JP2010069936A - Steering wheel with airbag device and method for installing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering wheel with an airbag device capable of improving ease of installation. <P>SOLUTION: In a bag holder 21 serving as a base of the airbag device 20, a mounting hole 21e is provided which allows a lower end of a fixing pin 31 and a coil spring 35 of a horn switch mechanism 15 to be inserted from a pad 24 side toward a steering wheel body side and is used for installing a movable fitting member 32 of the horn switch mechanism 15. Thus, the lower end of the fixing pin 31 and the coil spring 35 of the horn switch mechanism 15 is inserted into the mounting hole 21e of the bag holder 21 and the movable fitting member 32 of the switch mechanism 15 is installed. Besides, an airbag 22 (a ring retainer 25) and the pad 24 are installed on the bag holder 21 in the same installing direction as the horn switch mechanism 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel with an airbag device provided with an airbag device for protecting the head of an occupant seated in a driver's seat of a vehicle and the vicinity thereof, and an assembling method thereof.

As a steering wheel with an airbag device, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a steering wheel body that is fixed to a steering shaft and in which an airbag device is assembled with a horn switch mechanism is proposed. ing. In the airbag device, an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag are assembled to a bag holder serving as a base, and a pad is also assembled to the bag holder so as to cover the airbag. One end of a horn switch mechanism is assembled to such a bag holder, the other end of the horn switch mechanism is assembled to a horn plate, and the horn plate is assembled to the steering wheel body.
JP 2004-284414 A

  By the way, about the structure of the horn switch mechanism of the said patent document 1, the coil spring unit is arrange | positioned between a bag holder and a horn plate, the volt | bolt is inserted from the opposing side with the steering wheel main body of a horn plate, and the front-end | tip part is The coil spring unit is inserted and screwed onto the mounting seat of the bag holder, the base end is fixed to the horn plate, and the horn switch mechanism is assembled to the bag holder and the horn plate. On the other hand, an airbag and a pad are assembled on the side of the bag holder opposite to the horn switch mechanism. For this reason, in the airbag device of Patent Document 1, other members are assembled following the bolt assembly direction of the horn switch mechanism.

  That is, since the pad is the lowermost side when viewed from the bolt assembly direction, the pad is first supported so that the back side (airbag housing side and anti-design side) faces upward, and then the airbag. Is accommodated in the pad while the bag holder is assembled to the pad. When the horn switch mechanism and the horn plate are assembled to the bag holder, the coil spring unit is arranged between the bag holder and the horn plate as described above, the bolt is inserted from the horn plate, and the tip is a coil spring. The unit is inserted and screwed to the mounting seat of the bag holder, and the base end is fixed to the horn plate.

  However, in the assembly performed by supporting such a pad, if the shape of the pad is different, it is necessary to change the support mode. In the first place, the pad has a design surface, and for example, the shape of each pad varies. Therefore, since it is necessary to prepare various pad support modes in assembling the airbag device, this is complicated, and there is room for improvement in improving the assembling property.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel with an airbag device and an assembling method thereof that can improve the assembling property.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a steering wheel with an airbag device in which an airbag device is assembled by interposing a horn switch mechanism on a steering wheel main body. The bag holder as a base is constructed by assembling an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag and a pad for covering the airbag, and the horn switch mechanism includes the steering wheel body. A supporting member having an assembling portion assembled to the movable member, a movable mounting member that is mounted on the supporting member so as to be displaceable and is assembled to the bag holder, and a portion that is locked to the movable mounting member and is relatively displaced from the mounting member. The airbag through the movable mounting member with an urging force applied therebetween And a biasing member that holds the switch contact portions provided in the horn switch mechanism in a non-contact manner. The bag holder includes a set of support members for the horn switch mechanism. The attaching portion and the urging member can be inserted from the pad side toward the steering wheel main body side, and an attachment hole for assembling the movable attachment member of the horn switch mechanism is provided, and the movable hole is provided in the attachment hole. The gist is that the support member of the horn switch mechanism to which the mounting member is assembled is assembled to the steering wheel body at the assembly portion.

  In this invention, the bag holder serving as the base of the airbag apparatus can be inserted with the assembly portion and the urging member of the support member of the horn switch mechanism from the pad side toward the steering wheel body side, and the horn switch mechanism A mounting hole for assembling the movable mounting member is provided. That is, it becomes possible to assemble the movable mounting member of the switch mechanism by inserting the assembly portion of the support member of the horn switch mechanism and the urging member into the mounting hole of the bag holder, and the same assembly as the horn switch mechanism The airbag and the pad can be assembled to the bag holder in the direction. This makes it possible to assemble the airbag device with reference to a bag holder that is easier to share parts than a pad having a design surface, so that the support mode of the bag holder can be shared and the assembleability is improved. It becomes.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the steering wheel with an airbag device according to the first aspect, the horn switch mechanism is configured such that a part of the movable mounting member is formed to have a larger diameter than the mounting hole. The gist of the present invention is to have a structure for preventing the attachment hole from coming off from the mounting hole from the side toward the steering wheel body.

