JPH0715810Y2 - Steering wheel with impact energy absorber - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steering wheel provided with an impact energy absorbing device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional steering wheels having the structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 have been proposed. (Practical application Sho 59-187393
That is, the steering wheel 1 is provided with an annular rim 2 and a spoke 3 having one end fixed to the rim 2. A hub portion 4 is provided at the other end of the spoke 3, and the hub portion 4 is fixed to a steering shaft 5 and a cover pad 6 is provided on the upper surface thereof. A hub side plate 8 having a lower rectangular opening 7 is fixed on the upper surface of the hub portion 4 as shown in FIG. 11, while a cover side plate having an upper rectangular opening 9 is provided on the lower surface of the cover pad 6. 10 is fixed. A cylindrical energy absorbing member 11 is interposed between the cover side plate 10 and the hub side plate 8, and the upper and lower peripheral surfaces 11a and 11b of the energy absorbing member 11 have the upper rectangular opening 9 and the lower rectangular shape. It is fitted in the opening 7.

In this structure, when impact energy is input to the cover side plate 10 via the cover pad 6, the energy absorbing member 11 causes the cover side plate 10 and the hub side plate 8 to move.
It is crushed and deformed by being pressed between, and thereby the impact energy input to the cover pad 6 is absorbed.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in such a conventional structure, the energy absorbing member 11 has upper and lower peripheral surfaces 11a and 11b fitted in the upper rectangular opening 9 and the lower rectangular opening 7, respectively. It has been prevented from rolling. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the impact energy E is applied from the oblique side of the cover side plate 10.
_{Even if s} is input, the energy absorbing member 11 is localized without rolling and receives the impact energy E _{s due} to the specific portion. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 11 is locally crushed and deformed, which makes it difficult to obtain a predetermined energy absorbing characteristic.

Therefore, in order to constantly obtain a predetermined energy absorption characteristic, the energy absorption member 11 must be thickened in order to avoid the local plastic deformation.
The thickening of the car contributed to the increase in vehicle body weight.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a steering wheel provided with a hub portion attached to a tip end portion of a steering shaft and a cover pad covering the hub portion. In the wheel, a hub side plate fixed on the hub portion and a cover side plate fixed on the inner surface of the cover pad are provided, and a plurality of cylindrical energy absorbing members can be rolled between the plates. And the rolling shaft of the energy absorbing member is arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis of the steering shaft.

Action In the above structure, when impact energy in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cover pad is input, the impact energy is transmitted to the plurality of energy absorbing members via the cover plate, and each energy absorbing member is crushed and deformed. The impact energy is absorbed by each energy absorbing member. When impact energy is input to the cover pad from an oblique side, the impact energy is transmitted to the energy absorbing member via the cover side plate and is input to the energy absorbing member from an oblique side. For this reason, the cylindrical energy absorbing member rolls between the hub-side plate and the cover-side plate and is pinched and deformed between the hub-side plate and the cover-side plate. Therefore, since the energy absorbing member rolls and deforms while rolling in this way, the specific portion of the energy absorbing member does not partially deform, but absorbs impact energy by the overall deformation. .

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 20
Has an annular rim 21 and a spoke 23 having one end fixed to the rim 21, and the other end of the spoke 23 has a base plate 24 and a holding member fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 24. A hub portion 26 composed of 25 and 25 is provided. An upper end portion of a steering shaft 27 inserted into the holding member 25 is screwed to the hub portion 26, and a hub side plate 28 is bent to both sides on the base plate 24 of the hub portion 26. It is fixed via the molded legs 29, 29.

Further, on the outer peripheral portion of the holding member 25, the base plate 24
A cover pad 30 is attached to cover the hub side plate 28 and above. The cover pad 30 is an outer pad body.
31 and an inner shape-retaining member 32, and a cover-side plate 33 is fixed to a lower surface 32a of the shape-retaining member 32 facing the hub-side plate 28. The cover side plate 33 includes
As shown in FIG. 2, both side flanges 34, 34 having both side edges bent downward, and central flanges 36, 36 having both side edges of an opening 35 formed in a substantially central portion bent downward are provided. A plurality of ribs 37 ... Are formed between each side flange 34 and the central flange 36.

Between the hub side plate 28 and the cover side plate 33,
Two energy absorbing members 38, 38 are rotatably inserted so that their rolling axes are oriented in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis of the steering shaft 27. The energy absorbing member 38 has a cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIG. 3, the lid member 40 is fitted in the both end openings 39, 39.

