Arrangement of a steering wheel in a motor vehicle suitable for autonomous driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10526002-B2
Application number	US-201715786740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

An arrangement of a steering wheel in a motor vehicle suitable for autonomous driving is provided, wherein the steering wheel can be pivoted or tilted from a usage position into a rest position, in which the driver of the vehicle can still specify a steering request by rotating the steering wheel. The pivoting or tilting of the steering wheel from the usage position into the rest position switches on an autonomous vehicle operating mode, in which the vehicle moves along the roadway without assistance from the driver, whereas pivoting or tilting of the steering wheel from the rest position into the usage position switches off the autonomous vehicle operating mode. For this purpose, the steering wheel rim can be pivotably or tiltably attached to a spoke of the steering wheel, which spoke is stationary or connected to the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel rim can be guided within a rim guide sleeve such that the steering wheel rim can be rotated about the axis of rotation of the steering wheel, which rim guide sleeve in turn can be pivoted in a guiding end of the spoke about a pivot axis that extends parallel to a tangent of the steering wheel rim at the point of intersection with the spoke longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering wheel arrangement in a motor vehicle suitable for autonomous driving, the arrangement comprising:
a steering wheel operatively configured to be pivotable or tiltable from a usage position into a rest position, in which rest position rotation of the steering wheel continues to define a steering demand, wherein
the pivoting or tilting of the steering wheel from the usage position into the rest position is configured to activate an autonomous vehicle operating mode in which the vehicle travels without a driver input,
the pivoting or tilting of the steering wheel from the rest position into the usage position is configured to deactivate the autonomous vehicle operating mode, and
a steering-wheel rim of the steering wheel is attached pivotably or tiltably to a static spoke of the steering wheel.

2. The steering wheel arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the steering-wheel rim, which is of hollow form, is guided on a guide end section of the static spoke so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation of the steering wheel, which guide end section is itself pivotable about a pivot axis which runs parallel to a tangent to the steering-wheel rim at a point of intersection with a spoke longitudinal axis.

3. The steering wheel arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the steering-wheel rim is guided within a rim guide sleeve so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation of the steering wheel, which rim guide sleeve is in turn pivotable, in a guide end section of the static spoke, about a pivot axis running parallel to a tangent to the steering-wheel rim at a point of intersection with the spoke longitudinal axis.

4. The steering wheel arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the steering wheel, in the usage position, describes a first plane which encloses an angle in the range from 30° to 100° with a second plane formed by the rest position.

5. The steering wheel arrangement as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the first plane of the usage position is oriented at least approximately vertically and the second plane of the rest position is oriented at least approximately horizontally, and the steering-wheel rim is attached pivotably or tiltably to that end the spoke of the steering wheel which is opposite a hub of the steering wheel or from a fastening point of a spoke to a dashboard, which spoke, in a neutral position of the steering wheel, extends downward in a vertical direction in a plane which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and in the vertical direction and which encompasses the steering wheel axis of rotation.

6. The steering wheel arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a blocking device configured to permit a manual displacement of the steering wheel by the driver from the usage position into the rest position only if the autonomous driving mode is possible or if the vehicle is parked.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Schwarz Felix
• Kerschbaum Philipp
• Eichhorn Julian

Classifications

• B60W60/0053

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• B60W60/0051

  from occupants to vehicle · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title

• B62D1/04 Primary

  Hand wheels · CPC title

• B62D1/286

  Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention · CPC title