JP2019156346A - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel in which an air bag body is attached to a steering wheel body, excellent in vibration attenuation property.SOLUTION: An air bag device 40 is made to approach a boss part 34 so as to make a top flange 6 of a pin 2 to enter an opening 22a of a base 22. The top flange 6 which passed through the opening 22a contacts a plate 21a of a cap 21, and pushes up the plate. When the air bag device 40 is made to further approach the boss part 34, the top flange 6 passes through a gap between bridge parts 25a, 25a, the bridge parts 25a, 25a hold a column 5, and the air bag device 40 is coupled to the boss part 34 through a stopper 25 and a pin unit 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel, and more particularly to a steering wheel having a horn switch function in which an airbag device advances and retreats in a steering axis direction.

  As a conventional example in which an airbag device having a horn switch function is attached to an airbag device attachment portion of a steering wheel by a snap-in method, there is Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent No. 5797770).

  In the airbag apparatus mounting structure of Patent Document 1, a pin protrudes from the back surface of the airbag apparatus, and the tip side of this pin is inserted into the insertion hole of the steering wheel body. The tip of the pin is a taper, and when the pin is inserted into the insertion hole, the U-shaped spring moves along the taper, and eventually the spring engages with a groove near the tip of the pin. A bag device is attached to the steering wheel.

  The rear end side of the pin is held by the retainer of the airbag device via an elastic body (rubber). This elastic body has a function of attenuating vibration transmitted from the steering wheel to the airbag device.

  A coil spring surrounding the pin is interposed between the steering wheel main body and the retainer in an accumulated state, and the airbag device is always urged in a direction away from the steering wheel main body. When the airbag device is pressed in the direction toward the steering wheel body, the contact portions of the horn switch come into contact with each other and the switch is turned on, and the horn sounds.

Japanese Patent No. 5797770

  An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel in which an airbag device is attached to a steering wheel body, and which is excellent in vibration damping performance of the airbag device.

  In one aspect of the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel in which an airbag device can be easily attached and detached.

  The steering wheel of the present invention includes a steering wheel main body, an airbag device facing the steering wheel main body, a connecting device that connects the airbag device so as to be accessible to the steering wheel main body, and steering the airbag device. A steering wheel having a spring disposed between an airbag device and a steering wheel main body so as to be urged away from the wheel main body, wherein the spring is interposed between the airbag device and the steering wheel main body. In addition, a damper for damping vibration is provided.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the coupling device includes a pin that rises from the steering wheel body toward the airbag device, and the damper includes a first ring portion and a second ring portion that are externally fitted to the pin. And an elastically deformable tie portion that connects the first ring portion and the second ring portion.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the pin includes an end flange on the steering wheel main body side, a top flange on the airbag device side, and a column connecting the end flange and the top flange. The column is inserted into an opening provided in a retainer of the airbag device, the damper is fitted on the column, and the end flange engages with an insertion hole provided in a steering wheel body. The top flange is locked to the edge of the opening of the retainer by a pin locking member.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the pin locking member is disposed on the steering wheel main body side of the top flange and crosses the opening. The pin locking member includes a pair of bridge portions, The bridge portion includes a pair of spring portions that respectively connect one end portions and the other end portions of the bridge portion, and the pair of bridge portions sandwich the column.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the column has an oval or elliptical shape in which a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the column has a major axis and a minor axis, and the bridge portion extends in the major axis direction. Yes.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the top flange is circular and the diameter thereof is substantially equal to the major axis of the column.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the pin locking member is disposed in the head box, and the head box is locked to the peripheral edge of the opening.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the head box includes a base that overlaps a peripheral edge portion of the opening of the retainer, and a cap that is engaged with the base, and the cap has substantially the same size as the top flange. A circular plate portion is provided, and the pin locking member in a state in which the plate portion is sandwiched between the bridge portions is disposed in the cap so as not to pivot.

In one aspect of the present invention, the end flange is sized to be rotatable in the insertion hole in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole, and an outer periphery of the end flange and an inner periphery of the insertion hole A lock ring for preventing the end flange from rotating is detachably mounted therebetween.

