Steering wheel

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel that includes an operation unit which can execute both of acceleration operation and braking operation.SOLUTION: A steering wheel 10 includes: operation levers 3 and 4 configured to input acceleration operation when subjected to swing-operation in one direction with respect to a steering unit 1, and input brake operation when subjected to swing-operation in the other direction; a right coupling portion 30a which includes a plate coupling part 30a1, a shaft supporting part 30a2 and a swing shaft 30a3, and which is placed at a position in which the swing shaft 30a3 at least partially overlaps with the plate coupling part 30a1 when viewed in a vertical direction; a left coupling portion 30b which includes a plate coupling part 30b1, a shaft supporting part 30b2 and a swing shaft 30b3, and which is placed at a position in which the swing shaft 30b3 at least partially overlaps with the plate coupling part 30b1 when viewed in the vertical direction; and an air-bag 91 accommodated in a folded state at a position between the right coupling portion 30a and the left coupling portion 30b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel having an operation unit for inputting an accelerator operation and a brake operation. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a configuration in which an operating section for inputting an accelerator operation and an operating section for inputting a brake operation are separately provided on a steering wheel, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-14204 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an operating unit for inputting accelerator operation and an operating unit for inputting brake operation are provided separately, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the driver needs to change hands on the operating unit when switching between accelerator operation and brake operation, which complicates the driver's operation.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel having an operating section that allows both accelerator and brake operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A typical configuration of a steering wheel according to the present invention for solving the above problems includes a boss portion connected to a steering center axis of a vehicle, a support plate supporting the boss portion, a steering unit that is gripped by a driver and steered to rotate around the steering center axis, a right operation portion that is arranged to the right of the boss portion and configured to be swingable relative to the steering unit, and that inputs an accelerator operation when rocked in a first direction and a brake operation when rocked in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a left operation portion that is arranged to the left of the boss portion and configured to be swingable relative to the steering unit, and that inputs an accelerator operation when rocked in a third direction and a brake operation when rocked in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a right connecting portion that connects the support plate and the right operation portion, and that is connected to a support surface that supports the boss portion of the support plate and that rocks in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface. a right connecting part having a right plate connecting part extending from the right plate connecting part, a right swing shaft that is a swing shaft of the right operation part, and a right shaft support part extending rightward from the right plate connecting part and supporting the right swing shaft, and arranged at a position where at least a portion of the right swing shaft overlaps with the right plate connecting part when viewed from the vertical direction; a left connecting part connecting the support plate and the left operation part, the left connecting part having a left plate connecting part connected to the support surface and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface, a left swing shaft that is a swing shaft of the left operation part, and a left shaft support part extending leftward from the left plate connecting part and supporting the left swing shaft, and arranged at a position where at least a portion of the left swing shaft overlaps with the left plate connecting part when viewed from the vertical direction; and an airbag that is stored in a folded state between the right connecting part and the left connecting part, and that inflates when the vehicle crashes to receive and protect the driver.

[0007] According to the present invention, an accelerator operation is input by swinging the right operation unit in a first direction, and a brake operation is input by swinging it in a second direction. Also, an accelerator operation is input by swinging the left operation unit in a third direction, and a brake operation is input by swinging it in a fourth direction. Therefore, the driver can perform both an accelerator operation and a brake operation using the right operation unit or the left operation unit, which makes it possible to prevent the driver's operations from becoming complicated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the steering wheel with the pad and airbag device removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the steering wheel with the lower cover removed. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel taken along the line A1-A1 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel taken along the line A2-A2 in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an operating lever provided on the steering wheel. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an operating lever and a link mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cam unit included in the link mechanism. [Figure 9] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A steering wheel 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The steering wheel 10 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown). In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction along the axial direction of a steering shaft (not shown), the front-rear direction refers to the front-rear direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft when the vehicle is steered straight ahead, and the left-right direction refers to the left-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft when the vehicle is steered straight ahead.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel 10. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the steering wheel 10 with the pad 5 and the airbag device 90 removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the steering wheel 10 from below with the lower cover 6 removed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel 10 taken along the A1-A1 section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel 10 taken along the A2-A2 section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the operating levers 3 and 4 provided on the steering wheel 10.

[0011] 1 to 6, steering wheel 10 includes a boss portion 2 connected to a steering shaft (not shown) that serves as the central steering axis of the vehicle, and a steering portion 1 that is gripped by the driver and rotated around the steering shaft. Steering wheel 10 also includes an airbag device 90, a pad 5 that covers the upper part of airbag device 90, and a lower cover 6 that is disposed on the underside of steering wheel 10. Steering wheel 10 also includes operation levers 3 and 4 that are disposed to the right and left of boss portion 2, respectively, and are used to input accelerator and brake operations.

[0012] The steering unit 1 is a generally elliptical ring-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction and is formed from a metal core 1a and a resin cover 1b that covers the core 1a. The left and right portions of the resin cover 1b of the steering unit 1 on both sides of the boss portion 2 are grip portions 1b1 and 1b2 that the driver normally grips while driving. The driver grips the grip portions 1b1 and 1b2 and rotates the steering unit 1 around the steering shaft connected to the boss portion 2 to change the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0013] The boss portion 2 is disposed at the center of the steering unit 1 and is supported by a support plate 20. The support plate 20 is a metal plate extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, and is connected to the lower cover 6 with screws (not shown). The boss portion 2 has an axial hole 2a into which a steering shaft is inserted and fitted, and with the tip of the steering shaft inserted and fitted into this axial hole 2a, the tip of the steering shaft is fastened with a nut, thereby connecting the boss portion 2 and the steering shaft. In this embodiment, the boss portion 2 is molded integrally with the support plate 20 by die-casting. The method of supporting the boss portion 2 with the support plate 20 is not limited to this, and for example, the boss portion 2 may be supported by being fixed to the support plate 20 with screws or the like.

