JP2022061273A - Damper unit mounting and fixing structure on steering wheel and vehicle steering wheel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a damper unit mounting and fixing structure on a steering wheel where a mounting pin member for assembling a damper unit between the steering wheel and an airbag module can be reliably mounted on a supporting portion, and a steering wheel device.SOLUTION: In order to assemble a damper unit between a steering wheel and an airbag module, a pin of the damper unit is inserted into a collar member inserted and attached into a through-hole of a cored member. The collar member is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape having an opening at one end and is provided with a main body portion inserted into the through-hole, and a flange portion integrally formed with one end of the main body portion into an annular shape around the opening and seated around the through-hole. A groove portion starting from one end and terminating in the middle in the penetration direction to be defined by a step at the termination is formed in the through-hole. A protruding portion held in the groove portion is formed on the main body portion to be integrated with the main body portion and the flange portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention relates to a mounting and fixing structure of a damper unit in a steering wheel capable of reliably mounting a mounting pin member for incorporating a damper unit between a steering wheel and an airbag module to a support portion, and a vehicle steering wheel. Regarding the device.

Conventionally, Patent Document 1 is known with respect to a technique of incorporating a damper unit for damping the vibration of a steering wheel between a steering wheel and an airbag module that becomes a damper mass.

In the "steering wheel with airbag device" of Patent Document 1, the horn switch mechanism is fixed to the core metal of the steering wheel body and has a fixing pin as a support member that supports the bag holder with respect to the core metal so as to be able to move forward and backward. A movable mounting member as an insulating portion interposed between the fixing pin and the bag holder and electrically insulating between them is provided. Further, the horn switch mechanism includes a compression coil spring as an urging member that urges the bag holder in a direction away from the core metal, and a contact terminal as a movable side contact portion that moves together with the bag holder. Then, by moving the bag holder toward the core metal side against the urging force of the compression coil spring, the contact terminals come into contact with the fixing pins to conduct conduction, so that the horn device of the vehicle operates.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-69935

The damper unit that damps the vibration of the steering wheel is usually installed between the airbag module, which is a damper mass, and the steering wheel, and is provided so as to connect them.

For coupling, the damper unit is provided with a mounting pin member. This mounting pin member is inserted and held by a collar member inserted into a through hole in a support portion of either the steering wheel or the airbag module, and further, a locking member such as an omega spring provided in the support portion. It is locked and attached and fixed to the support portion. As a result, the steering wheel and the airbag module are connected by the damper unit.

The airbag module incorporates an airbag cushion. As is well known, the airbag cushion is expanded and expanded by the inflator gas from the inflator operated by a signal that detects a collision or the like.

The force generated by the deployment expansion action of the airbag cushion acts on the mounting pin member via the damper unit between the airbag module and the steering wheel, and is received by the airbag module or the support of the steering wheel. ..

The mounting pin member is inserted and held in the collar member of the support portion, and when the holding action of the mounting pin member is lost due to the collar member breaking during expansion and expansion, the force acting on the mounting pin member is almost the same. All will be added to the locking member.

That is, when the collar member does not function, an excessive force is applied to the locking member, which may affect the expansion and expansion action of the airbag cushion.

Therefore, it has been desired to improve the reliability of the deployment and expansion performance of the airbag cushion by enabling the mounting pin member for providing the damper unit to be mounted on the support portion with high reliability.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is possible to reliably attach a mounting pin member for incorporating a damper unit between the steering wheel and the airbag module to the support portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting and fixing structure of a damper unit in a steering wheel and a steering wheel device of a vehicle.

The mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel according to the present invention is for mounting the damper unit in order to incorporate the damper unit that damps the vibration of the steering wheel between the steering wheel and the airbag module that becomes the damper mass. It is a mounting and fixing structure of a damper unit in which a pin member is inserted into a collar member inserted into a through hole of a support portion of either the steering wheel or the airbag module, and the collar member is inside. A hollow tubular shape having an opening at one end in the length direction is formed so as to insert the mounting pin member, and the main body portion to be inserted into the through hole of the support portion and one end in the length direction of the main body portion. A flange portion that is integrally formed in an annular shape along the opening and is seated around the through hole is provided. A groove portion is formed which is partitioned by a step at the end, and a protruding portion held in the groove portion is integrally molded with the main body portion and the flange portion in the main body portion of the collar member. It is characterized by being.

