GB2558653A

GB2558653A - Steering wheel assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2558653A
Application number: GB1700706.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lenik Sebastian
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-16
Filing date: 2017-01-16
Publication date: 2018-07-18
Also published as: GB201700706D0; GB201800602D0; GB2559880A

Abstract

A steering vehicle wheel assembly 1 includes an adjustable steering wheel support 4 carrying a steering wheel 3, and a support column 5 supporting a vehicle system 8, 9 in a fixed in position. The assembly may also include a driver monitoring sensor 8 e.g. a driver-facing camera. The assembly 1 may also comprise a rotational sensing means 13 for sensing rotation of the steering wheel 3 relative to the steering wheel support 4. The steering wheel support may support a vehicle system8, in a central region of the steering wheel and possibly in front of the steering wheel support. The steering wheel support may comprise a support arm for engaging the rim of the steering, the support arm itself possibly being part-conical.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Steering wheel assembly Abstract Title: Steering wheel assembly (57) A steering vehicle wheel assembly 1 includes an adjustable steering wheel support 4 carrying a steering wheel 3, and a support column 5 supporting a vehicle system 8, 9 in a fixed in position. The assembly may also include a driver monitoring sensor 8 e g. a driver-facing camera. The assembly 1 may also comprise a rotational sensing means 13 for sensing rotation of the steering wheel 3 relative to the steering wheel support 4. The steering wheel support may support a vehicle system8, in a central region of the steering wheel and possibly in front of the steering wheel support. The steering wheel support may comprise a support arm for engaging the rim of the steering, the support arm itself possibly being part-conical.

At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

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STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a steering wheel assembly. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a steering wheel assembly for a vehicle; and to a vehicle comprising a steering wheel assembly.

BACKGROUND

It is known to provide a driver monitoring system to monitor a driver of a vehicle, for example to detect driver fatigue. The driver monitoring system may, for example, track driver eye movements. One or more driver-facing cameras may be installed in the vehicle cabin for this purpose. The driver-facing camera may comprise an optical sensor and/or an infrared sensor. However, the implementation of driver-facing camera(s) presents certain challenges due to the configuration of a typical vehicle cabin. One of the main requirements for reliable operation is that the driver-facing camera is positioned directly in front of the driver and inclined upwardly to provide a clear view of the driver’s eyes. This typically corresponds to a mounting location behind a steering wheel of the vehicle, for example on a cowling of the column. However, in this position, the field of view of the driver-facing camera is easily blocked or obstructed, for example by the steering wheel and/or the column. Moreover, the hands and/or arms of the driver may obstruct the field of view of the driver-facing camera. Conversely, the driver-facing camera may partially obstruct the instrument cluster.

At least in certain embodiments, the present invention seeks to provide an improved steering wheel assembly for a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention relate to a steering wheel assembly; and to a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel support;

a support column for supporting at least one vehicle system, the support column being at least substantially fixed in position; and a steering wheel mounted to the steering wheel support;

wherein the steering wheel support is arranged such that at least one of the vertical position, rake angle and reach of the steering wheel is adjustable with respect to the support column. The steering wheel support and the support column are independent of each other such that the vertical position and/or the rake angle and/or the reach of the steering wheel may be adjusted without affecting the position or orientation of the support column. The at least one vehicle system may be supported by the support column in a substantially fixed position.

The steering wheel assembly may comprise said at least one vehicle system. The at least one vehicle system may comprise at least one driver monitoring sensor. The driver monitoring sensor may comprise a driver-facing camera. At least in certain embodiments, the position and orientation of the driver-facing camera may remain fixed in order to facilitate driver monitoring, for example to detect driver fatigue. The driver-facing camera may comprise one or more optical sensor and/or one or more infrared sensor. The driver-facing camera may be configured to track eye movements of the driver of the vehicle. The driverfacing camera may be connected to an image processor to monitor driver behaviour. The driver-facing camera may be supported by said support column such that its field of view is substantially un-obstructed by the steering column and/or the steering wheel during normal operation.

The at least one vehicle system may comprise at least one airbag. The fixed position and orientation of the support column may facilitate reliable deployment of the driver airbag.

The support column may be configured to support the at least one vehicle system in a region at least partly defined by the steering wheel. The support column may be configured to support the at least one vehicle system in a substantially central region of the steering wheel. In particular, the support column may be configured to support the at least one vehicle system inside an annulus formed by a rim of the steering wheel.