In the present embodiment according to the above configuration, for example, when the head of the occupant wearing a seat belt comes into contact with the upper surface 30a of the cover pad 30 during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the impact energy is absorbed by the energy absorbing member through the cover side plate 33. Input to 38,38. At this time, assuming that the impact energy is input from the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 30a, the cylindrical energy absorbing member 38 has a cover-side plate as shown in FIG.
Impact energy E _o is input in the vertical direction via 33, and the impact energy E _o is shared and absorbed by the crush deformation of both energy absorbing members 38, 38. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 by comparing the above-described conventional example with the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to set the load per unit deformation amount to be twice or more higher in the energy absorption characteristics. . Moreover, the fourth
Both sides flanges 34, 34 as shown in FIG. Is entered to both energy absorbing members 38, 38, since it prevents the movement in the direction of the phase separation of the two energy absorbing members 38 and 38, the impact energy E _o Can be shared securely.

Also, the impact energy E _s is obliquely applied to the upper surface 30a from the lateral side.
Is input, the component force is as shown by the arrow in FIG.
It acts in the direction of horizontal movement. Therefore, the cylindrical energy absorbing members 38, 38 roll synchronously between the cover side plate 33 and the hub side plate 28 with the horizontal movement of the cover side plate 33, whereby the energy absorbing member 38 and The impact energy E _s is input to the energy absorbing members 38, 38 while the contact surfaces of the plates 33, 28 change with time. Therefore, the impact energy E _s is not concentrated and input to a specific portion of the energy absorbing members 38, 38, and the impact energy E _s is input via the contact surfaces with both plates 33, 28 which change with time. _By inputting _s, both energy absorbing members 38, 38 are crushed and deformed as a whole. Therefore, it is not necessary to thicken the energy absorbing members 38, 38 in order to prevent partial deformation when the impact energy E _s is input from an oblique side, and the thickness of the energy absorbing members 38, 38 is not required. It is possible to avoid an increase in the weight of the vehicle body due to the flesh.

7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the area of the cover side plate 33 is made smaller than the projected area of both energy absorbing members 38, 38 in plane. According to this embodiment, when the impact energy is input to the cover side plate 33, the energy absorbing members 38, 38 are crushed and deformed only in the portions excluding the lid members 40, 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the deformation-load characteristics can be made lower than in the first embodiment,
In this way, the deformation-load characteristics can be appropriately set depending on the area of the cover side plate 33. At this time, since the cover side plate 33 is provided with the side flanges 34, 34 and the central flanges 36, 36, when impact energy is input, one of the flanges 34, 36 is an energy absorbing member. 38, 38, and the energy absorbing member 38, 38
Are prevented from moving in the direction in which they are separated from each other. Therefore, even if the area of the cover side plate 33 is reduced in order to adjust the energy absorption characteristics, the impact energy is absorbed by both energy absorption members 38, 3
By means of 8, it is possible to certainly share.

Although the two energy absorbing members are used in each of the above embodiments, the energy absorbing characteristics can be changed by increasing the number of energy absorbing members. Further, the lid member can be appropriately removed, or lid members having different energy absorption characteristics can be arbitrarily combined.

Advantageous Effects of Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when impact energy is input to the cover side plate from an oblique side, the plurality of energy absorbing members are crushed as a whole while synchronously rolling between the plates. Deform. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the energy absorbing member in order to avoid partial deformation of the energy absorbing member when the impact energy is input from the oblique side, and it is possible to increase the thickness of the energy absorbing member. It becomes possible to reduce the weight by avoiding the increase in the weight of the vehicle body.

Further, since the plurality of energy absorbing members share and absorb the impact energy, it is possible to improve the deformation-load characteristic, and in the above-mentioned embodiment, each flange is provided on the cover side plate to reduce energy consumption. Since it is designed to prevent the absorbing member from moving in the direction of separation,
It is possible to reliably obtain a predetermined energy absorption characteristic.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential part of the same, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG.
4 and 5 are sectional views showing the operation of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is a deformation-load characteristic diagram of the embodiment and the conventional example, and FIG. 7 is a second view of the present invention.
8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a deformation-load characteristic diagram of the first and second embodiments, and FIG. 10 is a conventional steering wheel. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the wheel, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an energy absorbing structure of the steering wheel. 20 ... Steering wheel, 26 ... Hub part, 27 ... Steering shaft, 28 ... Hub side plate, 30 ... Cover pad, 32a ... Bottom surface, 33 ... Cover side plate, 38 ... Energy absorbing member, 39 ... Opening at both ends, 40 ... Lid Element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A steering wheel provided with a hub portion attached to a tip end portion of a steering shaft and a cover pad covering the hub portion, wherein a hub side plate fixed on the hub portion and a cover pad of the cover pad are provided. A cover-side plate fixed to the inner surface is provided, and a plurality of cylindrical energy absorbing members are rotatably interposed between the plates, and the rolling shaft of the energy absorbing members is substantially aligned with the axis of the steering shaft. A steering wheel with an impact energy absorbing device, which is arranged in a direction orthogonal to each other.