JPH0630596Y2 - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a steering wheel for an automobile or the like.

(Prior Art) In a conventional steering wheel, a boss of a boss is pivotally attached to a steering shaft, and a mounting nut is tightened with a nut tightening tool (box wrench) to a nut tightening portion of the steering shaft protruding above the boss. By wearing it, it is fixed to the steering shaft.

By the way, as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-4758, when the mounting nut is fastened to the nut fastening portion of the steering shaft, the mounting nut is surrounded by the inside of the boss, that is, the spoke and the back cover. In the steering wheel described in the above publication, the periphery of the upper surface of the boss is covered by a cylindrical fall prevention wall provided on the boss to prevent the boss from being tightened when the mounting nut is tightened. It prevents the mounting nut from falling inside.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) In the conventional steering wheel as described above, a nut tightening tool (box wrench) is used in the production line where the steering wheel is mounted on the steering shaft.
It is troublesome to set small mounting nuts on the nut tightening tools one by one because the mounting nuts are set to the nuts for tightening work.Also, as mentioned above, even if the steering wheel has a fall prevention wall, , The installation nut set in the nut tightening tool may be dropped when going to the steering wheel, resulting in poor production efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and eliminates the need to set a mounting nut to a nut tightening tool in a production line where a steering wheel is mounted on a steering shaft, and prevents the mounting nut from falling, which improves production efficiency. The purpose is to provide a good steering wheel.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In the present invention, a rim portion 2, a spoke portion 3 provided on the rim portion 2, and a boss portion 4 attached to the spoke portion 3.
In the steering wheel 1 in which the boss 11 of the boss portion 4 is pivotally mounted on the steering shaft 12 and is fastened by the mounting nut 14, the nut of the steering shaft 12 protruding above the upper surface of the boss 11 of the boss portion 4. Fastening part
At a position surrounding the periphery of 13, a substantially cylindrical nut support 21 that supports the mounting nut 14 so that it can be engaged and disengaged with the tightening work.
The nut support 21 is provided with a mounting portion 22 fixedly mounted to the boss 11 side, and a plurality of holding pieces 24 for holding the mounting nut 14 from the mounting portion 22 are provided.
The 25 (41, 42) is provided so as to be elastically deformable in the radial direction, and the holding portion that holds and holds the lower portion of the mounting nut 14 of the holding pieces 24, 25 (41, 42) is removed from the lower side of the mounting nut 14. It is provided in a taper shape.

(Operation) In the present invention, the steering wheel in which the mounting nut 14 is held inside the nut support 21 is used as the steering shaft.
By mounting the mounting nut 14 on the shaft 12, the mounting nut 14 is arranged above the nut tightening portion 13 of the steering shaft 12 protruding from the upper surface of the boss 11.

Then, by performing a tightening operation while pushing the mounting nut 14 toward the nut tightening portion 13 using a tool, the holding pieces 24, 25 (41, 4
The tapered holding part of 2) is pressed and the holding pieces 24, 25 (4
1, 42) are elastically deformed outward, and the mounting nut 14 holds the holding piece 2
It is disengaged from between 4 and 25 (41, 42) and fastened to the nut fastening portion 13.

(Embodiment) The construction of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering wheel, which is composed of an annular rim portion 2, a spoke portion 3 provided between inner sides of the rim portion 2, and a boss portion 4 provided at the center of the spoke portion 3. It is configured.

As shown in FIG. 1, the boss portion 4 is made of a metal boss 11.
The steering shaft 12 has a boss 11, which is attached to the steering shaft 12 and projects from the upper surface of the boss 11.
The mounting nut 14 is fastened to the nut fastening portion 13 so as to be fixed to the steering shaft 12. The boss 11 is provided with a boss hole 15 through which the steering shaft 12 is inserted, and a plurality of mounting protrusions 16 are provided on the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the boss hole 15 to form a plate shape of the spoke portion 3. The spoke core material (17) is tightened and fixed by a mounting bolt (18) screwed to the mounting projection (16).