It is desirable that the groove portion is formed as an annular recess over the entire circumference of the through hole, and the protrusion is formed as an annular flange portion over the entire circumference of the main body portion.

It is preferable that the groove portions are provided at intervals around the through holes, and the protrusions are provided at intervals around the main body portion in accordance with the groove portions.

A seat portion on which the insertion-side tip of the mounting pin member is seated is integrally formed at the other end of the main body portion in the length direction, and the seat portion is formed into a cantilever shape from the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion. It is desirable that it is composed of a plurality of lever pieces that are projected.

The seat portion preferably includes a grip for gripping the insertion-side tip of the mounting pin member.

The vehicle steering wheel device according to the present invention is characterized by having a mounting and fixing structure for a damper unit in the steering wheel.

In the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel according to the present invention and the steering wheel device of the vehicle, a mounting pin member for incorporating the damper unit between the steering wheel and the airbag module is supported with high reliability. Can be attached to.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the steering wheel device of the vehicle to which the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel which concerns on this invention are applied. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the damper unit provided in the steering wheel device of the vehicle shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows one preferable embodiment of the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel which concerns on this invention, and the steering wheel device of a vehicle. It is explanatory drawing explaining the color member used for the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which looked at the color member shown in FIG. 4 from the sheet part side. It is a perspective view which shows the groove part of the through hole shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the mounting pin member shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the installation state of the spring material shown in FIG. 3 to the core metal member. It is explanatory drawing explaining the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel which concerns on this invention, and the modification of the steering wheel device of a vehicle. It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 3 explaining the example of the mounting | fixing structure of the damper unit which does not have the structure of this invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel and the steering wheel device of the vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a vehicle steering wheel device to which a mounting and fixing structure of a damper unit in the steering wheel according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 1A illustrates the entire steering wheel 1. In the following drawings including FIG. 1 (a), it is assumed that the steering wheel 1 attached to the vehicle is in a neutral steering position, and each direction is illustrated. For example, the Z-axis has the front wheel direction of the vehicle of the steering column (steering shaft) (not shown) downward and the direction of the steering wheel 1 upward.

Further, in a plane orthogonal to the Z axis, the 12 o'clock position of the analog 12-hour clock is on the front side of the vehicle, the 9 o'clock direction (left direction) to the 3 o'clock direction (right direction) is the X axis, and the 6 o'clock direction (rear direction). ) To the 12 o'clock direction (forward direction) is the Y axis. In addition, the side seen from the driver side is described as the front side, and the opposite side is described as the back side.

The steering wheel 1 is installed in the driver's seat of the vehicle, is connected to a steering shaft passing through the inside of a steering column (not shown), and transmits a driver's operating force to a steering gear or the like.

An airbag module 2 that functions as a front airbag in an emergency is attached to the center of the steering wheel 1. The airbag module 2 also functions as a horn switch pushed by the driver when the horn is sounded in a normal state.

FIG. 1B is an exploded view in which the airbag module 2 is removed from the steering wheel 1 of FIG. 1A.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 (b), the driver side of the airbag module 2 is covered with a resin horn cover 3 that functions as a design surface. A box-shaped housing 4 is provided under the horn cover 3, and an airbag cushion (not shown) that expands and expands in an emergency is folded and accommodated inside the box-shaped housing 4. An inflator (not shown) is also provided in the housing 4.

When a signal is sent from the sensor of the vehicle in an emergency, the inflator gas is supplied from the inflator to the airbag cushion, and the airbag cushion ruptures the horn cover 3 and expands and expands into the vehicle interior space to restrain the driver.

The basic portion of the steering wheel 1 is composed of a metal core metal member 5. The core metal member 5 is roughly composed of a central boss region 6, a circular rim 7 gripped by the driver, and spokes 8 connecting the boss region 6 and the rim 7. The boss region 6 is provided with a shaft hole 9 to which the steering shaft is connected.

