Steering device

Abstract

A steering device (1) is provided with: a trim cover (30) disposed on the upper side of a boss section (4); and an electronic component (50) disposed on the trim cover. The trim cover is provided with: a top wall section (31) disposed on the driver side; and a peripheral wall section (40) extending in a cylindrical shape from the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the top wall section. A slit (41) through which a lead wire (62) can be inserted is formed in the peripheral wall part from the front end side of the peripheral wall part, and the lead wire is configured to extend from the configuration area of the electronic component of the top wall part and pass through the back side of the top wall part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering device configured such that electronic components are disposed on a cover disposed on the upper side of a boss portion. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, a steering system disclosed in International Publication No. 2023 / 163325 exists. In this conventional steering system, a decorative element (sign) capable of illuminating at a predetermined time is disposed within a trim cover on the top wall portion on the driver's side, serving as an electronic component. In this steering system, a lead extending from the rear side of the area where the decorative element is disposed on the top wall portion is inserted into a universal opening formed in the trim cover on a peripheral wall portion extending from the periphery of the top wall portion, and protrudes to the outside of the trim cover. In conventional steering systems, the universal opening is formed by cutting off the peripheral wall portion in a rectangular shape. Furthermore, the lead is electrically connected to a control device on the vehicle body side via a connector provided on the front end side.

[0003] However, the lead wire needs to be inserted into the universal opening for each connector located on the front side, which is typically larger than the lead wire. In conventional steering mechanisms, the universal opening is formed as a rectangular opening, and the opening area is preferably set as small as possible. Therefore, the universal opening is set to a size that barely allows the connector to pass through, making it difficult to perform the operation of inserting the lead wire from the inside of the cover into the universal opening of the connector (the operation of causing the lead wire to protrude outward from the cover). Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a steering device that is easy to operate and can be easily assembled.

[0005] The steering device of the present invention has the following components:

[0006] A decorative cover, which is positioned on the upper side of the boss portion; and

[0007] Electronic components, which are disposed in the trim cover, are electrically connected to control devices located on the side of the vehicle body.

[0008] in,

[0009] The cover has: a top wall portion disposed on the driver's side; and a peripheral wall portion extending in a cylindrical shape from near the periphery of the top wall portion.

[0010] The peripheral wall is formed with a slit through which a lead wire is inserted by cutting from the front end side. The lead wire is configured to extend from the area where the electronic component is located on the top wall and pass through the back side of the top wall.

[0011] In the steering device of the present invention, even if a slit is provided on the peripheral wall of the cover and an electronic component is provided on the cover, a lead wire arranged in such a way that it extends from the electronic component and passes through the back side of the cover can protrude out of the cover via the slit. This slit is formed by cutting through the peripheral wall from the front end side to allow the lead wire to be inserted. Therefore, even if the lead wire is configured to have a connector on the front end side, if the lead wire is inserted through the opening provided on the front end side of the peripheral wall and passes through the slit, the front end side of the lead wire with the connector can protrude out of the cover. As a result, compared to conventional steering devices where the peripheral wall is cut off to provide an insertion opening, the operation of protruding the lead wire out of the cover (the operation of penetrating the peripheral wall) becomes easier and the workability is good.

[0012] Therefore, the steering device of the present invention has good operability and can be easily assembled.

[0013] Furthermore, in the steering device of the present invention, the slit only needs to have an opening width that allows the lead wire to pass through. Therefore, the opening width of the slit can be set as small as possible.

[0014] Furthermore, in the steering device of the present invention, the cover is preferably configured to cover the folded airbag, and is configured to have multiple doors arranged in the top wall area that can be opened when the airbag is deployed and inflated.

[0015] The structure is designed such that the slit is positioned in the peripheral wall portion near the base side when the door portion containing the electronic components is opened.

[0016] If the steering mechanism is configured as described above, the length (configuration area) of the lead wire passing through the inside of the cover (the back side of the top wall) can be set to a minimum, thus suppressing the influence of the lead wire on the inflated airbag.

