Steering wheel

Abstract

This design achieves heat dissipation from the circuit board while suppressing increases in manufacturing cost and size of the steering wheel. [Solution] The steering handle comprises a substrate on which light-emitting elements are provided on its surface, and a core metal that forms the framework of the steering handle. The substrate is positioned in contact with the core metal. The steering handle also comprises a substrate, a core metal, and a sheet-like intervening portion positioned between the substrate and the core metal, which is configured as part of the material used as the base material for the steering handle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a steering wheel.

Background Art

[0002] In a steering wheel, it has been proposed to attach and use a device (hereinafter referred to as an "illumination device") that emits light such as visible light or infrared light at a position visible to the driver. In such an illumination device, a substrate provided with a light-emitting element such as an LED may be used. In the steering wheel of Patent Document 1, the substrate is arranged in contact with the shaft core indirectly via a heat conductor for heat dissipation and a metal case. With such a configuration, the heat of the substrate is transmitted to the shaft core via the heat conductor and the case for heat dissipation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the steering wheel of Patent Document 1, since a heat conductor as a dedicated member is provided for heat dissipation of the substrate, it causes an increase in the manufacturing cost of the steering wheel due to an increase in members and assembly work, and also causes an increase in size. Therefore, a technology that realizes heat dissipation of the substrate while suppressing an increase in the manufacturing cost and size of the steering wheel is desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve at least a part of the above problems and can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, a steering handle is provided. The steering handle comprises a substrate on which light-emitting elements are provided on its surface, and a core metal that forms the framework of the steering handle, wherein the substrate is disposed in contact with the core metal. In this type of steering wheel, the circuit board is positioned in contact with the core metal, eliminating the need for special components to dissipate heat by transferring it to the core metal. Therefore, heat dissipation from the circuit board can be achieved while suppressing increases in manufacturing cost and size of the steering wheel. (2) In the steering handle of the above form, the substrate may be in contact with the core metal on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is provided, and may be fixed to the core metal by screws. In this type of steering handle, the substrate is in contact with the core metal on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is located, and is fixed to the core metal by screws. This promotes heat dissipation from the substrate compared to configurations where the substrate is not in contact with the core metal on a surface, and improves heat transfer compared to configurations where the substrate is not fixed to the core metal by screws. Furthermore, since the substrate is fixed to the impact-resistant core metal by screws, displacement of the substrate can be suppressed even when an external impact is applied. (3) In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a steering handle is provided. This steering handle comprises a substrate on which light-emitting elements are provided on its surface, and a sheet-like intervening portion disposed between the substrate and the core metal, the intervening portion being configured as part of a material used as the base material for the steering handle. In this type of steering handle, the substrate is indirectly in contact with the core metal via a sheet-like intervening portion. Since this intervening portion is part of the material used as the base material for the steering handle, no special component is required to dissipate heat by transferring heat from the substrate to the core metal. Therefore, heat dissipation of the substrate can be achieved while suppressing increases in manufacturing cost and size of the steering handle. (4) In the steering handle of the above form, the intervening portion may be configured as part of an impact absorbing member that is arranged to cover at least a part of the core metal. In this form of steering handle, the intervening portion is configured as part of a shock-absorbing member that is positioned to cover at least a portion of the core metal, thereby enabling heat dissipation from the substrate while improving the shock resistance of the substrate and the core metal. (5) In the steering handle of the above form, the thickness of the intervening portion may be 2 mm (millimeters) or less. With this type of steering handle, the thickness of the intervening portion is 2 mm or less, which improves heat transfer compared to configurations with greater size and thickness. (6) In the steering handle of the above form, the substrate may be in contact with the intervening portion on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is provided, and may be fixed to the core metal via the intervening portion by screws. In this type of steering handle, the substrate is in contact with the intervening portion on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is provided, and is fixed to the core metal via the intervening portion by screws. Therefore, compared to configurations where the substrate is not in contact with the intervening portion on a surface, heat dissipation from the substrate can be promoted, and heat transfer can be improved compared to configurations where the substrate is not fixed to the core metal by screws. Furthermore, since the substrate is fixed to the impact-resistant core metal by screws, displacement of the substrate can be suppressed even when an external impact is applied. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the external shape of a steering wheel as one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the external shape of the steering wheel with the lens and base components removed. [Figure 3] This is the first exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the illumination device. [Figure 4] This is a second exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the illumination device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the steering wheel. [Figure 6]This is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the steering handle of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. First Embodiment: A1. Overall configuration of steering wheel 100: Figure 1 is a plan view showing the external shape of a steering wheel 100 as one embodiment of the present disclosure. The steering wheel 100 is used in the driver's seat of a vehicle. Examples of vehicles include engine-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). The steering wheel 100 is part of the steering system operated by the driver of the vehicle. Figure 1 shows the steering wheel 100 in the state when it is connected to the steering shaft SH in the vehicle and the vehicle is moving straight (hereinafter also referred to as the "reference state"). Figure 1 also shows the external configuration of the side of the steering wheel 100 facing the driver (the "rear" side, described later). The steering wheel 100 is configured to be rotatable around the axis AX of the steering shaft SH. The rotation of the steering wheel 100 is transmitted via the steering shaft SH to a steering gearbox (not shown).

