JP2551935Y2 - Automotive steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a steering wheel for an automobile, which is constructed so that a collision energy can be efficiently absorbed by a frame structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a steering wheel for an automobile has a frame structure in which a base plate forming a boss portion supported by a steering shaft and a base frame forming a grip portion are connected and fixed by spokes. There is something.

FIG. 11 partially shows a frame structure of a steering wheel according to the above-mentioned conventional example. In the figure,
Reference numeral 10 denotes a boss portion, 11 denotes a base plate forming the boss portion 10, 12 denotes a grip portion, 13 denotes a base frame that forms the grip portion 12, and 14 denotes a portion between the base plate 11 of the boss portion 10 and the base frame 13 of the grip portion 12. Shows the spokes that are fixed between them.

In the frame structure of the steering wheel, each part is formed of a metal material so that the entire wheel has a certain degree of rigidity. In particular, the boss 10 including the base plate 11 is formed from a relatively rigid metal plate since it is a central portion that supports the entire wheel. The spokes 14 have a substantially constant width over the entire length, and are mounted so as to be inclined so that the grip portion 12 is located closer to the operator than the position where the boss portion 10 is installed.

In this automobile steering wheel, when an operator's load is excessively applied to the grip portion 12 due to a collision, the grip portion 12 is instantaneously greatly displaced downward in the axial direction of the steering shaft, and thereafter, It is preferable to configure the frame structure so that the collision energy can be efficiently absorbed by gradually displacing the collision energy.

However, in the above-described steering wheel frame structure, the entire structure is relatively rigid, so that the load exerted by the operator at the time of a collision is exerted on the grip portion 12 so that the steering wheel exerts a rather rigid rigidity. Grip part 1
2 can be deviated to some extent. For this reason, only a small amount of the collision energy can be absorbed, and the reaction caused by the collision energy is greatly applied to the operator.

[0007] In addition, although the time instantaneously elapses from the time of the collision and the load applied to the grip portion due to the collision energy and the load of the operator increases, the grip portion can be greatly displaced. Is completely lost from the frame structure and cannot cope with the load applied by the operator.

FIG. 12 shows the correlation between the load applied to the grip portion and the deviation of the grip portion in a conventional steering wheel. Its correlation curve W ₂ clearly shows that the above-mentioned. Since the deviation of the grip portion occurs instantaneously, the shock applied to the operator becomes greater.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a vehicle having a simple structure of a frame so that a collision energy can be efficiently absorbed by a frame structure of a steering wheel and a shock applied to an operator from a grip portion can be reduced. It is intended to provide a steering wheel.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel for an automobile, wherein a base plate forming a boss portion supported by a steering shaft is provided.
Has a frame structure for connecting fixed spokes between a base frame which forms a grip portion, with the base plate provided with a notch to reduce the stiffness in the plate surface location which is continuous with one end side of the spokes, the plate of the base plate On one end side of the spoke that is continuous with the surface, a protruding piece that can abut and engage with the lower surface of the base plate is extended below the plate surface of the base plate from the notch as the grip portion is displaced due to overload. It is constituted by providing.

[0011]

In this steering wheel for an automobile, the base plate is provided with a notch for reducing rigidity at a portion of the plate surface that is continuous with one end of the spoke. Can be largely displaced on the plate surface of the base plate provided with the notch, so that the recoil applied to the operator can be reduced. Also, after the grip part is displaced to some extent, the spoke projections abut against the lower surface of the base plate, so that the frame structure can be provided with the rigidity of the struts, and to some extent resist the load from the operator. Can be.

Thereafter, with the continuous overload, the portion of the plate surface or the protruding piece provided with the cutout portion of the base plate is bent and deformed, so that the grip portion can be gradually displaced so that the absorption rate of the collision energy can be increased. Become. For this reason, the shock given to the operator can be reduced as a whole.
The frame structure of the steering wheel can be configured without major changes.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 mainly shows a modified portion of a frame structure of an automobile steering wheel according to the present invention. Except for the main changed part, it has the same frame structure as the conventional example, and in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows the overall structure of the steering wheel on one side from the center. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a boss portion, 11 denotes a base plate of the boss portion 10, 12 denotes a grip portion, 13 denotes a base frame forming the grip portion 12, and 14 denotes a base plate 11 of the boss portion 10 and a base frame 13 of the grip portion 12. , A spoke fixed by welding, 15 is an upper cover of the steering wheel, and 16 is a lower cover.

[0015] In the steering wheel, notch 1 to reduce the stiffness in the plate surface location which is continuous with one end side of the spokes 14 are provided on the base plate 11.
A plate surface portion of the base plate 11 is formed to have a lateral width narrower than that of the main body portion, and a bead-shaped curved portion 2 is provided in the lateral width direction of the narrow plate surface portion to provide a cutout portion 1. It can be formed to further reduce the rigidity at the location.

Each of the spokes 14 has a protruding piece 3 extending from the notch 1 of the base plate 11 to the lower side of the plate surface at an end portion continuous with the base plate 11. The protruding piece 3 comes into contact with and engages with the lower surface of the base plate 11 as the grip 12 is displaced by the applied load, and is continuously bent from one end of the spoke 14 to form the base plate 11. It can be provided to extend below the plate surface.

