Leather-wrapped handle

Abstract

To provide a leather-wrapped handle that offers good workability for attaching the leather and also has a good appearance near the end of the leather-wrapped section. [Solution] A leather-wrapped handle 1 is constructed by covering the outer surface side of a gripping portion 25 with leather. The gripping portion comprises a leather-wrapped portion 26 which includes a core metal, a covering layer 9 arranged on the outer circumference of the core metal, and leather 32 covering the outer surface side of the covering layer. The leather-wrapped portion has a terminal portion 27 which is reduced in diameter. The leather has a general portion side portion 33 which covers the entire outer surface side of the general portion 28 of the leather-wrapped portion, and a terminal portion 34 which is arranged to be continuous with the general portion side portion and to cover the outer surface side of the terminal portion. The area of ​​the terminal portion when laid flat is set to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the terminal portion portion that constitutes the terminal portion in the covering layer, and the corresponding edges are sewn together so that the entire outer surface side of the terminal portion can be covered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a leather-wrapped handle having a gripping portion to be gripped during steering, and having leather coated on the outer surface side of the gripping portion.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a leather-wrapped handle, there is a configuration in which, at the gripping portion, the terminal of the leather disposed on the outer surface side of the leather-wrapped portion is fitted into an annular groove formed by partially recessing the covering layer constituting the gripping portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in a conventional leather-wrapped handle, a tying string is inserted through the edge of the terminal of the leather, and while reducing the diameter of the edge by tightening with this tying string, the terminal of the leather is fitted into the annular groove.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Recently, since various operation switches, heaters, etc. are mounted on the handle, when using a tying string as in a conventional leather-wrapped handle, the tying string may get entangled with the lead wires extending from switches, heaters, etc. during the leather-wrapping operation, resulting in poor attachment workability, and there has been room for improvement in this regard.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a leather-wrapped handle with good leather attachment workability and good appearance near the terminal of the leather-wrapped portion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The leather-wrapped steering wheel according to the present invention has a gripping portion for holding during steering, and the outer surface of the gripping portion is covered with leather, The gripping portion comprises a core metal, a covering layer positioned on the outer circumference of the core metal, and leather covering the outer surface of the covering layer, The leather-wrapped portion has a terminal portion that is reduced in diameter. The leather has a general-purpose side portion that covers the entire outer surface of the general portion of the leather-wrapped section, and a terminal side portion that is arranged to extend from the general-purpose side portion and cover the outer surface of the terminal portion, The terminal side portion is characterized in that, when laid flat, its area is set to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the terminal side portion that constitutes the terminal portion in the covering layer, and by sewing the corresponding edges together, it is possible to cover the entire outer surface side of the terminal portion.

[0007] In the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention, even if the leather-wrapped portion of the gripping part has a terminal portion that is reduced in diameter, the leather covering the outer surface of the covering layer has a terminal side portion positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion. When laid flat, the area of ​​this terminal side portion is set to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the terminal side portion of the covering layer, and the corresponding edges are sewn together. Therefore, when wrapping the leather, if the terminal side portion is partially stretched and the corresponding edges are sewn together, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the leather covering the area of ​​the terminal portion, even if the terminal portion is reduced in diameter. As a result, the outer surface from the general part to the terminal portion can be completely covered with leather that has had the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging suppressed in this way, resulting in a leather-wrapped portion with a good appearance. In other words, in the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention, even if the leather-wrapped portion has a terminal portion that is reduced in diameter, the area of ​​the terminal portion can be covered with leather simply by sewing the corresponding edges of the terminal side portions of the leather together, and there is no need to use a tie string as in conventional leather-wrapped handles, thus improving the ease of attaching the leather. Furthermore, in the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention, the terminal side portion of the leather is arranged to be continuous with the general part side portion which is located on the outer surface side of the general part of the leather-wrapped portion, so that the seams formed by sewing the leather together are not exposed near the boundary between the general part and the terminal portion of the leather-wrapped portion, and in this respect as well, the design of the leather-wrapped portion is well maintained.

[0008] Therefore, the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention offers good workability for attaching the leather, and also provides a good appearance near the end (end portion) of the leather-wrapped section.

