Handle device

Abstract

To provide a handle device which has a simple structure and can properly protect an operator.SOLUTION: A handle device S includes a handle 15 and a steering column 45. A column shaft 48 in the steering column includes: a shaft body 55 disposed at the front side; and a cylinder part 49 disposed at the handle side. The shaft body has, at the rear end 55b side, a gas enclosing part 57 which is disposed slidably with respect to the cylinder part and may supply an expansion gas to an airbag 26. The gas enclosing part includes, on a rear end surface located at the handle side, a gas outflow hole closed by the a seal part. At a region of the boss part in the handle, a projection part 21 which may cleave the seal part when contacting with the seal part is disposed. The shaft body is configured to move rearward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. During the frontal collision of the vehicle, the gas enclosing part causes the seal part to contact with the projection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering wheel device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a rotationally operable steering wheel and a steering column that pivotally supports the steering wheel, wherein an airbag is folded and housed in a boss region of the steering wheel. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, as a steering wheel device, there has been known a configuration in which an inflator is disposed near a cylindrical steering column, the inflator is activated when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, inflation gas discharged from the inflator flows into the airbag through the steering column to inflate the airbag (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this steering wheel device, the inflation gas discharged from the inflator is also used to retract the steering wheel toward the vehicle body side. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-168481 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, in conventional steering wheel devices, it is necessary to provide a collision detection sensor on the vehicle in order to activate the inflator, which increases the number of components and also increases the cost.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel device that has a simple configuration and can accurately protect a driver. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] The steering device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and comprises a steering wheel that can be rotated and a steering column that pivotally supports the steering wheel. A steering wheel device in which an airbag is folded and stored in the boss area of ​​the steering wheel, The steering column is attached to the boss area of ​​the steering wheel and comprises a column shaft that forms the rotational axis of the steering wheel. The column shaft comprises a shaft body disposed on the front side away from the handle, and a cylinder portion disposed on the handle side and configured to slide relative to the shaft body. The shaft body has a gas-filled section at its rear end, which is on the handle side. This section is slidably positioned within the cylinder section and contains compressed gas, which is configured to supply inflation gas to the airbag. The gas-filled section has a gas outlet hole on the rear end face that faces the handle, which is closed by a seal. A projection is provided in the boss area of ​​the handle, which protrudes forward on the gas-filled side and is capable of tearing the seal when it comes into contact with the seal. The shaft body is configured to move backward in response to the impact force acting on the vehicle during a frontal collision. The gas-filled portion is configured such that, when the shaft body moves backward during a frontal collision of a vehicle, the sealing portion comes into contact with the protruding portion.

[0007] In the steering wheel device of the present invention, the steering column shaft itself is configured to move backward in response to the impact force acting on the vehicle during a frontal collision. As the shaft moves backward during a frontal collision, the gas-filled section located at the rear end of the shaft also moves backward toward the steering wheel. The gas-filled section that has moved backward brings the seal portion on its rear end surface into contact with a projection located in the boss portion area of ​​the steering wheel. At this time, the projection ruptures the seal portion, causing the gas-filled section to release expansion gas through the gas outlet hole formed by the rupture of the seal portion. The expansion gas released from the gas-filled section then flows into the interior, causing the airbag to inflate. In other words, with the steering wheel device of the present invention, even without installing a sensor in the vehicle to operate a component equivalent to an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag, the airbag can be inflated by utilizing the impact force acting on the vehicle during a frontal collision to release inflation gas from the gas-filled section. This allows for a simple configuration and protects the driver seated in the driver's seat with the fully inflated airbag.

[0008] Therefore, the steering device of the present invention can effectively protect the driver with a simple configuration.

[0009] Furthermore, in the handle device of the present invention, if the projection is made into a cylindrical shape through which expansion gas can be inserted, and at least the tip side is configured to be insertable into the gas outlet hole, then the expansion gas flowing out from the gas outlet hole, which is opened by cleaving the seal portion, can be smoothly guided into the airbag via the projection, which is preferable.

