VEHICLE STEERING DEVICE HAVING VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL

• US 20120096979A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: TRUJILLO LINKE, Sandra
• Application Number:
  US13/218,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096979A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A vehicle steering device is provided that has a rotatable vehicle steering wheel and at least one fixed display console in the field of vision of the driver. Control and display means are situated on the display console. A co-rotating right and the co-rotating left actuating console for selecting and operating the control and display means from the vehicle steering wheel are situated on the vehicle steering wheel.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering device, comprising:

a rotatable vehicle steering wheel having a fixed display console in a field of vision,

a controller situated on the fixed display console,

a display situated on the fixed display console;

a co-rotating right actuating console situated on the rotatable vehicle steering wheel; and

a co-rotating left actuating console situated on the rotatable vehicle steering wheel,

wherein the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console are configured for selecting and operating the controller and the display from the rotatable vehicle steering wheel.

2. The vehicle steering device according to claim 1, wherein the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console are fixed on an outer ring to a right and a left of the rotatable vehicle steering wheel and protrude into an inner area of the outer ring, the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console having operating surfaces with operating elements that are reachable from the rotatable vehicle steering wheel.

3. The vehicle steering device according to claim 2, wherein a communication device is retrievable and controllable with the operating surfaces.

4. The vehicle steering device according to claim 2, wherein a music device is retrievable and controllable with the operating surfaces.

5. The vehicle steering device according to claim 2, wherein, when one of the operating elements is touched, the fixed display console is configured to show function symbols, which are activatable by an input button on the co-rotating right actuating console or the co-rotating left actuating console.

6. The vehicle steering device according to claim 2, wherein, when one of the operating elements is touched, the fixed display console is configured to show function symbols, which are activatable by an input button on the co-rotating left actuating console.

7. The vehicle steering device according to claim 1, wherein inner edges of the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console have scroll functions that are configured to provide control functions for preselected communication devices upon sliding touching.

8. The vehicle steering device according to claim 2, wherein fixed directional input buttons are situated as preselection searches at fixed positions on the operating surfaces that are configured to retrieve individual function symbols in different directions on the fixed display console.

9. The vehicle steering device according to claim 8, wherein fixed operating elements have a raised edge and trigger an audio identification signal.

10. The vehicle steering device according to claim 9, wherein a single input element is situated on each operating surface and has a raised polygonal edge, and each edge side of the raised polygonal edge provides one direction of a search in a menu of the fixed display console.

11. The vehicle steering device according to claim 10, wherein the single input element is a joystick.

12. The vehicle steering device according to claim 1, wherein at least two switch elements situated separately from one another are to be actuated simultaneously in order to turn on gear change functions or other safety-relevant functions which affect a vehicle operation or driving dynamics of a vehicle.

13. The vehicle steering device according to claim 10, wherein a left co-rotating switch element and a right co-rotating switch element are situated on a lower side of a crossbar of the rotatable vehicle steering wheel, which are operable by a driver from the rotatable vehicle steering wheel and activate safety-relevant functions that affect vehicle operation.

14. The vehicle steering device according to claim 13, wherein upshifting of gears is provided with a right-side switch element and downshifting of gears is provided with a left-side switch element, and a polarity symbol display a shift state.

15. The vehicle steering device according to claim 1, wherein the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console serve as switch elements and are pivotably situated on the rotatable vehicle steering wheel and gear change functions, which affect vehicle operation, are activatable by pivoting the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating right actuating console.

16. The vehicle steering device according to claim 10, wherein preselection buttons, which activate a favorite function preselected in the menu after pressing one of the preselection buttons, are situated in each case below the co-rotating right actuating console and the co-rotating left actuating console.