[0009] Specifically, in the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention, the gripping portion is configured such that a decorative portion, which is formed by arranging a decorative element on the outer surface side, is adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion. It is preferable to configure the decorative element to cover the outer periphery of the terminal portion.

[0010] With this configuration for the leather-wrapped handle, the seams formed by sewing the edges of the end pieces together in the end portion area are hidden from view by the decorative body covering the outer surface of the decorative part adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion, thus improving the aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, as mentioned above, wrinkles and sagging in the end portion area can be suppressed, making it easy to attach decorative body even if the outer circumference of the end portion is also covered.

[0011] Furthermore, in the leather-wrapped handle with the above configuration, if the terminal side portion is formed by dividing it into multiple parts on the axis direction of the gripping portion, the terminal side portions can be connected by extending each terminal side portion and sewing the corresponding edges together. This makes the sewing work of the terminal side portions during the leather-wrapping process easier, which is preferable.

[0012] Furthermore, in the leather-wrapped handle with the above configuration, if the gripping portion is roughly rectangular and ring-shaped, even if the terminal portion that is reduced in diameter in the leather-wrapped portion is positioned near the corner portion where the curvature of the rectangular and ring-shaped gripping portion changes significantly, as described above, during the leather-wrapping process, the terminal side portion positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion is stretched to sew the corresponding edges together. This configuration suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the terminal portion area, resulting in a good aesthetic appearance, and is suitable for so-called irregularly shaped handles having a rectangular and ring-shaped gripping portion.

[0013] Furthermore, in the leather-wrapped handle of the present invention, the leather covering the outer peripheral surface of the covering layer may be provided as separate components: a general-purpose member positioned on the outer surface side of the general-purpose portion of the leather-wrapped handle, and a terminal-purpose member positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion. By sewing the corresponding edges of the general-purpose member and the terminal-purpose member together, the outer surface side of the leather-wrapped handle may be configured to cover the entire surface, including the terminal portion.

[0014] Even in a leather-wrapped handle of this configuration, the leather is separated into a general-purpose side member and a terminal-side member, and by sewing the corresponding edges of each to each other, it is arranged to cover the outer surface of the leather-wrapped section. This suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the terminal area, resulting in a leather-wrapped section with a good appearance. In other words, even in a leather-wrapped handle of the above configuration, even if the leather-wrapped section has a terminal section that reduces in diameter, the outer periphery of the leather-wrapped section can be covered simply by sewing the corresponding edges of the general-purpose side member and the terminal-side member to each other, eliminating the need to use ties like in conventional leather-wrapped handles, and thus simplifying the leather attachment process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of a leather-wrapped handle, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a partially enlarged section of the leather-wrapped handle. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of area III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of area IVI-IV. [Figure 5] This is a partially enlarged schematic plan view showing the leather-wrapped handle in Figure 1, with the coating layer arranged around the core metal. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view showing the gripping portion of the leather-wrapped handle, with the coating layer positioned around the core metal. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the leather used for the leather-wrapped handle. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view showing the gripping portion of the leather-wrapped handle after the leather wrapping has been applied (before the decorative elements are attached). [Figure 9] A partially enlarged schematic plan view of a leather-wrapped handle, which is another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of the leather used for the leather-wrapped handle. [Figure 11]Fig. 9 is a partial enlarged schematic perspective view showing a part of the gripping portion in a state after leather winding (before attaching the decorative body).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The leather-wrapped handle (hereinafter simply referred to as "handle") 1 of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, has a substantially square-ring-shaped gripping portion 25 to be gripped during rotational steering, a boss portion 20 disposed substantially at the center of the gripping portion 25, and spoke portions 21 connecting the gripping portion 25 and the boss portion 20. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the gripping portion 25 is configured to be divided in a region on the front central side covered by a pad 16 of an airbag device 15 disposed so as to cover the upper part of the boss portion 20, and has a leather-wrapping portion 26 and a decorative portion 40. The spoke portions 21 are disposed at a total of three locations so as to connect both ends on the front central side of the gripping portion 25 and the boss portion 20, and also to connect the boss portion 20 and the vicinity of the rear center of the gripping portion 25. In the handle 1, an airbag device 15 is disposed on the upper side of the boss portion 20, although detailed illustration is omitted. The airbag device 15 includes a pad 16, and the pad 16 is disposed so as to cover the upper surface from the boss portion 20 to the spoke portion 21 over the entire surface, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 1.

