Steering wheel mounting assembly

• US 20050217412A1
• Filed: 04/01/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gem Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gem Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhu, Shoulian
• Application Number:
  US10/815,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20050217412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/10 Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A steering wheel mounting assembly comprising a shaft having a threaded end, a coupling member mounted on said shaft and retained by a shaft nut, a steering wheel having a hub and mounted on said coupling member, and a tightening nut disposed about the shaft abutting the coupling member and connected to the steering wheel hub.

Claims

1. A steering wheel mounting assembly comprising:

a shaft;

a coupling member positioned on said shaft;

a steering wheel comprising a rim, a hub and at least one spoke connecting said rim to said hub, said hub having an open rear end, a bore and a closed face, wherein said hub is positioned on said coupling member; and

a tightening nut disposed about said shaft and abutting said coupling member, said tightening nut joined to said hub of said steering wheel.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said shaft further comprises a threaded end, and further comprising a shaft nut positioned on said threaded end.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said hub further comprises threading adjacent said open rear end, and wherein said tightening nut comprises a substantially closed rear end, an annular wall having threading, an open front end and a coaxial opening.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said coaxial opening is larger than said shaft and smaller than said coupling member.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said threading on said hub is external and said threading on said tightening nut is internal.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising hub anti-rotation means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said hub and said coupling member.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said hub anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising shaft anti-rotation means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said shaft and said coupling member.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said shaft anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said bore of said hub is tapered, and further wherein said coupling member comprises a tapered main body, a large diameter rear end, a small diameter forward end, and a tapered bore.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said hub further comprises threading adjacent said open rear end, and wherein said tightening nut comprises a substantially closed rear end, an annular wall having threading, an open front end and a coaxial opening.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said coaxial opening is larger than said shaft and smaller than said coupling member.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said threading on said hub is external and said threading on said tightening nut is internal.

17. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said bore of said hub is tapered, and further wherein said coupling member comprises a tapered main body, a large diameter rear end, a small diameter forward end, and a tapered bore.

11. A steering wheel mounting assembly comprising:

a shaft having a threaded end;

a coupling member positioned on said shaft;

shaft anti-rotation means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said shaft and said coupling member;

a steering wheel comprising a rim, a hub and at least one spoke connecting said rim to said hub, said hub having an open rear end, a bore and a closed face, wherein said bore of said hub is positioned on said coupling member;

hub anti-rotational means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said hub and said coupling member;

a shaft nut positioned on said threaded end of said shaft, wherein said shaft nut retains said coupling member on said shaft; and

a tightening nut disposed about said shaft and abutting said coupling member, said tightening nut joined to said hub of said steering wheel.

15. The assembly of claim 11, wherein said hub anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

16. The assembly of claim 11, wherein said shaft anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

18. A steering wheel mounting assembly comprising:

a shaft having a threaded end;

a coupling member positioned on said shaft;

shaft anti-rotation means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said shaft and said coupling member;

a steering wheel comprising a rim, a hub and at least one spoke connecting said rim to said hub, said hub having an open rear end, external threading, a bore and a closed face, wherein said bore of said hub is positioned on said coupling member;

hub anti-rotational means for precluding relative independent rotational movement between said hub and said coupling member;

a shaft nut positioned on said threaded end of said shaft, wherein said shaft nut retains said coupling member on said shaft; and

a tightening nut disposed about said shaft and abutting said coupling member, said tightening nut comprising a substantially closed rear end, an annular wall having threading, an open front end and a coaxial opening, said tightening nut joined to said hub of said steering wheel.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said coaxial opening is larger than said shaft and smaller than said coupling member.

20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said threading on said hub is external and said threading on said tightening nut is internal.

21. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said hub anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

22. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said shaft anti-rotation means comprises at least one key and at least one slot corresponding to said key.

23. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said bore of said hub is tapered, and further wherein said coupling member comprises a tapered main body, a large diameter rear end, a small diameter forward end, and a tapered bore.