  In this invention, the horn switch mechanism has a part of the movable mounting member assembled to the attachment hole of the bag holder having a larger diameter than the attachment hole, and the attachment hole from the pad side toward the steering wheel main body side. It is prevented from coming off. This reliably prevents the horn switch mechanism from falling off or the bag holder side from falling off the horn switch mechanism.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the steering wheel with an airbag device according to the first or second aspect, the movable mounting member of the horn switch mechanism has a locking portion that is locked to a peripheral edge of the mounting hole. The gist is that the bag holder is assembled with a fit structure.

  In this invention, the movable mounting member of the horn switch mechanism is assembled to the bag holder with a snap-fit structure having a locking portion that locks to the periphery of the mounting hole. Thereby, the assembly | attachment to the bag holder of a horn switch mechanism becomes easy.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the urging member is a coil spring, and the movable member is inserted into the support member and moved. The gist is to be held by the mounting member.

  In the present invention, a coil spring, which is an urging member, is inserted into the support member and held by the movable mounting member, so that the horn switch mechanism is configured. Accordingly, the horn switch mechanism can be reduced in size by inserting the coil spring into the support member, and the horn switch mechanism can be easily handled as the coil spring is held by the movable mounting member.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the pad is attached to the pad when the airbag device is assembled to the steering wheel body. The gist of the present invention is that a switch support that abuts against the switch mechanism is provided to receive an assembly load from the horn switch mechanism.

  In this invention, the pad is provided with a switch support portion that comes into contact with the horn switch mechanism when the airbag device is assembled to the steering wheel body, and receives an assembly load from the horn switch mechanism at the switch support portion. Structured. This prevents the horn switch mechanism from being detached or damaged from the bag holder during assembly.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the method of assembling the steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the horn switch mechanism is attached to the mounting hole of the bag holder. The step of inserting the mounting portion of the support member and the biasing member to assemble the movable mounting member of the switch mechanism, and the airbag and the pad are attached to the bag holder in the same assembly direction as the horn switch mechanism. The gist is to include a process to be assembled.

  In this invention, the mounting portion of the support member of the horn switch mechanism and the biasing member are inserted into the mounting hole of the bag holder so that the movable mounting member of the switch mechanism is assembled, and then the same assembly direction as the horn switch mechanism The airbag and the pad are assembled to the bag holder. In other words, since it is possible to assemble the airbag device on the basis of the bag holder that is easier to share parts than the pad having the design surface, the support mode of the bag holder can be shared, and the assembling property is improved. Become.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the steering wheel with an airbag apparatus which can improve an assembly | attachment property, and its assembly method can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment has an airbag device (airbag module) 20 integrally assembled at the center of a steering wheel main body 11 that a driver grips to steer a vehicle. It is configured. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel body 11 is fixed to a steering shaft (not shown) by a boss portion 12a of the core metal 12, and a mounting portion for mounting the airbag device 20 around the boss portion 12a. 12b is configured. Each mounting portion 12b is provided at a total of three locations, one on each of the left and right sides of the boss portion 12a and one below the boss portion 12a, and each mounting portion 12b is provided with a clip 13. Each mounting portion 12b is mounted with a snap fit structure in which the three horn switch mechanisms 15 shown in FIG. The airbag device 20 is supported with respect to the core metal 12 via the horn switch mechanism 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the airbag device 20 includes a bag holder 21, an airbag 22, an inflator 23, and a pad 24. The bag holder 21 is formed by pressing a metal plate and has a substantially rectangular shape. The peripheral part of the bag holder 21 is configured as a substantially square annular peripheral fixing part 21 a for fixing the pad 24.

  Here, the pad 24 is made of resin molding, and has an outer skin portion 24a whose surface forms a design surface, and an accommodating wall portion 24b that is erected in a substantially square ring shape on the back surface side of the outer skin portion 24a. The storage wall portion 24b forms a bag storage space X mainly composed of the airbag 22 with the inner surface of the outer skin portion 24a surrounded by the storage wall portion 24b and the bag holder 21. A thin-walled portion 24c that is pushed and broken when the airbag 22 is inflated and deployed is formed in a portion of the outer skin portion 24a that forms the accommodation space X.

  The end face of the storage wall 24b is integrally formed with five locking claws 24d having a rectangular plate shape. Specifically, the storage wall 24b has an upper side wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall. Each one is provided and two are provided on the lower side wall. Each locking claw 24d is formed in a wide width of a predetermined length, and a locking projection 24e protruding outward from the outer surface is formed at the tip of each locking claw 24d. In addition, a rectangular plate-shaped caulking piece 24f is integrally formed on each end surface portion of each corner of the accommodation wall portion 24b.

  On the other hand, the bag holder 21 includes a claw locking hole 21b corresponding to each locking claw 24d of the pad 24 at the upper side portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion. One is formed each and two are formed on the lower side. Each claw locking hole 21b has a slit shape long in the side direction of the bag holder 21 corresponding to each wide locking claw 24d, and is formed through the front and back of the bag holder 21. The end portions of the respective locking claws 24d are inserted and locked in the respective claw locking holes 21b. At that time, each locking claw 24d is bent and inserted inward by the amount of the locking projection 24e. After the insertion, the locking claw 24d returns to its shape and the locking projection 24e is locked to the peripheral edge of the claw locking hole 21b. Thus, the locking claw 24d is prevented from coming off in the anti-insertion direction.

  In addition, slit-shaped caulking insertion holes 21c through which the respective caulking pieces 24f are inserted are formed through the respective corners of the bag holder 21. Each caulking piece 24f is inserted into each caulking insertion hole 21c, and so-called thermal caulking is performed in which the tip end portion of the caulking piece 24f is crushed by heating (see FIG. 3). The pad 24 is fixed to the bag holder 21 by the heat caulking of each caulking piece 24f and the locking claws 24d being locked.

  A substantially square pedestal portion 21 f is formed inside a square annular peripheral fixing portion 21 a provided in the bag holder 21. A circular opening 21g is formed at the center of the pedestal 21f, and a total of four screw insertion holes 21h are formed on the diagonal of the square pedestal 21f at the periphery of the opening 21g. ing. A part of the inflator 23 having a columnar shape is inserted into and attached to the pedestal portion 21f.

  The inflator 23 has a flange portion 23a in a cylindrical main body, and four attachment pieces 23b are further extended radially outwardly at an equal angular interval on the flange portion 23a. Each attachment piece 23b has a screw insertion hole 23c corresponding to the screw insertion hole 21h of the bag holder 21. The inflator 23 is configured as a gas ejection portion 23x that ejects an expansion gas on one side from the flange portion 23a. The inflator 23 is inserted into the opening 21g of the bag holder 21 from the opposite side so that the gas ejection portion 23x protrudes toward the bag housing space X, and the flange portion 23a abuts on the peripheral portion of the opening 21g. And attached together with a ring retainer 25 described later.

  The ring retainer 25 has a circular opening 25a equivalent to the opening 21g of the bag holder 21 into which the gas ejection part 23x of the inflator 23 is inserted, and is inserted through each screw insertion hole 21h of the bag holder 21 4 There are two mounting screws 25b. The ring retainer 25 is attached with an opening portion of an airbag 22 that is folded so as to be inflatable and deployable. The ring retainer 25 to which the airbag 22 is attached is inserted into the screw holes 21h and 23c of the bag holder 21 and the inflator 23 from the bag housing space X side, and the attachment screws 25b are inserted into the attachment screws 25b after the insertion. The nut 26 is screwed, and the airbag 22 is fixed to the bag holder 21 via the ring retainer 25. At the same time, the inflator 23 is also fixed to the bag holder 21.

  The bag holder 21 is provided with a pair in the lower side portion and a portion between the claw locking hole 21b and the caulking insertion hole 21c near the upper side portion of the left side portion and the right side portion of the peripheral edge fixing portion 21a. Attachment portions 21d for attaching the horn switch mechanism 15 are formed at intermediate portions between the claw locking holes 21b. A mounting hole 21e for mounting the horn switch mechanism 15 is formed through each mounting portion 21d. The mounting hole 21e is a movable mounting member provided on the upper end side of the fixed pin 31 through which a fixed pin 31 (described later) constituting the horn switch mechanism 15 and a coil spring 35 inserted through the fixed pin 31 can be inserted from the lower end side. 32 is formed in an opening shape to be assembled.

[Configuration of horn switch mechanism]
Three horn switch mechanisms 15 are provided in the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a metal fixed pin 31 as a support member and a movable attachment as an insulating portion. A member 32, a resin cap member 33 assembled to the movable mounting member 32, a contact terminal 34 as a movable contact point provided inside the cap member 33, and a compression coil spring 35 as an urging member It has.