[0017] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are defined as follows: with respect to the straight-ahead steering state of the handle 1 mounted on a vehicle, the direction along the rotation center axis of the gripping portion 25 is the up-down direction, the direction substantially along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the gripping portion 25 is the front-rear direction, and the direction substantially along the left-right direction of the vehicle and orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the gripping portion 25 is the left-right direction.

[0018] In the handle 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, a core metal 3 is provided in each of the gripping portion 25, boss portion 20, and spoke portion 21 to connect them to each other. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the area around the gripping portion 25 of the core metal 3 is covered by a covering layer 9. In addition, although detailed illustration is omitted, the lower surface of the boss portion 20 of the core metal 3 is covered by a lower cover (not shown).

[0019] The core metal 3 is made of metal such as an aluminum alloy. The core metal 3 comprises a boss core metal 4 positioned at the boss portion 20, a spoke core metal 5 positioned at the spoke portion 21, and a gripping core metal 6 positioned at the gripping portion 25. The gripping core metal 6 comprises a leather-wrapped side portion 6a positioned in the leather-wrapped portion 26 area and a decorative side portion 6b positioned in the decorative portion 40 area. As shown in Figure 3, the leather-wrapped side portion 6a has a roughly inverted U-shape with a wide cross-section extending vertically. As shown in Figure 4, the decorative side portion 6b has a roughly rectangular cross-section extending vertically. The width dimensions of the leather-wrapped side portion 6a and the decorative side portion 6b are set to be approximately the same in the vertical direction.

[0020] The covering layer 9 is formed from a soft synthetic resin with cushioning properties, and in this embodiment, it is formed from a soft foam material such as foamed polyurethane. This covering layer 9 is arranged to cover the outer circumference of the gripping core metal 6 at the gripping portion 25. In this embodiment, the leather-wrapped portion 10 of the covering layer 9, which constitutes the inner circumference area of ​​the leather-wrapped portion 26 (covering the outer circumference of the leather-wrapped side portion 6a), has a cross-sectional shape that is approximately elliptical, with the vertical direction being wider, as shown in Figure 3. Also, the decorative side portion 11 of the covering layer 9, which constitutes the inner circumference area of ​​the decorative portion 40 (covering the outer circumference of the decorative side portion 6b), has a cross-sectional shape that is approximately elliptical, with a smaller diameter than the leather-wrapped portion 10 and the vertical direction being wider, as shown in Figure 4. Specifically, the decorative side portion 11 has a cross-sectional shape that is flattened front to back, and its vertical width is set to be smaller than the vertical width of the leather-wrapped portion 10, making it smaller in diameter than the leather-wrapped portion 10. Furthermore, in the covering layer 9, a terminal portion 12 is provided at the boundary between the leather-wrapped portion 10 and the decorative portion 11, which constitutes the inner circumference region of the terminal portion 27 of the leather-wrapped portion 26, as will be described later. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the terminal portion 12 is configured to narrow in diameter towards the decorative portion 11 (by tilting the outer surface 12a) so as to connect the outer surface 10a of the leather-wrapped portion 10 and the outer surface 11a of the decorative portion 11.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the gripping portion 25 is a roughly rectangular ring shape that is wide from left to right when viewed from the top and bottom, and comprises a leather-wrapped portion 26 formed by covering the outer surface side with leather 32, and a decorative portion 40 formed by placing a decorative body 41 adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion 26 on the outer surface side. In this embodiment, the leather-wrapped portions 26 (26L, 26R) are arranged in the left and right regions of the gripping portion and are symmetrical with respect to the rotational axis. As shown in Figure 1, the decorative portion 40 is arranged in the rear region of the gripping portion 25 (the region between the left and right leather-wrapped portions 26L, 26R).

