JPS6232921Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a support device for a wheel pad of a steering wheel, particularly a wheel pad having operating switches.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent automobiles, particularly passenger cars, various operation switches have been concentrated near the steering wheel in order to improve their operability.
From the viewpoint of making it easier for the driver to operate the vehicle while visualizing it, it is desirable to provide operation switches on the wheel pads, but if the wheel pads rotate together with the steering wheel, operation becomes difficult.

The object of the invention is to ensure that the wheel pad with the operating switches remains stationary despite the rotation of the steering wheel.

Therefore, the steering pad support device according to the present invention includes a wheel pad that is coaxially and rotatably supported by the boss of the steering wheel, a wheel pad that faces across the bottom wall of the wheel boss, and a wheel pad that faces the vehicle body side with the bottom wall of the wheel boss in between. The support member has an annular uneven surface formed with unevenness at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction, and it is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction through the bottom wall of the wheel boss and can slide in the circumferential direction on both annular uneven surfaces. Pitch p=(n+x)λ However, 1/2(a-1)
A plurality of sliding engagement pieces arranged at circumferential intervals of ≦x≦1/2 (n is a positive integer including 0, a is the number of sliding engagement pieces and is a positive integer of 2 or more); It has As the sliding engagement piece, a pin having a shape at both ends substantially corresponding to the shape of the recess on the uneven surface, or a ball can be used.

To explain the present invention in terms of an embodiment, in FIGS. 1 to 3, a steering wheel 1 is fixedly connected to a steering main shaft 4 passing through a bottom wall 3 of a boss 2 by a nut.
A wheel pad 6 is rotatably supported within the boss 2 via a bearing 5, and has operation switches 7 on the end face facing the driver. Main shaft 4 has bearing 8
The attachment bracket 9, which is a support member on the vehicle body side, is inserted through the
is rotatably supported within a cylindrical portion of. On the rear end surface of the wheel pad 6 and the opposing flange surface of the bracket 9, which face each other with the boss 2 in between, annular uneven surfaces 10 and 11 are formed with unevenness at a constant pitch λ in the circumferential direction. A plurality of pins 12 are provided as sliding engagement pieces that penetrate the bottom wall 3 of the boss 2 and are movable in the axial direction, and both ends of the pins 12 are formed on the uneven surface 1 and have a shape that approximately corresponds to the shape of the recess on the uneven surface.
0 and 11 so as to be slidable relative to each other in the circumferential direction.
In the figure, the number of pins 12 is a=2, so x=1/2, n=1, and the pins 12 are arranged at a pitch of p=(1+1/2)λ=2.5λ.

Now, when the steering wheel 1 is turned for steering, the bottom wall 3 of the boss moves as shown by arrows a, b, and c in FIG. 4, for example. In this case, as can be seen from b, the wheel pad 6, which is rotatably supported, is subjected to a force as shown by the arrow by the pin 12.
f ₁ and f ₂ are applied. However, these forces
Since the circumferential components of f ₁ and f ₂ are opposite to each other and have the same magnitude, the wheel pad 6 remains stationary despite the rotation of the steering wheel 1 and therefore the boss bottom wall 3.

If the mutual spacing in the circumferential direction of the pins 12 is nλ as shown in _{FIG .} The circumferential component takes the same direction, and this force causes the wheel pad 6 to also rotate.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment in which a ball 13 is used as the sliding engagement piece instead of a pin, but since the function is the same as that of a pin, further explanation will be omitted. Here, the number a of the balls 13 and their pitch p, that is, the mutual spacing in the circumferential direction, are selected so as to satisfy the above-mentioned formula.

Note that the convex portions and concave portions of the uneven surfaces 10 and 11 and both ends of the pin 12 can be rounded, and it goes without saying that the pin 12 can be formed into a cylindrical shape with both ends spherical.

Thus, according to the present invention, even when the steering wheel 1 is rotated, the wheel pad 6 with the operating switches 7 remains in the same position, so that the operability of the operating switches 7 is not impaired. Moreover, since the uneven surfaces 10, 11, the bearing 5, and the sliding engagement pieces 12, 13 are arranged hidden behind the wheel pad 6 so as not to be seen by the driver, the appearance of the steering wheel is not impaired. As the operation switches 7 provided on the wheel pad 6, any switches such as push button switches, tumbler switches, etc. can be provided, and not only switches but also display lamps and small gauges can of course be provided. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an annular uneven surface used in this, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.
Enlarged plan view of the main part of the figure, a, b and c of Fig. 4
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the main parts of the steering wheel at different rotational positions, FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a device not based on the present invention, and FIG. 6 is another embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 of FIG. 1...Steering wheel, 2...Boss, 3
...Bottom wall, 6...Wheel pad, 7...Operation switches, 9...Vehicle body side support member, 10, 11...
...Annular uneven surface, 12, 13...Sliding engagement piece.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A wheel pad coaxially and rotatably supported within the boss of the steering wheel, and a wheel pad and a vehicle body support member that face each other across the bottom wall of the wheel boss. An annular uneven surface formed with unevenness at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction, and a wheel boss that is supported movably in the axial direction through the bottom wall of the wheel boss and contacts both annular uneven surfaces so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction. Pitch p=(n+x)λ for the pitch λ of unevenness, where 1/2(a-1)≦x
≦1/2 (n is a positive integer including 0, a is the number of sliding engagement pieces and is a positive integer of 2 or more) arranged at mutual intervals in the circumferential direction. A support device for a wheel pad of a steering wheel, characterized by: