STEERING WHEEL WITH INTEGRAL TRAY TABLE

• US 20160325662A1
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nash, Richard P., Bodtker, Joen C.
• Application Number:
  US14/954,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/005 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels

Abstract

A steering wheel configured to be rotatable and non-rotatable includes a hub, a rim disposed about the hub and connected thereto, and a tray table integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel and rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the tray table rotatable about at least one hinge.

Claims

1. A steering wheel configured to be rotatable and non-rotatable comprising:

a hub;

a rim disposed about the hub and connected thereto; and

a tray table integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel and rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the tray table rotatable about at least one hinge.

2. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the at least one hinge is disposed on a lower rim portion of the rim.

3. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the at least one hinge comprises two hinges.

4. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the hub is a non-rotating center hub.

5. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to rotate.

6. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the rim includes an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion, the lower rim portion being at least a portion of the integral tray table.

7. The steering wheel of claim 6, wherein the at least one hinge is positioned between the upper rim portion and the lower rim portion.

8. The steering wheel of claim 7, wherein the lower rim portion is movable at an angle relative to the upper rim portion to move between the stowed position and the deployed position.

9. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the tray table is in a substantially horizontal orientation in the deployed position.

10. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the tray table is clear.

11. The steering wheel of claim 10, further comprising a visual display integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel, the tray table covering at least a portion of the visual display in the stowed position.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a steering gear; and

a steering wheel coupled to the steering gear and configured to be rotatable and non-rotatable, the steering wheel comprising;

a hub;

a rim disposed about the hub and connected thereto; and

a tray table integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel and configured to move between a stowed position and a deployed position.

13. A steering wheel for an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a hub;

a rim disposed about the hub and connected thereto;

a tray table assembly integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel and rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the tray table assembly being clear and rotatable about a plurality of axes; and

a visual display integral to at least a portion of the steering wheel, the tray table assembly covering at least a portion of the visual display in the stowed position.

14. The steering wheel of claim 13, wherein the plurality of axes comprises a first axis, a second axis and a third axis, the first axis and the second axis being parallel to each other and the third axis being perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

15. The steering wheel of claim 14, wherein the tray table assembly comprises a table carriage and a table plank, the table carriage rotatable about the first axis to a substantially horizontal position in the deployed position, the table plank rotatable about the second axis to a position substantially parallel with the table carriage in the deployed position, the table plank further rotatable about the third axis to move between a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation.

16. The steering wheel of claim 15, further comprising a projected image of a keyboard onto the table plank when the tray table assembly is in the deployed position.

17. The steering wheel of claim 16, further comprising at least one surface feature on the projected image to locate a home position for a user.

18. The steering wheel of claim 16, wherein the keyboard receives input from a user to interact with the visual display.

19. The steering wheel of claim 14, wherein the first axis is positioned proximate a lower portion of the hub.