Steering wheel end caps and associated application structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025171069-A1
Application number	US-202318519232-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	Nov 27, 2023
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A steering wheel for a vehicle includes an armature and a cap structured to be attached to the armature. The cap includes at least one projection structured to contact a portion of the armature when the cap is applied to the armature. The contact between the projection(s) and the armature is structured to form associated retentive contact interface(s) between the projection(s) and the armature. Each retentive contact interface operates to prevent or impede removal of the cap from the armature, thereby retaining the cap on the steering wheel under normal end-use conditions of the steering wheel.

First claim

1 . A yoke steering wheel comprising:
an armature including a body terminating in a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and a cap structured to be attached to the armature at at least one of the first end and the second end, the cap including at least one projection structured to contact a portion of the armature when the cap is applied to the armature.

2 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a covering applied over at least a portion of the armature, the covering including a first part applied directly to the armature and a second part applied over the first part, wherein a portion of the second part is pressed between a portion of the cap and a portion of the first part when the cap is applied to the armature.

3 . The steering wheel of claim 2 , wherein the first part defines a ledge, wherein a portion of the covering second part extends along the ledge, and wherein the portion of the second part extending along the ledge is pressed between the ledge and a portion of the cap when the cap is applied to the armature.

4 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , further comprising an armature retention post extending from at least one of the first end and the second end and structured to engage the at least one cap projection to attach the at least one cap to the armature.

5 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises:
a cap shell defining an interior cavity; a cap securement structure incorporating the at least one projection; and a securement structure support attached to the cap securement structure and structured for attaching the cap securement structure to the cap shell within the interior cavity.

6 . The steering wheel of claim 5 , wherein the cap securement structure comprises a push-on fastener and the at least one projection comprises a feature formed as part of the push-on fastener and structured to resiliently deform during contact with the portion of the armature when the cap is applied to the armature.

7 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the armature includes a pair of retention portions, and wherein the cap includes a pair of projections, each projection defining a resiliently deformable latching member structured to latchingly engage an associated one of the retention portions to form an associated retentive contact interface therebetween when the cap is applied to the armature.

8 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the armature includes at least one retention portion, wherein the cap includes a resiliently deformable wall defining an interior cavity, the at least one projection extending from the wall into the interior cavity and including a ramp and a cap retention shoulder extending from an end of the ramp, and wherein the cap retention shoulder and the at least one armature retention portion are structured to lockingly engage each other to form an associated retentive contact interface therebetween when the cap is applied to the armature.

9 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , wherein the cap includes a plurality of projections, each projection being structured to contact the armature when the cap is applied to the armature.

10 . The steering wheel of claim 9 , wherein the cap includes a shell, and wherein the projections are formed as integral portions of the shell.

11 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a covering applied over at least a portion of the armature, the covering including a first part applied directly to the armature and a second part applied over the first part, wherein a plurality of slits is formed in an end of the second part.

12 . The steering wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a covering applied over at least a portion of the armature, the covering including a first part applied directly to the armature and a second part applied over the first part, the covering first part including a plurality of first part cavities formed therealong, and wherein the cap includes a shell defining an interior cavity and a plurality of ribs extending into the interior cavity, each rib being structured to press a portion of the covering second part into an associated first part cavity of the plurality of first part cavities when the cap is applied to the armature.

13 . The steering wheel of claim 8 , wherein the ramp contacts and slides along the at least one retention portion during application of the cap to the armature, causing the wall to resiliently deform until the armature retention portion reaches an end of the ramp and slides off the ramp.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Deutschmann Roy
• Zofchak Steven
• Kibat Jonathan
• Talkat Natalia
• Gessling Eunas

Classifications

• B62D1/06 Primary

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

• B62D1/04 Primary

  Hand wheels · CPC title