[0014] The steering unit 1 and the boss unit 2 are connected by connecting members 21a to 21d. The connecting members 21a to 21d are each a metal member bent into a substantially S-shape. An upper end 21a1 of the connecting member 21a is fixed to the lower part of the core metal 1a of the steering unit 1 with a screw 41a, and a lower end is fixed to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 that supports the boss unit 2 with a screw (not shown), thereby connecting the two. Similarly, upper ends 21b1 to 21d1 of the connecting members 21b to 21d are fixed to the lower part of the core metal 1a of the steering unit 1 with screws 41b to 41d, and a lower end is fixed to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 with a screw (not shown), thereby connecting the two. In this way, the boss unit 2 and the steering unit 1 are connected.

[0015] Furthermore, a metal lever connecting member 30 that connects the support plate 20 and the operating levers 3 and 4 is attached to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20. The lever connecting member 30 is composed of a right connecting portion 30a that connects the operating lever 3 and the support plate 20, a left connecting portion 30b that connects the operating lever 4 and the support plate 20, and a central connecting portion 30c that connects the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b. The central connecting portion 30c is connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 with a screw 45. Note that, although the right connecting portion 30a, the left connecting portion 30b, and the central connecting portion 30c are integrally molded as the lever connecting member 30 in this embodiment, they may also be configured to be separate members that are connected with screws, welding, or the like.

[0016] The right connecting portion 30a has a plate connecting portion 30a1 that is connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 and extends in a generally vertical direction, which is a direction generally perpendicular to the support surface 20a. In this embodiment, a lower portion of the plate connecting portion 30a1 is connected to the central connecting portion 30c with a screw 46, and the plate connecting portion 30a1 is indirectly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 via the central connecting portion 30c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plate connecting portion 30a1 may be directly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20. In other words, the connection of the plate connecting portion 30a1 to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 herein includes a configuration in which the plate connecting portion 30a1 is directly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 and a configuration in which the plate connecting portion 30a1 is indirectly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20. The right connecting portion 30a includes a swing shaft 30a3 (right swing shaft) and a shaft support portion 30a2 (right shaft support portion) that extends rightward from the plate connecting portion 30a1 (right plate connecting portion) and supports the swing shaft 30a3. The shaft support portion 30a2 has a bearing (not shown) therein, and supports the swing shaft 30a3 via the bearing so that the swing shaft 30a3 can swing in the directions indicated by arrows R1 and R2 in FIG. 4. The swing shaft 30a3 is disposed such that its swing axis line is aligned with the front-rear direction and at least a portion of the swing shaft 30a3 overlaps with the plate connecting portion 30a1 when viewed from above. A magnetic rotation angle sensor (not shown) is provided near the swing shaft 30a3 on the right connecting portion 30a to detect the swing angle of the swing shaft 30a3. The rotation angle sensor is electrically connected to a CPU (not shown). In this embodiment, the diameter of the rear end of the oscillating shaft 30a3 is smaller than the diameter of the front end, and accordingly the width of the rear end of the plate connecting portion 30a1 in the left-right direction is also narrower. Therefore, although the oscillating shaft 30a3 and the plate connecting portion 30a1 are not positioned to overlap at the rear end when viewed from the top-bottom direction, they are positioned to overlap at the front end.

[0017] The left connecting portion 30b has a plate connecting portion 30b1 that is connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 and extends in a generally vertical direction, which is a direction generally perpendicular to the support surface 20a. In this embodiment, a lower portion of the plate connecting portion 30b1 is connected to the central connecting portion 30c with a screw 47, and the plate connecting portion 30b1 is indirectly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 via the central connecting portion 30c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plate connecting portion 30b1 may be directly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20. In other words, the phrase "the plate connecting portion 30b1 is connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20" as used herein includes a configuration in which the plate connecting portion 30b1 is directly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20 and a configuration in which the plate connecting portion 30b1 is indirectly connected to the support surface 20a of the support plate 20. The left connecting portion 30b has a swing shaft 30b3 (left swing shaft) and a shaft support portion 30b2 (left shaft support portion) that extends leftward from the plate connecting portion 30b1 (left plate connecting portion) and supports the swing shaft 30b3. The shaft support portion 30b2 has a bearing (not shown) therein, and supports the swing shaft 30b3 via this bearing so that it can swing in the directions of arrows R3 and R4 shown in Figure 4. The swing axis of the swing shaft 30b3 is arranged along the front-rear direction, and is arranged in a position where at least a portion of the swing shaft 30b3 overlaps with the plate connecting portion 30b1 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. In this embodiment, the diameter of the rear end of the oscillating shaft 30b3 is smaller than the diameter of the front end, and accordingly the width of the rear end of the plate connecting portion 30b1 in the left-right direction is also narrower. Therefore, although the oscillating shaft 30b3 and the plate connecting portion 30b1 are not positioned to overlap at the rear end when viewed from the top-bottom direction, they are positioned to overlap at the front end.

