Vehicle steering handle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle steering handle that can be easily rotated even in a state where only a palm of the hand is pressed against the steering handle without being gripped firmly with fingers, and that can reduce burden on a driver even in a long time driving, also with a grip, which the driver can hold and put his or her weight onto, being securely arranged in front of a driver seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle steering handle comprises: a steering wheel 1 which is a substantially trapezoidal annular body constituted of an upper base part 11, a lower base part 12 longer than the upper base part 11, a right leg part 13, and a left leg part 14; and a pad 2 arranged between the upper base part 11 and the lower base part 12 and between the right leg part 13 and the left leg part 14. In the lower base part 12, a central part 12c is curved protruding rearward from a right side end part 12a and a left side end part 12b, and the central part 12c protrudes rearward from a rear face 21 of the pad 2. A lower end of the right leg part 13 is provided with a right side protruding part 13a protruding rightward. A lower end of the left leg part 14 is provided with a left side protruding part 14a protruding leftward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle steering handle equipped with a steering wheel having a generally trapezoidal ring shape composed of an upper base, a lower base that is longer than the upper base, a right leg, and a left leg. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-196098 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a wheelchair user gets into the driver's seat of a vehicle from a wheelchair, if there is a grip in front of the driver's seat that the wheelchair user can grasp with the hands and rest their weight on, the wheelchair user can grab the grip with the hands and pull the arms to move the body onto the seat cushion of the driver's seat, making it easier for the wheelchair user to get in. However, when the steering wheel is annular, the spokes are often arranged in the center of the vehicle width direction below the annular shape, making it difficult to grasp, making it difficult for the wheelchair user to grasp the steering wheel with the hands and get into the driver's seat. Even if the steering wheel has a shape of a substantially trapezoidal ring as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult for the wheelchair user to grasp the steering wheel with the hands and rest their weight on it depending on factors such as the shape of the lower base and the arrangement of the spokes.

[0005] In addition, in the case of a ring-shaped steering wheel or a steering wheel having a shape of a substantially trapezoidal ring as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the surface of the steering wheel is not uneven, so that when the driver presses the palm of the hand against the surface of the steering wheel without gripping it firmly with the fingers, the hand does not catch on the steering wheel and it is difficult to turn the steering wheel. Furthermore, in these steering wheels, the surface of the steering wheel is not uneven, so the hand gripping the steering wheel is easy to slip, so when driving for a long time, the driver needs to keep the hand at a certain height or higher by the strength of his / her arm, which puts a strain on the arm. Furthermore, in the case of a ring-shaped steering wheel, the gap between the thighs of the driver sitting in the driver's seat and the lower end of the steering wheel is small, so that it may be difficult for the driver to lift the hips off the seat cushion. In this way, when the driver cannot lift the hips off the seat cushion, it is difficult for the driver to change the posture of the body, so the driver is burdened when driving for a long time.

[0006] To provide a steering handle for a vehicle that can reduce the burden on the driver even during long driving periods by providing a grip in front of the driver's seat that the driver can grasp with the hands and place his / her weight on, while being easy to turn even when the driver does not grip the handle tightly with the fingers and presses the palm against the grip. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle steering handle of the present invention comprises a steering wheel which is an approximately trapezoidal ring-shaped body consisting of an upper base, a lower base which is longer than the upper base, a right leg, and a left leg, and a pad which is arranged between the upper base and the lower base and between the right leg and the left leg, and which is connected to the right side end and the left side end of the lower base, wherein the lower base is curved so that its central portion protrudes rearward from the right side end and the left side end, and the central portion protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the pad, and the lower end of the right leg is provided with a right side protrusion protruding toward the right side, and the lower end of the left leg is provided with a left side protrusion protruding toward the left side. Effect of the Invention

[0008] To provide a steering handle for a vehicle that can reduce the burden on a driver even during long driving periods by securing a grip in front of a driver's seat that the driver can grasp with the hands and place his / her weight on, and can be easily rotated even when the driver does not grasp the handle firmly with the fingers but presses the palm against the grip. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a steering wheel for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the vehicle steering wheel 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in the following drawings indicate the forward direction (traveling direction), upward direction, and rightward direction of the vehicle when the vehicle steering wheel 10 is attached to the vehicle. When the vehicle steering wheel 10 is attached to the vehicle, the rear direction of the vehicle steering wheel 10 is the driver's side. Hereinafter, when the directions of front / rear, left / right, and up / down are used in the description, they refer to front / rear in the front / rear direction of the vehicle, left / right in the left / right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and up / down in the up / down direction of the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle steering wheel 10. The vehicle steering wheel 10 is a device that is connected to a steering column of a vehicle and is turned by a driver to steer the vehicle. When the vehicle steering wheel 10 is in a neutral position as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle can continue to travel straight ahead. The vehicle steering wheel 10 includes a steering wheel 1, a pad 2, an accelerator lever 3, and brake levers 4R and 4L. The steering wheel 1 has a substantially isosceles trapezoidal ring shape that is composed of an upper base 11, a lower base 12 that is longer than the upper base 11, a right leg 13, and a left leg 14.

[0012] The pad 2 is disposed in the center of the steering wheel 1, which has a substantially isosceles trapezoidal ring shape. That is, the pad 2 is disposed between the upper base 11 and the lower base 12 and between the right leg 13 and the left leg 14. An airbag is housed inside the pad 2.

[0013] The upper bottom portion 11 of the steering wheel 1 is a longitudinal member that extends in the vehicle width direction above the pad 2 when the vehicle steering wheel 10 is in the neutral position. With the upper bottom portion 11 having such a shape, the vehicle steering wheel 10 can improve the visibility of the meter compared to a ring-shaped steering wheel. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper bottom portion 11 of the steering wheel 1 is connected to the pad 2 at the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The lower bottom 12 of the steering wheel 1 is a longitudinal member extending in the vehicle width direction below the pad 2 when the vehicle steering handle 10 is in the neutral position. The right end 12a of the lower bottom 12 is connected to the right lower part of the pad 2 via the right spoke 5R. The left end 12b of the lower bottom 12 is connected to the left lower part of the pad 2 via the left spoke 5L. The lower bottom 12 is curved so that the center part 12c protrudes rearward from the right end 12a and the left end 12b. As shown in FIG. 2, the center part 12c of the lower bottom 12 protrudes rearward from the rear surface 21 of the pad 2 by a width D1. The width D1 is, for example, 10 mm or more. A gap of width D2 is secured between the lower bottom 12 and the pad 2. The width D2 is, for example, 20 mm or more. Because widths D1 and D2 are secured in this manner, lower bottom portion 12 can be used as a grip that a wheelchair user can grasp with their hands and rest their weight on when getting from their wheelchair to the driver's seat of a vehicle.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the right leg 13 of the steering wheel 1 is a member that connects the right end 11a of the upper base 11 and the right end 12a of the lower base 12. When the vehicle steering wheel 10 is in the neutral position, the right leg 13 extends diagonally downward to the right from the right end 11a of the upper base 11 and connects to the right end 12a of the lower base 12. The left leg 14 of the steering wheel 1 is a member that connects the left end 11b of the upper base 11 and the left end 12b of the lower base 12. When the vehicle steering wheel 10 is in the neutral position, the left leg 14 extends diagonally downward to the left from the left end 11b of the upper base 11 and connects to the left end 12b of the lower base 12. The length of the lower bottom 12 in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the upper bottom 11 in the vehicle width direction, and the lengths of the right leg 13 and the left leg 14 are the same, so that the upper bottom 11, the lower bottom 12, the right leg 13 and the left leg 14 form an approximately isosceles trapezoidal ring-shaped body.

[0016] A brake lever 4R is disposed in front of the right leg 13 of the steering wheel 1. The brake lever 4R is attached to the base 6R so as to be rotatable relative to the base 6R. The base 6R is fixed to a right end 11a of the upper base 11 of the steering wheel 1. A driver who holds the right leg 13 with his / her right hand can apply the brakes of the vehicle by pulling the brake lever 4R backward with the index finger and middle finger of his / her right hand.

[0017] A brake lever 4L is disposed in front of the left leg 14 of the steering wheel 1. The brake lever 4L is attached to the base 6L so as to be rotatable relative to the base 6L. The base 6L is fixed to the left end 11b of the upper base 11 of the steering wheel 1. The vertical length of the brake lever 4L is greater than the vertical length of the brake lever 4R. A driver who holds the left leg 14 with his / her left hand can apply the brakes of the vehicle by pulling the brake lever 4L backward with the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger of his / her left hand.

[0018] An accelerator lever 3 is attached to the right leg 13 of the steering wheel 1. The accelerator lever 3 includes a circular ring portion 31 rotatably attached to the right leg portion 13, and an operating end 32 protruding from the circular ring portion 31 toward the inside of the steering wheel 1. A driver who holds the right leg portion 13 with his / her right hand can operate the accelerator lever 3 with the thumb of his / her right hand. When the driver pushes the operating end 32 forward with the thumb of his / her right hand, the circular ring portion 31 rotates clockwise as viewed from above when the vehicle steering wheel 10 is in the neutral position, and the accelerator opening of the vehicle increases. Conversely, when the driver reduces the force with which the driver pushes the operating end 32 forward with the thumb of his / her right hand, the circular ring portion 31 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above due to the force of the spring, and the accelerator opening of the vehicle decreases.

[0019] When the vehicle steering handle 10 is in the neutral position, the lower end of the right leg 13 of the steering wheel 1 is provided with a right protruding portion 13a that protrudes to the right and toward the rear. A right recess 13b that is recessed to the left and toward the front is formed above the right protruding portion 13a of the right leg 13. When the vehicle steering handle 10 is in the neutral position, the lower end of the left leg 14 of the steering wheel 1 is provided with a left protruding portion 14a that protrudes to the left and toward the rear. A left recess 14b that is recessed to the right and toward the front is formed above the left protruding portion 14a of the left leg 14.

[0020] When the vehicle steering handle 10 is in the neutral position, when the driver of the vehicle grips the right leg 13 of the steering wheel 1 with his / her right hand, the rounded part of the lower part of the palm fits into the right recess 13b. Similarly, when the driver grips the left leg 14 of the steering wheel 1 with his / her left hand, the rounded part of the lower part of the palm fits into the left recess 14b. The normal vector of the plane constituting the right recess 13b and the normal vector of the plane constituting the left recess 14b are both directed downward from the axial vector of the rotation shaft of the vehicle steering handle 10 (positive from the front to the rear). Therefore, when the driver presses his / her right hand against the right recess 13b or the left hand against the left recess 14b, a component force is generated in the rotation direction of the rotation shaft of the vehicle steering handle 10, enabling smooth steering during small steering angle steering. Therefore, when the rounded part of the lower part of the palm is in the right recess 13b and the left recess 14b, for example, when the index finger and middle finger are used to operate the brake lever 4R, 4L, or the right thumb is used to operate the accelerator lever 3, the palm is caught by the right protruding part 13a and the left protruding part 14a even when the palm is pressed against the right leg 13 and the left leg 14 without being firmly gripped by the fingers, so that the vehicle steering wheel 10 can be easily rotated. Also, when the rounded part of the lower part of the palm is in the right recess 13b and the left recess 14b in this way, the hand can be supported by the right protruding part 13a and the left protruding part 14a, so the driver does not need to keep the hand at a high level by the strength of his or her arm. Therefore, the vehicle steering wheel 10 can reduce the burden on the driver's arms even during long driving hours.

[0021] As already mentioned, the vehicle steering handle 10 has the lower bottom 12 secured in front of the driver's seat as a grip that can be grasped with the hands and placed on the driver's seat. Therefore, when a wheelchair user gets into the driver's seat of the vehicle, the wheelchair user can move the body onto the seat cushion of the driver's seat by grasping the lower bottom 12 with the hands and pulling the arms, making it easier for the wheelchair user to get in compared to when there is no grip in front of the driver's seat. Note that when the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the vehicle steering handle 10 is locked so that it does not rotate. Therefore, by getting in the vehicle with the engine stopped, the vehicle steering handle 10 will not rotate even if the wheelchair user grasps the lower bottom 12 with the hands and places his / her weight on it.

[0022] Furthermore, in the vehicle steering handle 10, the lower bottom 12 extends in the vehicle width direction when the vehicle steering handle 10 is in the neutral position, so the driver sitting in the driver's seat can lift his hips slightly off the seat cushion, and compared to a ring-shaped steering wheel, he can move his body posture while gripping the steering wheel 1. Therefore, the vehicle steering handle 10 can reduce the burden on the driver when driving for long periods of time.

[0023] <Supplementary explanation of the embodiment> The vehicle steering handle of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned form, and can be embodied in various forms within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the accelerator lever may be disposed on the left leg, or on both the right leg and the left leg. Also, an embodiment in which a brake lever is disposed in front of only one of the right leg and the left leg may be used. Also, the length of the brake lever disposed in front of the right leg and the length of the brake lever disposed in front of the left leg may be the same. Also, the steering wheel may be in the shape of a substantially trapezoidal ring with the right leg and the left leg having different lengths. Also, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle steering handle that does not have a brake lever and an accelerator lever. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1 steering wheel, 2 pad, 3 accelerator lever, 4L, 4R brake lever, 5L left spoke, 5R right spoke, 6L, 6R base portion, 10 vehicle steering handle, 11 upper bottom portion, 11a right end portion, 11b left end portion, 12 lower bottom portion, 12a right end portion, 12b left end portion, 12c central portion, 13 right leg portion, 13a right protruding portion, 13b right recessed portion, 14 left leg portion, 14a left protruding portion, 14b left recessed portion, 21 rear surface, 31 ring portion, 32 operating end.

Claims

[Claim 1] A steering wheel for a vehicle, A steering wheel that is a substantially trapezoidal ring-shaped body that is configured with an upper base, a lower base that is longer than the upper base, a right leg, and a left leg; a pad disposed between the upper base and the lower base and between the right leg and the left leg, the pad being connected to a right end and a left end of the lower base; the lower bottom portion is curved such that a central portion protrudes rearward from the right end portion and the left end portion, and the central portion protrudes rearward from a rear surface of the pad, A right protrusion protruding toward the right side is provided at the lower end of the right leg, A steering handle for a vehicle, wherein a left protrusion protruding toward the left side is provided at a lower end of the left leg.

Images