[0017] Furthermore, in the steering device described above, it is preferable to have a structure in which a locking part is provided in the slit, which prevents the lead wire inserted inside from falling out. If this structure is provided, it is possible to prevent the lead wire inserted inside from detaching from the slit, and to maintain the lead wire's insertion into the slit. Therefore, workability is good when performing subsequent operations (such as when installing the cover onto the airbag bracket). Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a top view of a steering wheel (steering device) as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the steering wheel in the embodiment, showing... Figure 1 Part II-II.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a top view of the airbag device of the steering wheel in the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A bottom view of the airbag device.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Rear view of the airbag system (viewed from the front when the vehicle is equipped with it).

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A roughly enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the front and rear sides of the airbag device.

[0024] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A roughly enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the left and right sides of the airbag device.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic perspective view of the steering wheel cover according to the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a magnified view of a slit provided on the side wall of the cover.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic partial enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lead wire is inserted into the slit provided in the cover in the steering wheel of the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a steering wheel 1 having a ring-shaped ring portion 2 (grip portion) will be used as an example of a steering device. In the case of the embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the steering wheel 1 has a ring-shaped portion 2 for gripping during rotational steering; a boss portion 4 disposed approximately in the center of the ring portion 2; and a plurality of spoke portions 3 (three in this embodiment) connecting the ring portion 2 and the boss portion 4. The steering wheel 1 as shown... Figure 2 As shown, it has a steering wheel body 7 and an airbag device 15 disposed on the upper part of the boss portion 4 as components.

[0029] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the forward / backward, up / down, and left / right directions in this instruction manual are based on the steering wheel 1 being in a straight-line steering position when mounted on the vehicle. Specifically, the rotation center axis C of the ring 2 (refer to...) Figure 2The direction of the ring is set as the up and down direction, the direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis C of the ring 2 and along the front and back direction of the vehicle is set as the front and back direction, and the direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis C of the ring 2 and along the left and right direction of the vehicle is set as the left and right direction.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the steering wheel body 7 includes: a core rib 8, which is configured to connect the ring portion 2, the boss portion 4, and the spoke portion 3; a cover layer 9, which covers the area around the core rib 8 between the ring portion 2 and the spoke portion 3; a skin layer 10, which covers the outer periphery of the cover layer 9; and a lower cover 12, which covers the lower surface of the boss portion 4. The core rib 8 is made of metal such as aluminum alloy. The cover layer 9 is formed of a soft foam material such as polyurethane foam. The skin layer 10 is formed of leather such as a sheet made of synthetic resin, natural leather, synthetic leather, or artificial leather. The lower cover 12 is omitted from detailed drawings and shown with double-dotted lines, but it is assumed to be made of synthetic resin.

[0031] like Figures 2 to 7 As shown, the airbag device 15 includes: a folded and stored airbag 16; an inflator 17 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 16; a cover 30 (airbag cover) disposed on the upper side of the boss portion 4 to cover the folded airbag 16; a decorative body 50 serving as electronic components disposed on the cover 30; an airbag bracket 20 that holds the airbag 16, the inflator 17, and the cover 30; and a retainer 18 for mounting the airbag 16 and the inflator 17 to the airbag bracket 20.

[0032] The airbag 16 is formed from a flexible sheet and is bag-shaped. Detailed illustrations of the airbag 16 are omitted, but its inflated shape, allowing the inflating gas to flow into it, is defined as an approximately circular plate that can substantially cover the entire upper surface of the ring 2 (see reference). Figure 1 (The double-dotted line).

[0033] The inflator 17 has a nearly cylindrical main body 17a and a flange 17c protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 17a. Multiple gas outlets 17b for discharging expansion gas are provided on the upper part of the main body 17a. Although detailed drawings are omitted, the inflator 17 is also electrically connected to the control device 65.

[0034] The retainer 18 is designed as an approximately square ring-shaped plate of metal, with bolts 18a at the four corners (see reference). Figure 4The retainer 18 is disposed within the airbag 16, mounting the airbag 16 and the inflator 17 to the airbag bracket 20. Although detailed drawings are omitted, the bolts 18a of the retainer 18 protrude downwards. These bolts 18a sequentially pass through the airbag 16, the bottom wall portion 21 of the airbag bracket 20 (described later), and the flange portion 17c of the inflator 17, protruding from the flange portion 17c and engaging with the nut 19 (see reference). Figure 4 Tighten.