[0018] The airbag device 90 is disposed between the right connecting part 30a and the left connecting part 30b in the left-right direction. The airbag device 90 includes an airbag 91, an inflator 94 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 91, a case 95 that holds the airbag 91 and the inflator 94, and a substantially square annular retainer 92 that is housed inside the airbag 91 and that secures the airbag 91 and the inflator 94 to the case 95.

[0019] The inflator 94 is a generally cylindrical member that generates inflation gas and has an outlet 94a at its top for discharging the inflation gas. The inflator 94 also has a flange 94b that extends radially from the surface where the outlet 94a is formed. The inflator 94 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) via lead wires (not shown), and is activated to generate inflation gas when an activation signal is input from the control device during a vehicle collision.

[0020] The airbag 91 is stored in a folded state and inflates when inflation gas is supplied from the inflator 94 in the event of a vehicle collision, breaking the pad 5 and extending toward the driver to receive and protect the driver. An opening 91a is provided on the underside of the airbag 91, through which the upper portion of the inflator 94, where the discharge port 94a is formed, is inserted.

[0021] The case 95 is a metal member having a disk-shaped bottom wall 95a and a side wall 95b extending upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall 95a. An insertion hole 95a1, through which the inflator 94 is inserted, is formed in the bottom wall 95a. The side wall 95b is connected to the core metal 1a of the steering unit 1 by a connecting member (not shown). The airbag 91 and the inflator 94 are fixed to the bottom wall 95a of the case 95 via a retainer 92 provided inside the airbag 91. Specifically, the periphery of the opening 91a of the airbag 91 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the retainer 92 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 95a of the case 95. The upper surface of the flange 94b of the inflator 94 is pressed against the lower surface of the bottom wall 95a of the case 95. In this state, bolts 99 are inserted through the periphery of the opening 91a of the airbag 91, the bottom wall 95a of the case 95, and the flange 94b of the inflator 94, and fastened with nuts. This fixes the airbag 91 and the inflator 94 to the bottom wall 95a of the case 95.

[0022] The operating lever 3 as the right operating part is disposed adjacent to the steering unit 1 on the right side of the boss portion 2, is a member configured to be swingable relative to the steering unit 1, and is composed of a metal core 3a and a resin operation cover 3b. The core 3a has a pivotal support portion 3a1 that extends in the left-right direction and is pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 30a3 of the right connecting portion 30a, a cover mounting portion 3a2 that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to one end of the pivotal support portion 3a1 and to which the operation cover 3b is attached, and a connection portion 3a3 that extends downward from the other end of the pivotal support portion 3a1 and is connected to a link mechanism 50, which will be described later.

[0023] A shaft hole 3a1a is formed in the shaft support portion 3a1 of the core metal 3a, and the operating lever 3 is pivotally supported on the swing shaft 30a3 by inserting the swing shaft 30a3 into this shaft hole 3a1a. Relative movement between the shaft support portion 3a1 and the swing shaft 30a3 is restricted by a screw 73 and a pin 74. By pivotally supporting the operating lever 3 on the swing shaft 30a3 in this manner, the operating lever 3 is configured to be pivotable around the swing shaft 30a3 in the direction of arrow R1 and the opposite direction of arrow R2 shown in FIG. The operating lever 3 is restricted in its swing in the direction of arrow R1 at a predetermined swing angle by the restricting surface 3a1b formed on the support portion 3a1 of the core 3a abutting against the swing restricting portion 30a1a (right restricting portion) formed on the plate connecting portion 30a1, and is restricted in its swing in the direction of arrow R2 at a predetermined swing angle by the restricting surface 3a1c abutting against the swing restricting portion 30a1b (right restricting portion) formed on the plate connecting portion 30a1.

[0024] The operation cover 3b has an accelerator operation surface 3b1 on its upper surface which is pressed down with the palm or thumb of the right hand when the driver operates the accelerator, a brake operation surface 3b2 on its lower surface which is pulled up with the four fingers other than the thumb when the driver operates the brake, and a fitting hole 3b3 into which the cover mounting portion 3a2 of the core wire 3a is fitted and fixed with a screw (not shown).

[0025] The driver's right palm or thumb presses down on the accelerator operation surface 3b1 of the operation cover 3b to swing the operation lever 3 in the direction of arrow R1 (first direction), thereby inputting an accelerator operation. The driver's other fingers lift up on the brake operation surface 3b2 of the operation cover 3b to swing the operation lever 3 in the direction of arrow R2 (second direction), thereby inputting a brake operation. Specifically, when the operation lever 3 is swung, a rotation angle sensor (not shown) detects the swing angle of the swing shaft 30a3, and a CPU (not shown) controls the acceleration / deceleration device of the vehicle based on the detection signal received from the rotation angle sensor to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle. That is, when the rotation angle sensor detects that the swing shaft 30a3 has swung in the direction of arrow R1, the CPU controls the acceleration / deceleration device of the vehicle in accordance with the swing angle of the swing shaft 30a3 to accelerate the vehicle. Furthermore, when the rotation angle sensor detects that the oscillating shaft 30a3 has oscillated in the direction of arrow R2, the CPU controls the acceleration / deceleration device of the vehicle in accordance with the rotation angle of the oscillating shaft 30a3 to decelerate the vehicle.

