JP2015020455A - Steering wheel provided with air bag device for driver seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steering wheel mounted with an air bag device for a driver seat by a snap lock mechanism, capable of extremely easily releasing lock of the snap lock mechanism and having excellent appearance of a lower cover.SOLUTION: An air bag device 20 is installed to a hub part 2 by inserting a fitting leg 26 of the air bag device 20 to a long hole 30 of the hub part 2 and engaging a side rod part 31b of an engaging spring 31 with a groove 26a. The air bag device 20 can be detached by inserting a tool 40 along a guide 37 from an insertion port 36 provided in an opposite-crew member surface of a lower cover 5, and moving the side rod part 31b to an unlock direction by rotating the tool 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel to which a driver's seat airbag device is attached by a snap lock mechanism, and more particularly to a steering wheel in which the driver's seat airbag device can be easily removed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-122867 describes an installation structure for a driver's seat airbag device that can attach the driver's seat airbag device to a steering wheel via a snap lock mechanism.

  In Patent Document 1, the snap lock mechanism crosses the hook portion provided on the back surface of the retainer of the airbag device for the driver's seat, the hook portion insertion hole provided in the base plate on the steering wheel side, and the hook portion insertion hole. And a locking spring that engages with the hook portion. When removing the driver's seat airbag device from the steering wheel, the locking spring is pressed toward the center of the steering wheel by a pressing tool to be separated from the hook portion. When the locking spring moves to the locking release position, the locking spring engages with the protrusion protruding from the back surface of the base plate, and the locking spring is held at the locking release position.

  In patent document 1, the guide part which guides a press tool to the contact location with a latching spring is provided in the hub part of the steering wheel.

JP 2010-1116060 A

  A lower cover is provided on the lower surface side of the steering wheel so as to surround the steering wheel hub. In Patent Document 1, since the pressing tool is guided from the side of the hub portion through the guide portion, openings (tool insertion ports) are provided in the left and right side walls of the lower cover. When the left and right openings of the lower cover are enlarged, the appearance of the lower cover is deteriorated. If the opening is made smaller, it becomes difficult to insert a tool into the opening, and it is not easy to guide the tool inserted into the opening to the guide portion, and it takes time to remove the driver seat airbag device.

  The present invention provides a driver-seat airbag apparatus in which a snap-lock mechanism can be unlocked very easily and a lower cover has a good appearance in a steering wheel to which a driver-seat airbag apparatus is attached by a snap-lock mechanism. The object is to provide a steering wheel with a handle.

  The steering wheel of the present invention is a steering wheel in which a driver's seat airbag device is attached to a hub portion by a snap lock mechanism, and a lower cover that covers a side opposite to the occupant of the hub portion is provided. In the steering wheel provided with the insertion port for inserting the unlocking tool of the snap lock mechanism, the insertion port is provided on the non-occupant surface of the lower cover, and the tip of the tool is connected to the insertion port. To the snap lock mechanism is provided.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the snap lock mechanism includes a long hole provided in the hub portion, a locking spring provided along an occupant surface of the hub portion and crossing the long hole, and the airbag. A mounting leg provided in the device and inserted into the elongated hole; and a groove provided in the mounting leg and engaged with the locking spring; and the guide has an edge of the insertion port. The tip of the guide faces the slot.

  It is preferable that the guide has a shape in which the insertion port side is wide and the tip side is narrower.

  In the steering wheel of the present invention, since the insertion port for inserting the unlocking tool is provided on the non-occupant surface of the lower cover, it is not conspicuous and the appearance of the lower cover is good. In addition, since a guide is provided to guide the tip of the tool from this insertion port to the snap lock mechanism, the tip of the tool can be easily inserted into the snap lock mechanism, and the lock by the snap lock mechanism is released to release the airbag device. It can be removed from the hub.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the airbag device is locked to the hub portion by the engagement spring of the snap lock mechanism engaging the groove of the mounting leg of the airbag device. In this aspect, the lock is released by inserting the tool from the insertion port, engaging the locking spring, and retracting the tool from the groove.

  In this case, it becomes easy to insert the tool into the insertion port by making the guide wider in the insertion port side and narrower in the tip side. Further, when the lower cover is manufactured by injection molding of a synthetic resin, the lower cover can be easily removed from the mold.

