JP6417224B2 - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel attached to a steering shaft of a vehicle.

  In the event of a vehicle emergency, an occupant may move forward of the vehicle and collide with the steering wheel. In this case, the mandrel of the steering wheel is deformed and the occupant's movement energy is absorbed. At that time, the wheel and the spoke of the metal core are deformed toward the steering column and displaced with respect to the boss of the metal core. Further, with the deformation of the cored bar, the occupant's impact is reduced and the occupant is protected.

  In addition to the cored bar, the steering wheel generally includes a steering pad fixed to the boss of the cored bar and a bezel attached to the boss and spoke of the cored bar. The bezel is also used as a decorative member, decorating one or more spokes, or decorating the spokes and bosses. Such a bezel is required to be deformed corresponding to the deformation of the core bar in order to prevent breakage or falling off the core bar. On the other hand, for example, it is conceivable to form the bezel from a resin material that is deformed without being damaged even at a low temperature. However, since such a resin material is expensive, the cost of the bezel increases.

Conventionally, a steering wheel is known in which at least one of a plurality of fixing portions fixed to the core metal is separated from the garnish (bezel) with deformation of the core metal (see Patent Document 1).
In the conventional steering wheel described in Patent Document 1, the deformation of the garnish is reduced by the separation of the fixed portion, and the garnish is prevented from being broken or dropped. However, the garnish does not deform in response to the deformation of the core metal, and the garnish may protrude from the steering wheel toward the occupant when the occupant collides. Therefore, the conventional steering wheel has room for improvement from the viewpoint of further improving the safety of passengers.

JP 2009-40325 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to easily deform the bezel in response to the deformation of the cored bar to prevent the bezel from protruding toward the occupant from the steering wheel. That is.

  The present invention is a steering wheel including a metal core having a boss attached to a steering shaft of a vehicle, a bezel attached to the metal core, and a steering pad fixed to the boss of the metal core. The metal core is a spoke that extends outward from the boss, a wheel that is connected to the boss by the spoke and deforms together with the spoke when the occupant collides, a displacement portion that is displaced by the deformation of the wheel and the spoke, and is not displaced when the displacement portion is displaced. And a non-displacement part including a boss. The bezel is attached across the displacement portion and the non-displacement portion of the cored bar. The steering pad includes a cover portion disposed at a position covering the boss, a peripheral wall provided on the boss-side surface of the cover portion, and an overhang portion projecting to the outside of the peripheral wall. The bezel includes a surrounding portion that surrounds the peripheral wall of the steering pad, a first attachment portion that is provided on the surrounding portion and attached to the boss of the metal core, a second attachment portion attached to the displacement portion of the spoke, and a first attachment portion, And a fragile portion that is provided in a surrounding portion between the second attachment portions and breaks when the displacement portion is displaced. The protruding portion of the steering pad is disposed at a position on the passenger side of the fragile portion, and shields the broken portion of the bezel in a state where the fragile portion is broken.

  According to the present invention, the bezel can be easily deformed in response to the deformation of the cored bar, and the bezel can be prevented from protruding toward the occupant from the steering wheel.

It is a perspective view of the steering wheel of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the decomposed | disassembled steering wheel. It is a perspective view which shows the decomposed | disassembled steering wheel. It is a side view of the steering wheel seen from the X direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steering wheel cut | disconnected by the YY line | wire of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the steering wheel before an airbag expand | swells and expands. It is a perspective view which shows the steering wheel after the airbag is inflated and deployed. It is a side view which shows the steering wheel before a passenger | crew collides. It is a side view which shows the steering wheel after a passenger | crew collides. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the other shape of a bezel.

An embodiment of a steering wheel of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The steering wheel of this embodiment is a steering member for a vehicle and is attached to a steering shaft of the vehicle. Further, the steering wheel is disposed in front of the driver's seat and is used by the occupant to control the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the steering wheel 1 of the present embodiment, showing the steering wheel 1 as viewed from the occupant. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the disassembled steering wheel 1, and FIG. 3 shows the steering wheel 1 viewed from the opposite side of FIG.
As illustrated, the steering wheel 1 includes a cored bar 10, a lower cover 2, two decorative bodies 3, a steering pad 20, a bezel 30, and an airbag device 40.

