Steering wheel

Abstract

To obtain a steering wheel in which, even if a driver's finger gets caught in a hole provided in the connecting part, it is easy to remove the finger from the hole. [Solution] A boss portion 22 is fixed to the steering shaft 18. A rim portion 24, which is gripped by the driver, is positioned on the outer circumference of the boss portion 22 when viewed in the axial direction, and the boss portion 22 and the rim portion 24 are connected by connecting portions 26, 27, and 28. The left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are provided with holes 32 and 34, which have openings 32A and 34A on the front side of the steering wheel 20. The left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are provided with inclined surfaces 60 to 65 on the inner circumferential surface of the holes 32 and 34, which incline to widen the holes 32 and 34 as they move towards the front side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a structure in which a hole penetrating in the axial direction of a column portion is formed between upper and lower pairs of spoke portions extending left and right on the outer peripheral side of the column portion located at the center of the steering.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a structure in which a hole is provided in the connecting portion between the boss portion and the gripping portion of the steering wheel, if the driver's finger gets into the hole, the finger may be pinched depending on the way the finger is inserted, the size of the finger, and the size of the hole.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a steering wheel in which even if the driver's finger is pinched in the hole provided in the connecting portion, the finger can be easily pulled out from the hole.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The steering wheel according to the first aspect includes a boss portion fixed to a steering shaft of a vehicle, a gripping portion disposed on the outer peripheral side of the boss portion when viewed in the axial direction of the boss portion and gripped by a driver, a connecting portion that connects the boss portion and the gripping portion and is provided with a hole having an opening on the front side, and an inclined surface that inclines so as to widen the hole toward the front side in a portion constituting the inner peripheral surface of the hole.

[0007] In the context of the coupling section, "front side" refers to the same side as the front side of the steering wheel, or in other words, the driver's side.

[0008] In the steering wheel of the first embodiment, the boss portion is fixed to the steering shaft of the vehicle. Furthermore, a grip portion for the driver to hold is arranged on the outer circumference of the boss portion when viewed in the axial direction, and the boss portion and the grip portion are connected by a connecting portion. Therefore, the driver can rotate the steering wheel with the steering shaft as the center of rotation while gripping the grip portion. On the other hand, the connecting portion is provided with a hole having an opening on the front side (driver side) of the steering wheel. Here, the connecting portion has an inclined surface on the part that constitutes the inner circumferential surface of the hole, which inclins to widen the hole as it approaches the front side. Therefore, even if the driver's finger gets caught in the hole, the hole is widened towards the front side (driver side) by the inclined surface, making it easy to remove the finger from the hole.

[0009] In the second embodiment, the steering wheel is provided with an operating section on the inclined surface, as in the first embodiment.

[0010] According to the steering wheel of the second embodiment, since the operating part is provided on the inclined surface, the driver can operate the operating part with their finger and then slide their finger along the inclined surface, making it easier to withdraw their finger from the hole.

[0011] In the third embodiment of the steering wheel, the inclined surface is set to have a lower coefficient of friction than the gripping portion, as in the first or second embodiment.

[0012] According to the steering wheel of the third embodiment, the inclined surface provided on the inner circumferential surface of the hole is more slippery than the grip portion that the driver holds while driving. Therefore, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the hole, it becomes easy to slide the fingers along the inclined surface, making it easier to remove the fingers from the hole.

[0013] In the fourth embodiment of the steering wheel, in any one embodiment of the first to third embodiments, the inclined surface is configured to be flexibly deformable by a pressing force from the inside of the hole toward the inclined surface.

[0014] According to the steering wheel of the fourth embodiment, even if the driver's finger gets caught in the hole, the finger can be easily removed from the hole by bending and deforming the inclined surface with the finger. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the steering wheel according to the present invention has the excellent effect that even if the driver's finger gets caught in the hole provided in the connecting part, it is easy to remove the finger from the hole. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure shows a simplified view of a portion of the front of the passenger compartment of a vehicle having a steering wheel according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the driver's side. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view showing a portion of the front of the vehicle interior, including the steering wheel. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an enlarged front view of the steering wheel. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after cutting along line 4-4 in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing a steering wheel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] [First Embodiment] The steering wheel according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In FIGS. 1 to 4, the arrow FR appropriately shown indicates the front side of the vehicle, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction. Also, in each figure, some reference numerals may be omitted for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

