Vehicle steering device

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle steering device (10) which is rotatable about a steering axis (A) and has: a steering device skeleton (12) comprising a central hub base (14) extending substantially perpendicularly to the steering axis (A); an airbag module (16) arranged in the region of the hub base (14); and a retaining plate (18) to which the airbag module (16) is fastened, the retaining plate (18) being fastened to the hub base (14) by at least one fastening element (20), and a separate damper mass (36) being provided, which is mounted directly on the retaining plate (18) or on the at least one fastening element (20) so as to be able to oscillate.

Description

[0001] ZF Automotive Safety Germany GmbH

[0002] Spessartstraße 60

[0003] 63743 Aschaffenburg

[0004] Vehicle steering device

[0005] The invention relates to a vehicle steering device rotatable about a steering axis, comprising a steering device skeleton having a central hub base extending substantially perpendicular to the steering axis, a gasbag module arranged in the area of ​​the hub base, and a retaining plate to which the gasbag module is attached, wherein the retaining plate is fastened to the hub base by at least one fastening element, in particular in a non-displaceable manner.

[0006] Due to the coupling of the vehicle steering device, which is usually designed as a steering wheel, with the steering column, vibrations can occur, especially when the vehicle is idling or in certain speed ranges, which are perceived as disturbing.

[0007] It is known to use so-called vibration dampers to avoid unwanted steering wheel vibrations, in order to adjust the natural frequency of the overall system so that it lies in a non-critical range.

[0008] For example, the gas generator of a gasbag module mounted in the steering wheel is used as a counter-oscillating damper mass. However, this requires a cage to keep the folded gasbag at a distance and allow the gas generator to oscillate freely. The installation space required for this, however, precludes the desired, particularly compact module design.

[0009] Furthermore, it is known to use the entire airbag module as a damper mass. For this to work, the entire airbag module must be mounted with a certain amount of play to allow for vibration. Consequently, efforts to integrate airbag modules with minimal gaps, or ideally gap-free, into vehicle steering systems cannot be achieved in this way. Finally, vehicle steering systems with separate damper masses are also known, whereby these damper masses have no function other than vibration damping. KR 10-2014-0042162 A, for example, shows a design in which a separate damper mass is attached to the hub base via elastic bearings. However, the airbag module is also typically attached in the area of ​​the hub base of the vehicle steering system.Furthermore, in modern vehicle steering systems, the steering wheel electronics with numerous cables are often housed there, so that the installation space for an additional connection of the separate damper mass to the hub base is lacking.

[0010] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a particularly compact vehicle steering device with vibration damping function, which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of existing solutions.

[0011] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a vehicle steering device rotatable about a steering axis, comprising a steering device frame with a central hub base extending substantially perpendicular to the steering axis, a gasbag module arranged in the region of the hub base, and a mounting plate to which the gasbag module is attached. The mounting plate is fastened to the hub base by at least one fastening element, in particular fixedly to the hub base, wherein a separate damping mass is provided which is mounted to the mounting plate or (directly) to the at least one fastening element in a way that allows for vibration.

[0012] By mounting the separate damper mass either directly to the mounting plate or directly to the at least one fastening element for attaching the mounting plate to the hub base, no additional connection points are required for the damper mass on the hub base of the vehicle steering system. In other words, the damper mass and the mounting plate of the airbag module are connected to the steering system frame via the same fastening elements. This leaves more installation space in the area of ​​the hub base for an electronic module and the routing of electrical cables.

[0013] Just like the hub base, the mounting plate preferably extends substantially perpendicular to the steering axis, with the throttle module being axially fixed or, to implement a horn function, axially limited in its movement, attached to the mounting plate. The fastening element for attaching the mounting plate to the hub base is, for example, designed as a screw, preferably as a collared screw.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the vehicle steering device, the gasbag module is attached exclusively by the mounting plate to the hub base of the steering device frame. Thus, apart from the mounting points of the mounting plate, no further attachment points are required on the hub base.

[0015] The airbag module can be connected to the mounting plate via a snap-fit ​​connection, either fixed axially or with limited axial movement. Accordingly, a horn function of the vehicle's steering system can be implemented either without axial displacement of the airbag module or by axial movement of the airbag module relative to the mounting plate.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the vehicle steering device, the separate damping mass is oscillatively attached to the mounting plate by means of an elastic damping material, in particular by vulcanization. In this way, the damping mass can be fixed to the mounting plate with minimal effort, and the damping frequency can also be easily adjusted via the material and geometric dimensions of the damping material.

[0017] According to an alternative embodiment of the vehicle steering device, the separate damper mass is attached to the at least one mounting element in a way that allows it to oscillate by means of an elastic, sleeve-shaped damping material. The sleeve-shaped damping material is, for example, vulcanized into mounting openings of the damper mass, with the damping material projecting axially on both sides to allow the damper mass to oscillate.

[0018] In this embodiment, the at least one fastening element is preferably a collared screw, which fixes the retaining plate immovably to the hub base and pre-tensions the sleeve-shaped damping material in the area of ​​its collar. In this way, the damping mass can be fixed to the fastening element with minimal effort, and the damping frequency can also be easily adjusted via the material, the pre-tension, and the geometric dimensions of the damping material.

[0019] The damper mass is preferably a damper plate extending essentially perpendicular to the steering axis and arranged between the airbag module and the hub base, in particular between the airbag module and the mounting plate. In this way, the separate damper mass can be integrated into the vehicle steering system with minimal axial installation space requirements.

[0020] In another embodiment of the vehicle steering device, a flat electronic module is provided between the mounting plate and the hub base. This electronic module is also preferably plate-shaped and extends essentially perpendicular to the steering axis. Due to the small number of attachment points on the hub base, this space is sufficient to accommodate the electronic module and the electrical wiring, thus enabling an extremely compact vehicle steering device with vibration damping and a gap-free or even gap-free integration of the gasbag module.

[0021] The electronic module can be clamped between the mounting plate and the hub base using at least one fastening element. This eliminates the need for separate mounting of the electronic module, which in turn contributes to a particularly compact design of the vehicle steering system.

[0022] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. These show:

[0023] - Figure 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a vehicle steering device according to the invention;

[0024] - Figure 2 shows a top view of the vehicle steering device according to Figure 1 (without gasbag module);

[0025] - Figure 3 shows a section Ill-Ill through the vehicle steering device according to Figure 2;

[0026] - Figure 4 shows a section IV-IV through the vehicle steering device according to Figure 2;

[0027] - Figure 5 shows a sectional detail D of the vehicle steering device according to Figure 3 in the area of ​​a fastening element;

[0028] - Figure 6 shows section I3-I3 from Figure 3 according to a further embodiment of the vehicle steering device; and

[0029] - Figure ? the section detail D from Figure 5 according to yet another embodiment of the vehicle steering device.

[0030] Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment of a vehicle steering device.

[0031] 10, which is rotatable about a steering axis A, with a steering device skeleton 12 having a central hub base 14 extending substantially perpendicular to the steering axis A, a gas bag module 16 arranged in the area of ​​the hub base 14, and a retaining plate 18 to which the gas bag module 16 is attached, the retaining plate 18 also extending substantially perpendicular to the steering axis A and being rigidly and immovably attached to the hub base 14 by fastening elements 20.

[0032] According to Figure 1, in particular three fastening elements 20 designed as collar screws 22 are provided, but the number of fastening elements 20 for mounting the retaining plate 18 on the hub base 14 can generally be freely chosen.

[0033] Apart from the hub base 14, the steering device skeleton 12 also includes a grip area 24 and at least one spoke 26 for connecting the grip area 24 to the central hub base 14. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the grip area 24 in the illustrated embodiment is designed as a traditional, ring-shaped steering wheel rim, although of course other designs of the grip area 24 are also conceivable.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining plate 18 is designed as a composite component, comprising a metal plate section 28 (sheet metal part) and, in the mounting area of ​​the retaining plate 18, a sleeve section 30 made of a largely rigid plastic, which is specifically injection-molded onto the plate section 28. The desired axial position of the plate section 28 can be easily and precisely adjusted by means of the design and shape of the sleeve section 30. However, in alternative embodiments, the retaining plate 18 can also be designed differently, for example, as a pure sheet metal part without injection-molded sleeve sections 30.

[0035] The airbag module 16 is attached exclusively to the hub base 14 of the steering device frame 12 by the retaining plate 18 and is connected to the retaining plate 18 via a locking connection, either axially immovably or with limited axial movement. To implement the locking connection, axially projecting locking hooks 32 are provided on an underside of the airbag module 16 facing the hub base 14. These locking hooks engage with a locking spring 34 pre-mounted on the retaining plate 18 during axial assembly of the airbag module 16 (see Figures 1 and 3).

[0036] In the vehicle steering device 10 according to Figures 1 to 5, the locking connection allows an axially limited displacement of the gas bag module 16 relative to the retaining plate 18. Thus, the gas bag module 16 can be moved axially towards the retaining plate 18 against a spring force in order to implement a horn function.

[0037] According to alternative embodiments, the gas bag module 16 and the mounting plate 18 can also be axially immovably connected to each other in order to integrate the gas bag module 16 into the vehicle steering device 10 with particularly small gap dimensions or even without gaps. The horn function is then implemented in a different way, for example as an electronic horn using pressure sensors.

[0038] The vehicle steering device 10 further comprises a separate damping mass 36, which, in the embodiment according to Figures 1 to 5, is mounted directly on the fastening elements 20 so as to allow for vibration. The damping mass 36 is thus also mounted using the three flanged screws 22 screwed into the hub base 14, which are also used to fasten the mounting plate 18 (and thus the airbag module 16). Consequently, no additional, separate attachment points are required on the steering device frame 12 for mounting the damping mass 36. This saves installation space, which can then be used, for example, for steering wheel electronics.

[0039] Specifically, the separate damping mass 36 is attached to the individual fastening elements 20 via an elastic, sleeve-shaped damping material 38, allowing it to vibrate. As indicated in Figure 1, the sleeve-shaped damping material 38 can be vulcanized into fastening openings 40 of the damping mass 36, with the damping material 38 projecting axially on both sides to allow (damped) vibration of the damping mass 36.

[0040] In this case, the fastening element 20 is a collar screw 22, which fixes the retaining plate 18 immovably to the hub base 14 and pre-tensions the sleeve-shaped damping material 38 in the area of ​​its collar 42.

[0041] The damper mass 36 is designed as a damper plate according to Figure 1, which extends essentially perpendicular to the steering axis A and is arranged between the gas bag module 16 and the hub base 14, in particular between the gas bag module 16 and the retaining plate 18.

[0042] A flat electronic module 44 is also provided between the mounting plate 18 and the hub base 14. This electronic module is plate-shaped and extends essentially perpendicular to the steering axis A. It is clamped between the mounting plate 18 and the hub base 14, in particular by means of the fastening elements 20. Thus, no separate fastening of the electronic module 44 is required, which in turn contributes to a particularly compact design of the vehicle steering device 10.

[0043] Figures 6 and 7 show two alternative embodiments of the vehicle steering device 10, which differ only in the specific connection of the damper mass 36, designed as a damper plate. With regard to the general construction and function, reference is therefore made to the vehicle steering device 10 described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5, and only the differences are discussed below.

[0044] Figure 6 shows a section through the vehicle steering device 10 analogous to Figure 3, but according to a further embodiment.

[0045] In contrast to Figures 1 to 5, the plate-shaped damping mass 36 is not arranged between the gasbag module 16 and the retaining plate 18, but between the retaining plate 18 and the hub base 14.

[0046] In this case, the fastening elements 20 are designed in two parts and each consists of a collar screw 46 and an additional screw 48, which can be screwed into a screw head 50 of the collar screw 46.

