Steering wheel

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel excellent in the operability of an operating part and also excellent in steering wheel operability in normal steering when the operating part is not operated.SOLUTION: A steering wheel 1 includes a substantially annular grip part 12, an operating part 20, and a moving mechanism 45 capable of moving the operating part with respect to the grip part. The operating part is disposed in front of the grip part and has a substantially annular outer shape that is almost the same as an outer shape of the grip part. The moving mechanism includes: a fixed-side part 47 disposed on a grip part side; a shaft part 52 extending almost along a direction substantially orthogonal to a gripping surface 12b from the fixed-side portion; a sliding part 55 disposed on an operating-portion side and capable of sliding the shaft portion; and urging means 67 disposed between the fixed-side part and the sliding part and capable of urging the sliding part to a non-operating position side. The urging means is disposed in a region between the operating part and the grip part, which is located behind the operating part, in a non-operating state of the operating part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering handle having a generally annular grip, an operating section that can be operated while gripping the grip, and a movement mechanism that can move the operating section relative to the grip. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, steering handles that allow accelerator or brake operation to be input by operating an operating part have been configured to include a substantially annular grip portion, with the operating part located in an area on the inner periphery of the grip portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in this conventional steering handle, the operating part is located in an area on the inner periphery of the annular grip portion, close to the grip portion and substantially along the inner periphery of the grip portion, and is separated by spokes that connect the grip portion to a boss portion on the rotary steering center axis side. In addition, the operating part is configured to be operated by pushing it forward against the grip surface of the grip portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-203602 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional steering wheels, although the operating part is disposed on the inner periphery of the grip part so as to generally follow the grip part, it is separated by the spokes. This makes it difficult to operate, for example, when gripping the grip part near the spokes while driving, and there is room for improvement in improving the operability of the operating part. Furthermore, in conventional steering wheels, the operating part is disposed close to the inner periphery of the grip part and is configured to be operated by pushing it forward against the grip surface of the grip part. Therefore, when the operating part is not being operated (during normal steering), it is disposed in a position that is generally aligned with the grip surface inside the grip part, making it difficult to grip the entire periphery of the grip part with the palm and fingers during normal steering. Furthermore, this configuration effectively narrows the space formed by the area on the inner periphery of the grip part, resulting in a problem of poor visibility of meters and other devices disposed in front of the steering wheel while the vehicle is moving.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a steering wheel having good operability of an operating section and also good operability during normal steering when the operating section is not being operated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A steering handle according to the present invention is a steering handle including a substantially annular grip portion, an operating portion that can be operated while gripping the grip portion, and a movement mechanism that can move the operating portion relative to the grip portion, The operation unit is The gripping member is disposed in front of the gripping member when mounted on the vehicle, and has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the gripping member. The moving mechanism allows for a lifting operation to move the handle toward the gripping part in a direction substantially perpendicular to the gripping surface of the gripping part, thereby inputting an accelerator operation or a brake operation, the moving mechanism is configured to include a fixed side portion disposed on the gripping portion side, a shaft portion disposed so as to extend from the fixed side portion substantially along a direction substantially perpendicular to the gripping surface, a sliding portion disposed on the operating portion side to allow the shaft portion to slide, and an urging means disposed between the fixed side portion and the sliding portion to urge the sliding portion toward a non-operating position, The biasing means is characterized in that it is disposed in a region between the operating portion and the grip portion, which is on the rear side of the operating portion when the operating portion is in a non-operating state.

[0007] In the steering wheel of the present invention, the operating part, which is operable when the grip part is gripped, has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the grip part. Therefore, the operating part can be instantly operated regardless of the grip part's grip position while the vehicle is traveling. Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the operating part is configured to be located in front of the grip part and, when operated, is configured to be pulled up closer to the grip part by a moving mechanism. That is, when the operating part is in a non-operating state, a certain gap is provided between the operating part and the grip part. Therefore, when gripping the ring part alone in the non-operating state, the driver can grip the entire periphery of the ring part with their palm and fingers, thereby improving steering wheel operability even when not in operation. Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the embodiment, the operating part has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the ring part and is located in front of the ring part. This does not narrow the space defined by the area inside the ring part, and ensures meter visibility substantially equivalent to that of a steering wheel without an operating part.

[0008] Therefore, in the steering wheel of the embodiment, the operability of the operating section is good, and the operability of the steering wheel during normal steering when the operating section is not being operated is also good.

