Steering wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097765-B2
Application number	US-202016934448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Jul 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A steering wheel configured to be rotated around a central axis of rotation includes a boss section that is located in a lower portion of the steering wheel and in a vicinity of the central axis of rotation, an outer peripheral portion that is disposed in an outer edge of the steering wheel in a circumference of the boss section, and a central portion that covers an entirety of a region located farther towards the boss section than the outer peripheral portion including a region above the boss section. The outer peripheral portion includes a grip portion to be gripped by the driver. The central portion includes a raised portion that protrudes farther upward than the outer peripheral portion along the central axis of rotation. The raised portion includes, in the upper portion, a cushion portion having such a resiliency that makes the cushion portion restorably dentable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering wheel for a vehicle adapted to be held by a driver and rotated around a central axis of rotation, the steering wheel comprising:
a boss section that is located in a lower portion of the steering wheel and in a vicinity of the central axis of rotation;
an outer peripheral portion that is disposed in an outer edge of the steering wheel in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of rotation in a circumference of the boss section;
a grip portion that is located in the outer peripheral portion to be held by the driver for steering operation; and
a central portion that covers an entirety of a region located farther towards the boss section than the outer peripheral portion including a region above the boss section, the central portion including a raised portion that protrudes farther upward than the outer peripheral portion along the central axis of rotation, wherein the raised portion includes, in an upper portion thereof, a cushion portion having such a resiliency that makes the cushion portion restorably dentable, wherein
the cushion portion includes a cushion member that includes an inner layer and an outer layer,
the inner layer is elastically deformable and shape retentive, and
the outer layer is softer than the inner layer.

2. The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein a sheet member composed of a fabric is disposed on an outer surface of the cushion portion.

3. The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein:
the raised portion is located in an inner side of the outer peripheral portion; and
when viewed from above, each of the outer peripheral portion and the raised portion has a generally oval shape in which a width in a front and back direction is smaller than a width in a left and right direction.

4. The steering wheel of claim 3 , wherein the outer peripheral portion as viewed from above has such a curved shape that an outer shape of a front edge has a greater curvature radius than that of a rear edge.

5. The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein:
the grip portion is disposed in an entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion; and
the raised portion of the central portion is located in an inner side of the outer peripheral portion such that a width in a front and back direction of a rear edge portion of the outer peripheral portion as viewed from above is greater than a width in the front and rear direction of a front edge portion of the outer peripheral portion as viewed from above.

6. The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the cushion portion of the central portion is composed of a resilient material that has a bowl shape which interiorly has a void space.

7. The steering wheel of claim 6 , further comprising:
a projection device that is located inside of the central portion and configured to project a predetermined image on a back surface of the cushion portion; and
a sheet member that is disposed on an outer surface of the raised portion and configured to allow the image projected by the projection device to be visible from an outside of the sheet member.

8. A steering wheel for a vehicle adapted to be held by a driver and rotated around a central axis of rotation, the steering wheel comprising:
a boss section that is located in a lower portion of the steering wheel and in a vicinity of the central axis of rotation;
an outer peripheral portion that is disposed in an outer edge of the steering wheel in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of rotation in a circumference of the boss section;
a grip portion that is disposed in an entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion to be held by the driver for steering operation;
a central portion that covers an entirety of a region located farther towards the boss section than the outer peripheral portion including a region above the boss section;
a supporting member for forming a skeleton of the steering wheel, the supporting member having a rigidity and such a shape that the boss section, the outer peripheral portion and the central portion are interconnected, the supporting member including a boss supporting portion that is located in the boss section, a peripheral supporting portion that is located in the outer peripheral portion, and a connecting portion that is located in the central portion and connects the boss supporting portion and the peripheral supporting portion; and
a clad portion that is softer than the supporting member, the clad portion being mounted around at least the peripheral supporting portion and a portion of the connecting portion adjoining the peripheral supporting portion,
wherein the peripheral supporting portion of the supporting member includes:
an annular protrusive portion that is located in a vicinity of an outer edge of the peripheral supporting portion and protrudes downwardly along the central axis of rotation, the annular protrusive portion being arranged in the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the steering wheel; and
an annular flat portion that is located in an upper surface of the annular protrusive portion and extends flatly towards the connecting portion in a direction generally orthogonal to the central axis of rotation, the annular flat portion being arranged in the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the steering wheel; and
wherein the grip portion includes:
a grip body that is adapted to be held by the driver, the grip body having a structure that the clad portion is disposed on the upper surface, an outer surface, and a lower surface of the annular protrusive portion of the peripheral supporting portion of the supporting member, thus the grip body including an upper surface located above the upper surface of the annular protrusive portion, a lower surface located below the annular protrusive portion, and an outer surface located on an outer side of the annular protrusive portion; and
a storing cove portion for receiving fingers of the driver, the storing cove portion being located in an inner side of the annular protrusive portion in an underside of the annular flat portion of the outer peripheral portion of the supporting member and in a region where the clad portion is disposed, the storing cove portion being configured to be recessed farther upwardly than a portion of the lower surface of the grip body in a vicinity of a lower end of the annular protrusive portion, at least when the grip portion is held by the driver.

9. The steering wheel of claim 8 , wherein, in an underside of the grip portion, the clad portion has such a thickness that makes the storing cove portion recessed farther upward than the lower surface of the grip body.

10. The steering wheel of claim 8 , wherein:
in an underside of the outer peripheral portion,
the clad portion has such a thickness that makes a region from the lower surface of the grip body to a vicinity of the connecting portion via the storing cove portion generally flat; and
the clad portion is configured to have such a hardness that allows the clad portion to be elastically deformed for forming the storing cove portion when held by the driver.

11. The steering wheel of claim 8 , wherein:
the central portion includes a raised portion that protrudes farther upward than the outer peripheral portion along the central axis of rotation; and
the raised portion includes, in an upper portion thereof, a cushion portion having such a resiliency that makes the cushion portion restorably dentable.

12. A steering wheel for a vehicle adapted to be held by a driver and rotated around a central axis of rotation, the steering wheel comprising:
a boss section that is located in a lower portion of the steering wheel and in a vicinity of the

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Morita Bunpei
• Akehi Satomi

Classifications

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/10

  Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable (B62D1/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/11

  incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible (padded linings associated with the steering wheel B60R21/05; shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12) · CPC title

• B62D1/04 Primary

  Hand wheels · CPC title