Handle core

Abstract

To provide a core grid of a steering wheel, which is simply configured to allow a rim core grid portion to be appropriately deformed with respect to an applied load.SOLUTION: A core grid 10 includes: a boss core grid portion connected to a steering shaft of a vehicle; a rim core grid portion 17 located to surround the boss core grid portion; and a spoke core grid portion connecting the boss core grid portion to the rim core grid portion 17. The rim core grid portion 17 includes, in a range including a lower end portion as viewed from the front, a lower non-connection portion 25 not connected to the spoke core grid portion. The lower non-connection portion 25 is configured such that a center C in a thickness direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the steering shaft is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the steering shaft from the front side toward the back side of the rim core grid portion 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel core in which a boss core portion and a rim core portion are connected by spoke core portions. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, steering wheels are used, which are handles that include a boss portion connected to a steering shaft, a circular rim portion that is positioned around the boss portion and is gripped by the driver, and a plurality of spokes that connect the boss portion to the rim portion. The steering wheel includes a metal core that includes a rim core portion, a boss core portion, and a plurality of spoke core portions that correspond to the rim portion, the boss portion, and each of the spoke portions, respectively.

[0003] Such core metals are configured so that the rim core metal portion deforms when contacted by the occupant to absorb impact so as to protect the occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. In particular, in steering wheels for vehicles such as trucks and buses, which have a rim portion installed closer to a horizontal plane than ordinary passenger cars, it is desirable to be able to absorb impact in both the direction in which the occupant intrudes under normal conditions and the direction in which the occupant intrudes when the front of the vehicle is crushed and the steering shaft is raised. Therefore, it is necessary to make the rim core metal portion easily deformable in response to load input from both the direction in which the occupant intrudes at the vehicle's on-board angle and the direction perpendicular to the steering shaft relative to the rim portion.

[0004] For example, in a core bar in which a solid material is coated with a die-cast coating layer to form a rim core bar portion, a rib is formed on the passenger side of the die-cast coating layer, i.e., the rear side of the vehicle which is on the lower side when viewed from the front, and rigidity is adjusted by making one part thin-walled and leaving another part uncoated with solid material (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-75952 (pages 6-8, Figures 1-4) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of the above-mentioned core metal, the structure of the die-cast coating layer is complicated, so a simpler configuration that allows the rim core metal portion to deform appropriately in response to an applied load is desired.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a handle core that has a simple configuration and is capable of appropriately deforming the rim core portion in response to an applied load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The core of the steering wheel described in claim 1 comprises a boss core portion connected to the vehicle's steering shaft, a rim core portion positioned surrounding the boss core portion, and a spoke core portion connecting the boss core portion and the rim core portion, wherein the rim core portion has a lower non-connecting portion that is not connected to the spoke core portion in an area including the lower end when viewed from the front, and the center of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the steering shaft from the front side to the back side of the rim core portion.

[0009] The core of the steering wheel described in claim 2 is the core of the steering wheel described in claim 1, wherein the rim core portion is positioned along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft and inclined relative to the horizontal direction, and the center of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft is inclined toward the steering shaft from the front side to the back side of the rim core portion.

[0010] The core bar of the steering wheel according to claim 3 is the core bar of the steering wheel according to claim 2, in which the imaginary plane is inclined at an angle of less than 45° with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0011] The core bar of the steering wheel according to claim 4 is the core bar of the steering wheel according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion on the front side is greater than the thickness on the back side.

[0012] The core of the steering wheel described in claim 5 is the core of the steering wheel described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lower non-connecting portion has less rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft than in a direction parallel to the axial direction.

[0013] The steering wheel core of claim 6 is the steering wheel core of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the spoke core portions connect both sides of the boss core portion and both sides of the rim core portion.

[0014] The core of the steering wheel described in claim 7 is the core of the steering wheel described in claim 6, in which the rim core portion has an upper non-connecting portion above the spoke core portion when viewed from the front that is not connected to the spoke core portion, and the lower non-connecting portion has less rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft than the upper non-connecting portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the steering wheel core described in claim 1, with a simple configuration, it is possible to appropriately deform the rim core portion at the position of the lower non-connected portion in response to a load applied, for example, when a passenger enters the steering wheel.

[0016] According to the core bar of the steering wheel of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the core bar of the steering wheel of claim 1, the rim core bar portion can be appropriately deformed at the position of the lower non-connecting portion in the direction of an occupant's intrusion, for example.

