JP2006096126A - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering wheel which can favorably control the degradation in the appearance of the steering wheel even when an airbag module is provided to a steering wheel body through the mediation of the clearance between the airbag module and the steering wheel body so that the airbag module can oscillate. <P>SOLUTION: A first inclined surface 29 is provided to the outer peripheral surface of an airbag cover 24. The first inclined surface 29 is inclined in the direction of gradually distancing itself from a surface of the airbag cover 24 as the first inclined surface 29 heads for the periphery side of the steering wheel body 14. Then a second inclined surface 63 is provided to the side 61a of a switch unit 60 reverse to the first inclined surface 29 of the air bag cover 24. The second inclined surface 63 and the first inclined surface 29 are the inclined surfaces which are parallel with each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel provided with an airbag module and a horn switch mechanism in a steering wheel body.

  Conventionally, for example, a steering wheel described in Patent Document 1 is known as this type of steering wheel. As shown in FIG. 5, in the steering wheel 100, an airbag module 102 is swingably supported on a steering wheel body 101, and a driver of the airbag module 102 is included in the airbag module 102 at the time of a vehicle collision. An airbag 103 that accommodates a side portion (specifically, an airbag cover) that opens and expands is accommodated. On the steering wheel main body 101, a horn switch mechanism 104 that operates based on the swinging of the airbag module 102 is provided at a plurality of positions below the outer peripheral side portion of the airbag module 102.

In such a steering wheel 100, the outer peripheral surface 102a of the airbag module 102 and the side of the steering wheel main body 101 facing the outer peripheral surface 102a in order to allow the airbag module 102 to swing when the horn switch mechanism 104 is operated. A gap S is provided between the opposite surface 101a. The gap S has a width (1... Necessary and sufficient to suppress interference between the outer peripheral surface 102a of the airbag module 102 and the opposing surface 101a on the steering wheel body 101 side when the airbag module 102 swings. 5 mm).
JP 2002-225665 A

  However, in the steering wheel 100 described above, the driver can visually recognize the inner depth of the gap S provided between the outer peripheral surface 102a of the airbag module 102 and the opposing surface 101a on the steering wheel main body 101 side. . For this reason, such a gap S becomes an obstacle to the driver, which causes the appearance of the steering wheel to deteriorate.

  In order to suppress such a decrease in the appearance of the steering wheel 100, it is conceivable to reduce the width of the gap S. However, if the width of the gap S is reduced in this way, when the airbag module 102 is swung, the outer peripheral surface 102a of the airbag module 102 interferes with the opposing surface 101a on the steering wheel body 101 side. As a result, the operation of the horn switch mechanism 104 may be hindered. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel 100 without hindering the operation of the horn switch mechanism 104. In this respect, the conventional steering wheel still leaves room for improvement. It was.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional situation, and the purpose thereof is to provide a steering wheel body with an air bag module that can swing with a gap between the steering wheel body and the steering wheel body. An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel that can suitably suppress a decrease in the appearance of the steering wheel.

  In order to achieve the above object, a steering wheel according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a steering wheel main body, an airbag module that is swingable with respect to the steering wheel main body, and the airbag module. A horn switch mechanism that operates based on swinging, and allows the airbag module to swing between an outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and a facing surface on the steering wheel main body side facing the outer peripheral surface. In the steering wheel in which a gap is formed, the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the steering wheel main body facing each other through the gap are closer to the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel main body. In the direction of gradually moving away from the surface on the driver side That there is a slope extending bought the gist.

  According to the above configuration, it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize the inner depth of the gap provided between the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the steering wheel main body facing the outer peripheral surface. As a result, for the driver who sits in front of the steering wheel, the gap on the steering wheel is not obstructive, and the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel is suppressed.

  A steering wheel according to a second aspect of the present invention is the steering wheel according to the first aspect, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the side of the steering wheel body facing each other through the gap are parallel inclined surfaces. It is a summary.

  According to the above configuration, the gap interval that is indispensable for allowing the airbag module to swing is substantially narrowed by the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module. Accordingly, the gap is less noticeable from above the steering wheel, and the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel is preferably suppressed.

