Steering wheel cover and vehicle equipped with the steering wheel cover

Abstract

To provide a steering handle cover which can be easily attached and detached and which can reliably prevent a worker from being entrapped, and a vehicle provided with the same.SOLUTION: A steering handle cover 24 according to the present invention is provided so as to cover a steering handle 3 in a vehicle loaded with an automatic drive robot 1 that performs the automatic driving of the vehicle, and prevents a worker from being entrapped with the steering handle 3. Such a cover includes: a cover main body 25 which includes a top panel portion 29 and a circumferential wall portion 31 provided at the outer circumference of the top panel portion 29, has a lower surface opened, and covers the steering handle 3 from the upper-surface side; and an attachment portion 27 that attaches the cover main body 25 so as to be feely attachable and detachable. Formed in the top plate portion 29 of the cover main body 25 is an opening 33 through which rotation driving means can pass, and notch portions 35 through which a support arm 9 can pass are formed in the top plate portion 29 and the circumferential wall portion 31 at a driver's seat 8 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel cover that prevents an object from being caught in a steering wheel, and a vehicle equipped with the steering wheel cover. [Background technology]

[0002] One method for automatically driving a vehicle is to attach an automatic driving device to the steering wheel of a normal manually driven vehicle and control the automatic driving device according to the driving situation.

[0003] Some vehicles equipped with an automatic driving device can be switched to manual driving, where the steering wheel is operated by an operator. In such vehicles that can switch between manual and automatic driving, there is a risk that an operator who is in the vehicle in preparation for manual driving may be caught in the rotating steering wheel during automatic driving.

[0004] Therefore, there is a technology to cover the steering wheel to prevent workers from getting caught in it. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a vehicle in which a cover is provided near the steering wheel and the steering wheel is covered with the cover during automatic driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-95173 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6076522 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in Patent Document 1, when the steering wheel is not covered with a cover, the cover is not removed but is stored under the driver's cab. Therefore, when such a cover is applied to a passenger car, it is difficult for the operator to operate the accelerator and brake.

[0007] Furthermore, when the cover is attached to the steering handle, the top surface of the steering handle is covered, but the sides of the steering handle remain open, and there is a possibility that an operator may be caught in the side.

[0008] Patent Document 2 provides a link mechanism for switching between a state in which the steering wheel is covered by a handle cover and a state in which the steering wheel is open, but the structure of the link mechanism is complex. Furthermore, since the link mechanism is complex, it requires a large installation space, and when this is applied to a passenger car, it is difficult to ensure sufficient space for an operator.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a steering handle cover that is easy to attach and remove and can reliably prevent workers from becoming entangled, and a vehicle equipped with such a steering handle cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) A steering wheel cover according to the present invention includes a connecting member connected to a steering wheel, a rotation drive means for rotating the connecting member in response to an instruction from a control unit, and a support arm extending from the driver's seat side to support the rotation drive means. The steering wheel cover is provided to cover the steering wheel in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving robot that controls the rotation of the steering wheel via the connecting member to automatically drive the vehicle, and prevents the robot from being caught in the steering wheel. a cover body having a top plate portion and a peripheral wall portion provided on the outer periphery of the top plate portion so as to be continuous with the top plate portion, the bottom surface of which is open, the cover body covering the steering handle from above, and an attachment portion to which the cover body is detachably attached, An opening is formed in the top plate portion of the cover body through which the rotation drive means can pass, and a cutout portion is formed on the driver's seat side of the top plate portion and the peripheral wall portion through which the support arm can pass.

[0011] (2) Furthermore, in the above-described (1), a vertical wall portion rising from the periphery of the opening provided in the top plate portion is provided at a position that is on the front side of the rotation drive means when installed, and the vertical wall portion abuts against the rotation drive means, thereby enabling the guide and support of the cover body.

[0012] (3) In addition, the device described in (1) or (2) above further comprises a detachable lower cover that covers at least the driver's seat side portion of the lower opening of the cover body.

[0013] (4) In addition, in the device described in any one of (1) to (3) above, a detachable peripheral wall cover is further provided to cover the notch portion of the peripheral wall portion of the cover body.