  The cored bar 10 (see FIG. 2) is a skeleton member of the steering wheel 1 and is formed of a metal (for example, a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy). The cored bar 10 has a boss 11, a plurality of spokes 12 extending outward from the boss 11, and an annular wheel 13 connected to the boss 11 by the plurality of spokes 12. The wheel 13 is also referred to as a rim, and is located outside the boss 11. The boss 11 is a central member located at the central portion of the steering wheel 1 and is attached to the steering shaft of the vehicle.

  The spoke 12 is located between the boss 11 and the wheel 13 and connects the boss 11 and the wheel 13. Here, the plurality of spokes 12 extend from the boss 11 in the width direction of the vehicle (left and right direction in FIG. 1), and from the boss 11 to the lower side of the vehicle (downward in FIG. 1). The third spokes 12C extend and are arranged radially. The entire wheel 13 and the outer end portion of the spoke 12 are covered with a covering material (for example, synthetic resin). The wheel 13 covered with the covering material is the wheel portion 4 (rim portion) of the steering wheel 1. The wheel unit 4 is gripped by the occupant when the steering wheel 1 is operated, and used for maneuvering the vehicle.

  The lower cover 2 is attached to the cored bar 10 from the steering column side (back side) of the cored bar 10 to cover a part of the boss 11 and the spoke 12. The two decorative bodies 3 are attached to the first and second spokes 12A and 12B, respectively, from the passenger side (front side) of the core metal 10 to cover the first and second spokes 12A and 12B. The steering pad 20 is molded into a cup shape from a synthetic resin, and is fixed to the boss 11 so as to cover the boss 11 of the core metal 10.

  The bezel 30 is a frame attached to the core metal 10 and is also called garnish. The bezel 30 is attached to the boss 11 and the spoke 12 (here, the third spoke 12C) from the passenger side of the core metal 10 and used as a decorative member for decorating the steering wheel 1. The bezel 30 covers and decorates the third spoke 12C. In the boss 11, the steering pad 20 is combined with the bezel 30 to decorate the boss 11 together with the bezel 30.

  The airbag device 40 is fixed to the boss 11 of the core metal 10 and mounted on the steering wheel 1. Here, the steering pad 20 is an airbag cover that covers the airbag device 40, and is attached to the airbag device 40. The airbag device 40 is disposed in the steering pad 20. The core metal 10 has a plurality of fixing portions 14 (see FIG. 2) protruding from the boss 11, and the airbag device 40 is fixed to the plurality of fixing portions 14. Thereby, the airbag device 40 and the steering pad 20 are fixed to the boss 11 of the cored bar 10.

4 is a side view of the steering wheel 1 as viewed from the X direction of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel 1 taken along line YY of FIG.
As illustrated, the airbag device 40 includes an airbag 41 that can be inflated and deployed, an inflator 42, and a plate-like holding member 43. The folded airbag 41 and inflator 42 are attached to the holding member 43 and held by the holding member 43. The steering pad 20 is attached to the holding member 43 and accommodates the folded airbag 41.

  The steering pad 20 includes a plate-shaped cover portion 21, an annular peripheral wall 22, and an annular projecting portion 23 that projects from the peripheral wall 22. The cover portion 21 is disposed at a position covering the whole or a part of the boss 11 and covers the airbag 41 on the passenger side of the airbag device 40. The peripheral wall 22 is provided on the surface (back surface) on the boss 11 side (back side) of the cover portion 21 and surrounds the airbag 41. The overhang part 23 projects from the peripheral part of the cover part 21 to the outside of the peripheral wall 22. The overhang 23 is formed from the peripheral edge of the cover portion 21 toward the boss 11 and surrounds a part of the peripheral wall 22. Therefore, the overhang portion 23 is an outer wall located outside the peripheral wall 22, and the peripheral wall 22 is disposed inside the overhang portion 23. A gap (space) 24 is formed between the peripheral wall 22 and the overhang portion 23.