  A steering wheel according to a third aspect of the present invention is the steering wheel according to the first or second aspect, wherein the opposing surface on the steering wheel main body side is located between the steering wheel main body and the airbag module. The gist of the present invention is that it is constituted by the side surface of the switch unit that is provided at the position.

  Normally, when an airbag module or a switch unit is attached to the steering wheel body, there may be a slight positional deviation (tolerance) at the time of each attachment. For this reason, if the positional deviations at the time of mounting the airbag module and the switch unit are accumulated, the width of the gap may be increased. In this respect, according to the above configuration, even if the width of the gap is slightly increased, the inner depth of the gap is less likely to be visually recognized by the driver, and the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel is preferably suppressed.

  The steering wheel according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the steering wheel according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the steering wheel main body is disposed between the airbag module and the steering wheel main body. The gist is that alignment means for aligning the airbag module is provided.

  According to the said structure, an airbag module is suitably aligned with respect to a steering wheel main body via the alignment means. That is, it is possible to dispose the airbag module at an optimum location where variation in the gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the steering wheel body side is suppressed.

  A steering wheel according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the steering wheel according to the fourth aspect, wherein the positioning means includes a convex portion projecting from a back surface side of the airbag module and the convex portion toward the steering wheel main body. The gist of the present invention is that it is constituted by a recess and a recess that can be fitted.

  According to the above configuration, the airbag module is easily aligned with the steering wheel main body by fitting the convex portion on the airbag module side to the concave portion on the steering wheel main body side.

  The steering wheel of the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a gap is formed between the switch unit and the steering wheel body. The gist is that the gap is filled with a filling member.

  When the switch unit is attached to the steering wheel main body, a gap may be formed between the switch unit and the steering wheel main body due to misalignment (tolerance) at the time of attachment. In this regard, according to the above-described configuration, such a gap is filled with the filling member. The gap width varies depending on the mounting tolerances of the plurality of switch units. Even in this case, the gap member is appropriately deformed according to the width of the gap, so that the gap is uniformly filled with the gap member. For this reason, the gap formed between the switch unit and the steering wheel main body becomes inconspicuous from above the steering wheel, and the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel is further suitably suppressed.

  According to the steering wheel of the present invention, even when the airbag module is provided on the steering wheel body so as to be swingable with a gap between the steering wheel body and the steering wheel body, the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel is suitably suppressed. can do.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a steering wheel of the present invention is embodied will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 10 includes a rim portion 11 formed in an annular shape, a boss portion 12 disposed in the center of the rim portion 11, and the rim portion 11 and the boss portion 12 connected to each other. And four spoke portions 13 (only two are shown in FIG. 1). The rim portion 11, the boss portion 12, and the spoke portion 13 constitute a steering wheel main body 14. An airbag module 20 is attached to the steering wheel body 14 above the boss portion 12.

  The steering wheel body 14 includes a rim cored bar 15 corresponding to the rim part 11, a bossed cored bar 16 corresponding to the bossed part 12, and a spoked part cored bar 17 corresponding to each spoke part 13. . These metal cores 15, 16, and 17 are integrally formed by die casting. Each spoke core mandrel 17 is formed with a fitting hole 17a as a recess penetrating in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The fitting hole 17 a is formed in the vicinity of the boundary position between the boss core metal 16 and the spoke core 17.

  In addition, a coating layer 18 made of a resin material such as polyurethane is formed on the rim cored bar 15 and the rim cored bar 15 side portion of each spoke cored bar 17. A lower cover that covers a part of the boss core metal 16 and a portion of the spoke core metal 17 where the coating layer 18 is not formed, covers the outer surface of the boss core metal 16 and is fixed to the boss core metal 16 with screws or the like. 19 is provided. In this steering wheel 10, a steering shaft (not shown) is connected to the boss core 16, and the rotation operation of the steering wheel 10 is transmitted to the steering shaft.

  The airbag module 20 includes a bag-like airbag 22 folded in an inflatable manner, an inflator 23 that supplies gas to the airbag 22, an airbag cover 24 that covers the folded airbag 22, and these airbags 22. And an inflator 23 and a bag holder 25 for holding the airbag cover 24. Here, the airbag 22 and the inflator 23 are bolted to the bag holder 25 by a plurality of bolts and nuts (not shown).