[0026] The operating lever 4 as the left operating part is a member with a bilaterally symmetrical shape that is arranged in a bilaterally symmetrical position to the operating lever 3 with respect to the boss part 2, and performs bilaterally symmetrical operations to the operating lever 3. That is, the operating lever 4 is arranged adjacent to the steering part 1 on the left side of the boss part 2, is a member configured to be swingable relative to the steering part 1, and is composed of a metal core 4a and a resin operation cover 4b. The core 4a has a pivotal support part 4a1 that extends in the left-right direction and is pivotally supported by the pivot shaft 30b3 of the left connecting part 30b, a cover attachment part 4a2 that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to one end side of the pivotal support part 4a1 and to which the operation cover 4b is attached, and a connection part 4a3 that extends downward from the other end side of the pivotal support part 4a1 and is connected to a link mechanism 50, which will be described later.

[0027] A shaft hole 4a1a is formed in the shaft support portion 4a1 of the core metal 4a, and the pivot shaft 30b3 is inserted into this shaft hole 4a1a, thereby pivotally supporting the operating lever 4 on the pivot shaft 30b3. Relative movement between the shaft support portion 4a1 and the pivot shaft 30b3 is restricted by a screw 75 and a pin 76. By pivotally supporting the operating lever 4 on the pivot shaft 30b3 in this manner, the operating lever 4 is configured to be pivotable around the pivot shaft 30b3 in the direction of arrow R3 and the opposite direction of arrow R4 shown in FIG. The operating lever 4 is restricted in its swing in the direction of arrow R3 at a predetermined swing angle by the restricting surface 4a1b formed on the support portion 4a1 of the core 4a abutting against the swing restricting portion 30b1a (left restricting portion) formed on the plate connecting portion 30b1, and is restricted in its swing in the direction of arrow R4 at a predetermined swing angle by the restricting surface 4a1c abutting against the swing restricting portion 30b1b (left restricting portion) formed on the plate connecting portion 30b1.

[0028] The operation cover 4b has an accelerator operation surface 4b1 on its upper surface which is pressed down with the palm and thumb of the left hand when the driver operates the accelerator, a brake operation surface 4b2 on its lower surface which is pulled up with the four fingers other than the thumb when the driver operates the brake, and a fitting hole 4b3 into which the cover mounting portion 4a2 of the core wire 4a is fitted and fixed with a screw (not shown).

[0029] The driver inputs an accelerator operation by pressing down the accelerator operation surface 4b1 of the operation cover 4b with the palm or thumb of his left hand and swinging the operation lever 4 in the direction of arrow R3 (third direction), and inputs a brake operation by lifting up the brake operation surface 4b2 of the operation cover 4b with the four fingers other than the thumb and swinging the operation lever 4 in the direction of arrow R4 (fourth direction). In this embodiment, as will be described later, the swinging operation of the operation lever 3 in the direction of arrow R1 and the swinging operation of the operation lever 4 in the direction of arrow R3 are synchronized, and the swinging operation of the operation lever 4 in the direction of arrow R2 and the swinging operation of the operation lever 4 in the direction of arrow R4 are synchronized. Therefore, when the operation lever 4 is swing-operated in the R3 direction, the operation lever 3 swings in the R1 direction in conjunction with the swinging operation, the swing angle of the swing shaft 30a3 of the operation lever 3 is detected by the rotation angle sensor, and the CPU performs the above-mentioned control according to the swing angle, thereby accelerating the vehicle. Furthermore, when the operating lever 4 is swung in the R4 direction, the operating lever 3 is swung in the R2 direction in conjunction with the swing operation, the swing angle of the swing shaft 30a3 of the operating lever 3 is detected by the rotation angle sensor, and the CPU performs the above-mentioned control in accordance with the swing angle, thereby decelerating the vehicle. Note that if the swing operations of the operating levers 3 and 4 are not synchronized, a similar operation can be performed by providing a separate rotation angle sensor that detects the swing angle of the swing shaft 30b3 of the operating lever 4, and having the CPU perform the above-mentioned control in accordance with the detection result of the rotation angle sensor.

[0030] As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, an accelerator operation is input by swinging the control lever 3 in the direction of arrow R1, and a brake operation is input by swinging the control lever 3 in the direction of arrow R2. Similarly, an accelerator operation is input by swinging the control lever 4 in the direction of arrow R3, and a brake operation is input by swinging the control lever 4 in the direction of arrow R4. Therefore, the driver can perform both the accelerator operation and the brake operation using the control lever 3 or the control lever 4, and can perform the accelerator operation and the brake operation without switching between the control levers 3 and 4, thereby preventing the driver's operations from becoming complicated.

[0031] In this embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the accelerator operation is input by pressing the control levers 3 and 4 in the direction of arrow R1 or arrow R3 with the palm or thumb of the driver's hand, and the brake operation is input by pulling up the control levers in the direction of arrow R2 or arrow R4 with the driver's four fingers other than the thumb. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the swing directions of the control levers 3 and 4 during accelerator operation and brake operation may be reversed. In other words, the configuration may be such that the brake operation is input by pressing the control levers 3 and 4 in the direction of arrow R1 or arrow R3 with the driver's palm or thumb, and the accelerator operation is input by pulling up the control levers in the direction of arrow R2 or arrow R4 with the driver's four fingers other than the thumb.

