WO2007035135A1

WO2007035135A1 - Support unit for a steering wheel of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2007035135A1
Application number: PCT/SE2005/001374
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joakim SJÖGREN; Anna Karlsson
Original assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment Holding Sweden Ab
Priority date: 2005-09-19
Filing date: 2005-09-19
Publication date: 2007-03-29

Abstract

The invention relates to a support unit (8) for supporting an object on the steering wheel of a vehicle. The steering wheel comprises a rim, a hub and a plurality of spokes that extend between the rim of the steering wheel and the hub. The support unit (8) comprises a disk-shaped part (9) with an essentially- flat surface (19) and means (10) for attaching the support unit (8) to the steering wheel in a first position. The said means of attachment (10) is arranged on an opposite side of the flat surface (19) and is designed to engage with the steering wheel by press-fitting by moving the support unit (8) in a first direction towards the steering wheel and to be released from the said engagement with the steering wheel by moving the support unit in a direction opposite to the first direction.

Description

Support unit for a steering wheel of a vehicle

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a support unit for supporting an object on the steering wheel of a vehicle, which steering wheel comprises a rim, a hub and a plurality of spokes that extend between the rim of the steering wheel and the hub, with the support unit comprising a disk-shaped part with an essentially flat surface and means for attaching the support unit to the steering wheel in a first position.

The support unit is primarily intended for a vehicle where the steering wheel is arranged in the operating position in such a way that the rim of the steering wheel is essentially horizontal. The support unit is more specifically intended for working vehicles in the form of, for example, wheel loaders and articulated haulers, the steering wheels of which are normally essentially horizontal. For the purpose of exemplification, the support unit will be described below for a wheel loader and an articulated hauler, but the support unit can, of course, also be used for other vehicles, such as trucks and busses.

A working vehicle is normally used for contract work. Occasionally, service personnel and/or drivers need to read off machine parameters when the machine is stationary and they normally use a portable computer in the form of a laptop. They sit in the driver's seat and place the computer in front of them, on their knee or on the steering wheel. For ergonomic reasons, it is desirable to be able to position the computer so that it is supported only by the steering wheel. However, the steering wheels of working vehicles are not suitable for this, as they have a relatively large diameter and relatively large gaps between the spokes.

In addition, there can be a desire to have a writing surface in the cab of the vehicle that can be used by the driver when the machine is stationary, for noting work that has been carried out, time spent, etc.

In addition, there can be a desire to have a support surface in the cab of the vehicle that can be used by the driver when the machine is stationary, for placing food, drinks, etc, during breaks in the work.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a support unit for supporting an object on the steering wheel of a working vehicle, which support unit can be attached to and removed from the steering wheel by means of a quick and simple operation.

This object is achieved by the said means of attachment being arranged on an opposite side of the flat surface and being designed to engage with the steering wheel by being pressure-fixed by moving the support unit in a first direction towards the steering wheel and being released from the said engagement with the steering wheel by moving the support unit in a direction opposite to the first direction.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said means of attachment is arranged to engage with at least one of the spokes of the steering wheel. By this means, it is possible to keep the steering wheel rim free from contact with the support unit. On the steering wheel of a working machine, there is often a paddle or knob, that is attached to the steering wheel in such a way that it rotates with the steering wheel. The driver can operate this knob with one hand, for example when he wants to turn the steering wheel quickly through several revolutions. Due to the fact that the means of attachment interacts with the spokes, it is not necessary to take into account whether there is such a knob on the steering wheel, nor, if so, to take into account its rotational position.

The rim of the steering wheel can thus still be turned by the driver, even when the support unit is arranged on the steering wheel . This provides a high degree of safety. A wheel loader is normally provided with two different systems for steering the vehicle, by means of the steering wheel and by means of a lever, or joystick, that can be arranged in an armrest. If the driver uses the lever for steering and has left the support unit on the steering wheel, the rim of the steering wheel is thus still available to be operated by the driver if necessary. In an emergency situation, such as can arise, for example, if the steering by means of the lever fails, the driver can thus take hold of the rim of the steering wheel and steer the vehicle by the steering wheel. On the other hand, an articulated hauler has only one system for steering the vehicle, namely the steering wheel .

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the means of attachment comprises a plurality of openings, each arranged to receive a part of one of the said spokes, so that the support unit rests on the steering wheel in the said first position.

According to another preferred embodiment, the means of attachment is arranged to be supported by the steering wheel at three points when the support unit is arranged in the said first position. This holds the unit stable on the steering wheel.

According to another preferred embodiment, the means of attachment matches the spacing between at least two of the spokes of the steering wheel and engages with these. The support unit thus has a design that corresponds to the design of a specific steering wheel.

According to another preferred embodiment, the support unit is such a shape that a part of the support unit can be inserted between two adjacent spokes in the steering wheel, so that the support unit is supported from above by the spokes and the support unit is thereby held in a second position on the steering wheel. The support unit is thus multi-functional and can be used in different positions in relation to the steering wheel.

