JPH08295200A - Steering wheel with air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a steering wheel which eliminate a need for separately forming a horn pad section, and is surely provided with a front design integrated feeling and a bottoming feeling for the case of horn operations. CONSTITUTION: This invention is concerned with the steering wheel equipped with a horn switch mechanism conducting electricity with a horn pad section depressed wherein the air bag device 19 provided with the horn pad section above a boss plate 13 is disposed at the center section of a steering wheel. The horn pad section having a press plate 27 disposed right beneath the section is formed integrally with the core metal covering section 25 of a steering wheel main body, and the air bag device 19 is so constituted as to be fixed at the boss plate 13 side. The substantially rigid press plate 27 is formed into a shape riding across an air bag 15. A spring body against the pressing force of the press plate 27, and the paired contacts of a horn switch mechanism are interposed between the press plate 27 and the boss plate 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is provided above a core metal (boss plate) in a boss portion at the center of a steering wheel.
An airbag device including a folded airbag and an inflator is disposed, a horn pad portion is disposed above the airbag device, and a steering is provided with a horn switch mechanism that presses the horn pad portion to conduct electricity. Wheel steering wheel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a steering wheel of the above type, for example, there is a steering wheel having a membrane switch embedded in a horn pad portion having the following configuration (actual fairness 7-12).
209, etc.).

"Air comprising an airbag that expands at a predetermined time, and a pad that covers the airbag and has an H-shaped thin-walled rupture portion on the upper wall that breaks when the airbag expands. A steering wheel in which a bag device is disposed above a boss portion, and a switch for operating a horn is disposed on the pad, wherein two switches are disposed and a pair of thin film-shaped switches are provided. It is a membrane switch consisting of electrodes. "

[0004]

However, in the steering wheel having the above-described structure, the inflator is assembled to the folded airbag, and the cap-shaped horn pad surrounding the airbag assembled to the flange portion of the inflator is assembled. The airbag device is assembled from above via a support member connected to the boss plate or the like of the steering wheel.

For this reason, the horn pad portion must be molded separately from the core metal resin coating portion (for example, soft urethane resin) of the steering wheel, and between the core metal resin coating portion and the horn pad. It was difficult to obtain a sense of unity with the front design because there was a gap in the.

Further, when the horn pad portion is pressed, it interferes with the upper surface of the air bag and presses the air bag while compressing it, and it is difficult to obtain a feeling of bottoming (reliable operation feeling) of the horn operation.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a steering wheel that does not require a separate molding of the horn pad portion, provides a front design integrated feeling, and reliably obtains a bottom feeling of horn operation. With the goal.

Another object of the present invention is, in addition to the above objects,
Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel that can improve the operation feeling when operating the horn.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

(1) A steering wheel with an airbag device according to a first aspect of the present invention solves the first object by the following configuration.

An airbag device including a folded airbag and an inflator is disposed above a core metal (boss plate) in a boss portion in the central portion of the steering wheel, and a horn pad portion is disposed above the airbag device. In a steering wheel provided with a horn switch mechanism for pressing the horn pad portion to bring it into conduction,
The horn pad portion is integrally formed with the core metal coating portion of the steering wheel body, the pressing plate is disposed directly below the horn pad portion, and the airbag device is fixed to the boss plate side. The pressing plate is a substantially rigid body, and has a ceiling wall that is to be broken when the airbag swells, and has a shape that straddles the airbag. A spring body that resists the pressing force and a contact pair of the horn switch mechanism are arranged.

(2) The present invention according to claim 2 achieves the second object by the following configuration.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the folding of the airbag is compression-fastened with a sheet or tape that can be broken when the airbag is inflated, and a gap greater than the horn operation stroke is secured between the airbag and the pressing plate. It is characterized by being.

[0013]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the examples.

(1) In this embodiment, basically, an air bag device including a folded air bag 15 and an inflator 17 above a core metal (boss plate) 13 in a boss portion 11 at the center of a steering wheel. 19 is provided, and the horn pad portion 21 is provided above the airbag device 19.
Is provided and is provided with a horn switch mechanism 23 that presses the horn pad portion 21 to conduct electricity.