In the present embodiment, the airbag module 2 has a function as a horn switch as described above, and a function as a module damper mechanism for attenuating vibration, in addition to the function as a front airbag. The components that realize the function as a horn switch and the module damper mechanism are described below.

In the airbag module 2, a plurality of damper units 10 are arranged in the housing 4. The damper unit 10 is a member that elastically attaches the housing 4 to the core metal member 5, and forms the center of the module damper mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, from the damper unit 10, a rod-shaped mounting pin member (hereinafter, simply referred to as “pin”) 11 faces the boss region 6 of the core metal member 5 located on the lower side in the Z-axis direction. Is protruding.

In the present embodiment, the core metal member 5 is used as a damper unit 10 and also as a support portion of the airbag module 2, and the core metal member 5 is formed with a through hole 13 penetrating from the front side to the back side. A collar member 12 is inserted into the through hole 13 by press fitting or the like.

The pin 11 is inserted into the collar member 12, penetrates through the through hole 13 of the core metal member 5, and is installed in the shaft body-shaped spring material 14 described later on the surface 5a on the back side of the core metal member 5. Be concatenated.

By connecting the pin 11 and the spring material 14, the airbag module 2 is attached to the core metal member 5.

With this configuration, the steering wheel 1 and the airbag module 2 are connected via the pin 11, and the damper unit 10 is incorporated between the steering wheel 1 and the airbag module 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pin 11 is passed through the horn spring 15 and the collar member 12 and inserted into the core metal member 5. The horn spring 15 has a coil shape and is installed between the airbag module 2 and the core metal member 5 to secure a gap between them. Then, the airbag module 2 released from being pushed down by the driver during the horn operation is separated from the core metal member 5 and returned to the original position.

Briefly describing the damper unit 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the damper unit 10 is arranged on the inner sleeve 16 so as to face the inner sleeve 16 and the annular sheet 16a and the annular sheet 16a formed on the inner sleeve 16. An annular piece 18 is provided so as to surround the inner sleeve 16 between the annular piece 17 and the annular piece 17 locked to the outwardly formed annular flange portion 16b, and the ring-shaped elastic body 18 for damping vibration and the elastic body 18 are provided. It is composed of an annular outer sleeve 19 provided so as to cover the outside.

The pin 11 of the damper unit 10 is slidably inserted through the inner sleeve 16 inside the inner sleeve 16.

The outer sleeve 19 is attached to a through hole 20 formed in the housing 4 constituting the airbag module 2, whereby the damper unit 10 is fixed to the airbag module 2.

As will be described later, the airbag module 2 provided with the damper unit 10 is connected to the steering wheel 1 by attaching and fixing the pin 11 to the core metal member 5.

Further, the airbag module 2 is provided so as to be movable toward the steering wheel 1 side by slidably inserting the pin 11 on the steering wheel 1 side into the inner sleeve 16 of the damper unit 10.

That is, the airbag module 2 is slidably connected to the steering wheel 1 via the pin 11 in a state of being elastically supported by the damper unit 10 provided with the elastic body 18.

The vibration of the steering wheel 1 is transmitted to the damper unit 10 via the pin 11, and the transmitted vibration is damped in the damper unit 10 having the airbag module 2 as a damper mass.

On the other hand, the pin 11 is made of an electrically conductive metal material and has a first contact 21 of a horn switch at one end located on the housing 4 side.

The housing 4 is provided with a second contact 22 in an arrangement facing the first contact 21 in the expansion / contraction direction (Z-axis direction) of the horn spring 15.

When the airbag module 2 is pressed toward the steering wheel 1 and advanced, the inner sleeve 16 of the damper unit 10 provided in the airbag module 2 slides and moves with respect to the pin 11, and the horn spring 15 is compressed.

As a result, the second contact 22 moves toward and contacts the first contact 21, and the horn rings. When the pressure of the airbag module 2 is released, the airbag module 2 is retracted by the horn spring 15, whereby the second contact 22 is separated from the first contact 21 and the ringing is stopped.