  The airbag cover 24 is formed of a resin material, and, for example, an H-shaped tear line 27 that is pushed and broken by the expansion and expansion of the airbag 22 is formed in the center of the back surface thereof. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of ribs 28 are formed in the vicinity of the end of the back surface of the airbag cover 24.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a first inclined surface 29 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the airbag cover 24. The first inclined surface 29 is inclined in a direction gradually moving away from the surface of the airbag cover 24 toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel body 14. That is, the first slope 29 extends away from the driver toward the inner side of the steering wheel main body 14 and extends in the direction of expanding toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel main body 14. The surface of the airbag cover 24 means a design surface 30 that is disposed immediately above the airbag 22 and is located on the driver side in the passenger compartment.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a first straight line 33 connecting an inflection point 31 located at the boundary between the design surface 30 and the first slope 29 and an arbitrary point 32 located at the lower end of the first slope 29 is Inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to a second straight line 35 connecting the inflection point 31 and an arbitrary point 34 on the design surface 30. This angle θ is an obtuse angle.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the bag holder 25 is made of a metal material and is formed in a thin plate shape. The bag holder 25 includes a bottom 41 that bolts the inflator 23 and the like, a side wall 42 that extends upward from the bottom 41 toward the rib 28, and an extension that extends from the side wall 42 toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel body 14. Part 43.

  Each extension 43 is welded with a nut 45 in the vicinity of the rib 28, and a through hole 46 having substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the female screw of the nut 45 is formed. The bag holder 25 is connected to the connecting plate 48 via a horn switch mechanism 50 provided integrally with the extension 43. The connecting plate 48 is screwed to the steering wheel body 14 (spoke part core 17), so that the airbag module 20 is disposed so as to be swingable with respect to the steering wheel body 14.

  A plurality (four in the present embodiment) of convex portions 41 a protrude from the bottom 41 of the bag holder 25. The convex portion 41 a protrudes toward the spoke core metal 17 at a location facing the fitting hole 17 a of each spoke core metal 17 on the back surface of the bottom 41 of the bag holder 25. The airbag module 20 is aligned with the steering wheel body 14 by fitting the convex portion 41a of the bag holder 25 into the fitting hole 17a of the spoke core metal 17. That is, the convex portion 41 a of the bag holder 25 and the fitting hole 17 a of the spoke core metal 17 constitute a means for aligning the airbag module 20 with respect to the steering wheel body 14. The width of the convex portion 41a is set slightly smaller than the width of the fitting hole 17a.

  The horn switch mechanism 50 is screwed to the connecting plate 48 with a bolt 52 via a spring member 51. When a predetermined pressure is applied to the airbag cover 24 from above, the horn switch 53 disposed above and below comes into contact. It is a mechanism that a horn sounds. Since the horn switch mechanism 50 has the same configuration as that normally used, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, various switch units 60 are disposed around the airbag module 20, that is, between the airbag module 20 and the spoke portion 13. These switch units 60 are provided for operating audio, air conditioner, auto cruise, and the like. Each switch unit 60 includes a box-shaped outer body 61, and a conventionally known switch device is provided inside the outer body 61.

  Of the side surfaces of the outer body 61, the upper end of the side surface 61 a that faces the airbag module 20, that is, the facing surface that faces the first slope 29 of the airbag cover 24 is a second slope 63. Similar to the first inclined surface 29, the second inclined surface 63 extends in a direction gradually separating from the surface of the airbag cover 24 toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel body 14. The second slope 63 is formed to incline parallel to the first slope 29. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a third straight line 67 connecting an arbitrary point 65 located at the upper end of the second slope 63 and an arbitrary point 66 located at the lower end is parallel to the first straight line 33. There is a relationship.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a protruding portion 69 is formed at the upper end of the side surface 61 b facing the spoke portion 13 among the side surfaces of the outer body 61. The protruding portion 69 is formed by protruding only the upper end of the side surface 61 b of the outer body 61 toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel main body 14.