  The fixing pin 31 has a circular cross section over the entire longitudinal direction thereof, and a flange 31a extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the fixing pin 31 is formed at an upper end portion thereof (an end portion on the pad 24 side). Have. Further, a locking groove 31b is formed in the vicinity of the lower end of the fixing pin 31 over the entire outer periphery. The fixing pin 31 is inserted into an insertion hole 12c formed in the mounting portion 12b of the core metal 12 (steering wheel main body 11), and the clip 13 of the mounting portion 12b is locked in the locking groove 31b of the fixing pin 31. (See FIG. 8). That is, the fixing pin 31 has a so-called snap-fit structure that can be fixed to the mounting portion 12b simply by being inserted into the insertion hole 12c up to a predetermined position. The fixing pin 31 is electrically connected to the cored bar 12 in a fixed state to the mounting portion 12b. The snap-fit structure is a fixing structure that is fixed by elastic locking that accompanies insertion. In the steering wheel 10 of the present embodiment, the fixing portion between the fixing pin 31 and the cored bar 12 and a movable mounting member 32 that will be described later. A snap-fit structure is employed for a fixed portion between the bag holder 21 and the bag.

  The movable mounting member 32 is made of a material having characteristics as an insulator (for example, a resin material). The movable mounting member 32 has a cylindrical shape having a stepped shape and is assembled to the fixed pin 31 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. A fitting portion 32 b into which the flange portion 31 a of the fixed pin 31 is fitted is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 32 a through which the fixed pin 31 is inserted in the movable mounting member 32. The fitting portion 32 b is in contact with the lower surface and the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 31 a of the fixing pin 31. In addition, a pair of abutting convex portions 32g and a pair of holding convex portions 32h are formed on the upper end portion of the fitting portion 32b so as to protrude upward. Each contact protrusion 32g is in contact with the inner surface of the cap member 33, and each holding protrusion 32h sandwiches and holds the contact terminal 34 with the cap member 33. Note that the contact protrusions 32g and the holding protrusions 32h are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  The movable mounting member 32 has a spring holding portion 32c for holding the compression coil spring 35 in a state before the horn switch mechanism 15 (fixed pin 31) is assembled to the core metal 12 (see FIGS. 5 and 3). Four (only two are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) are formed at equal intervals in the direction. The spring holding portion 32c extends downward from the fitting portion 32b, and a locking projection 32d protruding toward the cylindrical portion 32a is formed at the lower end of the spring holding portion 32c. A gap is set between the spring holding portion 32c and the cylindrical portion 32a, and the spring holding portion 32c can be bent in a radial direction (a direction orthogonal to the axis of the horn switch mechanism 15).

  When the horn switch mechanism 15 is assembled, the upper end of the compression coil spring 35 is inserted between the cylindrical portion 32a of the movable mounting member 32 and the spring holding portion 32c. At this time, the compression coil spring 35 is locked to the locking projection 32d of the spring holding portion 32c by the elastic return of the spring holding portion 32c, and is thereby held by the movable mounting member 32 ( (See FIG. 5). As described above, the compression coil spring 35 is held by the upper end portion of the compression coil spring 35 being engaged with the engagement protrusion 32d of the spring holding portion 32c before being assembled to the cored bar 12. That is, since the lower end portion side of the compression coil spring 35 is in an open state, the compression coil spring 35 is not required to be temporarily fixed in a compressed state.

  The movable mounting member 32 has four holder locking portions 32e extending downward from the fitting portion 32b (only one is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The holder locking portion 32e is formed at a position slightly displaced in the circumferential direction from the spring holding portion 32c. A gap is set between the holder locking portion 32e and the cylindrical portion 32a, and the spring holding portion 32c can be bent in the radial direction. Each holder locking portion 32e is locked to the lower surface of the bag holder 21 by elastic recovery accompanying insertion of the movable mounting member 32 into the mounting hole 21e (see FIG. 7). A snap fit structure of the movable mounting member 32 to the bag holder 21 is realized by 32e. 7 shows a cross section including the holder locking portion 32e of the horn switch mechanism 15, and FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the contact terminal 34 along the longitudinal direction.

  The cap member 33 is assembled to the fitting portion 32b of the movable mounting member 32 so as to cover the fixed pin 31 and the movable mounting member 32 from above. The cap member 33 has a circular upper bottom portion 33a and a side wall portion 33b extending downward from the periphery of the upper bottom portion 33a. The side wall portion 33b has a pair of elastically deformable hook portions 33c (FIGS. 5 and 5). 6, only one is shown). The hook portion 33 c is locked to the lower surface 32 i (see FIG. 6) of the fitting portion 32 b of the movable mounting member 32, and the upper bottom portion 33 a of the cap member 33 is in contact with the contact convex portion 32 g of the movable mounting member 32. It is in contact. Thereby, the cap member 33 is fixed so as not to move in the vertical direction with respect to the movable mounting member 32.