[0009] In this embodiment, the direction along the axis AX of the steering shaft SH is referred to as the "forward and backward direction" (forward and rearward direction) in correspondence with the direction of travel of the vehicle. Furthermore, among the directions perpendicular to the axis AX, the direction that overlaps with the vertical direction (vertically upward and vertically downward) as seen from the driver's perspective is referred to as the "up and down direction". Also, among the directions perpendicular to the axis AX, the direction parallel to the left and right direction (width direction) of the vehicle is referred to as the "left and right direction".

[0010] The steering wheel 100 comprises a ring-shaped grip portion 110, a boss portion 130 located approximately in the center of the grip portion 110, three spoke portions 120, and an illumination device 200 located on a part of the grip portion 110.

[0011] The gripping portion 110 is gripped by the driver when operating the steering handle 100. In this embodiment, the gripping portion 110 has a substantially annular shape. The central axis of the gripping portion 110 coincides with the axis AX of the steering shaft SH. The shape of the gripping portion 110 may be any shape other than a substantially annular shape, such as a polygon or an ellipse, or it may be an asymmetrical shape such as a so-called D shape. Furthermore, the shape of the gripping portion 110 is not limited to an annular shape, but may be any shape formed by multiple parts provided at positions far apart from each other. As will be described later, the gripping portion 110 is constructed by stacking multiple members in the thickness direction. The outermost layer is formed by an outer skin layer (outer skin layer 80 described later) made of leather material. Although not shown in Figure 1, in the standard state, a recess (recess C1 described later) is formed in a part of the upper part of the gripping portion 110 that accommodates a part of the illumination device 200. A portion of the illumination device 200 is housed in the recess C1. In other words, the illumination device 200 is fitted into the recess C1. The opening of the recess C1 is then closed by the illumination device 200.

[0012] The three spoke sections 120 connect the grip section 110 and the boss section 130. The boss section 130 corresponds to the connection point when connecting the steering wheel 100 to the steering shaft SH. Inside the boss section 130 are a folded airbag and an inflator, neither of which are shown. The boss section 130 may also house a temperature control circuit that constitutes a heater device, as well as various sensor devices for detecting room temperature and the user gripping the grip section 110. The three spoke sections 120 and the boss section 130 may be provided with various operation buttons for operating a navigation system, audio system, etc., installed in the vehicle.

[0013] The illumination device 200 emits light. In this embodiment, the light emitted by the illumination device 200 is visible light and infrared light. By emitting visible light from the illumination device 200, various information can be conveyed to the driver. For example, by emitting light of various colors or flashing lights, some information can be conveyed to the driver. Specifically, by emitting red light, the driver can be encouraged to grip the steering wheel. In addition, by emitting infrared light from the illumination device 200, a part of the driver's body can be clearly photographed by an infrared camera in the dark interior of the vehicle at night.