[0035] In this embodiment, the airbag support 20 is made of plate-shaped metal. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the airbag bracket 20 is a component that holds the airbag 16, the inflator 17, and the cover 30, and mounts the airbag device 15 to the side of the steering wheel body 7 using a horn switch unit (not shown). Specifically, as Figure 4 , 6 As shown in Figure 7, the airbag bracket 20 has: a bottom wall portion 21 with an approximately rectangular shape; and side wall portions 22 arranged to extend from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 21 to the top. An airbag 16 and an inflator 17 are mounted on the bottom wall portion 21 using a retainer 18. Furthermore, the airbag bracket 20 holds the cover 30 in place by connecting predetermined portions of the side wall portions 22 to the peripheral wall portion 40 of the cover 30 using rivets (not shown). Specifically, four side wall portions 22 are arranged on the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 21, extending upwards from areas excluding the four corners. Each side wall portion 22 is located on the outer periphery of the peripheral wall portion 40 of the cover 30. Furthermore, in the airbag bracket 20 of the embodiment, a recessed insertion portion 24 is formed approximately at the center of the left and right sides of the side wall portion 22F that covers the front of the peripheral wall portion 40, through which the lead wire 62, described later, can be inserted. The lead wire 62 extends from the decorative body 50 disposed on the cover 30. Specifically, the recessed insertion portion 24 is formed by a continuous cut from the upper edge of the side wall portion 22F to the front edge 21a of the bottom wall portion 21 (see reference). Figure 4 , 5 Furthermore, in the embodiment, a locking protrusion 25 is formed on the lower surface side of the bottom wall portion 21 in a downwardly projecting manner. This locking protrusion 25 can lock with the connector 64 disposed on the front end 62a side of the lead wire 62 (see reference). Figure 5 , 6 Specifically, the card-stopping protrusion 25 is disposed on the rear left end side of the bottom wall portion 21.

[0036] The decorative cover 30 is disposed on the upper side of the boss portion 4, and as... Figure 6 , 7As shown, the structure is designed to cover the sides of the folded airbag 16 from above. The cover 30 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, it is made of a polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). Specifically, the cover 30 is formed using a dark-colored TPO substrate, such as black. The cover 30 has a top wall portion 31 and a peripheral wall portion 40 extending in a cylindrical shape from near the periphery of the top wall portion 31 (see reference). Figure 3 , 6 (8). The top wall portion 31 is positioned above the driver's side and covers the top of the folded airbag 16. The peripheral wall portion 40 covers the front, rear, left, and right sides of the folded airbag 16.

[0037] The top wall portion 31 includes: a door mounting portion 34, which is formed by the region inside the peripheral wall portion 40; and a peripheral edge portion 32, which is formed by the region outside the peripheral wall portion 40. Within the region of the door mounting portion 34, a front door portion 35 that opens forward and a rear door portion 36 that opens rearward are disposed (see reference). Figure 3 , 6 Around the front door portions 35 and rear door portions 36, a fracture pre-break portion 37 is disposed, capable of breaking when the airbag 16 inflates. In the embodiment, the fracture pre-break portion 37 is formed by cutting through the top wall portion 31 from the rear side. Specifically, the fracture pre-break portion 37 is constructed by continuously arranging V-shaped cuts in the cross-section (see reference). Figure 6 ).

[0038] A decorative element 50, serving as an electronic component, is disposed on the top wall portion 31 and the front door portion 35. In the embodiment, the decorative element 50 is as follows: Figure 3 , 6 As shown in Figure 7, the area located on the rear side of the rear edge 35a of the front door portion 35 is relatively wide from left to right. Furthermore, a through hole 35b and a connecting protrusion 35c are formed in the front door portion 35 (see Figure 7). Figure 6 , 7 The through-hole portion 35b is formed so that a protrusion 53 formed on the surface (upper surface) side of the main body portion 52 of the decorative body 50 (described later) can pass through it. The through-hole portion 35b is formed by opening an opening corresponding to the outer shape of the protrusion 53. In the embodiment, the outer shape viewed from the top side is set to an approximately rectangular shape, and five through-hole portions are arranged side by side on the left and right sides (see reference). Figure 3 , 7 The connecting protrusion 35c is used to connect the decorative body 50 to the cover 30. For example... Figure 3As shown, the connecting protrusions 35c are positioned at four locations between the protrusions 53 (between the through holes 35b) when the cover 30 is viewed from above. These connecting protrusions 35c are configured to completely penetrate the decorative body 50, meaning the decorative body 50 is positioned on the rear side of the front door portion 35 such that the protrusions 53 penetrate the through holes 35b. Furthermore, in these connecting protrusions 35c, the decorative body 50 is connected to the cover 30 (front door portion 35) by melting the lower end of the decorative body 50 protruding from the retaining member 60 (described later). The external shape of the connecting protrusions 35c before melting is as follows... Figure 7 The cylindrical shape is indicated by the double-dotted lines.

