Steering wheel and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282955-A1
Application number	US-201715442757-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A steering wheel is provided with a heater element on the rim. The heater element is mounted at least on a part of a core of the rim, and a cladding layer formed from synthetic resin foam covers an outer circumference of the heater element. The heater element includes a cord-shaped heater and a base material. The base material includes an insulation sheet that is formed from synthetic resin foam and disposed to face towards the core and a permeable sheet that is formed from non-metal which allows permeation of the cladding layer. The insulation sheet and permeable sheet are bonded together and sandwich and support the cord-shaped heater there between.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A steering wheel comprising:
a rim to be handheld for steering; a heater element that is mounted at least on a part of a core of the rim and includes a cord-shaped heater and a base material which is composed of a sheet-shaped member having flexibility for supporting the cord-shaped heater; and a cladding layer that is formed from synthetic resin foam for covering an outer circumference of the heater element, wherein the base material of the heater element includes an insulation sheet that is formed from synthetic resin foam and disposed to face towards the core and a permeable sheet that is formed from non-metal which allows permeation of the cladding layer; and wherein the insulation sheet and permeable sheet are bonded together and sandwich and support the cord-shaped heater there between.

2 . The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the permeable sheet is composed of an open-cell foam which has a smaller density than the insulation sheet and than the cladding layer.

3 . The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the permeable sheet is composed of a net-like sheet having flexibility.

4 . A method of manufacturing a steering wheel comprising a rim to be handheld for steering; a heater element that is mounted at least on a part of a core of the rim and includes a cord-shaped heater and a base material that is composed of a sheet-shaped member having flexibility for supporting the cord-shaped heater; and a cladding layer that is formed from synthetic resin foam for covering an outer circumference of the heater element,
the method comprising: providing an insulation sheet formed from synthetic resin foam; providing a permeable sheet that is formed from non-metal which allows permeation of the cladding layer; forming the heater element by bonding the insulation sheet and permeable sheet together with the cord-shaped heater disposed there between such that the base material composed of the insulation sheet and the permeable sheet sandwich and support the cord-shaped heater; arranging the heater element around the core of the rim by adhering the insulation sheet to the core; and forming the cladding layer around the heater element by injection molding.

5 . The method of manufacturing a steering wheel according to claim 4 , further comprising preparing the permeable sheet from an open-cell foam which has a smaller density than the insulation sheet and than the cladding layer.

6 . The method of manufacturing a steering wheel according to claim 4 , further comprising composing the permeable sheet out of a net-like sheet having flexibility.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Morita Bunpei

Classifications

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title

• H05B3/34

  flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs · CPC title

• B29C2045/1668

  Penetration bonds · CPC title

• B29C2045/169

  injecting electrical circuits, e.g. one layer being made of conductive material · CPC title

• B29K2715/003

  Cellular or porous · CPC title