Steering wheel and comfort control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a steering wheel and a comfort control method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of steering wheels. The steering wheel comprises a handle ring; the steering seat is provided with a connecting rod which is connected with the inner side of the handle ring; the water pipe is wound on the periphery of the handle ring in the spiral direction; the temperature control module is connected with the two ends of the water pipe and provides liquid with the preset temperature for the water pipe. The high specific heat capacity characteristic of cooling water is utilized, a large amount of heat can be absorbed, in summer, the system can pump cool cold water into the steering wheel, rapid, uniform and efficient physical cooling is achieved, the effect is far better than that of air ventilation, and the cost is far lower than that of semiconductor refrigeration; in winter, warm water can be pumped into the steering wheel, lasting and uniform heating is carried out by utilizing the high heat capacity of the water, the temperature rise is soft and natural, and the comfort is far higher than local burning heat caused by a heating wire, so that the problem of bidirectional temperature control is solved, and excellent heat management is realized. In addition, the water pipe enables the hand feeling of the steering wheel to be soft and comfortable, and the grabbing comfort of the steering wheel can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of steering wheels, in particular to a steering wheel and a comfort control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of automobile driving, the comfort of the steering wheel is one of the keys to improve the driving experience.

[0003] After the vehicle is exposed to the sun in summer, the surface temperature of the steering wheel is extremely high, which is difficult to hold; in winter, the steering wheel is cold and bone-chilling, which also affects the driving comfort and safety. The existing solutions such as ventilation cooling or resistance wire heating can only single cooling or single heating, and cannot provide bidirectional temperature regulation according to seasonal changes. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application aims to provide a steering wheel and a comfort control method thereof to solve the technical problem that only single cooling or heating can be achieved and bidirectional temperature regulation cannot be provided according to seasonal changes.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the technical scheme adopted is a steering wheel, comprising: a handle; a steering seat, at least one connecting rod is connected to the outer side, the connecting rod is connected to the inner side of the handle; a water pipe is wound in a spiral direction around the outer periphery of the handle; a temperature control module is connected to both ends of the water pipe, and the temperature control module provides a liquid at a preset temperature for the water pipe.

[0006] The technical scheme has at least the following beneficial effects: by using the high specific heat capacity of the cooling water, a large amount of heat can be absorbed; in summer, the system can pump cool water into the steering wheel to achieve rapid, uniform and efficient physical cooling, which is much better than air ventilation and much lower in cost than semiconductor refrigeration; in winter, warm water can be pumped into the steering wheel to provide long-lasting and uniform heating by using the high heat capacity of water, the temperature rises gently and naturally, and the comfort is much better than the local hot feeling caused by electric heating wires, thereby solving the bidirectional temperature control problem and achieving excellent thermal management. In addition, the water pipe makes the steering wheel feel soft and comfortable, and can improve the grip comfort of the steering wheel.

[0007] As a further improvement of the above technical scheme, the cross section of the water pipe is square or parallelogram.

[0008] As a further improvement of the above technical scheme, the thickness of one side or two pairs of sides of the water pipe is greater than that of the other sides, and the thicker sides of the water pipe are distributed in the side-by-side direction of the adjacent two winding circles.

[0009] As a further improvement of the above technical scheme, the middle part of one side of the water pipe away from the handle protrudes inward to form a protrusion.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the water pipe is a bidirectional water pipe, one end of which is closed, and the other end is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet.

[0011] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the handle includes a skeleton handle and a foaming layer wrapped outside the skeleton handle.

[0012] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the handle is provided with a leather layer wrapping the water pipe.

[0013] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, a rotary connector is connected between the temperature control module and the water pipe.

[0014] A steering wheel comfort control method applied to the above-mentioned steering wheel, the control method comprising: adjusting the hydraulic pressure in the water pipe in response to the user's demand for the comfort of holding the steering wheel.

[0015] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the temperature control module includes a water pump for providing power to the liquid in the water pipe, and the control method further comprises: increasing or decreasing the hydraulic pressure in the water pipe by controlling the power of the water pump. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic view of a first water pipe winding handle of an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic view of a second water pipe winding handle of an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic view of a third water pipe winding handle of an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A schematic view of the flow direction of a unidirectional water pipe in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A schematic view of the flow direction of a bidirectional water pipe in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic view of the cross section of two water pipes side by side in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 A schematic view of a water pipe inclined winding handle of another embodiment of the present application.

[0017] 100, handle; 110, skeleton handle; 120, foaming layer; 130, leather layer; 200, steering seat; 210, connecting rod; 300, water pipe; 310, protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Embodiments of the present application are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals throughout the drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0019] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation description, such as the orientation or position relationship indicated by up, down, front, back, left, right, etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the purpose of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0020] In the description of the present application, one or more is meant by several, more than two is meant by multiple, greater than, less than, more than, etc. are understood as not including the number, above, below, etc. are understood as including the number. If the first, second is described, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or the order of indicated technical features.