  In the steering wheel of the present invention, the vibration damping damper is provided between the airbag device and the steering wheel main body without using the spring, so that the airbag device is excellent in vibration damping performance.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the steering wheel which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of a steering wheel concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing of a part of steering wheel at the time of airbag apparatus apparatus attachment. It is sectional drawing of a part of steering wheel at the time of airbag apparatus apparatus attachment. It is sectional drawing of a part of steering wheel after an airbag apparatus attachment. It is a partial cross section perspective view of a head box and a pin unit. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which shows a cap holder. It is a disassembled perspective view of the pin unit which the pin locking member engaged. It is the IX-IX sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a perspective view of a pin unit. It is the XI-XI sectional view taken on the line of FIG.

  The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering wheel 30 is obtained by attaching an airbag device 40 to a steering wheel main body 31. The steering wheel main body 31 has a wheel portion 32, a spoke portion 33, and a boss portion 34 (core metal portion). The airbag device 40 is urged in a direction away from the boss portion 34 by a coil spring 35 interposed between the airbag device 40 and the boss portion 34.

  The boss portion 34 has a pin insertion hole 36 and a steering wheel mounting hole 38 provided at the center of the boss portion 34.

  The airbag device 40 includes a retainer 41, an inflator 42 and an airbag (not shown) attached to the retainer 41, a module cover 44 that covers the airbag, and the like.

  The airbag (not shown) is folded and attached to the retainer 41 with a bolt 46 together with the inflator 42. When the inflator 42 ejects gas during a vehicle collision, the airbag is inflated, and the module cover 44 is cleaved and deployed.

  The airbag device 40 is connected to the boss portion 34 via the pin unit 1. This connection structure will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The pin unit 1 includes a pin 2 and a damper 10 attached to the pin 2. As shown in FIG. 8, the pin 2 integrally includes an end flange 3, a pedestal 4, a column 5, and a circular top flange 6. The end flange 3 is a non-circular plate having parallel portions 3a and 3a.

  The pin insertion hole 36 of the boss part 34 has a large hole part 36a into which the end flange 3 is inserted and a circular small hole part 36b into which the base 4 is inserted. The large hole portion 36a is non-circular. After the pin 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, the pin 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 36 by inserting a non-annular lock ring 9 (FIGS. 3 to 5) between the large hole portion 36 a and the end flange 3. On the other hand, it is non-rotatably attached around the axis of the pin 2.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the column 5 of the pin 2 has a pair of long sides 5 a, 5 a and a pair of short sides 5 b, 5 b curved in a convex manner connecting the ends of the long sides 5 a, 5 a. It has an oval (or oval) cross-sectional shape. The long diameter of the column 5 (the diameter in the direction connecting the short sides 5b and 5b) and the diameter of the top flange 6 are substantially equal.

  A damper 10 is mounted on the column 5. As clearly shown in FIG. 8, the damper 10 includes a first ring portion 11, a second ring portion 12, and a tie portion 13 that connects the ring portions 11 and 12. The ring portions 11 and 12 are provided with slits 11a and 12a. The damper 10 is mounted on the column 5 in an outer fitting manner by expanding the slits 11a and 12a.

  In this embodiment, the tie portion 13 has a substantially V-shape in a lateral direction having a first rod portion 13a and a second rod portion 13b. One end of the first rod portion 13 a is continuous with the first ring portion 11, and one end of the second rod portion 13 b is continuous with the second ring portion 12. The other ends of the rod portions 13a and 13b are connected. The tie portion 13 can be elastically deformed so as to widen the narrow angle of the rod portions 13a and 13b. The damper 10 is integrally formed of synthetic resin, elastomer, metal, or the like.

  The top flange 6 of the pin 2 is locked to the retainer 41 via a stopper 25 as a pin locking member.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the stopper 25 has a pair of substantially straight bridge portions 25 a and 25 a and a pair of spring portions 25 b and 25 b that connect the ends of the bridge portions 25 a and 25 a. The spring portion 25b is smoothly curved into a substantially Ω-shape. Thereby, the stopper 25 can be elastically deformed so as to widen the interval between the bridge portions 25a and 25a. The stopper 25 engages with the pin 2 so as to surround the column 5 below the top flange 6.

