Steering Wheel

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel configured to enable an irradiation state of an area to be irradiated with light to be visually recognized appropriately during operation.SOLUTION: A steering wheel W is configured to be rotationally controlled with a steering center shaft CO as a rotation center, the steering wheel W provided with a steering part R, arranged to surround the steering center shaft, which is gripped when a vehicle is steered, a boss part B arranged at the steering center shaft side which is a center side of the steering part, and a spoke part S connecting the steering part to the boss part, in which a lighting device 30 that can irradiate a predetermined place which can be visually recognized by a driver with light, during operation. The limiting device is arranged at the boss part side and is configured to irradiate an area to be irradiated LA with light during operation, the area to be irradiated LA being an area at an inner peripheral surface side of a recessed area formed in a non-gripped site SB that is not gripped by the driver, and the area nearly opposing the lighting device between the steering part and the boss part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel that is configured to be rotated around a steering central axis and is equipped with an illumination device that, when activated, can illuminate a predetermined location that is visible to a driver. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a steering wheel with an illumination device that is configured to place an illumination device in the area of ​​a boss portion disposed on the steering center axis side, and illuminate the inner circumference side of a circular steering section as an area visible to the driver when activated (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in conventional steering wheels, the illumination device illuminates the inner circumference side of an area in the steering section that is located forward of the boss portion during straight-ahead steering. Illumination of a predetermined location by such an illumination device is performed to alert or warn the driver by allowing the driver to see the light-emitting state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP2018-111440A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional steering wheels, when activated, the lighting device illuminates the area on the inner circumference of the steering section. In other words, the lighting device illuminates the area that the driver holds when turning the wheel. Therefore, when activated while driving, the driver's hands may be illuminated, resulting in poor visibility when activated.

[0005] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a steering wheel that allows the illumination state of the illuminated area during operation to be clearly visible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The steering wheel according to the present invention is configured to be rotated around a steering central axis, A steering unit that is disposed so as to surround the steering center axis and is gripped when steering the vehicle; A boss portion is disposed on a steering central axis side which is a center side of the steering portion; A spoke portion that connects the steering portion and the boss portion; The configuration includes: A steering wheel having an illumination device that can illuminate a predetermined location visible to a driver when the illumination device is activated, The lighting device is disposed on the boss side, and when activated, is configured to illuminate the illuminated area, which is the inner surface side of a recessed area formed in the non-grip portion between the steering part and the boss part that is not gripped by the driver, and which is approximately opposite the lighting device.

[0007] In the steering wheel of the present invention, the illuminated area illuminated by the lighting device when activated is composed of a recessed area formed in the non-grip area not gripped by the driver between the steering part and the boss part, and the lighting device illuminates the illuminated area composed of the inner peripheral side of this recessed area when activated. That is, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the lighting device is configured to illuminate the area not gripped by the driver (non-grip area), and since this illuminated illuminated area is the inner peripheral side of the recessed area in the non-grip area, it is possible to reliably illuminate the area not covered by the driver's hand, and the illuminated state can be stably viewed even during the daytime, etc.

[0008] Therefore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the illuminated state of the illuminated area during operation can be clearly seen.

[0009] Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, if the illuminated area is configured to be located at a position rearward of the steering center axis when steering straight ahead, the illuminated state is easier to see even during the day, and it is also easier for the driver to see when looking down when the vehicle is stopped, which is preferable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing a core metal and a bezel in the steering wheel of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged plan view showing an illuminating state of an illuminated area in the steering wheel according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the steering wheel W of the embodiment is configured to be rotated around a steering center axis CO, and includes a substantially annular ring portion R as a steering portion arranged to surround a steering shaft SS constituting the steering center axis CO, a boss portion B arranged at the center of the ring portion R and connected to the steering shaft SS, and a spoke portion S connecting the ring portion R and the boss portion B. In the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the spoke portion S is configured to include a left spoke portion SL and a right spoke portion SR extending from the boss portion B to both the left and right sides, and a rear spoke portion SB extending rearward from the boss portion B. In the steering wheel W of the embodiment, each spoke portion S (left spoke portion SL, right spoke portion SR, rear spoke portion SB) is set to have a large width dimension, and the rear spoke portion SB in particular is wide, so that it is not a portion that can be gripped by the driver but a non-grip portion. The steering wheel W is also configured to include, as its components, an airbag device 20 on the upper part of the boss portion B, a lighting device 30 disposed on the side of the boss portion B, and the steering wheel main body 1 other than that.

[0012] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are based on the straight-ahead steering state of the steering wheel W when mounted on a vehicle, and the up-down direction is the direction along the steering shaft SS (steering center axis CO), the front-rear direction is the direction perpendicular to the steering shaft SS (steering center axis CO) and generally along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the steering shaft SS (steering center axis CO) and generally along the left-right direction of the vehicle.