[0009] In addition, in the steering handle of the embodiment, the operating portion is configured to be pulled up by the moving mechanism so as to approach the grip portion during operation. Specifically, the operating portion is configured to slide and move so as to approach the ring portion as a whole by sliding the sliding portion on a shaft portion extending from a fixed side portion disposed on the ring portion side. In the steering handle of the embodiment, the moving mechanism is configured such that a biasing means capable of biasing the sliding portion toward the non-operating position is disposed in a region between the operating portion and the grip portion, which is rearward of the operating portion when the operating portion is in a non-operating state. That is, in the steering handle of the present invention, the portion where a pressing force is applied by the sliding portion to compress the biasing means during operation of the operating portion is not separated from the operating portion itself in the front-rear direction (the direction substantially perpendicular to the grip surface of the grip portion) but is formed in a position close to the operating portion itself in the front-rear direction. This suppresses the occurrence of rattles and the like, allowing the operating portion to be operated stably and smoothly, resulting in good operability.

[0010] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the present invention, it is preferable that the fixed side portion has a stopper surface that is arranged around the shaft portion and that the moving sliding portion can come into contact with to stop the sliding portion, and that the stopper surface is disposed in a position that protrudes forward from the front surface of the grip portion. With such a configuration of the steering handle, a gap can be provided between the operating portion in the operated state and the grip portion, so that, for example, even when the operating portion is operated with only one of the hands holding the grip portion, the operating portion can be prevented from coming into contact with the fingers of the other hand holding the grip portion.

[0011] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the above configuration, if a buffer member is arranged on either the stopper surface side or the contact surface side of the sliding part that contacts the stopper surface during movement, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise when the operating part is operated, which is preferable.

[0012] Furthermore, in the steering handle having the above configuration, it is preferable that the biasing means be arranged at a position separated from the stopper surface. In a steering handle having such a configuration, the biasing means is not arranged in the area between the fixed side portion and the sliding portion (between the stopper surface and the abutment surface), which increases the degree of freedom in arranging the biasing means and makes it possible to appropriately change the biasing force of the biasing means used, thereby making it easy to change (adjust) the pulling force required when operating the operating portion (the pressing force of the biasing means by the sliding portion).

[0013] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the above configuration, if the moving mechanisms are arranged at multiple locations that are approximately symmetrical around the central axis of rotational steering for steering the grip portion, it is possible to suppress tilting of the entire operating portion and operate it smoothly in a balanced manner, which is preferable.

[0014] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the above configuration, if the operating section is configured to have an approximately annular operating main body portion, and this operating main body portion is configured so that the rear side is covered almost entirely by the grip portion when mounted in the vehicle, it is possible to maintain even better meter visibility while the vehicle is traveling, which is preferable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic right side view of the steering wheel of the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic plan view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment, showing an operating portion attached to a core metal via a movement mechanism. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic right side view of the steering wheel of the embodiment, showing a state in which an operating unit is attached to a core metal via a movement mechanism. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a partially enlarged right side view of the steering wheel of the embodiment, showing a state in which an operating unit is attached to a core metal via a movement mechanism. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a partially enlarged plan view of the steering wheel of the embodiment, showing a state in which an operating unit is attached to a core metal via a movement mechanism. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged partial perspective view showing a core metal and a sensor unit in the steering wheel of the embodiment. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic enlarged partial perspective view showing a core metal, a moving mechanism, and an operating portion in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an operation unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a mounting bracket. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a moving mechanism and a sliding portion in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operating portion of a steering handle of an embodiment is operated. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a steering handle of another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a steering wheel 1 according to the embodiment includes a handle body 3 having a ring portion 12 as a generally annular grip portion, an operating portion 20 that can be operated while gripping the ring portion 12, and a movement mechanism 45 that can move the operating portion 20 relative to the ring portion 12. In the embodiment, the steering wheel 1 having the generally annular ring portion 12 as a grip portion will be described as an example. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the terms "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" refer to a direction that is approximately along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and that is perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C of the ring portion 12, a direction that is approximately along the up-down direction of the vehicle and that is perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C, and a direction that is approximately along the left-right direction of the vehicle and that is perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C.

[0017] The handle body 3 includes a substantially annular ring portion 12 serving as a grip portion, a boss portion 7 disposed on the side of the rotary steering central axis C which is the center of the ring portion 12, and a plurality of spoke portions (a left spoke portion 15L, a right spoke portion 15R, and a rear spoke portion 15B) (three in this embodiment) connecting the ring portion 12 and the boss portion 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the ring portion 12 is configured so that the ring surface (a rear surface 12b when mounted on a vehicle) is approximately perpendicular to the rotary steering central axis C.

