Steering wheel

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel which can adjust an operation load needed for movement at an operation initial stage of an operation part.SOLUTION: A steering wheel includes: a holding part 12 which is held during steering; an operation part 20; and moving mechanisms 45 which may move the operation part relative to the holding part. The operation part is configured to enable approach operation in which the operation part is moved close to the holding part side by the moving mechanisms and to adjust an operation load exerted when the operation part is moved close to the holding part with a load adjustment mechanism 67. The moving mechanism includes: a fixed side part 47 disposed at the holding part side; a shaft part 52 extending substantially along a direction substantially orthogonal to a holding surface 12a of the holding part from the fixed side part; and a slide part 55 which is disposed at the operation part side and enables the shaft part to slide thereon. The load adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of biasing members which may bias the slide part to the non-operation position side. The biasing member includes at least one rubber elastic body 70 and one rubber elastic body 71 and a spring-like elastic body 68.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering handle that includes a grip portion that is gripped when steering, 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. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, steering handles that allow accelerator or brake operation to be input by operating an operating part have been configured such that the operating part is located in an area on the inner periphery of a substantially annular grip, and the operating part is operated by pressing down on the grip (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in this conventional steering handle, the operating part is operable by sliding along the axial direction of the handle, and is biased toward a non-operating position by the biasing force of a compression coil spring. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

[0004] In this conventional steering wheel, the accelerator is operated by compressing the compression coil spring and sliding the operating part (pressing it down relative to the grip). Therefore, when the driver presses the operating part to operate the accelerator (pressing the operating part), this pressure compresses the compression coil spring, causing the operating part to move. In other words, in the conventional steering wheel, the compression coil spring is directly compressed by the pressure acting on the operating part, causing the operating part to move. Therefore, for example, when the operating part is pressed simultaneously with the grip part when steering (such as when turning the vehicle), if the operating part is pressed too hard, sudden acceleration due to the movement of the operating part cannot be avoided. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of being able to adjust the operating load required for such initial movement of the operating part.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a steering handle in which the operating load required for movement of an operating portion at the initial stage of operation can be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A steering handle according to the present invention is a steering handle including a gripping portion to be gripped when steering, 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 is configured to enable an approach operation to move the operation unit closer to the grip unit side by the movement mechanism, and to input an accelerator operation or a brake operation by the approach operation, and is configured to be able to adjust the operation load related to the approach movement to the grip unit by the load adjustment mechanism, the moving mechanism is configured to include a fixed side portion disposed on the gripping portion side, a shaft portion extending from the fixed side portion substantially along a direction substantially perpendicular to the gripping surface of the gripping portion, and a sliding portion disposed on the operating portion side to allow the shaft portion to slide; The load adjustment mechanism is configured to include a plurality of biasing members that can bias the sliding portion toward the non-operating position, The biasing member is characterized by including at least one rubber-like elastic body and one spring-like elastic body.

[0007] In the steering wheel of the present invention, the operating load applied when the operating unit moves toward the grip unit is adjustable by a load adjustment mechanism. The load adjustment mechanism is configured to include a plurality of biasing members, each including at least one rubber-like elastic body and one spring-like elastic body, and biases the sliding unit located on the operating unit side toward the non-operating position. That is, in the steering wheel of the present invention, a rubber-like elastic body and a spring-like elastic body, which have different characteristics (rebound characteristics) when compressed, are used together as biasing members that bias the sliding unit on the operating unit side toward the non-operating position. Therefore, when a driver holding the grip unit presses the operating unit toward the grip unit, both the rubber-like elastic body and the spring-like elastic body begin to compress. However, at the beginning of the compression, the rubber-like elastic body acts like a damper, suppressing the instantaneous movement of the operating unit caused by the initial compression of the spring-like elastic body. That is, in the steering wheel of the present invention, even if the driver presses the operating unit, the pressing force (operating load) can be adjusted so as not to act instantaneously and directly on the movement of the operating unit, and when the operating unit is pressed with a predetermined force or for a predetermined time, the operating unit moves toward the grip portion, thereby inputting an accelerator operation or a brake operation. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of sudden acceleration or deceleration at the initial stage of operating the operating unit.

[0008] Therefore, in the steering handle of the present invention, the operating load required for moving the operating portion at the initial stage of operation can be finely adjusted.

