Wrapping for a steering wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267499-B1
Application number	US-202017116992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 9, 2020
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Wraps for a steering wheel and methods of wrapping a steering wheel with an integrated light bar assembly are disclosed. The light bar assembly is configured to be mounted to a rim of a steering wheel of a vehicle. The light bar assemblies can include components of a driver monitoring system. The light bar assembly includes two shells defining or surrounding the rim and a wrapping surrounding the two shells. A portion of the wrapping is tucked into a slot disposed between the two shells forming a slit. A lens is disposed within the slit and pinched by the wrapping to prevent leakage of light around the lens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wrapping for a light bar assembly of a steering wheel, comprising:
a first elongate strip comprising a first edge portion wrapped around a first longitudinal edge of an inner shell member; and
a second elongate strip comprising a second edge portion wrapped around a second longitudinal edge of an outer shell member,
wherein the first edge portion and the second edge portion define a slit between the first edge portion and the second edge portion, the slit corresponds to a slot defined by the inner shell member and the outer shell member, the slit abuts with a lens disposed within the slit, and the first edge portion and the second edge portion abut the lens to prevent light leakage around the lens.

2. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the first strip further comprises a third edge portion and the second strip comprises a fourth edge portion, and
wherein the first strip and the second strip are configured to surround the inner and outer shell members.

3. The wrapping of claim 2 , wherein the third edge portion is coupled to the fourth edge portion and the first strip and the second strip surround the inner and outer shell members.

4. The wrapping of claim 3 , wherein the third edge portion is coupled to the fourth edge portion via stitching.

5. The wrapping of claim 1 , further comprising a third elongate strip configured to be disposed between the first strip and the second strip,
wherein the first strip further comprises a third edge portion and the second strip comprises a fourth edge portion,
wherein the third strip comprises a fifth edge portion and a sixth edge portion,
wherein the fifth edge portion is configured to be coupled to the third edge portion and the sixth edge portion is configured to be coupled to the fourth edge portion, and
wherein the first, second, and third strips are configured to surround the inner and outer shell members.

6. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the wrapping further comprises any one of leather, vinyl, synthetic leather, microfiber synthetic leather, and polysuede.

7. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the light bar assembly comprises a light guide disposed within the inner and outer shell members, wherein the first edge portion and the second edge portion are configured to avoid obstruction of light from the light guide passing through the lens.

8. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein a width of the slit ranges from approximately two mm to approximately six mm.

9. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein a width of the slit is approximately four mm.

10. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein a space between the lens and the first and second edge portions is zero mm.

11. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the light bar assembly is configured to couple at each end of the light bar to an armature of the steering wheel to complete a gap in a rim of the steering wheel.

12. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the steering wheel comprises:
an armature comprising a rim;
wherein the light bar assembly is coupled to the armature; and
wherein the first and second shell members surround a portion of the rim.

13. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the lens is oriented toward a driver of a vehicle.

14. The wrapping of claim 1 , wherein the first elongate strip and the second elongate strip are configured to be coupled to an adjacent wrapping of an adjacent portion of the steering wheel.

15. A method of wrapping a light bar assembly of a steering wheel, comprising:
obtaining a wrapping;
tucking a first edge portion of a first strip of the wrapping into a slot defined by an edge of an inner shell member and an edge of an outer shell member;
tucking a second edge portion of a second strip of the wrapping into the slot, wherein the first edge portion and the second edge portion define a slit;
disposing a lens within the slot between the first edge portion of the first strip and the second edge portion of the second strip; and
pinching the lens between the first edge portion of the first strip and the second edge portion of the second strip, wherein the first and second edge portions are configured to abut the lens to prevent light leakage around the lens.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling the inner shell member to the outer shell member.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling the wrapping to an exterior surface of the inner and outer shell members.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising stitching an edge portion of a first strip opposite the first edge portion to an edge portion of the second strip opposite the second edge portion.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising joining one or both of the first strip and the second strip to an adjacent wrapping of an adjacent portion of the steering wheel.

Assignees

• Autoliv Asp Inc

Inventors

• Matsu Richard L
• Shellabarger Brian Tebelman
• Tudor Julien
• Eckardt Werner
• Camm Stephen

Classifications

• B60Q3/70

  characterised by the purpose · CPC title

• B60Q3/64

  for a single lighting device · CPC title

• B60Q3/283

  Steering wheels; Gear levers · CPC title

• B62D1/06 Primary

  Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers (B62D1/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/046 Primary

  Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches · CPC title