[0039] In the implementation scenario, such as Figure 8 As shown, the peripheral wall portion 40 is designed in a square cylindrical shape, with its front end face located near the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 21 of the airbag bracket 20. Furthermore, the outer periphery near the front end of the peripheral wall portion 40 is covered by the side wall portion 22 of the airbag bracket 20 (see reference). Figure 6 , 7 In this peripheral wall portion 40, the area on the front side near the base side when the front door portion 35 is opened (the area covering the front of the airbag 16), namely the front portion 40a, is as follows: Figure 6 , 8 The diagram shows a slit 42.

[0040] The slit 42 is used for the insertion of the lead wire 62 extending from the decorative body 50, and is formed by cutting the front portion 40a of the peripheral wall portion 40 from the lower end side (front end side) to extend in the vertical direction (see reference). Figure 8 Specifically, the slit 42 is formed at approximately the center of the front portion 40a. More specifically, in this embodiment, the slit 42 is formed over approximately the entire vertical area of ​​the peripheral wall portion 40, with its upper end positioned near the lower edge of the peripheral portion 32 on the top wall portion 31. A circular hole 44 with a circular cut is provided at the upper end of the slit 42. That is, as... Figure 8 , 9 As shown, the slit 42 has: a normal portion 43, which is formed by a slotted cut such that an opening 45 is provided on the lower end 43b side; and a circular hole portion 44, which is formed to connect to the normal portion 43 on the upper end 43a side. The inner diameter d of the circular hole portion 44 is set to be larger than the opening width H of the normal portion 43 (see reference). Figure 9 In the implementation scenario, such as Figure 9As shown, the lead wire 62 is designed to be flat, like two wires arranged side by side. Specifically, the opening width H of the normal portion 43 is set to be slightly larger than the thickness t of the lead wire 62. Furthermore, the opening width H of the normal portion 43 is set to be smaller than the width W of the lead wire 62. That is, the opening width H of the normal portion 43 is set such that the lead wire 62 can be inserted and slidably moved from the side along the width direction (see reference). Figure 9 (The double-dotted line). The inner diameter d of the circular hole 44 is set to be slightly larger than the width W of the lead wire 62. The inner diameter d of the circular hole 44 is set to a size that allows the lead wire 62 to be inserted even along the thickness direction (see reference). Figure 9 That is, the lead wire 62, which is inserted from the normal portion 43 into the circular hole portion 44, is arranged within the circular hole portion 44 in a state where it has been rotated in a manner that changes its orientation (approximately orthogonal to the normal portion 43). Furthermore, in this state, the lead wire 62 is restricted from re-entering the normal portion 43 side. Moreover, in the slit 42 of the embodiment, the area around the periphery of the circular hole portion 44 of the normal portion 43 is as follows... Figure 9 The diagram shows anti-detachment portions 42a and 42a, which prevent the lead wire 62 inserted inside (more specifically, the lead wire 62 configured to be approximately orthogonal to the normal portion 43) from falling out.

