CA2017288C - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Steering wheel

Info

Publication number
CA2017288C
CA2017288C CA 2017288 CA2017288A CA2017288C CA 2017288 C CA2017288 C CA 2017288C CA 2017288 CA2017288 CA 2017288 CA 2017288 A CA2017288 A CA 2017288A CA 2017288 C CA2017288 C CA 2017288C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
steering wheel
longitudinal edges
cover
connection
wheel rim
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA 2017288
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2017288A1 (en
Inventor
Fritz Draxlmaier Sr.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eldra Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Original Assignee
Eldra Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eldra Kunststofftechnik GmbH filed Critical Eldra Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Publication of CA2017288A1 publication Critical patent/CA2017288A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2017288C publication Critical patent/CA2017288C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62DMOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D1/00Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
    • B62D1/02Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle vehicle-mounted
    • B62D1/04Hand wheels
    • B62D1/06Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers

Abstract

A steering wheel with a steering wheel rim which is covered by a cover of leather or a leather-like material.
The cover is made of a single-piece material blank whose two longitudinal edges are connected to each other along the steering wheel rim. The connection of the two longitudinal edges is located on the underside of the steering wheel at a distance from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering wheel with a steering wheel rim which is covered by a cover or casing of leather or a leather-like material. The cover or casing is made of a single-piece material blank whose two longitudinal edges are connected to each other along the steering wheel rim.
2. DescriPtion of the Related Art Steering wheels whose rims are provided with a cover of leather or a leather-like material are manufactured by initially manufacturing the steering wheel proper and subsequently surrounding the steering wheel rim with the cover, wherein the cover is made of a single-piece blank which is placed around the steering wheel rim and is fastened to the steering wheel rim by connecting the two longitudinal edges of the blank.

In conventional steering wheels, the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover are connected to each other along the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim by sewing or another similar type of connection, so that the connection is not located in the area of the gripping surfaces of the steering wheel. However, independent of the selected type of connection of the two~longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover, there is the difficulty that the location of the connection at the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim is not easily accessible, so that the manufacture of the connection is difficult and the costs of the steering wheel become higher.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to improve a steering wheel whose rim is provided with a cover of leather or a leather-like material, so that the manufacture of the steering wheel is significantly simplified, while the advantages of the known steering wheels are still present.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover is located on the underside of the steering wheel at a distance from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim.

In accordance with an advantageous feature of the invention, the distance at which the connection between the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover is moved downwardly from the inner circumference of the steering 2ol7288 wheel rim is approximately one-fourth to one-fifth of the cross-section of the steering wheel rim~. Accordingly, the connection of the two longitudinal edges is still outside of the gripping surface. However, the connection is now at a location which is more accessible and the manufacture of the steering wheel is made simpler.

The steering wheel according to the invention makes it possible to provide a connection of the two ends of the blank from the steering cover which is continuous and is located outside of the connection points of the steering wheel spokes with the steering wheel rim. In addition, the invention provides the possibility of using various different types of connections of the longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover is a seam, preferably cross-stitch seam.

In accordance with another useful embodiment of the invention, the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover located at a distance downwardly from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim is obtained by a butt-jointed adhesive connection and an ornamental seam is provided at the connection for improving the optical appearance.

In accordance with another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover located at a distance downwardly from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim is obtained by gluing together overlapping, beveled longitudinal edges of the blank and by providing an ornamental seam at the connection for improving the optical appearance.

In accordance with another special feature of the invention, the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover may have flanges which are glued together and are inserted in a circumferential recess in the steering wheel arrangement located at a distance downwardly from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim.

In accordance with a further special embodiment of the invention, the connection of the longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover located at the distance downwardly from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim is obtained by clamping the longitudinal edges together, wherein the longitudinal edges of the cover are inserted in a circumferential groove in the steering wheel rim and are clamped relative to each other by means of an insert and, if necessary, are directly or indirectly glued together.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
Fig. l is a partial perspective view of a steering wheel according to the present invention;
Fig. 2a is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention;
Fig. 2b show a detail, on a larger scale, of the embodiment of the steering wheel of Fig. 2a;
Fig. 3b is a partial perspective view of yet another embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention;
Fig. 3b shows a detail, on a large scale, of the embodiment of the steering wheel of Fig. 3a;
Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of a further embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention; and ~.~

Fig. 5a and Sb show details, on a larger scale, of the embodiment of the steering wheel shown in Fig. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As illustrated in the drawing, a steering wheel 1 includes a steering wheel rim 2 which is connected through spokes 3 to a steering wheel hub 4 which fastened to a steering shaft, not shown. The steering wheel rim is provided with a cover or casing 5 of leather or a leather-like material. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the steering wheel rim 2 is made essentially of a foam material and has a circular cross-section.

