Steering system

Abstract

To provide a steering device that offers good workability and can be easily assembled. [Solution] The steering device comprises a pad 30 positioned on the upper side of the boss portion and an electronic component 50 positioned on the pad. The pad comprises a ceiling wall portion 31 positioned on the driver side and a peripheral wall portion 40 extending cylindrically from near the periphery of the ceiling wall portion. A slit 42 is formed in the peripheral wall portion by cutting out the peripheral wall portion from the tip side, through which a lead wire 62, which extends from the area where the electronic component is positioned in the ceiling wall portion and is arranged to pass through the back side of the ceiling wall portion, can be inserted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering device configured to dispose an electronic component on a pad disposed on the upper side of a boss portion.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a steering device, there has been a configuration in which a decorative body (emblem) that can emit light at a predetermined time, as an electronic component, is disposed on a ceiling wall portion disposed on the driver side in a pad. In this steering device, a lead wire extending from the back side of the arrangement region of the decorative body in the ceiling wall portion is inserted into an insertion opening formed by cutting out a peripheral wall portion extending from the periphery of the ceiling wall portion in the pad in a rectangular shape, so as to protrude outside the pad, and is electrically connected to a control device on the vehicle body side using a connector provided on the tip side of this lead wire (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, such a lead wire needs to be inserted into the insertion opening together with the connector provided on the tip side, and this connector on the tip side is usually set to have a larger outer shape than the lead wire. Such an insertion opening is formed with a rectangular opening in a conventional steering device, but since it is preferable to set the opening area as small as possible, it is set to a size that is just large enough to allow the connector to pass through, and the insertion operation of the connector from the inside of the pad into the insertion opening (the operation of protruding the lead wire outside the pad) was not easy.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a steering device that is easy to work with and can be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The steering device according to the present invention includes a pad positioned on the upper side of the boss portion, An electronic component is placed on the pad and electrically connected to a control device provided on the vehicle body side, A steering device comprising, The pad comprises a ceiling wall portion positioned on the driver's side, and a peripheral wall portion extending cylindrically from near the periphery of the ceiling wall portion. The peripheral wall is characterized by having a slit formed in the peripheral wall through which a lead wire, which extends from the area where electronic components are arranged in the ceiling wall and is routed to pass through the back side of the ceiling wall, can be inserted, by cutting out the peripheral wall from the tip side.

[0007] In the steering device of the present invention, even if an electronic component is arranged on the pad, a slit is provided in the peripheral wall of the pad to allow lead wires, which are arranged to extend from the electronic component and pass through the back side of the pad, to protrude outside the pad. This slit is formed by cutting out the peripheral wall from the tip side so that the lead wire can be inserted. Therefore, even if the configuration includes a connector at the tip side, by inserting the lead wire through the opening provided at the tip side of the peripheral wall and passing the lead wire through the slit, the tip side of the lead wire with the connector can be made to protrude outside the pad. As a result, compared to the case in conventional steering devices where an insertion opening is provided by cutting out the peripheral wall, the operation of making the lead wire protrude outside the pad (the operation of penetrating the peripheral wall) is easier, and the workability is good.

[0008] Therefore, the steering device of the present invention offers good workability and can be easily assembled.

[0009] Furthermore, in the steering device of the present invention, the slit only needs to have an opening width dimension that allows only lead wires to be inserted, so the opening width dimension can be set to be as small as possible.

[0010] Furthermore, in the steering device of the present invention, the pad is configured to be able to cover the folded airbag, and a plurality of door sections are provided in the ceiling wall area that can be opened when the airbag is deployed and inflated. It is preferable to configure the slit to be positioned in the peripheral wall portion at a location near the original end of the door portion when it is open, where the electronic components are installed.

[0011] By configuring the steering system as described above, the length (placement area) of the lead wires passing through the inside of the pad (the back side of the ceiling wall) can be minimized, thereby suppressing the lead wires from affecting the inflating airbag.