[0022] Taking the leather-wrapped portion 26L, which is located on the left side, as an example, the leather-wrapped portion 26L has, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a front portion 26a that extends to the left from the front edge region of the boss portion 20 (pad 16), and a rear portion 26b that extends along the front-rear direction, continuing from the front portion 26a. More specifically, the front portion 26a is arranged so as to be slightly inclined with respect to the left-right direction, extending to the left from the front edge of the pad 16 when viewed from the top-down direction, with its tip pointing forward. The rear portion 26b is configured so that the rear region connected to the decorative portion 40 is curved in a roughly arc shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The leather-wrapped portion 26L(26) comprises a leather-wrapped side portion 6a as a core metal 3, a leather-wrapped side portion 10 as a covering layer 9 arranged on the outer circumference of the leather-wrapped side portion 6a, and leather 32 covering the outer surface of the leather-wrapped side portion 10 (see Figure 3). The leather-wrapped portion 26L(26) also has a terminal portion 27L(27) that is reduced in diameter at the end of the rear portion 26b which is on the decorative portion 40 side (see Figures 2 and 8). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal portion 27 is covered on its outer circumference by a decorative body 41 which will be described later and constitutes the decorative portion 40. That is, the terminal portion 27 of the leather-wrapped portion 26 is located near the rear corner portion of the gripping portion 25. In the leather-wrapped portion 26, the general portion 28, which is the area other than the terminal portion 27, has a cross-sectional shape that is approximately elliptical with the vertical direction being wider (see Figure 3).

[0023] The leather 32 covering the outer surface of the leather-wrapped portion 26 is made from natural leather, synthetic leather, artificial leather, etc. In this embodiment, the leather 32 includes a general portion side portion 33 arranged on the outer peripheral surface side of the general portion 28, which is the area of ​​the leather-wrapped portion 26 other than the terminal portion 27; a terminal portion side portion 34 arranged to extend from the general portion side portion 33 and to be arranged on the outer peripheral surface side of the terminal portion 27; and a decorative portion side portion 36 arranged to extend from the terminal portion side portion 34 (see Figure 7). The general portion side portion 33 is roughly in the shape of a strip that can cover the entire outer surface side of the general portion 28 in the leather-wrapped portion 26 (specifically, the outer peripheral surface side of the leather-wrapped portion 10 in the covering layer 9). In this embodiment, the general portion side portion 33 is sewn together with sutures so that the ends on the shorter side abut against each other at the inner peripheral edge of the leather-wrapped portion 26 (gripping portion 25), thereby completely covering the outer surface of the general portion 28 without any gaps (see Figures 3 and 8).

[0024] The terminal side portion 34 is arranged to extend from one end 33a of the general side portion 33 and covers the outer circumferential surface of the terminal portion 12 in the covering layer 9. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, it is divided into multiple (specifically, four) pieces on the axial side of the gripping portion 25. That is, the terminal side portion 34 has four divided pieces 35. In this embodiment, each divided piece 35 has a substantially identical external shape and is substantially trapezoidal. The sum of the areas of each of these divided pieces 35 when laid flat (the area of ​​the terminal side portion 34 when laid flat) is set to be smaller than the surface area A of the terminal portion 12 in the covering layer 9 (see the area of ​​the dashed line shown in Figure 7). By sewing together adjacent (corresponding) edges 35a on the axial side of the gripping portion 25, the outer circumferential surface of the terminal portion 12 is covered over its entire surface (see Figure 8).

[0025] The decorative side portion 36 is arranged to extend in a band shape from each divided piece portion 35, that is, it has four divided band portions 37 (see Figure 7). Each divided band portion 37 constituting the decorative side portion 36 is arranged so as to cover the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the area near the terminal portion 12 in the decorative side portion 11 of the covering layer 9 by sewing together adjacent edges 37a on the axial direction side of the gripping portion 25 (so as to be interposed between the decorative body 41 and the decorative side portion 11) (see Figures 4 and 8). Although detailed illustrations are omitted, an adhesive layer is provided between the leather 32 and the covering layer 9 so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of the covering layer 9 (specifically, the leather-wrapped side portion 10, the terminal portion 12, and the area near the terminal portion 12 in the decorative side portion 11) without any gaps except near the sewing area, and the leather 32 is attached to the covering layer 9 via this adhesive layer.

[0026] The decorative part 40 is positioned in the rear region of the gripping part 25. In this embodiment, it is positioned in a substantially straight line along the left-right direction, connecting the left and right leather-wrapped parts 26L and 26R. As shown in Figure 4, the decorative part 40 comprises a decorative side part 6b as the core metal 3, a decorative side portion 11 as a covering layer 9 positioned on the outer circumference of the decorative side part 6b, and a decorative body 41 positioned on the outer surface of the decorative side portion 11. The decorative part 40 has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape, wider in the vertical direction. Specifically, its width in the front-rear direction is narrower than that of the general part 28 in the leather-wrapped part 26. More specifically, the decorative part 40 and the general part 28 in the leather-wrapped part 26 are configured to have substantially the same width in the vertical direction, while having different widths in the inward-outward (front-rear) direction. The decorative body 41 is arranged to cover the entire outer surface of the decorative part 40. In this embodiment, it is made of a hard synthetic resin (please specify the material used) and is divided into two sections in the vertical direction. The ends of the decorative part 40 are configured to cover the outer periphery of the end portions 27 (27L, 27R) of the leather-wrapped portion 26 (26L, 26R). Detailed illustrations are omitted, but the decorative body is formed at an angle so as to substantially follow the end portions 27.

[0027] In the handle 1 of this embodiment, even if the leather-wrapped portion 26 of the gripping portion 25 has a terminal portion 27 that is reduced in diameter, the leather 32 covering the outer peripheral surface of the covering layer 9 has a terminal side portion 34 positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion 27. When laid flat, the area of ​​this terminal side portion 34 is set to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the terminal side portion 12 of the covering layer 9 (area of ​​the outer surface 12a), and the corresponding edges 35a are sewn together. Therefore, when wrapping the leather, if the terminal side portion 34 is partially stretched and the corresponding edges 35a are sewn together, even if the terminal portion 27 is reduced in diameter, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles, sagging, etc. in the leather 32 covering the area of ​​the terminal portion 27. As a result, the outer surface from the general portion 28 to the terminal portion 27 can be completely covered with leather 32 that has had the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging suppressed in this way, making it possible to obtain a leather-wrapped portion 26 with a good appearance. In other words, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, even if the leather-wrapped portion 26 is configured to have a tapered end portion 27, the area of ​​the end portion 27 can be covered with the leather 32 simply by sewing the corresponding edges 35a of the end portion side portion 34 of the leather 32 together. This eliminates the need to use ties like those used in conventional leather-wrapped handles, resulting in good workability for attaching the leather. Furthermore, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the end portion 34 of the leather 32 is configured to be continuous with the general portion side portion 33 located on the outer surface side of the general portion 28 of the leather-wrapped portion 26. As a result, the seams formed by sewing the leather 32 together are not exposed near the boundary between the general portion 28 and the end portion 27 of the leather-wrapped portion 26, thus maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the leather-wrapped portion 26.

[0028] Therefore, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the leather 32 can be easily attached, and the appearance near the end of the leather-wrapped portion 26 is also good.

[0029] Specifically, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the grip portion 25 is configured such that a decorative portion 40, which has a decorative element 41 placed on its outer surface, is adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion 26 (26L, 26R), and the decorative element 41 covers the outer circumference of the end portions 27L, 27R of each leather-wrapped portion 26L, 26R. As a result, the seam SL formed by sewing the edges 35a of the end portions 34 together in the area of ​​the end portions 27L, 27R is hidden by the decorative element 41 covering the outer surface of the decorative portion 40 adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion 26L, 26R, as shown in Figure 2, making it difficult to see and further improving the aesthetic appearance. In addition, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, as described above, wrinkles and sagging in the area of ​​the end portions 27L, 27R can be suppressed, so the decorative element 41 can be easily attached even if the outer circumference of the end portions 27L, 27R is also covered.

[0030] Furthermore, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the terminal side portion 34 is formed by dividing it into multiple (four in this embodiment) pieces on the axial direction side of the gripping portion 25. Therefore, by extending each divided piece 35 that constitutes the terminal side portion 34 and sewing the corresponding edges 35a together, the divided pieces 35 can be connected, making the sewing work of the terminal side portion 34 during leather wrapping easier. If this point is not taken into consideration, for example, the terminal side portion could be made as a single piece with an opening in the middle to reduce the area when laid flat, and the edges could be sewn together to close this opening. In the handle 1 of this embodiment, the terminal side portion 34 has four divided pieces 35 that are divided on the axial direction side of the gripping portion 25, but the number of divisions (number of divided pieces) of the terminal side portion is not limited to this embodiment, and any number (two or more) is acceptable.