  A gap 71 is formed between the first inclined surface 29 of the airbag cover 24 and the second inclined surface 63 of the switch unit 60 facing the first inclined surface 29. The gap 71 is opened on the design surface 30 of the airbag cover 24. In the present embodiment, since the first inclined surface 29 and the second inclined surface 63 are parallel to each other, the width of the gap 71 is constant. The width of the gap 71 indicates the width r in the direction orthogonal to the first straight line 33 (third straight line 67) (see FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, the width r is set to approximately 1.2 mm. Thus, the gap 71 is formed with a width sufficient to suppress interference between the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60 when the airbag module 20 swings.

  Further, the horizontal distance between the outer peripheral end of the airbag cover 24 and the upper end of the side surface 61a of the switch unit 60 (the distance q in the direction perpendicular to the fourth straight line 75 extending in the vertical direction through the arbitrary point 32) is as follows. , Approximately 0.8 mm. Thus, the gap 71 is formed at a necessary and sufficient interval to suppress interference between the outer peripheral surface of the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60 even when the airbag module 20 is attached to the steering wheel body 14. Yes.

  A padding member 81 is packed between the opposing surfaces of the side surface 61a of the outer body 61 and the inner end surface 13a of the spoke portion 13. The padding member 81 fills a gap 82 formed between the side surface 61 a of the outer body 61 and the inner end surface 13 a of the spoke portion 13. The material of the filling member 81 is not particularly limited, but a foamed resin material is preferable from the viewpoint of easy deformation. Examples of the foamed resin material include ester-based or ether-based polyurethane, crosslinked or non-crosslinked polyethylene, polychloroprene, styrene butadiene copolymer, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polystyrene, and the like. Used in combination.

  When the switch unit 60 and the airbag module 20 are attached to the steering wheel main body 14, first, the switch unit 60 is moved to the steering wheel in a state in which the padding member 81 is joined to the side surface 61b of the switch unit 60. Screw onto the main body 14 (spoke core 17). Next, after the convex portions 41a of the bag holder 25 are respectively disposed above the fitting holes 17a of the spoke core metal 17, the convex portions 41a are fitted into the fitting holes 17a. As a result, the airbag module 20 is aligned with a predetermined location of the steering wheel body 14.

  Thus, by positioning the airbag module 20 with respect to the steering wheel main body 14, it is possible to suppress an attachment error of the airbag module 20 as much as possible. For this reason, the dispersion | variation in the width | variety r of the clearance gap 71 formed in the outer periphery of the airbag module 20 is suppressed. That is, only a part of the gap 71 is hardly narrowed or widened. As a result, a gap 71 having a width (1.2 mm) necessary and sufficient to suppress interference between the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60 is formed over the entire outer periphery of the airbag module 20. .

  Subsequently, the airbag module 20 is attached to the steering wheel main body 14 by screwing the connecting plate 48 to the steering wheel main body 14 (spoke part core 17).

Next, the operation of the steering wheel of this embodiment will be described.
As described above, when the switch unit 60 and the airbag module 20 are attached to the steering wheel main body 14, a slight positional deviation (tolerance) may occur at the time of attachment. For this reason, if the positional deviations at the time of mounting the airbag module 20 and the switch unit 60 are accumulated, the width r of the gap 71 may be increased. When the width r of the gap 71 is increased, there is a problem that the appearance of the steering wheel 10 is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment, the first inclined surface 29 extending in the direction away from the design surface 30 toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel main body 14 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the airbag cover 24. One slope 29 is arranged immediately below the opening 73 of the gap 71 (see FIG. 3). That is, the inner back of the gap 71 is blocked by the first slope 29 of the airbag cover 24. For this reason, it becomes difficult for a driver or the like sitting in front of the steering wheel 10 to visually recognize the inner depth of the gap 71. Therefore, even when the width r of the gap 71 is slightly increased, the gap 71 is not conspicuous from above the steering wheel 10. As a result, deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel 10 is suppressed.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the filling member 81 is packed in the gap 82 between the switch unit 60 and the spoke portion 13. Accordingly, the gap member 81 can absorb the variation in the width of the gap 82 caused by the mounting tolerance of the various switch units 60. That is, the gap member 81 is appropriately deformed according to the width of the gap 82 formed on the outer periphery of the various switch units 60, so that the gap 82 is uniformly filled by the gap member 81. For this reason, the gap 82 becomes inconspicuous from above the steering wheel 10, and the deterioration of the appearance is suitably suppressed as described above.