[0009] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the present invention, if the biasing member is composed of two rubber-like elastic bodies with different repulsive forces and one spring-like elastic body, the operating load required to operate the operating part can be adjusted more precisely, and for example, it becomes possible to create a difference between the operating load required during low acceleration and the operating load required during high acceleration, which makes it possible to achieve even smoother accelerator or brake operation, which is preferable.

[0010] Furthermore, in the steering handle having the above configuration, the spring-like elastic body is formed of a coil spring, It is preferable that the rubber elastic bodies have a generally rod-like outer shape and are arranged in series on the inner periphery of the coil spring.

[0011] If the steering handle is configured in this way, the load adjustment mechanism can be made more compact than, for example, a case in which a spring-like elastic body and a rubber-like elastic body are arranged in parallel.

[0012] Furthermore, in the steering handle having the above configuration, it is preferable that the load adjustment mechanism be arranged in the region between the fixed side portion and the sliding portion and at a position separated from the shaft portion. In a steering handle having such a configuration, the load adjustment mechanism is not arranged around the shaft portion, which increases the degree of freedom in arrangement of the load adjustment mechanism. Therefore, the biasing force of the spring-like elastic body or rubber-like elastic body that constitutes the load adjustment mechanism can be more easily adjusted, and the pressing force required when operating the operating portion (the operating load applied to the sliding portion) can be easily changed (adjusted). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [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 partially enlarged 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, a sliding portion, and a load adjusting mechanism 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] 10 is a graph showing the correlation between the operation load applied when an operation unit is operated and the amount of movement in the steering wheel of the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] 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 steering wheel main body 3 having a ring portion 12 as a grip portion to be gripped during steering, an operating portion 20 that can be operated while gripping the ring portion 12, a movement mechanism 45 that can move the operating portion 20 relative to the ring portion 12, and a load adjustment mechanism 67 that can adjust the operating load when the operating portion 20 moves relative to the ring portion 12. In the embodiment, the steering wheel 1 having a substantially annular ring portion 12 as a grip portion will be described as an example. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the terms "front-rear," "up-down," and "left-right" refer to a direction generally along the rotational steering center axis C of the ring portion 12, a direction generally along the front-rear direction of the vehicle perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C, and a direction generally along the left-right direction of the vehicle perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C, with reference to a straight-ahead steering state of the steering wheel 1 mounted on a vehicle.

[0015] 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 rotational 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 serving as a grip portion is configured so that the ring surface (upper surface 12a when mounted on a vehicle) serving as a grip surface is substantially perpendicular to the rotational steering central axis C.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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).

[0019] In this embodiment, when mounted on the vehicle, the operation unit 20 is disposed below the ring portion 12 (toward the front of the vehicle) 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 21, an attachment piece 22 formed to protrude inward from the operation main body 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 that locks a measurement pin portion 77 formed on a sensor unit 75 disposed within the area of ​​the rear spoke portion 15B. The operation main body 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 semicircular arc shape (see FIG. 12 ).

[0020] 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 peripheral surface 21b of the operation main body 21 toward the rotary steering central axis C (inward) (see FIGS. 1, 3, and 9). 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 a mounting portion 60 (described later) of the sliding portion 55 is placed on the upper surface of each mounting piece 22, and the mounting portion 60 is attached using fixing means such as a screw (reference numeral omitted) (see FIG. 8).

[0021] 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 area of ​​the rear spoke 15B at a position on the right edge of the rear spoke 15B (see FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 7, and 9). 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.

[0022] 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 above, 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 upper 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 above 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).

[0023] The operating unit 20 is attached to the handle body 3 via a movement mechanism 45. Specifically, the operating unit 20 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 when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operated state (see FIGS. 2 and 5). The operating unit 20 is configured to be moved closer to the ring portion 12 by the movement mechanism 45, and this approaching operation inputs an accelerator operation or a brake operation. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the operating unit 20 is moved closer to the ring portion 12 by the movement mechanism 45 in a direction (in the present embodiment, a direction along the rotational steering central axis C) that is substantially perpendicular to the ring surface (gripping surface, i.e., the upper surface 12a) of the ring portion 12. More specifically, in the steering wheel 1 of the present 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 operation main body 21 and the ring portion 12 in the non-operation state is set to about 30 mm, and the gap H2 between the operation main body 21 and the ring portion 12 in the lifting operation state is set to about 20 mm (see FIGS. 2 and 5). That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the movement stroke of the operation portion 20 is set to about 10 mm.