[0012] Furthermore, in the steering device with the above configuration, if a retaining part is provided in the slit that can prevent the lead wire inserted inside from coming out, it is possible to suppress the lead wire from coming out of the slit once it has been inserted inside, and the state in which the lead wire is inserted into the slit can be maintained, which is preferable as it improves workability during subsequent work (such as when attaching the pad to the bag holder). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of a steering wheel (steering device) which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the steering wheel of the embodiment, showing the area II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the airbag device in the steering wheel of an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a bottom view of the airbag system. [Figure 5]It is a rear view of the airbag device in FIG. 3 (a view seen from the front when mounted on a vehicle). [Figure 6] It is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the airbag device in FIG. 3 on the front-rear direction side. [Figure 7] It is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the airbag device in FIG. 3 on the left-right direction side. [Figure 8] It is a schematic perspective view of the pad in the steering wheel of the embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a partially enlarged view showing the slit provided in the side wall portion of the pad. [Figure 10] In the steering wheel of the embodiment, it is a schematic partially enlarged sectional view showing a state where a lead wire is inserted into a slit provided in a pad.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the embodiment, as an example of a steering device, a steering wheel 1 having an annular ring portion 2 (grip portion) will be described. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 1 includes an annular ring portion 2 that is gripped during rotation steering, a boss portion 4 disposed substantially at the center of the ring portion 2, and a plurality (in the case of the embodiment, three) of spoke portions 3 that connect the ring portion 2 and the boss portion 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel 1 includes a steering wheel main body 7 and an airbag device 15 disposed above the boss portion 4 as constituent parts.[[ID=​​​​​​As shown in Fig. 2, the steering wheel body 7 includes a core metal 8 disposed to interconnect the ring portion 2, the boss portion 4, and the spoke portion 3, a coating layer 9 covering the periphery of the portion between the ring portion 2 and the spoke portion 3 of the core metal 8, a skin layer 10 covering the outer peripheral side of the coating layer 9, and a lower cover 12 covering the lower surface side of the boss portion 4. The core metal 8 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. The coating layer 9 is formed of a soft foaming material such as foamed polyurethane. The skin layer 10 is formed from a synthetic resin sheet body or leather such as natural leather, synthetic leather, or artificial leather. Although detailed illustration of the lower cover 12 is omitted and it is shown by a two-dot chain line, it is made of synthetic resin.

[0017] As shown in Figs. 2 to 7, the airbag device 15 includes an airbag 16 that is folded and stored, an inflater 17 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 16, a pad 30 (airbag cover) disposed on the upper side of the boss portion 4 and covering the folded airbag 16, a decorative body 50 as an electronic component provided on the pad 30, a bag holder 20 that holds the airbag 16, the inflater 17, and the pad 30, and a retainer 18 for attaching the airbag 16 and the inflater 17 to the bag holder 20.

[0018] The airbag 16 is formed in a bag shape from a flexible sheet body. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the inflated complete shape with inflation gas flowing into the interior is substantially disc-shaped and can cover the upper surface of the ring portion 2 over substantially the entire surface (refer to the two-dot chain line in Fig. 1).

[0019] The inflater 17 includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion 17a provided with a plurality of gas discharge ports 17b for discharging inflation gas at the upper portion, and a flange portion 17c protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 17a. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the inflater 17 is also electrically connected to the control device 65.

[0020] The retainer 18 is made of sheet metal in a roughly rectangular ring shape and is equipped with bolts 18a (see Figure 4) at its four corners. This retainer 18 is installed inside the airbag 16. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the bolts 18a protruding downwards are passed through the airbag 16, the bottom wall portion 21 of the bag holder 20 (described later), and the flange portion 17c of the inflator 17 in that order. Nuts 19 (see Figure 4) are fastened to each bolt 18a protruding from the flange portion 17c, thereby attaching the airbag 16 and the inflator 17 to the bag holder 20.

[0021] In this embodiment, the bag holder 20 is made of sheet metal and, as shown in Figure 2, holds the airbag 16, inflator 17, and pad 30, and is a component that attaches the airbag device 15 to the steering wheel body 7 using a horn switch unit (not shown). Specifically, as shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the bag holder 20 has a substantially rectangular bottom wall portion 21 to which the airbag 16 and inflator 17 are attached using a retainer 18, and side wall portions 22 that are arranged to extend upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 21. The pad 30 is held by connecting predetermined locations of the side wall portions 22 to the periphery wall portion 40 of the pad 30 using rivets (not shown). Specifically, four side wall portions 22 are arranged on the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 21, extending upward from the area excluding the four corners, and each is located on the outer periphery side of the periphery wall portion 40 of the pad 30. Furthermore, in the bag holder 20 of this embodiment, an insertion recess 24 is formed approximately in the left and right center of the front side wall portion 22F that covers the front of the peripheral wall portion 40. This recess allows a lead wire 62, described later, extending from a decorative body 50 disposed on the pad 30, to be inserted. The recess is continuously cut out from the upper edge of the side wall portion 22F to the front edge 21a side of the bottom wall portion 21 (see Figures 4 and 5). In addition, in this embodiment, a locking projection 25 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 21, capable of locking a connector 64 disposed on the tip 62a side of the lead wire 62, so as to protrude downward (see Figures 5 and 6). Specifically, this locking projection 25 is disposed on the rear left end side of the bottom wall portion 21.

