Vibration reduction structure for vehicle steering wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618501-B2
Application number	US-202017310504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure capable of effectively damping induced vibration generated in the steering wheel and contributing to vibration reduction in both low frequency bands and high frequency bands.A vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure, where the vehicle steering wheel structure is such that an airbag module, which serves as a damper mass, is attached to the steering wheel via vibration damping parts to damp vibrations of the steering wheel, and where the airbag module is formed such that the upper region above the center of steering of the steering wheel is lighter than the lower region, with reference to a neutral position of the steering wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure comprising:
an airbag module, which serves as a damper mass;
a steering wheel; and
vibration damping parts to attach the airbag module to the steering wheel for dampening the vibrations of the steering wheel; wherein
the airbag module is provided with an upper region above a center of steering of the steering wheel and a lower region with reference to a neutral position of the steering wheel, and
the upper region is lighter than the lower region.

2. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the airbag module further has a module base on which the vibration damping parts are attached, and
the module base is formed such that an upper region of the module base above the center of steering is lighter than a lower region of the module base, with reference to the neutral position of the steering wheel.

3. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the upper region of the module base is made out of synthetic resin, and the lower region of the module base is made out of metal.

4. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the vibration damping parts are arranged surrounding the center of steering, and
the airbag module is equipped with a deadweight at an installation height position of the vibration damping parts that are positioned below the center of steering with reference to the neutral position of the steering wheel.

5. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the airbag module further has a module base on which the vibration damping parts are attached, and
the module base is formed such that an upper region of the module base above the center of steering is lighter than a lower region of the module base, with reference to the neutral position of the steering wheel.

6. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 5 , wherein
the upper region of the module base is made out of synthetic resin, and the lower region of the module base is made out of metal.

7. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the deadweight is provided below the installation height position of the vibration damping parts instead of at the installation height position of the vibration damping parts.

8. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the airbag module further has a module base on which the vibration damping parts are attached, and
the module base is formed such that an upper region of the module base above the center of steering is lighter than a lower region of the module base, with reference to the neutral position of the steering wheel.

9. The vehicle steering wheel vibration reducing structure according to claim 8 , wherein
the upper region of the module base is made out of synthetic resin, and the lower region of the module base is made out of metal.

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Shiraishi Norihisa
• Abe Kazuhiro
• Kura Takayuki

Classifications

• 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

• B62D7/222 Primary

  acting on the steering wheel · CPC title

• B62D1/04

  Hand wheels · CPC title

• B60R21/26

  characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow {(arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10)} · CPC title