  A groove 33d for aligning the direction of the cap member 33 during assembly is formed on the upper surface of the upper bottom 33a, and the hook 33c is located at a position corresponding to each hook 33c in the groove 33d. A molding hole 33e for molding the undercut portion is formed. Each molding hole 33e is closed by a contact convex portion 32g of the movable mounting member 32 that contacts the inner surface of the upper bottom portion 33a of the cap member 33. This prevents foreign matter such as debris from entering the cap member 33 from the molding hole 33e, and as a result, the occurrence of a conduction failure between the fixing pin 31 and the contact terminal 34 is suppressed. .

  In the assembled state of the airbag device 20, the upper surface of the cap member 33 is in contact with the switch support portion 24g of the pad 24 described above (see FIG. 3). Thereby, for example, when the airbag device 20 is struck, the cap member 33 is prevented from being detached from the movable mounting member 32 due to the reaction force.

  The contact terminal 34 is provided inside the cap member 33. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the contact terminal 34 is formed by pressing a metal plate, and has a linear upper portion 34a and side portions 34b extending downward from both ends of the upper portion 34a. And has a substantially U-shaped cross section corresponding to the inner surface shape of the cap member 33. The contact terminal 34 is arranged so that its upper part 34 a is orthogonal to the central axis of the horn switch mechanism 15. Each side portion 34b of the contact terminal 34 is formed with an engagement hole 34e, and an engagement convex portion 33f formed on the inner surface of the cap member 33 is engaged with each engagement hole 34e. Yes. Thereby, the contact terminal 34 is held on the inner peripheral surface of the cap member 33. Three contact protrusions 34 c protruding toward the fixing pin 31 are formed on the upper part 34 a of the contact terminal 34. The three contact projections 34c are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the upper portion 34a, and the middle contact projection 34c is formed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the upper portion 34a.

  Each side part 34b of the contact terminal 34 has a bent part 34d at its lower end. The bent part 34d is bent so as to extend outward from the side part 34b, and is in contact with the upper surface of the bag holder 21 (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the bag holder 21 and the contact terminal 34 are in a conductive state. Note that the angle between the bent portion 34d and the side portion 34b is set to be greater than 90 degrees (95 degrees in the present embodiment) before being assembled to the bag holder 21, and the bag holder in the assembled state. 21 is surely in contact with the upper surface. In the assembled state, the angle formed between the bent portion 34d and the side portion 34b is approximately 90 degrees. On the other hand, a fitting portion 32b of the movable mounting member 32 is interposed between each side portion 34b and the fixed pin 31, and an insulation state between each side portion 34b and the fixed pin 31 is ensured. .

  As described above, in the horn switch mechanism 15 of the present embodiment, the cap member 33 to which the contact terminal 34 is assembled is fixed to the movable mounting member 32, and the fixed pin 31 is assembled to the movable mounting member 32 so that it cannot fall off. It has been. A compression coil spring 35 is held by the spring holding portion 32 c of the movable mounting member 32. In other words, the horn switch mechanism 15 is an ASSY component that is configured by unitizing these single components (the fixed pin 31, the movable mounting member 32, the cap member 33, the contact terminal 34, and the compression coil spring 35) ( (See FIG. 5). Thereby, when the horn switch mechanism 15 is assembled or replaced, the unitized horn switch mechanism 15 can be handled as one aggregate. As described above, the fixed pin 31 is assembled to the movable mounting member 32 so as not to fall off, and the fixed pin 31 is assembled to the bag holder 21 via the movable mounting member 32, so that the bag holder 21 (air The bag device 20) is prevented from being detached from the fixing pin 31.

  The horn switch mechanism 15 having such a configuration is unitized and then inserted into each attachment hole 21e of the bag holder 21 and fixed. The attachment hole 21 e of the bag holder 21 has a circular shape corresponding to the cylindrical portion 32 a of the movable mounting member 32. In the mounting hole 21e, four concave portions 21i (see FIG. 4) extending radially outward are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a spring holding portion 32c of the movable mounting member 32 is disposed in each concave portion 21i. The recess 21i of the mounting hole 21e serves as a positioning in the circumferential direction when the movable mounting member 32 is inserted into the mounting hole 21e.