The cover 5 is made from a single-piece blank of a cover material. The two longit-l~; nA 1 edges 6 and 7 of the blank are connected to each other and the location 8 of the connection is offset from the inner circumference of the steering wheel rim towards the underside thereof by approximately one-fifth of the cross-section of the steering wheel rim 2.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the two longitudinal edges 6 and 7 are butt-jointed and are connected to each other by means of a cross-stitch seam 9, so that the cover 5 is simultaneously fastened to the steering wheel rim 2.

.~g, In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the two longitudinal edges 6a and 7a of the blank forming the cover 5 are also butt-jointed and are connected to each other by means of a glued connection 10. An additional ornamental seam 11 is provided for improving the optical appearance.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the two longitudinal edges 6b and 7b of the blank forming the cover 5 are beveled, wherein the edges overlap and are glued together.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the two longitudinal edges 6c and 7c of the blank forming the cover 5 are also butt-jointed and are provided with a perpendicularly projecting flange each which is inserted in a circumferential groove 12 of the steering wheel rim 2. The contacting flange surfaces are glued together.

In the modified embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the two longitudinal edges 6d and 7d of the blank forming the cover 5 are also butt-jointed and have perpendicularly projecting flanges which are inserted in a groove 12 provided in the steering wheel rim 2. However, the longitudinal edges 6d and 7d are connected by clamping them by means of a spreading insert 13.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

Claims (4)

1. A steering wheel adapted to be grasped by a driver, comprising:

a steering wheel rim having an underside bellow a center line and a radial inner circumference intersecting said center line; a plurality steering wheel spokes joining said rim at a point on said radial inner circumference; a cover of leather or leather-like material for covering the steering wheel rim, wherein said cover is made of a single-piece material blank having two longitudinal edges having end faces, wherein said longitudinal edges are uniformly and uninterruptedly connected to each other at a connection extending along the entire steering wheel rim such that the end faces of the longitudinal edges abut each other and wherein the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank forming the cover is located on the underside of the steering wheel at a distance downward from said point on said radial inner circumference of said rim.
2. The steering wheel of claim 1, wherein the distance of the connection of the two longitudinal edges from the centerline is approximately one-fourth to one-fifth of the cross-section of the steering wheel rim.
3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank is a seam.
4. The steering wheel of claim 2, wherein the connection of the two longitudinal edges of the blank is a seam, wherein said seam is a cross-stitch seam.
CA 2017288 1989-05-23 1990-05-22 Steering wheel Expired - Fee Related CA2017288C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE8906358U DE8906358U1 (en) 1989-05-23 1989-05-23
DEG8906358.9 1989-05-23

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2017288A1 CA2017288A1 (en) 1990-11-23
CA2017288C true CA2017288C (en) 1995-04-11

Family

ID=6839481

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2017288 Expired - Fee Related CA2017288C (en) 1989-05-23 1990-05-22 Steering wheel

Country Status (2)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2017288C (en)
DE (1) DE8906358U1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2796353B1 (en) * 1999-07-13 2001-09-28 Gersteen Iso Delta VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL
AT413521B (en) * 2004-07-29 2006-03-15 Eybl Internat Ag METHOD OF RELATING TO OBJECTS AND SUPPLIES RELATED TO REFERENCE MATERIALS, SUCH AS STEERING WHEELS
DE102011104994A1 (en) 2011-06-22 2012-04-19 Daimler Ag Steering wheel for motor vehicle, has steering wheel base body and casing, which has films surrounding steering wheel base body outer peripheral

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE8906358U1 (en) 1989-08-03
CA2017288A1 (en) 1990-11-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5205186A (en) Steering wheel
US6928898B2 (en) Steering wheel comprising a decorative element
US20090007721A1 (en) Steering Wheel with Modular Rim Assembly
JP2014501191A (en) Method for manufacturing steering wheel and cover for covering steering wheel rim of steering wheel
US8127446B2 (en) Method of manufacturing a steering wheel
CA2017288C (en) Steering wheel
US8898904B2 (en) Method for coating a steering wheel and corresponding steering wheel
JPH10297501A (en) Steering wheel of automobile
US6079292A (en) Method and apparatus for leather wrapping of a steering wheel
US2944853A (en) Wheel cover
JPH01103401U (en)
JPH0335659Y2 (en)
JPS5911002U (en) Motorcycle wheels
US1267724A (en) Wheel for toys.
JPS5837682Y2 (en) wheel ring
JPS6136055A (en) Manufacture of steering wheel of car
JPH0316501U (en)
JPS63125403A (en) Adhesive assembly wheel for vehicle
JPS59135201U (en) agricultural wheels
US2868588A (en) Wheel cover
JPH0244608Y2 (en)
JPH0316502U (en)
JPH0245802U (en)
JPS60151702U (en) Assembly wheels for vehicles
JPS6084302U (en) automotive wheels

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed