JP4604898B2 - Steering wheel with airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention belongs to a technical field related to a steering wheel that includes a ring portion and a pad portion and includes an airbag device disposed in the pad portion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a ring portion gripped by a driver of a vehicle and a pad portion located on the center side of the ring portion and connected to the ring portion via a spoke portion, and an airbag device is provided in the pad portion. The steering wheel provided is well known, and in this case, a break groove having a V-shaped cross section is seen from the driver's head side in the center axis direction of the ring portion at the substantially central portion of the cover member of the pad portion. For example, it is formed in an H shape, and when the bag portion of the airbag device is inflated and deployed, an opening is formed by breaking and deploying the cover member at the portion where the fracture groove is formed. The part is inflated and deployed.

Further, in recent years, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, it is housed in a substantially ring shape in a housing portion provided in the pad portion, and at the time of a vehicle front collision There is known an airbag device having a bag portion (a so-called donut airbag) that is inflated and deployed in a substantially ring shape on the driver's head side. In the cover member of the pad portion in which the airbag device is disposed, the portion corresponding to the central portion of the accommodated bag portion is not deployed, and the surrounding portion is inflated and deployed to the outside of the pad portion. For this purpose, the bag portion is expanded by the expansion / deployment pressure of the bag portion so as to form a substantially ring-shaped opening (this expanded portion is referred to as a deployment cover portion). And accessories, such as a horn and an emblem, are arrange | positioned inside the part (normally the center part of a pad part and is called a fixed cover part) in which the cover member in the said pad part is not expand | deployed.
JP 2004-224145 A

  By the way, in an airbag device having a bag portion called a donut-shaped airbag as described above, the housing portion in which the bag portion is accommodated is usually the above-mentioned cover member and the central axis of the ring portion with respect to the cover member. It is formed in a substantially ring shape with a base provided on the opposite side to the driver's head in the direction, and an inflator is disposed at the center. The outer surface (side surface of the driver's head) of the cover member is in the direction of the center of the ring portion from the vicinity of the boundary between the fixed cover portion and the deployment cover portion toward the outer side in the pad portion radial direction from the viewpoint of design and the like. Inclined to the opposite side of the driver's head, and the inclined state differs particularly between the front part of the vehicle located on the front side of the vehicle relative to the fixed cover part and the rear part of the vehicle located on the rear side of the vehicle. There are many cases.

  However, as described above, when the inclination state of the vehicle front side portion and the vehicle rear side portion of the outer surface of the cover member is different, the volume of the vehicle front side portion of the housing portion inside the cover member and the vehicle rear side The volume of the partial portion is different from each other. For this reason, in the initial stage of inflation and deployment of the bag portion, the inflation and deployment pressure of the portion located on the side with the smaller volume in the bag portion increases, and as a result, the portion with the smaller volume in the deployment cover portion is deployed first. As a result, the bag portion may be locally biased and inflated and deployed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel including an airbag device having a bag portion called a donut-shaped airbag as described above. The first side of the cover member from the vicinity of the boundary between the fixed cover portion on the driver's head side surface of the cover member and the portion of the deployment cover portion located on the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion The first part up to the vicinity of the side end and the side opposite to the first side in the radial direction of the pad part with respect to the fixed cover part and the fixed cover part in the deployment cover part on the driver head side surface of the cover member The bag portion is localized when the inclined state of the second portion from the vicinity of the boundary with the portion located on the second side to the vicinity of the second side end of the cover member is different from each other. Reliably without biasing it is to so as to inflate and deploy in a substantially ring shape.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in the base portion, the portion corresponding to the first portion and the portion corresponding to the second portion are compared with the case where both portions are in the same position in the central axis direction of the ring portion. In the accommodating part, the ring part is shifted in the central axis direction so that the difference between the volume of the part corresponding to the first part and the volume of the part corresponding to the second part becomes small, or the ring part When viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction, the length in the pad portion radial direction of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the length in the pad portion radial direction of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the housing portion, Different from each other, the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the accommodating portion is smaller than when both the lengths are the same. It was a big and small relationship.

  Specifically, in the invention of claim 1, the vehicle includes a ring portion gripped by a driver of the vehicle, and a pad portion located on the center side of the ring portion and connected to the ring portion via the spoke portion. The present invention is directed to a steering wheel including an airbag device disposed in the pad portion.

The airbag device is housed in a substantially ring shape in a housing portion provided in the pad portion when viewed from the driver head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion, and on the driver head side during a vehicle front collision. A portion of the pad portion on the bag portion inflating and deploying side is configured by a cover member, and corresponds to the central portion of the accommodated bag portion and when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A fixed cover portion fixed so as not to be deployed, and a substantially ring-shaped opening provided around the fixed cover portion for allowing the bag portion to inflate and deploy outside the pad portion when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A deployment cover portion that is deployed by the inflation and deployment pressure of the bag portion, and on the side of the driver's head of the cover member, the stationary cover portion and the stationary cover portion of the deployment cover portion The first portion from the vicinity of the boundary with the portion located on the first side in the radial direction of the head portion to the vicinity of the first side end of the cover member extends from the vicinity of the boundary to the first side end. Toward the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion toward the side of the driver's head of the cover member, and the pad portion diameter with respect to the fixed cover portion and the fixed cover portion of the unfolded cover portion A second portion from the vicinity of the boundary to the portion located on the second side opposite to the first side in the direction to the vicinity of the second side end of the cover member is the first portion Is inclined to the side opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion from the vicinity of the boundary toward the second side end, and the housing portion includes the cover member, A base provided on the side opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring with respect to the cover member Formed between, a portion corresponding to the portion and the second portion corresponding to said first portion in said base, the both portions are in the same position in the axial direction of the steering shaft is a ring portion central axis Compared to a certain case, the ring portion center axis direction (the steering shaft of the steering shaft) is mutually reduced so that the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the housing portion is reduced . It is assumed that it is displaced in the axial direction .