[0014] (5) In addition, in the device described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the cover body is formed of a transparent material.

[0015] (6) A vehicle according to the present invention is equipped with an autonomous driving robot that has a connecting member connected to a steering wheel, a rotation drive means that rotates the connecting member in response to an instruction from a control unit, and a support arm that extends from the driver's seat side and supports the rotation drive means, and that controls the rotation of the steering wheel via the connecting member to automatically drive the vehicle, a steering handle cover provided to cover the steering handle and preventing the steering handle from being caught in the steering handle; The steering handle cover is a cover body having a top plate portion and a peripheral wall portion provided on the outer periphery of the top plate portion so as to be continuous with the top plate portion, the bottom surface of which is open, and which covers the steering handle from above; Kisekiand an attachment portion that is detachably attached to the support arm, and an opening is formed in the top plate portion of the cover body through which the rotation drive means can pass, and a cutout portion is formed on the driver's seat side of the top plate portion and the peripheral wall portion through which the support arm can pass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The steering wheel cover according to the present invention comprises a cover body having a top plate and a peripheral wall extending from the top plate at the outer periphery of the top plate and having an open underside, the cover body covering the steering wheel from above, and an attachment portion to which the cover body is detachably attached. The top plate of the cover body has an opening through which the rotation drive means can pass, and the top plate and the peripheral wall have cutouts on the driver's seat side through which the support arm can pass. This allows the cover body to be attached and detached by covering the steering wheel from above, making attachment and detachment easy. Furthermore, the cover body having the top plate and peripheral wall effectively prevents entrapment. Furthermore, when the machine is operated manually by an operator getting in and driving, the cover body can be removed and placed in an appropriate location, ensuring sufficient space around the driver's seat, which has the added benefit of not interfering with the operator's driving environment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view of the steering handle cover of the present embodiment in an installed state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the steering handle cover of the present embodiment in an installed state. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state before the cover body is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of another aspect of the cover body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The steering wheel cover according to this embodiment is provided in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving robot that performs automatic driving of the vehicle. Therefore, before describing the steering wheel cover, the automatically driving robot 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The autonomous driving robot 1 has a connecting member 5 connected to the steering wheel 3, a servo motor 7 as a rotational drive means that rotates the connecting member 5 in response to instructions from a control unit (not shown), and a support arm 9 that extends from the driver's seat 8 side and supports the servo motor 7.

[0019] <Steering wheel> The steering wheel 3 is a handle for steering the vehicle, and the center of the steering wheel 3 is on the axis of the steering shaft 11.

[0020] <Connection parts> The connecting member 5 is a member that connects the steering wheel 3 to a rotation shaft 23 (see FIG. 2) of the servo motor 7 in order to operate the steering wheel 3. The connecting member 5 has a rotating part 13 disposed in the center of the steering wheel 3, and three arms 15 extending radially from the rotating part 13. The tip of each arm 15 is fixed to the steering wheel 3, and when the rotating part 13 rotates, the steering wheel 3 rotates via the arms 15. 2, the rotating unit 13 is connected to a rotating shaft 23 of the servo motor 7. The rotating shaft (not shown) of the rotating unit 13 coincides with the rotating shaft 23 of the servo motor 7 and the central axis of the steering wheel 3.

[0021] <Support arm> The support arm 9 extends from the driver's seat 8 side and supports the servo motor 7. The support arm 9 has a vertical member 17 whose lower end is fixed to the driver's seat 8 or its vicinity and stands upright, a horizontal member 19 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the vertical member 17 toward the steering wheel 3, and a support plate 21 that is provided at the tip of the horizontal member 19 and supports the servo motor 7. The support plate 21 also has the function of supporting the cover body 25, as will be described later.

[0022] <Servo motor> The servo motor 7 is supported by a support arm 9, and its rotation shaft 23 is connected to the rotating part 13 of the connecting member 5 (see FIG. 2). The servo motor 7 rotates the steering wheel 3 via the connecting member 5 at a rotation angle and rotation angular velocity instructed by an automatic driving control unit (not shown). When the rotary shaft 23 of the servo motor 7 rotates, the rotary part 13 rotates, and this rotation is transmitted to the steering wheel 3 via the connecting member 5, thereby steering the vehicle.

