SAFETY STEERING WHEEL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

• US 3,596,532 A
• Filed: 04/18/1969
• Issued: 08/03/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilfert Karl
• Original Assignee: Wilfert Karl
• Inventors: WILFERT KARL
• Application Number:
  US04/817,326
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/05 associated with the steering wheel, steering hand lever or steering column yieldable steering columns B62D1/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A safety steering wheel for motor vehicles in which the steering wheel rim, the steering wheel spokes and the hub as well as the deformation member are surrounded with a relatively soft elastic synthetic resinous material and in which a large impact surface is provided on the inside of the steering wheel rim which preferably does not extend significantly below the plane of the steering wheel rim; the steering wheel spokes are elastic and may be made, for example, of band steel.

Claims

1. A safety steering wheel for motor vehicles, comprising a steering wheel rim, a hub being operatively connected with a steering spindle, elastic steering wheel spoke means consisting of band steel operatively associated with the steering wheel rim and the steering spindle, deformation means being operatively arranged between the end of the steering spindle and the top side of the steering wheel facing the driver, said steering wheel rim, said steering wheel spoke means, said hub and said deformation means being surrounded with relatively soft, elastic, foamed synthetic resinous material, an impact surface provided within the steering wheel rim, which surface does not extend substantially below the plane of the steering wheel rim, and at least one deformable insert means being provided on the inside of the deformation means, wherein said insert means is substantially star-shape as viewed in plan view.

2. A safety steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said deformation means is of multistep construction, characterized in that a deformable insert means is provided in each step.

3. A safety steering wheel according to claim 2, characterized in that also the interior space of the deformation means is provided with foamed synthetic resinous material.

4. A safety steering wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that also the interior space of the deformation means is provided with foamed synthetic resinous material.