Steering wheel device

• US 20060054479A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Atsushi, Ogino, Hiroyuki, Iisaka, Atsushi, Sakamoto, Kiyomi, Shigeki, Ueda
• Application Number:
  US10/518,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/61.570
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/20 Driving mechanisms allowing angular displacement of the operating part to be effective in either direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/146 Roller type actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 21/10 Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 21/24 biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force

Abstract

In a steering wheel, when a driver rotates a rotating section 126 in either direction, a protruding section 1241 bends an elastic member 1218b, and a tip of the elastic member 1218b depresses a button of a switch 1217b. As a result, the switch 1217b outputs a signal. Also, the reaction force produced as soon as the button is depressed causes a force in the reverse direction to be exerted on a hand of the driver. Thus, the driver can sense that the button is depressed.

Claims

1. A steering wheel, comprising:

a wheel section at least including a core of a predetermined shape; and

a controller mounted on the wheel section for controlling a predetermined device,

wherein the controller includes;

a supporting section having a space whose shape is formed corresponding to the core and having a cylindrical outer surface with a predetermined central axis,

a rotating section having a cylindrical inner surface that is substantially a same as that of the cylindrical outer surface of the supporting section in diameter and that is slidably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface of the supporting, section to rotate about the predetermined central axis; and

at least one switch for outputting a signal in response to a rotation of the rotating section, and

wherein the supporting section accommodates the core in the space for being fixed to the core.

2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the controller is mounted between at least a right or left end of the wheel section and an upper end thereof.

3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating section is operable to rotate about the predetermined rotational axis within a range from a first angle to a second angle.

4. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating section is operable to rotate about the predetermined rotational axis from a predetermined reference position in two directions.

6. The steering wheel according to claim 4, further comprising a neutral position locking mechanism including at least two elastic members for locking the rotating section in the reference position by exerting a force in a direction opposite to a rotation of the rotating section.

7. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein a value of a rotational torque of the rotating section is selected so that the rotating section does not rotate while steering of the wheel section is performed and so that a driver is allowed to operate the rotating section smoothly.

8. The steering wheel according to claim 7, wherein a rotational torque of the rotating section is determined on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis.

5. (canceled)