[0013] 1 and 2, the airbag device 20 disposed on the upper part of the boss portion B includes an airbag 21 that is folded and stored, an inflator 22 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 21, a pad 23 that covers the upper surface side of the folded airbag 21, a sheet metal holder 24 that holds the airbag 21, the inflator 22, and the pad 23, and a sheet metal retainer 25. The pad 23 is disposed so as to cover the entire upper surface side of the boss portion B, as shown in FIG.

[0014] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the steering wheel body 1 includes a core metal 2 arranged to interconnect the ring portion R, the boss portion B, and the spoke portions S (left spoke portion SL, right spoke portion SR, and rear spoke portion SB), a coating layer 4 covering the periphery of the portion of the core metal 2 between the ring portion R and the spoke portions S, a cover body 5 disposed on the upper surface sides of the left spoke portion SL and the right spoke portion SR, and an outer peripheral edge of the airbag 21. (i.e. around the boss) The boss portion B is provided with a bezel 10 that covers the upper surface of the boss portion B to the upper surface of the rear spoke portion SB, and a lower cover 6 that covers the underside of the boss portion B. A steel boss 3 is provided at the boss portion B of the core bar 2, into which the steering shaft SS is inserted and secured with a nut N.

[0015] The bezel 10 is configured to include a bezel main body 11 that covers the periphery of the airbag device 20 and covers the left and right outer sides of the rear spoke portion SB, and an inner cover portion 17 that is attached to the rear end side of the bezel main body 11 and covers the left and right inner sides of the rear spoke portion SB.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 3, the bezel body 11 includes a substantially cylindrical tubular portion 12 that extends downward from the outer periphery of the pad 23 in the airbag device 20 to cover the outer periphery of the airbag device 20, and a substantially U-shaped annular portion 15 that includes left and right vertical rod portions 15a, 15a extending rearward from the tubular portion 12 and a horizontal rod portion 15b connecting the rear ends of the vertical rod portions 15a to each other. In the tubular portion 12, an irradiation opening 13 that is opened to transmit visible light VL irradiated from the lighting device 30 is formed at a position that is substantially the center in the left and right directions in the rear portion 12a that covers the rear of the airbag device 20 (see Figs. 2 and 3). In the case of the embodiment, the irradiation opening 13 is opened in a circular shape and is formed in an area that is lower than the center in the up and down directions of the tubular portion 12. The annular portion 15 is a portion that is disposed in the region of the rear spoke portion SB, and is disposed so as to cover the outer left and right sides of the rear spoke portion SB and the upper surface side of the rear end portion.

[0017] The inner cover portion 17 is disposed on the inner periphery of the annular portion 15 of the bezel main body 11, and has an outer shape that is substantially U-shaped and similar to the annular portion 15. This inner cover portion 17 covers the inner side of the rear spoke portion SB, and although detailed illustration is omitted, it is attached to the bezel main body 11 by being screwed at predetermined locations.

[0018] The lighting device 30 is configured to illuminate a predetermined location visible to a driver (not shown) when activated, and is disposed on the boss portion B side. In the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the illuminated area illuminated by the lighting device 30 disposed on the boss portion B side is configured from the inner peripheral surface side of a recessed area formed in a non-gripped area not gripped by the driver between the boss portion B and the ring portion R as a steering part. In detail, in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the illuminated area LA is configured by the inner peripheral surface side of the area surrounded by the bezel 10 (specifically, the bezel main body 11 and the inner cover portion 17) in the rear spoke portion SB, which is the non-gripped area, and the area (the area of ​​the rear portion 17a of the inner cover portion 17) that is substantially opposite to the lighting device 30 (see Figs. 1 and 4), and the area near the rear portion 17a of the inner cover portion 17 in the bezel 10 is illuminated by the lighting device 30 when activated (see Fig. 4). The lighting device 30 is disposed in a region below the airbag device 20 at the rear end side of the boss portion B, and is composed of an LED unit incorporating a board (not shown) and a visible light source (visible light LED) (not shown) attached to the board. In the embodiment, the lighting device 30 has an outer shape of a substantially rectangular prism with a visible light LED disposed on one end side, and is attached at a predetermined location (not shown) to the lower cover 6 side with an end 30a on the visible light LED side positioned downward so that visible light VL can be emitted rearward and upward when activated (see FIG. 2). The lighting device 30 is electrically connected to an activation circuit (not shown), and is capable of turning on the visible light LED to emit visible light VL of a predetermined color upon receiving an activation signal from the activation circuit (not shown). When the lighting device 30 is activated, the visible light VL emitted from the end portion 30a passes through the irradiation opening 13 formed in the cylindrical portion 12 of the bezel main body 11, and illuminates the area surrounded by the bezel 10 in the rear spoke portion SB, specifically, the surface side of the inner cover portion 17, which is the inner peripheral area of ​​the bezel 10, as shown in FIG. Directly, More specifically, the visible light VL emitted from the illumination device 30 is mainly irradiated onto the front surface side of the rear region 17a of the inner cover portion 17.