[0017] According to the steering wheel core wire described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the steering wheel core wire described in claim 2, the configuration of the lower non-connecting portion allows the rim core wire portion to be appropriately deformed at the position of the lower non-connecting portion to absorb impact in each of the directions in which an occupant enters when the vehicle is normally loaded, and in which an occupant enters when the front of the vehicle is crushed and the steering shaft is raised, thereby providing a core wire suitable for protecting occupants in actual vehicle collisions, etc.

[0018] According to the core bar of the steering wheel described in claim 4, in addition to the effect of the core bar of the steering wheel described in claim 2 or 3, it is possible to appropriately deform the rim core bar portion at the position of the lower non-connecting portion in response to an applied load, and the center of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft can be easily tilted depending on the difference in thickness between the front side and back side of the lower non-connecting portion.

[0019] According to the handle core wire described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of the handle core wire described in any one of claims 1 to 4, it is possible to obtain sufficient rigidity under normal conditions, while allowing the rim core wire portion to be appropriately deformed at the position of the lower non-connecting portion when a load is applied.

[0020] According to the handlebar core wire described in claim 6, in addition to the effect of the handlebar core wire described in any one of claims 1 to 5, it is possible to appropriately deform the rim core wire portion at the position of the lower non-connecting portion in response to an applied load, in a two-spoke structure in which the spoke core wire portion connects both side portions of the boss core wire portion and both side portions of the rim core wire portion.

[0021] According to the core wire of the handle described in claim 7, in addition to the effect of the core wire of the handle described in claim 6, even in a two-spoke structure, it is possible to ensure the rigidity of the core wire while allowing the rim core wire portion to deform appropriately at the position of the lower non-connecting portion in response to an applied load. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower end of the lower non-connecting portion of the core of the handle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1(a) is a front view of the core bar of the handle, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view at a position corresponding to II in FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a front view showing the steering wheel having the core metal of the steering wheel, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing the steering wheel mounted on a vehicle. [Figure 4] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the state inside the vehicle immediately after a collision, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the state inside the vehicle a predetermined time after FIG. 1A. [Figure 5] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lower non-connecting portion of an embodiment of the handle corresponding to the core wire of the same handle, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the lower non-connecting portion of the first comparative example, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the lower non-connecting portion of the second comparative example. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing examples of bending characteristics of a lower non-connecting portion of a rim core metal portion in response to a horizontal load when mounted on a vehicle in the embodiment, first comparative example, and second comparative example. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing examples of bending characteristics of the lower non-connecting portion of the rim core metal portion in response to a load in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft for the above embodiment, the first comparative example, and the second comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] In Figures 3(a) and 3(b), reference numeral 1 denotes a steering wheel, which is a handle (steering handle) as an automobile part. The steering wheel 1 is disposed in front of a passenger in the driver's seat of the automobile. In this embodiment, the steering wheel 1 will be described as being mounted on a medium- to large-sized vehicle such as a truck or a bus.

[0025] The steering wheel 1 is composed of a steering wheel main body 2, which is the handle body, a module 3 which is an installation body for an airbag device and the like attached to the occupant side of the steering wheel main body 2, and a back cover which is a cover body as a covering member (not shown) attached to the opposite side of the steering wheel main body 2 from the occupant side, i.e., the opposite side from the module 3. In addition, a finisher (garnish) or the like as a decorative member (not shown) can be attached to the steering wheel 1 on the occupant side of the steering wheel main body 2 as needed.

[0026] The steering wheel 1 is attached to a steering shaft 5, which is a steering shaft serving as a steering device, and is mounted on the vehicle in a state inclined relative to the horizontal. Hereinafter, the occupant side in the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 will be referred to as the front side, near side, or rear side (direction of arrow RR), and the opposite side will be referred to as the vehicle body side, rear side, or front side (direction of arrow FR). In addition, the left and right directions (directions of arrows L and R) will be described based on the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle body on which the steering wheel 1 is mounted, and the up and down directions (directions of arrows U and D) will be described based on the state of the steering wheel 1 as viewed from the front. Unless otherwise specified, the steering wheel 1 will be described in the steering standard state, i.e., the neutral state.

[0027] The steering wheel body 2 is composed of a boss portion (mount portion) 6, which is a hub portion attached to the steering shaft 5, a rim portion (ring portion) 7 located around the boss portion 6, and spoke portions 8 connecting the boss portion 6 and the rim portion 7.

[0028] The module 3 is attached to the boss portion 6 .

