JPH0452901Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a horn switch mounted on the steering wheel of an automobile.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a horn switch installed in a pad portion of a steering wheel includes a plurality of metal contact portions supported by a horn plate made of a sheet metal having a large area and supported by a boss plate;
A horn plate is known that is formed by the metal contact part attached to the horn seat at the upper part of the horn plate and an opposing metal contact part, and it is possible to press any position of the pad skin covering the horn seat. Therefore, the two metal contact portions come into contact and the horn sounds.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional horn switch, when the metal contacts come into contact during operation of the horn switch, the sheet metal horn seat and horn plate vibrate and generate abnormal noise. There was a problem that there was.

An object of the present invention is to provide a horn switch that can reduce abnormal noise generated when operating the horn switch.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the horn switch of the present invention is a horn switch in which both metal contact portions are supported by mutually opposing sheet metals provided in a pad portion of a steering wheel. , the distance between the elastic member and the opposing sheet metal or the distance between the two elastic members is equal to or greater than the distance between the two metal contact portions. A configuration is adopted in which it is provided on at least one of the sheet metals so as to be short.

[Function] By adopting the above configuration, when the horn switch is operated by pressing the pad part of the steering wheel, the elastic member contacts the sheet metal facing it before the two metal contact parts come into contact, or the elastic member The members come into contact with each other, and then both metal contact parts come into contact, resulting in electrical conduction and the sound of the horn, but the vibrations generated at this time are suppressed by the elastic member, and the contact speed between the metal contact parts is reduced. Because it is slower, the noise is reduced.

[Example] Below are examples 1 to 4 that embody the present invention.
This will be explained based on the diagram.

As shown in Fig. 4, the steering shaft 1
A bent mounting member 3 is fixed with bolts 4 to the rear part (left side in FIG. 4) of the boss plate 2 provided on the outer periphery of the boss plate 2 . Also, boss plate 2
A mounting member 5 is attached to the upper part (upper side in FIG. 4) of the boss plate 2 so as to sandwich the boss plate 2 therebetween. A horn plate 6, which is a sheet metal having a substantially U-shaped cross section, is fixed to the rear portions of both the mounting members 3, 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, a horn seat 8 as a sheet metal is fixed to the rear part of the horn plate 6 (on the left side in FIG. 1) with bolts 9, and is set at a predetermined height with a spacer 7 made of polyacetal. has been done. Spacer 7 fixed by the same bolt 9
As shown in Figure 3, there are four
The horn seat 8 is provided at a certain location to keep the entire surface of the horn seat 8 at a predetermined height.

A spring storage member 11 is provided in the hole 10 provided in the upper part of the horn plate 6 (upper side in FIG. 1).
A spring 12 is compressed and inserted into the spring housing member 11 to press the horn seat 8 rearward. The spring 12 stored in this spring storage member 11 is
The springs 12 are provided at a plurality of locations so that the springs 12 act even if any position of the pad skin 13 covering the horn seat 8 is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a contact point 14 serving as a metal contact portion protrudes from the inner surface of the horn seat 8 and is fixed therethrough. On the other hand, a contact plate 15 as a metal contact portion is fixed on the horn plate 6 at a position opposite to the contact point 14, and is configured to come into contact with or separate from the contact point 14. These contact points 14 and contact plate 15 form a horn switch. In addition, a pair of metal contact portions consisting of these contact points 14 and contact plates 15 are arranged as shown in FIG.
The horn is activated by pressing any position on the pad skin 13 covering the horn seat 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, an elastic member 16 made of polyurethane foam and having a flat upper surface is fixed to the outer circumference of the contact plate 15 on the horn plate 6. As shown in FIG. The distance between the elastic member 16 and the horn seat 8 is set to be equal to or shorter than the distance between the contact point 14 and the contact plate 15. The elastic member 16 contacts the horn seat 8 before or at the same time as the contact point 14 contacts the contact plate 15.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4, a terminal 18 of a wire harness 17 is connected to the horn seat 8. Same wire harness 17
is connected to the column side via a slip ring (not shown), and is designed to sound a horn.

The operation and effect of the horn switch configured as described above will be explained.

When the driver of the automobile presses the pad skin 13 of the pad portion of the steering wheel, the horn seat 8 is simultaneously pressed. Then, the contact point 14 attached to the horn seat 8 moves toward the contact plate 15 fixed on the horn plate 6, and
comes into contact with.

At this time, the contact point 14 and the contact plate 15 vibrate because they are both made of sheet metal, and the vibrations are directly transmitted to the horn sheet 8 to which the contact point 14 is attached and the horn plate 6 to which the contact plate 15 is fixed. Conveyed. However, since an elastic member 16 made of foamed polyurethane is fixed on the horn plate 6 at the outer circumference of the contact plate 15 so as to surround the contact plate 15, the vibrations are absorbed and blocked by the elastic member 16. is,
Abnormal noises are sufficiently suppressed.

Further, at the same time or before the contact point 14 hits the contact plate 15, the horn seat 8 hits the elastic member 16, and the contact point 14 moves toward the contact plate 15 while pressing the elastic member 16. The contact speed with respect to the contact plate 15 is reduced, and abnormal noise is reduced.

Therefore, the noise generated by the contact point 14 coming into contact with the contact plate 15 is reduced. Therefore, the discomfort caused to the driver when operating the horn switch is eliminated. Also,
The quality and reliability of horn switch products will improve.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be modified as desired without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it can be configured as follows.

(1) As shown in Figure 5, contact point 1
It is also possible to make a hole 19 in the horn seat 8 on the outer periphery of the horn seat 8, and to project into the hole 19 an elastic member 13a integrally formed with the pad skin 13. In this case, the distance between the elastic member 13a and the horn plate 6 is set to be equal to or shorter than the distance between the contact point 14 and the contact plate 15.

(2) As shown in FIG. 6, an elastic member 20 may be fixed on the horn seat 8 at the outer periphery of the contact point 14, contrary to the above embodiment.

(3) As shown in Figure 7, contact plate 1
In addition to fixing an elastic member 21 on the horn plate 6 at the outer periphery of the contact point 14, another elastic member 22 may be provided at a position facing the elastic member 21 on the horn seat 8 at the outer periphery of the contact point 14. . In this case, the distance between both elastic members 21 and 22 is made equal to or shorter than the distance between the contact point 14 and the contact plate 15. With this configuration, abnormal noise can be reduced more effectively.

[Effects of the Invention] The horn switch of the present invention has the effect of sufficiently reducing abnormal noise generated when operating the horn switch.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the pad portion incorporating the horn switch (A-A cross-sectional view in FIG. 3), and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the inside of the pad section, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pad section (B--B in FIG. 3).
B sectional view) and FIGS. 5 to 7 are enlarged sectional views of essential parts showing other examples of the present invention. 6... Horn plate as a sheet metal, 8... Horn sheet as a sheet metal, 13a... Elastic member,
14...Contact point as a metal contact part, 15...Contact plate as a metal contact part, 16, 20, 21, 22...Elastic member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Both metal contact portions 1 are attached to mutually opposing sheet metals 6 and 8 provided within the pad portion of the steering wheel.
4 and 15 are supported horn switches,
Elastic members 16, 13a, 20 that contact at least one of the metal plates 6, 8 or each other;
The distance between the elastic members 16, 13a, 20 and the opposing sheet metals 6, 8 or the distance between the elastic members 21, 22 is equal to or shorter than the distance between the metal contact portions 14, 15. A horn switch provided on at least one of the metal plates.