JP2592826Y2 - Steering wheel with airbag device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering wheel having an airbag device, and more particularly to a steering wheel having an airbag device having a floating type horn mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a steering wheel equipped with an airbag device, a steering wheel employing a horn button has been known. However, since a pressing range of the horn is narrow, the horn button is used when the steering wheel is rotated. There is a disadvantage that it is difficult to push. For this reason, a steering wheel having a so-called floating type horn mechanism that employs a configuration in which a horn is blown by the entire module cover is known.

For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example of this kind of technology, in which a movable plate 53 is disposed on a metal core 51 via a spring 52, and a fixed contact formed on the metal core 51. The horn can be blown by the contact between the movable contact 54 (see FIG. 5) and the movable contact 55 formed on the movable plate 53.

The movable plate 53 is provided with a retainer 56.
The retainer 56 has an inflator 48,
It is formed by attaching a bag 49, a module cover 40, and the like (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-169357).

[0005]

In the technique shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the module cover 50 and the bag 59 are used.
The retainer 56 is connected to the movable plate 53, and the movable contact 55 of the movable plate 53 and the fixed contact 54 on the metal core 51 constitute a horn mechanism. For this reason, the module cover 50 may be exposed on a rough road or the like due to the weight of the inflator 58 or the like, and the movable plate 53 may be operated to cause the horn to sound.

In order to prevent this, it is sufficient to increase the set load value (spring constant) of the spring. However, if the spring is made hard, there is a disadvantage that the horn blowing load also increases.

As described above, in the above prior art, the horn mechanism exists at the lower part of the assembly of the airbag device, and the inflator and other heavy members constituting the airbag device are disposed on the spring. As described above, since the weight of the various components disposed on the spring is large, if the spring is strengthened, the operability of horn sounding is poor. In addition, the vibrating property is deteriorated due to the weight on the spring.

[0008] Further, because of the weight, rigidity is required for the connecting portions of the constituent members, and the weight is further increased. Therefore, it is necessary to make the horn set load higher than that of a normal steering wheel without an airbag device, and as a result, the horn sounding load becomes higher (heavier).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a floating type which is hardly transmitted to a module cover even when there is vibration such as running on a rough road or idling, and prevents generation of abnormal noise, erroneous sound of a horn, and rattling of a module cover. The present invention provides a steering wheel including an airbag device having a horn mechanism.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A steering wheel provided with an airbag device according to the present invention is a steering wheel provided with an airbag device having a bag, a retainer having an inflator mounted thereon, and a module cover. The module cover is disposed with a gap from the bag to form a movable contact of the horn, and a fixed contact that can contact the movable contact is provided at a portion facing the movable contact, and a lower surface of the retainer, The end side of the vertical wall of the module cover is connected by a spring member with the vertical wall outside, and the spring member is deformed by pressing the upper surface of the module cover, and the module cover slides downward. And the movable contact and the fixed contact are in contact with each other.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The members, arrangements, and the like described below do not limit the present invention, but can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention.

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a line BB of FIG. It is sectional drawing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel S of this embodiment has an annular grip portion 10a and four extended grip portions 10b extending inward from the annular grip portion 10a. The airbag device E is disposed inside the extension grip portion 10b. As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag device E of the present embodiment mainly includes a bag 1, an inflator 2, a retainer 3, and a module cover 4.

In the retainer 3 of this embodiment, a center hole 32 for mounting the inflator 2 is formed at a central portion, and a buckling 35, an inflator 2, and a bag 1 are provided around the hole 32.
A large number of connection holes (not shown) for connecting to the opening periphery 11 are formed.

The opening edge 11 of the bag 1 is sandwiched between the retainer 3 and the buckling 35, and the bag 1 is attached together with the inflator 2 and the retainer 3 by means of a fixing tool such as a screw through the connection hole. 1 are assembled integrally. The bag 1 of this example is housed and preserved by a known means.

Further, a bent portion 33 bent toward the boss portion 5 is formed at both end portions of the retainer 3 of the present embodiment, and the bent portion 33 is formed on the boss portion 5 at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. Attached boss plate 7 and fasteners 8 for mounting screws such as screws
Are fixed together.