  Further, a normal horn operation in the steering wheel 10 is performed by pressing the airbag cover 24 in the airbag module 20. At that time, the first inclined surface 29 of the airbag cover 24 may move to the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel body 14 along the inclination direction (the first straight line 33 direction) as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. is there. At this time, the entire first slope 29 of the airbag cover 24 moves so as to approach slightly parallel to the second slope 63 of the switch unit 60. Even in such a case, since the gap 71 has a sufficient width r, interference between the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60 is suitably suppressed.

The effects exhibited by the above embodiment will be described below.
In the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment, the first slope 29 of the airbag cover 24 is disposed directly below the opening 73 of the gap 71 formed on the outer periphery of the airbag module 20. For this reason, the inner surface of the gap 71 that is annoying for the driver sitting in front of the steering wheel 10 is blocked by the first slope 29 of the airbag cover 24. This makes it difficult for the driver to visually recognize the interior of the gap 71. Therefore, the gap 71 does not stand out from the steering wheel 10 and the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel can be suppressed.

  The first inclined surface 29 of the airbag cover 24 and the second inclined surface 63 of the switch unit 60 facing each other through the gap 71 are parallel to each other, and the front end (lower end) of the first inclined surface 29 is the first 2 Located below the upper end of the slope 63. For this reason, in the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment, the apparent width of the gap 71 (the airbag cover 24 of the airbag cover 24 is compared with the conventional configuration in which the outer peripheral surface of the airbag cover 24 extends perpendicularly to the design surface. The width in the horizontal direction between the outer peripheral surface and the side surface on the side of the steering wheel main body 14 facing the outer peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the interval q) can be reduced. That is, in the present embodiment, the apparent width of the gap 71 necessary for suppressing interference between the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60 is narrowed compared to the conventional configuration. The gap 71 is hardly noticeable from the driver who is seated. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel 10.

  When attaching the airbag module 20 to the steering wheel main body 14, the airbag module 20 first fits the convex portion 41 a into the fitting hole 17 a of the steering wheel main body 14 so that the steering wheel main body 14 is attached to the steering wheel main body 14. Are aligned. By this alignment, the airbag module 20 can be disposed at an optimum location where the variation in the width r of the gap 71 is suppressed as much as possible. Therefore, a necessary and sufficient width can be secured over the entire outer periphery of the airbag module 20 in order to suppress interference between the airbag cover 24 and the switch unit 60.

  A gap member 81 is packed in the gap 82 formed between the side surface 61 a of the switch unit 60 and the spoke portion 13. The gap member 81 suitably absorbs the variation in the width of the gap 82 caused by the mounting tolerance of the switch unit 60 and makes the gap 82 inconspicuous on the steering wheel 10. Disappear. Therefore, it is possible to more suitably suppress the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel 10.

  A protrusion 69 of the switch unit 60 is disposed above the padding member 81. Since a part of the upper end portion of the padding member 81 is pressed from above by the protruding portion 69, the entire upper end portion of the padding member 81 is not exposed to the outside. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to favorably suppress the appearance of the steering wheel from being lowered as compared with the configuration in which the entire upper end portion of the padding member 81 is exposed to the outside.

In addition, this embodiment can also be changed and embodied as follows.
-The padding member 81 may be omitted. When configured in this manner, the configuration of the steering wheel 10 can be simplified.

  -You may change the structure of the alignment means between the airbag module 20 and the steering wheel main body 14 as follows. That is, it is good also as a structure which provides the convex part which protrudes toward the said fitting hole in the spoke part core metal 17 while providing a fitting hole in the bottom part 41 of the bag holder 25. FIG.

  In the present embodiment, in order to align the airbag module 20 with respect to all (four) spoke part cores 17, the bag holder 25 is provided with four convex parts 41a. The number is not limited to this. That is, the airbag module 20 may be aligned with at least one spoke core metal 17, and the number of the convex portions 41a may be at least one.