An opening 19 is provided in the spoke core material 17 so as to face above the boss hole 15 of the boss 11, and a nut support 21 made of synthetic resin is fitted in the opening 19 so as to fit therein. As shown in FIG. 2, the nut support 21 is integrally provided with a holding cylinder 23 surrounding the upper periphery of the boss hole 15 from an attachment portion 22 joined to the upper surface of the spoke core material 17 through an opening 19. The holding cylinder 23 is provided with a holding piece 24 having a holding claw 24a at the lower end portion which projects inwardly of the cylinder at a substantially middle position in the vertical direction of the cylinder so as to face the inside of the cylinder. Holding pieces 25 having projecting holding claws 25a at the lower end are provided facing each other,
Further, a slit 26 is provided between the holding pieces 24 and 25, and the lower end sides of the holding pieces 24 and 25 are elastically deformable toward the outside of the cylinder. The upper surface of the holding claw 25a is tapered downward so that the mounting nut 14 can be removed, and the lower surface is tapered upward so that the mounting nut 14 can be engaged.

The vertical distance between the holding claws 24a of the respective holding pieces 24, 25 and the holding claws 25a is set so as to be able to hold the flange 14a integrally or welded to the lower peripheral edge of the mounting nut 14. There is. Further, the holding position of the mounting nut 14 by the holding pieces 24 and 25 is set with respect to the upper end of the steering shaft 12 in which the lower surface of the mounting nut 14 projects from the upper surface of the boss 11 when the boss 11 is axially attached to the steering shaft 12. It is set so that there is a slight gap.

In addition, a plurality of support cylinders 27 are integrally projectingly provided on the periphery of the mounting portion 22 of the nut support body 21, and the nut support body 21 is screwed by the mounting screws 28 screwed to the spoke core material 17 through the support cylinder 27. Is clamped and fixed to the spoke core 17, and therefore
The nut support 21 is fixed to the boss 11 side.

A contact plate 31 is attached to the nut support 21. The contact plate 31 is provided with an opening 32 in the center thereof, and a plurality of guide holes 33 which are fitted to the outer periphery of each support cylinder 27 of the nut support 21 so as to be vertically slidable at the peripheral edge of the opening 32. Is provided, and the lower surface of the contact plate 31 is pressed by a spring 34 mounted around the support cylinder 27 to be urged upward, and a synthetic resin fixed to the upper end of the support cylinder 27 by a mounting screw 28. The upper surface of the contact plate 31 is pressed by the ring 35 made of metal to prevent the contact plate 31 from coming off the support cylinder 27.

A horn pad 36 is removably adhered to the upper portion of the contact plate 31, while a back cover 38 having a slip ring 37 attached to the boss 11 is attached to the boss portion 4.
Covers the bottom and sides of the.

Then, when supplying the steering wheel 1 to the production line in which the steering wheel 1 is mounted on the steering shaft 12, the awn pad 36 is attached to the boss portion 4.
Without mounting the mounting nut 14 through the opening 32 of the contact plate 31, the holding piece 24 of the nut support 21.
Insert between 25 and hold.

Then, in the production line where the steering wheel 1 is mounted on the steering shaft 12, when the boss 11 of the steering wheel 1 holding the mounting nut 14 is axially mounted on the steering shaft 12, as shown in FIG.
A nut fastening portion 13 of the steering shaft 12 projects from the upper surface of the steering shaft 12, and a mounting nut 14 held by a nut support 21 is arranged above the nut fastening portion 13 with a slight gap.

Then, the nut tightening tool (box wrench) is caused to enter the inside of the holding cylinder 23 of the nut support 21 through the opening 32 of the contact plate 31 and be fitted to the outside of the mounting nut 14. Then, by rotating the mounting nut 14 in the tightening direction while pushing the mounting nut 14 downward with a nut tightening tool, the tapered holding claws 25a of the holding pieces 24, 25 are pressed by the lower portion of the mounting nut 14 to move the holding piece 25. Elastically deformed outwards, mounting nut
14 disengages from between the holding pieces 24, 25 and is fastened to the nut fastening portion 13. At this time, since the mounting nut 14 is positioned and held by the nut support 21, by pushing the mounting nut 14 downward, the screw hole of the mounting nut 14 is easily fitted to the outer circumference of the screw of the nut fastening portion 13. When the mounting nut 14 is rotated in the tightening direction, it is easily screwed onto the outer periphery of the nut tightening portion 13.

Then, by rotating the mounting nut 14 screwed into the nut tightening portion 13 in the tightening direction, the mounting nut 14 moves downward while rotating, and supports the lower surface of the flange 14a of the mounting nut 14. The holding claw 25a of the other holding piece 25 is pressed outward by the flange 14a moving downward and is elastically deformed, and the flange 14a is removed below the holding claw 25a. After that, the mounting nut 14 is fastened to the upper surface of the boss 11, and the boss 11 is fastened and fixed to the steering shaft 12.

After tightening the mounting nut 14, the horn pad 36 is mounted on the boss 4.