[0018] The handlebar body 3 of this embodiment also has a core 5 that is arranged to interconnect the boss 7, ring 12, and left and right spokes 15L and 15R. As shown in FIG. 3, the core 5 includes a substantially annular ring core 5a that constitutes the ring 12, a boss core 5b that constitutes the central boss 7, and spoke cores 5d, 5d that extend laterally from the boss 7 and constitute the left and right spokes 15L and 15R. A boss 5c is disposed in the center of the boss core 5b, and serves as a connection point with a steering shaft (not shown). The boss 5c of the core 5 is made of steel, and the other portions are die-cast from a light alloy material such as aluminum.

[0019] The boss portion 7 includes a boss portion core metal 5b of the core metal 5, a pad 8 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) that covers the upper part of the boss portion core metal 5b, and a lower cover 9 (see the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2) that covers the lower and lateral parts of the boss portion core metal 5b. Although not shown in detail, the lower cover 9 is configured to also cover the lower parts of the left spoke portion 15L, right spoke portion 15R, and rear spoke portion 15B. In the boss portion 7, an airbag device (not shown) is housed between the boss portion core metal 5b and the pad 8.

[0020] The ring portion 12 serving as the grip portion is substantially annular in shape and is configured by disposing a covering layer 13 made of a cushioning soft synthetic resin (specifically, made of a soft foamed resin such as foamed polyurethane) around the annular ring portion core metal 5a. The covering layer 13 is configured to cover not only the periphery of the ring portion core metal 5a but also the areas of the spoke core metals 5d, 5d near the ring portion 12 (see FIG. 1).

[0021] When mounted on the vehicle, the operation unit 20 is disposed in front of the ring portion 12 serving as a grip portion, and has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the ring portion 12. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the operation unit 20 includes a substantially annular operation main body portion 21, an attachment piece portion 22 formed to protrude inward from the operation main body portion 21 and for attaching a sliding portion 55 (described later) that constitutes the movement mechanism 45, and an attachment portion 23 for attaching a locking member 24 for locking a measurement pin portion 77 formed on a sensor unit 75 disposed in the rear spoke portion 15B. The operation main body portion 21 has a substantially rectangular cross section, and a bottom surface 21a that comes into contact with the driver's finger during operation is curved in a substantially arc shape (see Fig. 12).

[0022] In this embodiment, the mounting pieces 22 are disposed at four locations on both the front and rear sides of each of the left and right spokes 15L and 15R, and are formed so as to protrude from the inner circumferential surface 21b of the operation main body 21 toward the rotary steering central axis C (see FIGS. 1 and 3). In detail, the mounting pieces 22 are formed so as to be substantially point-symmetrical about the rotary steering central axis C in a plan view of the operation unit 20 seen from the top and bottom. Each mounting piece 22 is substantially plate-shaped (see FIG. 9), and is configured so that a mounting portion 60 (described later) of the sliding portion 55 is placed on the rear side, and the mounting portion 60 is attached using fixing means such as a screw (reference numeral omitted) (see FIG. 8).

[0023] The mounting portion 23 is formed to extend forward from near the rear edge of the operation body 21 (specifically, from a position to the right of the rear end of the operation body 21) and is disposed within the rear spoke 15B at a position on the right edge of the rear spoke 15B (see FIGS. 1, 3, 6, and 7). A locking member 24 is formed on the front end 23a of the mounting portion 23 so as to extend in the front-rear direction substantially along the mounting portion 23. A through hole 25 is formed in the locking member 24, penetrating in the left-right direction, so that a pin body 79 of a measurement pin 77 formed in a sensor unit 75 disposed within the rear spoke 15B can be inserted therethrough (see FIGS. 5 to 7), as will be described later. The through hole 25 is elongated along the front-rear direction (the longitudinal direction of the mounting portion 23), as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0024] Specifically, the annular operation main body 21 is configured to be disposed substantially concentrically with the ring core metal 5a (i.e., the ring portion 12) when the steering wheel 1 is viewed from the rear, and has an outer diameter dimension slightly smaller than that of the ring core metal 5a (see FIG. 3). The operation main body 21 also has a width dimension smaller than that of the ring portion 12 itself, and is configured so that when mounted on a vehicle, the rear side is covered substantially entirely by the ring portion 12, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, when viewed from the rear when mounted on a vehicle, the operation portion 20 is configured so that only the attachment piece portion 22 is exposed (visible to the driver).