The module cover 4 of the present embodiment has an upper surface portion 41.
A vertical wall 42 extending downward from the upper surface portion 41 is formed, and is disposed so as to cover the bag 1, the inflator 2, and the like. The upper surface 1a of the bag 1 and the upper surface portion 4 of the module cover
A space K is formed between the first back surface 41a and the first back surface 41a. The symbol H in FIG. 1 is an H-shaped break line formed on the module cover 4.

A support portion 43 projecting downward is formed at the lower end of the module cover 4 on the side of the extension grip 10b, and a movable contact 44 is provided on the support portion 43. The movable contact 4 is located at the upper surface of the extension grip 10b.
A fixed contact 45 that is in contact with the movable contact 44 is formed apart from the portion 10 c facing the movable contact 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the end 42a of the vertical wall 42 of the module cover 4 is
At a predetermined position, one end 9a of the spring member 9 is connected to the other end 9b of the spring member 9, the lower surface 3a of the retainer 3, and the fixing member 6b such as a screw or a mounting screw. Are connected by Therefore, when the module cover 4 is pressed, the spring member 9 is deformed, and only the module cover 4 is formed so as to be movable downward.

In this embodiment, the buckling 35, the bag 1, and the retainer 3 are connected together by the fixing member 6b. However, only the spring member 9 may be connected to the lower surface 3a of the retainer 3.

Next, the operation of the embodiment having the above configuration will be described.
Since the retainer 2 and the retainer 3 are connected, the steering wheel S is fixed similarly to a steering wheel S having a general airbag device.

When the horn is blown, the upper surface 41 of the module cover 4 is pressed, but the space K is formed between the module cover 4 and the bag 1 as described above. When the module cover 4 is pressed from the upper surface 41 side by the spring member 9 connected between the wall 42 and the retainer 3, the spring member 9 is flexibly deformed in the arrow X direction, and only the module cover 4 is moved downward (the boss). (To plate 7 side).

When the module cover 4 moves downward, a movable contact 44 formed on the module cover 4
The fixed contact 45 formed at the portion 10c of the extension grip portion 10b comes into contact, and the horn can be sounded.

[0024] Since the thus constituted, when pressing the upper surface 41 of the module cover 4 in order to sounding the horn, becomes only the module cover 4 to slide, the inflator constituting the airbag device E 2, the load of the bag 1 and the like is fixedly received by the boss plate 7.

Therefore, since a horn mechanism provided with a spring or the like is not provided below the airbag device E as in the prior art, horn operability is improved similarly to a steering wheel having no airbag device. .

In the above embodiment, the deformed portion 46 of the vertical wall 42 of the module cover 4 is formed as a bent portion. However, the deformed portion 46 is not limited to this, and means other than the bent portion, for example, A flexible member such as a spring may be formed integrally with the vertical wall 42 as a deformable portion.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the steering wheel provided with the airbag device having the floating type horn mechanism, only the module cover provided with the movable contact is slid. Even if there is vibration during road running or idling, the vibration is not easily transmitted to the module cover, and generation of abnormal noise, erroneous blow of the horn, rattling of the module cover , and the like can be prevented.

Further, the operation feeling of the horn can be made light as in the case of a steering wheel having no airbag.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel provided with an airbag device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part showing a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10a Annular grip portion 10b Extension grip portion 10c Site facing movable contact 1 Bag 1a Upper surface of bag 11 Periphery of opening of bag 2 Inflator 3 Retainer 35 Buckling 5 Boss portion 6,8 Fastener 7 Boss plate 4 Module cover 41 Upper surface Unit 41a Back surface of upper surface of module cover 42 Vertical wall 43 Support unit 44 Movable contact 45 Fixed contact E Airbag device K Gap (space) S Steering wheel

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A steering wheel provided with an airbag device having a bag, a retainer to which an inflator is attached, and a module cover, wherein the module cover is arranged with a gap between the bag and the movable horn. A contact is formed, and a fixed contact capable of contacting the movable contact is provided at a portion opposed to the movable contact, and the lower surface of the retainer and the end of the vertical wall of the module cover have the vertical wall facing outward. And connected by a spring member,
The airbag device is characterized in that the spring member is deformed by pressing the upper surface of the module cover and slides down the module cover, and the movable contact and the fixed contact come into contact with each other. Steering wheel.