Therefore, in the production line where the steering wheel 1 is mounted on the steering shaft 12, the mounting nut
Since it is not necessary to set 14 in the nut tightening tool one by one, and the mounting nut 14 does not fall, the steering wheel can be easily installed.

On the other hand, in order to remove the steering wheel 1 fixed to the steering shaft 12, the horn pad 36 is removed, and a nut tightening tool is fitted on the outside of the mounting nut 14 and rotated in the removing direction. Attached with this rotation
14 moves upward, the flange 14a of the mounting nut 14 presses the holding claw 25a of the one holding piece 25 outward to elastically deform, and when the mounting nut 14 is completely removed from the nut fastening portion 13. , The flange 14a of the mounting nut 14 as shown in FIG.
Fits between the holding claw 24a of the holding piece 24 and the holding claw 25a of the holding piece 25. Therefore, even if the nut tightening tool is pulled out from the boss portion 4, the mounting nut 14 still retains the holding piece 24 of both holding pieces 24, 25.
It is retained between a and 25a and remains on the boss portion 4 to prevent the mounting nut 14 from falling off or being lost.

The inner space of the lower end of the holding piece 25 of the nut support 21 is set smaller than the outer shape of the mounting nut 14, and the holding piece 25 is fastened to the upper surface of the boss 11 by the mounting nut 25.
It is possible to hold the tightened mounting nut 14 and prevent it from loosening or coming off due to vibration or the like by setting the lower end of the mounting nut 14 to engage with the upper edge of the mounting nut 14.

In the above embodiment, the nut support 21 is replaced with the spoke core material 17
However, as shown in FIG. 4, the nut supporting body 21 having the mounting portion 22 and the holding cylinder 23 may be directly mounted on the upper surface of the boss 11 upside down from the above embodiment. In this case, a member corresponding to the support cylinder 27 that supports the contact plate 31 is provided separately from the nut support 21.

Instead of the mounting nut 14 having the flange 14a as in the above embodiment, a general mounting nut 14 not having the flange 14a is used as shown in FIG.
May be held by the nut support 21.
The nut support 21 in this case has a plurality of holding pieces 41 for supporting the lower edge portion of the mounting nut 14, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
And a plurality of holding pieces 42 that press the upper edge of the mounting nut 14, and a slit 26 is provided between the holding pieces 41 and 42 so that they can be elastically deformed outward. Then, when the steering wheel 1 holding the mounting nut 14 is mounted on the steering shaft 12, the upper holding piece 42 is expanded and deformed outward by a nut tightening tool fitted to the outside of the mounting nut 14.
Further, as the mounting nut 14 is tightened to the nut tightening portion 13, the lower holding piece 41 is expanded and deformed outward by the nut tightening tool. On the other hand, when removing the steering wheel 1 from the steering shaft 12, by removing the mounting nut 14 from the nut fastening portion 13 and pulling out the nut tightening tool, the mounting nut 14 is disengaged from the nut tightening tool by its own weight and the holding piece
While resting on 41, the holding piece 42 elastically returns inward to hold the mounting nut 14.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the present invention, by assembling the mounting nut into the nut support provided on the boss portion of the steering wheel, in the production line where the steering wheel is mounted on the steering shaft, the mounting nut is tightened by the nut tightening tool. Since it is not necessary to set the nuts one by one and the mounting nuts do not fall off, it is possible to easily install the steering wheel and improve the production efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part thereof, FIG. 3 is an overall plan view, and FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a further embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part thereof. 1 ... Steering wheel, 2 ... Rim part, 3 ... Spoke part, 4 ... Boss part, 11 ... Boss, 12 ... Steering shaft, 13 ... Nut tightening part, 14 ... Mounting nut, 21 ...... Nut support, 22 …… Mounting part, 24, 25, 41,
42 …… Holding piece.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A rim portion, a spoke portion provided on the rim portion, and a boss portion attached to the spoke portion. The boss of the boss portion is axially attached to a steering shaft and tightened with a mounting nut. In a steering wheel to be worn, a substantially cylindrical body that detachably supports the mounting nut with fastening work at a position that surrounds the nut fastening portion of the steering shaft that projects above the boss of the boss portion. The nut support is provided with a mounting portion that is fixedly mounted to the boss side, and a plurality of holding pieces that hold the mounting nut are radially attached from the mounting portion. It is provided so as to be elastically deformable, and the holding portion that abuts and holds the lower part of the mounting nut of the holding piece is provided in a tapered shape below the mounting nut to escape. A ring wheel.