[0029] The rim portion 7 is the part that the occupant grips to operate the steering wheel 1. The rim portion 7 is located along an imaginary plane P that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5. In this embodiment, the imaginary plane P is inclined at an angle of less than 45° with respect to the horizontal direction (front-to-rear direction), that is, set at an angle close to horizontal. The rim portion 7 is formed in an arc shape or an elliptical arc shape. In this embodiment, the rim portion 7 is formed in a continuous circular or elliptical ring shape and is located surrounding the outside of the boss portion 6.

[0030] A plurality of spokes 8 are provided. In this embodiment, the spokes 8 are provided on both the left and right sides. In the example shown in the figure, two spokes 8 are provided, one on each side. That is, the spokes 8 extend in the left-right direction so as to connect the left and right sides of the boss portion 6 with the left and right sides of the rim portion 7. The spokes 8 are arranged symmetrically or approximately symmetrically with respect to the center of the steering wheel body 2.

[0031] The steering wheel body 2 is configured by covering a portion of a core metal (armature) 10 with a covering portion 11 made of synthetic resin or the like. The surface of the covering portion 11 may be covered with a skin such as leather or synthetic resin.

[0032] The core 10 shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 3(a) is made of metal and is integrally molded from a metal such as aluminum, magnesium, or iron. The core 10 is cast (die-cast) using a mold not shown. The core 10 has a boss core 16, a rim core 17, and spoke cores 18 corresponding to the boss 6, the rim 7, and the spokes 8. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rim core 17 is located around the boss core 16, and the spoke cores 18 are located on both the left and right sides of the boss core 16. The core 10 is generally formed to be approximately symmetrical.

[0033] The boss core metal portion 16 forms the core of the boss portion 6 and supports the module 3. The boss core metal portion 16 is located on the rear side of the module 3 and is arranged between the module 3 and the back cover. The boss core metal portion 16 is positioned to expand into a planar shape according to the size of the module 3. The boss core metal portion 16 also has a boss opening portion 20 that is connected to the steering shaft 5. The boss opening portion 20 is spline-connected to the steering shaft 5 and serves as the rotation center of the steering wheel 1. The boss opening portion 20 is located in the center of the boss core metal portion 16 in the left-right direction and is closer to the upper side of the boss core metal portion 16. In other words, the boss core metal portion 16 is arranged wider below than above the center of the steering wheel main body 2.

[0034] Spoke core metal portions 18 connected to both sides of boss core metal portion 16 constitute the core of spoke portion 8. Spoke core metal portions 18 connect both sides of boss core metal portion 16 to both sides of rim core metal portion 17. In this embodiment, spoke core metal portion 18 extends linearly in the left-right direction from boss core metal portion 16 to rim core metal portion 17. In the illustrated example, spoke core metal portion 18 is located lower than boss opening 20, i.e., the center of rotation of steering wheel 1, in other words, the central axis of steering shaft 5.

[0035] The rim core metal portion 17 forms the core of the rim portion 7. That is, the rim core metal portion 17 in this embodiment is located along imaginary plane P (Figure 3(b)). The rim core metal portion 17 is formed in an arc-like or elliptical arc-like shape depending on the shape of the rim portion 7. In this embodiment, the rim core metal portion 17 is formed in a continuous circular or elliptical ring shape and surrounds the boss core metal portion 16. The rim core metal portion 17 has spoke connecting portions 22 that are connected to the spoke core metal portions 18. The covering portion 11 covers the entire rim core metal portion 17, passing through the spoke connecting portions 22 and extending to part of the spoke core metal portions 18.

[0036] Spoke connection portions 22 are provided on both the left and right sides of the rim core metal portion 17. Between the left and right spoke connection portions 22, an upper non-connecting portion 24, which is not connected to the spoke core metal portion 18, is provided above the rim core metal portion 17, and a lower non-connecting portion 25, which is not connected to the spoke core metal portion 18, is provided below the rim core metal portion 17. In other words, the left spoke connection portion 22 is located between the left end of the upper non-connecting portion 24 and the left end of the lower non-connecting portion 25, and the right spoke connection portion 22 is located between the right end of the upper non-connecting portion 24 and the right end of the lower non-connecting portion 25. In this embodiment, the spoke connection portions 22 are located at the 8:00 to 9:00 and the 4:00 to 3:00 positions of an analog clock when viewing the rim core metal portion 17 from the front. In other words, the spoke connection portions 22 are located lower than the center of the rim core metal portion 17. For this reason, the upper non-connected portion 24 has a longer circumferential length, which is the length in the latitude direction (direction of arrow LT), than the lower non-connected portion 25, with the spoke connecting portion 22 as the boundary. In other words, it is set over a wider range in the latitude direction of the rim core metal portion 17. Therefore, the opening between the boss portion 6 and the upper rim portion 7 is made large to improve the visibility of the meters on the instrument panel and the like.