[0014] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the external shape of the steering wheel 100 with the lens member 10 and base member 40 removed. As will be described later, in the illumination device 200, a light-transmitting lens member 10 is positioned opposite the driver, and a light guide member 20, light-emitting part 30, and base member 40, which will be described later, are positioned on the front side of the lens member 10. Figure 2 schematically shows the steering wheel 100 with the lens member 10 and base member 40 removed.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, when the lens member 10 and the base member 40 are removed, the light emitting part 30 and the light guide member 20, which are elements constituting the illumination device 200, are exposed. The light emitting part 30 includes a substrate 31 and a plurality of light emitting elements provided on both surfaces of the substrate 31. In the present embodiment, the "plurality of light emitting elements" includes a plurality of first LEDs 32 provided on the surface (the rearward side surface) of the substrate 31 and a plurality of second LEDs 33 provided on the surface (the rearward side surface) of the substrate 31. The substrate 31 has an arc-shaped and belt-like external shape that curves along the circumferential direction (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "circumferential direction") of the grip part 110 as viewed from the driver. Hereinafter, the radial direction (the direction orthogonal to the axis AX) of the grip part 110 is also simply referred to as the "radial direction". The plurality of first LEDs 32 are arranged at positions close to the lower end on the surface (the rearward side surface) of the substrate 31, separated from each other by a predetermined distance along the circumferential direction. The first LED 32 emits visible light. In the present embodiment, as the first LED 32, a visible light LED capable of emitting red light, green light, and blue light is used. The plurality of second LEDs 33 form two groups g1 and g2 arranged apart from each other. Each of the groups g1 and g2 is composed of a plurality of second LEDs 33 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Both of the two groups g1 and g2 are arranged at positions close to the upper end on the surface (the rearward side surface) of the substrate 31. These two groups g1 and g2 are arranged apart from each other so as to sandwich the plurality of first LEDs 32 when viewed along the circumferential direction.

[0016] The light guide member 20 guides the light (visible light) emitted from the first LED 32 to the lens member 10. The detailed configuration of the light guide member 20 will be described later.

[0017] A2. Detailed Configuration of Illumination Device 200: FIG. 3 is a first exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the illumination device 200. FIG. 4 is a second exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the illumination device 200. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-section of the steering handle 100. FIG. 3 corresponds to an exploded perspective view of the illumination device 200 as viewed approximately from the rear side toward the front side. FIG. 4 corresponds to an exploded perspective view of the illumination device 200 as viewed approximately from the front side toward the rear side. In FIGS. 3 and 4, in addition to the illumination device 200, a core metal 50 described later is also shown. FIG. 5 shows the V-V cross-section shown in FIG. 2.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the illumination device 200 includes, in addition to the above-described light emitting portion 30 and the light guide member 20, a lens member 10 and a base member 40. The illumination device 200 has a structure in which the light guide member 20, the light emitting portion 30, and the lens member 10 are assembled and integrated in the front-rear direction with the base member 40 interposed therebetween.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lens member 10 includes a diffusion surface forming portion 11, a second surrounding portion 12, and a plurality of engaging walls 15. The diffusion surface forming portion 11 forms the outer surface of the steering handle 100 continuously with the outer skin layer 80 as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the diffusion surface forming portion 11 has an arc-shaped and belt-like external shape that curves along the circumferential direction of the gripping portion 110 as viewed from the driver, similar to the above-described substrate 31. The diffusion surface forming portion 11 has a light transmissivity for visible light and infrared light, and forms a diffusion surface for diffusing the light received from the light emitting portion 30 through the light guide member 20 into the passenger compartment. In the present embodiment, the diffusion surface forming portion 11 has a light transmissivity of approximately 25% for visible light and approximately 90% for infrared light. Note that the light transmissivities of visible light and infrared light may be any values higher than 0%, respectively. In the present embodiment, the diffusion surface forming portion 11 is formed of a black transparent synthetic resin in accordance with the black outer skin layer 80. Note that the diffusion surface forming portion 11 may be configured to be covered with the outer skin layer 80. Even in such a configuration, since the outer skin layer 80 has light transmissivity, the diffusion surface can diffuse the light received from the light emitting portion 30 into the passenger compartment.

