Steering wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12109963-B2
Application number	US-202117906546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A steering wheel includes a steering wheel body, an airbag module, and a damper unit that connects the steering wheel body and the airbag module. The airbag module is mounted to the steering wheel body via the damper unit facing in a Z-axis first direction that is an example of a first direction. The damper unit is configured to apply a force on the airbag module in a state where the airbag module is mounted on the steering wheel body in a direction of pushing up the airbag module in a direction that intersects with the Z-axis first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering wheel comprising:
a steering wheel body;
an airbag module; and
a damper unit connecting the steering wheel body and the airbag module and provided between the airbag module and the steering wheel body, the damper unit comprising:
at least one coil spring including:
a first end part secured to an airbag module bearing surface;
a second end that is unsecured relative to the airbag module and the steering wheel body, the second end configured to contact a steering wheel body bearing surface;

wherein the airbag module is mounted on the steering wheel body via the damper unit in a first direction, and
the damper unit is configured to apply a force on the airbag module in a direction of pushing up the airbag module that is a direction that intersects with the first direction in a state where the airbag module is mounted on the steering wheel body.

2. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the airbag module or the steering wheel body is prepared with an inclined surface on a bearing surface for receiving the at least one coil spring that applies a force component on the at least one coil spring in the direction of pushing up the airbag module.

3. The steering wheel according to claim 2 , wherein of the airbag module and the steering wheel body, the inclined surface is provided on the steering wheel body.

4. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coil spring includes an inclined surface on at least one of a first end in contact with the airbag module or a second end in contact with the steering wheel body applying a force component on the at least one coil spring in the direction of pushing up the airbag module.

5. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coil spring is provided such that the center axis thereof is inclined relative to the first direction.

6. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coil spring is provided at a position below the center of gravity of the airbag module.

7. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coil spring is provided in at least one of left or right positions of the center of the airbag module.

8. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the steering wheel body bearing surface is larger than the coil surface area demarcated by the coil diameter.

9. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
the coil spring is a compression coil spring and the coil spring includes:
the first end part secured to the bearing surface of the airbag module, and
the second end part that is not secured to the steering wheel body;
the steering wheel includes:
a stopper that is movable between a retention position that contacts the second end part of the coil spring and retains the coil spring in a compressed state and a release position spaced from the second end part of the coil spring that releases the compressed state of the coil spring, and
a stopper contact part provided on the steering wheel body; and
the stopper contact part is configured to make contact with the stopper when the airbag module is mounted to the steering wheel body via the damper unit and move the stopper from the retention position to the release position enabling the second end part of the coil spring to thereby come into contact with the bearing surface of the steering wheel body.

10. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the damper unit is provided between the airbag module and the steering wheel body and includes at least one seat spring that biases the airbag module, pushing up the airbag module in the aforementioned direction.

11. The steering wheel according to claim 10 , wherein the seat spring is provided on the underside of the airbag module.

12. The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the damper unit further comprises a damper configured to dampen vibrations of the airbag module.

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Ishida Ryotaro
• Abe Kazuhiro
• Honma Keisuke
• Shimono Hiroyoshi
• Kumar Sumit

Classifications

• B62D1/04

  Hand wheels · CPC title

• B60Y2400/83

  Steering input members · CPC title

• B60R21/2037 Primary

  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

• B60R21/203 Primary

  in steering wheels or steering columns · CPC title