Steering wheel

• US 4,893,520 A
• Filed: 06/22/1988
• Issued: 01/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishijima, Kazuyoshi, Endo, Tetsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, VINH
• Application Number:
  US07/209,823
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 74/552, 74/558, 280/750, 280/777, 280/778, 280/731, 29/159 B
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49488 Steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A metallic hub of a steering wheel is formed by upper and lower hub members secured together with a portion of a spoke core held therebetween. The hub members have a protrusion and a recess which are press fitted to secure the two hub members together with the spoke core gripped by the two hub members. The portion of the spoke core is welded to the upper and lower hub members so that the three members are rigidly fixed together.

Claims

1. A steering wheel for a vehicle comprising:

a rim section including a rim core of metal, a hub section including a metallic hub for securing said steering wheel to a steering shaft of the vehicle, and at least one spoke core interconnecting said metallic hub and said rim core, said metallic hub comprising a first hub member of a metal defining therein a fire through-hole for said steering shaft and a second hub member of a metal defining therein a second through-hole for said steering shaft and disposed in axially aligned relationship to said first hub member, said first and second hub members having opposed surfaces, said spoke core having a portion disposed between and fixed to said opposed surfaces of said hub member for securing together said first and second hub members and said portion of said spoke core, said hub members have means for positioning said hub members one to the other, said positioning means comprising an engagement protrusion and recess formed on and in said hub members adjacent to said opposed surfaces and disposed substantially coaxially with said first and second through-holes, respectively, said engagement protrusion and recess, respectively, having end face and bottom face disposed in abutment engagement with each other to position said hub members in the axial direction thereof, said engagement protrusion and recess further having peripheral surfaces disposed in engagement with each other to position said hub members in the rotational direction, said portion of said spoke core being welded to said opposed surfaces of said hub members.

2. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral surfaces of said engagement projection and recess include flat surface portions disposed in face-to-face engagement with each other to position said hub members in the rotational direction thereof.

3. A steering wheel for a vehicle comprising:

a rim section including a rim core of metal, a hub section including a metallic hub for securing said steering wheel to a steering shaft of the vehicle, and at least one spoke core interconnecting said metallic hub and said rim core, said metallic hub comprising a first hub member of a metal defining therein a first through-hole for said steering shaft and a second hub member of a metal defining therein a second through-hole for said steering shaft and disposed in axially aligned relationship to said first hub member, said first and second hub members having opposed surfaces, said spoke core having a portion disposed between and fixed to said opposed surfaces of said hub member for securing together said first and second hub members and said portion of said spoke core, said hub members have means for positioning said hub members one to the other, said steering shaft having a serrated section and a tapered section and wherein said first through-hole is serrated and adapted to be engaged with said serrated section of said serrated steering shaft and said second through-hole is tapered and adapted to be engaged with said tapered section of said steering wheel, said portion of said spoke core being welded to said opposed surfaces of said hub members.