[0018] (Configuration) FIG. 1 shows a simplified view of a part of the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior in a vehicle 10 having a steering wheel 20 according to the first embodiment, as seen from the driver's side (driver's seat side). As shown in FIG. 1, an instrument panel 12 is provided in the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior in the vehicle 10. A windshield 13 is disposed above the front end portion of the instrument panel 12. A front pillar 14 is disposed along the vehicle vertical direction on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the windshield 13.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a part of the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior in a side view. A front seat 16 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle of the instrument panel 12 shown in FIG. 1. The front seat 16 has the driver's seat 16D on one side (the right side in this embodiment) in the left and right of the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior, and the passenger seat on the other side (the left side in this embodiment) in the left and right of the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior. Also, on one side (the right side in this embodiment) in the left and right of the front portion 10F of the vehicle interior, the steering wheel 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided on the front side of the vehicle of the driver's seat 16D. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel 20 is operated by a driver PD seated on the driver's seat 16D. Note that the steering wheel 20 may also be referred to as a steering.

[0020] Figure 3 shows an enlarged front view of the steering wheel 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the steering wheel 20 has a boss portion 22 that is fixed to the steering shaft 18 of the vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the portion on the tip side (upper end side) of the steering shaft 18 is covered by a steering column cover 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the boss portion 22 is provided in the central region of the steering wheel 20. The boss portion 22 is fixed to the tip end portion of the steering shaft 18 using fixing means such as a nut N (see FIG. 4). The boss portion 22 may also be referred to as a hub portion.

[0021] The steering wheel 20 has a rim portion 24 that is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the boss portion 22 when viewed in the axial direction of the boss portion 22 and serves as an annular grip portion for the driver to grip. The boss portion 22 and the rim portion 24 are connected by a plurality (three in this embodiment) of connecting portions (also referred to as "spoke portions") 26, 27, 28.

[0022] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the boss portion 22 is a part of a core metal 21 that constitutes the skeleton portion of the steering wheel 20. An illustration of the shape of the core metal 21 in a front view is omitted. The core metal 21 is formed of, for example, an aluminum alloy, a magnesium alloy, steel, or the like. The core metal 21 includes the boss portion 22, an annular ring core metal portion 21B that constitutes the skeleton portion of the rim portion 24, and spoke core metal portions 21C that constitute the skeleton portions of the connecting portions 26, 27, 28 (see FIG. 3). In the spoke core metal portion 21C, through holes 21H are formed in a part of the portion that becomes the skeleton portions of the left and right connecting portions 26, 27.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a synthetic resin pad portion 30 is positioned on the front side (driver side) relative to the boss portion 22. The pad portion 30 is sometimes referred to as a wheel pad. The pad portion 30 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with one end closed and positioned with the open end facing the boss portion 22. It comprises a top wall portion 30A facing the driver side and a circumferential wall portion 30B extending from the outer circumference of the top wall portion 30A to the side opposite to the front side (driver side). The circumferential wall portion 30B is composed of left and right side wall portions 30L and 30R. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the pad portion 30 is biased by a spring on the front side (driver side), and a predetermined portion at the tip of the circumferential wall portion 30B is locked to a predetermined portion on the core metal 21 (see Figure 4), allowing the pad portion 30 to be displaced by a predetermined amount along the central axis direction (the same direction as the axis direction of the boss portion 22).

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, an airbag device 50 is positioned in the inner space of the pad portion 30. The airbag device 50 includes a metal base plate 52 positioned on the leading edge (open end) of the peripheral wall portion 30B of the pad portion 30. The base plate 52 consists of a rectangular flat base portion 52A to which the inflator 56 is fixed, and a mounting portion 52B formed by bending from the edge of the base portion 52A toward the opposite side from the driver. Meanwhile, metal or resin insert plates 54 are embedded in the side walls 30L and 30R of the pad portion 30 by insert molding, and the mounting portion 52B of the base plate 52 is fixed to these insert plates 54. A folded bag 58 is stored in the space formed by the base plate 52 and the pad portion 30. In Figure 4, the cross-section of the bag 58 is shown with a thick line without indicating the thickness for convenience. The bag 58 has its opening fixed to the base portion 52A of the base plate 52, and is designed to inflate and deploy when expansion gas is supplied from the inflator 56 during a vehicle collision.