[0031] Furthermore, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the gripping portion 25 is roughly rectangular and annular in shape, and the terminal portion 27 of the leather-wrapped portion 26, which is reduced in diameter, is positioned near the corner of the rectangular and annular gripping portion 25 where the curvature changes significantly. More specifically, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, the rear portion 26b of the leather-wrapped portion 26 is configured to curve in a roughly arc shape when viewed from the vertical direction, with the rear region connected to the decorative portion 40 being curved. The decorative portion 40 is configured to be roughly straight along the left-right direction, and the terminal portion 27 is positioned at the boundary between the leather-wrapped portion 26 and the decorative portion 40, that is, at a position where the curvature changes significantly (see Figures 2 and 8). However, in the handle 1 of this embodiment, as described above, during the leather wrapping process, the terminal side portion 34, which is positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion 27, is divided into four sections on the axial direction of the gripping portion 25, and each divided piece 35 constituting this terminal side portion 34 is stretched and the corresponding edges 35a are sewn together. As a result, even if the configuration is such that the curvature changes significantly and the diameter is reduced, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the part of the leather 32 that covers the outer surface side of the area of ​​the terminal portion 27, thereby covering the outer surface side of the terminal portion 27 without gaps and improving the design. As a result, the handle 1 of this embodiment is suitable for so-called irregularly shaped handles having a square annular gripping portion.

[0032] Alternatively, a handle 1A may be used that includes a leather-wrapped section 26A as shown in Figure 9. Since handle 1A has the same configuration as handle 1 described above, except for the leather 50 used in the leather-wrapped section 26A, the same reference numerals are used for the same components and their descriptions are omitted.

[0033] As shown in Figure 10, the leather 50 covering the outer surface of the leather-wrapped portion 26A is made up of separate components and comprises a general-purpose member 51 positioned on the outer surface side of the general-purpose portion 28A in the leather-wrapped portion 26A, a terminal-purpose member 52 positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion 27A, and a decorative-purpose member 53 positioned on the decorative portion 40 side. The general-purpose member 51 is roughly strip-shaped and capable of covering the entire outer surface of the general-purpose portion 28A in the leather-wrapped portion 26A (specifically, the outer peripheral surface side of the leather-wrapped portion 10 in the covering layer 9). The ends of the general-purpose member 51 in the shorter direction are sewn together with sutures so as to abut each other on the inner peripheral edge side of the leather-wrapped portion 26A, thereby covering the outer surface of the general-purpose portion 28A without any gaps. The terminal-purpose member 52 has an outer shape that is roughly elliptical and ring-shaped, and is capable of covering the outer surface of the terminal portion 27A. The terminal-side member 52, when laid flat, has an area equal to the surface area of ​​the terminal-side portion 12 in the covering layer 9 (area of ​​the outer surface 12a). The decorative-side member 53 is roughly band-shaped, covering the outer circumferential surface of the area near the terminal-side portion 12 in the decorative-side portion 11 of the covering layer 9 over its entire circumference. In other words, although detailed illustration is omitted, the decorative-side member 53 is interposed between the decorative body 41 and the decorative-side portion 11.

[0034] In this leather 50, the outer edge 51a of one end of the general part side member 51, which is formed into a tube by sewing the ends on the shorter side together, is sewn to the outer edge 52a of the terminal side member 52, and the inner edge 52b of the terminal side member 52 is sewn to the outer edge 53a of one end of the decorative side member 53, which is formed into a tube by sewing the ends on the shorter side together, thereby covering the outer surface of the leather-wrapped portion 26A, including the terminal portion 27A and the inner circumference of the area near the terminal portion 27A in the decorative portion 40 (see Figure 11). In other words, in this handle 1A, the seam SL that sews the general part side member 51 and the terminal side member 52 together is exposed near the edge of the decorative portion 40 (see Figure 9).