  The stopper 25 is disposed in the head box 20. The head box 20 is disposed in a head box housing portion 45 formed by a recessed portion of the retainer 41.

  The head box 20 includes a cap 21 on the upper surface side and an annular disk-shaped base 22 on the lower surface side. As clearly shown in FIG. 7, the cap 21 includes a central circular plate portion 21 a, a spring portion 21 b having a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section that is continuous with the outer peripheral edge of the plate portion 21 a, and a spring portion 21 b that is continuous with the radial direction. A flat ring portion 21c that spreads out and an annular wall portion 21d that is suspended from the outer peripheral edge of the flat ring portion 21c. The base 22 is fixed to the annular wall portion 21d. In the center of the base 22, an opening 22 a (FIGS. 3 to 5) into which the top flange 6 of the pin 2 can be inserted is provided. In addition, the base 22 is provided with a ring rib portion 22b (FIG. 3) that is erected from the peripheral portion of the opening 22a to the boss portion 34 side.

  Although not shown, the flat ring portion 21 c is provided with a plurality of protrusions for holding the stopper 25. The stopper 25 is disposed so as to cross the opening 22a and to be unrotatable in the head box 20 by engaging with the protrusion.

  The head box housing portion 45 is composed of a concave portion surrounded by a peripheral wall portion 45a and a bottom plate portion 45b extending in the diameter reducing direction from the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 45a. An opening (base mounting opening) 48 (FIG. 3) is provided at the center of the bottom plate 45b. An annular rib-shaped first horn contact portion 49 is erected on the boss portion 34 side from the peripheral edge portion of the base mounting port 48.

  An annular rib-shaped second horn contact portion 39 is erected on the boss portion 34 at a position facing the first horn contact portion 49. The second horn contact portion 39 is provided coaxially with the insertion hole 36.

  The spring 35 is engaged with the horn contact portions 39 and 49 in an outer fitting manner.

  In order to connect the airbag device 40 to the boss portion 34, as shown in FIG. 3, the stopper 25 is mounted on the plate portion 21a so that the bridge portion 25a, 25a of the stopper 25 sandwiches the plate portion 21a of the cap 21. In FIG. 3, the bridge portions 25a and 25a extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. At this time, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the stopper 25 are held on the flat ring portion 21c by the protrusions (not shown).

  The pin unit 1 including the pin 2 to which the damper 10 is attached is inserted into the insertion hole 36 from the top flange 6 side, and the end flange 3 is disposed in the large hole portion 36a. At this time, the long diameter of the column 5 (the extending direction of the long sides 5a, 5a) is set to be perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The lock ring 9 is inserted between the outer periphery of the end flange 3 and the inner peripheral wall surface of the large hole portion 36a. Since the end flange 3, the lock ring 9, and the large hole portion 36 a are non-circular, the pin 2 cannot be rotated around the pin axis with respect to the boss portion 34.

  The pedestal portion 4 of the pin 2 is inserted into the small hole portion 36 b, and the column 5 is in a posture standing up from the boss portion 34.

  The airbag device 40 is brought close to the boss portion 34 so that the top flange 6 of the pin 2 enters the opening 22 a of the base 22. The top flange 6 that has passed through the opening 22a comes into contact with the plate portion 21a of the cap 21 and pushes it up. When the airbag device 40 is further moved closer to the boss portion 34, the top flange 6 disengages the plate portion 21a from the bridge portions 25a and 25a of the stopper 25, and the stopper 25 is interposed between the bridge portions 25a and 25a as shown in FIG. Get in. When the airbag device 40 is further moved closer to the boss portion 34, the top flange 6 passes between the bridge portions 25a and 25a, the bridge portions 25a and 25a sandwich the column 5, and the airbag device attachment state shown in FIG. .

  In the state of FIG. 5, the bridge portions 25 a and 25 a and the long sides 5 a and 5 a extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5, and the bridge portions 25 a and 25 a sandwich the column 5 as shown in FIG. 11. . For this reason, it will be in the state where the top flange 6 overlapped bridge part 25a, 25a from the upper side. Since the bridge portions 25 a and 25 a cross the opening 22 a of the base 22, the top flange 6 is not removed from the retainer 41.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5, the coil spring 35 is interposed between the boss portion 34 and the retainer 41 in an accumulated state, and the airbag device 40 is urged by the coil spring 35 in a direction away from the boss portion 34. Has been.