  As the movable mounting member 32 is inserted into the mounting hole 21e, the holder locking portion 32e is locked to the lower surface of the bag holder 21, as shown in FIG. Further, the upper surface side of the bag holder 21 is in contact with the lower end portion of the side wall portion 33 b of the cap member 33 and the lower end portion of the hook portion 33 c of the cap member 33. That is, the horn switch mechanism 15 is configured such that the bag holder 21 is sandwiched between each holder locking portion 32e and the cap member 33. With such a configuration, the movable mounting member 32, the cap member 33, and the contact terminal 34 of the horn switch mechanism 15 can move together with the bag holder 21. Note that the movable mounting member 32, the cap member 33, and the contact terminal 34 of the horn switch mechanism 15 are movable relative to the fixed pin 31. In addition, the diameter of the mounting hole 21e is formed smaller than the diameter of the flange 31a of the fixing pin 31, thereby preventing the fixing pin 31 from coming out of the mounting hole 21e.

  In each horn switch mechanism 15 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the compression coil spring 35 and the spring 35 are attached to the airbag device 20 before the airbag device 20 is assembled to the core metal 12 of the steering wheel body 11. The inserted fixing pin 31 protrudes in a direction away from the pad 24 from the bag holder 21. And the airbag apparatus 20 is assembled | attached with respect to the metal core 12 by inserting each fixing pin 31 in the insertion hole 12c (refer FIG. 2) of each installation part 12b of the metal core 12, and fixing to this each installation part 12b. It is supposed to be. That is, the fixing pin 31 of each horn switch mechanism 15 fixed to the core metal 12 can advance and retract the airbag device 20 (bag holder 21) with respect to the core metal 12 via the movable mounting member 32 (that is, It is supported so that it can approach or separate from the core 12.

  In addition, in the state before the assembly of the airbag device 20, the tip 31 c of each fixing pin 31 protrudes from the lower end portion (the end portion on the side away from the bag holder 21) of the compression coil spring 35. As a result, when the airbag device 20 is assembled to the cored bar 12, positioning can be performed by slightly fitting the tips 31 c of the fixing pins 31 into the insertion holes 12 c of the cored bar 12.

  Further, as the fixing pin 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 12c, the lower end portion of the compression coil spring 35 comes into contact with the core metal 12 (mounting portion 12b), and the compression coil spring 35 is movablely mounted by fixing the fixing pin 31. It is held in a compressed state between the member 32 and the cored bar 12. In addition, this compression state means the compression in the state which can accept | permit the movement to the metal core 12 side of the airbag apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. That is, the compression coil spring 35 is configured such that the airbag device 20 is pushed toward the core metal 12 from the state in which the contact terminal 34 is separated from the fixed pin 31 (the horn switch mechanism 15 is turned off), and the contact terminal 34 is fixed to the fixed pin 31. The compression is performed in a state in which the horn stroke is maintained until it comes into contact with 31 (the horn switch mechanism 15 is on). In this assembled state (see FIG. 8), the upper end portion of the compression coil spring 35 is in contact with a step portion 32f formed in the cylindrical portion 32a of the movable mounting member 32, and the compression coil spring 35 is moved to the movable mounting member. 32 is urged away from the cored bar 12. That is, the compression coil spring 35 supports the entire airbag device 20 through the movable mounting member 32 so that the contact terminal 34 and the fixed pin 31 are not in contact with each other.

  In the airbag apparatus 20 as described above, when the airbag apparatus 20 is tilted (depressed) with respect to the steering wheel body 11, the movable mounting member 32 of at least one horn switch mechanism 15 is compressed via the bag holder 21. It is pressed against the urging force of the spring 35 and moves to the core 12 side (downward in FIG. 8). At this time, the cap member 33 also moves to the core metal 12 side together with the bag holder 21 and the movable mounting member 32, and at least one of the three contact convex portions 34 c of the contact terminal 34 contacts the upper end surface of the fixing pin 31. Thereby, the metal core 12 connected to the ground GND (body ground) and the bag holder 21 are electrically connected via the fixing pin 31 and the contact terminal 34, and the vehicle horn device is electrically connected to the bag holder 21. 40 (horn) is activated. That is, in the horn switch mechanism 15 of the present embodiment, the fixed pin 31 that supports the airbag device 20 also serves as a fixed contact that contacts the contact terminal 34 as a movable contact. Thereby, compared with the structure in which the member for supporting the airbag apparatus 20 and the contact member on the stationary side of the horn switch mechanism 15 exist separately, the number of parts is reduced.