  In an emergency of the vehicle, the airbag device 40 is activated and the inflator 42 generates gas. The airbag 41 is inflated by the gas supplied from the inflator 42 to push open the cover portion 21 of the steering pad 20. Subsequently, on the passenger side of the steering pad 20, the airbag 41 is inflated and deployed so as to cover the steering wheel 1. The occupant moves to the front of the vehicle and is received by the airbag 41.

6 is a perspective view showing the steering wheel 1 before the airbag 41 is inflated and deployed, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the steering wheel 1 after the airbag 41 is inflated and deployed. In FIG. 7, the airbag 41 is omitted.
As illustrated, the steering pad 20 includes a tear line 25 (indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 6) formed on the cover portion 21 and a deployment portion 26 (see FIG. 7) that is pushed open by the airbag 41.

  The tear line 25 is a groove formed on the back surface of the cover portion 21 and is torn by the inflating airbag 41. Thereby, the cover part 21 is divided into a plurality of parts, and a plurality of development parts 26 are formed on the steering pad 20. The unfolding part 26 is a unfolding door that unfolds like a door, and unfolds outside the steering pad 20. The opening 27 is formed in the steering pad 20 by the development of the development part 26. The airbag 41 is deployed from the opening 27 toward the outside of the steering pad 20.

  In an emergency of the vehicle (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the occupant may move forward of the vehicle and collide with the steering wheel 1. In this case, the cored bar 10 of the steering wheel 1 is deformed and the movement energy of the occupant is absorbed. Further, as the core bar 10 is deformed, the passenger's impact is alleviated and the passenger is protected. While the vehicle is moving forward, the occupant collides with the occupant side portion of the wheel 13 (wheel portion 4), and the occupant side portion of the core metal 10 is deformed. Here, the occupant mainly collides with a portion (spoke coupling portion 13A) coupled to the third spoke 12C of the wheel 13 or the wheel 13 around the spoke coupling portion 13A.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing the steering wheel 1 before the occupant collides, and FIG. 9 is a side view showing the steering wheel 1 after the occupant collides. 8 and 9, the cored bar 10 in the steering wheel 1 is indicated by a dotted line.
As shown in the figure, when the occupant collides with the steering wheel 1, the occupant collides with the wheel unit 4 and a collision force is applied to the wheel unit 4. Thereby, the wheel part 4 and the wheel 13 of the cored bar 10 are partially deformed together with at least one spoke 12 (here, the third spoke 12C). At that time, the wheel 13 and a part of the spoke 12 are bent by the occupant and deformed toward the opposite side (steering column side) of the occupant (see FIG. 9).

  The metal core 10 includes a displacement portion 15 that is displaced by deformation of the wheel 13 and the spoke 12 and a non-displacement portion 16 that is not displaced when the displacement portion 15 is displaced. The displacement part 15 is a part of the wheel 13 and the spoke 12, and is provided on the wheel 13 and at least one spoke 12. With the deformation of the wheel 13 and the spoke 12 due to the collision of the occupant, the displacement portion 15 of the core metal 10 is displaced relative to the non-displacement portion 16 of the core metal 10. The non-displacement part 16 is a predetermined part of the cored bar 10 including the boss 11 and is maintained in its original shape without being deformed when the displacement part 15 is displaced.

  The wheel 13 and the spoke 12 are provided with a displacement portion 15 and a non-displacement portion 16, respectively. The displacement portion 15 of the wheel 13 is thinner than the non-displacement portion 16 of the wheel 13 and is easier to deform than the non-displacement portion 16. The displacement portion 15 of the spoke 12 is a portion of the spoke 12 on the wheel 13 side, and the non-displacement portion 16 of the spoke 12 is a portion of the spoke 12 on the boss 11 side. At the boundary between the displacement portion 15 and the non-displacement portion 16 of the spoke 12, a deformation assisting portion (for example, a groove portion or a thin portion) that assists the deformation of the spoke 12 is formed. The bezel 30 is attached across the displacement portion 15 and the non-displacement portion 16 of the core metal 10 and is fixed to the core metal 10.