[0032] This is determined, for example, taking into consideration the following points: Specifically, during driving, accelerator operation is generally more frequent than brake operation. Furthermore, because the driver drives in a forward-leaning position, it is easier to use the driver's weight to push down the control levers 3 and 4 with the palm or thumb than to pull up the control levers 3 and 4 with the remaining four fingers. Therefore, by using the swing direction of this embodiment, the driver can easily operate the accelerator, which is operated relatively frequently, thereby reducing the driver's operational burden. On the other hand, for example, if a vehicle has a constant speed control function that travels at a speed set by the driver, during this control, the brake operation is more frequent than the accelerator operation. In this case, by configuring the swing direction during accelerator operation and brake operation in the opposite direction to that of this embodiment, the driver can easily operate the brake, which is operated relatively frequently, thereby reducing the driver's operational burden. Taking these points and other factors into consideration, the relationship between the swing direction of the control levers 3 and 4 and the accelerator operation and brake operation is determined.

[0033] Furthermore, since the steering wheel 10 includes the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b that connect the support plate 20 and the operating levers 3 and 4, if the width between them is narrow, it is difficult to ensure a space for arranging the airbag device 90. In contrast, in this embodiment, in the right connecting portion 30a, the plate connecting portion 30a1 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface 20a, and is disposed in a position where a portion of the pivot shaft 30a3 overlaps with the plate connecting portion 30a1 when viewed from the top and bottom. Similarly, in the left connecting portion 30b, the plate connecting portion 30b1 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface 20a, and is disposed in a position where a portion of the pivot shaft 30b3 overlaps with the plate connecting portion 30b1 when viewed from the top and bottom. Here, the direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface 20a includes not only the direction perpendicular to the support surface 20a but also a direction deviated within a range of ±5 degrees.

[0034] This configuration increases the space between the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b, making it easier to secure space for disposing the airbag device 90. That is, when a portion of the pivot shaft 30a3 is positioned so as to overlap with the plate connecting portion 30a1, the pivot shaft 30a3 is necessarily positioned closer to the plate connecting portion 30a1. In this case, the pivot shaft 30a3 can be supported even if the length of the shaft support portion 30a2 in the left-right direction is short. Therefore, the length of the shaft support portion 30a2 in the left-right direction can be shortened compared to a configuration in which the pivot shaft 30a3 is positioned farther from the plate connecting portion 30a1. Because the plate connecting portion 30a1 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface 20a, if the length of the shaft support portion 30a2 in the left-right direction is shortened to increase the load-bearing capacity during pivoting of the operating lever 3, in order to dispose the operating lever 3 near the steering unit 1, it is necessary to either increase the length of the pivot support portion 3a1 of the operating lever 3 in the left-right direction or to dispose the right connecting portion 30a entirely to the right. Here, if the pivotal support portion 3a1 of the control lever 3 is lengthened, the pivotal support portion 3a1 becomes more likely to break under the load applied when the control lever 3 is operated, and therefore, the strength of the pivotal support portion 3a1 must be increased, resulting in an increase in the size and weight of the steering wheel 10. On the other hand, by disposing the right connecting portion 30a entirely to the right as in this embodiment, the control lever 3 can be disposed near the steering unit 1 without increasing the size and weight of the steering wheel 10, and the space between the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b in the left-right direction is also increased. For the same reason, by disposing the left connecting portion 30b entirely to the left as in this embodiment, the control lever 4 can be disposed near the steering unit 1 without increasing the size and weight of the steering wheel 10, and the space between the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b is also increased. As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the load-bearing capacity of the control levers 3, 4 when they are swung can be increased, and the space between the right connecting portion 30a and the left connecting portion 30b can be increased to ensure the placement of the airbag device 90.

[0035] Furthermore, swing restriction portions 30a1a and 30a1b that restrict the swing angle of the operating lever 3 are formed on the plate connecting portion 30a1. With this configuration, the length of the shaft support portion 30a2 in the left-right direction can be shortened compared to a configuration in which swing restriction portions 30a1a and 30a1b are provided on the shaft support portion 30a2 of the right connecting portion 30a, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the right connecting portion 30a when the operating lever 3 is operated. Similarly, swing restriction portions 30b1a and 30b1b that restrict the swing angle of the operating lever 4 are formed on the plate connecting portion 30b1. With this configuration, the length of the shaft support portion 30b2 in the left-right direction can be shortened compared to a configuration in which swing restriction portions 30b1a and 30b1b are provided on the shaft support portion 30b2 of the left connecting portion 30b, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the left connecting portion 30b when the operating lever 4 is operated.

[0036] Next, the configuration of the link mechanism 50 as a power transmission mechanism that synchronizes the swinging action of the operating lever 3 and the swinging action of the operating lever 4 will be described. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the operating levers 3, 4 and the link mechanism 50. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cam unit 60 included in the link mechanism 50. Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the cam unit 60.

[0037] 7 to 9, the link mechanism 50 is disposed below and behind the operating levers 3 and 4, and is composed of links 52 to 55 and a cam unit 60. The cam unit 60 is composed of a pusher 62, a cam member 63, a compression spring 64, a mounting plate 66, and a shaft member 67, and is fixed to the central connecting portion 30c of the lever connecting member 30. Specifically, the mounting plate 66 is fixed to the central connecting portion 30c of the lever connecting member 30 with a screw (not shown). In this state, the shaft member 67 is inserted through the pusher 62, the cam member 63, the compression spring 64, and the mounting plate 66, and a nut 68 is fastened, thereby fixing the cam unit 60 to the central connecting portion 30c of the lever connecting member 30. The shaft member 67 is disposed at a position that is substantially equidistant from the pivot shaft 30a3 of the operating lever 3 and the pivot shaft 30b3 of the operating lever 4 in the left-right direction, and is substantially parallel to the pivot shafts 30a3 and 30b3.