The base plate 11 can be provided with the receiving plate portion 4 by cutting out the left and right sides of the plate surface where the projecting pieces 3 are engaged from the notch portion 1 and further cutting it.
If the receiving plate portion 4 is also formed to be narrow, the spoke 1
4 can be formed so that the rigidity of the plate surface portion with which the projecting piece 3 engages is also reduced.

In this automobile steering wheel,
At the same time as the load of the operator overloads the grip portion 12 due to a collision or the like, the plate portion of the base plate 11 is immediately bent and deformed at the cutout portion 1 via the spokes 14. For this reason, the clip portion 12 can be deviated to a predetermined position, and the recoil applied to the operator can be reduced due to the overall tensile rigidity of the frame structure.

When the clip portion 12 is displaced to a certain extent, the projections 3 of the spokes 14 come into contact with the lower surface of the base plate 11 to receive and support the spokes 14. Can be provided. Since the spokes 14 exhibit the tensile rigidity, the grip portion 12 bends and deforms the protruding pieces 3 while somewhat opposing the load applied by the operator, and the spokes 14 are gradually deformed and the base plate 11 is deformed. The deformation of the receiving plate 4 can also increase the amount of deflection of the grip 12.

FIG. 3 shows the spoke 14 flexing and deforming in the above-described frame structure in a state where the primary deviation of the clip portion 12 due to the notch portion 1 is changed to the secondary deviation of the grip portion 12 due to the engagement of the projection 3. The following shows the shape. That spoke 1
According to the flexural deformation of No. 4, not only can the shock received by the operator from the grip portion 12 be reduced at the same time as the collision,
Even if the overload due to the collision energy and the load of the operator is continuously applied to the grip portion 12, the overload can be gradually absorbed, so that the shock received by the operator can be efficiently reduced as a whole.

FIG. 4 shows the load acting on the grip portion 12 of the steering wheel according to the present invention and the load applied to the grip portion 12.
Shows the correlation with the deviation of As in the figure, it is shown to be able to increase the absorption rate can gradually absorb the collision energy at the shaded area between the correlation curve W ₁ and the correlation curve W ₂ in the conventional example.

5 to 10 show modified examples of the frame structure applicable to the steering wheel according to the present invention. As an example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the base plate 11 can be bent upward from the position where the curved portion 2 is formed to form a plate surface for fixing one end of the spoke 14. The spokes 14 are provided on the surface of the base plate 11.
Can be assembled so as to relatively fix one end side of the spoke 14 and extend the protruding piece 3 extending horizontally from one end side of the spoke 14 from the notch 1 below the plate surface of the base plate 11.

The spokes 14 can be formed integrally with the base plate 11 as shown in FIGS. In this case, the plate surface of the spoke 14 is lowered from the position where the notch 1 is formed, and the protrusion 3
May be formed so as to extend from the cutout portion 1 below the plate surface of the base plate 11.

Instead of using a flat plate for the spokes 14, a pipe member may be used as shown in FIGS. In this pipe member, one end side is welded and fixed to the plate surface of the base plate 11 stepped down from the position where the notch 1 is formed, and the axial end side of the pipe member is bent in the horizontal direction to form the base plate 11 as the projection 3. Can be extended below the plate surface.

[0025]

As described above, according to the steering wheel for an automobile according to the present invention, the base plate is easily bent at the cutout portion as the overload acts on the grip portion at the same time as the collision, and the grip portion is immediately formed. Not only can it absorb the collision energy because it is displaced, but also as the overload continues over time, the protruding pieces of the spokes abut against the lower surface of the base plate to counter the overload,
Since the grip portion is gradually displaced, the absorption rate of the collision energy can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to configure the apparatus with a simple structure change so that the shock received by the operator can be efficiently reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view mainly showing a changed part in a frame structure of an automobile steering wheel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an entire configuration of a steering wheel including a changed portion of the frame structure, on one side from a central portion.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a deformed state of spokes due to a deviation of a grip portion in the frame structure.

FIG. 4 is a curve graph showing a correlation between a load applied to a grip portion and a deviation of the grip portion in the automobile steering wheel according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of a frame structure applicable to the steering wheel for an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the frame structure of FIG. 5 in a side cross section.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing another modified example of the frame structure applicable to the automobile steering wheel according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the frame structure of FIG. 7 in a side cross section.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing still another modified example of the frame structure applicable to the automobile steering wheel according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross section of the frame structure of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a frame structure of a steering wheel for an automobile according to a conventional example.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a load applied to a grip portion and an offset state of the grip portion in a steering wheel of an automobile steering wheel according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Notch 3 Protrusion piece 10 Boss part 11 Base plate of boss part 12 Grip part 13 Base frame of grip part 14 Spoke

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] And 1. A base plate forming the boss portion which is journalled supported by the steering shaft, has a frame structure for connecting fixed spokes between a base frame which forms a grip portion, the base plate and one end side of the spokes Notches are provided to reduce rigidity at continuous plate locations , and the grips are displaced by overload at one end of the spokes that are continuous with the plate surface of the base plate. An automobile steering wheel, characterized in that an engageable protruding piece is provided extending from a notch portion below a surface of a base plate.