JPH0236428B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a steering wheel for an automobile or the like, and particularly to a connection structure between a boss and a spoke core thereof.

[Conventional technology]

For example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-192167, the conventional steering wheel
When connecting the metal boss and the spoke core metal, a flange portion is provided protruding from the outer periphery of the boss, and an arc-shaped fixing portion is provided that abuts a part of the outer periphery of the boss, for example, approximately half of the outer periphery of the boss. It was formed in the center of the spoke core metal, and the fixing part of the spoke core metal and the outer periphery of the boss and the flange part were welded together.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the case of the conventional connection structure described above, in addition to stress in the rotational direction, stress in the axial direction acts between the spoke core metal and the boss, so it is necessary to lengthen the welded part, and it is necessary to fix the spoke core metal. Almost the entire length of the section was welded to the outer periphery of the boss and the flange section.

Therefore, welding distortion is likely to occur in the spoke core metal, and the spoke core metal is set in a mold for the coating material layer together with the annular rim core metal welded to both ends of the spoke core metal, and the coating material is applied to the outer periphery of the spoke core metal and rim core metal. When forming the layer, the spoke core metal was likely to be located on the surface of the coating material layer, burrs were likely to occur, and furthermore, it was sometimes impossible to set it in the mold.

The present invention was made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to prevent welding distortion from occurring in the spoke core material when connecting the boss and the spoke core material such as a spoke core metal. It is something.

[Means for solving problems]

In the steering wheel of the present invention, a flange portion 15 is provided protrudingly on the outer periphery of a metal boss 8 fitted to a steering shaft 6, and flat portions 16, 16a for preventing rotation are formed.
For example, an arc-shaped fixing part 17 that surrounds a part of the outer periphery of the boss 8, for example, approximately half of the outer periphery of the boss 8, is formed in the center of the spoke core material such as the spoke core metal 5, and the flat part 16 is attached to the fixing part 17. , 16a
A part of the outer periphery of the boss 8 is surrounded by a fixing part 17 of the spoke core material, and a flat part 1 on the outside of the boss 8 is formed.
The straight portions 18, 18a are fixedly fixed to the spoke core members 6, 16a, and the fixed portions 17 of the spoke core material are fixed to the bosses 8, 16a.
At the same time, a holding plate 19 is attached to the lower part of the fixing part 17 of the spoke core material.
The fixing part 17 is brought into contact with the flange part 15.
At least one of the clamping plate 19 and the flange part 15, for example, a retaining protrusion 20 formed on the clamping plate 19 is engaged with the outside of the central part of the fixing part 17, and the clamping plate 19
This is characterized in that the outer periphery of the boss 8 is welded 21.

[Effect]

The steering wheel of the present invention has a flange portion 15 protruding from the outer periphery of the boss 8 and a clamping plate 19 welded 21 to the outer periphery of the boss 8 to sandwich the fixing portion 17 of the spoke core material such as the spoke core metal 5. Planar parts 16, 16 fixed in the axial direction and formed on the outer periphery of the boss 8
The direction of rotation is fixed by the engagement of the linear parts 18, 18a formed on the fixing part 17 of the spoke core material,
At least one of the holding plate 19 and the flange portion 15, for example, a protrusion 20 formed on the holding plate 19, locks the center portion of the fixing portion 17 to prevent the spoke core material from coming off.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the steering wheel of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a steering wheel. This steering wheel has a shape in which an annular rim part 1 and a central boss part 2 are connected by spoke parts 3. As shown in FIG. Both ends of a substantially F-shaped spoke core metal 5 made of a metal round rod as a spoke core material of the spoke portion 3 are connected to an annular rim core metal 4 made of a round rod made of a metal. A substantially cylindrical metal boss 8 that fits into the steering shaft 6 and is screwed and fixed with a nut 7 is connected to the center part, and a synthetic resin coating is provided on the outside of the rim core metal 4 and spoke core metal 5. Material layer 9
A horn switch mechanism 10 and a horn pad 11 made of synthetic resin are disposed above the central part of the boss 8 and the spoke core metal 5, and a synthetic resin The lower cover 12 etc. made by the manufacturer are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spoke core metal 5 and the boss 8 are connected by integrally protruding a disc-shaped flange 15 on the outer periphery of the upper end of the boss 8 by forging or the like. , both sides of the outer periphery of this boss 8 are cut out to form parallel flat surfaces 16 for preventing rotation, and a circular arc-shaped fixing part that surrounds a part of the outer periphery of this boss 8, for example, approximately half of the outer periphery of the boss 8. 1
7 is bent at the center of the spoke core metal 5, and a part of this fixing part 17 is attached to each of the above-mentioned flat parts 16.
Corresponding to the above, the spoke core 5 is formed into a straight line and has a parallel linear part 18 for preventing rotation, and the fixing part 17 of the spoke core metal 5 surrounds the outer periphery of the boss 8 and is fixed to each flat part 16 of the boss 8. Each linear portion 18 of the portion 17 is locked to prevent rotation, and the fixed portion 17 of the spoke core metal 5 is brought into contact with the lower part of the flange portion 15. A perforated disc-shaped clamping plate 19 is fitted around the outer periphery of the boss 8 in a non-rotating manner, and is brought into contact with the lower part of the fixing part 17 of the spoke core 5 to prevent the clamping plate 19 from rotating.
The fixed part 17 is held between the flange part 15 of the boss 8, and the retaining protrusion 20 formed by bending from the end surface of the holding plate 19 is engaged with the outside of the central part of the fixed part 17, that is, the front side. In this state, the inner circumference of the holding plate 19 and the outer circumference of the boss 8 are welded 2 over the entire circumference.
1 by doing.

Therefore, since there is no welding of the fixing portion 17 of the spoke core metal 5, there is no fear that the spoke core metal 5 will be deformed due to welding distortion.

Further, both the flat part 16 of the boss 8 and the straight part 18 of the fixed part 17 of the spoke core metal 5 can be easily and precisely formed by a simple processing method such as forging or bending. Moreover, the plane portion 16
Since it is only necessary to circumscribe the straight portion 18 on the straight line portion 18, it is possible to easily combine the two.

Note that even if there is no welding between the fixed part 17 of the spoke cored metal 5 and the boss 8, the stress applied in the rotational direction and radial direction when operating the steering wheel is small, so each straight line of the fixed part 17 of the spoke cored metal 5 is Part 1
8 and each flat surface part 16 of the boss 8, the spoke core metal 5 does not rotate relative to the boss 8, and the center of the protrusion 20 of the clamping plate 19 and the fixing part 17 of the spoke core metal 5 The engagement with the spoke core bar 5 prevents the spoke core metal 5 from coming out from the boss 8 forward, that is, upward in FIG. When the steering wheel is hit in the event of a collision, a large stress is applied in the axial direction. Since the spoke core metal 5 is firmly welded to the outer periphery of the boss 8,
There is no fear that it will fall out downwards, that is, in FIG. 4.

Further, FIG. 6 shows a modification, in which flat parts 16a on the outer periphery of the boss 8 for preventing rotation and linear parts 18 for preventing rotation on the fixing part 17 of the spoke core metal 5 are shown.
a is formed into a tapered shape, so that in addition to the projection 20, each flat portion 16a and each linear portion 18a
This prevents the spoke core metal 5 from coming off the boss 8.

Note that in carrying out the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications;
It is not necessary to perform welding over the entire circumference of the spoke core 5, and partial welding 21 may be used as long as a predetermined strength is obtained.
Also, not only the clamping plate 19 but also the flange portion 1 of the boss 8
5, or may be formed on both the holding plate 19 and the flange portion 15.

Further, in the case of the present invention, even when using a synthetic resin spoke core material for the purpose of weight reduction, the spoke core material and the boss 8 can be connected.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the fixed part of the spoke core material is held between the flange part protruding from the outer periphery of the boss and the clamping plate firmly welded to the outer periphery of the boss, thereby ensuring reliable alignment in the axial direction. The rotation direction is fixed by locking the anti-rotation linear part formed on the fixed part of the spoke core material to the anti-rotation flat part formed on the outer periphery of the boss, The protrusion formed on one side locks the center part of the spoke core material to prevent the spoke core material from coming off in the radial direction, thereby connecting the boss and the spoke core material. There is no welding, the spoke core material will not be deformed by welding distortion, and there will be no inconvenience when forming the coating material layer.In addition, it has sufficient strength, is highly safe, and has a flat boss. Both the straight part and the straight part of the fixing part of the spoke core material can be easily and precisely formed by a simple processing method such as forging or bending, and moreover, the straight part can be formed by circumscribing the flat part. It is also possible to easily combine the two.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken from the side of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clamping plate, and FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the main part showing a modification thereof. 5...Spoke core metal as spoke core material, 6
...Steering shaft, 8...Boss, 15...
...flange part, 16, 16a... plane part, 17...
...Fixed part, 18, 18a... Straight part, 19... Holding plate, 20... Protrusion, 21... Welding.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A flange portion is provided protruding from the outer periphery of a metal boss that is fitted to the steering shaft, and a flat surface portion for preventing rotation is formed, and an arc-shaped fixing portion surrounding a part of the outer periphery of this boss is attached to the spoke core. At the same time, a straight line part for locking to the flat part is formed in the fixing part to prevent rotation, and a part of the outer periphery of the boss is surrounded by the fixing part of the spoke core material. The linear part is stopped from rotating on the outer flat part, the fixed part of the spoke core material is brought into contact with the lower part of the flange part of the boss, and the holding plate is brought into contact with the lower part of the fixed part of the spoke core material. This fixing part is held between the above-mentioned flange part, and a retaining protrusion formed on at least one of the holding plate and the flange part is engaged with the outside of the central part of the above-mentioned holding part, and the holding part is held between the holding part and the flange part. A steering wheel characterized in that the outer periphery of the boss is welded.