It is a perspective view which shows the state before mounting | wearing with the airbag apparatus for driver's seats of the steering wheel which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1 when a driver airbag device is attached to a steering wheel. (A) The figure is sectional drawing of the steering wheel which attached the airbag apparatus for driver's seats, (b) A figure is a partial enlarged view of (a) figure. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line | wire of FIG. 1 of the steering wheel explaining the removal method of the airbag apparatus for driver's seats. It is the VV sectional view taken on the line of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the left-right direction of the steering wheel corresponds to the left-right direction of the vehicle body in a state where the steering wheel is in a steering posture when the vehicle is traveling straight.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 1 is a so-called three-spoke type in this embodiment, and the spoke portions 1L, 1R, and 1D extend from the central steering hub portion 2 to the left, right, and lower three directions, respectively. The front ends of the spoke portions 1L, 1R, and 1D are connected to the wheel portion 1W on the outer periphery of the steering wheel 1, respectively. In addition, the number and arrangement | positioning of the spoke part provided in the steering wheel 1 are not limited to this. A boss portion 2a at the center of the steering hub portion 2 engages with a tip end of a steering shaft (not shown) of the vehicle. A lower cover 5 is mounted so as to cover the steering hub portion 2 from the side opposite to the passenger.

  As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the airbag device 20 includes an airbag 21, an inflator 22 for inflating the airbag 21, a retainer 25 to which the airbag 21 and the inflator 22 are attached, And a module cover 23 mounted on the occupant side of the retainer 25 so as to cover the folded body. The airbag 21 and the inflator 22 are attached to the retainer 25 by an attachment ring 24 and a bolt (not shown). The airbag 21 is folded into a predetermined shape.

  The module cover 23 includes a main surface portion 23a that covers the occupant side of the folded body of the airbag 21, and leg-like walls 23b that are erected from the main surface portion 23a to the occupant side. The main surface portion 23a overlaps the folded body of the airbag 21 in a close contact manner. The leg-shaped wall 23 b has a frame shape surrounding the folded body of the airbag 21. The leg-shaped wall 23b is attached to the retainer 25 by rivets or hook pieces (both not shown) provided on the retainer 25.

  A cylindrical mounting leg 26 projects from the retainer 25 on the side opposite to the occupant. The tip end side of the mounting leg 26 is tapered. A groove 26 a is provided around the outer peripheral surface near the tip of the mounting leg 26. This attachment leg 26 is detachably attached to the hub portion 2 via a snap lock mechanism. Next, the configuration of this snap lock mechanism will be described.

  The hub portion 2 is provided with long holes (slots) 30 into which the mounting legs 26 are inserted on the left and right sides of the boss portion 2a. The long hole extends in the left-right direction. The short width of the long hole 30 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the mounting leg 26. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner peripheral edges of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the long hole 30 have a semicircular arc shape.

  A locking spring 31 constituting a snap lock mechanism is disposed along the surface on the passenger side of the hub portion 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the locking spring 31 includes a horizontal bar portion 31 a that extends between the boss portion 2 a and the upper side of the hub portion 2, and is bent substantially at right angles from the left and right ends of the horizontal bar portion. 1 has a side bar portion 31b extending downward in FIG. 1 and a J-shaped curved portion 31c provided at the tip of the side bar portion 31b.

  The side bar portion 31b crosses the vicinity of the middle of the long hole 30 in the longitudinal direction in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The side bar portion 31 b is held by the hub portion 2 by passing through the tunnel-like locking spring holding portion 32. The hub portion 2 is provided with an opening 35 (FIGS. 4 and 5) facing the locking spring holding portion 32.

  The left and right curved portions 31c of the locking spring 31 are engaged with the pins 33 (FIG. 1) of the hub portion 2, respectively. The distal end side of the bending portion 31 c is bent into an approximately L shape, and this L shape portion is pressed against the pin 33. The side bar portion 31 b of the locking spring 31 is pressed against the inner surface of the tunnel-shaped locking spring holding portion 32 opposite to the boss portion 2 a by obtaining a reaction force on the pin 33.