[0038] One end 52a of the link 52 is inserted into a hole 3a3a formed in the connection portion 3a3 of the operating lever 3 and is connected to the operating lever 3 with a screw (not shown), and the other end 52b is fastened and connected to the link 53. Since the link 52 is connected to the operating lever 3, it swings integrally with the operating lever 3 as the operating lever 3 swings. One end 53a of the link 53 is fastened and connected to the link 52, and the other end 53b is fastened and connected to a link connecting portion 62b of the pusher 62 of the cam unit 60. The link 53 moves linearly to the left as the link 52 swings in the direction of arrow R1, and moves linearly to the right as the link 52 swings in the direction of arrow R2.

[0039] One end 54a of the link 54 is inserted into a hole 4a3a formed in the connection portion 4a3 of the operating lever 4 and is connected to the operating lever 4 with a screw (not shown), and the other end 54b is fastened and connected to the link 55. Since the link 54 is connected to the operating lever 4, the link 54 swings integrally with the operating lever 4 as the operating lever 4 swings. One end 55a of the link 55 is fastened and connected to the link 54, and the other end 55b is fastened and connected to a link connecting portion 62c of the pusher 62 of the cam unit 60. The link 55 moves linearly to the right as the link 54 swings in the direction of arrow R3, and moves linearly to the left as the link 54 swings in the direction of arrow R4.

[0040] The pusher 62 (rotating member) has a bearing 85 therein and is attached via the bearing 85 to be rotatable relative to the shaft member 67 in the direction of arrow W1 (first rotation direction) shown in FIG. 8 and in the opposite direction, the direction of arrow W2 (second rotation direction). The front surface of the pusher 62 is provided with a link connecting portion 62b into which the link 53 is fitted and connected, and a link connecting portion 62c into which the link 55 is fitted and connected. The link connecting portion 62b and the link connecting portion 62c are arranged in positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the shaft member 67. The front surface of the pusher 62 is also provided with two protrusions 62a for controlling the position of the cam member 63. The two protrusions 62a protrude forward along the rotation axis L of the pusher 62 and are arranged in positions that are symmetrical with respect to each other with respect to the rotation axis L of the pusher 62.

[0041] The cam member 63 (moving member) is a member that moves linearly along the rotation axis L of the pusher 62 in a direction toward and away from the mounting plate 66 as the pusher 62 rotates. A cam surface 63a that comes into contact with the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62 is provided on the rear surface of the cam member 63. The cam surface 63a has a neutral point 63a3, two inclined surfaces 63a1 that are located downstream of the neutral point 63a3 in the direction of arrow W1 and inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis L of the pusher 62, and two inclined surfaces 63a2 that are located downstream of the neutral point 63a3 in the direction of arrow W2 and inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis L of the pusher 62. The neutral point 63a3 is located forward of the inclined surfaces 63a1 and 63a2 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the neutral point 63a3 is the deepest part of the valley formed by the inclined surfaces 63a1 and 63a2. The two inclined surfaces 63a1 are arranged at symmetrical positions, the two inclined surfaces 63a2 are arranged at symmetrical positions, and the two neutral points 63a3 are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the shaft member 67. In a free state where the operating levers 3 and 4 are not swung and operated, the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62 is located at the neutral point 63a3.

[0042] The cam member 63 has two protrusions 63b1 and 63b2 (first and second protrusions) on its front surface that protrude forward along the rotation axis L of the pusher 62. The protrusions 63b1 and 63b2 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis L of the pusher 62. The protrusions 63b1 and 63b2 are inserted into holes 66a1 and 66a2 (first and second holes) formed in the mounting plate 66, respectively, and contact the inner peripheries of the holes 66a1 and 66a2 to restrict the rotation of the cam member 63 while guiding the movement of the cam member 63 in the front-rear direction. The cam member 63 also holds one end of a compression spring 64 (spring member). The other end of the compression spring 64 is held by the mounting plate 66.

[0043] When the operating lever 3 is operated to swing in the direction of arrow R1, the link 52 connected to the operating lever 3 swings in the direction of arrow R1, and the link 53 connected to the other end 52b of the link 52 moves linearly to the left, causing the pusher 62 connected to the other end 53b of the link 53 to rotate in the direction of arrow W1 around the shaft member 67. When the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W1, the link 55 connected to the pusher 62 moves linearly to the right, and the link 54 connected to one end 55a of the link 55 and the operating lever 4 connected to one end 54a of the link 54 swing integrally in the direction of arrow R3 around the swing shaft 30b3.

[0044] When the operating lever 3 is swung in the direction of arrow R2, the link 52 connected to the operating lever 3 swung in the direction of arrow R2, and the link 53 connected to the other end 52b of the link 52 moved linearly to the right, causing the pusher 62 connected to the other end 53b of the link 53 to rotate in the direction of arrow W2 around the shaft member 67. When the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W2, the link 55 connected to the pusher 62 moves linearly to the left, and the link 54 connected to one end 55a of the link 55 and the operating lever 4 connected to one end 54a of the link 54 swung integrally in the direction of arrow R4 around the swing shaft 30b3.