The at least one vehicle system may be disposed at a first end of the support column for positioning proximal to the driver. This arrangement may help to ensure that the steering wheel does not interfere with the operation of said at least one vehicle system. The support column may be configured to support the at least one vehicle system in front of at least a portion of the steering wheel support.

The support column and the steering wheel support may be disposed adjacent to each other. The support column and the steering wheel support may extend alongside each other. The support column and the steering wheel support may have respective central longitudinal axes which are both arranged in a vertical plane.

The at least one vehicle system may be located in a housing disposed on the support column. The housing may comprise a window, for example made of a transparent or semitransparent material. The at least one vehicle system may be mounted behind said window.

The steering wheel assembly may comprise rotatable mounting means for rotatably mounting the steering wheel to the steering wheel support. The rotatable mounting means may comprise a dove tail for rotatably mounting the steering wheel.

The steering wheel assembly may comprise rotational sensing means for sensing rotation of the steering wheel relative to the steering wheel support. The rotational sensing means may comprise a transducer, for example an optical transducer or a Hall effect transducer.

The rotatable mounting means may be configured to engage a rim of the steering wheel. The steering wheel may consist of said rim. In this arrangement, the steering wheel may be referred to as a spokeless steering wheel.

The steering wheel support may be rotatably mounted. The steering wheel may be fixedly mounted to the steering wheel support such that the steering wheel and the steering wheel support rotate together.

The steering wheel support may comprise at least one support arm for supporting the steering wheel. The at least one support arm may be configured to engage the rim of the steering wheel. The steering wheel support may have one support arm connected to the rim of the steering wheel. The support arm may engage the rim of the steering wheel at a 6 o’clock position. Alternatively, the steering wheel support may comprise opposing first and second support members connected to the rim of the steering wheel. The first and second support members may engage the rim of the steering wheel at a 3 o’clock position and a 9 o’clock position respectively. The at least one support arm may be part-conical.

The at least one support arm may comprise rake angle adjustment means for adjusting a rake angle of the steering wheel. The rake angle adjustment means may be configured to incline the steering wheel relative to the steering wheel support. The rake angle adjustment means may comprise a pivoting coupling, for example incorporated into a support arm for the steering wheel.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle comprising a steering wheel assembly as described herein.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of a vehicle comprising a steering wheel assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the steering wheel assembly shown in Figure

1;

Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a steer-by-wire system implemented in the steering wheel assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4A and 4B illustrate rotation of the steering wheel shown in Figures 2 and 3 to provide a steering input for the vehicle;

Figures 5A, 5B and 5C illustrate longitudinal movement of the steering wheel support of the steering wheel assembly to adjust steering wheel reach;

Figures 6A, 6B and 6C illustrate vertical movement of the steering wheel support of the steering wheel assembly to adjust the vertical position of the steering wheel;

Figures 7A-7D illustrate pivoting movement of the steering wheel to adjust the rake angle of the steering wheel;

Figures 8A and 8B show schematic representations of variants of the steering wheel assembly comprising a mechanical connection for generating steering inputs;

Figure 9 shows a modified version of the steering wheel assembly incorporating controllers on the support column of the steering column;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the steering wheel assembly according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 shows a side elevation of the steering wheel assembly shown in Figure

10;

Figure 12 illustrate rotation of the steering wheel shown in Figures 10 and 11 to provide a steering input for the vehicle;

Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the steering wheel assembly according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 14 shows a side elevation of the steering wheel assembly according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 15 shows a variant of the steering wheel assembly shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12; and

Figure 16 shows a variant of the steering wheel assembly shown in Figure 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A steering wheel assembly 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures. The steering wheel assembly 1 is configured to provide steering inputs for a vehicle V, such as an automobile. The steering wheel assembly 1 and the vehicle V are illustrated in Figure 1.

