JPS63188565A - Manufacture of steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a steering wheel of good appearance and touch, by setting an outermost layer-constituting cloth of shape, corresponding to the unfolded shape of a cavity, and a core material to a mold surface of one of the metal molds and adhesively attaching an unfolded line part of the cloth to be molded. CONSTITUTION:An outermost layer-constituting cloth 8, previously formed to the unfolded shape of a cavity 7, is set to a mold surface of one of the metal molds 5, thereafter a steering wheel core material 3 is set. Next the cloth 8 places its unfolded line parts 8a butting face-to-face to be fixed by an adhesive agent. Thereafter fitting both the metal molds 5, 6, the cloth 8 closely attaches its whole external surface to the mold surface. Under this condition, injecting a synthetic resin molding material 13 to be solidified, thereafter a product is removed by separating the metal molds 5, 6. In this way, a steering wheel 1, which is coated with an outermost layer 4 formed by the cloth 8, is obtained improving the appearance of the steering wheel and its touch.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a steering wheel whose surface is covered with a cloth skin.

(Prior art and its problems) Conventional steering wheels are highly mass-produced.

The steering wheel core material was embedded in a steering wheel body made of synthetic resin such as urethane foam or PvC. Therefore, appearance (luxury and soft feel) and touch (warmth, softness, stickiness and slipperiness)
was not good. It is also known that the ring portion is made of wood, but this has low mass productivity and does not have a good appearance or feel. For this reason, it is known that real leather or cloth is wrapped around the ring part of the steering wheel body made of synthetic resin or the wooden ring part mentioned above, but in both of these cases, the finished product is not coated with real leather. Since it is wrapped in leather or cloth, mass production is low.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a steering wheel that enables mass production of steering wheels with good appearance and tactility, and to achieve this purpose. In order to achieve this, the present invention separates a pair of molds that are brought into contact with each other and separates them from each other, and the mold surface of one of the molds has a developed shape of a cavity defined between the mold surfaces of both molds. A cloth for the skin structure, which has been preformed in a corresponding shape, is set, and then a steering wheel core material is set on the mold surface of one of the molds, and the development line portion of the cloth is fixed with adhesive. Thereafter, with both molds together, the entire outer surface of the cloth is brought into close contact with the mold surfaces of both molds, and a synthetic resin molding material is injected into the cavity.

(Function) A cloth skin is formed simultaneously with the molding of the synthetic resin steering wheel body.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. 1st
The figure is a partially cutaway plan view of a steering wheel manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIG.
■It is a sectional view along the line.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 is a steering wheel, which includes a steering wheel body 2 made of a synthetic resin molding material 13 such as urethane foam or PVC, and a steering wheel core material 3 made of metal embedded in the steering wheel body 2.
and a skin 4 made of cloth provided on the entire outer surface of the steering wheel body 2.

The steering wheel main body 2 includes a ring portion 2a,
It consists of approximately V-shaped spoke portions 2b.

The steering wheel core material 3 is made of a hollow metal pipe, and includes a ring portion core material 3a and a spoke portion core material 3.
It consists of b. The ring portion core material 3a is embedded within the ring portion a, and the spoke portion core material 3b is embedded within the spoke portions 2b. The skin 4 is made of cloth such as urethane, nylon, polyester, wool, PP, or fluororesin.

The steering wheel 1 having the above-mentioned configuration is manufactured as follows. First, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 4(a), a pair of molds 5 and 6 that are close to and separated from each other are separated from each other, and the mold surface 5a of one of the molds 5 is Mold surfaces 5a of molds 5 and 6.

Set the cloth 8 for configuring the skin 4 which has been formed in advance into the expanded shape of the cavity 7 defined between the 6a (
3(b) and 4(b)).

After that, the steering wheel core material 3 is set on the mold surface 5a of the one mold 5 (FIGS. 3(c) and 4(c)).
c)) Next, the development line portions 8a of the cloth 8 are butted together and fixed using an adhesive such as urethane adhesive or urethane paint for mold coating (barrier coat) (see Fig. 3(d) and Fig. 3(d)). Figure 4(d)).

After that, with both the molds 5 and 6 together, the cloth 8
The entire outer surface of the mold surface 5a of both the molds 5 and 6.

6a. As a means for bringing them into close contact, both the molds 5 and 6 are made of sintered metal having a large number of continuous fine holes, and the molds 5 and 6 are placed in a sealed chamber 9 as shown in FIG. The inside of the sealed chamber 9 is connected to the suction port of the pump 12 with a pipe 11 interposed with a valve 10,
By suctioning the air in the sealed chamber 9 with the pump 12, the mold surface 5a is formed.

The entire outer surface of the cloth 8 is brought into close contact with the cloth 6a.

In this way, the cloth 8 is placed on the mold surfaces 5a and 6a of both molds 5 and 6.
A synthetic resin molding material 13 such as urethane foam or PvC is injected into the cavity 7 defined between the mold surfaces 5a and 6a using a RIM machine (not shown) while the entire outer surface of the mold is in close contact with each other. . After the synthetic resin molding material 13 has solidified, the molds 5 and 6 are separated and the product is removed from the mold surfaces 5a and 6a. As shown in FIG. , a skin 4 made of cloth 8
A steering wheel 1 covered with is obtained.

In the above embodiment, the developed line portions 8a of the cloth 8 were butted and fixed with adhesive, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the developed line portions 8a of the cloth 8 may be overlapped and adhesively fixed as shown in FIG. It's okay.

Further, the entire outer surface of the cloth 8 is covered with the mold surfaces 5a of both molds 5 and 6.

The means for bringing the cloth 8 into close contact with the cloth 8 is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and different electrodes are connected to the cloth 8 and both the molds 5 and 6, and the suction force of the two electrodes is used to bring the cloth 8 into close contact with the cloth 8. The entire outer surface is mold surface 5a of both molds 5 and 6.

It may be made to come into close contact with 6a.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the method for manufacturing a steering wheel of the present invention, a pair of molds that are brought into contact with each other are separated from each other, and a mold surface of one of the molds is made to have a shape between the mold surfaces of both molds. A cloth for forming the skin is set in advance in a shape corresponding to the expanded shape of the cavity defined by the mold, and then a steering wheel core material is set on the mold surface of one of the molds, and then the cloth is set. After that, with both molds together, the entire outer surface of the cloth is brought into close contact with the mold surfaces of both molds, and a synthetic resin molding material is injected into the cavity. This is how it was done.

Therefore, since the fabric skin is formed simultaneously with the molding of the synthetic resin steering wheel body, it is possible to mass-produce steering wheels with good appearance and feel.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of a steering wheel manufactured by the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a line taken along the line ■-n in FIG. A cross-sectional view along
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the manufacturing process of the method of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the same, and FIG. The cross-sectional view, Figure 6, is
It is a sectional view showing another example of the adhesion state of the development line portion of the cloth for forming the skin. 1... Steering wheel, 3... Steering wheel core material, 4... Outer skin, 5, 6...・Mold, 5a
. 6a... Mold surface, 7... Cavity, 8... Cloth for skin construction, 8a... Development line portion, 13... Synthetic resin molding material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of molds that are brought into contact with and separated from each other are separated from each other, and the mold surface of one of the molds is preformed in a shape corresponding to the expanded shape of the cavity defined between the mold surfaces of both molds. Then, after setting the steering wheel core material on the mold surface of one of the molds, the development line portion of the cloth is fixed with adhesive, and then the cloth for forming the skin is set on the mold surface of one of the molds. A method for manufacturing a steering wheel, comprising: bringing the entire outer surface of the cloth into close contact with the mold surfaces of both molds, and injecting a synthetic resin molding material into the cavity.