Steering Wheel Rim with Protrusions for Visibility and Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering wheels with non-annular rim parts often require unnatural gripping and careful rotation to avoid displacement, compromising driver comfort and safety while ensuring forward visibility.
Innovation Solution
A steering wheel design featuring a rim part with a non-continuous upper section and spoke parts with an inflection section, upper and lower inclination surfaces, and protrusion portions that facilitate natural gripping and stable rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the rim part is formed in a substantially semi-circular or semi-elliptical shape with no upper section in steering neutral state, then forward visibility is improved, but the driver must grip the spoke part at unnatural positions and perform careful rotation operations to avoid displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The rim part is divided into multiple functional regions: a lower section for natural gripping, an upper section with protrusion portions for stable rotation, and intersection regions where spoke parts connect. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific function optimally while maintaining overall visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the rim part are given different geometric characteristics: the lower section has a continuous shape for natural gripping, while the upper section has discontinuous protrusion portions that provide stability during rotation operations. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between visibility and operational ease.
2Illumination intensity
If the rim part has no continuous upper section in steering neutral state, then the driver's forward sight is not blocked, but the driver is forced to perform careful rotation operations to prevent hand displacement
Solution Approach 1:
Protrusion portions are preliminarily formed on the upper section of the rim part to provide predetermined gripping points. These protrusion portions prevent hand displacement during rotation operations before the operation even begins, ensuring stability throughout the maneuver.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions act as intermediary elements between the driver's hand and the rim part surface. They provide stable gripping points that mediate the rotation operation, preventing direct hand displacement while maintaining the non-continuous upper section design for visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A steering wheel includes: a rim part having a non-annular shape; and a spoke part. The spoke part includes an inflection section, an upper inclination surface, and a lower inclination surface. The inflection section extends along an extension direction of the spoke part and faces a driver's side. The upper inclination surface extends toward an upper side from the inflection section and is curved to a vehicle forward side. The lower inclination surface extends toward a lower side from the inflection section and is curved to the vehicle forward side. The upper inclination surface is set such that a radius of curvature of a portion curved to the vehicle forward side is larger than a radius of curvature of a portion curved to the vehicle forward side of the lower inclination surface. The rim part includes a protrusion portion protruding upward from a position adjacent to the upper inclination surface in a steering neutral state.