[0022] The pad 30 is positioned on the upper side of the boss portion 4 and, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, is configured to cover the folded airbag 16 from above to the sides. The pad 30 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, it is made of polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). Specifically, the pad 30 is formed using TPO colored in a dark color such as black as the base material. The pad 30 comprises a ceiling wall portion 31 positioned above on the driver's side to cover the top of the folded airbag 16, and a peripheral wall portion 40 that extends cylindrically from near the periphery of the ceiling wall portion 31 to cover the front, rear, left, and right sides of the folded airbag 16 (see Figures 3, 6 to 8).

[0023] The ceiling wall section 31 comprises a door mounting section 34 formed from the inner region of the peripheral wall section 40, and a peripheral edge section 32 formed from the outer region of the peripheral wall section 40. Within the area of ​​the door mounting section 34, a front door section 35 that opens forward and a rear door section 36 that opens backward are provided (see Figures 3 and 6). Around these front door section 35 and rear door section 36, there are planned rupture sections 37 that are designed to rupture when the airbag 16 inflates. In this embodiment, the planned rupture sections 37 are formed by cutting out the ceiling wall section 31 from the back side, and specifically, they are formed by continuously providing V-shaped notches in cross-section (see Figure 6).

[0024] In the ceiling wall section 31, a decorative element 50, which is an electronic component, is provided on the front door section 35. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3, 6, and 7, the decorative element 50 is provided on the rear side of the rear edge 35a of the front door section 35, in a wide area on both the left and right sides. The front door section 35 has through-holes 35b that allow a projection 53 formed on the surface (upper surface) of the main body section 52 of the decorative element 50 to pass through, and connecting projections 35c for connecting the decorative element 50 to the pad 30 (see Figures 6 and 7). The through-holes 35b are formed to allow the projection 53 to pass through, and are opening to correspond to the outer shape of the projection 53. In this embodiment, the outer shape when viewed from above is approximately rectangular, and five of them are arranged side by side on the left and right sides (see Figures 3 and 7). As shown in Figure 3, the connecting protrusions 35c are arranged at four locations between the protrusions 53 (between the through-holes 35b) when the pad 30 is viewed from above. These connecting protrusions 35c penetrate the entire decorative body 50, which is positioned on the back side of the front door 35, by passing the protrusions 53 through the through-holes 35b. By melting the lower end of the decorative body 50 that protrudes from the retaining member 60 (described later), the decorative body 50 is connected to the pad 30 (front door 35). The external shape of the connecting protrusions 35c before melting is cylindrical, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the peripheral wall portion 40 is in the shape of a rectangular tube, with its tip surface positioned near the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 21 of the bag holder 20, and its outer circumference near the tip covered by the side wall portion 22 of the bag holder 20 (see Figures 6 and 7). In this peripheral wall portion 40, a slit 42 is formed in the front portion 40a, which is the front area (the area covering the front of the airbag 16) that is near the original part when the front door portion 35 is open, as shown in Figures 6 and 8.

