Removable steering wheel and pedals for autonomous vehicle

• US 9,963,035 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: El Aile, Steven R., Joyce, John P., Brown, Andrew, Lauffer, Scott J., Abbas, Samer
• Primary Examiner(s): English, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/016,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2026/023 with electrical means to generate counter force or torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/828 Mounting or fastening exchangeable modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/834 Docking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/04 foot actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/183 adjustable between in-use and out-of-use positions, e.g. to improve access

Abstract

A dashboard assembly for a vehicle includes a dashboard defining a receiving niche. The niche is alignable with a driver seat location, and is selectively fillable by each of a removable steering module and a removable filler module. The removable steering module includes a steering module base. A steering wheel support is fixed to the steering module base. A steering wheel is rotatably fixed to the steering wheel support. A steering wheel connector connects the steering wheel to a vehicle steering actuator. The removable filler module includes a filler module base.

Claims

1. A dashboard assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a dashboard defining a receiving niche alignable with a driver seat location and the niche being alternatively fillable in a first configuration by a removable steering module and in a second configuration by a removable filler module;

the removable steering module including;

a steering module base,

a steering wheel support fixed to the steering module base,

a steering wheel rotatably fixed to the steering wheel support,

a steering wheel connector for connecting the steering wheel to a vehicle steering actuator; and

the removable filler module including a filler module base sized to fill the niche with a substantially line-to-line fit with the dashboard.

2. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, the dashboard including an airbag disposed therein and the steering module including an airbag disposed in the steering wheel.

3. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, the filler module including an airbag disposed therein and the steering module including an airbag disposed in the steering wheel.

4. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, the filler module including a storage compartment incorporating a trim panel.

5. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the removable steering module includes a first part of a selectively engageable steering module mount fixed to the steering module base,

a second part of the steering module mount is incorporated into the vehicle dashboard with the first part and the second part cooperatively fixing the steering module to the dashboard, and

the removable filler module includes a first part of a selectively engageable filler module mount substantially identical to the first part of the steering module mount with the first part of the filler module mount and the second part of the steering module mount cooperatively fixing the filler module to the dashboard.

6. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pedal module.

7. The dashboard assembly of claim 1, the steering wheel connector being a mechanical connector.

8. A vehicle having a dashboard assembly:

a dashboard defining a receiving niche aligned with a driver seat location and the niche being alternatively fillable in a first configuration by a removable steering module and in a second configuration by a removable filler module;

the removable steering module including;

a steering module base,

a steering wheel support fixed to the steering module base,

a steering wheel rotatably fixed to the steering wheel support,

a steering wheel connector for connecting the steering wheel to a vehicle steering actuator; and

the removable filler module including a filler module base sized to fill the niche with a substantially line-to-line fit with the dashboard.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, the dashboard including an airbag disposed therein and the steering module including an airbag disposed in the steering wheel.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, the filler module including an airbag disposed therein and the steering module including an airbag disposed in the steering wheel.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, the filler module including a storage compartment incorporating a trim panel.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein:

the removable steering module includes a first part of a selectively engageable steering module mount fixed to the steering module base,

a second part of the steering module mount is incorporated into the vehicle dashboard with the first part and the second part cooperatively fixing the steering module to the dashboard, and

the removable filler module includes a first part of a selectively engageable filler module mount substantially identical to the first part of the steering module mount with the first part of the filler module mount and the second part of the steering module mount cooperatively fixing the filler module to the dashboard.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a pedal module.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, the steering wheel connector being a mechanical connector.