[0037] The upper non-connecting portion 24 is formed over a range including the upper end when the rim core metal portion 17 is viewed from the front. In other words, the upper non-connecting portion 24 is formed in a range on the rim core metal portion 17 that includes the 12 o'clock position on an analog timepiece. In other words, the upper non-connecting portion 24 is formed in a range on the rim core metal portion 17 that includes the position farthest from the occupant. The upper non-connecting portion 24 constitutes at least the upper half of the rim core metal portion 17. In this embodiment, the upper non-connecting portion 24 constitutes a range that extends downward from the upper half of the rim core metal portion 17. The upper non-connecting portion 24 is formed in an arc-like shape. The upper non-connecting portion 24 may have any cross-sectional shape, but in this embodiment, it has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is open to the rear side or is recessed toward the rear side.

[0038] The lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed over an area including the lower end when the rim core metal portion 17 is viewed from the front. In other words, the lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed in an area on the rim core metal portion 17 that includes the 6 o'clock position on an analog watch. In other words, the lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed over an area that includes the position closest to the occupant. The lower non-connecting portion 25 is a portion that absorbs impact and protects the occupant by deforming together with the spoke connection portion 22 and the spoke core metal portion 18 (as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 2(a)) when a load is applied from the occupant side, that is, from below when viewed from the front.

[0039] The lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed in an arc shape. The lower non-connecting portion 25 has approximately the same diameter as the upper non-connecting portion 24 and integrally forms the annular rim core metal portion 17 with the upper non-connecting portion 24. The lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed to have a smaller thickness in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 than the spoke connecting portion 22 and the upper non-connecting portion 24. In other words, when viewed from the front, the lower non-connecting portion 25 is formed to be thinner than the spoke connecting portion 22 and the upper non-connecting portion 24.

[0040] The lower non-connecting portion 25 has a solid, substantially flat plate shape. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower non-connecting portion 25 has a substantially rectangular cross section. In this embodiment, the lower non-connecting portion 25 has a front portion 30 that forms the occupant side, i.e., the front side, and a back portion 31 that forms the opposite side from the occupant side, i.e., the back side. The front portion 30 and the back portion 31 are connected by an inner surface portion 32 located on the inner periphery of the rim core metal portion 17 and an outer surface portion 33 located on the outer periphery. The positions where the front portion 30 and the back portion 31 are connected to the inner surface portion 32 and the outer surface portion 33 are respectively chamfered portions 34. In this embodiment, the chamfered portions 34 are curved.

[0041] In the illustrated example, the front portion 30 and the rear portion 31 are each formed in a flat shape. The front portion 30 and the rear portion 31 are flat along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 (FIG. 2(b)), i.e., a direction parallel to an imaginary plane P (FIG. 3(b)) on which the rim core metal portion 17 is arranged (the vertical direction in FIG. 1). The front portion 30 and the rear portion 31 are arranged parallel or approximately parallel to each other. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 (FIG. 2(b)) will simply be referred to as the axially perpendicular direction.

[0042] In this embodiment, the center positions of the front portion 30 and the rear portion 31 in cross section are offset from each other in the direction perpendicular to the axis, and the center of the cross section of the rear portion 31 is located closer to the steering shaft 5 ( FIG. 2(b) ), i.e., on the upper side in FIG. 1 , than the center of the cross section of the front portion 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, the center C of the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the lower non-connecting portion 25 (an imaginary line connecting the center of the cross section of the front portion 30 and the center of the cross section of the rear portion 31) is inclined from the front side to the rear side of the rim core metal portion 17 (from left to right in FIG. 1 ) toward the steering shaft 5 ( FIG. 2(b) ), i.e., toward the upper side in FIG. 1 . Therefore, the inner surface portion 32 and the outer surface portion 33 are also inclined from the front side to the rear side of the rim core metal portion 17 toward the steering shaft 5 ( FIG. 2(b) ). The inclination angle θ of the center C is adjusted during the desired strength tuning of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. That is, the inclination angle θ is set according to the desired strength in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the lower non-connecting portion 25. Basically, the strength of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axis increases as the inclination angle θ approaches 45°.

