Steering wheel for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A steering wheel (10) for a motor vehicle has a steering wheel rim (12), which is connected via at least one steering wheel spoke (14, 16) to a steering wheel hub (18) and has, in a plane spanned by the steering wheel rim (12) in relation to a straight-ahead position of the steering wheel (10), on the left-hand side and on the right-hand side one first portion (20) each that projects inwards to the steering wheel hub (18) and a recess (22) that is contiguous thereto directly above, which together form a respective gripping region (24) with a thumb rest (26) for a driver of the motor vehicle, and a lighting device (34), which comprises at least two first and two second lighting elements (36, 38) and by means of which information can be output to the driver, said information characterizing a driving state of an automatically operable motor vehicle, wherein: the projecting first portions (20) each have a free end region (28) pointing inwards on which a respective first lighting element (36) of the lighting device (34) is arranged, and wherein a second lighting element (38) of the lighting device (34) is provided directly above each recess (22) in an inner edge region (40) of the steering wheel rim (12); and a further lighting element is arranged on the steering wheel hub (18) to indicate a further driving state of an automatically operable motor vehicle.

Description

[0001] steering wheel for a motor vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a steering wheel for a motor vehicle. Regarding the prior art, reference is made in particular to the as yet unpublished German application with the official file number 10 2022 118 474.9.

[0003] Automated driving systems are increasingly being used in modern vehicles, with various levels of automation possible. The model developed by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), for example, distinguishes between assisted, automated, and autonomous modes.

[0004] In addition, a classification into degrees or levels of automation is also common. The applicable standard here is SAE J3016 from SAE International, which divides driving functions into levels 0 to 5. Up to and including level 2, the functions assist the driver. This includes functions such as automatic parking, lane keeping, general longitudinal guidance, acceleration and braking, which are carried out by assistance systems. In level 3, which corresponds to automated mode, the vehicle can drive independently for a time and can therefore also independently perform functions such as activating the turn signal, changing lanes and keeping in lane. The driver does not have to constantly monitor the system and can temporarily attend to other things, but will be prompted by the system to take over driving if necessary. In Germany, the law on automated driving has permitted the use of this technical option since 2017.From level 4 onwards, vehicles can drive independently without the driver having to take over, i.e. the driving functions are autonomous when carrying out the driving task.

[0005] Automated driving is usually not possible under all road and environmental conditions. For example, a driving system for automated driving on the highway may be designed so that the vehicle can only drive automatically on certain approved sections of the highway. Before the end of a currently traveled section of road approved for automated driving is reached, the driver must fully or partially take over control of the vehicle. The end of the automated route can also be caused by current events such as an accident, a traffic jam, or a person on the highway. In addition, with driving systems for automated driving, the driver must usually take over control of the vehicle before exiting the highway onto another type of road.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary for the driver to take over control of the vehicle from the driving system in good time before the end of automated driving. There are various ways to prompt the driver to take over control, such as visual warnings on a display, such as a screen, or acoustic or haptic warnings.

[0007] From WO 2019 / 137699 A1, for example, a steering wheel for a motor vehicle is known in which a lighting device in the form of a closed ring is inserted into the steering wheel rim on a front side facing the driver of the motor vehicle, which lighting device informs the driver that the motor vehicle is in automated driving mode or in non-automated driving mode and / or that a change of driving mode is imminent.

[0008] Such a light display integrated directly into the steering wheel rim is clearly visible and has a strong cueing effect on the driver, as it can directly illuminate the areas of the steering wheel that the driver is expected to grasp to take control of the vehicle. A disadvantage of the described design, however, is that embedding a light device in the front of the steering wheel rim makes it difficult to accommodate a steering wheel heater or sensors for hands-on / off detection in the steering wheel rim. In terms of haptics, such a light device, which is fully integrated into the front (and thus also the grip area) of the steering wheel rim, is also not ideal, as this typically has a hard plastic cover.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a steering wheel for a motor vehicle with a lighting device, which is characterized by improved ergonomics and yet intuitively conveys to the driver the correct action to take over the driving task.

[0010] According to the invention, a steering wheel for a motor vehicle is provided, comprising a steering wheel rim which is connected to a steering wheel hub via at least one steering wheel spoke and, in a plane spanned by the steering wheel rim, has, with respect to a straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel, on the left and right sides, a first section projecting inwards towards the steering wheel hub and an indentation immediately above it, which together form a gripping area with a thumb rest for a driver of the motor vehicle, and a lighting device which comprises at least two first and two second lighting elements and with which information can be output to the driver which characterizes a driving state of an automatically operated motor vehicle, wherein the projecting first sections each have an inwardly facing free end region, on each of which a first lighting element of the lighting device is arranged,and wherein a second lighting element of the lighting device is provided directly above the indentation in an inner edge region of the steering wheel rim.