[0025] The top wall portion 30A of the pad portion 30 is the part that is pressed when activating the horn device (not shown). A horn switch (not shown) is located near the tip end of the peripheral wall portion 30B of the pad portion 30. That is, the pad portion 30 is configured such that when the top wall portion 30A is pressed, the tip end of the peripheral wall portion 30B presses the horn switch. Furthermore, when the horn switch is pressed, the horn device is activated. Note that a known configuration can be used for activating the horn device, so detailed illustrations and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the rim portion 24 is positioned to surround the boss portion 22 when viewed in the axial direction of the boss portion 22, and includes a covering portion 24A that covers the annular ring core portion 21B (see Figure 4). The rim portion 24 is rotated by the driver who grips the rim portion 24, with the steering shaft 18 as the center of rotation.

[0027] Of the three connecting parts 26, 27, and 28, connecting part 26 is provided on the left side relative to the boss part 22, connecting part 27 is provided on the right side relative to the boss part 22, and connecting part 28 is provided below the boss part 22. The connecting parts 26, 27, and 28 are provided on the spoke core metal part 21C (see Figure 4) and are equipped with synthetic resin covers 26A, 27A, and 28A that cover the portion including the spoke core metal part 21C.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the left and right covers 26A and 27A form a space together with the spoke core metal portion 21C, etc., on the front side relative to the spoke core metal portion 21C. In the space formed by the left cover 26A, etc., a circuit board (not shown) on which a cruise control switch is mounted is housed, for example. In the space formed by the right cover 27A, etc., a circuit board (not shown) on which an audio switch is mounted is housed, for example.

[0029] The steering wheel 20 also has operating switches 42 and 44 that protrude from the left and right covers 26A and 27A toward the front (driver side) and are rotatably operated. The operating switch 42 protruding toward the front from the left cover 26A is used to operate the cruise control when increasing or decreasing the set vehicle speed by a predetermined speed. The operating switch 44 protruding toward the front from the right cover 26A and 27A is used to select the music to be played on the in-vehicle audio system. The operating switches 42 and 44 can move their protruding tips both upward and downward from the home position (neutral position) shown in Figure 3.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the operating switches 42 and 44 are part of the toggle switch devices 36 and 38. Since known toggle switch devices can be used for the toggle switch devices 36 and 38, a detailed explanation is omitted. The operating switches 42 and 44 are formed, for example, in a roughly rectangular plate shape.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, as an example, among the three connecting parts 26, 27, and 28, the left and right connecting parts 26 and 27 are provided with holes 32 and 34 on the side walls 30L and 30R of the pad part 30. The holes 32 and 34 have openings 32A and 34A on the front side (driver side) and are formed in a shape that is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, the holes 32 and 34 are provided, as an example, from the viewpoint of improving the design of the steering wheel 20 and, consequently, the design of the front part 10F of the vehicle interior shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the holes 32 and 34 are formed by notched cutouts 26K and 27K formed on the pad part 30 side of the cover 26A and 27A and a part of the side walls 30L and 30R of the pad part 30.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are provided with inclined surfaces 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34, which are inclined to widen the holes 32 and 34 as they move toward the front side (driver side). Hereafter, the inclined surfaces 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 will be abbreviated as inclined surfaces 60 to 65. As shown in Figure 3, the inclined surfaces 60, 61, and 62 are planes formed in the recessed portion 26K of the left connecting portion 26, and the inclined surfaces 63, 64, and 65 are planes formed in the recessed portion 27K of the right connecting portion 27.

[0033] The upper and lower portions of the inner circumferential surface of the left-side hole 32 face each other. The upper portion of the inner circumferential surface of the hole 32 is formed by an inclined surface 60, and the lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the hole 32 is formed by an inclined surface 62. In addition, the side portion of the inner circumferential surface of the left-side hole 32 faces a part of the left side wall portion 30L of the pad portion 30 and is formed by an inclined surface 61.

[0034] Furthermore, the upper and lower portions of the inner circumferential surface of the right-side hole 34 face each other, with the upper portion of the inner circumferential surface of the hole 34 being composed of an inclined surface 63, and the lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the hole 34 being composed of an inclined surface 65. In addition, the side portion of the inner circumferential surface of the right-side hole 34 faces a part of the right-side wall portion 30R of the pad portion 30 and is composed of an inclined surface 64.