[0010] Furthermore, in the steering device with the above configuration, if a cushioning material that can be plastically deformed when the shaft body moves backward is interposed between the gas-filled portion and the boss portion, it is preferable that rattling around the gas-filled portion and the generation of abnormal noises during normal vehicle operation can be effectively suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view of a vehicle equipped with a steering wheel device, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vehicle-mounted state of the steering device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the steering wheel and the rear end region of the steering column in the steering wheel device of the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the VV region in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the handle portion in the handle device of the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the area near the protruding part of the steering wheel device of the embodiment, showing the state before and after the vehicle collision. [Figure 8] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the completed inflation state of the airbag in the steering wheel device of the embodiment during a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 9] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a protruding portion, which is another embodiment of the present invention, showing the state of the vehicle before and after the collision. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The steering device S of the embodiment is mounted on a single-seater vehicle V, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This vehicle V is an electric vehicle powered by electricity. In the embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions coincide with the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle V.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, the steering device S of the embodiment includes a rotatable handle 15 and a steering column 45 that pivotally supports the handle 15.

[0014] The steering wheel 15 comprises, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a steering wheel body 16 and an airbag device 25 disposed on an upper (rear) portion of a central boss portion 16b of the steering wheel body 16.

[0015] In the embodiment, the steering wheel body 16 comprises a substantially annular ring portion 16a gripped by a driver D during steering, a boss portion 16b disposed substantially at the center of the ring portion 16a and connected to a column shaft 48 described later, and a plurality of spoke portions 16c connecting the boss portion 16b and the ring portion 16a. The steering wheel body 16 is also provided with a core bar 19 made of metal such as aluminum alloy, disposed to connect the respective portions of the ring portion 16a, the boss portion 16b, and the spoke portions 16c. A portion of the core bar 19 corresponding to the ring portion 16a is covered with a coating layer made of synthetic resin (reference numeral omitted). Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the steering wheel body 16 is also provided with a lower cover 18 made of synthetic resin that covers an outer peripheral side of a region in front of the core bar 19 (a region between a column cover 46 described later and the core bar 19) when mounted on a vehicle.

[0016] In the core metal 19, a projection 21 is provided in the center of the boss portion core metal 19a that constitutes the boss portion 16b, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, projecting forward (towards the gas-filled portion 57, which will be described later). This projection 21 is configured to be able to rupture the seal portion 62 when it comes into contact with the seal portion 62 that closes the gas outlet hole 60a, which will be described later, at the rear end surface 57a of the gas-filled portion 57 (see Figures 7A and 7B). In this embodiment, the projection 21 is also cylindrical in shape, through which the expansion gas G that flows out from the gas outlet hole 60a, which is opened when the seal portion 62 is ruptured, can be inserted. Specifically, in this embodiment, the projection 21 has a through hole 22 running through its center, and its outer shape is a roughly frustoconical cross-section, narrowing towards the tip 21a (front end) on the gas-filled portion 57 side. The tip 21a (front end) has an acute angle in its cross-section, allowing it to penetrate the seal portion 62 upon contact. The through hole 22 provided in the projection 21 is formed to penetrate the entire front and rear area, including the boss core metal 19a. When mounted in a vehicle, the projection 21 is positioned to enter the cylinder portion 49 of the column shaft 48 (which will be described later) (protruding forward from the rear wall portion 53 of the cylinder portion 49) (see A in Figures 6 and 7). The projection 21 is configured such that the outer diameter near the base portion 21b (rear end) is smaller than the inner diameter of the gas outlet hole 60a formed in the gas-filled portion 57, allowing it to be inserted into the gas outlet hole 60a up to the area near the base portion 21b after the seal portion 62 has ruptured (see Figure 7B). In this embodiment, the compressed gas G0 (expansion gas G) sealed in the gas-filled portion 57 flows into the airbag 26 after the seal portion 62 has ruptured, via the through-hole portion 22 of the projection 21 that penetrates the gas outlet hole 60a, and the gas flow path portion 37, which will be described later (see Figure 7B,8). The length dimension of the projection 21 in the front-rear direction (the amount of protrusion from the rear wall portion 53 of the cylinder portion 49 when mounted on a vehicle) is set to be slightly smaller than the length dimension of the cushioning material 65 in the front-rear direction, as described later, and the projection 21 is positioned such that a gap is created between it and the gas-filled portion 57 when mounted on a vehicle (in a non-contact state with the seal portion 62) (see A in Figures 6 and 7).