Even if the inclined state of the first portion and the second portion of the driver's head side surface of the cover member is different from each other by the above configuration, the portion corresponding to the first portion and the portion corresponding to the second portion in the base portion Compared to the case in which the two portions are shifted in the center axis direction of the ring portion ( axial direction of the steering shaft) and the both portions are in the same position in the axial direction of the steering shaft, which is the central axis direction of the ring portion. Since the difference between the volume of the part corresponding to the first part and the volume of the part corresponding to the second part is made small, both the volumes can be made substantially the same, and the initial stage of expansion and deployment The pressure in the bag portion can be substantially the same in the portion corresponding to the first portion and the portion corresponding to the second portion. As a result, the part corresponding to the first part and the part corresponding to the second part in the development cover part can be developed at substantially the same timing. Therefore, the bag portion can be reliably inflated and deployed in a substantially ring shape without locally biasing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle is running straight ahead, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and driving in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion When viewed from the head side, the distance between the vehicle front side end of the fixed cover portion of the cover member and the vehicle front side end of the cover member is the vehicle rear side end of the fixed cover portion of the cover member and the cover. The distance between the member and the rear end of the vehicle is smaller.

  That is, the pad portion is normally provided at a position close to the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the ring portion when the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, and the bag portion is inflated and deployed from the pad portion provided at such a position. When this occurs, the center portion of the inflated and deployed bag portion is displaced from the center of the ring portion. Therefore, the position where the driver's head (face) abuts on the deployment tip surface of the bag portion is the position of the steering wheel. It will differ depending on the rotational position (steering angle position) around the center axis of the ring portion. However, in this invention, since the fixed cover portion is provided at a position closer to the vehicle front side than the vehicle front-rear direction center of the pad portion, the center portion of the inflated and deployed bag portion is made to substantially coincide with the center of the ring portion. As a result, the driver can always be protected in the same form regardless of the steering angle position of the steering wheel. When the fixed cover portion is closer to the vehicle front side than the center of the pad portion in the vehicle front-rear direction as described above, the volume of the vehicle front side portion of the housing portion is usually considerably smaller than the vehicle rear side portion. In the invention, both volumes can be made substantially the same. That is, in the base portion, the portion corresponding to the first portion (vehicle front side portion) is positioned on the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring portion than the portion corresponding to the second portion (vehicle rear side portion). If so, the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion (vehicle front side portion) and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion (vehicle rear side portion) in the housing portion is reduced, and the bag portion is locally It can be reliably inflated and deployed in a substantially ring shape without being biased.

  In the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1, the ring portion is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and the ring portion of the instrument panel is An instrument is arranged in the front part of the vehicle, and in the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, The first part is a driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring portion toward the vehicle front side so that the driver can visually recognize the instrument through the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the vehicle front side of the pad portion. It shall be inclined to the opposite side to the part.

  With this configuration, when the ring portion is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction as in a vehicle such as a truck, the driver's instrument is visually recognized. Can be improved. On the other hand, by adopting such a configuration, the volume of the vehicle front side portion of the housing portion is usually considerably smaller than that of the vehicle rear side portion. In the present invention as well, The volume can be made substantially the same.

  In the invention of claim 4, the vehicle comprises a ring portion gripped by a driver of the vehicle, and a pad portion located on the center side of the ring portion and connected to the ring portion via the spoke portion. The object is a steering wheel provided with an air bag device.

  The airbag device is housed in a substantially ring shape in a housing portion provided in the pad portion when viewed from the driver head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion, and on the driver head side during a vehicle front collision. A portion of the pad portion on the bag portion inflating and deploying side is configured by a cover member, and corresponds to the central portion of the accommodated bag portion and when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A fixed cover portion fixed so as not to be deployed, and a substantially ring-shaped opening provided around the fixed cover portion for allowing the bag portion to inflate and deploy outside the pad portion when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A deployment cover portion that is deployed by the inflation and deployment pressure of the bag portion, and on the side of the driver's head of the cover member, the stationary cover portion and the stationary cover portion of the deployment cover portion The first portion from the vicinity of the boundary with the portion located on the first side in the radial direction of the head portion to the vicinity of the first side end of the cover member extends from the vicinity of the boundary to the first side end. Toward the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion toward the side of the driver's head of the cover member, and the pad portion diameter with respect to the fixed cover portion and the fixed cover portion of the unfolded cover portion A second portion from the vicinity of the boundary to the portion located on the second side opposite to the first side in the direction to the vicinity of the second side end of the cover member is the first portion Is inclined to the side opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion from the vicinity of the boundary toward the second side end, and the housing portion includes the cover member, A base provided on the side opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring with respect to the cover member Corresponding to the length of the pad portion in the radial direction and the second portion of the housing portion corresponding to the first portion when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction. The length of the pad portion in the radial direction of the pad portion is different from each other, and the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the second portion in the accommodating portion are compared with the case where the lengths are the same. It is assumed that there is a size relationship such that the difference from the volume of the corresponding part is small.

  According to the present invention, even if the inclined states of the first portion and the second portion of the driver head side surface of the cover member are different from each other, the housing portion corresponds to the first portion in the same manner as in the first aspect of the invention. The volume of the part and the volume of the part corresponding to the second part can be made substantially the same. Therefore, the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1 can be obtained.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the deployment cover portion is composed of a plurality of divided portions that are set to be divided from each other at the time of deployment, and in a straight forward traveling state of the vehicle. The first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and when viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion, The pad portion is formed on the ring portion so that the distance between the vehicle front side end of the inner portion is larger than the distance between the vehicle rear side end of the cover member and the vehicle rear side end of the innermost portion of the ring portion. The rear divided portion disposed at a position corresponding to the second portion of the unfolded cover portion rotates around the hinge portion set near the vehicle rear end of the cover member toward the vehicle rear side. By moving and unfolding, the pad section on the vehicle rear side The ring portion central axis direction of the driver's head with respect to the ring portion through a space between the pad portion and the ring portion is assumed to be configured to reach the opposite position.

  In other words, the pad portion is provided at a position closer to the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the ring portion in the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, and the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the pad portion. Is smaller than the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the vehicle front side relative to the pad portion. However, the rear divided portion of the deployment cover portion does not contact the vehicle rear side portion of the ring portion, and passes through the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the vehicle rear side of the pad portion with respect to the ring portion. Since it reaches the position on the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring, the rear part of the vehicle's upper part of the driver's upper body (especially the chest) is inflated and deployed on the rear side of the vehicle When the bag part comes into contact with the ring part, the bag part is not obstructed by the deployed rear-side divided part from the space between the pad part and the ring part on the vehicle rear side of the pad part to the ring part. Therefore, it becomes easier to move to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion. As a result, the contact portion of the bag portion with the driver is easily deformed, and the impact force due to the contact with the driver can be reduced. Therefore, the protection performance of the driver can be improved.