[0021] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly limited, the words such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be broadly understood, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above words in the present application in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0022] Referring to Figures 1-6 A steering wheel includes a handle 100, a steering base 200, and a water pipe 300.

[0023] The handle 100 is provided in a whole circle structure around 360 degrees, and includes a skeleton ring 110 and a foamed layer 120. The foamed layer 120 is wrapped outside the skeleton ring 110, which can avoid abrasion between the skeleton ring 110 and the water pipe 300. The outer periphery of the steering base 200 is provided with a connecting rod 210, and the end of the connecting rod 210 away from the steering base 200 is connected to the inner side of the handle 100. The steering base 200 is located at the central space position of the handle 100. In other embodiments, the outer periphery of the steering base 200 can also be provided with two connecting rods 210, which are distributed at the left and right side positions of the steering base 200. In other embodiments, the outer periphery of the steering base 200 can also be provided with three connecting rods 210, two of which are distributed at the left and right side positions of the steering base 200, and the other connecting rod 210 is distributed at the lower side position of the steering base 200.

[0024] The cross section of the water pipe 300 is a flat parallelogram, and the longer side of the parallelogram is attached to the outer periphery of the handle ring 100, i.e. the outer periphery of the foaming layer 120. The water pipe 300 is wound around the outer periphery of the handle ring 100 in a circumferential spiral direction, so that the outer periphery of the handle ring 100 is covered with the water pipe 300, and there is no gap or almost no gap between the winding turns of adjacent two water pipes 300. It should be noted that the water pipe 300 can be a one-way water pipe or a two-way water pipe. The one-way water pipe has a water inlet at one end and a water outlet at the other end. The two-way water pipe has one end closed and both a water inlet and a water outlet at the other end. The liquid in the two-way water pipe flows from one end to the other end through the water inlet, and then flows back from the other end to the one end through the water outlet. In other embodiments, the cross section of the water pipe 300 can also be a square, a rectangle, an ellipse or a circle.

[0025] The temperature control module includes a water pump, a liquid storage tank, a heater and a heat dissipation device. The water pump pumps the liquid in the liquid storage tank into one end of the water pipe 300, and the other end of the water pipe 300 flows the internal liquid back to the liquid storage tank. Before the liquid is pumped into the water pipe 300, the liquid can be heated by the heater and cooled by the heat dissipation device. The heater can be a heating wire arranged in the liquid storage tank, and the heat dissipation device can be a fan arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank. The liquid in the liquid storage tank can use a special electronic cooling liquid with high specific heat capacity, low viscosity, high boiling point and low freezing point, to avoid freezing and corrosion when water is used.

[0026] The temperature control module is fixed in the instrument table of the vehicle body and does not rotate with the handle ring 100 and the steering seat 200. It drives the cooling liquid to circulate between the water pipe 300 on the handle ring 100 side and the temperature control module. In addition, a temperature sensor can be arranged to monitor the temperature of the liquid medium in the water pipe 300 on the handle ring 100 side, and the liquid medium can be heated or cooled according to the user's needs.

[0027] For different water pipe 300 configurations, single and double rotary connectors are used respectively to connect the water pipe 300 on the handle ring 100 side and the pipeline on the vehicle body side, to ensure that the pipeline on the vehicle body side and the water pipe 300 on the steering wheel side can always be connected and never leak at any rotation angle of the handle ring 100.

[0028] The internal pipeline of the temperature control module and the connecting pipeline with the water pipe 300 are made of high-strength materials, and the connection is sealed multiple times. In extreme cases, the leaked cooling liquid is an insulating and non-toxic liquid, and the leakage is extremely small. The safety is high.

[0029] When cooling, the low-temperature cooling liquid circulates in the water pipe 300 and absorbs the heat of the hands by direct heat conduction. When heating, the warm cooling liquid circulates in the water pipe and stably transfers heat to the hands. The high-efficiency heat exchange capacity of the cooling liquid ensures the rapidness and uniformity of temperature control.

[0030] Further, the grip feeling of the ring 100 can be adjusted by controlling the pressure in the water pipe 300. The flexibility of the water pipe 300 replaces part of the traditional foaming material, and the fluidity of the liquid provides self-adaptive, soft and elastic support, i.e. the "water cushion" effect, which greatly improves the touch feeling. The driving temperature control module can adjust the water pump power according to the water pressure sensor signal to realize the "hand feeling" hardness adjustment.