[0011] Thus, in the steering wheel according to the invention, the lighting device is arranged in or near the lateral grip areas, which provides a strong prompting character when the automated driving system requests the driver to take over control of the vehicle.

[0012] Since there are two lighting elements per side in the inner edge area of ​​the steering wheel rim and the recesses partially gripped by the driver are left out, the lighting elements are not touched by the driver when gripping the steering wheel and are therefore not perceived as unpleasant to the touch.

[0013] In addition, the arrangement of the lighting elements in the inner edge area of ​​the steering wheel rim makes it easier to accommodate a heating mat for a steering wheel heater or a sensor mat for a hands-on / off detection device compared to known solutions from the prior art, since these mats are primarily arranged in the outer edge area as well as on the front and back of the steering wheel rim.

[0014] The steering wheel rim does not have to be circular; it should preferably have a rounded hexagonal or square shape.

[0015] In particular, the inwardly projecting first sections are widened in relation to the basic cross-sectional thickness of the steering wheel rim outside the grip area, and the projecting first section forms, with the indentation on each side of the steering wheel rim, a type of "pistol grip" which is characterized by particularly advantageous ergonomics.

[0016] The steering wheel according to the invention has at least one steering wheel spoke, which preferably connects the lower center region of the steering wheel rim (colloquially referred to as the 6 o'clock position) in the straight-ahead driving position with the steering wheel hub. Additionally, a further steering wheel spoke can be provided, which is then preferably arranged opposite (12 o'clock position), thus connecting the upper center region of the steering wheel rim with the steering wheel hub. According to the preferred embodiment, no steering wheel spokes are present in the region of the projecting first sections (i.e., approximately at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions), but it is conceivable in principle, for example, in the form of spokes offset to the rear.

[0017] At this point, it should be noted that, for the purposes of the application, automated driving preferably takes place over a longer period of time, e.g., on the highway. Furthermore, this generally refers to automated driving with any degree of automation, in which the driver must be able to fully or at least partially assume the driving task before the end of automated driving. In particular, the steering wheel according to the invention is intended for vehicles with Level 3 and / or Level 2 automation.

[0018] Preferably, the steering wheel rim has, with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel, on the left and on the right side above the indentations, a further second section projecting inwards towards the steering wheel hub, in the end region of which the second lighting element is arranged.

[0019] The first and second projecting sections on each side form a widening of the steering wheel rim, which is interrupted by the indentation between them. In particular, when the upper center of the steering wheel rim is designated 0°, these widenings lie in the range of approximately 40° to 120° (right) and 240° to 320° (left) in the straight-ahead driving position. Advantageously, the first and second lighting elements, which are arranged on the same side with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel, each lie on an imaginary line that is interrupted by the indentation, or on two imaginary parallel lines. Such an arrangement is visually based on the appearance of a road marking, whereby the driver is intuitively informed of the correct action to take when taking over the driving task. The line can be either straight or curved.Such a parallel arrangement makes it clear to a driver that the first and second lighting elements on one side belong together and form a unit and are only interrupted by the indentation.

[0020] It is further preferably provided that each first lighting element is arranged at least predominantly in a lower half of the steering wheel rim, and each second lighting element is arranged at least predominantly in an upper half of the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel rim is visually divided by the indentation into an upper and a lower half. The upper half is the area of ​​the steering wheel rim located above the indentation, and the lower half is the area located below the indentation.

[0021] Particularly preferably, each first lighting element is located at least predominantly in a lower quarter of the steering wheel rim, and each second lighting element is located at least predominantly in an upper quarter of the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel rim is visually symmetrical about a vertical center line. The upper and lower halves of the rim then visually create two upper quarters and two lower quarters of the steering wheel rim.

[0022] For the purposes of this invention, at least predominantly means a surface coverage of the luminous element in a quarter or in a half of the steering wheel rim of at least 60%.

[0023] By predominantly arranging a lighting element in a quarter or half of the steering wheel rim, it is ensured that at least one of the lighting elements is visible to a driver at all times and is not covered by one of their hands when operating the steering wheel. Furthermore, at least one further lighting element is provided, which, however, unlike the first and second lighting elements, is arranged on the steering wheel hub. Preferably, one further lighting element is provided on each right and left side of the steering wheel hub. This further lighting element also serves to indicate a driving state of an automated motor vehicle. However, this further lighting element serves to indicate a different driving state than the first and second lighting elements.It preferably serves the driving state of the vehicle when it is operated with a different, particularly lower, level of automation, such as Level 2 automation. This is particularly useful if the vehicle can be operated with both Level 2 and Level 3 automation.

