JPS61143259A - Manufacturing method of steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve productivity ever so high, by rolling a reinforced fiber on a bend barlike lightweight form keeping material continuing to link semicircular rings together with each other, while cutting this material at each semicircular ring and forming each into a ring shaped one. CONSTITUTION:A bend barlike, long lightweight form keeping material continuing mutually to ling semicircular rings facing each other on a reference axis is made up of a plastic or solid foamed material or a thin pipe material as a core material 1. A coupling metal device setting groove part 1d is formed in a continuous part of these semicircular rings. A one-way reinforced fiber 1b is rolled on an outer circumference of this core material 1 in the circumferential direction as crossed at a specified angle. And, this core material 1a is cut off at each semicircular ring, and these bisected semicircular rings of the core material 1a are placed opposite face-to-face whereby they are formed in a single semicircular ring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a steering wheel, particularly a rim, using reinforced plastic.

[Conventional technology]

In general, the steering wheel of an automobile has the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a side view of the steering wheel fixed to the steering shift, and FIG. 4 is a front view thereof. In the figure, (1) is a ring-shaped rim that serves as a grip, (2) is a spoke fixed to the inside of the rim, and (31 is a boss fixed to the spoke at the center of the rim).

This is the attachment part to the steering shaft (4). In the above configuration. In a conventional steering wheel, the rim (1) starts with the spokes (2) and the boss (3).
Both are made of carbon steel, and the core metal of the rim (1) and the spokes (2) and the spokes (2) and bosses (3) are welded.

The rim (1) is molded with a design from the above-mentioned rubber or resin. In this way, because it was mainly constructed of steel, even the lightest one weighed 2 to 9 times more. This causes vibration noise in the steering wheel, especially when driving at high speeds.

This has the disadvantage of completely reducing operational stability and causing discomfort to the driver, and also increases fuel consumption. Therefore, the applicant filed Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 59-120568.
Invented a steering wheel using reinforced plastic as shown in the issue. The reinforced plastic steering wheel was designed to eliminate all of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional model.

It is lightweight and has sufficient strength, does not generate vibrations when running, has excellent operability, and has the effect of reducing fuel consumption.

Incidentally, the entire structure of the rim of the steering wheel, which is the gist of the present invention, will be briefly explained based on FIGS. 5 to 7. In the figure, (1) and (2) are the rim and spokes described above. (1a) is the core material of the rim (1), which is a lightweight foam member made of plastic, rubber, etc., such as a foam material.

(1b) is a unidirectional reinforcing fiber made of carbon fiber or alumina fiber wrapped around the core material (1a); (1c) is a reinforced plastic layer made by impregnating the unidirectional reinforcing fiber with resin or the like; (ice) is a groove provided for attaching all the coupling fittings to be described later, and is smaller in diameter than other diameters. (5) is a coupling fitting that is fixed by being engaged with the groove (1d) of the rim, and (6) is a fixing screw that is also provided on the side of the spoke (2) (not shown in Figure 5). As shown in the figure, the rim (1) and spokes (2) are fixedly attached. In addition, in order to reduce the weight of the steering wheel, the fifth
In the example shown in the figure, all of the spokes (2) use a lightweight foam material for the core material (2a), and are provided with a reinforced plastic layer (2c) made of unidirectional reinforced fibers, but the material of the spokes It is not limited to.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In case of mass production, there is a drawback that productivity is extremely low when starting to manufacture 9 individual ring-shaped core materials.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a steering wheel having the above-mentioned configuration, and is particularly characterized in the case of mass-producing rims. Unidirectional reinforcing fibers are arranged on a long lightweight shape-retaining material in the shape of a bent rod, with all the same semicircular rings connected to each other on the reference axis of the pick, and the core material around which the unidirectional reinforcing fibers are wound is The process involves cutting each ring, connecting the abutted parts of the semicircular rings, fully impregnating the plastic to form a reinforced plastic layer, joining the rim and spokes, and performing design molding before and after that. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a steering wheel having the following features.