[0017] In the embodiment, the steering wheel body 16 (steering wheel 15) is attached to the column shaft 48 by connecting a region of the boss core 19a around the periphery of the projection 21 to the rear end face side of the cylinder portion 49 of the column shaft 48 of the steering column 45 (the rear face side of the rear wall portion 53).

[0018] As shown in Fig. 6, the airbag apparatus 25 includes an airbag 26 folded and stored, a case 28 serving as a storage portion that stores and holds the airbag 26, an airbag cover 33 that covers the folded airbag 26, and a retainer 30 for attaching the airbag 26 to the case 28.

[0019] The airbag 26 is formed into a bag shape from a flexible sheet (specifically, woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like) so that inflation gas can flow into the interior thereof to allow inflation. In the embodiment, the airbag 26 is configured to inflate into a substantially disk shape capable of covering the rear face side of the ring portion 16a over the entire front face (see the two-dot chain line in Fig. 3). In the airbag 26, an inflow opening 26a for allowing the inflation gas G flowing out from the gas charging portion 57 to flow into the interior is formed at the center of the front face side (front wall portion) when inflation is completed (see Fig. 6). Although detailed illustration is omitted, the inflow opening 26a is formed as a substantially circular opening.

[0020] The case 28 for storing the folded airbag 26 is roughly box-shaped with an opening at the rear (driver's side), and comprises a bottom wall portion 28a located at the front end and a roughly rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall portion 28c extending rearward from the bottom wall portion 28a. A through hole 28b is formed approximately in the center of the bottom wall portion 28a, corresponding to the air intake opening 26a formed in the airbag 26 (see Figure 6). The airbag 26 is attached to the peripheral portion of the through hole 28b in the bottom wall portion 28a using a retainer 30, with the peripheral portion of the air intake opening 26a being attached. The retainer 30 is capable of holding down the peripheral portion of the inlet opening 26a in the airbag 26, and has bolts 30a protruding from multiple radial locations (four locations in particular, though detailed illustrations are omitted) around the inlet opening 26a. These bolts 30a and nuts 31 are used to connect the peripheral portion of the through hole 28b in the bottom wall portion 28a of the case 28 and the rear end 37b of the gas flow path portion 37, which will be described later.

[0021] The airbag cover 33 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figure 6, comprises a ceiling wall portion 33a that covers the rear of the airbag 26 housed in the case 28, and a side wall portion 33b that extends forward from near the outer edge of the ceiling wall portion 33a and is attached to the peripheral wall portion 28c of the case 28. The ceiling wall portion 33a has a door portion (not shown in the figure) that opens when pressed by the inflating airbag 26.

[0022] The airbag device 25 is attached to the boss core metal 19a using mounting bolts 35 (see Figure 6) for attaching a horn switch (not shown). Although not shown in detail, these mounting bolts 35 are arranged at multiple locations radiating from the center of the case 28 (through hole 28b). A gas flow path section 37 is also positioned between the airbag device 25 and the core metal 19 (boss core metal 19a) to direct the inflation gas G flowing out from the gas-filled section 57 towards the airbag 26 (see Figure 6). The gas flow path section 37 is formed from a tubular body made of a flexible sheet material (specifically, in this embodiment, a woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, etc., similar to the airbag 26). The rear end 37b of the gas passage section 37 is attached to the periphery of the through hole 28b in the bottom wall 28a of the case 28, along with the periphery of the airbag 26 inlet opening 26a, using a retainer 30, as described above. The front end 37a of the gas passage section 37 is attached to the area near the projection 21 of the boss core metal 19a (more specifically, the periphery of the through hole 22 that penetrates the projection 21) using bolts 38. The bolts 38 that attach the front end 37a of the gas passage section 37 to the periphery of the through hole 22 in the boss core metal 19a are arranged in four radial locations, although detailed illustration is omitted.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the steering column 45 comprises a column shaft 48 that forms the rotational axis of the steering wheel 15, and a column cover 46 that covers the periphery of the rear end region of the column shaft 48. The column cover 46 is made of synthetic resin and is configured to cover the outer circumference of the region of the column shaft 48 that protrudes rearward from the instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as "instrument panel") 5, over substantially its entire circumference.

[0024] The column shaft 48 is positioned with a downward sloping front, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it comprises a shaft body 55 disposed on the front side away from the handle 15, and a cylinder portion 49 disposed on the handle 15 side and configured to allow the shaft body 55 to slide.