[0024] If the additional light element is located on the steering wheel hub, the prompting effect is less pronounced than in the grip area when the automated driving system prompts the driver to take control of the vehicle. Therefore, the placement of the additional light element on the steering wheel hub already indicates a low level of automation.

[0025] Particularly preferably, the additional lighting element is arranged at least approximately parallel to a first or a second lighting element on one side of the rim. This parallel offset of the additional lighting element to the first or second lighting element optically links the function of all three lighting elements with one another, so that the driver can also directly assign the function of the additional lighting element. In order to increase visibility and achieve a particularly strong signaling effect, the lighting elements are preferably designed such that light is emitted on a front side of the steering wheel rim facing the driver, in particular wherein the lighting elements have a mask on a rear side facing away from the driver and / or on an inner circumference of the steering wheel rim.

[0026] In a further development, an operating area is provided on each of the left and right sides, with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel, each of which has at least one operating element. The operating areas extend from a steering wheel center in the plane spanned by the steering wheel rim outward toward the steering wheel rim, but are not connected to it and are spaced laterally from it. This creates a "free-floating" operating area on the left and right, which the driver can easily reach without removing their hand from the steering wheel rim.

[0027] Preferably, the control areas have free ends pointing outward toward the steering wheel rim, and the free end regions of the first sections projecting inward from the steering wheel rim, on which the first lighting elements are arranged, are located at least partially opposite the free ends of the control areas and, in particular, are spaced apart from them. The control areas and the inwardly projecting first sections form quasi-interrupted "spokes" without a supporting function laterally at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions.

[0028] The steering wheel rim preferably has a support structure surrounded by a foam coating, as well as a covering. The covering is preferably leather, and the support structure is, for example, a magnesium skeleton.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each lighting element comprises a first assembly embedded in the foam covering of the steering wheel rim and a second assembly that is inserted into the first assembly and connected to it, in particular clipped to it. This results in simple assembly and an advantageous appearance, with the second assembly preferably being mounted only after the coating has been applied.

[0030] A visually and tactilely appealing design is achieved by setting the lighting elements back from the cover. This way, the relatively hard plastic of the lighting elements is not noticeable to the driver, and the lighting elements are discreetly integrated into the steering wheel.

[0031] In a further development of the invention, a mat-shaped heating element and / or sensor element is provided, which is arranged at least partially under the cover in the area of ​​an outer circumference and / or a front side of the steering wheel rim facing the driver, and is recessed at least in the areas of the lighting elements. The sensor element is preferably a capacitive sensor mat of a hands-on / off detection device. In this case, the design according to the invention not only reliably communicates the correct action to the driver to assume the driving task, but also detects his or her assumption of control.

[0032] Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show:

[0033] - Figure 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel according to the invention;

[0034] - Figure 2 is a plan view of a steering wheel rim of the steering wheel of Figure 1;

[0035] - Figure 3 is a sectional view of the steering wheel rim along the line AA in Figure 2;

[0036] - Figure 4 is a sectional view of the steering wheel rim along the line BB in Figure 2;

[0037] - Figure 5 is a perspective view of the steering wheel rim of Figure 2; and

[0038] - Figure 6 is a plan view of the steering wheel rim from Figure 2, illustrating the assembly of several lighting elements of a lighting device.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a steering wheel 10 according to the invention for a motor vehicle, which is used in particular in an automated vehicle.

[0040] The steering wheel 10 has a steering wheel rim 12, which is shown separately again in Figures 2 to 5 and is connected to a steering wheel hub 18 via at least one, here two steering wheel spokes 14, 16. In the straight-ahead position of the steering wheel 10 shown, the steering wheel spoke 14 extends between the area in the lower center of the steering wheel rim 12 (colloquially referred to as the 6 o'clock position) and the steering wheel hub 18, while the steering wheel spoke 16 is arranged opposite, thus connecting the area of ​​the steering wheel rim 12 in the upper center, also referred to as the 12 o'clock position, with the steering wheel hub 18.

[0041] In the plane spanned by the steering wheel rim 12, which corresponds to the drawing plane in Figure 1, the steering wheel rim 12 has, with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel 10 shown here, a first section 20 on each of the left and right sides projecting inwards towards the steering wheel hub 18, to which an indentation 22 adjoins immediately above. The projecting first section 20 and the adjoining indentation 22 together each form a grip area 24 with a thumb rest 26 for a driver of the motor vehicle, the grip area 24 having approximately the shape of a pistol grip.