With reference to Figure 2, the steering wheel assembly 1 comprises a steering column 2, a steering wheel 3 and a support column 5. The steering column 2 comprises a steering wheel support 4 for supporting the steering wheel 3. First and second controllers 6, 7 are provided on the steering wheel 3. The steering wheel support 4 and the support column 5 are mounted below a dashboard (not shown) and extend towards a driver of the vehicle V. The steering wheel support 4 is positioned below the support column 5 in the present embodiment. The steering wheel 3 is rotatably mounted to a first end of the steering wheel support 4 proximal to the driver. The steering wheel 3 in the present embodiment consists of an annular rim 10. Thus, the steering wheel 3 in the present embodiment is spokeless. In use, a driver of the vehicle V holds the annular rim 10 of the steering wheel 3. The first and second controllers 6, 7 are fixedly mounted to the annular rim 10 for operation by the driver.

The steering wheel support 4 comprises a support arm 11 and a rotatable mounting means 12 for mounting the steering wheel 3. The support arm 11 extends in a downwards direction from the first end of the steering wheel support 4. The rotatable mounting means 12 is configured to enable the steering wheel 3 to rotate about a rotational axis X to provide steering inputs for the vehicle V. The rotatable mounting means 12 in the present embodiment comprises a dove tail coupling (not shown). The rotatable mounting means 12 may comprise one or more roller bearings to facilitate rotation of the annular rim 10. In the example shown in Figure 3, a rotation sensing means 13 is provided to monitor rotation of the steering wheel 3 relative to the support arm 11. In the present embodiment, the rotation sensing means 13 comprises a transducer 14 which outputs an angular rotation signal to a steering control unit (not shown) to implement a so-called steer-by-wire function.

The steering wheel support 4 is adjustable to allow the driver of the vehicle V to adjust the vertical position and/or a rake angle and/or a reach of the steering wheel 3 to be adjusted. The term “rake angle” is used herein to refer to the angular orientation of the steering wheel 3 relative to a vertical plane. The steering wheel support 4 may be pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis (perpendicular to the rotational axis X of the steering wheel 3) to adjust the vertical position of the steering wheel 3. It will be understood that pivoting the steering wheel support 4 about said horizontal transverse axis will also adjust the rake angle of the steering wheel 3. Alternatively, or in addition, the support arm 11 may comprise a pivoting connection to provide an additional degree of freedom for adjusting the rake angle of the steering wheel 3.

The support column 5 is fixedly mounted such that its position and orientation cannot be adjusted. Thus, the support column 5 remains in a substantially fixed position as the position and/or the angular orientation of the steering wheel support 4 are adjusted. The support column 5 is arranged to support vehicle systems including a driver monitoring sensor 8 and a driver airbag 9. As shown in Figure 2, the support column 5 comprises a floating housing 15 arranged to receive said vehicle systems. The floating housing 15 is disposed within a substantially central region of the steering wheel 3. As the support column 5 does not move, the position and orientation of the floating housing 15 is at least substantially fixed irrespective of the position and orientation of the steering wheel support 4 and the angular orientation of the steering wheel 3. The floating housing 15 in the present embodiment extends downwardly over the front of the steering wheel support 4. The floating housing 15 comprises a front panel 16 having a transparent window 17. The driver monitoring sensor 8 comprises a driver-facing camera, for example including an optical sensor and/or an infrared sensor. The driver-facing camera is mounted behind the transparent window 17 and is directed towards the driver’s face. Due to the positioning of the floating housing 15 within the central region of the steering wheel 3, at least during normal operation, the field of view of the driver-facing camera is not obstructed by the steering column 2 or the steering wheel 3. The driver-facing camera outputs image data to an image processor (not shown). The image data is analysed to monitor driver behaviour, for example to detect driver fatigue. The transparent window 17 in the present embodiment is positioned in a lower portion of the floating housing 15 to enable the driver-facing camera to be inclined upwardly towards the driver’s face. The fixed arrangement of the support column 5 helps to ensure that the position and orientation of the driver-facing camera is unchanged. Furthermore, the image processor does not need to account for movement of the driver-facing camera. The driver airbag 9 is disposed in a chamber (not shown) formed in the floating housing 15. The driver airbag 9 is positioned above the driver-facing camera in the present embodiment. Since the support column 5 is fixed, the location and the orientation of the driver airbag 9 do not change (irrespective of the position and/or the angular orientation of the steering wheel support 4), thereby helping to ensure consistent deployment.