  The airbag device 20 is attached to the hub portion 2 by inserting the tip of the attachment leg 26 into the long hole 30 as shown in FIG. When the tip of the mounting leg 26 begins to be inserted into the long hole 30, the mounting leg 26 enters the long hole 30 while the tapered portion of the mounting leg 26 pushes the side bar portion 31 b of the locking spring 31 leftward in FIG. 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the side bar portion 31b enters the groove 26a. As a result, the mounting legs 26 are locked, and the airbag device 20 is fixed to the hub portion 2. In order to release the locked state and remove the airbag device 20 from the hub portion 2, the side bar portion 31b is moved by the tool 40 in the W direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an insertion port 36 for inserting the tool 40 into the side bar portion 31 b is provided on the side opposite to the occupant of the lower cover 5. In addition, the lower cover 5 is provided with a guide 37 for guiding the tip of the tool 5 from the insertion port 36 to the side bar portion 31 b closest to the opening 35. In this embodiment, the insertion port 36 is composed of a long hole extending in the radial direction of the lower cover 5. The guide 37 rises from the edge of the insertion port 36 toward the opening 35 of the hub portion 2. The guide 37 has a shape that becomes narrower as it approaches the opening 35, and the tip in the rising direction enters the opening 35. The opening at the tip of the guide 37 faces the side bar portion 31b and the inner edge 35a of the opening 35 in the anti-W direction.

  The tool 40 has a minus driver shape. When the tool 40 is inserted deeply from the insertion port 36, the tip is guided by the guide 37 and is inserted between the side bar portion 31 b and the inner edge 35 a of the opening 35 in the anti-W direction. Therefore, when the tool 40 is turned or pushed toward the boss 2a, the side bar 31b is pushed and moved in the W direction (unlock direction) in FIG. To do. Therefore, when the airbag device 20 is pulled in the occupant direction, the attachment leg 26 comes out of the long hole 30 and the airbag device 20 is removed from the steering wheel 1.

  In this embodiment, since the insertion port 36 is provided on the non-occupant surface of the lower cover 5, it is not conspicuous and the appearance of the lower cover 5 is good. In addition, since the guide 37 for guiding the tip of the tool 40 from the insertion port 36 to between the side bar 31b and the opening inner edge 35a is provided, the tip of the tool 40 can be easily moved to the side bar 31b and the opening inner edge. The airbag device 20 can be removed by inserting the side bar portion 31b in the unlocking direction.

  In this embodiment, the insertion port 36 is a long hole, and the guide 37 extends away from the steering column as shown in FIG. 4 so that the tool 40 is steered as shown in FIG. The steering column can be easily inserted into the insertion port 36 and the guide 37 from an oblique direction with respect to the column axis, and the steering column is not hindered. In this embodiment, since the guide 37 has a shape that widens toward the side opposite to the occupant, when the synthetic resin lower cover 5 is molded with a mold, the mold can be easily removed even if the guide 37 is present.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention may be configured other than illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Steering hub part 5 Lower cover 20 Driver airbag apparatus 21 Air bag 22 Inflator 25 Retainer 26 Mounting leg 30 Long hole 31 Locking spring 31a Horizontal bar part 31b Side bar part 31c Bending part 32 Locking spring holding part 33 pin 35 opening 36 outlet 37 guide

Claims (3)

A driver wheel airbag device is a steering wheel attached to a hub portion by a snap lock mechanism,
A lower cover is provided to cover the non-occupant side of the hub part,
In the steering wheel provided with an insertion port for inserting the unlocking tool of the snap lock mechanism into the lower cover,
The driver's seat is characterized in that the insertion port is provided on the non-occupant surface of the lower cover, and a guide is provided for guiding the tip of the tool from the insertion port to the snap lock mechanism. Steering wheel with an airbag device.   The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the guide has a shape in which the insertion port side is wide and the tip side is narrower. The snap lock mechanism according to claim 1 or 2,
A long hole provided in the hub portion;
A locking spring provided along an occupant surface of the hub portion and crossing the elongated hole;
A mounting leg provided in the airbag device and inserted into the elongated hole;
A groove provided on the mounting leg and engaged with the locking spring;
The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the guide rises from an edge of the insertion port, and a leading end of the guide faces the elongated hole.

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