Next, the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the present embodiment is a case where the damper unit 10 installed on the airbag module 2 side is mounted and fixed to the support portion of the steering wheel 1 by the mounting pin member 11 of the damper unit 10. In the illustrated example, the core metal member 5 of the steering wheel 1 is used as the support portion.

However, in the present invention, contrary to the case of FIG. 3, the damper unit 10 installed on the steering wheel 1 side is mounted on the mounting pin member 11 of the damper unit 10 to support the airbag module 2 (housing 4 or the like). It includes a configuration for mounting and fixing to.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting and fixing structure, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory views illustrating a color member 12 used for the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit of FIG. 4 (a) is a perspective view of the color member 12, and FIG. 4 (b) is a side sectional view. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the collar member 12 as viewed from the core metal member 5 side of the steering wheel 1. Further, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a through hole 13 formed in the core metal member 5 and into which the collar member 12 is inserted, as viewed from the airbag module 2 side.

A through hole 13 for inserting the pin 11 is formed through the core metal member 5 from the front side to the back side. The collar member 12 is inserted into the through hole 13 by press fitting or the like, and is fitted and fixed.

The collar member 12 is made of synthetic resin and includes a main body portion 12e inserted into the through hole 13 of the core metal member 5 and a flange portion 12a as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. The main body portion 12e is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having a circular opening 12b at one end in the length direction so that the pin 11 is inserted therein.

The flange portion 12a is integrally formed at one end of the main body portion 12e in the length direction along the circumference of the opening 12b in an annular shape.

When the insertion of the main body portion 12e into the through hole 13 is completed, the flange portion 12a is seated in a surface contact state with respect to the core metal member 5 around the outer circumference of the through hole 13. That is, when the collar member 12 is fixed to the through hole 13, the flange portion 12a is pressed against the front surface of the core metal member 5. The flange portion 12a also serves as a spring seat for the horn spring 15.

Therefore, the damper unit 10 is seated in surface contact with the front surface of the core metal member 5, and the flange portion 12a pressed against the pressure contact state by the elastic urging force of the horn spring 15 does not cause an unexpected situation such as tilting. In this way, it can be installed stably.

The main body portion 12e of the collar member 12 is formed in a truncated cone shape in the length direction (Z-axis direction) so that the outer diameter dimension and the inner diameter dimension are gradually narrowed from one end having the opening 12b to the other end. Will be done. By forming the collar member 12 into a truncated cone shape, when the collar member 12 is pushed from the front side to the back side of the core metal member 5, it is firmly fitted and fixed to the through hole 13.

A groove 25 is formed in the through hole 13 by expanding outward from the inner surface of the hole. A plurality of groove portions 25 are provided around the through holes 13 at appropriate intervals. In the illustrated example, three groove portions 25 are formed at equal intervals.

In detail, the groove portion 25 is formed from one end on the front side of the core metal member 5 toward the back side, with the end in the middle of the through hole 13 in the through direction. In other words, the groove portion 25 is formed halfway in the direction in which the collar member 12 is inserted into the through hole 13. The end of the groove 25 is a step 25a when viewed from the inner surface of the hole.

The groove portion 25 is partitioned by a step 25a at the end in the penetration direction of the through hole 13, and is formed so as not to be visible from the back surface 5a of the core metal member 5 and not to reach the back side.

A protruding portion 24 held in the groove portion 25 is formed in the main body portion 12e of the collar member 12 so as to correspond to each of the groove portions 25. The protruding portion 24 is formed under the flange portion 12a so as to project outward from the outer surface of the main body portion 12e, and is provided integrally with the flange portion 12a and the main body portion 12e.

A plurality of projecting portions 24 are provided around the main body portion 12e at appropriate intervals in accordance with the groove portions 25. In the illustrated example, three protrusions 24 are formed at equal intervals. Each of the projecting portions 24 is fitted into each groove portion 25 when the collar member 12 is inserted into the through hole 13.

At the other end of the collar member 12 in the length direction, a seat portion 23 on which the insertion-side tip 11a of the pin 11 is seated is integrally molded by resin molding.