[0025] The operating unit 20 is configured to be attached to the handle body 3 via a movement mechanism 45, and specifically, is attached to the handle body 3 so that a gap H1 is provided between the operating main body 21 and the ring portion 12 in the non-operated state (see FIGS. 2 and 5). The operating unit 20 is also configured to be pulled up by the movement mechanism 45 so as to move closer to the ring portion 12 in a direction (in the embodiment, a direction along the rotational steering central axis C) that is substantially perpendicular to the ring surface (grip surface, i.e., rear surface 12b) of the ring portion 12, thereby allowing an accelerator operation or a brake operation to be input. Specifically, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, an accelerator operation is input when the operating unit 20 is pulled up. In the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the gap H1 between the operating main body part 21 and the ring part 12 in the non-operated state is set to approximately 30 mm, and the gap H2 between the operating main body part 21 and the ring part 12 in the lifting operation state is set to approximately 20 mm (see Figures 2 and 5).

[0026] Specifically, the operating unit 20 is attached to the handle body 3 using two mounting brackets 30 (30L, 30R). The mounting brackets 30 (30L, 30R) are symmetrical and connected to the core 5 at approximately symmetrical positions. Specifically, the mounting brackets 30 are connected at their front-to-rear centers (the centers of the horizontal rod portions 31 described later) to positions that are approximately the left-to-right center of the spoke cores 5d of the core 5, and extend vertically from the spoke cores 5d. In detail, as shown in FIG. 10 , each mounting bracket 30 includes a horizontal rod portion 31 formed to extend substantially along the vertical direction, two vertical rod portions 34 extending rearward (toward the ring portion 12) from both upper and lower ends of the horizontal rod portion 31, and two shaft mounting portions 36 for mounting a shaft portion 52 described later of the movement mechanism 45. In this embodiment, each mounting bracket 30 is attached to the spoke core metal 5d at a portion near the center of the horizontal rod portion 31 so as to overlap the spoke core metal 5d from the front side.

[0027] In this embodiment, the horizontal rod portion 31 is configured as a strip-like plate extending generally along the vertical direction and positioned forward of the operation main body portion 21 when mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 5 ). As shown in FIG. 10 , the horizontal rod portion 31 has two protrusions 32 protruding rearward toward the ring portion 12, located near the center and at the rear of the center, as shown in FIG. 10 . The horizontal rod portion 31 is fixed to the spoke core metal 5d at the abutting portions by fastening means such as screws (reference numerals omitted), with the tip surfaces 32a (rear surfaces) of the protrusions 32 abutting against the front surfaces of the spoke core metals 5d (see FIG. 5 ). The vertical rod portions 34 have approximately the same width as the horizontal rod portion 31 and are formed to extend rearward from the upper end 31a and lower end 31b of the horizontal rod portion 31. The shaft mounting portions 36 for mounting the shaft portions 52 are disposed so as to protrude upward or downward and spaced apart from each other near the rear ends 34a of the vertical rod portions 34. A storage recess 38 for accommodating the biasing means 67 of the movement mechanism 45 is formed between the vertical rod portions 34 and the shaft mounting portions 36, as will be described later (see FIGS. 8 and 12). As shown in FIG. 12, each shaft mounting portion 36 mounts the shaft portion 52 so that it protrudes forward from near the center of the lower surface. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the two shaft mounting portions 36 are disposed at positions that are approximately symmetrical in the front and rear directions with respect to a line passing through the rotary steering central axis C. That is, the four shaft mounting portions 36 formed on each mounting bracket 30 (30L, 30R) are disposed at positions that are approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the rotary steering central axis C.

[0028] In this embodiment, the vertical rod portion 34 and the shaft mounting portion 36 of each mounting bracket 30 constitute a movement mechanism 45. That is, the movement mechanisms 45 are arranged at four locations that are approximately point-symmetrical about the rotary steering central axis C. Furthermore, each shaft mounting portion 36 is configured such that, when mounted on the vehicle, the rear surface 36a is positioned in a position that approximately coincides with the position of the front surface 5aa of the ring portion core metal 5a (see FIG. 12). That is, when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state, the rear surface 36a of the shaft mounting portion 36 is positioned rearward of the front surface 12a of the ring portion 12.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 12, the movement mechanism 45 includes a fixed side portion 47 disposed on the ring portion 12 side, a shaft portion 52 extending from the fixed side portion 47, a sliding portion 55 disposed on the operation unit 20 side, and a biasing means 67 disposed between the fixed side portion 47 and the sliding portion 55. The fixed side portion 47 is composed of shaft mounting portions 36 formed on the left and right mounting brackets 30. The fixed side portion 47 is columnar and extends substantially along the rotational steering central axis C (front-rear direction), and is configured so that its front surface 47a protrudes forward from the front surface 12a of the ring portion 12 (see FIGS. 5 and 12). The front surface 47a of the fixed side portion 47 forms a stopper surface 48 that can be stopped by a rear surface 56b (abutment surface 57) of a sliding portion main body 56 (described later) of the moving sliding portion 55 (see FIG. 13). In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the fixed side portion 47 from the ring portion 12 (the distance L1 between the front surface 12a of the ring portion 12 and the front surface 47a of the fixed side portion 47, see FIG. 5) is set to about 20 mm.

[0030] In this embodiment, the shaft portion 52 extending from the fixed side portion 47 is disposed so as to penetrate the fixed side portion 47 (see FIG. 12 ), protruding forward from the front surface 47a of the fixed side portion 47 and extending substantially along a direction (a direction along the rotary steering central axis C) substantially perpendicular to the ring surface (rear surface 12b) of the ring portion 12. The shaft portion 52 is disposed so as to penetrate a sliding-part main body 56 (described later) of the sliding portion 55, and a support portion 53 capable of supporting the front surface 56a of the sliding portion 55 (sliding-part main body 56) in the non-operated state is disposed at the tip (front end 53a) side penetrating the sliding-part main body 56 (see FIGS. 5 and 12 ). The outer shape of the support portion 53 is substantially disc-shaped with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the sliding-part main body 56.

[0031] The sliding portion 55 is attached to each of the attachment pieces 22 formed on the operating unit 20 and disposed on the operating unit 20 side, and as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 , includes a sliding portion main body 56 on which the shaft portion 52 can slide, an attachment portion 60 attachable to the attachment piece 22, and a support piece 62 capable of supporting the front end 67a of the biasing means 67. The sliding portion main body 56 is substantially cylindrical and allows the shaft portion 52 to be inserted therethrough, and is configured to be slidable relative to the shaft portion 52, and in this embodiment, specifically, is configured by a linear bushing. When the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state, the front surface 56a of the sliding portion main body 56 is supported by a support portion 53 disposed on the front end 52a side of the shaft portion 52 (see FIG. 12 ). The sliding portion main body 56 moves rearward while sliding relative to the shaft portion 52. During this sliding movement, the rear surface 56b abuts against the front surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, thereby restricting further rearward movement. That is, the rear surface 56b of the sliding portion main body 56 serves as an abutment surface 57 that abuts against the stopper surface 48. In addition, in the present embodiment, a buffer member 50 is disposed on the rear surface 56b of the sliding portion main body 56. In reality, the rear surface 56b (abutment surface 57) of the sliding portion main body 56 does not come into direct contact with the front surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, but abuts against it via the buffer member 50. The buffer member 50 is generally disk-shaped and can cover the abutment surface 57 widely except for the outer edge side, and is formed from a rubber-like elastic material or a soft synthetic resin.

[0032] The mounting portion 60 is disposed at a position outward in the vertical and horizontal directions from each sliding portion main body 56 (for example, to the upper right of the sliding portion main body 56 disposed on the upper right side). It is generally flat and placed on the rear surface of the mounting piece portion 22, and is attached to the mounting piece portion 22 using a fixing means such as a screw (reference numeral omitted) (see FIG. 8). The support piece portion 62 is formed so as to protrude from near the rear end of the sliding portion main body 56 toward the vertical center (the side toward the vertical rod portion 34 of the mounting bracket 30). Specifically, it is shaped like a plate whose rear surface 62a is generally continuous with the rear surface 56b of the sliding portion main body 56 (see FIGS. 8 and 11). The support piece portion 62 constitutes a storage portion 65 for storing a biasing means 67, as will be described later. Specifically, the support piece 62 is disposed in a region on the front end side of the storage recess 38 formed from the vertical rod portion 34 to the shaft attachment portion 36 (fixed side portion 47), and is slidable relative to the storage recess 38 when the sliding portion 55 slides relative to the shaft portion 52, and has an outer shape that is generally plate-like with the edge side curved in a generally semicircular arc. Also, the support piece 62 has a holding protrusion 63 formed in a generally cylindrical shape so as to protrude slightly on the rear surface 62a side so as to be able to hold the biasing means 67 formed of a compression coil spring (see FIG. 11).