[0020] The diffusion surface forming section 11 has the functions of diffusing the light received from the light-emitting section 30 and protecting the light-emitting section 30, as well as the function of limiting the area through which visible light emitted from the first LED 32 is transmitted (in other words, the function of masking areas that should not be illuminated), and the function of deflecting the emission direction of infrared light emitted from the second LED 33 so that it is directed upward toward the rear, towards the driver. The light-emitting area 19 shown in Figure 1 is an area through which visible light is transmitted. On the other hand, in Figure 1, the areas of the diffusion surface forming section 11 other than the light-emitting area 19 are areas in which the transmission of visible light is limited.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the second enclosure portion 12 is provided on the front-facing surface (inner surface) of the diffusion surface forming portion 11. When the illumination device 200 is assembled (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "assembled state"), the second enclosure portion 12 is arranged to surround the entire circumference of the first enclosure portion 41, which protrudes rearward from the recess C1 of the base member 40 shown in Figures 3 and 5, and the first light guide portion 21, which corresponds to a part of the light guide member 20 housed in the first enclosure portion 41 (described later). The recess C1 opens on the front-facing surface of the base member 40 and has a groove-like structure that extends along the circumferential direction. Of the second enclosure portion 12, the protruding portion 13, which corresponds to the radial side wall, protrudes from the front-facing surface of the diffusion surface forming portion 11, in other words, the inner surface, in the depth direction of the recess C1. In this embodiment, the "depth direction of the recess C1" is approximately the same as the front-rear direction, as is clear from Figures 3 and 5. As shown in Figure 4, the protruding portion 13 has a plurality of engagement holes 14. In the assembled state, the engagement claws 44 (see Figure 3) provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first enclosing portion 41 of the base member 40 engage with the engagement holes 14. This engagement is achieved as a so-called snap fit. The plurality of engagement walls 15, as shown in Figure 4, have a thin, wall-like external shape that protrudes forward and are provided with engagement holes. In the assembled state, the engagement walls 15 are positioned in contact with the engagement walls 45 (see Figure 3) of the base member 40. In the assembled state, the engagement claws provided on the engagement walls 45 engage with the engagement holes of the engagement walls 15. This engagement is also achieved as a so-called snap fit.

[0022] The light guide member 20 guides the light (visible light) emitted from the first LED 32 to the lens member 10. In this embodiment, the light guide member 20 is made of polycarbonate (PC) resin. However, it may be made of acrylic resin instead of PC resin. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the light guide member 20 has an external shape in which the cross-sectional shape along the axis AX is substantially L-shaped. In addition, the light guide member 20 has an external shape that is arc-shaped when viewed from the driver, in accordance with the arrangement positions of the multiple first LEDs 32.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the light guide member 20 comprises a first light guide section 21, a second light guide section 22, and a deflection section 23. The first light guide section 21 has an emission surface S1 from which visible light is emitted from the light guide member 20 to the lens member 10. The first light guide section 21 extends along a direction toward the lens member 10 from the surface (rear side) of the substrate 31 (hereinafter also referred to as the "first direction"). The first direction is parallel to the forward direction. The second light guide section 22 has an incidence surface S2 into which visible light output from the first LED 32 is incident. As shown in Figure 5, the incidence surface S2 is located above the first LED 32. Therefore, visible light is incident upward from the first LED 32 onto the incidence surface S2. The second light guide section 22 extends along a direction intersecting the first direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "second direction"). In the state shown in Figure 5, the second direction corresponds to the upward direction and the approximately upward direction. In this embodiment, the first and second directions are orthogonal to each other. The deflection unit 23 connects the first light guide unit 21 and the second light guide unit 22, and reflects the visible light guided by the second light guide unit 22 to input to the first light guide unit 21. More specifically, the deflection unit 23 deflects the visible light that enters the second light guide unit 22 from the incident surface S2 and moves upward so that it moves forward to input to the first light guide unit 21. As shown in Figure 4, the deflection unit 23 has a deflection surface 24 that deflects visible light. Multiple diffusion units 25 are formed on the deflection surface 24. Each diffusion unit 25 is positioned in a position corresponding to each first LED 32 in the upward direction. Each diffusion unit 25 has a recessed structure formed by partially beveling the deflection surface 24. Specifically, each diffusion section 25 has a recessed structure such that the position corresponding to the upward direction relative to the first LED 32 is the most concave, and the depth gradually decreases as it moves circumferentially toward the position corresponding to the adjacent first LED 32. In addition, the width of each diffusion section 25, i.e., the vertical dimension, is largest at the position corresponding to the upward direction relative to the first LED 32 (more precisely, radially outward), and gradually decreases as it moves circumferentially toward the position corresponding to the adjacent first LED 32. With the deflection section 23 having such a structure, the visible light, which is a point light source so to speak, output from each first LED 32 is diffused in the circumferential and vertical directions when deflected by the deflection section 23.As shown in Figure 5, in the assembled state, the first light guide portion 21 is housed in the recess C1. On the other hand, in the assembled state, the second light guide portion 22 and the deflection portion 23 are located on the front side of the base member 40 and are not housed in the recess C1.