[0045] When the operating lever 4 is operated to swing in the direction of arrow R3, the link 54 connected to the operating lever 4 swings in the direction of arrow R3, and the link 55 connected to the other end 54b of the link 54 moves linearly to the right, causing the pusher 62 connected to the other end 55b of the link 55 to rotate in the direction of arrow W1 around the shaft member 67. When the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W1, the link 53 connected to the pusher 62 moves linearly to the left, and the link 52 connected to one end 53a of the link 53 and the operating lever 3 connected to one end 52a of the link 52 swing integrally in the direction of arrow R1 around the swing shaft 30a3.

[0046] When the operating lever 4 is operated to swing in the direction of arrow R4, the link 54 connected to the operating lever 4 swings in the direction of arrow R4, and the link 55 connected to the other end 54b of the link 54 moves linearly to the left, causing the pusher 62 connected to the other end 55b of the link 55 to rotate in the direction of arrow W2 around the shaft member 67. When the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W2, the link 53 connected to the pusher 62 moves linearly to the right, and the link 52 connected to one end 53a of the link 53 and the operating lever 3 connected to one end 52a of the link 52 swing integrally in the direction of arrow R2 around the swing shaft 30a3.

[0047] In this way, the link mechanism 50 synchronizes the swinging movement of the operating lever 3 in the direction of arrow R1 with the swinging movement of the operating lever 4 in the direction of arrow R3, and synchronizes the swinging movement of the operating lever 3 in the direction of arrow R2 with the swinging movement of the operating lever 4 in the direction of arrow R4. This configuration makes it possible to prevent erroneous operations such as operating the accelerator with the operating lever 3 and operating the brake with the operating lever 4.

[0048] Furthermore, when the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W1 in conjunction with the swinging operation of the operating levers 3 and 4 in the directions of arrows R1 and R3, the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62, which was located at the neutral point 63a3 of the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63, moves to the inclined surface 63a1, and the cam member 63, pressed by the protrusion 62a, moves forward while pressing the compression spring 64 against the biasing force of the compression spring 64 and elastically deforming the compression spring 64. Thereafter, when the swinging operation of the operating levers 3 and 4 is released, the cam member 63 is biased rearward by the restoring force of the compression spring 64, and the pusher 62, which receives the biasing force via the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63, rotates in the direction of arrow W2 and returns to the phase before the rotation, and the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62 also returns to the neutral point 63a3 of the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63. Furthermore, when the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of the arrow W2 to return to the phase before rotation, the links 52 to 55 move as described above, and accordingly the operating levers 3 and 4 swing in the directions of the arrows R2 and R4, respectively, returning to their initial positions before the swing operation.

[0049] Similarly, when the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W2 in conjunction with the swinging operation of the operating levers 3 and 4 in the directions of arrows R2 and R4, the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62, which was located at the neutral point 63a3 of the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63, moves to the inclined surface 63a2, and the cam member 63, pressed by the protrusion 62a, moves forward while pressing the compression spring 64 against the biasing force of the compression spring 64 and elastically deforming the compression spring 64. Thereafter, when the swinging operation of the operating levers 3 and 4 is released, the cam member 63 is biased rearward by the restoring force of the compression spring 64, and the pusher 62, which receives the biasing force via the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63, rotates in the direction of arrow W1 and returns to the phase before the rotation, and the protrusion 62a of the pusher 62 also returns to the neutral point 63a3 of the cam surface 63a of the cam member 63. Furthermore, as the pusher 62 rotates in the direction of arrow W1 to return to the phase before rotation, the links 52 to 55 move as described above, and accordingly the operating levers 3 and 4 swing in the directions of arrows R1 and R3, respectively, returning to their initial positions before the swinging operation. In other words, when the swinging operation of the operating levers 3 and 4 is released, the biasing force of the compression spring 64 rotates the pusher 62 and returns it to the phase before rotation, and the operating levers 3 and 4 return to their initial positions.

[0050] As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when the swinging operation of the control levers 3, 4 for inputting the accelerator operation or the brake operation is released, the shared pusher 62, cam member 63, and compression spring 64 can return the control levers 3, 4 to their initial positions, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the configuration. Note that, although the configuration in which the protrusion 62a is provided on the pusher 62 and the cam surface 63a is provided on the cam member 63 has been described in this embodiment, the relationship between the two may be reversed. That is, the same effect as above can be obtained by providing a protrusion that protrudes toward the pusher 62 from the cam member 63 and providing a cam surface that comes into contact with this protrusion on the pusher 62.

[0051] Furthermore, the movement of cam member 63 in the front-rear direction is guided by protrusions 63b1, 63b2 of cam member 63. By providing a portion that guides the movement of cam member 63 at a position away from shaft member 67 in this manner, it is possible to reduce backlash between cam member 63 and shaft member 67 and allow cam member 63 to move smoothly in the front-rear direction. Note that the number of protrusions 63b1, 63b2 is arbitrary, and although the above effect can be obtained with just one protrusion, it is preferable to provide multiple protrusions 63b1, 63b2 because this allows the load to be distributed when restricting the rotation of cam member 63.