The first and second controllers 6, 7 provide control functions for vehicle systems, for example to control a cruise control system and/or an infotainment system and/or communications via a paired cellular telephone. As shown in Figure 2, the first and second controllers 6, 7 are mounted at three (3) o’clock and nine (9) o’clock positions respectively on the annular rim 10 when the steering wheel 3 is in a centralised position. The first and second controllers 6, 7 are mounted to an outer portion of the annular rim 10 so as to remain clear of the rotatable mounting means 9 as the steering wheel 3 is rotated. One or more electrical connections may be provided between the steering wheel 3 and the steering wheel support 4 to connect the first and second controllers 6, 7 to the vehicle systems.

The operation of the steering wheel assembly 1 will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. The movement of the steering wheel 3 and the steering wheel support 4 are illustrated by directional arrows in the figures. With reference to Figures 4A and 4B, the steering wheel 3 is rotatable about the rotational axis X in a conventional manner to generate steering inputs to control the vehicle. With reference to Figures 5A, 5B and 5C, the steering wheel support 4 can translate in a longitudinal direction to adjust the reach of the steering wheel 3. The steering wheel support 4 is shown in a rearward position in Figure 5A, an intermediate position in Figure 5B and a forward position in Figure 5C. With reference to Figures 6A, 6B and 6C, the steering wheel support 4 can pivot or translate to adjust the vertical height of the steering wheel 3. The steering wheel 3 is shown in an upper position in Figure 6A, an intermediate position in Figure 6B and a lower position in Figure 6C. As described herein, the support arm 11 may comprise a pivoting connection to enable the rake angle of the steering wheel 3 to be adjusted. The adjustment of the rake angle of the steering wheel 3 is illustrated in Figures 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D. The steering wheel 3 is illustrated in an upright position in Figure 7A and in first, second and third inclined position to in Figures 7B, 7C and 7D respectively.

The steering wheel assembly 1 has been described herein as incorporating a transducer 14 to measure angular rotation of the steering wheel 3 to implement a steer-by-wire function. In variants, a mechanical coupling may be provided to transmit torque from the steering wheel 3 to an output shaft 18 disposed in the steering wheel support 4. As shown in Figure 8A, the mechanical coupling may comprise a gear train 19 for transmitting torque to the output shaft 18. As shown in Figure 8B, the mechanical coupling may comprise a chain-drive, a toothed belt drive and/or pulley drive mechanism 20 for transmitting torque to the output shaft 18.

The steering wheel assembly 1 described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 comprises first and second controllers 6, 7 mounted to the steering wheel 3. In a variant, the first and second controllers 6, 7 may be mounted to the support column 5, as shown in Figure 9. In a further variant, the first and second controllers 6, 7 could be mounted to the steering wheel support 4.

A further embodiment of the steering wheel assembly 1 will now be described with reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12. Like reference numerals are used for like components.

As shown in Figure 10, the steering wheel assembly 1 according to the present embodiment comprises a steering column 2, a steering wheel 3, a support column 5, and first and second controllers 6, 7. The steering column 2 comprises a steering wheel support 4 and the steering wheel 3 is mounted to a first end of the steering wheel support 4 proximal to the driver. The steering wheel support 4 is adjustable to enable the reach and/or the vertical position and/or the rake angle of the steering wheel 3 to be adjusted. The mounting arrangement of the steering wheel 3 is modified in this embodiment such that the steering wheel 3 is fixedly mounted to the steering wheel support 4. The steering wheel support 4 is rotatably mounted to enable rotation of the steering wheel 3 about a rotational axis X to generate steering inputs to control the vehicle, as illustrated in Figure 12. The position and orientation of the support column 5 are fixed. The steering wheel support 4 is profiled to enable pivoting and translational movement without contacting the column support 5. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the support column 5 is generally cylindrical; and the steering wheel support 4 is part-conical. A driver monitoring sensor 8 and a driver airbag 9 are mounted to the support column 5. The mounting arrangement of the first and second controllers 6, 7 is unchanged from the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2. In particular, the first and second controllers 6, 7 are mounted to an annular rim 10 of the steering wheel 3.

The support column 5 is fixedly mounted such that its position and orientation cannot be adjusted. The support column 5 remains at least substantially stationary when the position and/or the angular orientation of the steering wheel support 4 are adjusted. As shown in Figure 10, the support column 5 comprises a floating housing 15 comprising a front panel 16 having a transparent window 17. The driver monitoring sensor 8 is mounted behind the transparent window 17 and is directed towards the driver’s face. The operation of the driver monitoring sensor 8 is unchanged from the other embodiments described herein. The driver airbag 9 is disposed in a chamber (not shown) formed in the floating housing 15. The driver airbag 9 is positioned above the driver monitoring sensor 8 in the present embodiment. The driver monitoring sensor 8 comprises a driver-facing camera, for example including an optical sensor and/or an infrared sensor.