[0024] The base member 40 holds the second light guide portion 22 and the light-emitting portion 30 of the light guide member 20 attached to its front side, and also holds the first light guide portion 21 and the lens member 10 of the light guide member 20 attached to its rear side. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base member 40 has an external appearance that is curved in the circumferential direction and is band-shaped when viewed from the driver. In this embodiment, the base member 40 is configured as a single part made of ABS resin. Alternatively, it may be configured as a single part made of PC resin instead of ABS resin, or in addition to ABS resin. It may also be configured as a composite part made by combining multiple parts. As described above, a recess C1 that is continuous in the circumferential direction is formed on the rear side surface of the base member 40. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, on the rear side surface of the base member 40, a covering portion 42 that is continuous in the circumferential direction is provided on the upper and lower sides of the recess C1. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface of the covering portion 42 is such that the angle between the surface located above the top portion 43 and the surface located below it is acute. The covering portion 42 is covered by an outer layer 80, which will be described later.

[0025] In the recess C1, a through hole is formed in the portion corresponding to the light guide member 20, extending in the thickness direction. As shown in Figure 5, the first light guide portion 21 of the light guide member 20 is inserted into this through hole. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, in the recess C1, the aforementioned first surrounding portion 41 is provided so as to surround the through hole into which the first light guide portion 21 is inserted. The first surrounding portion 41 is formed to protrude backward so as to surround the through hole and the side surface of the first light guide portion 21 inserted into the through hole, in contact with it around its entire circumference, similar to the second surrounding portion 12 of the lens member 10 shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 3, the first surrounding portion 41 has an external shape that is a flattened cylindrical shape curved in an arc. As described above, a plurality of engaging claws 44 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first surrounding portion 41, and these engaging claws 44 engage with the engaging holes 14 of the lens member 10 when assembled. The first enclosing portion 41 suppresses vertical and horizontal positional displacement of the light guide member 20, including the first light guide portion 21.

[0026] A3. Detailed configuration of the gripping part 110: In the gripping portion 110, the cross-sectional configuration of the portion other than the portion to which the illumination device 200 is attached differs from the cross-sectional configuration of the portion to which the illumination device 200 is attached shown in Figure 5, in that the illumination device 200 is not attached, but the other configurations are the same.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the gripping portion 110 comprises a core metal 50, a core portion 60, an element layer 70, the illumination device 200 described above, and an outer layer 80.

[0028] The core metal 50 is made of metal and is a structural component of the gripping portion 110. In this embodiment, the core metal 50 is made of an aluminum alloy. However, the core metal 50 may be made of any type of metal other than an aluminum alloy, such as a magnesium alloy or steel. The core portion 60 is positioned to cover the front side of the core metal 50 and forms the core of the gripping portion 110. The rear side of the core metal 50 is not covered by the core portion 60 and is exposed. The core portion 60 is a component used as the base material of the steering handle 100 and is made of a soft synthetic resin with cushioning properties. Specifically, in this embodiment, the core portion 60 is made of a soft foamed material such as foamed polyurethane. The core portion 60 corresponds to an impact absorbing member. The element layer 70 partially covers the core portion 60. The element layer 70 is a layer on which heating wires constituting a heater device and electrodes for detecting gripping are provided. For example, it is made of a conductive fabric with a surface treatment such as carbon coating or metal plating applied to a fibrous fabric. As shown in Figure 5, in the portion of the gripping part 110 where the illumination device 200 is attached, the element layer 70 also covers a part of the base member. The outer surface of the element layer 70 and a part of the outer surface of the base member 40 form a continuous curved surface. The outer skin layer 80 continuously covers the outer surface of the element layer 70, the outer surface of the covering portion 42 of the base member 40, and the inside of the recess C1 of the base member 40. As shown in Figure 5, the terminal portion of the leather member constituting the outer skin layer 80 is housed in the recess C1. The outer skin layer 80 is formed of a leather member. In this embodiment, the leather member is made of natural leather such as top leather or split leather separated from top leather. Note that the leather member may be made of any type of leather material other than natural leather, such as synthetic leather or artificial leather.