[0033] The biasing means 67, which is disposed between the fixed side portion 47 and the sliding portion 55, is capable of biasing the sliding portion 55 toward the non-operating position (forward). In the present embodiment, a compression coil spring is used as the biasing means 67. In the steering handle 1 of the present embodiment, the biasing means 67 is housed in a storage portion 65 formed on the side of the shaft portion 52, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 13 . The storage portion 65 is made up of a storage recess 38 formed so as to recess the area from the vertical rod portion 34 of the mounting bracket 30 to the base side region of the shaft mounting portion 36 (fixed side portion 47) that is on the vertical rod portion 34 side, and a support piece portion 62 extending from the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) side and slidable in the storage recess 38. Specifically, the storage recess 38 is formed by recessing each vertical rod portion 34 into a generally semicircular arc shape from the surface facing the shaft portion 52 (the surface toward the center in the front-to-rear direction), and by connecting these recesses to form a generally cylindrical recess from the front side of the base portion of the shaft mounting portion 36 (fixed side portion 47) (see FIGS. 10 and 12). The storage recess 38 is adjacent to the stopper surface 48 formed around the shaft portion 52 on the fixed side portion 47. As described above, the support piece 62 is disposed in the region toward the front end of the storage recess 38. As shown in FIG. 12, the biasing means 67 is configured to be stored inside the storage area 65 such that the front end 67a and the rear end 67b of the biasing means 67 are supported by the tip end surface (rear surface 38a) of the recess of the storage recess 38 and the rear surface 62a of the support piece 62. In the embodiment, the tip end surface (rear surface 38a) of the recess of the storage recess 38 is formed at a position that is approximately the same as the front surface 12a of the ring portion 12 (see FIG. 12). That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the biasing means 67 does not come into contact with the front surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, but is disposed at a position separated from the stopper surface 48. Also, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the biasing means 67 is disposed in a region between the operating unit 20 (operation main body portion 21) and the ring portion 12, which is rearward of the operating unit 20 when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operated state (see FIG. 12).

[0034] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, when the operating unit 20 is pulled up, as the operating unit 20 moves toward the ring portion 12 (rearward movement), the sliding portion 55 compresses the compression coil spring serving as the biasing means 67 and slides relative to the shaft portion 52 (see FIG. 13). When the operator releases the operation main body 21, the biasing means 67 (compression coil spring) is restored to its original position, and the operation main body 21 is restored to its non-operated state. In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sensor unit 75 electrically connected to a control circuit (not shown) is disposed within the area of ​​the rear spoke portion 15B (within the area covered by the upper cover 16 and the lower cover 9). 5 to 7, the sensor unit 75 has a sensor main body 76 arranged so that its axial direction is substantially aligned with the left-right direction, and a measurement pin portion 77 rotatably attached to the right end side of the sensor main body 76. The sensor main body 76 is composed of a rotation angle sensor. The measurement pin portion 77 has an attachment piece portion 78 rotatably supported on the right side of the sensor main body 76, and a pin main body 79 protruding to the right from the tip of the attachment piece portion 78 so as to be substantially aligned with the left-right direction. A tip 79a of the pin main body 79 is inserted into a through-hole 25 formed in a locking member 24 extending from the operation main body portion 21 when the operation portion 20 is in a non-operated state. When the operating unit 20 is pulled up, as the operating main body 21 moves, the pin body 79 inserted into the through hole 25 also moves while remaining inserted into the through hole 25, causing the measurement pin portion 77 to rotate.The rotation of the measurement pin portion 77 makes it possible to detect the operating state of the operating unit 20 (the amount of movement of the operating main body 21).

[0035] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 (operating main body 21), which is operable when the ring portion 12 is gripped as a gripping portion, has an outer shape that is substantially annular (substantially circular in the embodiment) that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the ring portion 12. Therefore, the operating unit 20 can be instantaneously operated while the vehicle is traveling, regardless of the grip position of the ring portion 12. In addition, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 is configured to be disposed in front of the ring portion 12, and is configured to be pulled up by the movement mechanism 45 so as to approach the ring portion 12 when operated. That is, in the non-operating state, the operating unit 20 is disposed with a certain gap (specifically, about 30 mm) between it and the ring portion 12. Therefore, when gripping the ring portion 12 alone in the non-operating state, the driver can grip the ring portion 12 by wrapping the entire periphery thereof with the driver's palm and fingers, and the steering wheel operability is also good when not operating. Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 is approximately annular in shape, which is approximately the same as the outer shape of the ring portion 12, and is positioned in front of the ring portion 12, so that the space formed by the inner peripheral area of ​​the ring portion 12 is not narrowed, and meter visibility approximately equivalent to that of a steering wheel in which no operating unit is provided can be ensured.

[0036] Therefore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operability of the operating unit 20 is good, and the steering wheel operability during normal steering when the operating unit 20 is not operated is also good.