[0025] Specifically, the cylinder portion 49 is configured to be slidable to a gas-filled portion 57 disposed on the rear end 55b side of the shaft body 55. As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 8, it has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 50 and a front wall portion 51 and a rear wall portion 53 that close the front and rear ends of the peripheral wall portion 50, making it a substantially cylindrical shape with both the front and rear ends closed. In the front wall portion 51, an insertion hole 52 for inserting the main shaft portion 56 of the shaft body 55, which will be described later, is formed in a substantially hexagonal shape in this embodiment (see Figure 5). In the rear wall portion 53, an insertion hole 53a is formed through which a projection 21 protruding from the boss core metal 19a can be inserted (see A in Figures 6 and 7).

[0026] The shaft body 55 comprises a main shaft portion 56 and a gas-filled portion 57 disposed on the rear end 55b side facing the handle 15. In this embodiment, the main shaft portion 56 is roughly hexagonal prism-shaped so as to be insertable into an insertion hole 52 formed in the front wall portion 51 of the cylinder portion 49 (see Figure 5). By inserting the hexagonal prism-shaped main shaft portion 56 into the hexagonally opening insertion hole 52 formed in the front wall portion 51 of the cylinder portion 49, the shaft body 55 is made rotatable together with the rotation of the cylinder portion 49 when the handle 15 is rotated. Furthermore, the shaft body 55 is slidably moved relative to the cylinder portion 49 by inserting the main shaft portion 56 into the insertion hole 52.

[0027] The gas-filled portion 57, located at the rear end 55b of the shaft body 55, is slidably positioned within the cylinder portion 49. This gas-filled portion 57 is for supplying inflation gas G to the airbag 26, and is constructed with a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends closed, and compressed gas G0 sealed inside. In detail, the gas-filled portion 57 comprises a cylindrical circumferential wall portion 58, a front wall portion 59 that closes the front end of the circumferential wall portion 58, and a rear wall portion 60 that closes the rear end of the circumferential wall portion 58. The outer diameter of the circumferential wall portion 58 of the gas-filled portion 57 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the circumferential wall portion 50 in the cylinder portion 49, allowing it to slide within the cylinder portion 49.

[0028] A gas outlet hole 60a is provided in the rear wall portion 60 on the rear end surface 57a side of the gas-filled portion 57, allowing the expansion gas G to flow out. This gas outlet hole 60a is closed by a seal portion 62 (see A in Figures 6 and 7). The seal portion 62 is made of metal foil and is configured to be cleavable by being pierced by the projection portion 21 when it comes into contact with the projection portion 21 during the rearward movement of the gas-filled portion 57 (see B in Figure 7). The gas outlet hole 60a is formed as a substantially circular opening in one location in the center of the rear wall portion 60. The inner diameter of this gas outlet hole 60a is set to a size that allows the projection portion 21 to be inserted into the area on the base portion 21b side, as described above. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gas-filled portion 57 is housed within the cylinder portion 49 such that a gap is provided between it and the rear wall portion 53 of the cylinder portion 49. More specifically, the rear wall portion 60 is positioned forward of the tip 21a (front end) of the projection portion 21 (so that a gap is provided between it and the projection portion 21). The gas-filled portion 57 moves backward within the cylinder portion 49 when the shaft body 55 moves backward. This movement is completed by contact between the inner periphery of the gas outlet hole 60a formed by splitting the seal portion 62 and the outer circumferential surface on the base portion 21b side of the projection portion 21 (see Figure 7B).

[0029] Within the cylinder portion 49, a cushioning material 65 is interposed between the gas-filled portion 57 and the rear wall portion 53 (i.e., between the gas-filled portion 57 and the boss portion 16b located adjacent to the rear of the rear wall portion 53) (see A in Figures 6 and 7). This cushioning material 65 does not deform when mounted on a vehicle, but is configured to be plastically deformable while being compressed when pressed by the rear wall portion 60 of the gas-filled portion 57. In this embodiment, it is made of a rigid foam such as foamed polyurethane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cushioning material 65 is arranged in a substantially cylindrical shape that can cover the entire outer circumference of the projection portion 21 (allowing the projection portion 21 to be inserted inside), filling the gap between the gas-filled portion 57 and the rear wall portion 53. Furthermore, as described above, the cushioning material 65 is configured such that its length in the front-rear direction is slightly larger than the length of the projection 21 in the front-rear direction (the amount of protrusion from the rear wall 53 of the cylinder 49 when mounted on a vehicle), and its front end surface and rear end surface are in contact with the rear end surface 57a of the gas-filled section 57 (the rear surface of the rear wall 60) and the front surface of the rear wall 53 of the cylinder 49, respectively. After the gas-filled section 57 moves backward (as described above, when the inner periphery of the gas outlet hole 60a comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the original part 21b of the projection 21), the cushioning material 65 is compressed and its width in the front-rear direction is reduced, and it expands to be positioned between the rear wall 60 of the gas-filled section 57 and the rear wall 53 of the cylinder 49 (see Figure 7B).