  In the invention of claim 6, in the invention of claim 4, the ring portion is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and the ring portion of the instrument panel is An instrument is arranged in the front part of the vehicle, and in the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, The first part is a driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring portion toward the vehicle front side so that the driver can visually recognize the instrument through the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the vehicle front side of the pad portion. It shall be inclined to the opposite side to the part.

  Thus, the same effect as that attained by the 3rd aspect can be attained.

As described above, according to the steering wheel equipped with the airbag device of the present invention, the base portion corresponds to the first portion and the second portion corresponding to the central portion in the ring portion central axis direction . Compared with the case where the steering shaft is located at the same position in the axial center direction, the ring is mutually connected so that the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the accommodating portion becomes smaller. The length in the pad portion radial direction of the portion corresponding to the first portion in the housing portion and the second length when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction. The length of the pad portion in the radial direction of the portion corresponding to the portion is different from each other, and the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the first portion in the accommodating portion are compared with the case where the lengths are the same. Corresponding to 2 parts Since the difference between the volume and the volume of the minute portion is small, the first portion and the second portion on the side surface of the driver's head of the cover member are different from each other even if the inclined states are different from each other. The volume of the part corresponding to the first part and the volume of the part corresponding to the second part are made substantially the same, and the part corresponding to the first part and the part corresponding to the second part in the deployment cover part are substantially the same timing. Can be deployed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably inflate and deploy the bag portion in a substantially ring shape without locally biasing the bag portion while improving the degree of freedom in designing the pad portion.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration in the vicinity of a driver's seat 2 in a vehicle 1 provided with a steering wheel 16 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention (in this embodiment, a one-box car having a high vehicle height including a truck, a bus, and the like). A resin instrument panel 3 is disposed at the front end of the vehicle 1 and a windshield 4 is disposed above the instrument panel 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, at the center of the instrument panel 3 in the vehicle width direction, an air conditioning operation switch 7 for adjusting the temperature and air volume of the air conditioner, a center ventilator 8 for blowing air and air, and an audio device 9 are provided. Etc. are arranged. Further, an instrument 11 such as a speedometer, an engine tachometer, and a water temperature gauge for engine cooling water is disposed on the vehicle front side portion of the driver seat 2 in the instrument panel 3, and the driver seat 2 side in the instrument panel 3. A side ventilator 12 and the like are disposed at the end portion (in the present embodiment, the vehicle right end portion).

  A steering shaft 15 is provided below the instrument 11 of the instrument panel 3 so as to incline upward toward the rear of the vehicle. A steering wheel 16 is connected to the upper end of the steering shaft 15 via a column 20. Attached.

  As shown in FIG. 3 in an enlarged manner, the steering wheel 16 includes a ring portion 17 held by a driver D who is an occupant of the vehicle 1 (in this embodiment, a person having an average physique of an American adult male), The pad portion 18 is located on the center side of the ring portion 17 and is connected to the ring portion 17 via two spoke portions 19. As will be described in detail later, an airbag device 25 (see FIG. 4) having a bag portion 26 that is inflated and deployed at the time of a vehicle front collision is disposed in the pad portion 18. The ring portion 17 is inclined at an inclination angle θ (see FIG. 1) of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction. A preferable range of the inclination angle θ is 45 ° or more and 85 ° or less. Hereinafter, the steering wheel 16 will be described as being in a rotational position (the steering angle is 0) when the vehicle 1 is in a straight forward traveling state.

  The pad portion 18 of the steering wheel 16 is located closer to the vehicle rear side than the ring portion center axis (coincides with the axis of the steering shaft 15) when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion center axis direction. Is provided. The two spoke portions 19 connect the vehicle rear side portions of the left and right side edge portions of the pad portion 18 and the vehicle rear side portions of the left and right side portions of the inner peripheral surface of the ring portion 17, respectively. A space is formed between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the front and rear sides of the pad portion 18. Of these two spaces, the front side of the pad portion 18 is formed larger than the rear side. The driver D visually recognizes the instrument 11 disposed on the front side of the ring portion 17 through the space on the front side of the pad portion 18.

  The portion on the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction in the pad portion 18 (the portion on the side where the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed as will be described later) is made of resin such as polypropylene as shown in FIG. The cover member 35 is used. In the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge on the inner side surface (the side opposite to the driver's head) of the cover member 35, a cylindrical support portion 35a extending to the side opposite to the driver's head (column 20 side) in the ring portion central axis direction. The base portion 30 made of a metal plate is supported and fixed by caulking of the pins 31 so as to form a space between the support portion 35 a and the cover member 35.

  A concave portion 35 b that is recessed toward the column 20 is formed at a substantially central portion of the cover member 35, and the opening of the concave portion 35 b is covered with a decorative cover 36. The decorative cover 36 is preferably provided with an accessory such as an emblem, an operation switch of the audio device 9 or an air conditioner, or a display device using liquid crystal or EL. In this manner, when the operation switch is disposed on the decorative cover 36, the mechanism portion of the operation switch may be provided in the recess 35b. Hereinafter, the side peripheral wall portion and the bottom wall portion of the concave portion 35b in the cover member 35 including the decorative cover 36 are referred to as a cover central portion 35c, and a portion on the outer peripheral side of the cover central portion 35c in the cover member 35 (the support portion described above). 35b) is referred to as a cover outer peripheral portion 35d.

  In the present embodiment, the cover center portion 35c has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, and is formed on the outer surface (driver head side surface) of the cover center portion 35c. The outer peripheral edge portion is substantially flush with the inner peripheral edge portion on the outer side surface (driver's head side surface) of the cover outer peripheral portion 35d (for example, a step within ± 0.5 cm). There is no need.