[0029] A4. Manufacturing method of steering wheel 100: A method for manufacturing (assembly method) the steering handle 100 having the above-described configuration will now be explained. First, the lens member 10, the light guide member 20, the light-emitting part 30, and the base member 40, which are the components of the illumination device 200, are each manufactured. Next, the core metal 50 is manufactured. The core part 60 and the element layer 70 are formed so as to enclose the front side of the core metal 50. Hereafter, the member obtained in this way will be called the "handle material". The handle material may be formed by, for example, two-color molding. Subsequently, the substrate 31 is placed on the rear end face S3 of the core metal 50. At this time, the side of the substrate 31 opposite to the side on which the first LED 32 is provided (the rear side) (the front side) is placed in contact with the rear end face S3 of the core metal 50. The substrate 31 is fixed to the core metal 50 with screws 90. Specifically, the screw 90 passes through a through hole 35 provided in the substrate 31 and screws into a screw hole 51 provided in the core metal 50, thereby fixing the substrate 31 to the core metal 50 while being pressed forward by the screw 90. Subsequently, the light guide member 20 and the base member 40 are placed in predetermined positions, and the light guide member 20 and the base member 40 are fixed to the core metal 50 by screws 90 (not shown). In this way, an assembly in which the handle material, light-emitting part 30, light guide member 20 and base member 40 are integrated is obtained. Next, a leather member is wrapped around the outer surface of the assembly to form an outer skin layer 80. The outer skin layer 80 may be formed, for example, by wrapping multiple leather member parts around it in the circumferential direction. Next, adhesive is applied to the wall surface of the recess C1, the end portion of the outer skin layer 80 is bent along the shape of the covering part 42 and housed in the recess C1, and the end portion is adhered to the wall surface of the recess C1. Next, the lens member 10 is fitted into the recess C1 and attached to the base member 40 using a snap-fit ​​mechanism. In addition to the above procedure, there are other steps, such as housing the airbag and inflator in the boss portion 130 (not shown), but these steps will not be explained.

[0030] A5. Regarding the fixing of the circuit board 31 to the core metal 50: As described above, the screw 90 passes through the through hole 35 in the substrate 31 and engages with the screw hole 51 provided in the core metal 50, thereby fixing the substrate 31 to the core metal 50 while being pressed forward by the screw 90. Therefore, the front-facing surface of the substrate 31 is positioned in contact with the rear-facing end face S3 of the core metal 50. As a result, the heat generated in the substrate 31 by driving the first LED 32 is directly transferred to the core metal 50. Therefore, the heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be improved, and a dedicated component for heat dissipation (heat transfer) is not required, thereby suppressing an increase in the manufacturing cost and size of the steering handle 100. In addition, since the substrate 31 and the core metal 50 are in surface contact with each other, heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be promoted compared to configurations where contact is at points or lines. Furthermore, since the substrate 31 is fixed by the screw 90, the contact between the substrate 31 and the core metal 50 can be strengthened, improving heat dissipation. Furthermore, since the substrate 31 is fixed to the impact-resistant core metal 50, displacement of the substrate 31 can be suppressed even when an external impact is applied.

[0031] In the steering handle 100 of the first embodiment described above, since the substrate 31 is positioned in contact with the core metal 50, no special component is required to dissipate heat by transferring the heat from the substrate 31 to the core metal 50. Therefore, heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be achieved while suppressing increases in manufacturing cost and size of the steering handle 100. Furthermore, since the substrate 31 is in contact with the core metal 50 on the side opposite to the side on which the first LED 32 is provided and is fixed to the core metal 50 by screws 90, heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be promoted compared to a configuration in which it is not in contact with the core metal 50 on a surface, and heat transfer performance can be improved compared to a configuration in which it is not fixed to the core metal 50 by screws 90. In addition, since the substrate 31 is fixed to the impact-resistant core metal 50 by screws 90, displacement of the substrate 31 can be suppressed even when an external impact is applied.