As described above, the pin 11 has a damper unit 10 mounted on one end side in the length direction in which the first contact 21 is formed, and the other end side in the length direction protruding from the damper unit 10 is the insertion side tip 11a. ..

7A and 7B are explanatory views illustrating the mounting pin member 11 used in the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 7A is a perspective view seen from diagonally above, FIG. 7B. ) Is a perspective view seen from diagonally below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the insertion side tip 11a is formed in a conical shape, and when the insertion side tip 11a is seated on the seat portion 23 on the first contact 21 side adjacent to the insertion side tip 11a, it will be described later. An annular locking groove 11b located in the positioning groove 12d is formed.

The pin 11 is inserted into the collar member 12 to a depth where the insertion-side tip 11a reaches the sheet portion 23. The sheet portion 23 is formed so as to substantially close the other end of the collar member 12.

In the present embodiment, the seat portion 23 is composed of a plurality of lever pieces 23a. Each lever piece 23a is provided so as to project from the inner peripheral surface 12c of the collar member 12 toward the central axis C (see FIG. 4B) along the length direction of the collar member 12 in a cantilever shape. ..

In other words, the lever piece 23a is directed to a small hole formed at the center position of the wall and the small hole toward the inner peripheral surface 12c of the collar member 12, assuming a wall that closes the other end of the collar member 12. It is partitioned by a plurality of slits extending radially.

In the lever piece 23a, the central axis C-side protruding end of the collar member 12 is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the length direction of the collar member 12, with the position of the inner peripheral surface 12c of the collar member 12 as the support end (FIG. 4). (B), see arrow B). In the illustrated example, four lever pieces 23a are provided with the same shape and size, but the number is not limited.

The seat portion 23 is provided with a grip 23b for gripping the insertion-side tip 11a of the pin 11. The grip 23b is formed so as to slightly rise from the seat portion 21 toward the opening 12b and surround the insertion-side tip 11a of the conical pin 11.

In the present embodiment, the seat portion 23 is formed by a plurality of lever pieces 23a, and the grip 23b is formed by slightly rising toward the opening 12b at the protruding end of the lever piece 23a. The grip 23b of the lever piece 23a elastically deforms the lever piece 23a by being pushed away by the insertion side tip 11a of the pin 11 seated on the seat portion 23, and elastically deforms the conical insertion side tip 11a from around it. It is designed to be crimped and gripped.

The collar member 12 is formed with a positioning groove portion 12d at a position on the back side of the core metal member 5. The positioning groove portion 12d is formed between the seat portion 23 of the collar member 12 and the opening 12b in a lateral direction intersecting the length direction of the collar member 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the positioning groove portion 12d is formed so as to appear over substantially half the circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the collar member 12. In the positioning groove portion 12d, the groove width dimension (dimension in the direction along the length direction of the collar member 12) G is the same as or larger than the outer diameter dimension of the shaft body-shaped spring material 14 described later. Is set to.

Specifically, for example, the outer diameter dimension (diameter) of the spring material 14 is 2 mm, and the groove width dimension G is 2.9 mm. The positioning groove portion 12d is integrally formed with the collar member 12 by resin molding, and therefore the dimension of the groove width G is formed with high accuracy.

As shown in FIG. 8, a shaft-shaped spring material 14 is inserted and provided in the positioning groove portion 12d. The spring material 14 has a base end 14a bent in an R shape so as to define a surface on one end side in the length direction, and is formed by being slightly bent on the other end side in the length direction. It has an insertion end 14b and a straight portion 14c between the insertion end 14b and the base end 14a.

Assuming a flat surface, the spring material 14 does not twist the shaft of the spring material 14 so that the entire area from the base end 14a to the insertion end 14b via the straight portion 14c lies flat on the flat surface. , Molded.

The spring member 14 extends outward from the collar member 12 through the positioning groove 12d from the lateral direction where the insertion end 14b intersects the length direction of the collar member 12, and is the back surface of the core metal member 5. It is in contact with 5a, and the base end 14a is in contact with the surface 5a on the back side of the core metal member 5 which is the outer side of the collar member 12.