[0037] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 is configured to be pulled up by the moving mechanism 45 so as to approach the ring portion 12 during operation, and specifically, the operating unit 20 is configured to be slid so as to bring the entire operating unit 20 closer to the ring portion 12 by sliding the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) on the shaft portion 52 extending from the fixed side portion 47 disposed on the ring portion 12 side. In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the moving mechanism 45 is configured such that a biasing means 67 capable of biasing the sliding portion 55 toward the non-operating position is disposed in a region between the operating unit 20 and the ring portion 12, which is rearward of the operating unit 20 when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state. That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the portion of the steering wheel where the pressing force exerted by the sliding portion 55 to compress the biasing means 67 when the operating portion 20 is operated is not separated from the operating portion 20 itself in the fore-and-aft direction (the side in the direction approximately perpendicular to the ring surface 12b of the ring portion 12, in the case of the embodiment, the side in the direction along the rotational steering central axis C), but is formed in a position close to the operating portion 20 itself in the fore-and-aft direction, thereby suppressing the occurrence of rattles and the like, allowing the operating portion 20 to be operated stably and smoothly, resulting in good operability.

[0038] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the stopper surface 48 (front surface 47a) of the fixed side portion 47, which can abut against and stop the moving sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56), is disposed at a position protruding forward of the front surface 12a of the ring portion 12. Therefore, a gap can be provided between the operating unit 20 and the ring portion 12 in the pulled-up state. Therefore, even when the operating unit 20 is operated with only one of the hands holding the ring portion 12, the operating unit 20 can be prevented from coming into contact with the fingers of the other hand holding the ring portion 12. Specifically, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the gap H2 between the operating unit 20 (operation main body portion 21) and the ring portion 12 after the pulled-up operation is set to about 20 mm. Therefore, when the operating unit 20 is pulled up with one hand, the moving operating unit 20 (operation main body portion 21) can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the fingers of the other hand that has released the hand from the operating unit 20 and is holding only the ring portion 12. Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, a linear bushing is used as the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56), which allows the shaft portion 52 to slide smoothly. Therefore, even if the sliding portion main body 56 is slightly tilted relative to the shaft portion 52 when, for example, pulling up the operation unit 20 with only one hand, the sliding portion main body 56 can be smoothly slid relative to the shaft portion 52, and the entire operation main body portion 21 can be smoothly moved closer to the ring portion 12, as if moving parallel to the ring portion 12.

[0039] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the buffer member 50 is disposed on the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) side so as to cover the contact surface 57, so that the rear surface 56b (contact surface 57) of the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) does not come into direct contact with the stopper surface 48, and it is possible to suppress the generation of noise when operating the operating portion 20. Of course, the buffer member 50 may be disposed on the fixed side portion 47 side, instead of on the sliding portion main body 56 side. Furthermore, if such a point is not taken into consideration, a configuration in which a buffer member is not disposed may be adopted.

[0040] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the biasing means 67 is configured to be stored in a storage portion 65 arranged on the side of the shaft portion 52, that is, it is configured to be disposed at a position separated from the stopper surface 48. In other words, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the biasing means 67 is not disposed in the region between the fixed side portion 47 and the sliding portion 55 (between the stopper surface 48 and the abutment surface 57), which increases the degree of freedom in the placement of the biasing means 67 and also makes it possible to appropriately change the biasing force of the biasing means 67 to be used, so that the pull-up force (the pressing force of the biasing means by the sliding portion) required when operating the operating portion 20 can be easily changed (adjusted).

[0041] If this point is not taken into consideration, a compression coil spring serving as the biasing means 67A may be arranged around the shaft portion 52, as in the moving mechanism 45A shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B. Specifically, in the moving mechanism 45A shown in FIG. 14, the sliding portion 55A has a sliding portion main body 56A arranged at its lower end, and an upper region formed into a cylindrical shape with an open top, serving as a storage portion 82 for storing the biasing means 67A. Inside the storage portion 82, the biasing means 67A has a front end 67a supported by a rear surface 56b of the sliding portion main body 56A and a rear end 67b supported by the stopper surface 48. A generally cylindrical extension portion 55a extending downward from the buffer member 50A is arranged on the inner periphery of the storage portion 82 so as to cover the outer periphery of the biasing means 67A. When the moving mechanism 45A is configured in this manner, the length of the sliding portion body 56A is smaller than the length of the sliding portion body 56 provided in the moving mechanism 45 in the steering handle 1 described above, resulting in a smaller sliding portion body. A larger sliding portion body 56 (linear bushing) allows it to slide smoothly relative to the shaft portion and provides a better feel during operation, so it is preferable to make it as large as possible (increase its length). However, since it is preferable to prevent the moving mechanism itself from becoming larger (increase in the amount of protrusion of the sliding portion body from the operation main body), it is also preferable to secure as large a mounting space for the sliding portion body itself as possible (use a large sliding portion body itself), so that the biasing means 67 is stored in a storage portion 65 located to the side of the shaft portion 52 and disposed at a position separated from the stopper surface 48, as in the moving mechanism 45 in the steering handle 1 described above.