[0032] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the steering handle 100a of the second embodiment. The steering handle 100a of the second embodiment differs from the steering handle 100 of the first embodiment in that it has a core portion 60a instead of a core portion 60. The other components of the steering handle 100a of the second embodiment are the same as those of the steering handle 100 of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used for similar components and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0033] The core portion 60a differs from the core portion 60 of the first embodiment in that it includes an intervening portion 61. The intervening portion 61 has a sheet-like appearance and covers the rear side of the core metal 50. The intervening portion 61 is part of the core portion 60a and, like the other parts of the core portion 60a, is formed of a soft foamed material such as foamed polyurethane that functions as an impact absorbing member. In this embodiment, the thickness of the intervening portion 61, i.e., the dimension in the front-to-back direction in Figure 6, is 2 mm (millimeters) or less in the assembled state shown in Figure 6. The intervening portion 61 has a through hole 62 formed in advance through which a screw 90 can pass.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, in the second embodiment, the substrate 31 is positioned in contact with the intervening portion 61. Specifically, the substrate 31 is in contact with the rear end face of the intervening portion 61 on the side opposite to the side on which the first LED 32 is provided (the front side). The substrate 31 is then fixed to the core metal 50 via the intervening portion 61 by screws 90. Specifically, the screws 90 pass through the through holes 35 in the substrate 31 and the through holes 62 in the intervening portion 61 and are screwed into the screw holes 51 provided in the core metal 50, thereby fixing the substrate 31 to the core metal 50 via the intervening portion 61 while being pressed forward by the screws 90.

[0035] Here, the intervening portion 61 is formed of a soft foamed material such as foamed polyurethane, which can be considered an insulating material. However, as described above, the intervening portion 61 has a sheet-like appearance and its thickness is 2 mm or less, so the heat from the substrate 31 is transferred to the core metal 50 via the intervening portion 61. In addition, the substrate 31 is fixed to the core metal 50 by screws 90, and the screws 90 are screwed into the screw holes 51 of the core metal 50, so the heat from the substrate 31 can also be transferred to the core metal 50 via the screws 90.

[0036] The steering handle 100a of the second embodiment described above has the same effects as the steering handle 100 of the first embodiment. That is, the substrate 31 is indirectly in contact with the core metal 50 via a sheet-like intervening portion 61, and since this intervening portion 61 is configured as part of the core portion 60a, which is a material used as the base material for the steering handle 100a, no special material is required to dissipate heat by transferring the heat of the substrate 31 to the core metal 50. Therefore, heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be achieved while suppressing increases in the manufacturing cost and size of the steering handle 100a. Furthermore, since the substrate 31 is in contact with the intervening portion 61 on the side opposite to the side on which the first LED 32 is provided, and is fixed to the core metal 50 via the intervening portion 61 by screws 90, heat dissipation of the substrate 31 can be promoted compared to a configuration in which it is not in contact with the intervening portion 61 on a surface, and heat transfer performance can be improved compared to a configuration in which it is not fixed to the core metal 50 by screws 90. Furthermore, since the circuit board 31 is fixed to the impact-resistant core metal 50 with screws 90, displacement of the circuit board 31 can be suppressed even if an external impact is applied.

[0037] Furthermore, since the intervening portion 61 is configured as part of an impact-absorbing member that covers at least a portion of the core metal 50, it is possible to improve the impact resistance of the substrate 31 and the core metal 50 while enabling heat dissipation from the substrate 31.

[0038] Furthermore, since the thickness of the intervening portion 61 is 2 mm or less, heat transfer performance can be improved compared to configurations with greater size and thickness.

[0039] C. Other embodiments: (C1) In each embodiment, the substrate 31 was fixed to the core metal 50 by screws, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, an engaging claw may be provided on one of the substrate 31 or the core metal 50, and an engaging hole that engages with the engaging claw on the other may be provided, so that the substrate 31 is fixed to the core metal 50 by the engagement of the engaging hole and the engaging claw. In the second embodiment, when this configuration of an engaging claw and an engaging hole is applied, a through hole through which the engaging claw passes may be provided in the intervening portion 61.