As a result, the straight portion 14c of the spring material 14 is elastically deformably supported at both ends by the base end 14a and the insertion end 14b that are in contact with the core metal member 5, and is installed in the positioning groove portion 12d in an inserted state.

When the pin 11 is inserted into the collar member 12 and the insertion side tip 11a is seated on the seat portion 23, the spring material 14 is freely inserted and removed from the outside of the collar member 12 into the positioning groove portion 12d. The spring material 14 is elastically and detachably engaged with the locking groove portion 11b of the pin 11 so as to press the pin 11 between the pin 11 and the seat portion 23, whereby the pin 11 is held by the collar member 12. do.

The spring material 14 may be arranged in the positioning groove portion 12d in advance before the pin 11 is inserted into the collar member 12.

Although the back side of the core metal member 5 is not shown, the spring material 14 is formed so as to sandwich the spring material 14 from the flange portion 12a side and the seat portion 23 side of the collar member 12 in the length direction (Z-axis direction) of the collar member 12.

When the spring material 14 is locked to the locking groove portion 11b of the pin 11, the elastic urging force of the horn spring 15 abuts the spring material 14 on the back side of the core metal member 5 on the flange portion 12a side, and the core on the seat portion 23 side. It is preferable that the gold member 5 is held so as to have a gap between the back side and the back side of the gold member 5.

Further, the groove width of the locking groove portion 11b of the pin 11 (the dimension in the length direction of the pin 11 which is the same as the length direction of the collar member 12) may be set larger than the outer diameter dimension of the spring material 14, and the spring may be set. When the material 14 is locked to the locking groove portion 11b, the spring material 14 is set so as to abut on the seat portion 23 side of the locking groove portion 11b and a gap is formed on the flange portion 12a side of the locking groove portion 11b. Is preferable.

The collar member 12 stably and firmly holds the connected state of the pin 11 to the core metal member 5 which is a support portion while receiving the elastic action of both the horn spring 15 and the spring material 14.

When the pin 11 of the damper unit 10 is attached and fixed to the core metal member 5, first, the collar member 12 is fitted into the through hole 13 of the core metal member 5. At this time, the protruding portion 24 of the collar member 12 is fitted into the groove portion 25 of the through hole 13 so as to be in contact with the step 25a, and the flange portion 12a of the collar member 12 is fitted around the through hole 13 with respect to the core metal member 5. Sit down.

Next, the pin 11 is set on the airbag module 2 side. At this time, the horn spring 15 is installed so as to surround the pin 11. While the horn spring 15 is in contact with the flange portion 12a of the collar member 12, the insertion-side tip 11a of the pin 11 of the damper unit 10 mounted on the airbag module 2 is inserted into the opening 12b of the collar member 12.

Then, while compressing the horn spring 15, the pin 11 is inserted toward the seat portion 23 of the collar member 12, and the insertion-side tip 11a is seated on the seat portion 23.

At this time, the spring material 14 that has been previously inserted into the positioning groove portion 12d so as to protrude inward of the collar member 12 has a conical shape at the insertion-side tip as the pin 11 is inserted into the collar member 12. It is pressed along the inclined portion of 11a and elastically deformed toward the outside of the positioning groove portion 12d.

When the insertion-side tip 11a is seated on the seat portion 23, the spring material 14 is elastically restored and fitted into the locking groove portion 11b of the pin 11 to be locked, whereby the pin 11 is installed inside the collar member 12 ( This is a so-called "snap-in" assembly method.)

The spring material 14 is inserted into the positioning groove portion 12d on the back side of the core metal member 5, and is locked to the locking groove portion 11b. As a result, the insertion side tip 11a of the pin 11 is held by the seat portion 23 along the length direction of the collar member 12, and the locking groove portion 11b is held by the locking of the spring material 14. With the above, the mounting and fixing of the damper unit 10 is completed.

When the airbag cushion expands and expands, the expansion and expansion force acts on the pin 11 set on the airbag module 2 side.