[0035] Even in a handle 1A with this configuration, the leather 50 is separated into a general-purpose member 51 and a terminal-purpose member 52, and by sewing the corresponding edges 51a and 52a of each to each other, it is positioned to cover the outer surface of the leather-wrapped portion 26A. This suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the area of ​​the terminal portion 27A, resulting in a leather-wrapped portion 26A with a good appearance. In other words, even in a handle 1A with this configuration, even if a terminal portion 27A that reduces in diameter is provided on the leather-wrapped portion 26A, the outer peripheral area of ​​the leather-wrapped portion 26A can be covered simply by sewing the corresponding edges 51a and 52a of the general-purpose member 51 and the terminal-purpose member 52 to each other, and since there is no need to use ties like in conventional leather-wrapped handles, the leather attachment work is also easy.

[0036] In the handles 1 and 1A of the embodiment, the leather 32 and 50 are extended from the end portions 27 and 27A to cover the inner circumference area of ​​the decorative body 41 in the decorative portion 40 (the outer circumference side of the decorative side portion 11 of the covering layer 9). However, the leather may be configured not to have such an area (decorative side portion or decorative side member), and to cover only the outer surface side of the general portion and the end portion. However, even if the decorative portions are arranged adjacently, unlike the configuration of the embodiment, when applying to a handle where the end portion is not covered on its entire outer circumference by the decorative body, but is partially exposed, it is preferable to provide a portion of the leather corresponding to the decorative side portion or decorative side member in the area of ​​the end portion, from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of partial wrinkles or lifting.

[0037] In the embodiments, a handle having a substantially rectangular annular gripping portion is used as an example for explanation. However, the handle to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to these embodiments, and of course, the present invention can also be applied to handles having an annular gripping portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1,1A...Handle, 3...Core metal, 6...Grip core metal, 9...Coating layer, 12...End side part, 12a...Outer surface, 25...Grip part, 26,26A...Leather-wrapped part, 27,27A...End part, 28,28A...General part, 32...Leather, 33...General part side part, 34...End side part, 35...Divided piece part, 35a...Edge part, 40...Decorative part, 41...Decorative body, 50...Leather, 51...General part side member, 51a...Edge part, 52...End side member, 52a...Outer edge (edge ​​part).

Claims

1. A leather-wrapped steering wheel having a gripping portion for holding during steering, with the outer surface of the gripping portion covered in leather, The gripping portion comprises a core metal, a covering layer disposed on the outer circumference of the core metal, and the leather covering the outer surface of the covering layer, The leather-wrapped portion is configured to have a terminal portion that is reduced in diameter. The leather has a general-purpose side portion that covers the entire outer surface of the general portion of the leather-wrapped section, and a terminal side portion that is arranged to extend from the general-purpose side portion and cover the outer surface of the terminal portion. A leather-wrapped handle characterized in that the area of ​​the terminal side portion when laid flat is set to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the terminal side portion that constitutes the terminal portion in the covering layer, and the corresponding edges are sewn together so that the outer surface side of the terminal portion can be covered over the entire surface.

2. The gripping portion is configured such that a decorative part is provided on the outer surface side, and this decorative part is positioned adjacent to the leather-wrapped portion. The leather-wrapped handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the decorative element is configured to cover the outer circumference of the terminal portion.

3. The leather-wrapped handle according to claim 2, characterized in that the terminal side portion is formed by dividing it into multiple parts on the side of the gripping portion in the axial direction.

4. The gripping portion is shaped like a roughly square ring, The leather-wrapped handle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the terminal portion is disposed near the corner portion of the gripping portion.

5. A leather-wrapped steering wheel having a gripping portion for holding during steering, with the outer surface of the gripping portion covered in leather, The gripping portion comprises a core metal, a covering layer disposed on the outer circumference of the core metal, and the leather covering the outer surface of the covering layer, The leather-wrapped portion is configured to have a terminal portion that is reduced in diameter. A leather-wrapped handle characterized in that the leather is provided as separate pieces, comprising a general-purpose member positioned on the outer surface side of the general-purpose portion of the leather-wrapped section and a terminal-purpose member positioned on the outer surface side of the terminal portion, and the corresponding edges of the general-purpose member and the terminal-purpose member are sewn together so that the outer surface side of the leather-wrapped section, including the terminal portion, can be completely covered.

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