Vibration-damping structure for vehicle steering wheel, and vehicle steering wheel device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964720-B2
Application number	US-202017310458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An airbag module that serves as a damper mass mounted to the steering wheel surrounding the center of steering of the steering wheel via vibration damping parts, the vehicle steering wheel structure damping steering wheel vibration, wherein the vibration damping parts includes at least a first vibration damping part positioned upward from the center of steering and a second vibration damping part positioned downward from the center of steering with reference to a neutral position of the steering wheel and the spring constant or elastic modulus of the first vibration damping part is set lower than the spring constant or elastic modulus of the second vibration damping part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle steering wheel vibration damping structure comprising:
an airbag module that serves as a damper mass;
a steering wheel; and,
vibration damping parts mounting the airbag module to the steering wheel arranged surrounding the center of steering of the steering wheel,
the vehicle steering wheel structure damping steering wheel vibration, wherein
the vibration damping parts include at least a first vibration damping part positioned upward from the center of steering and a second vibration damping part positioned downward from the center of steering with reference to a neutral position, and
the spring constant or elastic modulus of the first vibration damping part is set lower than the spring constant or elastic modulus of the second vibration damping part.

2. The vehicle steering wheel vibration damping structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the first vibration damping part includes damping rubber arranged symmetrically on both left and right sides of the center of steering,
the second vibration damping part includes damping rubber, and
the hardness of the damping rubber for the first vibration damping part is lower than the hardness of the damping rubber for the second vibration damping part.

3. The vehicle steering wheel vibration damping structure according to claim 1 , wherein
a spring is attached to the steering wheel and elastically supports each of the vibration damping parts individually, and
the spring constant of a first spring elastically supporting the first vibration damping part is set lower than the spring constant of a second spring elastically supporting the second vibration damping part.

4. The vehicle steering wheel vibration damping structure according to claim 1 , wherein
deadweight is provided on the airbag module side positioned at or near an installation height of the second vibration damping part.

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

6. The vehicle steering wheel vibration damping 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 above the center of steering is lighter than a lower region, with reference to the neutral position of the steering wheel.

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

8. A vehicle steering wheel device comprising the vehicle steering wheel vibration damping structure according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Shiraishi Norihisa
• Abe Kazuhiro
• Kura Takayuki

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

• F16F15/12

  using elastic members or friction-damping members, e.g. between a rotating shaft and a gyratory mass mounted thereon ({F16F15/14} , F16F15/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F2228/06

  Stiffness · CPC title