  An inflator 27 which is a part of the airbag device 25 is provided in a portion corresponding to the cover center portion 35c in the pad portion 18, and the inflator 27 is substantially the same diameter as the cover center portion 35c. It has a cylindrical case 27 a and is fixed in a state of penetrating the substantially central portion of the base portion 30. A space around the inflator 27 between the cover member 35 and the base portion 30 is an accommodation portion 29 in which the bag portion 26 is accommodated. The housing portion 29 has a substantially ring shape when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, and the bag portion 26 is connected to the housing portion 29 from the driver head side in the ring portion central axis direction. It is folded and accommodated in a substantially ring shape.

  The inflator 27 includes a case 27a in which a gas generating agent (not shown) for generating gas is sealed, and the gas generating agent is ignited by a spark plug (not shown) at the time of a vehicle front collision. Thus, a gas is generated, and this gas is jetted and supplied to the bag portion 26 from the gas outlet 27b provided on the side peripheral surface of the case 27a, so that the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed.

  A support bracket 32 is attached and fixed to the base 30 so as to straddle the inflator 27. The support bracket 32 is attached to the base 30 at both sides of the inflator 27 in the vehicle width direction, and extends from the two side plate portions 32a extending toward the bottom wall portion of the recess 35b in the cover central portion 35c, and the inflator. 27 and a top plate portion 32b for connecting the tip portions of both side plate portions 32a through the bottom wall portion. The top plate 32b and the bottom wall are bolted to each other (the bolt is not shown).

  The bag portion 26 has a bag shape, and is accommodated in the accommodating portion 29 so that the opening edge portion faces the base portion 30 side and wraps the inflator 27. The entire periphery of the opening edge portion of the bag portion 26 is fixedly attached to the periphery of the inflator 27 in the base portion 30, and the central portion of the bag bottom portion of the bag portion 26 is connected to the bottom wall portion of the concave portion 35b and the support bracket 32 in the cover central portion 35c. Is sandwiched between the top plate portion 32b. The cover central portion 35 c is located at a portion corresponding to the central portion of the bag portion 26 accommodated in the accommodating portion 29.

  The column 20 is rotatably fixed integrally to the upper end portion of the steering shaft 15 via a core member 21 so as to cover the side opposite to the driver's head in the ring portion central axis direction of the pad portion 18. . A horn plate 41 extending toward the rear of the vehicle is fixed to the surface of the core member 21 on the pad portion 18 side, and a support pin extending along the central axis direction of the ring portion is attached to the tip of the horn plate 41. 42 is fixed. On the other hand, a tray member 43 is fixed to an end of the base 30 on the column 20 side of the rear portion of the vehicle, and the tray member 43 is slidably fitted to the support pin 42. The tray member 43 is urged toward the pad portion 18 by the compression coil spring 44 and is in contact with the tip portion of the support pin 42 having a large diameter. When the driver D presses the pad portion 18 toward the column 20, the tray member 43 slides toward the horn plate 41 with respect to the support pin 42 against the urging force of the compression coil spring 44. ing.

  A first contact 45 is provided integrally with the tray member 43 on the inner peripheral portion of the tray member 43 that fits with the support pin 42, while a second contact 46 is provided on the horn plate 41 side of the support pin 42. The two contact points 45 and 46 are brought into contact with each other by sliding the tray member 43 toward the horn plate 41, whereby the horn circuit is closed and the horn sounds.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a break groove 51 having a substantially V-shaped cross section is formed on the inner surface of the cover member 35 of the pad portion 18. That is, the breaking groove 51 is formed on the inner surface of the cover member 35 at the boundary portion between the cover center portion 35c and the cover outer periphery portion 35d, the cover center side portion at the base of the support portion 35a in the cover outer periphery portion 35d, and the cover outer periphery. It is formed at six locations in the circumferential direction in the portion 35d. Hereinafter, the fracture groove 51 formed at the boundary portion between the cover central portion 35c and the cover outer peripheral portion 35d is referred to as an inner fracture groove 51a, and the fracture formed at the cover central side portion at the base of the support portion 35a in the cover outer peripheral portion 35d. The grooves 51 are referred to as outer fracture grooves 51b, and the fracture grooves 51 formed at six locations in the circumferential direction of the cover outer peripheral portion 35d are referred to as intermediate fracture grooves 51c.

  The intermediate break groove 51c extends from the inner break groove 51a to the outer break groove 51c toward the radially outer side of the cover outer peripheral portion 35d. Thus, a portion excluding the outer peripheral end portion of the cover outer peripheral portion 35d is partitioned into six divided portions 52 in the circumferential direction by the inner fracture groove 51a, the outer fracture groove 51b, and the intermediate fracture groove 51c. Hereinafter, with respect to the cover center portion 35c, the dividing portion 52 located on the vehicle front side is referred to as a front dividing portion 52a, and the dividing portion 52 located on the vehicle rear side is referred to as a rear dividing portion 52b, which is located on the vehicle left front side. The dividing unit 52 is referred to as a left front dividing unit 52c, the dividing unit 52 located on the right front side of the vehicle is referred to as a right front dividing unit 52d, and the dividing unit 52 located on the left rear side of the vehicle is referred to as a left rear dividing unit 52e. The division part 52 located on the right rear side of the vehicle is referred to as a right rear division part 52f. The left rear side and the right rear side divided parts 52e and 52f are provided at positions corresponding to the two spoke parts 19, respectively.

  The outer breaking groove 51b is interrupted over a predetermined length in a portion corresponding to the substantially central portion in the circumferential direction of the cover outer peripheral portion 35d in each of the divided portions 52. Each interrupted portion is a portion set as a hinge portion 60 when each divided portion 52 is deployed as will be described later.

  The portion of the cover member 35 where the breaking groove 51 is formed is designed to break upon receiving the inflation and deployment pressure when the bag portion 26 of the airbag device 25 is inflated and deployed. At this time, the hinge part 60 which is the interrupted part of the outer breaking groove 51b is not broken. As a result, the front division 52a is separated from the left front and right front divisions 52c and 52d located on both sides of the front division 52a, and is located on the front side of the vehicle with the hinge 60 of the front division 52a as the center. It rotates and expand | deploys to the vehicle front side position of the pad part 18 (refer FIG. 5). The rear divided portion 52b is separated from the left rear and right rear divided portions 52e and 52f located on both sides of the rear divided portion 52b, and the vehicle is centered on the hinge portion 60 of the rear divided portion 52b. By rotating to the rear side, the pad portion 18 is deployed to the vehicle rear side position. Further, similarly, the left front side, the right front side, the left rear side, and the right rear side divided parts 52c to 52f are also separated from each other, and are rotated around the respective hinge parts 60, so that the pad part 18 is rotated. The vehicle is unfolded at positions on the left front side, right front side, left rear side, and right rear side. As described above, each of the divided portions 52 is developed as divided pieces that are divided by the expansion and deployment pressure of the bag portion 26.