[Effect]

In the present invention, reinforcing fibers are completely wrapped around a lightweight shape-retaining material in the shape of a bent rod, which is made of continuous semicircular rings, and is cut into semicircular groups to form a ring shape.

〔Example〕

The method for manufacturing a steering wheel according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First of all
For example, urethane as shown in the figure.

The core is a long lightweight shape-retaining material in the shape of a curved rod made of solid foam foam material or thin-walled pipe material made of plastic or rubber such as polyethylene or polypropylene, with all the same semicircular rings connected to each other on the reference axis. Formed as material (1a). (1
d) is a groove for attaching a coupling fitting, but if the rim (1) and spokes (2) are connected by another method, the groove (1) is used.
There is no need to form d) in advance.

Next, continuous unidirectional reinforcing fibers (1b) made of carbon fiber, glass fiber, or alumina fiber are braided in the circumferential direction around the core material (1a) of the rim at a constant angle between k 10 and 60''. Or crosswise winding with a winding machine.In this case, the arrangement can be freely selected considering the strength.Next, the core material (1a), in which the unidirectional reinforcing fibers are braided or wound, is wound in half. Each ring is cut, and the abutting portions of the cut portions are processed so as to mesh with each other as shown in FIG.

Next, the unidirectional reinforcing fiber portion is impregnated with plastic and heated and cured to form nine reinforced plastic layers. Finally, after or before the rim (1) and spokes (2) are fully joined, a design molding is performed using rubber or resin. In this way, a steering wheel having the shape shown in FIG. 2 can be manufactured.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention relates to manufacturing the rim of a steering wheel, and instead of starting with one individual ring-shaped core material, the present invention uses all semicircular rings that are the same on the reference axis as the core material of the rim. We use a long lightweight shape-retaining material made of continuous bent rods, and all unidirectional reinforcing fibers are placed around the core material.
The rim is characterized by the method of connecting the abutting portions of each semicircular ring to form the entire rim. As a result, when mass-producing rims, the productivity is extremely high, which has a great effect on cost reduction, and produces products with stable quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which unidirectional reinforcing fibers are wound around a long rim core material in the shape of a bent rod, which are continuous with each other in semicircles 33 that surround each other on a reference axis; Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram when the abutting parts of the ring-shaped cut parts are joined, and Fig. 3 is a side view when the entire steering wheel is fixed to the steering shaft. FIG. 4 is its positive 'i]'IJ diagram. Fig. 5 is a state diagram in which unidirectional reinforcing fibers are arranged in the core material, Fig. 6 is a state diagram in which spoke joint fittings are attached, and Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the concept when the rim and spokes are joined. It is. In the figure, (I) is the rim, (Ia) is the core material, (i
b) is a unidirectional reinforced fiber braid 1. (1 is reinforced plastic layer, (2) is spoke, +317'j: boss, +41ij
Ni steering shaft □. In each figure, the numerals ``-'' and ``month'' indicate the corresponding portions.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In a method for manufacturing a steering wheel comprising a ring-shaped rim serving as a grip portion, a boss serving as an attachment portion to a steering shaft, and spokes integrally connecting the rim and boss, the core material of the rim and A process of arranging unidirectional reinforcing fibers around a long lightweight shape-retaining material in the shape of a bent rod, which is made up of mutually continuous semicircular rings facing each other on a reference axis, and a core around which the unidirectional reinforcing fibers are wound. a step of cutting the material into semicircular rings, a step of interlocking the abutting portions of the cut portions of the semicircular rings, and a step of impregnating the unidirectional reinforcing fiber portion with plastic to form a reinforced plastic layer; A method for manufacturing a steering wheel comprising the step of performing a design mold before or after joining the rim and spokes. (2) The method for manufacturing a steering wheel according to claim (1), wherein a thin cylinder made of plastic material is used as the core material. (3) The method for manufacturing a steering wheel according to claim (1), characterized in that a lightweight foam member is used as the core material. (4) Claims (1) or (2) characterized in that rubber or resin is used as the design mold.
A method for manufacturing a steering wheel according to any one of paragraphs.