the area below the base 35, i.e., the components housed in the boss portion 4 (in the embodiment, the folded airbag 16, etc.), becomes difficult to visually recognize, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0062] Furthermore, regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, the surface side of the top wall portion 26 is formed into a structure covered with a coating layer 49 over the entire surface. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a step difference around the periphery of the opening portion 46, which can improve the appearance and the tactile feel during use. In particular, regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, the transparent layer 48 is arranged in the opening portion 46, which makes it more difficult to produce a step difference between the opening portion 46 and the surrounding non-light-transmitting layer 41, and the tactile feel during use can also be improved. In addition, if this point is not taken into consideration, the transparent layer may not be arranged in the opening portion, and a structure without a coating layer may be formed.

[0063] Furthermore, regarding the pad 22 of the embodiment, the light source portion 55 includes: a substrate 56; a visible light LED 57 (visible light source) mounted on the substrate 56 and emitting visible light when illuminated; and a light guide 59 that deflects and diffuses the visible light VL emitted by the visible light LED 57. Furthermore, the light guide 59 is configured to entirely cover the area below the opening 46, and the visible light LED 57 is positioned to the side of the light guide 59. Therefore, when the visible light LED 57 is illuminated, the visible light VL emitted by the visible light LED 57 enters the light guide 59 from the side and radiates from the opening 46 (the exterior decorative portion 45) above the light guide 59. As a result, the visible light VL can be radiated from the opening 46 while being sufficiently deflected and diffused within the light guide 59. Furthermore, the light guide 59 is configured to entirely cover the area below the opening 46. As a result, when the visible light LED 57 is turned on, unevenness can be suppressed, the opening portion 46 (the exterior decorative portion 45) can be made to emit light evenly as a whole, and the appearance can be made more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, with respect to the pad 22 of the embodiment, the visible light LED 57 is formed to be arranged on the side of the light guide 59. Therefore, the increase in the volume of the light source portion 55 can also be suppressed. In addition, if this point is not taken into consideration, the visible light LED (visible light source) can be arranged in the lower area instead of being arranged on the side of the light guide. In addition, the light guide can also be formed into a structure that does not cover the area below the opening portion over the entire surface.

[0064] In particular, in the mat 22 of the embodiment, the light source portion 55 is mounted on the back side of the front door 28, with the upper surface 59b of the light guide 59 in contact with the lower surface (back surface) of the top wall 26 (front door 28) across its entire surface. Furthermore, the base 35 of the top wall 26 is formed from a light-transmitting substrate. Therefore, when the visible light LED 57 is illuminated, visible light VL emitted from the upper surface 59b of the light guide 59 further diffuses within the base 35 (light-transmitting layer 40) of the top wall 26. While diffused within the base 35 (light-transmitting layer 40), it is radiated to the outside through the opening 46 (transparent layer 48). Furthermore, the base 35 is colored in a turbid white color, resulting in excellent light diffusion properties. Therefore, compared to a base formed of a transparent material, the turbid white base 35 can further diffuse the visible light VL entering the interior. That is, with the pad 22 of the embodiment, the visible light VL emitted from the light guide 59 can be further diffused by utilizing the pad body 23 itself (strictly speaking, the base 35 itself constituting the top wall 26). Therefore, the occurrence of brightness differences can be suppressed, and the entire opening 46 (the exterior decorative portion 45) can be made to emit light stably and evenly without unevenness. Furthermore, with the pad 22 of the embodiment, a plurality of visible light LEDs 57 (visible light sources) are arranged along the long side (left-right direction) of the rectangular light guide 59 in the short side direction (the front in the case of the embodiment). Therefore, even if the light guide 59 is formed into a rectangle with a large width in the left-right direction, the visible light VL can be diffused inside in such a way that the entire light guide 59 emits light evenly. As a result, the exterior decorative portion 45, which is arranged with a large width in the left-right direction, can emit light evenly over the entire area.

[0065] Furthermore, the cushion 22 of the embodiment is configured to cover the airbag 16 folded and housed within the boss portion 4, with the intended rupture portion 31 formed on the top wall portion 26 being formed to bypass the light source portion 55. Therefore, even in a configuration where the airbag 16 is housed within the cushion and the light source portion 55 is positioned on the back side of the top wall portion 26, the intended rupture portion 31 can be ruptured during the initial inflation of the airbag 16, allowing the doors (front door 28, left rear door 29, and right rear door 30) to open smoothly, allowing the airbag 16 to rapidly inflate. Furthermore, while the cushion used in the embodiment is described as an airbag cover, the cushion to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to the embodiment; the present invention can also be applied to cushions for steering wheels (steering systems) that do not include an airbag.

Claims

1. A pad (22) for a steering device, which is configured to be arranged on the upper surface side of a boss portion (4) of a steering device (1) and to have an appearance decoration portion (45) arranged in the area of ​​a top wall portion (26) covered by the boss portion, wherein: The steering pad (22) has: a pad body (23); and A light source portion (55) is disposed on the back side of the top wall portion of the pad body and is configured to illuminate the exterior decorative portion. The top wall portion has a low light transmittance portion and a high light transmittance portion with different light transmittances. The highly light-transmitting portion can transmit the light emitted from the light source portion to constitute the decorative portion.

2. The steering pad (22) according to claim 1, wherein: The top wall portion (26) is formed by laminating a light-transmitting layer (40) and a light-impermeable layer (41) disposed on the surface side of the light-transmitting layer, and is formed to have an opening portion (46) formed by cutting the light-impermeable layer. The opening and the light-transmitting layer constitute the high light-transmitting portion.

3. The steering pad (22) according to claim 2, wherein: The pad body (23) is formed of a light-transmitting base material. The non-light-transmitting layer (41) is formed in a thin film shape so as to cover the surface of the top wall portion (26).

4. The steering pad (22) according to claim 3, wherein: The substrate was colored in a cloudy white color.

5. The steering pad (22) according to claim 2, wherein: The surface side of the top wall portion (26) is covered entirely with a coating layer (49).

6. The steering pad (22) according to claim 1, wherein: The light source unit (55) comprises: a substrate (56); a visible light source (57) mounted on the substrate and emitting visible light when lit; and a light guide (59) for deflecting and diffusing the visible light emitted from the visible light source. The light guide is configured to cover the area below the opening (46) over the entire surface. The visible light source is arranged on the side of the light guide.

7. The steering pad (22) according to claim 6, wherein: The folded air bag (16) is stored inside the boss portion (4). The top wall portion (26) is formed into a structure such that when the airbag is inflated, a predetermined breaking portion (32) arranged at a predetermined position is broken to open the plurality of door portions (28, 29, 30). The predetermined breaking portion is formed to bypass the light source portion (55).

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