  Due to the expansion of the divided portion 52, a substantially ring-shaped opening for the bag portion 26 to expand and deploy to the outside of the pad portion 18 is formed in the cover member 35 where the divided portion 52 existed before expansion. It will be. On the other hand, since the cover central portion 35c is fixed to the base portion 30 via the support bracket 32, the cover central portion 35c does not expand when the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed. Accordingly, the cover center portion 35c corresponds to the fixed cover portion that corresponds to the center portion of the bag portion 26 accommodated in the accommodating portion 29 and is fixed so as not to be deployed when the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed. The dividing portion 52 corresponds to a deployment cover portion that is deployed so as to form a substantially ring-shaped opening for the bag portion 26 to be inflated and deployed outside the pad portion 18 when the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed. The unfolded cover portion is composed of a plurality of divided portions 52 (52a to 52f) which are set to be divided into pieces when they are unfolded.

  As shown in FIG. 4, on the outer side surface of the cover member 35 (that is, on the driver's head side surface), the cover central portion 35c and the front divided portion 52a (first in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion in the deployment cover portion). The first portion 35e extending from the vicinity of the boundary to the vehicle front side end (first side end) of the cover member 35 to the pad portion 18 on the vehicle front side of the pad portion 18 Ring unit central axis from the vicinity of the boundary toward the vehicle front side end (first side end) (that is, toward the vehicle front side) so that the instrument 11 can be visually recognized through the space between the ring unit 17 and the ring unit 17 Inclined to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction. Accordingly, the vehicle front side end of the cover member 35 or the vicinity thereof is opposite to the driver head in the ring portion central axis direction with respect to the ring portion 17 (from the driver head side end of the ring portion 17 to the driver). A position separated from the head by a distance of a predetermined value x, preferably a position separated from the driver head of the ring portion 17 by a distance of a predetermined value y). Near the vehicle front side end of the cover member 35, the hinge part 60 of the front side split part 52a is set.

  Further, on the outer surface of the cover member 35, the cover center portion 35c and the rear divided portion 52b (on the second side opposite to the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion in the deployment cover portion). The second portion 35f extending from the vicinity of the boundary to the vicinity of the vehicle rear side end (second side end) of the cover member 35 to the rear side of the vehicle from the vicinity of the boundary, like the first portion 35e. It is inclined toward the end (second side end) (that is, toward the rear side of the vehicle) on the side opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the center axis of the ring portion. Thereby, the vehicle rear side end of the cover member 35 or the vicinity thereof is located on the opposite side to the driver's head in the ring portion central axis direction with respect to the ring portion 17. Near the side end, the hinge portion 60 of the rear divided portion 52b is set.

  The inclined state of the first portion 35e and the second portion 35f is different from each other. That is, the inclination angle of the first portion 35e near the boundary between the cover center portion 35c and the front dividing portion 52a is greater than the inclination angle of the second portion 35f near the boundary between the cover center portion 35c and the rear dividing portion 52b. On the other hand, the inclination angle in the vicinity of the vehicle front side end of the cover member 35 in the first portion 35e is smaller than the inclination angle in the vicinity of the vehicle rear side end of the cover member 35 in the second portion 35f. Due to the inclination of the first portion 35e, the driver D can easily see the instrument 11 through the space between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the vehicle front side of the pad portion 18. As a result, in the base portion 30, the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e (vehicle front side portion) and the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f (vehicle rear side portion) are located at the same position in the central axis direction of the ring portion. In this case, the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e (vehicle front side portion) in the accommodating portion 29 is smaller than the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f (vehicle rear side portion).

  Further, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the center of the cover center portion 35c is located closer to the vehicle front side than the vehicle front-rear direction center of the pad portion 18, When viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, a distance L1 between the vehicle front side end of the cover central portion 35c of the cover member 35 and the vehicle front side end of the cover member 35 is the cover member 35. Is smaller than a distance L2 between the vehicle rear side end of the cover center portion 35c and the vehicle rear side end of the cover member 35 (see FIG. 4). Accordingly, the center of the accommodating portion 29 (substantially coincident with the center of the cover central portion 35c) is closer to the vehicle front side than the center of the pad portion 18 in the vehicle front-rear direction. As a result, in the base portion 30, the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e (vehicle front side portion) and the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f (vehicle rear side portion) are located at the same position in the central axis direction of the ring portion. In this case, in combination with the inclined state, the volume of the portion (vehicle front side portion) corresponding to the first portion 35e in the accommodating portion 29 is the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f (vehicle rear side portion). Much smaller than the volume.