[0031] Further, in order to avoid the problem of large gap between adjacent winding rings after winding the water pipe 300, and large overlap area of the water pipe 300 of adjacent winding rings, one side of the water pipe 300 is thicker than the other three sides, and the other three sides have the same thickness, and the thicker side of the water pipe 300 is distributed in the side-by-side direction of the water pipe 300 of adjacent winding rings. That is, in the cross-sectional view, the short side of the side is designed as a thickened bevel, which is overlapped on the side of the water pipe 300 of the adjacent winding ring in the winding process. In other embodiments, the two opposite short sides of the water pipe 300 can also be set to be thicker than the other two opposite long sides.

[0032] Further, when the water pressure in the water pipe 300 changes, the middle protrusion of the water pipe 300 is higher, and the both sides protrude lower, which is not conducive to the user's hand feeling experience. In order to improve this situation, the inner side wall of the water pipe 300 is thickened in an arc shape, that is, the middle part of the inner wall of the water pipe away from the contact ring 100 forms a protrusion 310. When the water pressure increases, the deformation of the outer circumferential side of the water pipe 300 away from the ring 100 is small, which can maintain a relatively flat state, and ensure the comfort of the user's hand feeling.

[0033] The water pipe 300 is the main heat exchange interface and touch interface for the driver's hands, in order to ensure good driving experience, the leather layer 130 can be covered with leather.

[0034] Referring to Figure 7 In another embodiment, when the driver's hand grips the ring 100, the fingers are easy to align with the gap between the two adjacent winding rings of the water pipe 300, and after the fingers apply pressure, the two adjacent water pipes 300 are easy to separate or deform under pressure, therefore, the water pipe 300 can be preset in a spiral shape, that is, in a natural state, the water pipe 300 is in a spiral winding shape, similar to a telephone line shape, and the inner part of the water pipe 300 in the natural spiral shape is matched with the ring 100, and the winding angle a of the water pipe 300, i.e. the initial angle of the spiral, is in the range of 30-75 degrees. It can be understood that when the winding direction is zero, the winding direction is perpendicular to the axis of the ring 100.

[0035] According to the number of connecting rods 210 in the steering wheel and the type of water pipe 300 used, three winding methods of the water pipe 300 are provided as follows: The first winding method of the water pipe 300: referring to Figure 1One water pipe 300 is wound from 3h position to 9h position clockwise, and the other is wound from 3h position to 9h position counterclockwise. The water inlet and outlet are located on both sides, and the two water pipes 300 intersect into one near the water inlet / outlet and are connected to the water inlet / outlet of the rotating connector. During operation, the cooled / heated coolant enters the steering wheel 100 from the 9h position water inlet, flows through the whole circumference of the rim along the upper and lower water pipes, and completes the cooling / heating action of the steering wheel 100. During this period, the user can select "sport" (hard hand feeling) or "comfort" (soft hand feeling) mode through the interface. The temperature control module increases or decreases the water pressure in the system by controlling the power of the water pump, thereby changing the support rigidity of the windable water pipe 300. The safety alarm module monitors the leakage in real time and alarms.

[0036] The second water pipe 300 winding method: refer to Figure 2 , the rotating connector is provided with two sets of water inlets / outlets, one set on each side of the steering wheel 100. One water pipe is wound from the 3h position water inlet to the 9h position water outlet clockwise, and the other is wound from the 3h position water inlet to the 9h position water outlet counterclockwise. During operation, the cooled / heated coolant enters the steering wheel from the 3h position and 9h position water inlets, respectively, flows through the whole circumference of the rim along the upper and lower water pipes 300, and completes the cooling / heating action of the steering wheel 100. During this period, the user can select "sport" (hard hand feeling) or "comfort" (soft hand feeling) mode through the interface. The temperature control module increases or decreases the water pressure in the system by controlling the power of the water pump, thereby changing the support rigidity of the windable water pipe 300. The safety alarm module monitors the leakage in real time and alarms. This method heats more evenly, reducing the temperature difference perceived by the left and right hands.

[0037] The third water pipe 300 winding method: refer to Figure 3 , to deal with the split of the steering wheel 100 (such as Figure 3 12h position), decorative parts (such as Figure 3In the case of difficult winding of the unidirectional water pipe 300 at the 6 h position, four bidirectional water pipes 300 are used. The first bidirectional water pipe 300 is wound clockwise from the 12 h position to the 3 h position, the second bidirectional water pipe is wound counterclockwise from the 6 h position to the 3 h position, the first bidirectional water pipe and the second bidirectional water pipe are merged into one and connected to the water inlet / outlet at the 3 h position; the third bidirectional water pipe is wound counterclockwise from the 12 h position to the 9 h position, and the fourth bidirectional water pipe is wound clockwise from the 6 h position to the 8 h position, the third bidirectional water pipe and the fourth bidirectional water pipe are merged into one and connected to the water inlet / outlet at the 9 h position. During operation, the cooled / heated coolant enters the handle ring 100 from the water inlets at the 3 h position and the 9 h position, flows through the entire circumference of the rim along the four bidirectional water pipes, and completes the cooling / heating action on the handle ring 100. During this period, the user can select the “sport” (hard feeling) or “comfort” (soft feeling) mode through the interface. The temperature control module increases or decreases the water pressure in the system by controlling the power of the water pump, thereby changing the support rigidity of the windable water pipe. The safety alarm module monitors the leakage in real time and alarms. This method is more flexible in arrangement and can avoid leather seams and rim decorations.

