GB2037682A

GB2037682A - Non-welded steering wheel and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: GB2037682A
Application number: GB7940067A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1978-12-07
Filing date: 1979-11-20
Publication date: 1980-07-16
Also published as: FR2443364B1; FR2443364A1; AU5277179A; JPS5579750A; AU523159B2; DE2944411A1; GB2037682B; CA1126622A

Abstract

A steering wheel includes a stamped body portion including a hub and a pair of spoke members 18 having terminal portions integrally rivetted to a split rim member 14 and wrapped thereabout. One of the terminal portions 24 is secured to the split portion of the rim member and the other is secured to an unsplit portion. The steering wheel is manufactured by forming the terminal portions with an intermediate flange and a terminal flange 26, locating the rim member at the juncture of the flanges, with the split of the rim member within the extent of one of the terminal flanges, piercing the terminal flange to either side of the split, piercing the other terminal flange, extruding portions 32, 32' of the rim member into the pierced openings 30, 30' to integrally rivet the rim member to the terminal portion and wrapping the terminal flanges 36, 36' over the recesses 38 in the rim member resulting from the extrusion to clamp the rim member and terminal portions to each other. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Non-welded steering wheel and method of manufacture This invention relates to a non-welded steering wheel and a method of manufacture thereof.

Conventionally, steering wheels include a body portion having a hub portion and spoke portions, and a continuous rim portion which is secured to the spoke portions. The hub portion is normally formed in one or more pieces and then rivetted or welded to the body portion. The rim portion is normally formed as a butt-welded circular ring which is welded to the ends of the spoke portions.

The present invention provides a non-welded steering wheel comprising, in combination, a split generally circular rim, a body portion including spaced spokes having terminal portions wrapped around the rim and provided with openings therein, one terminal portion being wrapped around the split in rim and covering the rim to each side of the split, and integral portions of the rim extruded within the openings of the terminal portions to integrally rivet the rim to the spokes, the wrapped terminal portions clamping the rim to the spokes and co-operating with the integral rivets to secure the rim to the spokes.

Thus, no portion of the steering wheel of this invention is of welded construction. The body portion and the rim, both in their individual manufacture and in the assembly process are secured to each other by conventional stamping and die operations.

The primary feature of this invention is that it provides a steering wheel having both spokes and a rim secured to each other through the use of non-welded operations. Another feature is that the spokes and rim are both integrally rivetted and clamped to each other. A further feature is that the rim is in the form of a split circular ring and is integrally rivetted to one of the spokes to either side of the split therein. Yet another feature is that the spokes are formed with angularly related intermediate and terminal flanges which support the rim during assembly, with the terminal flanges being provided with a plurality of openings which receive integral rivet extrusions of the rim. Still another feature is that the terminal flanges are thereafter wrapped over the rim and also over the recesses in the rim resulting from the extrusions to clamp the spoke and rim to each other.

The appended claims define the scope of the monopoly claimed. How the invention can be performed is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa partially broken away plan view of a steering wheel according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged broken away view of a portion of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of Figure 1; and Figures 5-9, inclusive, show various stages in the manufacture of the steering wheel.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a steering wheel 10 according to the invention includes a body portion 12 and a split rim 14. The body portion 12 includes an integral hub portion 16 and a pair of like spokes 18 and 18' of generally arcuate cross-sectional configuration. As shown in Figure 3, the integral hub portion 16 includes a central upwardly extending boss 20 having an internally splined portion 22 of slightly smaller diameter. The portion 22 receives the upper splined end of a conventional steering shaft in order to secure the steering wheel to such shaft. Such structure is not shown since it is conventional.

As shown in Figure 4, the spoke 18 includes an intermediate flange portion 24 and a terminal flange portion 26 of generally planar shape. Spoke 18' (shown in Figures 1 and 2) includes like flange portions 24' and 26'. The rim 14 is clamped within the flange portions 24, 24' and 26,26' as shown.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the split 28 in the rim 14 is located generally centrally or intermediately of the flange portions 24' and 26' of the one spoke 18'. It will be noted that the flange portions cover the rim 14 on either side of the split 28. Likewise the flange portions 24 and 26 of the other spoke 18 cover an unsplit portion of the rim 14.