[0040] (C2) In the second embodiment, the intervening portion 61 was configured as a part of the core portion 60, in other words as a part of the shock-absorbing member, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a part of the base member 40 may be configured as the intervening portion, and the substrate 31 may be indirectly fixed to the core metal 50 via such intervening portion.

[0041] (C3) In each embodiment, the illumination device 200 was provided on the grip portion 110, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the illumination device 200 may be provided on any part of the steering handle 100, 100a, such as the boss portion 130 or the spoke portion 120. In this case, the shape and configuration of the illumination device 200 can be appropriately changed to suit the size and shape of the location where the illumination device 200 is provided. It is desirable that the illumination device 200 be located in a position that is directly visible to the driver. However, for example, if the light emitted from the illumination device 200 is reflected off the surface of any part inside the vehicle, such as the surface of the instrument panel, and such reflected light is visible to the driver, the illumination device 200 may be located in a position that is not directly visible to the driver.

[0042] (C4) The configurations of the steering handles 100 and 100a in each embodiment are merely examples and can be modified in various ways. For example, in each embodiment, the substrate 31 may be in contact with the core metal 50 or the intervening portion 61 at a point or along a line. Also, in the second embodiment, the thickness of the intervening portion 61 may be greater than 2 mm, as long as it can transfer the heat of the substrate 31 to the core metal 50. Also, in each embodiment, the protruding portion 13 may be omitted. Also, in each embodiment, the multiple second LEDs 33 may be omitted. Also, in each embodiment, the light guide member 20 had a cross-sectional shape along the axis AX that was approximately L-shaped. That is, the first direction and the second direction were orthogonal to each other. However, the first light guide portion 21 and the second light guide portion 22 may be arranged so that these directions intersect at any angle other than 90°.

[0043] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the embodiments described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10...Lens member, 11...Diffusion surface forming part, 12...Second enclosure part, 13...Protruding part, 14...Engagement hole, 15...Engagement wall, 19...Light-emitting area, 20...Light guide member, 21...First light guide part, 22...Second light guide part, 23...Declining part, 24...Declining surface, 25...Diffusion part, 30...Light-emitting part, 31...Substrate, 32...First LED, 33...Second LED, 35...Through hole, 40...Base member, 41...First enclosure part, 42...Coating part, 43...Top part, 44...Engagement claw, 45...Engagement wall, 50...Core metal 51...Screw hole, 60...Core part, 60a...Core part, 61...Intervening part, 62...Through hole, 70...Element layer, 80...Outer layer, 90...Screw, 100...Steering handle, 100a...Steering handle, 110...Gripping part, 120...Spoke part, 130...Boss part, 200...Illumination device, AX...Axis, C1...Recess, S1...Injection surface, S2...Injection surface, S3...End face, SH...Steering shaft, g1...Group, g2...Group

Claims

1. It is a steering wheel, A substrate on which light-emitting elements are provided on the surface, The core metal forming the frame of the steering handle, Equipped with, The substrate is positioned in contact with the core metal. Steering wheel.

2. In the steering handle according to claim 1, The substrate is in contact with the core metal on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is provided, and is fixed to the core metal by screws. Steering wheel.

3. It is a steering wheel, A substrate on which light-emitting elements are provided on the surface, The core metal forming the frame of the steering handle, A sheet-like intervening portion sandwiched between the substrate and the core metal, the intervening portion being configured as part of the material used as the base material for the steering handle, Equipped with, Steering wheel.

4. In the steering wheel according to claim 3, The intervening portion is configured as part of an impact-absorbing member that is arranged to cover at least a portion of the core metal. Steering wheel.

5. In the steering wheel according to claim 4, The thickness of the intervening portion is 2 mm (millimeters) or less. Steering wheel.

6. In the steering wheel according to claim 3, The substrate is in contact with the intervening portion on the side opposite to the side on which the light-emitting element is provided, and is fixed to the core metal via the intervening portion by screws. Steering wheel.

Images