[0026] The slit 42 is for inserting lead wires 62 extending from the decorative body 50, and is formed to extend along the vertical direction by cutting out the front portion 40a of the peripheral wall portion 40 from the lower end (tip side) (see Figure 8). Specifically, the slit 42 is formed at a position approximately in the center of the left and right sides of the front portion 40a. More specifically, in the embodiment, the slit 42 is formed to extend over approximately the entire upper and lower portion of the peripheral wall portion 40, with its upper end positioned near the lower edge of the peripheral edge portion 32 of the ceiling wall portion 31, and has a circularly cut-out round hole portion 44 at the upper end. That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the slit 42 comprises a general portion 43 that is cut out in a groove shape with an opening at the lower end 43b (an opening 45 is provided at the lower end 43b), and a round hole portion 44 that is formed at the upper end 43a side of the general portion 43 and continues from the general portion 43. The inner diameter dimension d of the round hole portion 44 is set to be larger than the opening width dimension H of the general portion 43 (see Figure 9). In this embodiment, the lead wire 62 is flattened, as shown in Figure 9, with two linear bodies placed side by side. Specifically, the opening width dimension H of the general portion 43 is set to be slightly larger than the thickness dimension t of the lead wire 62, so that the lead wire 62 can be inserted from the side along the width direction and slide (see the dashed line in Figure 9). Also, the opening width dimension H of this general portion 43 is set to be smaller than the width dimension W of the lead wire 62. The inner diameter dimension d of the round hole portion 44 is set to be slightly larger than the width dimension W of the lead wire 62, so that the lead wire 62 can also be inserted from the side along the thickness direction (see Figure 9). In other words, the lead wire 62 inserted through the general section 43 into the round hole section 44 is positioned in a state where it has rotated to change direction within the round hole section 44 (approximately perpendicular to the general section 43), and in this state, it is prevented from re-entering the general section 43. Furthermore, in the slit 42 of the embodiment, the peripheral region of the general section 43 near the round hole section 44 constitutes retaining sections 42a, 42a that can prevent the lead wire 62 inserted inside (more specifically, the lead wire 62 positioned approximately perpendicular to the general section 43) from coming out, as shown in Figure 9.

[0027] The decorative element 50, as an electronic component, is electrically connected to a control device 65 provided on the vehicle body side, and is capable of emitting light at predetermined times. The decorative element 50 is disposed in the area of ​​the front door portion 35 on the ceiling wall portion 31 of the pad 30, and specifically, as described above, it is disposed in the area on the back side of the rear edge 35a of the front door portion 35, in a wide area on both the left and right sides. As shown in Figure 3, the decorative element 50 is constructed by stacking the main body portion 52, the light source portion 55 and the holding member 60, with the external shape viewed from the vertical direction being a long, elongated shape extending along the left-right direction (see Figures 6 and 7). In this embodiment, as described above, only the protrusion 53 of the main body portion 52 of the decorative element 50 is exposed on the surface side of the pad 30 (see Figures 3, 6, and 7). The main body 52, the light guide 58 and substrate 56 of the light source unit 55 (described later), and the holding member 60 each have through holes through which the connecting projection 35c protruding from the back side of the front door unit 35 of the pad 30 can pass (though these are not shown in the figures).

[0028] The main body 52 is a roughly rectangular plate that is wide from left to right, and has projections 53 on its upper surface that protrude upward. In this embodiment, the projections 53 have a roughly rectangular shape and are arranged in a row of five on the left and right sides, and each is capable of passing through the through-hole 35b provided in the front door 35 (see Figures 3 and 7). The upper surface 53a of these projections 53 is configured to be roughly flush with the upper surface of the front door 35. The main body 52 emits visible light from the light source 55 (light guide 58) from the upper surface 53a side of the projections 53 while further diffusing it internally, and is formed from a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin.

[0029] The light source unit 55 comprises a substrate 56, a visible light source (visible light LED) 57 mounted on the substrate 56 and capable of emitting visible light when lit, and a light guide 58 laminated on the substrate 56. The light guide 58 is located on the lower side of the main body 52. ​​The substrate 56 is set to have a larger external shape than the light guide 58 so as to cover almost the entire area below the light guide 58. In this embodiment, the visible light source (visible light LED) 57 is arranged in parallel at five locations on the front edge side of the substrate 56 (in front of the light guide 58), corresponding to each protrusion 53 of the main body 52 (see Figures 3 and 6). In this embodiment, a full-color visible light LED 57 is used as the visible light source, which has light sources capable of emitting red, green, and blue light sealed in a single package and can change color by changing 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 lead wires 62 connected to the back side of the substrate 56. They are capable of being lit up to emit visible light of a predetermined color in response to an operating signal from the control device 65.

[0030] The holding member 60 is capable of covering the entire lower surface of the substrate 56 of the light source unit 55 and holding the substrate 56 (light source unit 55), and has a connector mounting portion 60a that partially protrudes downward at a position in the center in the left-right direction (see Figures 6 and 7). This connector mounting portion 60a is the part to which a connector 63 provided on one end of the lead wire 62 is attached and the lead wire 62 is connected.

[0031] The decorative body 50 is formed by laminating the main body 52, the light source 55, and the holding member 60 together so that they are locked in place at predetermined locations, and is positioned on the back side of the front door 35 so that it passes through the connecting projection 35c extending from the front door 35. The tip of the connecting projection 35c is melted on the underside of the holding member 60 to attach it to the front door 35 (see Figure 7). A lead wire 62 extending from the connector mounting portion 60a provided on the back side of the decorative body 50 (i.e., the back side of the area where the decorative body 50 is positioned on the front door 35) and passing through the back side of the ceiling wall 31 is inserted through a slit 42 formed in the front portion 40a of the peripheral wall 40 of the pad 30 so that the connector 64 at the other end (tip 62a side) protrudes outside the pad 30. The lead wire 62 protruding from the pad 30 is positioned on the lower side of the bag holder 20 (bottom wall portion 21) such that the connector 64 provided on the tip 62a side is locked to a locking projection 25 that protrudes downward from the bottom wall portion 21 of the bag holder 20 (see Figures 4-6).

[0032] Next, the mounting of the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment onto the vehicle will be described. With the decorative body 50 attached to the pad 30, the lead wire 62 extending from the back side of the decorative body 50 (the back side of the front door portion 35) is routed to pass through the back side of the ceiling wall portion 31, through the opening 45 at the lower end 43b into the general portion 43 of the slit 42 provided in the front portion 40a of the peripheral wall portion 40, and protrudes to the outside from the round hole portion 44 on the upper end 43a side (see Figure 10). Then, by attaching this pad 30 to the bag holder 20 with the folded airbag 16 and inflator 17 attached, so as to cover the periphery of the folded airbag 16, the airbag device 15 can be assembled. The lead wire 62 protruding from the pad 30 is inserted into the insertion recess 24 formed in the bag holder 20, and the connector 64 on the tip 62a side is locked to the locking projection 25 formed in the bottom wall 21. Then, the airbag device 15 is attached to the steering wheel body 7, which is mounted on the vehicle body, using a horn switch unit (not shown), the lead wire 62 extending from the decorative body 50 is connected to the lead wire (not shown) extending from the control device 65, and the inflator 17 is electrically connected to the control device 65. With this, the airbag device 15 is assembled to the steering wheel body 7 and the steering wheel 1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

[0033] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 (steering device) of this embodiment, even though a decorative element 50 as an electronic component is provided on the pad 30, a slit 42 is provided in the peripheral wall portion 40 of the pad 30 in order to allow the lead wire 62, which is arranged to extend from the decorative element 50 and pass through the back side of the pad 30, to protrude outside the pad 30. This slit 42 is formed by cutting out the peripheral wall portion 40 from the tip side (lower end side) so that the lead wire 62 can be inserted through it. Therefore, even if the configuration includes a connector 64 on the tip 62a side, if the lead wire 62 is inserted into the slit 42 by inserting it through an opening 45 provided on the tip side (lower end side, i.e., the lower end 43b side of the general portion 43) of the peripheral wall portion 40, the tip 62a side of the lead wire 62 to which the connector 64 is provided can protrude outside the pad 30 (see Figure 10). As a result, compared to conventional steering devices where an insertion opening is provided by cutting out the peripheral wall, the process of extending the lead wire 62 out of the pad 30 (penetrating the peripheral wall 40) is easier, resulting in better workability.

[0034] Therefore, the steering wheel 1 (steering device) of this embodiment offers good workability and can be easily assembled.

[0035] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the slit 42 only needs to have an opening width dimension that allows only the lead wire 62 to be inserted (the connector 64 provided on the tip 62a side of the lead wire 62 can be made unusable), so the opening width dimension can be set to be as small as possible. In the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the ceiling wall portion 31 of the pad 30 is provided with two door portions (front door portion 35, rear door portion 36) that open when the airbag 16 is deployed and inflated. Therefore, in order to allow these front door portion 35 and rear door portion 36 to open smoothly, it is necessary to ensure a certain degree of strength in the area surrounding the ceiling wall portion 31 (peripheral wall portion 40, etc.). In the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, since the opening width dimension of the slit 42 can be set to be as small as possible, it is easier to maintain the strength of the peripheral wall portion 40 and the area surrounding the peripheral wall portion 40, and it is also possible to prevent the peripheral wall portion from becoming unnecessarily thick. In this embodiment, the slit 42 is formed to extend over substantially the entire upper and lower portion of the peripheral wall 40. However, the depth (length dimension) of the slit is not limited to this embodiment. For example, it may be configured to be provided only in the lower half of the peripheral wall or only in the lower end (tip) portion.

[0036] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the slit 42 is positioned in the peripheral wall portion 40 near the original side of the front door portion 35 when it is open, where the decorative body 50 is located (the area of ​​the front portion 40a). Therefore, the amount (length) of the lead wire 62 passing through the inside of the pad 30 (the back side of the ceiling wall portion 31) can be set to the minimum, and the lead wire 62 can be prevented from affecting the inflating airbag 16. If this point is not taken into consideration, the slit may be positioned in an area outside of this area (for example, in the peripheral wall portion, an area that covers the rear of the folded airbag, or an area that covers the left or right side of the folded airbag), and the lead wire may be arranged to run relatively long along the back side of the ceiling wall portion.

[0037] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the slit 42 is configured to have a retaining portion 42a that can prevent the lead wire 62 inserted inside from coming out. Specifically, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the slit 42 is configured to have a general portion 43 that is cut out in a groove shape and a round hole portion 44 that is formed to bulge out from the general portion 43 on the upper end 43a side of the general portion 43 (keyhole shape), and the peripheral region of the general portion 43 near the round hole portion 44 constitutes retaining portions 42a, 42a that can prevent the lead wire 62 inserted inside the round hole portion 44 from coming out (re-entering into the general portion 43) (see Figure 9). Therefore, in the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the lead wire 62, once inserted into the round hole 44, from re-entering the general part 43 (suppressing its detachment from the round hole 44), and to maintain the state in which the lead wire 62 is inserted into the slit 42, thereby improving workability during subsequent work (such as when attaching the pad 30 to the bag holder 20). If this point is not considered, the slit may be configured without a retaining part that can prevent the lead wire from coming out. In this embodiment, the slit is keyhole-shaped, but even when a retaining part is present, the shape of the slit is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a slit that is simply formed in the shape of a groove may be configured such that the opening width dimension is the same as the outer diameter dimension or width dimension of the lead wire, allowing the lead wire to be inserted but making it difficult for it to slide inside, and the inner circumferential surface of the slit itself acts as a retaining part (utilizing the frictional force generated between the inner circumferential surface of the slit and the lead wire). Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the slit may also be configured such that a projection slightly protruding inward is provided in the middle of the groove-shaped slit, and this projection serves as a retaining part. In this embodiment, the width dimension of the general section 43 of the slit 42 is constant from the opening 45 on the lower end 43b side, but for example, although detailed illustrations are omitted, the general section may be formed so that the opening width dimension of the tip side (lower end side) is wider. With such a configuration, the opening portion on the lower end side can be made wider, making it even easier to insert the lead wire into the slit.

[0038] In the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, a decorative element 50 that emits light at a predetermined time is provided as an electronic component on the pad 30, but the electronic component is not limited to a decorative element. The present invention can also be applied to steering devices in which, for example, a display or a camera for driver monitoring is mounted on the pad as an electronic component. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1...Steering wheel (steering device), 15...Airbag device, 16...Airbag, 17...Inflator, 20...Bag holder, 30...Pad, 31...Ceiling wall section, 35...Front door section, 40...Surrounding wall section, 40a...Front section, 42...Slit, 42a...Retaining section, 45...Opening, 50...Decorative part (electronic component), 62...Lead wire, 62a...Tip, 63,64...Connector, 65...Control device.

Claims

1. A pad located on the upper side of the boss, An electronic component is placed on the pad and electrically connected to a control device provided on the vehicle body side, A steering device comprising, The pad comprises a ceiling wall portion positioned on the driver's side and a peripheral wall portion extending cylindrically from near the periphery of the ceiling wall portion. A steering device characterized in that a slit is formed in the peripheral wall portion through which a lead wire, which extends from the area where the electronic components are arranged in the ceiling wall portion and is arranged to pass through the back side of the ceiling wall portion, is inserted, by cutting out the peripheral wall portion from the tip side.

2. The pad is configured to cover the folded airbag, and multiple door sections are provided in the ceiling wall area, which can be opened when the airbag is deployed and inflated. The steering device according to claim 1, characterized in that the slit is disposed in the peripheral wall portion at a position near the original end of the door portion where the electronic components are arranged when the door portion is open.

3. The steering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the slit has a retaining portion capable of preventing the lead wire inserted inside from coming out.

Images