The flange portion 26' on either side of the split 28 is provided with a pair of openings 30' and likewise the flange portion 26 is provided with a similar pair of openings 30 which are spaced approximately the same distance as the openings 30'. As shown in Figures 2 and 4 integral portions 32' and 32 of the rim 14 are extruded radially outwardly and into the openings 30' and 30, respectively, generally flush with the radially outer walls 34' and 34 of flange portions 26' and 26. The extrusions provide integral rivets securing the split end portions and an unsplit portion of the rim 14 to the spokes 18' and 18.It will be noted that the radially inner walls 36' and 36 of flange portions 26' and 26 extend partially over the rim 14 and generally over the recesses 38 which result from the extrusions of portions 32' and 32 so that the rim 14 is both integrally rivetted to each of the spokes 18' and 18 an also clamped thereto provide for secure attachment of the rim and spokes to each other.

The method of manufacturing the steering wheel 10 is shown in Figures 5-9, inclusive, and will now be described with reference to spoke 18. It will be understood that spoke 18' is simultaneously formed with spoke 18 and simultaneously secured to rim 14.

As shown in Figure 5, the spoke 18 is initially formed with the intermediate flange portions 24 and the terminal flange portion 26 generally normal to each other. Thereafter as shown in Figure 6, the flange portion 26 is pierced to provide the opening 30. The rim 14 is then located at the junctures of the flange portions 24 and 26 as shown in Figure 7. The same operations are performed with respect to spoke 18', terminal flange portion 26' and opening 30'. The split 28 of the rim is located generally intermediately of the flange portions 24' and 26' and intermediately of the openings 30' of the flange portion 26' (as shown in Figures 1 and 2).As shown in Figure 8, the integral portions 32 and 32' of the rim 14 are then extruded radially outwardly into the openings 30, 30' to provide pairs of integral rivets securing the rim 14to each of the spokes 18 and 18'.

Either concurrently with such extrusion or in a subsequent step, the flange portions 26 and 26' are partially wrapped over the rim 14 as shown in Figure 8. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 9, the flange portions 26,26' are completely wrapped over the rim 14so that the radially inner walls 36 and 36' of such flange portions extend at least partially over the recesses 38 in order to clamp the rim 14 to the spokes 18 and 18'. It is desirable that the extrusions 32,32' be flush with the radially outer walls 34,34' of the flange portions 26 and 26' although a shallow recess in the openings 30, 30' is of little consequence.

Thus this invention provides a non-welded steering wheel and method of manufacture thereof.

Claims

1. A non-welded steering wheel comprising, in combination, a split generally circular rim, a body portion including spaced spokes having terminal portions wrapped around the rim and provided with openings therein, one terminal portion being wrap- ped around the split in the rim and covering the rim to each side of the split, and integral portions of the rim extruded within the openings of the terminal portions to integrally rivet the rim to the spokes, the wrapped terminal portions clamping the rim to the spokes and co-operating with the integral rivets to secure the rim to the spokes.

2. A non-welded steering wheel according to claim 1, in which the spaced spokes have intermediate flange portions and the rim is clamped between the intermediate and terminal flange portions.

3. A non-welded steering wheel according to claim 1 or claim 2 produced by a method comprising the steps of forming a split, generally circular shaped rim member, forming a body portion having at least one spoke provided with an intermediate flange portion and a terminal flange portion, providing at least a pair of spaced openings in the terminal flange portion, locating the rim at the juncture of the intermediate and terminal flange portions, with the split in the rim being located between the openings in the terminal flange portion, extruding integral portions of the rim into the openings to integrally rivet the rim to the spoke, and wrapping the terminal flange portion about the rim to clamp the rim to the spoke.

4. A non-welded steering wheel substantially as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.