Horn switch

• US 20060175816A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wade, Leslie A., Katsock, Andrew P., Spencer, Byron, Xu, Xiaoping
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/731
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2037 the module or a major component thereof being yieldably mounted, e.g. for actuating the horn switch or for protecting the driver in a non-deployment situation horn switches integrated in steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21658
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/245 Spring wire contacts

Abstract

An assembly is provided for steering a vehicle including a steering wheel (18) with an armature (300); an air bag module (14) is coupled to the steering wheel and is operable to expand to absorb the kinetic energy of the driver. A horn switch (16) is coupled to the steering wheel and the air bag module. The horn switch is operable to generate an electrical signal based on an input from the driver. The horn switch includes a pair of electrically conductive elements (40, 42) operable to generate the signal.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a horn switch assembly (16) comprising a first (40) and second (42) conductive member movable from a disengaged position to an engaged position, the two conductive members configured so that when a) the first and second conductive members move uniformly together the two conductive members contact at a plurality of electrical contact locations (44), and b) the first and second conductive members move together in a non-uniform manner to the engaged position, the two conductive members, when in the engaged position, contact each other at one or more of the plurality of electrical contact locations (44).

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second conductive members are one of extruded into wire forms or stamped.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the horn switch assembly includes a first or upper horn switch housing (50) molded about the first conductive member except for predetermined locations which form a first set of electrical contacts, and a second or lower horn switch housing (52) molded about the first conductive member except for predetermined locations which form a second set of electrical contacts, the first and second set of electrical contacts configured such that when the conductive members are in the engaged position one or more of the contacts of the first and second set of electrical contacts are in engagement.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second conductive members are one of U-shaped or C-shaped.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first conductive member is rectangular and the second conductive member is one of oval or octagonal.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second conductive members are one of planar in shape or non-planar.

7. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein the upper horn switch housing (50) includes a set of first support members (60), each first support member located at a determinable portion of the first conductive member, each first support member includes a central cylindrical opening (76) therethrough and wherein the second horn switch housing (52) including a set of second support members (160), each first support member located at a determinable portion of the second conductive member, each second support member (160) including a cylinder with central cylindrical opening (176), each cylinder reciprocatively received in the opening (76) of a first support member.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 including at least one bias spring (54) urging the first and second horn switch housings apart.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein the first and second horn switch housings are configured with a stop to limit separation of the housings.

10. The assembly according to claim 7 including a fixed support element (300) located below the horn switch and a movable element (20) for urging the upper horn switch housing toward the lower horn switch housing switch thereby closing at least one contact.

11. The assembly according the claim 10 wherein the movable element includes at least one locating pin (34, 37) received through the openings in the upper and lower horn switch housings (50, 52), the at least one pin extending to the fixed support element (300).

12. The assembly according to claim 11 wherein the fixed support element is an armature (300) of a steering wheel and wherein the movable element is an air bag module (14).

13. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein the upper horn switch housing (50) includes at least two first support members spaced apart wherein a portion of the first conductive member extends between the at least two first support members.

14. The assembly according to claim 13 wherein the at least two first support members are separated by a first nominal distance and wherein the length, measured along said portion of the first conductive member, is longer than the first nominal distance.

15. The assembly according to claim 14 wherein the portion of the first conductive member is covered by an electrically insulative material.

16. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the portion of the first conductive member includes an apex.

17. The assembly according to claim 16 wherein at least one portion of the first conductive member is not covered by an insulative member.

18. The assembly according to claim 16 wherein the uncovered portion of the at least one portion of the first conductive member is at or about the apex.

19. An assembly for steering a vehicle comprising:

a driver interface operable to enable a driver to steer the vehicle;

at least one control member operable to couple the driver interface to the vehicle;

an air bag module coupled to the driver interface and operable to expand to absorb the kinetic energy of the driver;

a horn switch coupled to the driver interface and the air bag module, the horn switch operable to generate an electrical signal based on an input from the driver, the horn switch further comprising;

a pair of electrically conductive wires operable to generate the signal,

each of the pair of electrically conductive wires substantially coated with an electrical insulator, the electrical insulator defining a first aperture operable to expose one of the pair of electrically conductive wires, and a second aperture operable to expose a second one of the pair of electrically conductive wires; and

wherein the signal is generated when the exposed one of the pair of electrically conductive wires contacts the exposed second one of the pair of electrically conductive wires at an angle.

20. An air bag module comprising:

an air bag operable to expand and including a first side and a second side;

a mounting plate coupled to the second side of the air bag;

a cover coupled to the mounting plate in order to be disposed over the first side of the air bag;

an inflator coupled to the mounting plate and operable to enable the air bag to expand;

a horn switch assembly coupled to the mounting plate, the horn switch assembly including;

a first wire;

a second wire disposed a first distance from the first wire; and

wherein the first wire is configured to be displaced the first distance to engage the second wire at an angle.