FIG. 10 shows a case where the groove portion 25 and the protrusion portion 24 of the present embodiment are not provided, and the force applied to the pin 11 due to the expansion and expansion acts on the collar member 12 through which the pin 11 is inserted. Then, a crack occurs in the flange portion 12a, the seated state of the flange portion 12a with respect to the core metal member 5 is lost due to this crack, and the pin 11 is appropriately used because the flange portion 12a is the cracked collar member 12. There is a risk that it will not be able to be held.

When the holding action of the pin 11 by the collar member 12 is lost, almost all the force applied to the pin 11 when the airbag cushion is expanded and expanded acts on the spring material 14, and as described in the above-mentioned task, the collar member 12 is pinned. It is considered that the expansion and expansion action of the airbag cushion is adversely affected as compared with the case where the 11 is held.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the groove portion 25 formed in the through hole 13 and having the end in the middle of the through direction from one end where the collar member 12 is inserted is defined by the step 25a at the end, and the collar member 12. The main body portion 12e is provided with a protruding portion 24 that is integrally formed with the main body portion 12e and the flange portion 12a and is held in the groove portion 25, and the flange portion 12a is cracked to be seated on the core metal member 5. Even if the state, that is, the state of being attached to the core metal member 5 by the flange portion 12a is lost, the groove portion 25 of the through hole 13 can hold the protruding portion 24 of the collar member 12, and therefore the collar member 12 to the through hole 13 can be held. The attached state can be kept stable.

Since the collar member 12 can be stably held in the through hole 13, the holding action of the pin 11 by the collar member 12 in the through hole 13 can be improved.

In this way, since the pin 11 can be reliably held by the collar member 12, almost all the force applied to the pin 11 during the expansion and expansion of the airbag cushion does not act on the spring material 14, and the expansion and expansion does not occur. The pin 11 can be attached to the core metal member 5 with high reliability in consideration of the action of force, and can be held with high reliability.

Since the groove portion 25 is partitioned by the step 25a, when the flange portion 12a is scattered or lost from the collar member 12, the collar member 12 is moved from the through hole 13 to the core metal member 5 by the elastic urging force of the horn spring 15. It is possible to prevent the collar member 12 from being pulled out to the back side, and the collar member 12 can be appropriately held in the through hole 13.

Since the protruding portion 24 is integrally molded with the main body portion 12e and the flange portion 12a of the collar member 12, the flange portion 12a can be reinforced by the protruding portion 24, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of cracks in the flange portion 12a.

Further, the pin 11 is urged toward the airbag module 2 in the length direction (Z-axis direction) of the pin 11 via the damper unit 10 by the horn spring 15, and at the same time, the elasticity of the horn spring 15 is caused by the spring material 14. Since it resists the urging force and is held inside the collar member 12, the pin 11 can be held without rattling against the collar member 12 in a stationary state.

Moreover, even if vibration is applied by vibration transmission between the core metal member 5 and the airbag module 2, the spring material 14 and the horn spring 15 allow the pin 11 to be connected to the collar member 12 in the length direction (Z-axis direction). Vibration (movement) can be suppressed.

Since the groove width G dimension of the positioning groove portion 12d can be adjusted to the outer diameter dimension of the spring material 14 with high dimensional accuracy by resin molding, the spring material 14 that locks the locking groove portion 11b is inside the positioning groove portion 12d. Movement is restricted.

Since the spring material 14 is elastically deformable, it allows the pin 11 to move slightly in the length direction of the collar member 12, prevents the fixing strength from becoming too strong, and ensures good disassembly workability. can do.

Since the seat portion 23 is made of synthetic resin integrally molded with the collar member 12, even if the pin 11 is slightly moved due to the spring material 14, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise.

Further, since the seat portion 23 is composed of a plurality of lever pieces 23a, the movement of the pin 11 can be elastically absorbed.

Since the seat portion 23 and also the lever piece 23a are provided with the grip 23b, the insertion side tip 11a can be stably seated on the seat portion 23, and the pin 11 does not need to move inside the collar member 12. Can be regulated.

As described above, since the mounting pin member 11 can be mounted and fixed to the core metal member 5 without rattling, it is possible to prevent abnormal noise and improve durability. As a result, accurate vibration transmission to the damper unit 10 and the airbag module 2 via the mounting pin member 11 can be ensured, and the vibration damping action of the steering wheel 1 can be significantly improved.