[0052] 7, in this embodiment, the operating levers 3, 4, lever connecting member 30, and link mechanism 50 are unitized, and this unit is configured to be removable from the support plate 20. With this configuration, this unit and other parts of the steering wheel 10 can be manufactured in different locations depending on where parts are procured, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1...Steering section, 2...Boss section, 3...Operation lever (right operation section), 4...Operation lever (left operation section), 10...Steering wheel, 20...Support plate, 20a...Support surface, 30...Lever connecting member, 30a...Right connecting section, 30a1...Plate connecting section (right plate connecting section), 30a1a, 30a1b...Swing restricting section (right restricting section), 30a2...Axis support section (right axis support section), 30a3...Swing shaft (right swing shaft), 30b...Left connecting section, 30b1...Plate connecting section (left plate a pivot shaft (left pivot shaft), a central connecting portion, a link mechanism (power transmission mechanism), a pusher (rotating member), a cam member (moving member), a projection (first projection, second projection), a compression spring (spring member), a mounting plate, a hole (first hole, second hole), a spring (spring member ...

Claims

1. a boss portion connected to a steering center shaft of a vehicle; a support plate that supports the boss portion; a steering unit that is held by a driver and is rotatably steered around the steering central axis; a right operating unit that is disposed to the right of the boss portion, is configured to be swingable relative to the steering unit, and is configured to input an accelerator operation when swinging in a first direction and to input a brake operation when swinging in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a left operating unit that is disposed to the left of the boss portion, is configured to be swingable relative to the steering unit, and is configured to input an accelerator operation when swinging in a third direction and to input a brake operation when swinging in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction; a right connecting portion that connects the support plate and the right operating portion, the right connecting portion being connected to a support surface that supports the boss portion of the support plate and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface, a right swing shaft that is a swing shaft of the right operating portion, and a right shaft support portion that extends rightward from the right plate connecting portion and supports the right swing shaft, the right connecting portion being positioned such that at least a portion of the right swing shaft overlaps with the right plate connecting portion when viewed from the up-down direction; a left connecting portion that connects the support plate and the left operating portion, the left connecting portion having a left plate connecting portion that is connected to the support surface and extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface, a left swing shaft that is a swing shaft of the left operating portion, and a left shaft support portion that extends leftward from the left plate connecting portion and supports the left swing shaft, the left connecting portion being positioned so that at least a portion of the left swing shaft overlaps with the left plate connecting portion when viewed from the up-down direction; an airbag that is stored in a folded state between the right connecting portion and the left connecting portion and that inflates in the event of a collision of the vehicle to catch and protect the driver; A steering wheel comprising:

2. a right restriction portion that contacts the right operating portion to restrict a swing angle of the right operating portion, 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the left plate connecting portion is provided with a left restricting portion that contacts the left operating portion to restrict a pivot angle of the left operating portion.

3. a power transmission mechanism that mechanically transmits power from one of the right operation unit and the left operation unit to the other when the unit is swung, and synchronizes the swinging of the right operation unit in the first direction with the swinging of the left operation unit in the third direction, and synchronizes the swinging of the right operation unit in the second direction with the swinging of the left operation unit in the fourth direction, 3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission mechanism, the right connecting portion, the left connecting portion, the right operating portion, and the left operating portion are configured as a unit that can be removed from the support plate.

4. a central connecting portion connecting the right connecting portion and the left connecting portion; 4. The steering wheel according to claim 3, wherein the power transmission mechanism is fixed to the central connecting portion.

5. the power transmission mechanism includes a rotating member that rotates in a first rotation direction in response to the swinging of the right operating unit in the first direction and the swinging of the left operating unit in the third direction, and that rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction in response to the swinging of the right operating unit in the second direction and the swinging of the left operating unit in the fourth direction; a moving member that moves in a direction along a rotation axis of the rotating member by rotation of the rotating member in each of the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction; a spring member that biases the rotating member via the moving member; Including, The steering wheel of claim 3, characterized in that the rotating member moves the moving member in a direction that elastically deforms the spring member against the spring force of the spring member, regardless of whether the rotating member rotates in the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction, and when the swing operation of the right operating unit or the left operating unit is released, the spring force of the spring member causes the moving member to return to the phase before rotation.

6. The power transmission mechanism includes: a protrusion provided on the moving member and protruding in a direction along the rotation axis; a hole into which the protrusion is inserted; Equipped with 6. The steering wheel according to claim 5, wherein the moving member moves in the direction along the rotation axis while being guided by the protruding portion as the rotating member rotates.

7. The power transmission mechanism includes: a first protrusion that is the protrusion; a second protrusion provided at a position different from the first protrusion on the moving member and protruding in a direction along the rotation axis; a first hole portion that is the hole portion; a second hole portion into which the second protrusion portion is inserted; Equipped with 7. The steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein the moving member moves in the direction along the rotation axis while being guided by the first protrusion and the second protrusion as the rotating member rotates.

8. the right operating unit is pushed down by the driver to swing in the first direction, and is pulled up by the driver to swing in the second direction; 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the left operating portion is swung in the third direction when pressed down by the driver, and is swung in the fourth direction when pulled up by the driver.

9. the right operating unit is pushed down by the driver to swing in the second direction, and is pulled up by the driver to swing in the first direction; 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the left operating portion is swung in the fourth direction when pressed down by the driver, and is swung in the third direction when pulled up by the driver.

10. 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the boss portion and the support plate are integrally molded.

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