[0038] The embodiment also discloses a steering wheel comfort control method applied to the above-mentioned steering wheel. The control method comprises: adjusting the hydraulic pressure of the water pipe 300 in response to the user's demand for the gripping comfort of the steering wheel.

[0039] Specifically, the gripping comfort of the steering wheel can be divided into hard, moderate and soft, and the hydraulic pressure of the water pipe 300 is high, moderate and low. The user can input the demand for gripping comfort through an input device such as a key or a display screen, and the water pump in the temperature control module adjusts the hydraulic pressure of the water pipe 300 according to the demand for gripping comfort. In the temperature control module, the hydraulic pressure in the water pipe 300 can be increased or decreased by controlling the power of the water pump.

[0040] The embodiment has the following advantages: Solve the bidirectional temperature control problem and achieve excellent thermal management: 1. Water cooling advantage: Make use of the high specific heat capacity of cooling water to absorb a large amount of heat. In summer, the system can pump cool water into the steering wheel to achieve rapid, uniform and efficient physical cooling, which is much better than air ventilation and much lower in cost than semiconductor refrigeration.

[0041] 2. Water heating advantage: In winter, warm water can be pumped into the steering wheel to provide long-lasting and uniform heating using the high heat capacity of water. The temperature rises gently and naturally, and the comfort is much better than the local burning sensation caused by electric heating wires.

[0042] 3. Solve the single touch problem and provide adjustable comfortable touch: 4. "Water cushion" effect: The water bladder encapsulated in the steering wheel provides a unique, soft, and "bouncy" feel, similar to a high-end water pillow or gel pad, which greatly improves grip comfort and reduces fatigue during long-distance driving.

[0043] 5. Adjustable feel: By adjusting the water pressure within the system, the "firmness" of the steering wheel can be finely adjusted. Higher water pressure results in a fuller, firmer feel, while lower water pressure results in a softer, more ergonomic feel, catering to different user preferences.

[0044] Overall system advantages: High efficiency and energy saving: Water has a large heat capacity and high temperature control efficiency. The main energy consumption of the system comes from only small water pumps and heaters, and the overall energy consumption is lower than that of semiconductor and pure electric heating solutions.

[0045] Quiet and silent: The water pump operates at a much lower noise level than the fan, making it almost imperceptible during operation and ensuring a quiet cabin.

[0046] Low cost: The system has a simple structure, with main components such as water pumps, heaters, water tanks and pipes. It does not require expensive semiconductor components or complex air ducts, resulting in low manufacturing costs and easy adoption.

[0047] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steering wheel, characterized in that The application relates to a steering wheel, comprising: a steering wheel; a steering wheel, at least one connecting rod is connected to the outer side of the steering wheel, and the connecting rod is connected to the inner side of the steering wheel; a water pipe is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the steering wheel; a temperature control module is connected to the two ends of the water pipe, and the temperature control module provides liquid with a preset temperature for the water pipe.

2. A steering wheel according to claim 1, characterised in that: The cross section of the water pipe is square or parallelogram.

3. A steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein: The thickness of one side or two pairs of sides of the water pipe is greater than that of the other sides, and the thicker sides of the water pipe are distributed in the side-by-side direction of the adjacent two winding circles.

4. The steering wheel of claim 2, wherein: The middle part of one side of the water pipe away from the steering wheel protrudes inward to form a convex.

5. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein: The water pipe is a bidirectional water pipe, one end of the bidirectional water pipe is closed, and the other end is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet.

6. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein: The steering wheel comprises a skeleton circle and a foaming layer wrapped outside the skeleton circle.

7. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein: The steering wheel is provided with a leather layer wrapped around the water pipe.

8. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein: A rotary connector is connected between the temperature control module and the water pipe.

9. A steering wheel comfort control method applied to the steering wheel of any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The control method comprises: in response to the user's demand for the comfort of holding the steering wheel, adjusting the hydraulic pressure in the water pipe.

10. The steering wheel comfort control method of claim 9, wherein: The temperature control module comprises a water pump for providing power for the liquid in the water pipe, and the control method further comprises: increasing or reducing the hydraulic pressure in the water pipe by controlling the power of the water pump.

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