According to another preferred embodiment, the support unit is designed in such a way that the flat surface is essentially parallel to a plane that coincides with the rim of the steering wheel when the support unit is arranged in the said first position. Due to the fact that the flat surface of the support unit is parallel to the plane of the rim of the steering wheel, the rotational position of the steering wheel, and accordingly the position of the spokes, does not affect the function of the support unit. This is particularly advantageous for a working machine of the wheel loader or articulated hauler type, that normally has hydraulic steering, which means that the steering wheel can assume, in principle, any rotational position for a specific angle of the driven wheels.

Additional preferred embodiments and advantages associated with these will be apparent from the following description, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the embodiments that are shown in the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a wheel loader in a side view, Figure 2 shows a steering wheel with a first tilt angle in a cab of the wheel loader according to Figure

1, Figure 3 shows a support unit in a perspective view from above, Figure 4 shows the support unit in Figure 3 in a perspective view from below,

Figure 5 shows a side view of the support unit according to Figure 3,

Figure 6 shows the support unit according to Figure 3 arranged on the steering wheel of the wheel loader according to Figure 2,

Figure 7 shows a notepad placed on the support unit according to Figure 6,

Figure 8 shows a sectioned perspective view from below of the support unit according to Figure 3 arranged on the steering wheel of the wheel loader according to Figure 2, Figure 9 shows the steering wheel from Figure 2 with a second tilt angle, Figure 10 shows the support unit according to Figure 3 arranged on the steering wheel of the wheel loader according to Figure 9,

Figure 11 shows a portable computer placed on the support unit according to Figure 10,

Figure 12 shows an articulated hauler in a side view, Figure 13 shows a steering wheel with a first tilt angle in the cab of the hauler according to Figure 12, Figure 14 shows the support unit according to Figure 3 arranged on the steering wheel of the hauler according to Figure 13 ,

Figure 15 shows a notepad placed on the support unit according to Figure 14,

Figure 16 shows the steering wheel from Figure 13 with a second tilt angle, Figure 17 shows the support unit according to Figure 3 arranged on the steering wheel of the hauler according to Figure 16,

Figure 18 shows a portable computer placed on the support unit according to Figure 17, Figure 19 shows a part of an armrest in the cab of a wheel loader, Figure 20 shows the support unit according to Figure 3 positioned on the armrest according to Figure

19, and Figure 21 shows a notepad placed on the support unit according to Figure 20.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a working vehicle in the form of a wheel loader 1 in a side view. Figure 2 shows a steering wheel 2 arranged in the cab of the wheel loader 1. The steering wheel 2 comprises a rim 3, a hub 4 and three spokes 5,6,7 that extend between the rim 3 of the steering wheel and the hub 4. The spokes 5,6,7 are arranged with even spacing, that is they are the same distance apart around the circumference of the steering wheel. The angle between two adjacent spokes is thus 120°. The steering wheel 2 is here set in a first position, in which a plane through the rim 3 of the steering wheel has a relatively small angle α (a. < 30° and normally approximately 20°) in relation to the horizontal plane, see also Figure 8.

Figures 3-5 show a support unit 8 designed to support an object on the steering wheel 2. The support unit 8 comprises a disk-shaped part 9 with an essentially flat surface 19 and means 10 for attaching the support unit 8 to the steering wheel in a first position. The said means of attachment 10 is arranged on an opposite side of the flat surface 19 and is designed to engage with the steering wheel 2 by being pressure-fixed by moving the support unit 8 in a first direction towards the steering wheel 2 and being released from the said engagement with the steering wheel 2 by moving the support unit 8 in a direction opposite to the first direction. The direction of movement for attaching and releasing the support unit is parallel to a central axis through the rim 3 of the steering wheel . The flat surface 19 forms here a table top.

The said means of attachment 10 thus projects out from the disk-shaped part 9. The said means of attachment 10 comprises a rib structure, that is designed to engage with the steering wheel for the said support function. The rib structure comprises a plurality of ribs that extend essentially perpendicular to the plane of the disk-shaped part 9.

The said means of attachment 10 is arranged to engage with the three spokes 5,6,7 of the steering wheel and comprises three recesses 11,12,13, each of which receives one part of one of the said spokes, so that the support unit rests on the steering wheel in the said first position. The recesses 11,12,13 are formed in the ribs of the rib structure. The recesses 11,12,13 face with the opening downwards, in a direction opposite to the perpendicular of the flat surface 19. Each of the recesses 11,12,13 has an inner seat 14, in which the spoke is intended to be received. Each of the recesses 11,12,13 has, in addition, two surfaces 15,16 that are angled towards each other for wedging the respective spoke between the surfaces. In this way, the support unit 8 is clamped onto the spokes . The angled surfaces 15,16 form conical engagement surfaces.

The means of attachment 8 is thus arranged to be supported on the steering wheel 2 at three points (the three spokes 5,6,7) when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said first position. In other words, the means of attachment 8 matches the spacing between the three spokes 5,6,7 of the steering wheel 2 for engagement with these.

The support unit 8 is designed in such a way that a distance x between the flat surface 19 and the said means of attachment 10, and more specifically the seats 14 of the recesses 11,12,13, see Figure 5, is sufficiently large for the flat surface 19 to be at least on a level with a plane that coincides with the rim 3 of the steering wheel when the support unit 2 is arranged in the said first position, see also Figure 8.