  A positioning unit may be provided between the airbag module 20 and the lower end of the switch unit 60. That is, a convex portion or a fitting hole similar to that of the present embodiment is provided at the lower end portion of the switch unit 60. The airbag module 20 is aligned with the steering wheel main body 14 via the switch unit 60. In this case, the airbag module 20 is aligned at a position closer to the location where the gap 71 is formed. For this reason, the airbag module 20 can be arrange | positioned in the optimal location where the dispersion | variation in the width | variety r of the clearance gap 71 is suppressed more suitably.

If the variation in the width r of the gap 71 provided around the airbag module 20 is allowed to some extent, the alignment means may be omitted.
-The switch unit 60 may be omitted. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner end surface 13a of the spoke portion 13 of the steering wheel body 14 (the portion facing the first inclined surface 29 of the airbag cover 24 via the gap 71) is the same as that of the present embodiment. A configuration in which two slopes 63 are provided is preferable.

  -The formation part of the protrusion part 69 of the switch unit 60 is not specifically limited. That is, as long as it is possible to conceal the upper end portion of the padding member 81 by the protruding portion 69, the protruding portion 69 may be provided at the center portion of the side surface 61 b of the outer body 61.

-The protrusion 69 may be omitted. When configured in this manner, the shape of the outer body 61 can be simplified.
In the present embodiment, the switch unit 60 is attached to the steering wheel main body 14 in a state in which the padding member 81 is bonded to the side surface 61a of the switch unit 60 in advance, but this may be changed as follows. That is, the switch unit 60 may be first attached to the steering wheel main body 14, and then the gap member 81 may be packed in the gap 82. Alternatively, the padding member 81 may be first attached to the inner end surface 13a of the spoke portion 13, and then the switch unit 60 may be attached to the steering wheel main body 14. In the former case, the protrusion 69 of the switch unit 60 is omitted.

  When the synthetic leather is attached to the surfaces of the rim portion 11 and the spoke portion 13 of the steering wheel main body 14, the upper end portion of the padding member 81 may be covered with this synthetic leather. In this case, since the padding member 81 is concealed by the synthetic leather, it is possible to more suitably suppress the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel.

Further, the technical idea that can be grasped from the embodiment will be described below.
The steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein a protrusion that protrudes toward an outer peripheral side of the steering wheel body is formed on a side surface of the switch unit that faces the steering wheel body. According to this configuration, it is possible to more suitably suppress the deterioration of the appearance of the steering wheel.

Sectional drawing which shows the steering wheel of this embodiment. The half sectional view which shows the steering wheel. Schematic which shows the outer peripheral surface of the airbag cover of this embodiment. The partial expanded sectional view which shows the steering wheel main body of another example. The half sectional view which shows the conventional steering wheel.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Steering wheel, 14 ... Steering wheel main body, 17a ... Fitting hole as a recessed part which comprises a positioning means, 20 ... Airbag module, 29 ... 1st slope as outer peripheral surface of an airbag module, 41a ... Positioning Protrusions constituting means, 50... Horn switch mechanism, 60... Switch unit, 63... Second slope as an opposing surface on the steering wheel main body side, 71.

Claims (6)

A steering wheel main body, an airbag module provided so as to be swingable with respect to the steering wheel main body, and a horn switch mechanism that operates based on the swing of the airbag module; and an outer peripheral surface of the airbag module; In the steering wheel in which a gap for allowing the air bag module to swing is formed between the opposing surface on the steering wheel main body side facing the outer peripheral surface,
The outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the steering wheel main body side facing each other through the gap gradually move away from the surface on the driver side in the airbag module toward the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel main body. A steering wheel characterized by a slope extending toward the front. 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the airbag module and the opposing surface on the side of the steering wheel body facing each other through the gap are slopes parallel to each other. The facing surface on the steering wheel main body side is configured by a side surface of a switch unit provided on the steering wheel main body between the steering wheel main body and the airbag module. The steering wheel according to claim 2. 4. An alignment means for aligning the airbag module with respect to the steering wheel main body is provided between the airbag module and the steering wheel main body. The steering wheel according to one item. The positioning means includes a convex portion protruding from the back surface side of the airbag module, and a concave portion recessed so as to be fitted to the convex portion on the steering wheel main body side. The steering wheel according to claim 4. A gap is formed between the switch unit and the steering wheel body, and a gap filling member is packed in the gap. The described steering wheel.

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