  The bezel 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) includes an enclosure 31 that surrounds the peripheral wall 22 of the steering pad 20, a first attachment portion 32 provided on the enclosure 31, and a decorative portion that protrudes outward from the enclosure 31. 33, a second attachment portion 34 provided in the decorative portion 33, and a fragile portion 35 formed in the surrounding portion 31. Here, the surrounding portion 31 is an annular portion formed in an annular shape and surrounds the entire peripheral wall 22. Moreover, the surrounding part 31 is also an annular wall whose axial width of the steering wheel 1 is wider than the radial thickness. A plurality of first attachment portions 32 are formed in the surrounding portion 31 and protrude from the surrounding portion 31 toward the boss 11 of the cored bar 10. The cored bar 10 has a plurality of protrusions 17 protruding from the boss 11 and a plurality of locking holes 18 formed in the plurality of protrusions 17.

  The first mounting portion 32 and the locking hole 18 have a so-called snap-fit structure, and the tip of the first mounting portion 32 is formed in a hook shape that is locked to the locking hole 18. The plurality of first mounting portions 32 are respectively inserted into the locking holes 18 of the bosses 11 and locked in the locking holes 18. Thereby, the plurality of first attachment portions 32 are attached to the boss 11 of the cored bar 10. Further, the surrounding portion 31 is attached to the boss 11 by the plurality of first attachment portions 32.

  The decoration portion 33 is disposed on the occupant side of the spoke 12 (here, the third spoke 12C), covers the spoke 12, and decorates the spoke 12. A plurality of second attachment portions 34 are formed on the decoration portion 33 and protrude from the decoration portion 33 toward the spokes 12 of the cored bar 10. The cored bar 10 has a plurality of locking holes 19 formed in the spoke 12.

  The second mounting portion 34 and the locking hole 19 have a so-called snap-fit structure, and the tip of the second mounting portion 34 is formed in a hook shape that is locked to the locking hole 19. The plurality of second attachment portions 34 are respectively inserted into the locking holes 19 of the spokes 12 and locked in the locking holes 19. Thereby, the plurality of second attachment portions 34 are attached to the spokes 12 of the cored bar 10. Further, the decorative portion 33 of the bezel 30 is attached to the spoke 12 by the plurality of second attachment portions 34.

  The locking hole 18 of the boss 11 is a first locking portion of the core metal 10 that locks the first attachment portion 32, and is formed in the boss 11 that is the non-displacement portion 16 of the core metal 10. The engagement hole 19 of the spoke 12 is a second engagement portion of the core metal 10 that engages the second attachment portion 34, and is formed in the spoke 12 that is the displacement portion 15 of the core metal 10. Therefore, the first attachment portion 32 is attached to the non-displacement portion 16, and the second attachment portion 34 is attached to the displacement portion 15 of the spoke 12 in the displacement portion 15 of the core metal 10.

  The steering pad 20 accommodates the airbag device 40 in advance and is attached to the airbag device 40. After the bezel 30 is attached to the core metal 10, the steering pad 20 is inserted into the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 and fixed to the boss 11 of the core metal 10. In this state, the surrounding portion 31 is disposed around the peripheral wall 22 and surrounds the peripheral wall 22 of the steering pad 20. Further, the surrounding portion 31 is adjacent to the peripheral wall 22, and a gap having a predetermined interval is formed between the peripheral wall 22 and the surrounding portion 31. On the boss 11 side of the overhang portion 23 of the steering pad 20, the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the overhang portion 23.

  The fragile portion 35 of the bezel 30 is a portion to be ruptured of the bezel 30 that can be ruptured with a predetermined force, and is provided in a surrounding portion 31 between the first attachment portion 32 and the second attachment portion 34. Here, the fragile portion 35 is a cutout portion formed in the surrounding portion 31, and is more fragile than other portions of the surrounding portion 31. One fragile portion 35 is disposed at a position on the boss 11 side of the overhang portion 23 and is hidden from the occupant by the overhang portion 23 of the steering pad 20.

  When the occupant collides with the steering wheel 1, the bezel 30 is displaced together with the displacement portion 15 with the displacement of the displacement portion 15 of the core metal 10. At that time, the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 is held by the boss 11 of the non-displacement portion 16 by the first attachment portion 32. Further, the surrounding portion 31 is displaced toward the overhang portion 23 of the steering pad 20 in accordance with the displacement of the displacement portion 15 and comes into contact with the overhang portion 23. The surrounding portion 31 comes into contact with the portion on the boss 11 side of the overhang portion 23 and is pressed by the overhang portion 23. As a result, the first attachment portion 32 is prevented from being detached from the boss 11, and the surrounding portion 31 is securely held by the boss 11. In addition, when the displacement part 15 is displaced, the displacement of the surrounding part 31 may be suppressed, and the displacement of the surrounding part 31 may be suppressed without bringing the surrounding part 31 into contact with the overhanging part 23.

  In a state where deformation and displacement of the surrounding portion 31 are suppressed, the portion (here, the decorative portion 33) of the bezel 30 on the second attachment portion 34 side is displaced corresponding to the displacement of the displacement portion 15. Thereby, a bending stress is generated in the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30, and the fragile portion 35 of the surrounding portion 31 is broken by a predetermined bending stress. As described above, the fragile portion 35 is broken by the force applied to the surrounding portion 31 when the displacement portion 15 is displaced. By the breakage of the fragile portion 35, the surrounding portion 31 is broken at one place, and a broken portion is formed in the surrounding portion 31. When the surrounding part 31 is broken, the surrounding part 31 is easily deformed, and the decorative part 33 is easily displaced corresponding to the displacement of the displacement part 15. As a result, the bezel 30 is easily deformed in response to the deformation of the cored bar 10.

  The overhang portion 23 of the steering pad 20 is disposed at a position on the occupant side of the fragile portion 35, and the ruptured portion (broken portion) of the bezel 30 (enclosed portion 31) is occupant in a state where the fragile portion 35 is broken. Shield on the side (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the broken portion of the bezel 30 enters the gap 24 between the peripheral wall 22 and the overhang portion 23 and is covered by the overhang portion 23. Therefore, when the fragile portion 35 is broken, the protruding portion 23 shields the broken portion of the bezel 30 from the occupant and prevents the broken portion of the bezel 30 from protruding from the steering pad 20 to the occupant side. As a result, the occupant and the airbag 41 are prevented from being damaged by the broken portion of the bezel 30.

  As described above, in the steering wheel 1 of the present embodiment, the bezel 30 is easily deformed in response to the deformation of the core metal 10 to prevent the bezel 30 from protruding toward the occupant from the steering wheel 1. be able to. Further, the rupture portion of the bezel 30 can be shielded from the occupant by using the steering wheel 1 having a simple structure without using an expensive resin material for the bezel 30 to protect the occupant.

  By breaking the bezel 30, it is possible to suppress damage to the first mounting portion 32 and the second mounting portion 34 of the bezel 30 and prevent the bezel 30 from falling off the core metal 10. Even if the second attachment portion 34 of the bezel 30 is detached from the displacement portion 15 of the spoke 12 after the fragile portion 35 is broken, the decorative portion 33 of the bezel 30 is made of the core 31 by the surrounding portion 31 and the first attachment portion 32. 10 is held. Therefore, the bezel 30 does not fall off from the cored bar 10.

  When the deploying portion 26 of the steering pad 20 is pushed open by the airbag 41 (see FIG. 7), the fragile portion 35 is disposed at a position hidden by the deploying portion 26. When the fragile portion 35 is broken, the deployed portion 26 covers the broken portion of the bezel 30 and reliably prevents the airbag 41 from being damaged by the broken portion of the bezel 30. Moreover, the surrounding part 31 (refer FIG. 2, FIG. 3) of the bezel 30 is an annular wall where the axial width of the steering wheel 1 is wider than the thickness in the radial direction. Therefore, when the displacement portion 15 is displaced, the rigidity against deformation of the surrounding portion 31 is increased, and the surrounding portion 31 is reliably broken at the fragile portion 35.

  The surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the overhang portion 23 of the steering pad 20 (see FIG. 5). When the fragile portion 35 is broken, the broken portion of the bezel 30 hits the protruding portion 23 and is pressed by the protruding portion 23. Thereby, protrusion of the fracture | rupture part of the bezel 30 can be prevented more reliably. When the distance between the surrounding portion 31 and the overhang portion 23 is shortened, the broken portion of the bezel 30 can be pressed earlier.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of another shape of the bezel 30, and shows the bezel 30 as seen from the same direction as FIG.
Here, as shown in the figure, the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 is formed on the opposite side of the decorative portion 33 and between the two first mounting portions 32 and is formed in a C shape. The two first attachment portions 32 are respectively provided at the end portions of the surrounding portion 31, and the fragile portion 35 is provided in the surrounding portion 31 between the first attachment portion 32 and the second attachment portion 34. In the steering wheel 1, the surrounding portion 31 surrounds a part of the peripheral wall 22 of the steering pad 20. As described above, the surrounding portion 31 of the bezel 30 may be formed in a shape other than the annular shape, and is formed in various shapes surrounding the whole or a part of the peripheral wall 22.

  The example in which one spoke 12 is covered with one bezel 30 has been described above, but a plurality of spokes 12 may be covered with one bezel 30. In this case, the bezel 30 is attached to the boss 11 and the displacement portion 15 of the plurality of spokes 12. When the occupant collides with the steering wheel 1, any one of the plurality of spokes 12 is displaced, and the fragile portion 35 is broken in the same manner as described above. Further, even when two or more spokes 12 are displaced, the above-described effect can be obtained by the breakage of the fragile portion 35.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering wheel, 2 ... Lower cover, 3 ... Decoration body, 4 ... Wheel part, 10 ... Core metal, 11 ... Boss, 12 ... Spoke, 13 ... Wheel, 14 ... fixed part, 15 ... displaced part, 16 ... non-displaced part, 17 ... projection, 18 ... locking hole, 19 ... locking hole, 20 ... Steering pad, 21 ... cover part, 22 ... peripheral wall, 23 ... overhang part, 24 ... gap, 25 ... tear line, 26 ... deployment part, 27 ... opening, 30 ... Bezel, 31 ... Surrounding part, 32 ... First attachment part, 33 ... Decoration part, 34 ... Second attachment part, 35 ... Fragile part, 40 ... Air Bag device 41... Airbag 42. Inflator 43. Holding member.

Claims (2)

A steering wheel comprising a core metal having a boss attached to a steering shaft of a vehicle, a bezel attached to the core metal, and a steering pad fixed to the boss of the core metal,
The metal core is a spoke that extends outward from the boss, a wheel that is connected to the boss by the spoke and deforms together with the spoke when the occupant collides, a displacement portion that is displaced by the deformation of the wheel and the spoke, and is not displaced when the displacement portion is displaced. A non-displacement part including a boss,
The bezel is attached across the displacement part and the non-displacement part of the core metal,
The steering pad has a cover part arranged at a position covering the boss, a peripheral wall provided on the boss side surface of the cover part, and an overhang part protruding to the outside of the peripheral wall,
The bezel includes a surrounding portion that surrounds the peripheral wall of the steering pad, a first attachment portion that is provided on the surrounding portion and attached to the boss of the metal core, a second attachment portion attached to the displacement portion of the spoke, and a first attachment portion, A fragile portion that is provided in an enclosure between the second mounting portions and breaks when the displacement portion is displaced,
The overhang portion of the steering pad is disposed at a position on the occupant side of the fragile portion, and the steering wheel shields the broken portion of the bezel in a state where the fragile portion is broken. The steering wheel according to claim 1,
The bezel surrounding portion is disposed in proximity to the overhanging portion of the steering pad, and the steering wheel comes into contact with the overhanging portion as the displacement portion is displaced.

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