[0042] The two inwardly projecting first sections 20 each have an inwardly pointing free end region 28.

[0043] Above the indentations 22, the steering wheel rim 12 also has a further second section 30 projecting inwards towards the steering wheel hub 18, the end region 32 of which also points towards the steering wheel hub 18 or the opposite side of the steering wheel 10.

[0044] The two projecting sections 20, 30 form a widening of the steering wheel rim 12 on each side of the steering wheel 10, which is interrupted by the indentation 22 therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, these widenings in the straight-ahead driving position are in the range of approximately 40° to 120° (right) and 240° to 320° (left), when the upper center of the steering wheel rim 12 is designated as 0°.

[0045] Furthermore, the steering wheel 10 comprises a lighting device 34, which can be used to provide the driver with information characterizing a driving state of the automated motor vehicle. The lighting device 34 comprises two first lighting elements 36 and two second lighting elements 38, with the two first lighting elements 36 being arranged at the free end regions 28 of the inwardly projecting first sections 20.

[0046] The two second lighting elements 38 are each provided directly above the indentation 22 in an inner edge region 40 of the steering wheel rim 12, here arranged in the end region 32 of the respective projecting second section 30.

[0047] As can be seen from the figures, the steering wheel rim 12 is not circular, but essentially has a rounded hexagonal shape. The first luminous element 36 and the second luminous element 38, located on the same side of the steering wheel 10, each lie on two imaginary parallel lines interrupted by the indentation 22. This arrangement is reminiscent of the appearance of a road marking, resulting in a particularly appealing character for the driver.

[0048] The lighting elements 36, 38 are designed such that light is emitted at least primarily on a front side of the steering wheel rim 12 facing the driver. This is achieved by the lighting elements 36, 38 having a masking 42 on their rear side facing away from the driver and on the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim 12 (see also Figure 5).

[0049] As an alternative to the design shown here, the lighting elements 36, 38 may also have a different shape or may not be masked in the surface in a line form, but for example in a series of dots or the like.

[0050] Furthermore, the steering wheel 10 is provided with an operating area 44 on each of the left and right sides (relative to the straight-ahead driving position), each having a plurality of operating elements 46. The two operating areas 44 extend from a steering wheel center 45 in the plane spanned by the steering wheel rim 12 outward toward the steering wheel rim 12, but are not connected to it and are spaced laterally from it. This results in quasi-"free-floating" operating areas 44 on both sides. These can be easily reached by the driver without removing their hand from the steering wheel rim 12.

[0051] The two operating areas 44 have free ends 48 pointing outwards towards the steering wheel rim 12, wherein the free end areas 28 of the first sections 20 projecting inwards from the steering wheel rim 12, on which the first lighting elements 36 are arranged, are partially opposite these free ends 48 of the operating areas 44, but are spaced apart from them (see Figure 1).

[0052] As can be seen in the sectional views of Figures 3 and 4, the steering wheel rim 12 of the steering wheel 10 has a support structure 50 in the form of a magnesium skeleton, which is surrounded by a foam 52. The foam 52 is in turn covered on the outer side of the steering wheel rim 12 by a covering 54, in particular a leather covering.

[0053] Both the first lighting elements 36 and the second lighting elements 38 have a first assembly 56 or 58 embedded in the foam encapsulation 52 of the steering wheel rim 12, each of which comprises at least one lower shell 60 or 62, which (optionally together with other components of the first assembly 56 or 58, such as a carrier board, wiring, etc.) is foamed in when the carrier structure 50 is foamed in. The projecting first and second sections 20 and 30, respectively, provide sufficient installation space for this.

[0054] Furthermore, each of the lighting elements 36, 38 has a second assembly 64 or 66, respectively, which comprises a plastic insert element 68 or 70 and a light guide 72 or 74 inserted therein. After the coating 54 has been applied, the second assembly 64 or 66 is inserted into the first assembly 56 or 58 and connected thereto, in particular clipped thereto, as illustrated in Figure 6.

[0055] The lighting elements 36, 38 are preferably slightly recessed relative to the cover 54 in the direction of the support structure 50, so that the relatively hard plastic of the lighting elements 36, 38 (or the insert elements 68 or 70) is not or less noticeable by the driver when gripping the steering wheel 10.

[0056] Furthermore, a mat-shaped heating element and / or sensor element for hands-on / off detection can be provided, which is indicated in Figure 3 by the reference numeral 76. This is arranged in sections or along the entire steering wheel rim 12 in the region of an outer circumference and / or the front side facing the driver and / or the rear side of the steering wheel rim 12 under the cover 54 and is recessed at least in the areas of the lighting elements 36, 38.

