Steering wheel with an airbag module

• US 6,264,235 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Battermann, Jens, Reh, Stefan, Adomeit, Heinz-Dieter, Kamm, Martin, Samarae, Sami Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/402,409
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/731
• 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: 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a steering wheel having a nave, spokes, a rim and an air bag module. According to the invention, a rotationally arranged component (11) is secured to the steering wheel nave (2, 3) or to the steering column allocated thereto, which is designed to accommodate at least one further subassembly. The center of gravity of said component (11) and/or the other subassembly is positioned so eccentrically that the rotationally arranged component (11) remains in the same position when the steering wheel is rotated as when it is straightened. The advantage of the inventive steering wheel is that the subassembly connected to the rotationally arranged component, e.g. an air bag, does not change its position either when the steering wheel is rotated.

Claims

1. A steering wheel comprising a hub, spokes, a steering wheel rim, an airbag module, and a rotary mounted component part to hold at least a further subassembly, wherein the rotary mounted component part is one of fixed on the steering wheel hub and fixable in an associated steering column;

wherein a center of gravity of at least one of the component part and the further subassembly lies eccentric so that the rotary mounted component part, during rotation of the steering wheel, remains in a position that is the same as the position occupied when the steering wheel is straight;

wherein the rotary mounted component part has a rotary axis and a deformation element extending in the direction of the steering wheel rim; and

wherein the deformation element is fixed on an area of the component part which lies above the rotary axis of the component part when the steering wheel is attached to a steering column .

2. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the rotary axis of the rotary mounted component part coincides with a longitudinal axis of the steering column holding the steering wheel.

3. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein a weight mounted on the rotary mounted component part and the center of gravity of the weight lies outside the rotary axis.

4. The steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein the rotary mounted component part and the weight are plate-shaped.

5. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the deformation element, in the event of a crash, is deformable away from the driver through a part of the steering wheel.

6. The steering wheel according to claim 1 further comprising an intermediate ring;

wherein the spokes include rim spokes and hub spokes;

wherein the intermediate ring is connected on one side through the hub spokes to the steering wheel hub and on the other side through the rim spokes to the steering wheel rim; and

wherein at least lower hub spokes are deformable in the event of a crash.

7. The steering wheel according to claim 5 wherein the deformation element has an end pointing in the direction of the steering wheel rim and the deformation element is associated with the intermediate ring wherein the deformation element and the intermediate ring are radially fixed relative to each other without contact.

8. The steering wheel according to claim 7 wherein the intermediate ring has an edge, wherein the end of the deformation element pointing in the direction of the steering wheel rim has the shape of a fork in which the edge of the intermediate ring engages.

9. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the steering rim has a lower area and an upper area;

wherein the spokes include four symmetrically arranged hub spokes having the same angular spacing from each other, and four symmetrically arranged rim spokes with two rim spokes at the lower area of the steering rim and two rim spokes at the upper area of the steering rim;

wherein in a plan view of the steering wheel and with the steering wheel in the straight position, the two rim spokes of the lower area of the steering rim have at least approximately the same path as two of the four symmetrically arranged hub spokes and the two rim spokes of the upper area of the steering wheel run flatter than the other two of the four symmetrically arranged hub spokes.

10. The steering wheel according to claim 6 wherein the hub spokes between the steering wheel hub and the intermediate ring extend in the form of an L-shaped angle.

11. The steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein the airbag module is fixed on one of the rotary mounted component part and the weight.

12. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the rotary mounted component part is mounted in a rolling bearing.

13. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the steering wheel hub has a ring-shaped projection, wherein the rotary mounted component part has at least one claw which engages under the ring-shaped projection of the steering wheel hub.

14. The steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the spokes include hub spokes and the steering wheel hub consists of a lower and an upper part between which the hub spokes are fixed.

15. The steering wheel according to claim 12 wherein the bearing for the rotary mounted component part is connected to the steering wheel hub through at least one resilient element.

16. The steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein the weight is connected to the rotary mounted component part through at least one resilient element.

17. A steering wheel comprising a hub, spokes, a steering wheel rim, an airbag module, a rotary mounted first component part to hold at least a further subassembly, wherein the rotary mounted component part is one of fixed on the steering wheel hub and fixable in an associated steering column;

wherein a center of gravity of at least one of the rotary mounted first component part and the further subassembly lies eccentric so that the rotary mounted component part, during rotation of the steering wheel, remains in a position that is the same as the position occupied when the steering wheel is straight;

wherein the rotary mounted first component part has a rotary axis and a deformation element extending only from one side of the rotary axis in the direction of the steering wheel rim;

wherein the deformation element is fixed on an area of the rotary mounted first component part which lies above the rotary axis of the rotary mounted first component part when the steering wheel is attached to a steering column.

18. A steering wheel comprising a hub, spokes, a steering wheel rim, an airbag module, a rotary mounted first component part to hold at least a further subassembly, wherein the rotary mounted component part is one of fixed on the steering wheel hub and fixable in an associated steering column;

wherein a center of gravity of at least one of the rotary mounted first component part and the further subassembly lies eccentric so that the rotary mounted component part, during rotation of the steering wheel, remains in a position that is the same as the position occupied when the steering wheel is straight;

wherein the rotary mounted first component part has a rotary axis and a deformation element extending in the direction of the steering wheel rim toward a second component part;

wherein the deformation element is fixed on an area of the rotary mounted first component part which lies above the rotary axis of the rotary mounted first component part when the steering wheel is attached to a steering column; and

the second component part and the deformation element are arranged in a position such that in the event of impact, the second component part presses against the deformation element.

19. The steering wheel of claim 18 wherein the second component part is fixed relative to the steering wheel rim during rotation of the steering wheel rim.