Damper structure provided in steering wheel of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148702-B2
Application number	US-201916581888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A damper structure provided in a steering wheel of a vehicle to be able to achieve an improved effect of reducing vibration in a low frequency region and structurally prevent noise generation. The damper structure includes a plate member which faces the steering wheel and to which an airbag module is to be attached, an insulator attached to the plate member, a connector inserted into the insulator and having one end fixed to the steering wheel to be oscillated by vibration of the steering wheel, an elastic member surrounding the connector in the insulator, a ring provided with the elastic member to transmit the oscillation of the connector to the elastic member, a stopper provided around another end of the connector to face the elastic member, and a coil spring which brings the elastic member of the insulator into pressure contact with the stopper.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A damper structure provided in a steering wheel of a vehicle to damp vibration of the steering wheel using an airbag module serving as a mass damper, the damper structure comprising:
a plate member which is provided to be spaced apart from and face the steering wheel and adapted for attachment of the airbag module;
an insertion hole formed in the plate member;
a hollow cylindrical insulator inserted through the insertion hole and attached to the plate member;
a connector inserted into the insulator such that a gap is formed therearound to enable an oscillation at least in a direction along a wheel surface of the steering wheel by a vibration of the steering wheel;
an elastic member formed to have a hollow cylindrical shape and provided in the insulator so as to surround the connector, the elastic member formed with an inner periphery surface including a first area and a second area;
a ring provided to protrude from the first area of the elastic member such that the ring is provided between the elastic member and the connector, and the second area of the elastic member is spaced at a distance from an outer peripheral surface of the connector in the direction along the wheel surface, the ring being in slidable contact with the outer periphery of the connector to transmit the oscillation of the connector to the elastic member;
a disk-shaped stopper provided around an end of the connector so as to face the elastic member; and
a spring provided between the insulator and the steering wheel to resiliently bias the elastic member of the insulator so as to bring the elastic member into pressure contact with the stopper.

2. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a clearance set in association with the ring between an outer peripheral surface of the elastic member and an inner peripheral surface of the insulator to allow the elastic member to be elastically deformed only in a predetermined amount in the direction along the wheel surface in accordance with the oscillation of the connector;
a holding portion provided at a position in the insulator at which the clearance is absent to hold the elastic member with respect to the insulator;
a plurality of notched portions formed around the insertion hole of the plate member extending outwardly from the insertion hole;
a restricted portion provided around an outer periphery of the insulator so as to be inserted into the notched portions and movable in the notched portions as the insulator is operated to rotate in a peripheral direction in the insertion hole until movement of the restricted portions is restricted by the plate member; and
an engagement portion provided around the outer periphery of the insulator so as to be adjacent to the restricted portions and removably engaged with the notched portions in response to the restriction of the movement of the restricted portions to fix the insulator to the plate member.

3. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 2 further comprising, wherein the holding portion is a protruding portion provided at the insulator so as to fit into a depressed portion formed on an inner peripheral side of the elastic member.

4. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising, wherein the plate member is a horn plate.

5. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising, wherein the spring is a horn spring.

6. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising, wherein the ring is integrally formed with the elastic member.

7. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising, wherein a plurality of the damper structures are provided for connection with the steering wheel.

8. The damper structure provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the ring and the elastic member are each formed with a length along a Z-axis direction, and the length of the ring is smaller than the length of the elastic member in the Z-axis direction.

9. A damper structure provided in a steering wheel of a vehicle to damp vibration of the steering wheel using an airbag module serving as a mass damper, the damper structure comprising:
a plate member which is provided to be spaced apart from and face the steering wheel and adapted for attachment of the airbag module;
an insertion hole formed in the plate member;
a hollow cylindrical insulator inserted through the insertion hole and attached to the plate member, the insulator having an inner peripheral surface formed with a smaller-diameter portion and a larger-diameter portion;
a connector inserted into the insulator such that a gap is formed therearound to enable an oscillation at least in a direction along a wheel surface of the steering wheel by a vibration of the steering wheel;
an elastic member formed to have a hollow cylindrical shape and provided in the insulator so as to surround the connector;
a ring provided around an inner periphery surface of the elastic member and affixed to the elastic member, the ring being in slidable contact with an outer periphery of the connector to transmit the oscillation of the connector to the elastic member;
a clearance set formed of an annular gap between an outer peripheral surface of the elastic member and the inner peripheral surface of the larger-diameter portion of the insulator to allow the elastic member to be elastically deformed only in a predetermined amount in the direction along the wheel surface in accordance with the oscillation of the connector;
a disk-shaped stopper provided around an end of the connector so as to face the elastic member; and
a spring provided between the insulator and the steering wheel to resiliently bias the elastic member of the insulator so as to bring the elastic member into pressure contact with the stopper.

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Takanori
• Fushimi Shoma
• Kurata Eisuke
• Iwasaki Yosuke

Classifications

• B62D7/222 Primary

  acting on the steering wheel · CPC title

• B60R21/2037

  the module or a major component thereof being yieldably mounted, e.g. for actuating the horn switch or for protecting the driver in a non-deployment situation (horn switches integrated in steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21658) · CPC title

• B62D1/11 Primary

  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

• F16F15/0232

  with at least one gas spring (F16F15/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F15/08

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title