[0023] The vertical member 17 is installed approximately in the center of the foot side of the driver's seat 8. This position is selected for reasons such as not blocking the operator's view and not interfering with the operator's work. Here, the work of the worker refers to the operation of the steering wheel 3, the operation of the brake and accelerator, the operation of gear shifting, other operations for driving, the installation and removal of the steering wheel cover, and the like.

[0024] By providing the support arm 9, it is possible to reduce the influence of vibrations on the servo motor 7 while the vehicle is running. In this sense, it is preferable to provide the support arm 9 with a mechanism for reducing vibrations such as a shock absorber in order to further reduce vibrations during travel.

[0025] Next, the steering wheel cover will be described. The steering wheel cover 24 according to this embodiment is provided to cover the steering wheel 3 and prevents it from being caught in the steering wheel 3. The steering handle cover 24 includes a cover body 25 and an attachment portion 27 for detachably attaching the cover body 25 to the support arm 9.

[0026] <Cover body> As shown in FIG. 4, the cover body 25 has a top plate portion 29 and a peripheral wall portion 31 provided on the outer periphery of the top plate portion 29 so as to be continuous with the top plate portion 29, and has an open bottom surface. In addition, an opening 33 is formed in the top plate portion 29 of the cover main body 25 so that the servo motor 7 can pass through, and a cutout portion 35 is formed in the top plate portion 29 and the peripheral wall portion 31 on the driver's seat 8 side so that the support arm 9 can pass through. Furthermore, a U-shaped standing wall portion 37 is provided around the opening 33 of the cover body 25 so as to surround the opening 33 and stand upright. The material of the cover body 25 is not particularly limited, but if it is made of transparent acrylic, for example, the movement of the steering wheel 3 can be visually confirmed, which is more preferable from the viewpoint of safety.

[0027] <Mounting part> The mounting portion 27 is for detachably mounting the cover body 25 . The mounting portion 27 includes a support plate 21 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) that supports the servo motor 7 and also supports the cover body 25, and a pressing means 43 that presses the cover body 25 against the support plate 21. The pressing means 43 is made up of a pressing plate 39 and a fixing device 41 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) such as a thumbscrew.

[0028] As described above, the support plate 21 also has the function of supporting the servo motor 7, and is configured as a circular plate provided so as to protrude outward beyond the outer periphery of the servo motor 7. When the cover body 25 is placed on the support plate 21, the pressure plate 39 is positioned so as to span the cutout portion 35 of the top plate portion 29 of the cover body 25 on both sides, and is fixed to the support arm 9 by a fixing device 41 with both ends pressing down on the top plate portion 29 of the cover body 25. As a result, the cover body 25 is supported in a state where it is pressed against the support plate 21 .

[0029] Next, a method for attaching the steering handle cover 24 configured as above will be described. The cover body 25 shown in Figure 4 is placed so as to cover the steering wheel 3 (see Figure 3) to which the autonomous driving robot 1 is attached, and is placed on the upper surface of the support plate 21 so that the vertical wall portion 37 is guided by the servo motor 7. When the cover body 25 is placed on the support plate 21, the support arm 9 passes through the notch 35, so the support arm 9 does not interfere with the installation of the cover body 25. Next, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressure plate 39 is placed on the support arm 9 so as to straddle the notch 35 of the top plate portion 29, and the pressure plate 39 is fixed to the support arm 9 with a fixing device 41. As a result, the cover body 25 is pressed against the support plate 21 via the pressure plate 39 and fixed.

[0030] When the automatic driving robot 1 starts automatic driving with the steering wheel cover 24 attached, the steering wheel 3 rotates, but the top and side surfaces of the steering wheel 3 are covered by the cover body 25 which does not rotate, so that the worker can be prevented from being caught in it.

[0031] To remove the steering wheel cover 24, simply loosen the fasteners 41 and remove the pressure plate 39. The removed cover body 25 can be placed in a suitable location other than the driver's seat, thereby ensuring sufficient space around the driver's seat and not interfering with the driving environment.