[0035] The inclined surfaces 60-65 are set to have a lower coefficient of friction than the rim portion 24. Furthermore, the inclined surfaces 60-65 are configured to be deformable by a pressing force from the inside of the holes 32 and 34 toward the inclined surfaces 60-65. In this embodiment, as an example, the covers 26A and 27A of the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are made of a single material, but the portions of the covers 26A and 27A that form the inclined surfaces 60-65 (recessed portions 26K and 27K in this embodiment) may be made of a material with a lower coefficient of friction than the other parts of the covers 26A and 27A, or they may be made of a material that is more easily deformable by bending than the other parts of the covers 26A and 27A.

[0036] (Effects / Actions) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, in the steering wheel 20 of this embodiment, the boss portion 22 is fixed to the steering shaft 18. Furthermore, a rim portion 24 for the driver to grip is positioned on the outer circumference of the boss portion 22 when viewed in the axial direction, and the boss portion 22 and the rim portion 24 are connected by connecting portions 26, 27, and 28. Therefore, the driver can rotate the steering wheel with the steering shaft 18 as the center of rotation while gripping the rim portion 24.

[0038] On the other hand, the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are provided with holes 32 and 34 having openings 32A and 34A on the front side (driver side) of the steering wheel 20. Here, the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are equipped with inclined surfaces 60 to 65 that form the inner circumferential surface of the holes 32 and 34, which incline to widen the holes 32 and 34 as they move toward the front side (driver side). Therefore, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the holes 32 and 34, the holes 32 and 34 are widened toward the front side (driver side) by the inclined surfaces 60 to 65, making it easy for the driver to remove their fingers from the holes 32 and 34.

[0039] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 20 of this embodiment, the inclined surfaces 60-65 provided on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34 have a lower coefficient of friction than the rim portion 24, making them more slippery than the rim portion 24 that the driver grips while driving. Therefore, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the holes 32 and 34, it becomes easy to slide those fingers along the inclined surfaces 60-65, making it easier to remove the fingers from the holes 32 and 34.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the steering wheel 20 of this embodiment, the inclined surfaces 60-65 are configured to bend and deform due to the pressing force from the inside of the holes 32 and 34 toward the inclined surfaces 60-65. Therefore, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the holes 32 and 34, the fingers can be easily removed from the holes 32 and 34 by bending and deforming the inclined surfaces 60-65 with the fingers.

[0041] As described above, with the steering wheel 20 according to this embodiment, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the holes 32 and 34 provided in the connecting portions 26 and 27, it is easy to remove the fingers from the holes 32 and 34.

[0042] [Second Embodiment] Next, a steering wheel according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view (corresponding to Figure 4 of the first embodiment) of the steering wheel 70 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the steering wheel 70 differs from the steering wheel 20 according to the first embodiment (see Figures 1 to 4) in that it is equipped with covers 26C and 27C in place of covers 26A and 27A (see Figures 3 and 4) in the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 of the first embodiment, and that the operating switches 82 and 84, which serve as operating parts, are provided on inclined surfaces 72 and 74, which constitute a part of the inner circumferential surface of the holes 32 and 34, instead of operating switches 42 and 44 (see Figures 3 and 4). Other components of the steering wheel 70 according to the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the steering wheel 20 according to the first embodiment (see Figures 1 to 4). Components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0043] In this embodiment, since the operating switches 82 and 84 are provided on the inclined surfaces 72 and 74, the covers 26C and 27C differ from the covers 26A and 27A of the first embodiment (see Figures 3 and 4) in that the position of the switch mounting holes (not shown) is different, and the inclined surfaces 72 and 74 are configured so that they do not bend or deform due to the pressing force from the inside of the holes 32 and 34 toward the inclined surfaces 72 and 74 (see Figures 3 and 4). Covers 26C and 27C are otherwise configured similarly to the covers 26A and 27A of the first embodiment (see Figures 3 and 4). The inclined surfaces 72 and 74 correspond to the inclined surfaces 61 and 64 of the first embodiment (see Figures 3 and 4), and are flat, inclined so as they widen toward the front side (driver side) toward the holes 32 and 34. In addition, the coefficient of friction of the inclined surfaces 72 and 74 is set lower than that of the rim portion 24. For convenience, the holes 32 and 34 in this embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as the holes 32 and 34 in the first embodiment. Similarly, for convenience, the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 in this embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as the connecting portions 26 and 27 in the first embodiment.

