JP2004042743A - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce manufacturing cost of a steering wheel by dispensing with secondary machining of a screw hole for fixing a puller. <P>SOLUTION: Concerning the steering wheel 17 provided with a fitting hole 6 for wedge-fitting an upper end part of a steering shaft 7 from below by a wedge in a core metal unit 5, a pair of puller holes 23 are provided to store a hooking claw 21 of the puller 18 at a symmetrical position across the fitting hole 6 of the core metal unit 5. A stepped part 24 for hooking the hooking claw 21 of the puller 18 into a fitting hole 6 side in each puller hole 23 is formed, and an inclined face 25 forming up-grade onto the fitting hole 6 side is provided on a lower face of the stepped part 24. Since it is unnecessary that the hooking claw 21 of the puller 18 overhangs below the steering wheel 17 having no work space, the puller 18 of claw hooking type is adopted without any obstacle, and secondary machining of the screw hole as in the case where a conventional screw type puller is adopted becomes unnecessary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering wheel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 3 shows an example of a steering wheel mounted on the driver's seat of a car. This type of steering wheel 1 includes a ring portion 2 for a driver to grip and steer, and a center of the ring portion 2. And a spoke portion 4 connecting the boss portion 3 and the ring portion 2 to each other, and a core metal 5 of the boss portion 3. Is provided with a fitting hole 6 for fitting the upper end of the steering shaft into a wedge from below.
[0003]
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a tapered surface 8 whose diameter gradually decreases upward is formed at the upper end of the steering shaft 7, and the lower part of the fitting hole 6 of the cored bar 5 also gradually upwards. A tapered surface 9 is formed to reduce the diameter. The upper end of the steering shaft 7 is inserted from below the fitting hole 6 of the cored bar 5 so that the two are firmly fitted by a wedge action.
[0004]
Further, a male screw portion 10 is provided at the uppermost end of the steering shaft 7 protruding above the fitting hole 6, and a nut 11 is fastened to the male screw portion 10 on the upper surface of the cored bar 5. The steering wheel 1 is fixed fixedly.
[0005]
When the steering wheel 1 thus fixed is removed, the steering wheel 1 is pulled out from the steering shaft 7 using the screw-type puller 12 shown in FIG.
[0006]
That is, the screw-type puller 12 shown in FIG. 4 has a structure in which a puller screw 14 is vertically screwed through a central portion of a main body frame 13 extending in the horizontal direction, and both ends of the main body frame 13 are provided with the puller screw. A fixing screw 15 extending in the vertical direction parallel to 14 is rotatably penetrated. On the other hand, a pair of screw holes 16 are formed at symmetric positions of the cored bar 5 of the steering wheel 1 with the fitting hole 6 interposed therebetween so that the lower end of the fixing screw 15 of the puller 12 can be screwed.
[0007]
After the lower ends of the fixing screws 15 of the puller 12 are screwed into these screw holes 16 and screwed, the puller screw 14 is pressed into contact with the uppermost male screw portion 10 of the steering shaft 7. When the screw is further tightened in this state, the main body frame 13 and each fixing screw 15 are pulled up relatively by applying a reaction force to the male screw portion 10 at the uppermost end of the steering shaft 7, and as a result, the upper end of the steering shaft 7 , The core metal 5 of the steering wheel 1 is pulled out.
[0008]
The puller 12 of the screw type is used for pulling out the steering wheel 1 because the casing in which a combination switch such as a turn signal switch or a wiper switch is housed is disposed directly below the steering wheel 1. This is because no working space can be provided directly below the steering wheel 1 and the puller 12 needs to be fixed to the cored bar 5 by a fixing means that does not penetrate below the steering wheel 1.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the method in which the steering wheel 1 is pulled out from the steering shaft 7 using such a screw type puller 12, a screw hole 16 for fixing the puller 12 to the metal core 5 of the steering wheel 1 is formed by secondary machining. Processing has to be performed, which causes a problem that the manufacturing cost of the steering wheel 1 rises.
[0010]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to reduce the manufacturing cost of a steering wheel by eliminating the need for secondary processing of a screw hole for fixing a puller.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a steering wheel provided with a fitting hole for fitting an upper end portion of a steering shaft from below into a wedge, wherein the puller is locked at a symmetrical position across the fitting hole of the core metal. A pair of puller holes are drilled to accommodate the claws, and a step portion is formed on the fitting hole side of each of the puller holes to lock the hook of the puller, and a lower surface of the step portion is formed. An inclined surface having an upward slope is provided to the fitting hole side.
[0012]
Thus, when the steering wheel is configured in this manner, when removing the steering wheel from the steering shaft, a hook-type puller is employed, and the hooks of the puller are inserted into the respective puller holes of the cored bar. After the hooks of the puller are hooked and fixed to the steps in the respective puller holes, the steering wheel can be pulled out from the steering shaft by using the hook hook type puller.
[0013]
That is, it is possible to fix the puller by hooking the puller hooks in the respective puller holes of the core bar without projecting the puller hooks below the steering wheel that does not take up working space. As a result, it is possible to adopt a hook-type puller, which was difficult to adopt in the past, without difficulty. As a result, secondary processing of screw holes as in the case of using a conventional screw-type puller Becomes unnecessary.
[0014]
When forming a puller hole having a stepped portion in the core, the core can be integrally formed as a cast part by aluminum die casting or the like, so that secondary processing by machining is not required.
[0015]