[0024] Specifically, the operating unit 20 is attached to the handle body 3 using two mounting brackets 30 (30L, 30R) arranged to extend from the handle body 3. The mounting brackets 30 (30L, 30R) are symmetrical and connected to the core 5 at approximately symmetrical positions on the left and right sides. Specifically, the mounting brackets 30 are connected at their front-to-rear centers (the centers of the horizontal rod portions 31 described below) to positions that are approximately the left-to-right centers of the spoke cores 5d on the core 5, and extend in the front-to-rear direction 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 approximately along the front-to-rear direction, two vertical rod portions 34 extending upward (toward the ring portion 12) from both front and rear ends of the horizontal rod portion 31, and two shaft mounting portions 36 for mounting a shaft portion 52 (described below) 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 below.

[0025] In this embodiment, the horizontal rod portion 31 is a strip-shaped plate extending substantially along the front-rear direction and is positioned below the operation 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 that protrude upward toward the ring portion 12, one near the center and one behind it. The horizontal rod portion 31 is fixed to the spoke core metal 5d at the abutting portion by a fixing means (reference numeral omitted), such as a screw, with the tip surface 32a (upper surface) of the protrusion 32 abutting against the lower surface of the spoke core metal 5d (see FIG. 5). The vertical rod portion 34 has substantially the same width as the horizontal rod portion 31 and is formed to extend upward from the front end 31a and the rear 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 forward or rearward and spaced apart from each other near the upper ends 34a of the vertical rod portions 34. A storage recess 38 for accommodating a load adjustment mechanism 67, as described below, is formed between the vertical rod portions 34 and the shaft mounting portions 36 (see FIGS. 8 and 12). As shown in FIG. 12, each shaft mounting portion 36 mounts the shaft portion 52 so that it protrudes downward from near the center of the front 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.

[0026] In this embodiment, the vertical rod portion 34 and the shaft mounting portion 36 in 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 upper surface 36a is positioned at a position that approximately coincides with the position of the lower 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 upper surface 36a of the shaft mounting portion 36 is positioned above the lower surface 12b of the ring portion 12.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 12, the moving mechanism 45 includes a fixed side portion 47 disposed on the ring portion 12 side, a shaft portion 52 disposed to extend from the fixed side portion 47, and a sliding portion 55 disposed on the operating unit 20 side. In addition, a load adjustment mechanism 67 is disposed in the moving mechanism 45 between the fixed side portion 47 and the sliding portion 55. The fixed side portion 47 is columnar and extends substantially along the rotary steering central axis C (vertical direction), and is configured so that a lower surface 47a is disposed in a position that protrudes downward from a lower surface 12b of the ring portion 12 (see FIGS. 5 and 12). The lower surface 47a of the fixed side portion 47 forms a stopper surface 48 that can be stopped by an upper surface 56a (abutment surface 57) of a sliding portion main body 56 (described later) of the moving sliding portion 55 abutting against it (see FIG. 13). In this embodiment, the distance L1 (see FIG. 5) between the amount of protrusion of the fixed side portion 47 from the ring portion 12 (the lower surface 12b of the ring portion 12) and the lower surface 47a of the fixed side portion 47 is set to about 20 mm.

[0028] 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 downward from the lower surface 47 a 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 (upper surface 12 a) 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 a lower surface 56 b of the sliding portion 55 (sliding-part main body 56) in a non-operated state is disposed at the tip (lower end 52 a) 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.

[0029] 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 lower surface side of the load adjustment mechanism 67 housed in the housing recess 38. The sliding portion main body 56 is substantially cylindrical in shape and is configured to be slidable relative to the shaft portion 52, and in this embodiment, specifically comprises a linear bushing. When the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state, the lower surface 56b side of the sliding portion main body 56 is supported by a support portion 53 disposed on the lower end 52a side of the shaft portion 52 (see FIG. 12 ). The sliding portion main body 56 moves upward while sliding relative to the shaft portion 52. During this sliding movement, the upper surface 56a comes into contact with the lower surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, thereby restricting further upward movement. That is, the upper surface 56a of the sliding portion main body 56 serves as the contact surface 57 that comes into contact with the stopper surface 48. In addition, in this embodiment, a buffer member 50 is disposed on the upper surface 56a of the sliding portion main body 56. In reality, the upper surface 56a (contact surface 57) of the sliding portion main body 56 does not come into direct contact with the lower surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, but rather contacts the lower surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47 via the buffer member 50 (see FIG. 13 ). The buffer member 50 is generally disk-shaped and can cover the contact surface 57 widely except for the outer edge side, and is formed from a rubber-like elastic material or a soft synthetic resin.