[0044] The operating switches 82 and 84 are part of the toggle switch devices 76 and 78, and are formed, for example, in a roughly rectangular plate shape. The operating switches 82 and 84 can move their protruding tips both upward (towards the back of the page in Figure 5) and downward (towards the front of the page in Figure 5) from the home position (neutral position) shown in Figure 5.

[0045] According to the second embodiment described above, even if the driver's fingers get caught in the holes 32 and 34 provided in the connecting parts 26 and 27, it is easy to remove the fingers from the holes 32 and 34. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, since the operating switches 82 and 84 are provided on the inclined surfaces 72 and 74, the driver can operate the operating switches 82 and 84 with their fingers and then slide their fingers along the inclined surfaces 72 and 74, making it easy to pull their fingers out of the holes 32 and 34.

[0046] [Supplementary explanation of the embodiment] In the first and second embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 5, the rim portion 24, which serves as a gripping portion for the driver, is formed in an annular shape. However, as a modification of the above embodiments, the gripping portion, which is positioned on the outer circumference of the boss portion (22) when viewed in the axial direction of the boss portion (22) and is gripped by the driver, may be formed in an arc shape or a substantially U-shape, or other than an annular shape.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, holes 32 and 34 are provided in the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27, and the left and right connecting portions 26 and 27 are provided with inclined surfaces 60 to 65, 72 and 74 on the parts that constitute the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34. However, as a modification of the above embodiments, for example, a hole having an opening on the front side is provided in the lower connecting portion (28), and the lower connecting portion (28) is provided with an inclined surface on the part that constitutes the inner circumferential surface of the hole, which inclins to widen the hole as it approaches the front side (driver side).

[0048] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the holes 32 and 34 includes a portion of the peripheral wall portion 30B of the pad portion 30 (more specifically, a portion of the side wall portions 30L and 30R). However, a hole provided in the connecting portion that connects the boss portion (22) and the gripping portion (rim portion 24) and having an opening on the front side does not necessarily have to include a portion of the peripheral wall portion (30B) of the pad portion (30) in a portion of its inner circumferential surface.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, three inclined surfaces 60-65, 72, and 74 are formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34, respectively, but the number of inclined surfaces formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes does not have to be three.

[0050] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the inclined surfaces 60-65, 72, and 74 formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34 are flat inclined surfaces. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inclined surfaces formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes are curved surfaces that are convex or concave.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the inclined surfaces 60-65, 72, and 74 provided on the inner circumferential surfaces of the holes 32 and 34 are set to have a lower coefficient of friction than the rim portion 24, but configurations in which they are not set in this way are also possible.

[0052] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the operating parts provided on the inclined surfaces 72 and 74 that constitute a part of the inner circumferential surface of the holes 32 and 34 are the operating switches 82 and 84 of the toggle switch devices 76 and 78. However, other operating parts, such as push-button switches, may be provided instead of such operating switches 82 and 84.

[0053] Furthermore, the above embodiments and the various modifications described above can be combined as appropriate.

[0054] Although an example of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it is of course possible to implement it in various ways without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10 vehicles 18 Steering shaft 20 Steering Wheel 22 Boss Section 24. Rim section (gripping section) 26 Connecting part 27 Connecting part 32 Hole 32A aperture 34 Hole 34A aperture 60, 61, 62 Slope 63, 64, 65 Slope 70 Steering Wheel 72 Slope 74 Slope 82. Operation switch (operating unit) 84. Operation switch (operating unit)

Claims

1. A boss portion that is fixed to the vehicle's steering shaft, A gripping portion is positioned on the outer circumference of the boss portion when viewed in the axial direction of the boss portion and is gripped by the driver, A connecting portion is provided which connects the boss portion and the gripping portion, and which has a hole with an opening on the front side, and which has an inclined surface on the portion constituting the inner circumferential surface of the hole that slopes to widen the hole as it approaches the front side, A steering wheel having a steering wheel.

2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein an operating section is provided on the inclined surface.

3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface has a lower coefficient of friction than the gripping portion.

4. The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inclined surface is configured to be deformable by a pressing force from the inside of the hole toward the inclined surface.

Images