[0042] In the embodiment, a coil spring is used as the biasing means 67, 67A. However, for example, the biasing means may be configured to use a coil spring in combination with a second biasing means made of a rubber-like elastic material, a soft synthetic resin material, or the like. With such a configuration, when the sliding portion (sliding portion main body) slides relative to the shaft portion, the biasing force of the second biasing means (reaction force from the second biasing means) can be utilized in addition to the biasing force of the coil spring. By changing the position and size (thickness) of such second biasing means, it is possible to appropriately adjust the lifting force (pressing force of the sliding portion on the biasing means) required when operating the operating portion, or to set the lifting force of the operating portion in multiple stages.

[0043] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the moving mechanism 45 is configured to be arranged at multiple locations that are approximately symmetrical around the rotational steering center axis C (in the embodiment, at four locations that are approximately point-symmetrical around the rotational steering center axis C), so that the entire operating unit 20 can be operated smoothly and in a balanced manner while suppressing tilting.

[0044] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, when the steering wheel 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the operation main body 21 of the operation unit 20 is configured so that the rear side thereof is covered almost entirely by the ring portion 12. In other words, since the operation main body 21 is not exposed from the ring portion 12, it is possible to maintain even better meter visibility while the vehicle is traveling.

[0045] In the embodiment, the steering wheel 1 is described as having a circular ring portion 12 as a grip portion, but the present invention is of course applicable to a steering wheel having a square ring-shaped grip portion. Also, in the steering wheel of the embodiment, the operating portion is configured to input an accelerator operation when operated, but of course, the operating portion may be configured to input a brake operation when operated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...steering handle, 3...handle body, 12...ring portion (grip portion), 12a...front surface, 12b...ring surface (rear surface), 20...operation portion, 21...operation main body portion, 30...mounting bracket, 36...shaft mounting portion, 38...storage recess, 45, 45A...moving mechanism, 47...fixed side portion, 48...stopper surface, 50, 50A...cushion member, 52...shaft portion, 55, 55A...sliding portion, 56, 56A...sliding portion main body, 57, 57A...abutment surface, 65...storage portion, 67, 67A...urging means, C...rotational steering center axis

Claims

1. A steering handle comprising a substantially annular gripping portion, an operating portion that can be operated while gripping the gripping portion, and a movement mechanism that can move the operating portion relative to the gripping portion, The operation unit The gripping portion is disposed in front of the gripping portion when the gripping portion is mounted on the vehicle, and has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the gripping portion. The moving mechanism is configured to allow a lifting operation to move the handle toward the gripping portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the gripping surface of the gripping portion, thereby inputting an accelerator operation or a brake operation, the moving mechanism is configured to include a fixed side portion disposed on the gripping portion side, a shaft portion disposed to extend from the fixed side portion substantially along a direction substantially perpendicular to the gripping surface, a sliding portion disposed on the operating portion side to allow the shaft portion to slide, and an urging means disposed between the fixed side portion and the sliding portion to urge the sliding portion toward a non-operating position, A steering handle characterized in that the biasing means is disposed in a region between the operating portion and the grip portion, which is rearward of the operating portion when the operating portion is in a non-operated state.

2. The steering handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed side portion has a stopper surface arranged around the shaft portion and capable of abutting and stopping the moving sliding portion, and the stopper surface is arranged at a position protruding forward from the front surface of the grip portion.

3. 3. The steering handle according to claim 2, wherein a buffer member is disposed on either the stopper surface side or the contact surface side of the sliding portion that contacts the stopper surface during movement.

4. 4. The steering handle according to claim 2, wherein the biasing means is disposed at a position spaced apart from the stopper surface.

5. 2. The steering handle according to claim 1, wherein the movement mechanisms are disposed at a plurality of locations that are substantially symmetrical about a central axis of rotational steering for steering the grip portion.

6. The operation unit has a substantially annular operation main body, 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rear of the operation body is covered by the grip portion over substantially the entire surface when the operation body is mounted on the vehicle.

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