[0043] Furthermore, the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 (FIG. 2(b)), i.e., in a direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) perpendicular to the imaginary plane P (FIG. 3(b)) on which the rim core metal portion 17 is disposed, is set to be larger than the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Note that hereinafter, the direction parallel to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 (FIG. 2(b)) will simply be referred to as the axial parallel direction.

[0044] The rigidity of lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axis is smaller than the rigidity in the direction parallel to the axis. In other words, lower non-connecting portion 25 is configured to be more easily deformed in the up-down direction than in the front-to-back direction. Preferably, lower non-connecting portion 25 has a smaller rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the axis than upper non-connecting portion 24.

[0045] Furthermore, the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the axis-orthogonal direction on the front side is preferably greater than the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the axis-orthogonal direction on the rear side. In the example shown in the figure, the width of the front portion 30 is greater than the width of the rear portion 31 in the axis-orthogonal direction. In this embodiment, the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the axis-orthogonal direction is set to gradually decrease from the front side to the rear side. In other words, the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the axis-orthogonal direction is smallest on the rear side.

[0046] The core metal 10 is then die-cast using a predetermined mold, and the core metal 10 is removed from the mold and a covering portion 11 is formed on it using, for example, RIM molding, to form the steering wheel body 2. The formed steering wheel body 2 is attached to the vehicle body by connecting the boss opening 20 to the steering shaft 5, and then the module 3 is attached to the boss core metal portion 16. Then, if necessary, the covering portion 11 is covered with a skin, and a finisher or the like is attached to the spoke portion 8, thereby completing the steering wheel 1 attached to the vehicle body. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the rim portion 7 of the steering wheel 1 is positioned along the imaginary plane P.

[0047] For example, immediately after a vehicle collision, as shown in Figure 4(a), occupant A, who is the driver, moves horizontally into the steering wheel 1, and his or her abdomen comes into contact with the lower end of the rim portion 7 of the steering wheel 1. After this, as shown in Figure 4(b), the front of the vehicle collapses, causing the steering shaft 5 to rise, and the rim portion 7 of the steering wheel 1 to assume an angle close to horizontal, and occupant A presses the lower end of the rim portion 7 at an angle close to perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5. Note that the head of occupant A is restrained and protected by the inflation and deployment of an airbag AB mounted in module 3, for example.

[0048] In this case, according to this embodiment, a lower non-connecting portion 25 that is not connected to the spoke core metal portion 18 is formed in a range that includes the lower end portion when viewed from the front of the rim core metal portion 17 that constitutes the rim portion 7, and the center C of the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the axis of this lower non-connecting portion 25 is inclined from the front side to the back side of the rim core metal portion 17 with respect to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5.This makes it possible to appropriately deform the rim core metal portion 17 (and the spoke core metal portions 18) at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in response to the load applied by the occupant entering the steering wheel 1 with a simple configuration without inserting other components or forming it into a special, complex shape, and ensures a stroke and rigidity that enables sufficient energy absorption.

[0049] For example, Fig. 6 shows the bending characteristics of an example of lower non-connecting portion 25 shown in Fig. 5(a) corresponding to this embodiment, a first comparative example of lower non-connecting portion 25a shown in Fig. 5(b), and a second comparative example of lower non-connecting portion 25b shown in Fig. 5(c) in response to a horizontal load on steering wheel 1 in a vehicle-mounted state (a load in a direction inclined (for example, 65°) with respect to the axial direction of steering shaft 5). Fig. 7 also shows the bending characteristics of steering wheel 1 in response to a load in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of steering shaft 5.

[0050] As described above, the example corresponding to the present embodiment has a greater bending rigidity than the first and second comparative examples. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the inclination angle θ of the center C of the thickness of lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of steering shaft 5, the bending rigidity (second moment of area) can be easily adjusted without significantly increasing or decreasing the cross-sectional area of ​​lower non-connecting portion 25. Therefore, desired characteristics suitable for protecting the occupant can be easily obtained without making complex changes while minimizing the impact on the layout and strength of spoke core portions 18 (spoke portions 8).

[0051] Furthermore, since the rim core metal portion 17 is positioned along an imaginary plane P that is perpendicular to and inclined with respect to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5, by inclining the center C of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axis from the front side to the back side of the rim core metal portion 17 toward the steering shaft 5, the rim core metal portion 17 can be appropriately deformed at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction in which the occupant enters, for example.