[0030] The mounting portion 60 is disposed at a position outward in the front, rear, left, and right directions from each sliding portion main body 56 (for example, the front right side of the sliding portion main body 56 disposed on the front right side). It is generally flat and placed on the upper surface of the mounting piece portion 22, and is attached to the mounting piece portion 22 using fixing means such as screws (reference numerals omitted) (see FIG. 8). The support piece portion 62 is formed to protrude from near the upper end of the sliding portion main body 56 toward the front-rear center (the vertical rod portion 34 side of the mounting bracket 30). Specifically, the support piece portion 62 is shaped like a plate whose upper surface 62a is generally continuous with the upper surface 56a 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 load adjustment mechanism 67, as will be described later. Specifically, the support piece portion 62 is arranged in the lower end region of the storage recess 38 formed from the vertical rod portion 34 to the shaft mounting portion 36 (fixed side portion 47), and is capable of sliding 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 approximately plate-like with the edge side curved in an approximately semicircular arc shape.

[0031] The load adjustment mechanism 67 includes multiple biasing members that can bias the sliding portion 55 toward the non-operating position (downward). In this embodiment, the biasing members include one compression coil spring 68 as a spring-like elastic body and two synthetic resin foam bodies 70, 71 as rubber-like elastic bodies with different resilience. Specifically, the load adjustment mechanism 67 of this embodiment is housed in a housing portion 65 formed on the side of the shaft portion 52, with the roughly rod-shaped synthetic resin foam bodies 70, 71 arranged in series on the inner circumferential side of the compression coil spring 68. In this embodiment, the synthetic resin foam bodies used are a high-hardness foam body 70 with a large resilience, i.e., a high hardness, and a low-hardness foam body 71 with a small resilience, i.e., a low hardness. Specifically, in this embodiment, the low-hardness foam body 71 is disposed on the operating portion 20 side (lower side). The low-hardness foam 71 and the high-hardness foam 70 have substantially the same outer diameter but different length dimensions, and are arranged so that their opposing surfaces (the upper surface 71a of the low-hardness foam 71 and the lower surface 70b of the high-hardness foam 70) are bonded together using an adhesive or the like. Specifically, the length ratio of the low-hardness foam 71 to the high-hardness foam 70 is set to approximately 1:5. More specifically, in this embodiment, the low-hardness foam 71 is made of urethane or EPDM and has a resilience modulus of 2 to 10 MPa, a hardness (Shore hardness) of 50 to 70, and a tensile strength of 40 to 60 MPa, while the high-hardness foam 70 is made of urethane or EPDM and has a resilience modulus of 10 to 30 MPa, a hardness (Shore hardness) of 80 to 100, and a tensile strength of 20 to 50 MPa. The compression coil spring 68 has a spring constant of 0.2 to 2 N / mm, a preload of the spring alone of 1 to 5 N, and a post-stroke load of the spring alone of 5 to 9 N.

[0032] The storage section 65 for storing the load adjustment mechanism 67 includes a storage recess 38 formed in the mounting bracket 30 and a support piece 62 extending from the sliding section 55 (sliding section main body 56). The storage recess 38 is formed by recessing the vertical rod portion 34 of the mounting bracket 30 to the base region of the shaft mounting section 36 (fixed side portion 47) toward the vertical rod portion 34. Specifically, each vertical rod portion 34 is recessed in a substantially semicircular arc shape from the surface facing the shaft portion 52 (the surface toward the center in the front-to-rear direction), and these recesses are connected to form a substantially cylindrical recess in the base region of the shaft mounting section 36 (fixed side portion 47) from the lower surface (see FIGS. 10 and 12). The storage recess 38 is adjacent to a stopper surface 48 formed around the shaft portion 52 on the fixed side portion 47. In this embodiment, the tip end surface (upper surface 38a) of the recess of the storage recess 38 is formed at a position substantially equal to the lower surface 12b of the ring portion 12 (see FIG. 12). The support piece portion 62 extending from the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) side is slidable in the storage recess 38, and more specifically, is arranged in the region on the lower end side of the storage recess 38, as described above.