[0032] As described above, the steering handle cover 24 of this embodiment allows for easy installation and removal of the cover, and can effectively prevent workers from getting caught in it. Furthermore, by having a vertical wall portion 37 that rises from around the opening 33 provided in the top plate portion 29, the vertical wall portion 37 can be brought into contact with the servo motor 7 when installing the cover main body 25, thereby functioning as a guide, and the cover main body 25 can be temporarily supported by the servo motor 7, allowing the installation work to be carried out smoothly.

[0033] 4 has an opening at the bottom and a cutout at the peripheral wall on the driver's seat 8 side, which may cause the cover to get caught in the cutout. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, a bottom cover 45 may be provided to cover at least the portion of the bottom opening of the cover body 25 on the driver's seat 8 side, and a peripheral wall cover 47 may be provided to cover the cutout portion 35 of the peripheral wall portion 31 of the cover body 25.

[0034] The lower cover 45 and the peripheral wall cover 47 may be formed from a light and flexible material such as a rubber sheet, and may be removably attached to the cover body 25 by hook-and-loop fasteners or the like. The lower cover 45 and the peripheral wall cover 47 are attached after the cover main body 25 is attached, and when removing the cover main body 25, these should be removed first. By providing the bottom cover 45 and the peripheral wall cover 47, it is possible to more reliably prevent entanglement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Self-driving robots 3 Steering wheel 5. Connecting members 7 Servo motors 8 Driver's seat 9 Support Arm 11 Steering shaft 13 Rotating part 15 Arms 17 Vertical members 19 Lateral member 21 Support plate 23 Rotation axis 24 Steering wheel cover 25 Cover body 27 Mounting part 29 Top plate 31 Peripheral wall section 33 Opening 35 Notch 37 Vertical wall 39 Pressure plate 41 Fixtures 43 Pressing means 45 Bottom cover 47 Peripheral wall cover

Claims

1. A steering wheel cover is provided to cover the steering wheel in a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving robot that has a connecting member connected to the steering wheel, a rotation drive means that rotates the connecting member in response to an instruction from a control unit, and a support arm that extends from the driver's seat side and supports the rotation drive means, and that controls the rotation of the steering wheel via the connecting member to automatically drive the vehicle, and that prevents the robot from being caught in the steering wheel, a cover body having a top plate portion and a peripheral wall portion provided on the outer periphery of the top plate portion so as to be continuous with the top plate portion, the bottom surface of which is open, the cover body covering the steering wheel from above, and an attachment portion to which the cover body is detachably attached, A steering handle cover in which an opening is formed in the top plate portion of the cover body through which the rotation drive means can pass, and a cutout portion is formed on the driver's seat side of the top plate portion and the peripheral wall portion through which the support arm can pass.

2. A steering handle cover as described in claim 1, which has a vertical wall portion rising from the periphery of the opening provided in the top plate portion at a position that is on the front side of the rotation drive means when installed, and which enables the vertical wall portion to abut against the rotation drive means, thereby guiding and supporting the cover body.

3. 3. The steering handle cover according to claim 1, further comprising a detachable lower cover that covers at least a driver's seat side portion of the lower opening of the cover body.

4. 3. The steering handle cover according to claim 1, further comprising a detachable peripheral wall cover that covers a notch in the peripheral wall of the cover body.

5. 3. The steering handle cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover body is made of a transparent material.

6. A vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving robot that has a connecting member connected to a steering wheel, a rotation drive means that rotates the connecting member in response to an instruction from a control unit, and a support arm that extends from the driver's seat side and supports the rotation drive means, and that controls the rotation of the steering wheel via the connecting member to automatically drive the vehicle, a steering handle cover provided to cover the steering handle and preventing the steering handle from being caught in the steering handle; The steering handle cover is a cover body having a top plate portion and a peripheral wall portion provided on the outer periphery of the top plate portion so as to be continuous with the top plate portion and having an open bottom surface, which covers the steering wheel from above, and an attachment portion for detachably attaching the cover body to the support arm, wherein an opening is formed in the top plate portion of the cover body so that the rotation drive means can pass through, and notches are formed in the top plate portion and the peripheral wall portion on the driver's seat side so that the support arm can pass through vehicle.

Images