  The contact terminal 34 of the horn switch mechanism 15 is desirably provided so that the three contact convex portions 34c are arranged in the radial direction (on the radiation) of the steering wheel 10. According to such a configuration, the contact terminal 34 is provided. It is possible to contribute to the improvement of conduction reliability between the upper end surface of the fixing pin 31 and the fixing pin 31. In the present embodiment, three horn switch mechanisms 15 are provided, and the distance from each horn switch mechanism 15 to the center of the steering wheel 10 is set to be substantially equal to each other. It is possible to contribute to the improvement of the reliability of conduction with the upper end surface.

  When assembling the airbag device 20 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the bag holder 21 is arranged so that the surface on the side where the pad 24 is assembled faces upward, and the bag holder 21 is in contact with the bag holder 21. Then, each member (each horn switch mechanism 15, ring retainer 25, airbag 22 and pad 24) is assembled from above. Specifically, the bag holder 21 is supported by support means (not shown), and the fixing pin 31 and the coil spring 35 of the horn switch mechanism 15 are inserted into the mounting hole 21e of the bag holder 21 from the lower end side thereof. Fifteen movable mounting members 32 are assembled by snap fit. Next, the airbag 22 (ring retainer 25) and the pad 24 are assembled to the bag holder 21 in the same assembly direction as the horn switch mechanism 15. After that, the integrated part is turned over, and the inflator 23 is assembled to the bag holder 21.

Next, characteristic effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) In this embodiment, the bag holder 21 serving as the base of the airbag device 20 is provided with the lower end side of the fixing pin 31 of the horn switch mechanism 15 (the portion including the locking groove 31b) and the coil spring 35 on the pad 24 side. A mounting hole 21e for assembling the movable mounting member 32 of the horn switch mechanism 15 can be inserted through the steering wheel main body 11 (core metal 12). That is, the movable mounting member 32 of the switch mechanism 15 is assembled by inserting the lower end side of the fixing pin 31 of the horn switch mechanism 15 and the coil spring 35 into the mounting hole 21e of the bag holder 21, and the horn switch mechanism 15 The airbag 22 (ring retainer 25) and the pad 24 are assembled to the bag holder 21 in the same assembly direction. As a result, since the airbag device 20 can be assembled on the basis of the bag holder 21 that makes it easier to share parts than the pad 24 having a design surface, the support means for the bag holder 21 can be shared, and the assembly is easy. Can be improved.

  (2) In this embodiment, the horn switch mechanism 15 includes the fitting portion 32b of the movable attachment member 32 assembled to the attachment hole 21e of the bag holder 21 and the cap member 33 attached to the fitting portion 32b. It is formed with a larger diameter than the mounting hole 21e, and is prevented from coming off from the mounting hole 21e from the pad 24 side toward the steering wheel body 11 side. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the horn switch mechanism 15 from falling off or the bag holder 21 side from dropping from the horn switch mechanism 15. Further, the flange portion 31a of the fixed pin 31 made of a rigid body located inside the movable mounting member 32 has a larger diameter than the mounting hole 21e, thereby providing a more reliable prevention structure.

  (3) In this embodiment, the movable mounting member 32 of the horn switch mechanism 15 is assembled to the bag holder 21 with a snap-fit structure having a holder locking portion 32e that locks to the periphery of the mounting hole 21e. Thereby, the assembly | attachment to the bag holder 21 of the horn switch mechanism 15 is easy.

  (4) In the present embodiment, the horn switch mechanism 15 is configured such that the coil spring 35 is inserted through the fixed pin 31 and is held by the spring holding portion 32 c of the movable mounting member 32. Thereby, the horn switch mechanism 15 can be reduced in size by inserting the coil spring 35 into the fixing pin 31, and the horn switch mechanism 15 can be easily handled as a single unit by being held by the movable mounting member 32. is there.

  (5) In the present embodiment, the pad 24 is provided with a switch support portion 24g that comes into contact with the horn switch mechanism 15 when the airbag device 20 is assembled to the steering wheel body 11, and the switch support portion 24g Thus, the assembly load from the horn switch mechanism 15 is received. As a result, it is possible to prevent the horn switch mechanism 15 from being detached or damaged from the bag holder 21 during assembly.

In addition, you may change embodiment of this invention as follows.
-You may change suitably the structure of the horn switch mechanism 15 of the said embodiment. For example, although one end of the coil spring 35 is locked to the movable mounting member 32 and the other end is locked to the bag holder 21, the other end may be locked to the fixing pin 31.

  Further, one end of the coil spring 35 is engaged with the movable mounting member 32 on the lower surface (surface on the core metal 12 side) side of the bag holder 21, but one end of the coil spring 35 is being inserted through the mounting hole 21 e of the bag holder 21. Alternatively, the movable mounting member 32 may be locked on the upper surface of the bag holder 21 after insertion. In this way, the gap between the bag holder 21, that is, the airbag device 20 and the steering wheel body 11 can be narrowed, and the amount of displacement of the bag holder 21 in the plane direction caused by the fall of the coil spring 35 can be reduced. The horn operability by pressing the airbag device 20 can be improved.