[0052] In particular, in this embodiment, since the vehicle is mounted with the imaginary plane P tilted at an angle of less than 45° with respect to the horizontal, the configuration of the lower non-connecting portion 25 allows the rim core metal portion 17 to be appropriately deformed at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in order to absorb impact in both directions in which an occupant would intrude when the vehicle is normally mounted on the vehicle and in which an occupant would intrude when the front of the vehicle is crushed and the steering shaft 5 is raised. Therefore, it is possible to provide a core metal 10 (steering wheel 1) that is suitable for protecting occupants in an actual vehicle collision, etc.

[0053] In addition, by making the thickness of the front side of the lower non-connecting portion 25 of the rim core metal portion 17 greater than the thickness of the rear side, it becomes possible to appropriately deform the rim core metal portion 17 at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in response to the load applied by the occupant entering the steering wheel 1, and the center C of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft 5 can be easily tilted depending on the difference between the thickness of the front side and the thickness of the rear side of the lower non-connecting portion 25.

[0054] Furthermore, by making the rigidity of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in the direction perpendicular to the axis smaller than the rigidity in the direction parallel to the axis, it is possible to obtain sufficient rigidity under normal circumstances, while allowing the rim core metal portion 17 to deform appropriately at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 when a load is applied, such as when an occupant enters the steering wheel 1.

[0055] In particular, for a two-spoke structure in which the spoke core portion 18 connects both sides of the boss core portion 16 and both sides of the rim core portion 17, the configuration of the above-mentioned lower non-connecting portion 25 makes it possible to appropriately deform the rim core portion 17 at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in response to an applied load.

[0056] By setting an upper non-connecting portion 24 that is not connected to the spoke core portion 18 above the spoke core portion 18 when viewed from the front of the rim core portion 17, and by making the lower non-connecting portion 25 less rigid in the direction perpendicular to the axis than the upper non-connecting portion 24, even in a two-spoke structure, it is possible to ensure the rigidity of the core portion 10 (steering wheel 1) while allowing the rim core portion 17 to deform appropriately at the position of the lower non-connecting portion 25 in response to the load applied by the intrusion of an occupant.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper non-connecting portion 24 has a longer circumferential length than the lower non-connecting portion 25, and therefore the structure is such that the rigidity of the lower non-connecting portion 25, which is set to be relatively short, is likely to be increased. Therefore, the configuration of the lower non-connecting portion 25 described above makes it possible to realize a core 10 (steering wheel 1) that can appropriately deform the rim core portion 17 due to an applied load, without excessively increasing the rigidity of the lower non-connecting portion 25.

[0058] In the above embodiment, depending on the inclination angle of the imaginary plane P of the rim portion 7 of the steering wheel 1, the center C of the thickness perpendicular to the axis of the lower non-connecting portion 25 can be inclined in a direction away from the steering shaft 5 from the front side to the back side of the rim core metal portion 17, and the same effect can be achieved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be suitably used as a core metal for a steering wheel of a vehicle such as an automobile. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Steering wheel 5. Steering shaft, which is a steering shaft 10 Core 16 Boss core part 17 Rim core 18 Spoke core 24 Upper unconnected part 25 Lower unconnected part C center P Virtual surface

Claims

1. a boss core portion connected to a steering shaft of a vehicle; a rim core portion positioned to surround the boss core portion; and spoke core portions that connect the boss core portion and the rim core portion, the rim core portion has a lower non-connecting portion that is not connected to the spoke core portion in a range including a lower end portion when viewed from the front, The center of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft is inclined from the front side to the back side of the rim core metal portion with respect to the axial direction of the steering shaft. A core metal of a handle characterized by:

2. the rim core metal portion is located along an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft and inclined relative to the horizontal direction; The center of the thickness of the lower non-connecting portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft is inclined toward the steering shaft from the front side to the back side of the rim core metal portion.

2. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 1.

3. The imaginary plane is inclined at less than 45° to the horizontal 3. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 2.

4. The thickness of the lower non-connected part on the front side is greater than the thickness on the back side.

4. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The lower non-connecting portion has a rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft that is smaller than a rigidity in a direction parallel to the axial direction.

5. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 1.

6. The spoke core connects both sides of the boss core to both sides of the rim core.

6. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 1.

7. the rim core portion has an upper non-connected portion above the spoke core portion when viewed from the front, the upper non-connected portion not being connected to the spoke core portion; The lower non-connecting portion has a lower rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft than the upper non-connecting portion.

7. The core metal of a steering wheel according to claim 6.

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