[0041] The decorative element 50, as an electronic component, is electrically connected to a control device 65 located on the side of the vehicle body and is capable of emitting light at a predetermined time. The decorative element 50 is disposed in the area of ​​the front door portion 35 of the top wall portion 31 of the cover 30. Specifically, as described above, the decorative element 50 is disposed in the area on the rear side of the rear edge 35a of the front door portion 35, and is a wider area on both sides. Figure 3 As shown, the decorative body 50, when viewed from the top and bottom, is a long strip extending in the left and right direction. Furthermore, the decorative body 50 is constructed by stacking the main body 52, the light source 55, and the holding member 60 (see reference). Figure 6 , 7 Furthermore, in the embodiment, on the surface side of the cover 30, as described above, only the protrusion 53 of the main body 52 is exposed in the decorative body 50 (see reference). Figure 3 , 6 7). In the main body 52, the light guide 58 and the substrate 56 and the holding member 60, which will be described later, although the reference numerals are omitted, a through hole is formed in each of them, through which a connecting protrusion 35c protruding from the back side of the front door 35 of the cover 30 can pass.

[0042] The main body 52 is a generally rectangular plate that is wider on the left and right sides. A protruding portion 53 is formed on the upper surface of the main body 52. ​​In this embodiment, the protruding portion 53 is approximately rectangular in shape, and five are arranged side-by-side on the left and right sides. Each protruding portion 53 is configured to pass through a through hole 35b provided in the front door portion 35 (see reference). Figure 3 , 7 The upper surface 53a of the protrusion 53 is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the front door portion 35. The main body portion 52 further diffuses visible light from the light source portion 55 (light guide 58) internally and radiates from the upper surface 53a side of the protrusion 53. The main body portion 52 is formed of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin.

[0043] 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 58 stacked on the substrate 56. The visible light source (visible light LED) 57 is configured to emit visible light when lit. The light guide 58 is disposed on the lower surface side of the main body 52. ​​The substrate 56 is shaped to be larger than the light guide 58, so that it covers the lower part of the light guide 58 over approximately the entire surface area. In this embodiment, the visible light source (visible light LED) 57 has five portions (see reference 53) arranged side by side on the leading edge side of the substrate 56 (in front of the light guide 58), corresponding to each protrusion 53 of the main body 52. Figure 3 , 6 In this embodiment, a full-color visible light LED 57 is used as the visible light source. This visible light LED 57 encapsulates light sources capable of emitting red, green, and blue light in a single package, and changes color by varying the brightness of each light source. These visible light LEDs 57 are electrically connected to a control device 65 located on the vehicle body side via leads 62 connected to the back side of the substrate 56. Furthermore, the visible light LEDs 57 can be illuminated to emit visible light of a predetermined color upon receiving an operating signal from the control device 65.

[0044] The retaining member 60 is a member capable of covering the lower surface of the substrate 56 of the light source section 55 across its entire surface area and retaining the substrate 56 (light source section 55). A connector mounting portion 60a (see reference 60) is formed at the center of the retaining member 60 in the left-right direction, partially protruding downwards. Figure 6 , 7 The connector mounting part 60a is a part for mounting a connector 63 provided on one end of the lead 62 to connect the lead 62.

[0045] The decorative element 50 is installed on the front door portion 35 in a manner that locks the designated area in place, and integrates the main body portion 52, the light source portion 55, and the retaining member 60 by stacking them together. Specifically, the decorative element 50 is disposed on the rear side of the front door portion 35 in such a manner that a connecting protrusion 35c extending from the front door portion 35 passes through it, and the front end of the connecting protrusion 35c is fused to the lower surface of the retaining member 60, thereby installing it on the front door portion 35 (see reference). Figure 7 Furthermore, a lead wire 62 extending from the connector mounting portion 60a (i.e., the rear side of the configuration area of ​​the trim 50 in the front door portion 35) provided on the rear side of the trim 50, passes through the rear side of the top wall portion 31, and is inserted into the slit 42 formed in the front side portion 40a of the peripheral wall portion 40 of the trim cover 30. At this time, the connector 64 at the other end of the lead wire 62 (the front end 62a side) protrudes out of the trim cover 30. Moreover, the lead wire 62 protruding from the trim cover 30 is arranged on the lower surface side of the airbag bracket 20 (bottom wall portion 21) in such a way that the connector 64 provided on the front end 62a side is locked to the locking protrusion 25 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 21 of the airbag bracket 20 (see reference). Figures 4 to 6 ).