[0019] In the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the visible light LED (not shown) arranged in the lighting device 30 is configured to be turned on or blink when an activation signal is input from an activation circuit (not shown) to call the driver's attention, for example. When the visible light LED is turned on, as shown in FIG. 2, the visible light VL emitted from the visible light LED passes through the irradiation opening 13 and irradiates the area of ​​the inner cover part 17 of the bezel 10, and when the steering wheel W is viewed from the top side, as shown in FIG. 4, the area of ​​the rear part 17a of the inner cover part 17 is illuminated (the illuminated state is shown with a cross-hatched display). As an example of the operation of the lighting device 30 in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, for example, when the driver is in a vehicle temporarily stopped at a traffic light or the like and looks down from the front, when the start of the preceding vehicle is detected, the lighting device 30 is activated to call the driver's attention.

[0020] In the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the irradiated area LA irradiated by the lighting device 30 during operation is composed of a recessed area (specifically, the arrangement area of ​​the bezel 10 in the rear spoke part SB) formed in the non-gripped part not gripped by the driver between the ring part R and the boss part B as the steering part, and the lighting device 30 irradiates this irradiated area LA (specifically, the area of ​​the rear part 17a on the inner circumferential surface side of the inner cover part 17 of the bezel 10, which is substantially opposite to the lighting device 30) during operation. That is, in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the lighting device 30 is configured to irradiate the area not gripped by the driver (non-gripped part), and since the irradiated irradiated area LA is a recessed area in the non-gripped part (rear spoke part SB), it is possible to reliably irradiate the area not covered by the driver's hand, and the illumination state can be stably viewed even during the daytime, etc.

[0021] Therefore, in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the illuminated state of the illuminated area LA during operation can be clearly seen.

[0022] In addition, in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the illuminated area LA is arranged in the rear spoke portion SB, that is, in a position rearward of the steering center axis CO (steering shaft SS) during straight-ahead steering. Therefore, the illuminated state is easier to see even during the day, and is more likely to reach the driver who is looking down when the vehicle is stopped. If such a point is not taken into consideration, the illuminated area (non-grip portion) may be arranged in a position forward of the steering center axis of the steering wheel during straight-ahead steering.

[0023] The steering wheel W of the embodiment is configured to have an annular ring portion R as a steering part, but the steering part of the steering wheel to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to an annular shape as long as it is configured to be arranged so as to surround the steering center axis. For example, the present invention can be applied to a steering wheel of a type having a rectangular ring portion as a steering part. In addition, in the steering wheel W of the embodiment, the lighting device 30 is stored in an area covered by the cylindrical portion 12 of the bezel main body 11 of the bezel 10 and the lower cover 6 on the outer circumferential side below the airbag device 20, and the visible light VL emitted from the lighting device 30 is irradiated to the rear spoke portion SB through the irradiation opening 13 formed in the bezel 10, but the arrangement position of the lighting device is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a steering wheel of a type not having a bezel, in which case the irradiation opening may be arranged in the lower cover. Furthermore, as long as the lighting device is disposed on the boss portion side, the outer periphery side may not be covered by a lower cover or a bezel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1...steering wheel body, 10...bezel, 13...irradiation opening, 17...inner cover portion, 20...airbag device, 30...illumination device, LA...irradiated area, VL...visible light, B...boss portion, R...ring portion (steering portion), S...spoke portion, SB...rear spoke portion (non-grip portion), W...steering wheel.

Claims

1. The steering wheel is configured to rotate around the steering center axis, A steering section that is disposed around the steering center axis and is gripped when steering the vehicle; A boss portion disposed on the steering central axis side, which is the center side of the steering portion; A spoke portion connecting the steering portion and the boss portion; The configuration includes: A steering wheel having an illumination device that can illuminate a predetermined location visible to a driver when the illumination device is activated, a bezel covering the periphery of the boss portion; a steering wheel configured such that the lighting device is disposed at a position on the inside of the bezel on the boss side, and an area between the steering section and the boss section, on the inner surface side of a recessed area formed in a non-grip portion that is not gripped by the driver, and that is approximately opposite the lighting device, is defined as an illuminated area, and that, when activated, directly illuminates the illuminated area through an illumination opening formed in the bezel.

2. 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the illuminated area is disposed at a position rearward of the steering central axis during straight-ahead steering.

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