In addition, when the hooks of the puller are inserted into the respective puller holes of the core bar to be hooked on the stepped portion, the lower surface of the stepped portion is provided with an inclined surface that forms an upward slope toward the fitting hole side. When a force in the pulling direction is applied to the hook of the puller during the operation, a component force is generated in a direction in which the hook is pulled toward the fitting hole, and the hook comes off the step in the puller hole. It becomes difficult and a good latching state is maintained.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 represent the same components.
[0018]
The steering wheel 17 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a fitting hole for fitting the upper end of the steering shaft 7 from below into a wedge as in the case of the conventional structure shown in FIGS. Although 6 is provided on the cored bar 5, a pull-on puller 18 instead of a conventional screw-type puller is used for the pull-out operation.
[0019]
In other words, the hook-type puller 18 used here has a puller screw 20 that is vertically screwed through a central portion of a main body frame 19 extending in the horizontal direction and has a hook 21 at its lower end. Each fixed arm 22 can be swung in the longitudinal direction of the main body frame 19 by connecting the upper end of the arm 22 to both ends of the main body frame 19 with a pin. This is a well-known technique.
[0020]
In adopting such a hook-type puller 18, in the steering wheel 17 of the present embodiment, the fitting hole of the cored bar 5 is replaced with a screw hole for fixing a conventional screw-type puller. A pair of puller holes 23 are drilled so as to accommodate the hooks 21 of the puller 18 at symmetrical positions with respect to the puller 6, and the hooks 21 of the puller 18 are provided in the fitting holes 6 in the respective puller holes 23. Is formed, and a lower surface of the step portion 24 is provided with an inclined surface 25 having an upward slope of an angle θ (see FIG. 2) toward the fitting hole 6.
[0021]
The upper surface of the hook 21 on the side of the puller 18 is also formed with an inclined surface 26 having an upward slope of an angle θ (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the inclined surface 25 of the step portion 24 in each of the puller holes 23. Is preferred.
[0022]
Thus, when the steering wheel 17 is configured as described above, when the steering wheel 17 is removed from the steering shaft 7, a hook-type puller 18 is employed, and the hook 21 of the puller 18 is attached to the core 5. The puller screw 20 is inserted into each of the puller holes 23, and is fixed to the step portion 24 in each of the puller holes 23 by hooking the hook 21 of the puller 18. When the screw is further tightened in a state in which it is pressed against the main body frame 19 and the fixing screws, the reaction force is applied to the male screw portion 10 at the uppermost end of the steering shaft 7, and the main body frame 19 and each fixing screw are relatively pulled up. The core 5 of the wheel 17 is pulled out.
[0023]
That is, the hooks 21 of the puller 18 are hooked in the respective puller holes 23 of the cored bar 5 without extending the hooks 21 of the puller 18 below the steering wheel 17 where no working space is available. Since the puller 18 can be fixed, the hook-type puller 18, which was difficult to adopt in the past, can be adopted without any trouble. As a result, the conventional screw-type puller has been adopted. The secondary processing of the screw hole as in the case is not required.
[0024]
When forming the puller hole 23 having the step portion 24 in the core 5, the core 5 can be integrally formed as a cast part by aluminum die casting or the like, and secondary processing by machining is performed. It will not be necessary.
[0025]
When the hook 21 of the puller 18 is inserted into each puller hole 23 of the cored bar 5 and is hooked on the step portion 24, an inclined surface having an upward slope toward the fitting hole 6 is formed on the lower surface of the step portion 24. 25, when a force is applied to the hook 21 of the puller 18 in the pull-out direction during the operation, a component force is generated in a direction of pulling the hook 21 into the fitting hole 6 side, It is difficult for the hooking claw 21 to come off from the step portion 24 in the puller hole 23, and a good hooking state is maintained.
[0026]
Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the secondary processing of the screw hole for fixing the puller is not required, and the cored bar 5 can be integrally formed as a cast part by aluminum die casting or the like. The cost can be significantly reduced, and even if the pull-out operation is performed by using the hook-type puller 18, it is possible to maintain a good hooking state of the hooking claw 21 during the operation. The puller 18 can be securely fixed.
[0027]
It should be noted that the steering wheel of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
According to the steering wheel of the present invention described above, the secondary processing of the screw hole for fixing the puller is not required, and the core can be integrally formed as a cast part by aluminum die casting or the like. The cost can be significantly reduced, and even if the pulling out work is replaced by a hook-type puller, the good hooking state of the hooking claw can be maintained during the operation, and the puller can be maintained. An excellent effect of being able to be securely fixed can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion II in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a conventional example.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an operation of pulling out the steering wheel of FIG. 3;
[Explanation of symbols]
5 Core 6 Fitting Hole 7 Steering Shaft 17 Steering Wheel 18 Puller 21 Locking Claw 23 Puller Hole 24 Step 25 Slope

Claims (1)

What is claimed is: 1. A steering wheel having a fitting hole for fitting a wedge of an upper end of a steering shaft from below into a core bar, wherein a pulling claw of a puller is accommodated in a symmetrical position across the fitting hole of the core bar. A pair of puller holes are drilled so as to obtain, and a step portion is formed on the fitting hole side in each of the puller holes to lock the hook of the puller, and a fitting hole side is formed on the lower surface of the step portion. A steering wheel having an inclined surface that forms an upward slope.

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