[0047] Analogous to the vehicle steering device 10 according to Figures 1 to 5, the collar screw 46 pre-tensions the sleeve-shaped damping material 38 in the area of ​​its collar 42 and ensures an oscillating mounting of the damper mass 36 on the hub base 14. The retaining plate 18 is then fixed to the collar screw 46 and thus firmly to the hub base 14 via the additional screw 48.

[0048] Consequently, in the embodiment according to Figure 6, both the retaining plate 18 is immovably fixed to the hub base 14 by the (two-part) fastening element 20, and the separate damping mass 36 is mounted directly on the (two-part) fastening element 20 in a way that allows for vibration. Thus, in this case as well, the same attachment points are used on the steering device frame 12 for mounting the retaining plate 18 and the damping mass 36, thereby saving installation space that can then be used, for example, for steering wheel electronics.

[0049] Figure 7 shows, analogous to Figure 5, a sectional detail D of the vehicle steering device 10, but according to a further embodiment. In this case, the fastening element 20 is designed as a threaded screw 52 and secures the retaining plate 18 immovably to the hub base 14.

[0050] In contrast to the embodiments according to Figures 1 to 6, the separate damping mass 36, designed as a damping plate, is not mounted directly on the fastening element 20 via the elastic damping material 38, but rather directly on the mounting plate 18 in a way that allows for vibration. However, the damping mass 36 is also indirectly connected to the fastening element 20 via the mounting plate 18, and in turn, via the fastening element 20, to the steering device frame 12 in a way that allows for vibration.

[0051] Thus, in this case, the same attachment points are used on the steering device skeleton 12 for mounting the retaining plate 18 and the damper mass 36, which saves installation space that can then be used, for example, for steering wheel electronics.

[0052] Specifically, the damping material 38 according to Figure 7 is again formed in a sleeve shape and vulcanized into fastening openings 40 of the damping mass 36, wherein the sleeve-shaped damping material 38 is firmly connected at one axial end to the injection-molded sleeve section 30 of the retaining plate 18, for example by gluing.

[0053] Alternatively, there are also possible versions of the vehicle steering device 10 in which the damping material 38 is attached to an underside of the plate-shaped damping mass 36 and an upper side of the plate section 28 of the mounting plate 18, for example by vulcanization or bonding, thus ensuring a vibration-capable mounting of the damping mass 36 on the mounting plate 18.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Vehicle steering device rotatable about a steering axis (A), comprising a steering device skeleton (12) having a central hub base (14) extending substantially perpendicular to the steering axis (A), a gasbag module (16) arranged in the region of the hub base (14), and a mounting plate (18) to which the gasbag module (16) is attached, wherein the mounting plate (18) is fastened to the hub base (14) by at least one fastening element (20), and wherein a separate damping mass (36) is provided which is mounted directly on the mounting plate (18) or on the at least one fastening element (20) in a vibration-prone manner.

2. Vehicle steering device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gasbag module (16) is attached exclusively by the retaining plate (18) to the hub base (14) of the steering device skeleton (12).

3. Vehicle steering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gasbag module (16) is connected to the retaining plate (18) via a snap-fit ​​connection in an axially non-displaceable manner or in an axially limited displaceable manner.

4. Vehicle steering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separate damping mass (36) is oscillatively attached to the mounting plate (18) via an elastic damping material (38), in particular by vulcanization.

5. Vehicle steering device according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the separate damping mass (36) is oscillatively attached to the at least one fastening element (20) via an elastic, sleeve-shaped damping material (38).

6. Vehicle steering device according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one fastening element (20) is a collar screw (22) which fixes the retaining plate (18) immovably to the hub base (14) and pre-tensions the sleeve-shaped damping material (38) in the area of ​​its collar (42).

7. Vehicle steering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damper mass (36) is a damper plate which extends substantially perpendicular to the steering axis (A) and is arranged between gas bag module (16) and hub base (14), in particular between gas bag module (16) and retaining plate (18).

8. Vehicle steering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a planar electronic module (44) is provided between the retaining plate (18) and the hub base (14).

9. Vehicle steering device according to claim 8, characterized in that the electronic module (44) is clamped between the retaining plate (18) and the hub base (14) by the at least one fastening element (20).

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