[0030] In this embodiment, the column shaft 48 is supported by a bearing 70 in the area of ​​the cylinder portion 49 (specifically, the area that protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 5 and whose outer circumference is covered by the column cover 46) (see Figures 3 and 4). The bearing 70 is connected to the reinforcement 2, which is a member on the vehicle body 1 side, using a bracket 3. In addition, an intermediate shaft 9 is connected to the front end 55a side of the shaft body 55 via a universal joint 8, as shown in Figure 3. The intermediate shaft 9 is arranged to extend downward from the front end 55a of the shaft body 55, and a gearbox 12 is connected to the lower end of this intermediate shaft 9 via a universal joint 11. The gearbox 12 is connected to the vehicle body 1 side of the vehicle V via a bracket (not shown), and is also connected to the front wheel (not shown) of the vehicle V via a ball joint or the like (not shown). Then, when the shaft body 55 receives the impact force F acting on the vehicle V during a frontal collision (see Figures 2 and 3), it moves backward (see Figures 7B and 78).

[0031] In the steering device S of this embodiment, the shaft body 55 of the steering column 45 is configured to move backward in response to the impact force F acting on the vehicle V during a frontal collision. As the shaft body 55 moves backward during a frontal collision, the gas-filled portion 57 provided on the rear end 55b side of the shaft body 55 also moves backward toward the steering wheel 15. The gas-filled portion 57 that has moved backward will bring the seal portion 62 provided on the rear end surface 57a into contact with the projection 21 located in the area on the boss portion 16b side of the steering wheel 15. At this time, the projection 21 will rupture the seal portion 62, and the gas-filled portion 57 will release the expansion gas G from the gas outlet hole 60a formed by the rupture of the seal portion 62 (see Figure 7B). Then, the inflation gas G flowing out from the gas-filled section 57 is allowed to flow into the interior, causing the airbag 26 to inflate as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 8 and 3. In other words, in the steering wheel device S of this embodiment, even without providing a sensor in the vehicle to operate a component equivalent to an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag, the airbag 26 can be inflated by utilizing the impact force acting on the vehicle V during a frontal collision to cause the inflation gas G to flow out from the gas-filled section 57. This allows for a simple configuration, and the driver D seated in the driver's seat DS can be protected by the fully inflated airbag 26.

[0032] Therefore, the steering device S of this embodiment can effectively protect the driver D with a simple configuration.

[0033] In the handle device S of this embodiment, the rearward movement of the gas-filled section 57 is completed by contact between the inner periphery of the gas outlet hole 60a, which is formed by splitting the seal section 62, and the outer circumferential surface of the base 21b side of the projection 21. Furthermore, if the impact force F acting from the front is large, after the rearward movement of the gas-filled section 57, the column shaft 48 itself will move rearward together with the handle 15.

[0034] Furthermore, in the handle device S of this embodiment, the projection 21 is cylindrical in shape through which the expansion gas G can be inserted, and at least its tip 21a can be inserted into the gas outlet hole 60a. Therefore, the expansion gas G flowing out from the gas outlet hole 60a, which is opened by splitting the seal portion 62, can be smoothly fed into the airbag 26 via the projection 21. If this point is not taken into consideration, the projection may not be cylindrical (hollow), but simply needle-shaped so as to be able to be pierced into the seal portion, and a separate flow path may be provided for the expansion gas flowing out from the gas outlet hole.