[0046] Next, the installation of the steering wheel 1 in the vehicle according to the embodiment will be described. In the trim cover 30 with the trim 50 installed, the lead wire 62 extending from the back side of the trim 50 (the back side of the front door portion 35) passes through the back side of the wall portion 31, and is inserted through the opening 45 at the lower end 43b into the normal portion 43 of the slit 42 provided in the front portion 40a of the peripheral wall portion 40, and protrudes outward from the round hole 44 on the upper end 43a side (see reference). Figure 10 Furthermore, the cover 30 is installed on the airbag bracket 20, which houses the folded airbag 16 and the inflator 17, to cover the area around the folded airbag 16. This allows the airbag assembly 15 to be assembled. A lead wire 62 protruding from the cover 30 is inserted into a recess 24 formed in the airbag bracket 20, and the connector 64 on the front end 62a side is pre-engaged to a locking protrusion 25 formed in the bottom wall portion 21. Then, the airbag assembly 15 is installed on the steering wheel body 7, which is mounted on the vehicle body side, using a horn switch unit (not shown). The lead wire 62 extending from the cover 50 is connected to a lead wire (not shown) extending from the control device 65. Additionally, the inflator 17 is electrically connected to the control device 65. Thus, the airbag assembly 15 can be assembled on the steering wheel body 7, and the steering wheel 1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

[0047] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 (steering device) of the embodiment, it is structured such that even if a slit 42 is provided on the peripheral wall portion 40 of the cover 30 and a decorative body 50, which serves as an electronic component, is provided on the cover 30, a lead wire 62, which extends from the decorative body 50 and passes through the back side of the cover 30, protrudes out of the cover 30 via the slit 42. The slit 42 is formed by cutting the peripheral wall portion 40 from the front end side (lower end side) so that the lead wire 62 can be inserted. Therefore, even if the lead wire 62 is configured to have a connector 64 on the front end 62a side, if it is inserted from the opening 45 provided on the front end side (lower end side, i.e., the lower end 43b side of the normal portion 43) of the peripheral wall portion 40 and the lead wire 62 is inserted into the interior of the slit 42, the front end 62a side of the lead wire 62 with the connector 64 can protrude out of the cover 30 (see reference). Figure 10 As a result, compared to the previous steering mechanism where the peripheral wall was cut off to create a plug opening, it is easier to make the lead wire 62 protrude outward toward the cover 30 (through-the peripheral wall 40), resulting in good workability.

[0048] Therefore, the steering wheel 1 (steering device) according to the embodiment has good operability and can be easily assembled.

[0049] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the slit 42 only needs to have an opening width that allows the lead wire 62 to pass through (the connector 64 provided on the front end 62a side of the lead wire 62 cannot be inserted). Therefore, the opening width of the slit 42 can be set as small as possible. In the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, two doors (front door 35 and rear door 36) that open when the airbag 16 is deployed and inflated are provided on the top wall 31 of the cover 30. Therefore, in order to open these front door 35 and rear door 36 smoothly, the strength of the area surrounding the top wall 31 (such as the peripheral wall 40) needs to be ensured to a certain extent. In the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the opening width of the slit 42 can be set as small as possible, so it is easy to maintain the strength of the peripheral wall 40 and the area surrounding the peripheral wall 40. Moreover, it is also possible to prevent the peripheral wall from becoming too thick. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slit 42 is formed over approximately the entire area above and below the peripheral wall portion 40 such that the circular hole 44 on the upper side is located near the top wall portion 31. However, the depth (length dimension) of the slit is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the slit may also be configured to be located only in the lower half of the peripheral wall portion, in the region on the lower (front) side.

[0050] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the slit 42 is positioned in the peripheral wall portion 40 near the base side (the area of ​​the front portion 40a) when the front door portion 35, where the trim 50 is located, is opened. Therefore, the amount (length) of the lead wire 62 passing through the interior of the trim cover 30 (the rear side of the top wall portion 31) can be minimized, and the influence of the lead wire 62 on the inflated airbag 16 can be suppressed. Alternatively, if this is not considered, the structure can be configured such that the slit is positioned in a region away from the aforementioned area (e.g., the area in the peripheral wall portion that covers the rear of the folded airbag, the left side of the folded airbag, and the right side of the folded airbag), and the lead wire is positioned to be laid longer on the rear side of the top wall portion.