  The horn switch mechanism 15 has a structure (so-called snap-fit structure) that can be fixed to the bag holder 21 simply by inserting the movable mounting member 32 into the mounting hole 21e, but is not particularly limited thereto. . For example, an extending portion extending in the radial direction from the tubular portion 32 a is formed in the movable mounting member 32 of the horn switch mechanism 15, and a recess corresponding to the extending portion of the movable mounting member 32 is formed in the mounting hole 21 e of the bag holder 21. Form. Then, after the horn switch mechanism 15 is inserted into the mounting hole 21e with the extension portion aligned with the recess, the horn switch mechanism 15 is rotated so that the extension portion is placed on the lower surface of the bag holder 21 (the surface on the core metal 12 side). It is good also as a structure to engage.

In the above embodiment, three horn switch mechanisms 15 are used. However, the number is not limited to this, and one, two, or four or more horn switch mechanisms 15 may be used.
-You may change suitably the structure of the bag holder 21 of the said embodiment. For example, the claw locking hole 21b for assembling the pad 24 is configured in a hole shape, but may be configured other than the hole such as a protrusion. Moreover, you may change suitably arrangement | positioning of the nail | claw latching hole 21b, the attachment hole 21e, etc.

  In the above embodiment, the bag holder 21 manufactured by press working is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a bag holder 21 manufactured by other than press working such as die casting may be used.

It is a front view of the steering wheel in this embodiment. It is a front view which shows a part of steering wheel main body. It is a perspective view from the back side of an airbag apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view from the back side of an airbag apparatus. It is a perspective view of a horn switch mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view of a horn switch mechanism. It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the horn switch mechanism of an assembly | attachment state. It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the horn switch mechanism of an assembly | attachment state.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Steering wheel, 11 ... Steering wheel main body, 15 ... Horn switch mechanism, 20 ... Air bag apparatus, 21 ... Bag holder, 21e ... Mounting hole, 22 ... Air bag, 23 ... Inflator, 24 ... Pad, 24g ... Switch support 31, fixing pin (support member, switch contact part), 31 b, locking groove (assembly part) 32, movable mounting member, 32 e, holder locking part (locking part), 34, contact terminal (switch contact) Part), 35 ... coil spring (biasing member).

Claims (6)

In a steering wheel with an airbag device in which an airbag device is assembled by interposing a horn switch mechanism in the steering wheel body,
The airbag device is configured by assembling an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag and a pad covering the airbag to a bag holder serving as a base,
The horn switch mechanism includes a support member having an assembly part assembled to the steering wheel body, a movable attachment member that is displaceably attached to the support member and assembled to the bag holder, and is locked to the movable attachment member. A biasing force is applied between the mounting member and a portion that is relatively displaced to hold the position of the airbag device via the movable mounting member and to hold the switch contact portion provided in the horn switch mechanism in a non-contact manner. And an urging member that comprises:
The bag holder can be inserted with the assembly portion and the urging member of the support member of the horn switch mechanism from the pad side toward the steering wheel body side, and the movable mounting member of the horn switch mechanism is assembled. And a support member of the horn switch mechanism in which the movable mounting member is assembled to the mounting hole and is assembled to the steering wheel body at the assembly portion. Steering wheel with bag device. In the steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 1,
The horn switch mechanism has a structure in which a part of the movable mounting member is formed to have a larger diameter than the mounting hole, and has a structure that prevents the mounting hole from coming off from the pad side toward the steering wheel main body side. A steering wheel with an air bag device. In the steering wheel with an airbag device according to claim 1 or 2,
A steering wheel with an airbag device, wherein the movable mounting member of the horn switch mechanism is assembled to the bag holder in a snap-fit structure having a locking portion that locks to the periphery of the mounting hole. . In the steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The steering wheel with an airbag device, wherein the biasing member is a coil spring and is inserted into the support member and held by the movable mounting member. In the steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The pad is provided with a switch support portion that comes into contact with the switch mechanism to receive an assembly load from the horn switch mechanism when the airbag device is assembled to the steering wheel body. Steering wheel with airbag device. A method for assembling a steering wheel with an airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A step in which the mounting portion of the support member of the horn switch mechanism and the biasing member are inserted into the mounting hole of the bag holder and the movable mounting member of the switch mechanism is assembled;
A method of assembling a steering wheel with an airbag device, comprising the step of assembling the airbag and the pad to the bag holder in the same assembly direction as the horn switch mechanism.

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