[0035] In particular, in the steering device S of this embodiment, the projection 21 is configured to be insertable into the gas outlet hole 60a up to near the base portion 21b. Compared to the case where only the tip of the projection can be inserted into the gas outlet hole, the amount of movement of the shaft body 55 relative to the cylinder portion 49 can be secured by the amount of projection 21 protruding (front-to-back length), thereby reducing the amount of rearward movement when the steering column 45 and the steering wheel 15 move rearward after the gas-filled portion 57 moves rearward. If this point is not taken into consideration, the projection may be configured to be insertable only at the tip.

[0036] Furthermore, in the steering device S of this embodiment, a cushioning material 65 that can be plastically deformed when the shaft body 55 moves backward is interposed between the gas-filled portion 57 and the boss portion 16b (rear wall portion 53 of the cylinder portion 49). As a result, rattle around the gas-filled portion 57 and the generation of abnormal noises during normal vehicle operation can be effectively suppressed. In particular, in the steering device S of this embodiment, the cushioning material 65 is arranged in a substantially cylindrical shape that can cover the entire outer circumference of the projection portion 21, and fills the gap between the rear end surface 57a of the gas-filled portion 57 and the rear wall portion 53 of the cylinder portion 49. Therefore, when mounted on a vehicle, contact between the projection portion 21 and the cylinder portion 49 can be reliably prevented, and rattle around the gas-filled portion 57 can be stably suppressed.

[0037] Alternatively, instead of providing such cushioning material, an O-ring 75 may be placed on the outer circumference near the rear end of the gas-filled section 57 (between it and the peripheral wall 50 of the cylinder section 49), as shown in Figures 9A and B. This O-ring restricts movement relative to the cylinder section 49 during normal operation, etc., and deforms when an impact force F is applied to the shaft body 55, allowing the gas-filled section 57 (shaft body 55) to move backward. Even with such an O-ring 75 configuration, rattling around the gas-filled section 57 during normal operation can be effectively suppressed.

[0038] The steering wheel device S of the present invention is installed in single-seater electric vehicles. Single-seater electric vehicles are designed to be as small and lightweight as possible, with a short distance from the front of the vehicle to the steering wheel and no engine located in front of the driver's seat. Even in such vehicles, if the steering wheel device S of the present invention is installed, in the event of a frontal collision with an oncoming vehicle or object, the rearward-moving shaft body 55 can be used to inflate the airbag 26, thereby suppressing large rearward movement of the shaft body 55 and effectively protecting the driver D with the inflated airbag 26. Of course, the steering wheel device S of the present invention is not limited to single-seater electric vehicles, but can also be installed in multi-seater electric vehicles, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 15...Handle, 16...Handle body, 16b...Boss part, 19...Core metal, 19a...Boss part core metal, 21...Protrusion, 21a...Tip, 22...Through hole, 25...Airbag device, 26...Airbag, 45...Steering column, 48...Column shaft, 49...Cylinder part, 55...Shaft body, 55b...Rear end, 57...Gas-filled part, 57a...Rear end surface, 60a...Gas outlet hole, 62...Seal part, 75...Cushioning material, S...Handle device.

Claims

1. It is mounted on the vehicle and comprises a rotatable handle and a steering column that pivotally supports the handle, A steering wheel device in which an airbag is folded and stored in the boss area of ​​the steering wheel, The steering column is attached to the boss portion region of the steering wheel and comprises a column shaft that constitutes the rotational axis of the steering wheel. The column shaft comprises a shaft body disposed on the front side away from the handle, and a cylinder portion disposed on the handle side and configured to slide against the shaft body. The shaft body has a gas-filled section at its rear end, which is on the handle side. This section is slidably positioned within the cylinder section and has compressed gas sealed inside, allowing it to supply inflation gas to the airbag. The gas-filled portion is provided with a gas outlet hole on the rear end surface facing the handle, which is closed by a sealing portion. A projection is provided in the boss region of the handle, which protrudes forward toward the gas-filled portion and is capable of tearing the seal portion when it comes into contact with it. The shaft body is configured to move backward in response to the impact force acting on the vehicle during a frontal collision. A steering device characterized in that, when the shaft body moves backward during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the gas-filled portion is configured to bring the seal portion into contact with the projection portion.

2. The handle device according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection is cylindrical in shape through which the expansion gas can be inserted, and at least its tip is configured to be inserted into the gas outlet hole.

3. The handle device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a cushioning material that can be plastically deformed when the shaft body moves backward is interposed between the gas-filled portion and the boss portion.

Images