Steering wheel arrangement for vehicles

• US 4,771,650 A
• Filed: 06/24/1987
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Kerner, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Application Number:
  US07/065,876
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 74/498, 74/421 R, 280/731, 280/750
• US Class Current: 74/498
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/105 Non-rotatable hubs, e.g. the central part of the steering wheel not rotating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19679 Spur
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A steering wheel arrangement for motor vehicles with a dish-shaped steering wheel provided with a steering wheel hub which is adapted to be flangedly connected on a central steering spindle rotatably supported in a casing, and with an impact device arranged inside of the steering wheel dish which maintains its position independently of the rotation of a steering wheel rim, whereby a gearing in the form of a pinion shaft is provided which is supported parallel to the steering spindle and has two identical pinions non-rotatably arranged on the same; the pinions are in engagement with gears coaxially supported with respect to the steering spindle, of which the first gear is arranged on the side of the steering column casing and the second gear on the side of the impact device. The first gear is thereby rotatably supported on the casing and is non-rotatably connected with the steering wheel rim while the second gear is attached safe against rotation on an end section of the steering spindle and a support flange fixed at the casing protrudes between the two gears whereby the pinion shaft is supported in the support flange and the impact device is locally secured at the same.

Claims

1. A steering wheel arrangement for vehicles, comprising a dish-shaped steering wheel provided with a steering wheel rim fixedly attached to a steering wheel hub, a central steering spindle rotatably supported in a steering column casing, impact means arranged inside of the steering wheel dish which maintains its position independently of the rotation of the steering wheel rim, gear means including a pinion shaft supported substantially parallel to the steering spindle and having two similar pinions nonrotatably arranged on the pinion shaft, said pinion shaft and pinions being located within the steering wheel hub, said pinions being in operative engagement with gears coaxially supported with respect to the steering spindle and located within said hub, one of said gears being arranged on a side of the steering column casing and the other gear being arranged on a side of the steering spindle adjacent said impact means, the one gear being rotatably supported on said casing and being nonrotatably connected with the steering wheel hub while the other gear is nonrotatably connected with an end section of the steering spindle, and support flange means located within said hub and nonrotatably fixed with respect to said casing for protruding between the two gears, the pinion shaft being supported in said support flange means, and the impact means being locally retained at said support flange means.

2. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the impact means includes an impact pot and an air bag unit.

3. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a tubular-connecting section operable to be secured on the upper end area of the casing, the support flange means protruding from said tubular-connecting section in the form of a circumferential collar.

4. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said casing tapers into a casing neck above a bearing place of the steering spindle near the steering wheel hub.

5. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the one gear is rotatably supported together with a spoke hub on the tubular-connecting section.

6. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a cable shaft means is integrated into the tubular-connecting section and the support flange means.

7. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the cable shaft means is substantially uninterrupted.

8. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the impact means includes an impact pot provided with a bottom edge, the pinion shaft extending through the bottom edge, and said edge being secured on the circumferential collar of the support flange means.

9. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said other gear is a gear hub means.

10. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said casing tapers into a casing neck above a bearing place of the steering spindle near the steering wheel hub.

11. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the one gear is rotatably supported together with a spoke hub on the tubular-connecting section.

12. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 3, wherein a cable shaft means is integrated into the tubular-connecting section and the support flange means.

13. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the cable shaft means is substantially uninterrupted.

14. A steering wheel arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the impact means includes an impact pot provided with a bottom edge, the pinion shaft extending through the bottom edge, and said edge being secured on the circumferential collar of the support flange means.