(2) In the above structure, in the present embodiment, the horn pad portion 21 is integrally formed with the core metal covering portion 25 of the steering wheel body 10, and the pressing plate 27 is arranged immediately below the horn pad portion 21. Was set up,
The first characteristic requirement is that the airbag device 19 is fixed to the boss plate 13 side.

Here, the core metal coating portion 25 usually includes a spoke portion S and a ring portion R, and the coating portion 25 is usually
It is made of soft polyurethane foam resin. Further, the horn pad portion 21 is formed with a thin wall portion 21a to be broken, which is broken when the airbag is inflated, as in the conventional case.
A shape-retaining insert 29 is embedded in the peripheral wall portion, and a crush prevention net insert 31 is embedded in the ceiling portion.

The attachment of the air bag device 19 to the boss plate 13 is performed by the flange portion 1 of the inflator 17.
A plurality of (four in the illustrated example) mounting bolts 33 projecting downward from 8 are fixed by nuts 35. The boss plate 13 has a bowl-shaped cross section so that the lower portion of the flange portion 18 of the inflator 17 can be housed, and is partially cut to enable the nut 35 to be stopped.

(3) The pressing plate 27 is substantially a rigid body and has a breaking groove portion (scheduled breaking portion) 27a that breaks when the airbag is inflated on the ceiling wall.
It is a shape that straddles 5.

In the illustrated example, the pressing plate 27 is a gate having a lateral opening in view of ease of assembling the airbag 15, but it may be cylindrical. This pressing plate 27
Is attached to the boss plate 13 through a plurality of (four) guide bolts 28. As a rigid material,
Molding is performed using a hard plastic material that is easily broken, such as polyamide.

Here, from the viewpoint of the assembling workability 19 of the airbag device and the operation feeling of the horn switch mechanism 23, the airbag 30 can be folded with a sheet 30 or tape that can be easily broken when the airbag is activated. It is desirable to perform compression fastening.

(4) Further, between the pressing plate 27 and the boss plate 13, a spring body 37 for resisting the pressing force of the pressing plate 27 and a contact pair 39, 41 of the horn switch mechanism are arranged.

Specifically, flange portions 27b, 27b are formed at the lower ends of both side walls of the pressing plate 27, and a pair of inverted chevron-shaped leaf springs 37, which are spring bodies, are arranged between the flange portion 27b and the boss plate 13. ing. Then, the top of the bottom of the inverted chevron-shaped leaf spring 37 is fixed to the boss plate 13 by a rivet 38 via an insulator 45. Further, a movable contact 39 is formed on the lower surfaces of both ends of each inverted chevron-shaped leaf spring 37, and a fixed contact 41 is formed on the boss plate 13 side.
9, 41 are formed.

Instead of the inverted chevron leaf spring 37, a coil spring may be interposed by the guide bolt 28 and the movable contact 39 may be directly formed on the flange portion 27a of the pressing plate 27.

(5) Next, an assembling mode of the steering wheel with the airbag device having the above structure will be described.

First, the airbag device 19 including the folded airbag 15 and the inflator 17 is screwed to the boss plate to which the horn switch mechanism 23 including the inverted chevron leaf spring is assembled, and then the airbag 15 of the airbag 15 is assembled. The pressing plate 27 is covered over the upper side, and the pressing plate 27 is attached to the boss plate 13 by a guide bolt 28 so as to be vertically movable for a predetermined stroke. This air bag device / horn switch mechanism / boss plate assembly assembly is assembled to the horn pad integrated-covered steering wheel body 10 with screws 12 and the like from the bottom, the lower cover 47 is attached, and the serration portion 51 of the steering shaft 49 is attached to the boss. Fit the part 11 and screw 53
To conclude.

(6) In this way, the horn switch mechanism of the assembled steering wheel is operated by pressing the horn pad portion 21 in the same manner as in the conventional case. At this time, the pressing force acting on the horn pad portion 21 causes both ends of the inverted chevron-shaped leaf spring 37 to move to the fixed contact 41 on the boss plate via the pressing plate 27 arranged immediately below.
It is lowered against the spring force until it touches. And
The horn switch mechanism becomes conductive and sounds the horn.
At this time, the pressing plate 27 is attached to the horn pad portion 21.
The feeling of bottoming is transmitted to the pressing finger or the like via, and the feeling of bottoming of the horn operation is surely obtained.