When disassembling from the mounted and fixed state, the spring material 14 may be separated from the locking groove portion 11b and pulled out from the positioning groove portion 12d by utilizing the elasticity of the spring material 14. After removing the spring material 14, the pin 11 can be pulled out from the collar member 12 and the disassembly work can be completed by simply pulling the airbag module 2 away from the core metal member 5.

The component configuration is related to the resin-moldable synthetic resin color member 12 having the opening 12b, the seat portion 23, and the positioning groove portion 12d, the formation of the locking groove portion 11b on the pin 11, and the locking groove portion 11b. Only the spring material 14 to be stopped is extremely simple, and the mounting and disassembling work can be done by simply inserting and removing the pin 11 into the collar member 12 and attaching / detaching the spring material 14 to the positioning groove portion 12d. It is possible to ensure excellent installation workability and disassembly workability.

FIG. 9 shows a modified example of the above embodiment. In this modification, the groove 25 of the through hole 13 is formed in the form of an annular recess over the entire circumference of the through hole 13. That is, the plurality of groove portions 25 of the above embodiment are formed in a form of being connected in a series so as to be continuous around the through hole 13.

The protruding portion 24 is also formed in the form of an annular flange portion over the entire circumference of the main body portion 12e. The protruding portion 24 is also in the form of connecting the plurality of protruding portions 24 in a series.

According to this modification, unlike the above-described embodiment in which it is necessary to align the positions of the protrusion 24 and the groove 25, the collar member 12 can be easily inserted into the through hole 13. Of course, even in such a modified example, the same action and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

The mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel and the steering wheel device of the vehicle described above are preferable examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can also be implemented or carried out by various methods. In particular, the present invention is not limited to the detailed shape, size, configuration arrangement, etc. of the parts shown in the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified in the specification of the present application. In addition, the expressions and terms used in the specification of the present application are for the purpose of explanation, and are not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

1 Steering wheel 2 Airbag module 5 Core metal member 10 Damper unit 11 Mounting pin member (pin)
11a Insertion side tip 12 Color member 12a Flange part 12b Opening 12e Main body part 13 Through hole 23 Seat part 23a Lever piece 23b Grip 24 Protruding part 25 Groove part 25a Step

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-69934

Claims (6)

In order to incorporate a damper unit that damps the vibration of the steering wheel between the steering wheel and the airbag module that becomes the damper mass, the mounting pin member of the damper unit is attached to either the steering wheel or the airbag module. It is a mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit that is inserted into the collar member inserted into the through hole of the support part of the wheel.
The above color member
A main body portion formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having an opening at one end in the length direction and inserted into the through hole of the support portion so as to insert the mounting pin member inside.
A flange portion that is integrally molded in an annular shape along the circumference of the opening and is seated around the through hole is provided at one end in the length direction of the main body portion.
In the through hole of the support portion, a groove portion is formed which is partitioned by a step at the end, with the end in the middle of the through direction from one end where the collar member is inserted.
A structure for mounting and fixing a damper unit in a steering wheel, wherein a protruding portion held in the groove portion is integrally molded with the main body portion and the flange portion in the main body portion of the collar member. Claim 1 is characterized in that the groove portion is formed as an annular recess over the entire circumference of the through hole, and the protrusion is formed as an annular flange portion over the entire circumference of the main body portion. Mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel described in. The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the groove portions are provided at intervals around the through hole, and the protrusions are provided at intervals around the main body portion in accordance with the groove portions. Mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel. A seat portion on which the insertion-side tip of the mounting pin member is seated is integrally molded at the other end of the main body portion in the length direction.
The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the seat portion is composed of a plurality of lever pieces projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion in a cantilever shape. Damper unit mounting and fixing structure. The mounting and fixing structure for a damper unit in a steering wheel according to claim 4, wherein the seat portion includes a grip for gripping the insertion-side tip of the mounting pin member. A vehicle steering wheel device comprising the mounting and fixing structure of the damper unit in the steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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