[0057] Furthermore, two further lighting elements (37) are provided which, however, in contrast to the first and second lighting elements (36, 38), are arranged on the steering wheel hub (12). One is arranged on the right and one on the left side of the steering wheel hub (12). This further lighting element (37) also serves to indicate a driving state of an automated motor vehicle. However, this further lighting element (37) serves to indicate a different driving state than the first and second lighting elements (36, 38). In this case, these further lighting elements (37) are used to indicate a lower level of automation, for example level 2 automation. The first and second lighting elements (36, 38) then serve as an indicator when driving on level 3 automation.

[0058] If the additional light element is arranged on the steering wheel hub, the prompting effect is less pronounced than in the grip area when the automated driving system prompts the driver to take control of the vehicle. Therefore, the arrangement of the additional light element (37) on the steering wheel hub (12) already indicates a low degree of automation.

[0059] The left, additional lighting element (37) is arranged parallel to the first and second lighting elements (36, 38) on the left side, and the right, additional lighting element (37) is arranged parallel to the right, first and second lighting elements (36, 38). This parallel offset of the additional lighting elements to the first and second lighting elements optically links the function of all three lighting elements, allowing the driver to directly identify the function of the additional lighting element as well.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A steering wheel for a motor vehicle, comprising a steering wheel rim (12) connected to a steering wheel hub (18) via at least one steering wheel spoke (14, 16) and, in a plane spanned by the steering wheel rim (12), with respect to a straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel (10), having on the left and right sides a first section (20) projecting inward toward the steering wheel hub (18) and a recess (22) immediately above said first section, which together form a gripping area (24) with a thumb rest (26) for a driver of the motor vehicle, and a lighting device (34) comprising at least two first and two second lighting elements (36, 38) and with which information characterizing a driving state of an automated motor vehicle can be output to the driver, wherein the projecting first sections (20) each have an inwardly facing free end region (28),on each of which a first lighting element (36) of the lighting device (34) is arranged, and wherein a second lighting element (38) of the lighting device (34) is provided directly above the indentation (22) in an inner edge region (40) of the steering wheel rim (12), characterized in that at least one further lighting element (37) for indicating a further driving state of an automatically operable motor vehicle is arranged on the steering wheel hub (18).

2. Steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that the steering wheel rim (12) has, with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel (10), on the left and on the right side above the indentations (22), a second section (30) projecting inwards towards the steering wheel hub (18), in the end region (32) of which the second lighting element (38) is arranged.

3. Steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the steering wheel (10) is on the same side as the straight-ahead driving position arranged first and second lighting elements (36, 38) each lie on an imaginary straight line or curved line which is interrupted by the indentation (22), or on two imaginary straight or curved lines parallel to one another.

4. Steering wheel according to claim 3, wherein the at least one further lighting element (37) is arranged at least approximately parallel to the first and second lighting elements (36, 38) of one side.

5. Steering wheel according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lighting elements (36, 38) are designed such that light is emitted on a front side of the steering wheel rim (12) facing the driver, in particular wherein the first and second lighting elements (36, 38) have a masking (42) on a rear side facing away from the driver and / or on an inner circumference of the steering wheel rim (12).

6. Steering wheel according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, with respect to the straight-ahead driving position of the steering wheel (10), an operating area (44) is provided on the left and on the right side, each having at least one operating element (46), wherein the operating areas (44) extend from a steering wheel center (45) in the plane spanned by the steering wheel rim (12) outwards towards the steering wheel rim (12), but are not connected to it and are laterally spaced from it.

7. Steering wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that the operating areas (44) have free ends (48) pointing outwards towards the steering wheel rim (12) and in that the free end areas (28) of the first sections (20) projecting inwards from the steering wheel rim (12) and on which the first lighting elements (36) are arranged, are at least partially opposite the free ends (48) of the operating areas (44) and in particular are spaced apart from them.

8. Steering wheel according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the steering wheel rim (12) has a support structure (50) which is surrounded by a foam (52) and a cover (54).

9. Steering wheel according to claim 8, characterized in that each first and second lighting element (36, 38) has a first assembly (56, 58) embedded in the foam (52) of the steering wheel rim (12) and a second assembly (64, 66) which is inserted into the first assembly (56, 58) and connected to it, in particular clipped to it.

10. Steering wheel according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each first lighting element (36) is arranged at least predominantly in a lower half of the steering wheel rim (12) and wherein each second lighting element (38) is arranged at least predominantly in an upper half of the steering wheel rim (12).

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