  However, in the present embodiment, the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the base portion 30 are compared with the case where both portions are at the same position in the ring portion central axis direction. In the accommodating portion 29, the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f are shifted from each other in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion. That is, in the base portion 30, the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e is located on the opposite side to the driver's head in the ring portion central axis direction than the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f. As a result, the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the accommodating portion 29 is reduced to approximately the same level.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bag portion 26 of the airbag device 25 has a hollow portion 26 a formed at the center of the bag portion 26 from the opening formed by the development of the divided portion 52, and the hollow portion. The cover center part 35c is inflated and deployed so as to be located in the inner part 26a. As a result, the bag portion 26 is inflated and deployed in a substantially ring shape on the driver's head side when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring central axis direction. Before the division part 52 is deployed at the initial stage of expansion and deployment of the bag part 26, the volume of the part corresponding to the first part 35e and the volume of the part corresponding to the second part 35f in the storage part 29 are as described above. Since the pressure is approximately the same, the pressure in the bag 26 at the initial stage of inflation and deployment is substantially the same in the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f. The front divided portion 52a located at a position corresponding to the portion 35e and the rear divided portion 52b located at a position corresponding to the second portion 35f are deployed at substantially the same timing, and the bag portion 26 is substantially ring-shaped without being locally biased. It expands and expands into a shape.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the bag portion 26 is completely inflated and deployed, the entire inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 26 a is closer to the driver's head than the cover central portion 35 c at the center portion of the bag portion 26. Is swelled to the inside of the hollow portion 26a so that the hollow portion 26a is crushed. Further, the bag portion 26 has an outer diameter larger than the ring portion 17 of the steering wheel 16 and covers the ring portion 17 when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction when the inflation and deployment are completed. It has become.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the center of the cover center portion 35c is closer to the vehicle front side than the vehicle front-rear direction center of the pad portion 18 when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction. Therefore, the center portion of the inflated and deployed bag portion 26 can be brought closer to the center of the ring portion 17. In other words, the pad portion 18 is provided at a position close to the vehicle rear side with respect to the ring portion 17, but the center of the cover center portion 35 c, that is, the center of the housing portion 29 is brought closer to the vehicle front side, thereby the housing portion 29. The center of the bag portion 26 can be brought closer to the center of the ring portion 17, whereby the center portion of the inflated and deployed bag portion 26 can also be brought closer to the center of the ring portion 17. As a result, when the face of the driver D abuts on the deployment front end surface of the bag portion 26 as will be described later, regardless of the steering angle position of the steering wheel, the driver D is positioned at substantially the same position (center portion) on the deployment front end surface. The driver D can be always protected in the same form.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment includes a seat belt device 70 that restricts the amount of movement of the upper body of the driver D to the front of the vehicle when the vehicle crashes. That is, the seat belt device 70 includes a retractor portion 72 that winds up the seat belt 71, a lap anchor portion (not shown) to which a leading end portion of the seat belt 71 pulled out from the retractor portion 72 is attached, A tongue 74 disposed in the middle portion in the lengthwise direction is configured in a three-point system having a buckle portion 75 with which the tongue 74 is detachably engaged. The buckle part 75 is fixed to the vehicle body on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the driver seat 2, while the retractor part 72 and the lap anchor part are on the opposite side of the buckle part 75 across the driver seat 2. It is fixed to the vehicle body outside in the width direction. The seat belt 71 withdrawn from the retractor 72 is converted from an upward direction to a downward direction by a slip guide 76 provided at an upper position on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the driver's seat 2. It is attached to the lap anchor part. The tongue 74 is provided so as to be slidable with respect to the seat belt 71 between the slip guide 76 and the lap anchor portion. By engaging the tongue 74 with the buckle portion 75, the driver D is in a state where the seat belt 71 is worn. The retractor 72 is provided with a well-known load limiter mechanism (not shown). When the driver D tries to move forward while the upper body of the driver D falls down, the road is loaded. When the shaft of the limiter mechanism is twisted, the seat belt 71 is pulled out while maintaining a constant tension, and the amount of movement of the upper body of the driver D to the front of the vehicle is limited within a predetermined range. In the present embodiment, when the vehicle 1 collides with an obstacle while traveling straight ahead at 30 km / h, the forward movement amount at the center in the vertical direction of the chest surface (the part corresponding to the sternum) of the driver D is 20 cm or more. Limit within 30 cm or less.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the upper body of the driver D falls down as described above at the time of the frontal collision of the vehicle, the face of the driver D is the front end surface of the bag portion 26 (in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion). (The surface on the driver's head side) is in contact with the central portion in which the hollow portion 26a is crushed. In the present embodiment, the center of the face of the driver D hits a portion within a radius of 20 cm (preferably within 10 cm) from the center of the bag portion 26 (that is, the center of the hollow portion 26a) on the deployment front end surface of the bag portion 26. I try to touch. That is, the central portion of the deployment tip surface of the bag portion 26 is not in the same state as the other portions of the deployment tip surface, even though the hollow portion 26a is in a collapsed state. However, its elasticity is low and it deforms greatly. Thereby, if the face of the driver D is brought into contact with the central portion of the deployed distal end face of the bag portion 26, the impact force acting on the face of the driver D can be reduced.

  When the ring portion 17 of the steering wheel 16 is inclined at the inclination angle θ with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, the vehicle rear side of the outer peripheral side surface of the deployed bag portion 26 is usually provided. Since the chest of the driver D abuts on the portion and the face abuts on the deployment tip surface, the radius of the deployment tip surface of the bag portion 26 substantially matches the distance from the chest of the driver D to the center of the face. If it is set to, the face of the driver D can be easily brought into contact with the central portion of the deployed distal end surface of the bag portion 26.

  Here, at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the steering wheel 16 may move toward the driver's head via the steering shaft 15 depending on the magnitude of the degree of impact. In this case, the upper body falls to the front of the vehicle. There is a possibility that the chest of the driver D abuts on the vehicle rear side portion of the ring portion 17 of the steering wheel 16 before the face of the driver D abuts on the deployment front end surface of the bag portion 26. As described above, since the outer diameter of the bag portion 26 at the time of completion of inflation and deployment is larger than that of the ring portion 17, the chest portion comes into contact with the vehicle rear side portion on the outer peripheral side surface of the bag portion 26 before contacting the ring portion 17. As a result, the chest of the driver D can be protected.

  Accordingly, in the first embodiment, the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e in the base portion 30 is located on the opposite side to the driver's head in the ring portion central axis direction than the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f. The inclined state of the first portion 35e and the second portion 35f is different from each other, and the center of the cover center portion 35c (center of the accommodating portion 29) is closer to the vehicle front side than the center of the pad portion 18 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Even in such a case, the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the accommodating portion 29 is reduced to approximately the same level. As a result, the front divided portion 52a located at the position corresponding to the first portion 35e and the rear divided portion 52b located at the position corresponding to the second portion 35f are deployed at substantially the same timing, so that the bag portion 26 is localized. It is possible to reliably inflate and deploy in a substantially ring shape without being biased.

  In the first embodiment, the first side is the front side of the vehicle and the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, but the first side is any side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the cover central portion 35c. (For example, the front left side of the vehicle), and the second side may be the side opposite to the first side (if the first side is the front left side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear right side of the vehicle). Side). That is, when the inclined state of the first part and the second part located on opposite sides of the cover central part 35c is different from each other, the part corresponding to the first part and the second part in the base 30 correspond to the second part. The volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the accommodating portion 29 are compared with the case where the both portions are at the same position in the central axis direction of the ring portion. What is necessary is just to make it mutually shift to a ring part central-axis direction so that the difference of these may become small.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the first portion is from the center of the cover center portion 35c to the first side (the vehicle front side in FIG. 3). A portion that is included between two straight lines that intersect at the center and extend at a predetermined angle α (45 ° or less) on both sides of the straight line. A portion located on the side opposite to the driver's head is a portion corresponding to the first portion of the accommodating portion 29. Similarly to the first portion, the second portion is viewed from the center of the cover center portion 35c toward the second side (the vehicle rear side in FIG. 3) when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring central axis direction. A portion that is included between two straight lines that intersect at the center and extend at a predetermined angle α (45 ° or less) on both sides of the straight line. A portion located on the opposite side to the driver's head is a portion corresponding to the second portion of the accommodating portion 29.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention (note that the same parts as those in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals and the detailed description thereof is omitted), and the center of the cover center part 35c (the center of the accommodating part 29) is shown. The pad portion 18 is moved closer to the vehicle rear side than the vehicle front-rear direction center.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the inclined states of the first portion 35e and the second portion 35f are the same as those in the first embodiment and are different from each other. Further, the inclination of the first portion 35 e makes it easy for the driver D to visually recognize the instrument 11 through the space between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the vehicle front side of the pad portion 18. On the other hand, in the base portion 30, a portion corresponding to the first portion 35e (vehicle front side portion) and a portion corresponding to the second portion 35f (vehicle rear side portion) are at the same position in the ring portion central axis direction. For this reason, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the portion 29 corresponding to the first portion 35e in the accommodating portion 29 corresponds to the pad portion radial length M1 and the second portion 35f. When the length M2 of the pad portion in the radial direction of the pad portion is the same, the volume of the portion (vehicle front side portion) corresponding to the first portion 35e in the accommodating portion 29 corresponds to the second portion 35f. It becomes smaller than the volume of the part (vehicle rear side part).

  However, in the present embodiment, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the pad portion radial length M1 of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e in the housing portion 29 and the second portion. The portion corresponding to the first portion 35e in the accommodating portion 29 is different from the length M2 in the pad portion radial direction of the portion corresponding to the portion 35f, as compared with the case where both the lengths are the same. And the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f are small. That is, the center of the cover center portion 35c, that is, the center of the housing portion 29 is moved closer to the vehicle rear side than the center of the pad portion 18 in the vehicle front-rear direction, whereby the pad of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e in the housing portion 29 is obtained. The length M1 in the radial direction is larger than the length M2 in the radial direction of the pad corresponding to the second portion 35f. As a result, also in the present embodiment, the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the accommodating portion 29 are substantially the same as in the first embodiment. Yes.

  In addition, the arrangement position of the pad portion 18 with respect to the ring portion 17 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the front end of the cover member 35 and the ring A distance D <b> 1 between the innermost portion of the portion 17 and the vehicle front side end is made larger than a distance D <b> 2 between the vehicle rear side end of the cover member 35 and the vehicle rear end of the innermost portion of the ring portion 17. ing. Even at the position where the pad portion 18 is disposed, the rear divided portion 52b at the position corresponding to the second portion 35f of the deployment cover portion is set in the vicinity of the vehicle rear side end of the cover member 35. The ring is rotated with respect to the ring portion 17 through the space between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the vehicle rear side of the pad portion 18 by rotating and deploying to the vehicle rear side around the hinge portion 60. It reaches a position on the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the center of the head (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8). In the first embodiment as well, as shown in FIG. 6, the developed rear divided portion 52 b passes through the space between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the vehicle rear side of the pad portion 18. 17 has reached a position opposite to the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring portion.

  The reason why the rear divided portion 52b is expanded to the position opposite to the driver's head in the ring portion central axis direction with respect to the ring portion 17 is as follows. That is, when the front part of the vehicle contacts the rear part of the vehicle on the outer peripheral side surface of the bag part 26 as described in the first embodiment, the vehicle of the pad part 18 in the bag part 26 is provided. The space between the pad portion 18 and the ring portion 17 on the rear side or a portion located in the vicinity thereof is not obstructed by the developed rear divided portion 52b, and the center of the ring portion from the space to the ring portion 17 is not disturbed. It becomes easy to move to the side opposite to the driver's head in the axial direction. As a result, the contact portion of the bag portion 26 with the driver is easily deformed, and the impact force on the chest of the driver D is reduced. Because it can.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, the length M1 of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e in the accommodating portion 29 in the radial direction of the pad portion is greater than the length M2 of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the radial direction of the pad portion. As in the first embodiment, the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion 35e and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion 35f in the accommodating portion 29 can be made substantially the same as in the first embodiment. The part 26 can be surely expanded and deployed in a substantially ring shape without being locally biased.

  In the second embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, the first side is the front side of the vehicle and the second side is the rear side of the vehicle. The second side may be on the opposite side of the first side. That is, when the tilted state of the first part and the second part located on the opposite sides of the cover center part 35c is different from each other, when viewed from the driver's head side in the ring part central axis direction, Position in the central portion 35c where the length M1 of the portion corresponding to the first portion in the accommodating portion 29 in the radial direction of the pad portion and the length M2 of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the radial direction of the pad portion are the same. Therefore, the storage portion 29 is shifted to the first side or the second side so that the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion becomes small. do it.

  In the first and second embodiments, the ring portion 17 is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, but the inclination angle is 0 as in a passenger car. The present invention can also be applied to cases where the angle is larger than ° and smaller than 40 °.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for a steering wheel in which an airbag device having a bag portion called a donut airbag is disposed in a pad portion.

It is a side view showing a schematic structure near a driver's seat in a vehicle provided with a steering wheel according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is the figure seen from the vehicle back diagonal upper side which shows a part of instrument panel of the said vehicle, and a steering wheel. It is the figure which looked at the said steering wheel from the driver | operator's head side of the ring part center axis direction. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing an initial state of inflation and deployment of the bag portion of the airbag device. It is sectional drawing seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the state at the time of completion of expansion | deployment of the bag part of an airbag apparatus. FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 illustrating a state where a driver is in contact with a bag portion of the airbag device. FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG.

D Driver 1 Vehicle 3 Instrument panel 11 Instrument 16 Steering wheel 17 Ring part 18 Pad part 19 Spoke part 25 Air bag device 26 Bag part 27 Inflator 29 Storage part 30 Base part 35 Cover member 35c Cover center part (fixed cover part)
35e First part 35f Second part 52 Dividing part (deployment cover part)
52a Front division part 52b Rear division part 60 Hinge part

Claims (6)

An air bag device disposed in the pad portion, the ring portion being gripped by a driver of the vehicle, and a pad portion located on the center side of the ring portion and connected to the ring portion via the spoke portion A steering wheel with
The airbag device is accommodated in a substantially ring shape in an accommodating portion provided in the pad portion when viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion, and is inflated and deployed on the driver's head side in the event of a vehicle front collision. Having a bag portion to
A portion of the pad portion on the bag portion inflating and deploying side is constituted by a cover member, and corresponds to the central portion of the accommodated bag portion and is fixed so as not to be unfolded when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. And an expansion / deployment pressure of the bag portion so as to form a substantially ring-shaped opening for the bag portion to be inflated and deployed outside the pad portion when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A deployment cover portion to be deployed,
On the side of the driver's head of the cover member, from the vicinity of the boundary between the fixed cover portion and the portion of the unfolded cover portion located on the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion, the cover member The first portion up to the vicinity of the first side end is inclined from the vicinity of the boundary toward the first side end on the side opposite to the driver's head in the ring central axis direction,
On the side face of the driver's head of the cover member, the fixed cover portion and the deployment cover portion are located on a second side opposite to the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion. The second portion from the vicinity of the boundary with the portion to the vicinity of the second side end of the cover member is inclined from the vicinity of the first portion toward the second side end in an inclined state different from that of the first portion. Inclined to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring,
The housing portion is formed between the cover member and a base portion provided on the opposite side of the driver head in the ring portion central axis direction with respect to the cover member,
In the base portion, the portion corresponding to the first portion and the portion corresponding to the second portion are compared with the case where both portions are at the same position in the axial direction of the steering shaft that is the central axis direction of the ring portion, The air that is shifted in the central axis direction of the ring portion so that the difference between the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion is small in the accommodating portion. Steering wheel with bag device. A steering wheel comprising the airbag device according to claim 1,
In the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and is fixed to the cover member when viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion. The distance between the vehicle front side end of the cover portion and the vehicle front side end of the cover member is smaller than the distance between the vehicle rear side end of the fixed cover portion of the cover member and the vehicle rear side end of the cover member. A steering wheel provided with an airbag device. A steering wheel comprising the airbag device according to claim 1,
The ring portion is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction,
An instrument is arranged in the vehicle front part of the ring part in the instrument panel,
In the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and the first portion of the driver head side surface of the cover member is Inclining to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring toward the front of the vehicle so that the instrument can be seen through the space between the pad and the ring on the front of the vehicle. A steering wheel equipped with a characteristic airbag device. An air bag device disposed in the pad portion, the ring portion being gripped by a driver of the vehicle, and a pad portion located on the center side of the ring portion and connected to the ring portion via the spoke portion A steering wheel with
The airbag device is accommodated in a substantially ring shape in an accommodating portion provided in the pad portion when viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion, and is inflated and deployed on the driver's head side in the event of a vehicle front collision. Having a bag portion to
A portion of the pad portion on the bag portion inflating and deploying side is constituted by a cover member, and corresponds to the central portion of the accommodated bag portion and is fixed so as not to be unfolded when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. And an expansion / deployment pressure of the bag portion so as to form a substantially ring-shaped opening for the bag portion to be inflated and deployed outside the pad portion when the bag portion is inflated and deployed. A deployment cover portion to be deployed,
On the side of the driver's head of the cover member, from the vicinity of the boundary between the fixed cover portion and the portion of the unfolded cover portion located on the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion, the cover member The first portion up to the vicinity of the first side end is inclined from the vicinity of the boundary toward the first side end on the side opposite to the driver's head in the ring central axis direction,
On the side face of the driver's head of the cover member, the fixed cover portion and the deployment cover portion are located on a second side opposite to the first side in the pad portion radial direction with respect to the fixed cover portion. The second portion from the vicinity of the boundary with the portion to the vicinity of the second side end of the cover member is inclined from the vicinity of the first portion toward the second side end in an inclined state different from that of the first portion. Inclined to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the central axis of the ring,
The housing portion is formed between the cover member and a base portion provided on the opposite side of the driver head in the ring portion central axis direction with respect to the cover member,
When viewed from the driver's head side in the ring portion central axis direction, the length in the pad portion radial direction of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the pad portion diameter of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the housing portion. Compared to the case where the lengths in the direction are different from each other and the both lengths are the same, the volume of the portion corresponding to the first portion and the volume of the portion corresponding to the second portion in the accommodating portion A steering wheel provided with an airbag device, characterized in that the difference between the two is small. A steering wheel comprising the airbag device according to claim 4,
The deployment cover part is composed of a plurality of divided parts set to be divided into respective divided pieces when deployed,
In the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and the vehicle of the cover member when viewed from the driver's head side in the central axis direction of the ring portion. The distance between the front end and the vehicle front end of the innermost portion of the ring portion is larger than the distance between the vehicle rear end of the cover member and the vehicle rear end of the innermost portion of the ring portion. The pad portion is disposed with respect to the ring portion, and the rear divided portion at a position corresponding to the second portion of the unfolded cover portion is centered on the hinge portion set near the vehicle rear end of the cover member. The driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring portion with respect to the ring portion through the space between the pad portion and the ring portion on the vehicle rear side of the pad portion It is configured to reach the position on the opposite side of Steering wheel with airbag devices. A steering wheel comprising the airbag device according to claim 4,
The ring portion is inclined at an inclination angle of 40 ° or more and 90 ° or less with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction,
An instrument is arranged in the vehicle front part of the ring part in the instrument panel,
In the straight forward traveling state of the vehicle, the first side is the front side of the vehicle, the second side is the rear side of the vehicle, and the first portion of the driver head side surface of the cover member is Inclining to the opposite side of the driver's head in the direction of the center of the ring toward the front of the vehicle so that the instrument can be seen through the space between the pad and the ring on the front of the vehicle. A steering wheel equipped with a characteristic airbag device.

Images