As illustrated in Figure 12, the steering wheel 3 is rotatable about the rotational axis X. The directional arrow in Figure 12 illustrates the combined rotation of the steering wheel 3 and the steering wheel support 4. The operation of the steering wheel assembly 1 according to the present embodiment is substantially unchanged from the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 7.

A further variant of the steering wheel assembly 1 is illustrated in Figures 13 and 14. This variant is a development of the arrangement illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12. In this arrangement, the steering wheel support 4 comprises opposing first and second support arms 21, 22. As shown in Figure 13, the first and second controllers 6, 7 may optionally be integrated into said first and second support arms 21,22. The operation of this variant of the steering wheel assembly 1 is unchanged.

The steering wheel assemblies 1 described herein have incorporated the driver monitoring sensor 8 into the floating housing 15 formed in the support column 5. However, the driver monitoring sensor 8 may be provided in a camera housing 23 mounted to the support column 5 as shown in Figures 15 and 16. For example, the camera housing 23 may be mounted to an upper surface of the support column 5. The camera housing 23 may, for example, be formed from a transparent or semi-transparent plastics material. A variant of the steering wheel assembly 1 illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12 comprising a camera housing 23 is illustrated in Figure 15. A variant of the steering wheel assembly 1 illustrated in Figure 13 comprising a camera housing 23 is illustrated in Figure 16.

It will be understood that conventional mechanisms can be used to adjust the position and/or angular orientation of the steering wheel support 4. The mechanisms may, for example, be operated using one or more hand-operated or power-operated mechanisms.

In another embodiment, not shown, the position and orientation of the support column 5 may be arranged to provide secondary adjustment means, operable to provide auxiliary adjustment of the support column 5 relative to the vehicle. This secondary adjustment means may be employed to increase the available range of adjustment of the steering wheel and/or the vehicle systems supported on the support column relative to the driver. It is intended that the primary adjustment of the steering wheel by the driver in normal daily driving would be performed as described above. However, in this embodiment, if the vehicle is to be used by a driver with unusually tall, or unusually short stature, then it is envisioned that the secondary adjustment means may be adjusted by authorised personnel, such as service technicians at a vehicle dealership, to provide a more comfortable seating position for the driver without losing the benefits of the enhanced positioning of the driver monitoring sensor 8.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the embodiment(s) described herein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A steering wheel assembly comprising: a steering wheel support;

wherein the steering wheel support is arranged such that at least one of the vertical position, rake angle and reach of the steering wheel is adjustable with respect to the support column.

2. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle system comprises at least one driver monitoring sensor.

3. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driver monitoring sensor comprises a driver-facing camera.

4. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1,2 or 3, wherein the at least one vehicle system comprises at least one airbag.

5. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support column is configured to support the at least one vehicle system in a region at least partly defined by the steering wheel.

6. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support column is configured to support the at least one vehicle system in a central region of the steering wheel.

7. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support column is configured to support the at least one vehicle system in front of the steering wheel support.

8. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising rotatable mounting means for rotatably mounting the steering wheel to the steering wheel support.

9. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rotatable mounting means comprises a dove tail for mounting the steering wheel.

10. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 comprising rotational sensing means for sensing rotation of the steering wheel relative to the steering wheel support.

11. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of claims 8, 9 or 10, wherein the rotatable mounting means is configured to engage a rim of the steering wheel.

12. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support column and the steering wheel support are disposed adjacent to each other.

13. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the steering wheel support is rotatably mounted such that the steering wheel and the steering wheel support are rotatable together.

14. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the steering wheel support comprises at least one support arm for engaging the rim of the steering wheel.

15. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one support arm is part-conical.

16. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the at least one support arm comprises rake angle adjustment means for adjusting a rake angle of the steering wheel.

17. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the rake angle adjustment means is configured to incline the steering wheel relative to the steering wheel support.

18. A vehicle comprising a steering wheel assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

19. A steering wheel assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.

20. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1700706.3