When the folded state of the airbag 15 is fastened with a sheet or the like and a gap larger than the horn operation stroke is secured between the airbag 15 and the pressing plate 27, the pressing plate 27 is pressed. At this time, the reaction force for compressing the airbag 15 is applied to the pressing plate 27.
Thus, the operation feeling of the horn pad portion 21 is further improved because it does not act on the operation portion of the horn pad portion 21.

[0028]

[Operation and effect of the invention]

(1) In the steering wheel with the airbag device according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the horn pad portion is integrally formed with the core metal coating portion of the steering wheel, and the pressing plate is provided directly below the horn pad portion. Is arranged,
Further, the airbag device is configured to be fixed to the core metal side, the pressing plate is substantially made of a rigid material, and has a breakable portion on the ceiling wall that breaks when the airbag expands. A spring body that has a shape that straddles the pressure plate and that resists the pressing force of the pressing plate between the pressing plate and the core metal,
Also, due to the configuration in which the contact pairs of the horn switch mechanism are arranged, the following operational effects are achieved.

When the horn is operated, the pressing force applied to the horn pad portion causes the movable contacts to contact the fixed contacts on the boss plate at both end portions of the inverted chevron-shaped leaf spring via the pressing plate arranged immediately below the horn pad portion. Down against the spring force. Then, the horn switch mechanism becomes conductive and the horn blows. At this time, the feeling of bottoming is transmitted to the pressed finger or the like via the pressing plate to the horn pad portion, so that the feeling of bottoming of the horn operation is surely obtained.

Therefore, in the steering wheel of the present invention according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to separately form the horn pad portion, a front design integrated feeling can be obtained, and a bottom feeling of the horn operation can be surely obtained.

(2) Further, as in claim 2, the folding of the airbag is compression-fastened with a sheet or tape which can be broken when the airbag is inflated, and a horn operation stroke or more is provided between the airbag and the pressing plate. When the gap is secured, the pressing plate and the airbag do not interfere with each other when the horn is operated, and a reaction force for compressing the airbag that occurs when the airbag is not fastened is not generated.

Therefore, the reaction force is transmitted through the pressing plate,
The operation feeling of the horn pad is further improved because it does not affect the operation of the horn pad.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall exploded perspective view of an example of a steering wheel of the present invention seen from below.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same assembling.

[FIG. 3] Similarly, an exploded perspective view of essential parts seen from above.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the angled leaf spring mounting portion of FIG.

5 is an assembled perspective view of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 11 boss portion 13 core metal (boss plate) in boss portion 15 airbag 17 inflator 19 airbag device 21 horn pad portion 23 horn switch mechanism 25 core metal covering portion 27 pressing plate 39 one contact pair (movable contact) 41 the other Contact pair (fixed contact) 43 Reverse chevron leaf spring (spring body)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An airbag device including a folded airbag and an inflator is disposed above a core metal (boss plate) in a boss portion at the center of a steering wheel, and a horn pad portion is disposed above the airbag device. And a horn switch mechanism for pressing the horn pad portion to bring it into conduction, the horn pad portion being integrally molded with the core metal coating portion of the steering wheel body, and the horn pad A pressing plate is disposed immediately below the portion, and further, the airbag device is fixed to the boss plate side, the pressing plate is a substantially rigid body, and when the airbag is inflated. The ceiling wall has a breakable portion to be broken, and has a shape that straddles the airbag. A steering wheel with an airbag device, wherein a spring body that resists the pressing force of the pressing plate and a contact pair of the horn switch mechanism are arranged between the boss plates. 2. The fold of the airbag is compression-fastened with a sheet or tape that can be ruptured when the airbag is inflated, so that a gap larger than a horn operating stroke is provided between the airbag and the pressing plate. Steering wheel with airbag device characterized by being secured.