[0033] 12, the load adjustment mechanism 67 is configured to be stored inside the storage portion 65 with its upper and lower ends supported by the tip end surface (upper surface 38a) of the recess of the storage recess 38 and the upper surface 62a of the support piece 62. Specifically, the compression coil spring 68 is in a slightly compressed state with its upper end 68a and lower end 68b supported by the storage recess 38 and the upper surfaces 38a, 62a of the support piece 62, respectively. In the case of the embodiment, as described above, the low-hardness foam 71 and the high-hardness foam 70 are configured such that their contacting end surfaces (the upper surface 71a of the low-hardness foam 71 and the lower surface 70b of the high-hardness foam 70) are bonded to each other using an adhesive, and the upper surface 70a of the high-hardness foam 70 is in contact with the upper surface 38a of the storage recess 38, and the lower surface 71b of the low-hardness foam 71 is in contact with the upper surface 62a of the support piece 62, so that the low-hardness foam 71 and the high-hardness foam 70 are disposed in a slightly compressed state on the inner circumferential side of the compression coil spring 68. That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the load adjustment mechanism 67 does not contact the lower surface 47a (stopper surface 48) of the fixed side portion 47, but is disposed at a position spaced apart from the stopper surface 48, i.e., at a position spaced apart from the shaft portion 52. In addition, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the load adjustment mechanism 67 is arranged in the area between the operating unit 20 (operating main body portion 21) and the ring portion 12, which is above the operating unit 20 when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state (see Figure 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 (upward), the sliding portion 55 slides relative to the shaft portion 52 while compressing the compression coil spring 68, the low hardness foam 70, and the high hardness foam 71 that constitute the load adjustment mechanism 67 (see FIG. 13 ). When the operator releases the operating main body 21, the pulling-up state of the operating unit 20 is released as the compression coil spring 68, the low hardness foam 71, and the high hardness foam 70 return to their original positions, and the operating 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 handle 1 of the embodiment, the operating load associated with the approaching movement (pulling up operation) of the operating unit 20 toward the ring portion 12 serving as the grip portion can be adjusted by the load adjustment mechanism 67, and the load adjustment mechanism 67 is composed of a plurality of biasing members including at least one synthetic resin foam (high hardness foam 70, low hardness foam 71) as a rubber-like elastic body and at least one compression coil spring 68 as a spring-like elastic body, and biases the sliding portion 55 arranged on the operating unit 20 side toward the non-operating position. That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the rubber-like elastic body (high hardness foam 70, low hardness foam 71) and the spring-like elastic body (compression coil spring 68), which have different characteristics (rebound characteristics) when compressed, are used together as biasing members that bias the sliding portion 55 on the operating unit 20 side toward the non-operating position. Therefore, when the driver holding the ring portion 12 presses the operating unit 20 toward the ring portion 12, the high-hardness foam 70, the low-hardness foam 71 (more specifically, mainly the low-hardness foam 71), and the compression coil spring 68 all start to compress, and at the beginning of the compression, the low-hardness foam 71 acts like a damper, suppressing instantaneous movement of the operating unit 20 (operation main body 21) caused by the initial compression of the compression coil spring 68. That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, even if the driver presses the operating unit 20 (operation main body 21), the pressing force (operation load) can be adjusted so as not to act instantaneously and directly on the movement of the operating unit 20 (operation main body 21). By pressing the operating unit 20 with a predetermined force or for a predetermined time, the operating unit 20 moves toward the ring portion 12, and an accelerator operation or a brake operation is input. This makes it possible to suppress sudden acceleration or deceleration at the initial stage of operation of the operating unit 20. The steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is configured so that an accelerator operation is input when the operating unit 20 is pulled up, and therefore, it is possible to suppress sudden acceleration when, for example, the ring portion 12 is rotated while gripping the operating unit 20 when turning the vehicle.

[0036] Therefore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operation load required for moving the operation unit 20 at the initial stage of operation can be finely adjusted.

[0037] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the biasing member is composed of two rubber-like elastic bodies, a high-hardness foam 70 and a low-hardness foam 71, which are configured with different repulsive forces, and a compression coil spring 68 as a spring-like elastic body. This allows for more precise adjustment of the operating load required to operate the operating unit 20. Specifically, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the high-hardness foam 70 and the low-hardness foam 71 are used as the rubber-like elastic bodies, which results in a correlation between the operating load when operating the operating unit 20 and the actual movement amount of the operating unit 20, as shown in the graph of FIG. 14. According to this graph, when the operation to lift the operating unit 20 starts, the operating unit 20 does not move if the operating load is less than a predetermined value, but begins to move once the operating load reaches a predetermined value. The movement amount of the operating unit 20 and the operating load are not directly proportional to each other, but form a curve with different curvatures in the first and second halves of the movement. It is presumed that the curve shape of this graph is due to the combined use of the compression coil spring 68 and the two high-hardness foam bodies 70 and low-hardness foam body 71. The compression coil spring 68 as a spring-like elastic body and the high-hardness foam body 70 and low-hardness foam body 71 as rubber-like elastic bodies start to compress at approximately the same time. At this time, it is presumed that the low-hardness foam body 71 compresses first, and then the high-hardness foam body 70 compresses after the low-hardness foam body 71 compresses. That is, it is presumed that in the movement of the operating unit 20, the low-hardness foam body 71 mainly compresses from the movement start position to approximately the center of the movement stroke (first half), and the high-hardness foam body 70 mainly compresses from approximately the center of the movement stroke to the movement end position (second half). Furthermore, when the hand is released from the operation unit 20 in the completed movement state, the operation unit 20 is restored to the non-operated state position along a substantially identical curve due to the restoration of the compression coil spring 68, the high hardness foam 70, and the low hardness foam 71. Since the high hardness foam 70 requires a greater pressing force for compression than the low hardness foam 71, the slope of the graph in the latter half of the movement stroke, which is presumed to be when the high hardness foam 70 is compressed, is greater than that in the first half of the movement stroke, which is presumed to be when the low hardness foam 71 is compressed.Therefore, the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment can be operated with a light operating load that mainly compresses the low-hardness foam 71 during low-speed driving, and with a slightly heavier operating load that mainly compresses the high-hardness foam 70 during high-speed driving. This allows for fine-tuning of the operating feel according to the vehicle speed, and also allows for a smooth transition between the two. As a result, smoother accelerator operation can be achieved. If these points are not taken into consideration, the steering wheel 1 may be configured with only one rubber-like elastic body and one spring-like elastic body, or with two spring-like elastic bodies and one rubber-like elastic body. Furthermore, the steering wheel 1 may be configured with two or more rubber-like elastic bodies and two or more spring-like elastic bodies. While the embodiment uses a synthetic resin foam as the rubber-like elastic body, the rubber-like elastic body is not limited to such a foam. For example, the rubber-like elastic body may be formed of a rubber material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber.

[0038] Furthermore, in the load adjustment mechanism 67 of the steering wheel 1 of this embodiment, the low hardness foam 71 and the high hardness foam 70 are disposed in series on the inner circumferential side of the compression coil spring 68. This allows the load adjustment mechanism 67 to be made more compact than when a spring-like elastic body and a rubber-like elastic body are disposed in parallel. Of course, if this point is not taken into consideration, a configuration in which the spring-like elastic body and the rubber-like elastic body are disposed in parallel may also be used.

[0039] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the load adjustment mechanism 67 having such a configuration is stored in a storage portion 65 provided in the moving mechanism 45. In other words, it is disposed in a region between the fixed side portion 47 and the sliding portion 55 and at a position separated from the shaft portion 52. That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the load adjustment mechanism 67 is not disposed around the shaft portion 52, which increases the degree of freedom in the placement of the load adjustment mechanism 67. Therefore, the biasing forces of the compression coil spring 68, high hardness foam 70, and low hardness foam 71 constituting the load adjustment mechanism 67 can be more easily adjusted, and the pulling force required when operating the operating unit 20 (the operating load applied to the sliding portion 20) can be easily changed (adjusted). Note that, if this point is not taken into consideration, the load adjustment mechanism may be configured, for example, by inserting a compression coil spring and a substantially cylindrical rubber-like elastic body through the shaft portion and disposing them around the shaft portion, although detailed illustration is omitted.

[0040] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 (operating main body 21) has a substantially annular outer shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the ring portion 12, so that the operating unit 20 can be operated instantaneously regardless of the grip position of the ring portion 12 while the vehicle is traveling. Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating unit 20 is configured to be disposed below the ring portion 12 (toward the front of the vehicle) and, when operated, is configured to be pulled up by the movement mechanism 45 so as to approach the ring portion 12. 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 formed in a substantially annular shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the ring portion 12, and is disposed below the ring portion 12, so that the space defined by the area on the inner periphery of the ring portion 12 is not narrowed, and meter visibility that is substantially equivalent to that of a steering wheel without an operating unit can be ensured. In particular, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating main body portion 21 of the operating unit 20 is configured so that the upper side (driver's side) is covered over substantially the entire surface by the ring portion 12 when mounted on the vehicle, in other words, the operating main body portion 21 is configured so that it is not exposed from the ring portion 12, so that meter visibility can be maintained even better while the vehicle is traveling.

[0041] 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 slidably moved so as to approach the ring portion 12 as a whole 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, a load adjustment mechanism 67 is configured to be able to adjust the operating load when the operating unit 20 is pulled up relative to the ring portion 12 and to be able to bias the sliding portion 55 toward the non-operating position, and is configured to be disposed in a region between the operating unit 20 and the ring portion 12, which is above the operating unit 20 when the operating unit 20 is in a non-operating state. That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the portion of the sliding portion 55 to which the pressing force acts to compress the load adjustment mechanism 67 (compression coil spring 68, high-hardness foam 70, low-hardness foam 71) during operation of the operation unit 20 is not separated from the operation unit 20 itself in the vertical direction (the side in the direction substantially perpendicular to the ring surface 12a of the ring portion 12; in the case of the embodiment, the side in the direction along the rotary steering central axis C), but is formed in a position close to the operation unit 20 itself in the vertical direction. This suppresses the occurrence of rattles and allows the operation unit 20 to be operated stably and smoothly, resulting in good operability. In particular, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the movement mechanisms 45 (i.e., the load adjustment mechanisms 67) are configured to be disposed at multiple locations substantially symmetrical about the rotary steering central axis C (in the case of the embodiment, four locations substantially point-symmetrical about the rotary steering central axis C), which suppresses tilting of the entire operation unit 20, allowing the operation unit 20 to be operated smoothly and in a balanced manner. The number of moving mechanisms 45 to be arranged is not limited to four locations that are approximately point-symmetrical around the rotational steering center axis C, but may be configured to be arranged, for example, at two locations forward of the rotational steering center axis C or at two locations rearward of the rotational steering center axis C.

[0042] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the stopper surface 48 (lower 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 downward from the lower surface 12b 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 main body portion 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.

[0043] 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 abutment surface 57, so that the upper surface 56a (abutment surface 57) of the sliding portion 55 (sliding portion main body 56) does not come into direct contact with the stopper surface 48, thereby suppressing the generation of noise when operating the operating portion 20. Note that the buffer member 50 may, of course, be configured to be provided on the fixed side portion 47 side instead of the sliding portion main body 56 side.

[0044] In the embodiment, a steering wheel having a circular ring portion 12 as a grip portion has been described as an example, 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, it may also be configured to input a brake operation when operated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...steering handle, 3...handle body, 12...ring portion (grip portion), 12a...upper surface (ring surface, grip surface), 20...operation portion, 21...operation main body portion, 45...movement mechanism, 47...fixed side portion, 52...shaft portion, 55...sliding portion, 67...load adjustment mechanism, 68...compression coil spring (spring-like elastic body), 70...high-hardness foam (synthetic resin foam, rubber-like elastic body), 71...low-hardness foam (synthetic resin foam, rubber-like elastic body), C...rotational steering center axis

Claims

1. A steering handle comprising: a gripping portion to be gripped when steering; 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 is configured to enable an approach operation to approach the grip portion side by the movement mechanism, and to input an accelerator operation or a brake operation by the approach operation, and is configured to be able to adjust an operation load related to the approach movement to the grip portion by a load adjustment mechanism, the moving mechanism is configured to include a fixed side portion disposed on the gripping portion side, a shaft portion extending from the fixed side portion substantially along a direction substantially perpendicular to a gripping surface of the gripping portion, and a sliding portion disposed on the operating portion side to allow the shaft portion to slide, The load adjustment mechanism is configured to include a plurality of biasing members that can bias the sliding portion toward the non-operating position, The steering wheel is characterized in that the biasing member includes at least one rubber-like elastic body and one spring-like elastic body.

2. 2. The steering handle according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is made up of two rubber-like elastic bodies having different repulsive forces and one spring-like elastic body.

3. the spring-like elastic body is composed of a coil spring, 3. The steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein the rubber-like elastic bodies have a generally rod-like outer shape and are arranged in series on the inner circumferential side of the coil spring.

4. 4. The steering handle according to claim 1, wherein the load adjustment mechanism is disposed in a region between the fixed side portion and the sliding portion, and at a position spaced apart from the shaft portion.

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