  When the airbag device 40 is pushed in the state of FIG. 5, the coil spring 35 is compressed and contracted, the horn contact portions 39 and 49 come into contact with each other, and the horn sounds. When the hand is released from the airbag device 40, the state returns to the state of FIG. 5 by the pressing force of the coil spring 35, and the horn stops.

  To remove the airbag device 40 from the attached state of the airbag device 40 of FIG. 5, first, the lock ring 9 is removed from the large hole portion 36a. Next, the pin 2 is rotated 90 ° around its axis. Then, the column 5 is rotated by 90 ° as shown by the arrow θ in FIG. 11, the major axis direction of the column 5 (the direction connecting the short sides 5b and 5b) is perpendicular to the bridge portions 25a and 25a, and the distance between the bridge portions 25a and 25a Will be spread. When the pin 2 is pulled in this state, the top flange 6 passes between the bridge portions 25a and 25a, passes through the opening 22a, and escapes out of the retainer 41. Thereby, connection with the airbag apparatus 40 and the boss | hub part 34 is cancelled | released.

  In this embodiment, the damper 10 is interposed between the airbag device 40 and the boss portion 34 without the coil spring 35 interposed therebetween, and the vibration generated in the airbag device 40 is effectively damped. . Further, since the coil spring 35 is in direct contact with the boss portion 34 and the retainer 41 without passing through the damper 10, the mounting rigidity of the airbag device 40 is high.

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

1 pin unit 2 pin 3 end flange 5 column 6 top flange 20 head box 21 cap 21a plate portion 22 base 25 stopper (pin locking member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Steering wheel 31 Steering wheel main body 32 Wheel part 33 Spoke part 34 Boss part 35 Coil spring 40 Air bag apparatus 41 Retainer 48 Opening (base mounting opening)

Claims (9)

A steering wheel body, an airbag device facing the steering wheel body, a connecting device for connecting the airbag device so as to be accessible to the steering wheel body, and the airbag device attached in a direction away from the steering wheel body. In a steering wheel having a spring disposed between an airbag device and a steering wheel main body so as to
A steering wheel characterized in that a damper for vibration damping is provided between the airbag device and the steering wheel body without using the spring. The coupling device has a pin that rises from the steering wheel body to the airbag device side,
The damper includes a first ring portion and a second ring portion that are externally fitted to the pin, and an elastically deformable tie portion that connects the first ring portion and the second ring portion. Steering wheel. The pin includes an end flange on the steering wheel main body side, a top flange on the airbag device side, and a column connecting the end flange and the top flange.
The column is inserted through an opening provided in a retainer of the airbag device,
The damper is fitted on the column,
The end flange is engaged with an insertion hole provided in the steering wheel body,
The steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein the top flange is locked to an edge of the opening of the retainer by a pin locking member. The pin locking member is disposed on the steering wheel body side of the top flange and crosses the opening.
The pin locking member has a pair of bridge portions, and a pair of spring portions connecting one end portions and the other end portions of the bridge portions, respectively.
4. The steering wheel according to claim 3, wherein the pair of bridge portions sandwich the column. The column has an oval or elliptical shape in which a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the column has a major axis and a minor axis,
The steering wheel according to claim 4, wherein the bridge portion extends in the major axis direction.   6. The steering wheel according to claim 5, wherein the top flange is circular and has a diameter substantially equal to a major axis of the column.   The steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein the pin locking member is disposed in a head box, and the head box is locked to a peripheral edge portion of the opening. The head box includes a base that overlaps a peripheral edge of the opening of the retainer, and a cap that is engaged with the base.
The cap is provided with a circular plate portion having substantially the same size as the top flange,
The steering wheel according to claim 7, wherein the pin locking member in a state where the plate portion is sandwiched between the bridge portions is disposed in the cap so as not to turn. The end flange is a size that can be rotated in the insertion hole in a state of being inserted into the insertion hole,
The steering wheel according to claim 9, wherein a lock ring for preventing rotation of the end flange is detachably mounted between the outer periphery of the end flange and the inner periphery of the insertion hole.

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