Steering wheel with pad

• US 5,267,486 A
• Filed: 03/19/1993
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaga, Kouichi, Kumagai, Naoyuki, Niwa, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YIP, WINNIE S
• Application Number:
  US08/034,214
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 74/552, 74/558, 280/731, 280/743, 280/750
• US Class Current: 74/552
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2035 using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21656; assembling of modules B60R21/217
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2087 Rim grips and covers

Abstract

A steering wheel having a body including a boss, a ringlike rim and a plurality of inclined spokes connecting the boss and the rim is characterized in that a pad which may serve as an air bag unit is disposed within the body so as to extend from the boss to the upper portion of the spokes. The pad is mounted with a plurality of brackets extending between the pad and the spokes. Each of the brackets is fastened to an inclined spoke on one hand and, on the other, has a through-hole for receiving a support projecting from the boss or a respective spoke for holding the pad in position and regulating the lateral movement of the pad.

Claims

1. A steering wheel comprising:

a body including a ringlike rim, a boss disposed at substantially a center of the rim, and a plurality of spokes extending at an angle relative to a plane of the rim for connecting the boss and the rim to form a cavity between said plane and boss;

a pad;

a plurality of brackets for mounting the pad in said cavity on said spokes;

means for fastening said brackets to said spokes; and

a plurality of locating supports projecting from said body toward said plane for cooperating with said brackets to support and correctly position, and to maintain the correct position of said pad both during and after the fastening of said brackets to said spokes by said fastening means,

a portion of each said bracket being inclined at said angle with respect to said plane so that said portion is parallel to a respective spoke, said fastening means being disposed substantially perpendicular to said inclined bracket and said spokes, said supports bearing against said brackets to prevent said brackets from moving along inclined surfaces of said spokes, said boss including a boss plate and said supports projecting from said boss plate.

2. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said supports project from said spokes.

3. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein each of said projecting supports has a shoulder surface parallel to said plane so that said projecting support shoulder cooperates with a lower surface of a respective said bracket.

4. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein each of said projecting supports has a neck section extending from a respective shoulder and each said bracket has a through-hole for receiving said neck section when said shoulders support said pad through each said bracket.

5. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said boss plate is integrally formed with said body and each said support is integral with said boss plate.

6. A steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein said pad includes an air bag unit provided with an air bag which is normally folded but is capable of opening on a predetermined occasion, a cover member for covering the air bag, a bag holder and an inflator coupled to said holder.

7. A steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein each said bracket is connected to said bag holder.

8. A steering wheel comprising:

a body including a ringlike rim, a boss disposed at substantially a center of the rim, and a plurality of spokes extending at an angle relative to a plane of the rim for connecting the boss and the rim to form a cavity between said plane and boss;

a pad;

a plurality of brackets for mounting the pad in said cavity on said spokes;

means for fastening said brackets to said spokes; and

a plurality of locating supports projecting from said body toward said plane for cooperating with said brackets to support and correctly position, and to maintain the correct position of said pad both during and after the fastening of said brackets to said spokes by said fastening means,

a portion of each said bracket being inclined at said angle with respect to said plane so that said portion is parallel to a respective spoke, said fastening means being disposed substantially perpendicular to said inclined bracket and said spokes, said supports bearing against said brackets to prevent said brackets from moving along inclined surfaces of said spokes, each of said spokes is provided with a metallic spoke core and each of said supports is formed integrally with said spoke core.

9. A steering wheel according to claim 8, wherein each said projecting support has a shoulder surface parallel to said plane so that said projecting support shoulder cooperates with a lower surface of a respective bracket.

10. A steering wheel according to claim 8, wherein each said projecting support has a neck section extending from a respective shoulder and each said bracket has a through-hole for receiving said neck section when said shoulders support said pad through each said bracket.

11. A steering wheel according to claim 8, wherein said boss of said body includes a boss plate integrally formed therewith and each said support is integral with said boss plate.

12. A steering wheel according to claim 8, wherein said pad includes an air bag unit provided with an air bag which is normally folded but is capable of opening on a predetermined occasion, a cover member for covering the air bag, a bag holder and an inflator coupled to said holder.

13. A steering wheel according to claim 12, wherein each said bracket is connected to said bag holder.

14. A steering wheel comprising:

a body including a ringlike rim, a boss disposed substantially at a center of the rim and a plurality of spokes inclined relative to a plane of said rim for connecting the boss and the rim to form a cavity between said plane and boss;

a pad;

a plurality of brackets for mounting the pad in said cavity, said brackets being secured at one end to said pad and having another end extending parallel to respective spokes for securement thereto;

means for securing said brackets to said pad and to said spokes;

a plurality of projections extending from said body in a direction normal to said plane; and

a plurality of receiving means in each said bracket being respectively engaged with said projections, said projections being disposed within said receiving means for regulating movements of said pad in directions parallel to said plane.

15. A steering wheel according to claim 14, wherein each said receiving means is a through-hole in each said bracket.

16. A steering wheel comprising:

a body including a rim, a boss disposed substantially at a center of the rim and a plurality of spokes extending at an angle relative to a plane forming inclined spoke portions passing through said rim for connecting the boss and rim to form a cavity between said boss and plane;

a pad;

a plurality of brackets for mounting the pad in said cavity on said spokes via spoke bolt holes;

each said bracket extending laterally outwardly from said pad and being bent at said angle for a given length to define inclined bracket portions in which is a bracket bolt hole;

a plurality of supports projecting from said body toward said plane for a predetermined distance for positioning said pad at a desired position relative to said plane and for supporting said brackets so that said spoke bolt holes and respective said bracket bolt holes are aligned; and

bolts fastening said inclined spoke portions and said inclined bracket portions together via said bolt holes said bolts being substantially perpendicular to said inclined spoke and bracket portions.

17. A steering wheel as in claim 16, wherein one of said brackets and supports has locating holes and the other has locating pins mating with respective locating holes for fixing the lateral position of the pad before, during and after said bolts fasten the spokes and brackets together via said bracket and said spoke bolt holes.

18. A steering wheel according to claim 16, wherein said supports project from said spokes.

19. A steering wheel according to claim 16, wherein said boss includes a boss plate and said supports project from said boss plate.

20. A steering wheel according to claim 16, wherein each said spokes of said body is provided with a metallic spoke core and each said support is formed integrally with said core.