[0051] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, a detachment prevention portion 42a is provided in the slit 42 to prevent the lead wire 62 inserted inside from falling out. Specifically, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the slit 42 is provided with a structure (keyhole shape) having the following parts: a normal portion 43, which is formed by a groove-shaped cut; and a round hole portion 44, which is formed to bulge out from the normal portion 43 at the upper end 43a side of the normal portion 43. Moreover, the peripheral area near the round hole portion 44 of the normal portion 43 is provided with detachment prevention portions 42a, 42a (see reference) to prevent the lead wire 62, which is inserted into the round hole portion 44, from falling out (and re-entering into the normal portion 43). Figure 9 Therefore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the lead wire 62, which has been inserted into the interior of the round hole 44, from re-entering the normal portion 43 (it is possible to suppress detachment from the round hole 44), and to maintain the lead wire 62 in the slit 42. As a result, the workability is good when performing subsequent operations (such as when installing the cover 30 onto the airbag bracket 20). Furthermore, if this is not taken into consideration, the structure can be configured such that the anti-detachment part that prevents the lead wire from falling off is not provided in the slit.

[0052] In this embodiment, the slit is designed as a keyhole shape, but even with an anti-detachment feature, the shape of the slit is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a slit simply formed in a groove shape can be designed as follows: the opening width is set to be the same as the outer diameter and width of the lead wire, allowing the lead wire to be inserted but making it difficult for it to slide inside, thus using the inner circumferential surface of the slit itself as an anti-detachment feature (utilizing the friction generated between the inner circumferential surface of the slit and the lead wire). Alternatively, without detailed illustrations, the slit can also be designed as follows: a slightly inwardly protruding protrusion is provided in the middle of the groove-shaped slit, and this protrusion serves as an anti-detachment feature. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width of the normal portion 43 in the opening 45 range on the lower end 43b side is fixed. However, the shape of the slit is not limited to this embodiment. For example, without detailed illustrations, the slit can be formed such that the opening width of the area on the front end side (lower end side) of the normal portion is wider. This structure allows for a wider opening at the lower end, making it easier to insert the lead wire into the slit.

[0053] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, a decorative element 50 that emits light at a predetermined time is provided as an electronic component disposed on the cover 30. However, the electronic component is not limited to the decorative element. The present invention can also be applied, for example, to steering devices in which a display, a camera for driver monitoring, or the like is mounted on the cover as an electronic component.

Claims

1. A steering device (1) having the following structure, have: A decorative cover (30) is disposed on the upper side of the boss portion (4); and Electronic components (50), which are disposed on the trim cover and electrically connected to a control device (65) located on the side of the vehicle body, In the steering device (1), The cover has: a top wall portion (31) disposed on the driver's side; and a peripheral wall portion (32) extending in a cylindrical shape from near the periphery of the top wall portion. The peripheral wall is formed with a slit (42) through which a lead (62) is inserted by cutting the peripheral wall from the front end side. The lead (62) is configured to extend from the configuration area of ​​the electronic component in the top wall and pass through the back side of the top wall.

2. The steering device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, Assume a structure with a folded airbag (16), The cover (30) is designed to cover the folded airbag, and multiple doors (35, 36) are arranged in the area of ​​the top wall (31) that can be opened when the airbag is deployed and inflated. The slit (42) is disposed in the peripheral wall portion (40) at a position near the base side when the door portion (35) on which the electronic component (50) is disposed is opened.

3. The steering device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The slit (42) has a detachment prevention part (42a) that prevents the lead wire (62) inserted inside from falling out.

4. The steering device (1) according to claim 3, wherein, The slit (42) has: a normal portion (43), which is obtained by cutting the peripheral wall portion into a groove; and a circular hole portion (44), which is formed to bulge out from the normal portion at the end side of the top wall portion (31) of the normal portion. The area around the circular hole in the normal portion constitutes the anti-detachment portion (42a).

5. The steering device (1) according to claim 4, wherein, The circular hole (44) is located near the top wall (31).

6. The steering device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic component (50) is a decorative element disposed on the top wall portion (31) and emits light at a predetermined time.

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