The support unit 8 thus consists of a single part, or a single piece, which makes it very easy to handle. In order to attach the support unit 8 to the steering wheel 2 in the first position, the support unit 8 is positioned in such a way that the recesses 11,12,13 are aligned with the spokes 5,6,7 and the support unit is then press-fitted onto the steering wheel, whereupon the spokes are received in the recesses . To carry out the attachment, the edge of the table top is held and pressure is suitably applied on the upper flat surface 9. The ribs that define the recesses 11,12,13 have a certain amount of flexibility in order to receive the spokes .

Figure 6 shows the support unit 8 arranged on the steering wheel 2. The support unit 8 has a shape that is such that the whole circumference of the rim 3 of the steering wheel is accessible to be turned by the driver' s hand when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said first position. In addition, the disk-shaped part 9 has an outer shape that at least essentially corresponds to the shape of the rim 3 of the steering wheel. The disk-shaped part 9 has here a circular shape. The disk- shaped part 9 covers essentially the whole of the inner area that is defined by the rim 3 of the steering wheel, but a gap is left between the rim 3 of the steering wheel and the support unit 8, which gap is sufficient to give a driver room to insert his fingers to enable him to turn the rim 3 of the steering wheel by hand when the support unit 8 is put on the steering wheel in the first position. The distance between the rim 3 of the steering wheel and the support unit is >=40 mm.

Figure 7 shows a note pad 17 positioned on the support unit 8 when this is arranged on the steering wheel 2.

In addition, the support unit 8 is designed in such a way that the flat surface 19 is essentially parallel to a plane that coincides with the rim 3 of the steering wheel when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said first position, see Figure 8. The flat surface 19 coincides essentially with a plane through an upper part of the rim 3 of the steering wheel. When the support unit 8 is arranged on the steering wheel 2 in the first position, the flat surface 9 thus faces upwards, to be used by the driver, for example, as a writing surface.

To release the support unit 8 from the steering wheel 2, the edge of the table top is held, and the support unit 8 is lifted away from the steering wheel in the opposite direction to when it is being attached. The support unit 8 is thus removable and portable.

The steering wheel 2 in a working machine can normally be set in different positions. Figure 9 shows the steering wheel 2 set in a second position, in which a plane through the rim 3 of the steering wheel has a relatively large angle (>20° and normally approximately 45°) in relation to the horizontal plane.

In Figure 10, the support unit 8 is arranged in such a way that a part 18 of the disk-shaped part 9, see also Figure 4, is inserted between two adjacent spokes in the steering wheel 2 so that the support unit 8 is supported from above by the spokes. In addition, the flat surface

9 is in contact with the rim 3 of the steering wheel and the support unit 8 is thereby supported from below. In this way, the support unit 8 is held in a second position on the steering wheel 2. A plane through the flat surface 9 of the support unit 8 has a relatively large angle in relation to a plane that coincides with the rim 3 of the steering wheel when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said second position on the steering wheel. This angle is <90°, preferably <60° and suitably <50°. In addition, the angle is >0°, preferably >20° and suitably >30°. According to a preferred example, the angle is approximately 40°.

A side 20 of the support unit 8 that is opposite to the flat surface 19 faces upwards when the support unit 8 is arranged in the second position on the steering wheel 2. The disk-shaped part 9 is thus designed in such a way that a part of this can be inserted between two adjacent spokes in order to achieve the second position.

In Figure 11, a computer 21 in the form of a laptop is placed on the support unit 8 in the second position. The underside of the keyboard 22 is in contact with the support unit 8 and the back of the display unit 23 rests against the spokes and/or rim of the steering wheel 2.

The upward-facing side 20 of the support unit 8 is essentially horizontal when the support unit 8 is arranged in the second position on the steering wheel 2, see Figures 10 and 11. This upward-facing side can therefore advantageously be used to support a cup or a mug of drink and/or a plate of food. Figure 12 shows an articulated hauler 101 in a side view. Figure 13 shows a steering wheel 102 arranged in the cab of the hauler 101. The steering wheel 102 comprises a rim 103, a hub 104 and two spokes 105,106 that extend between the rim 103 and the hub 104 of the steering wheel. The angle between the spokes. 105,106 is <180° and more specifically approximately 150°. The steering wheel 102 is here set in a first position, in which a plane through the rim 3 of the steering wheel has a relatively small angle (<20°) in relation to the horizontal plane.

In the following, reference is made to the support unit in Figures 3-5. In addition to the first set of recesses 11,12,13, the said means of attachment 10 comprises a second set of recesses 111,112 at spacings that correspond to the gap between the two spokes 105,106 of the steering wheel of the hauler 102. In the same way as the recesses 11,12,13, the recesses 111,112 face with the opening downwards, in a direction opposite to the perpendicular of the flat surface 19. Each of the recesses 111,112 has an inner seat 114, in which the spoke is intended to be received. In addition, each of the recesses 111,112 comprises two surfaces 115,116 that are angled towards each other to wedge the relevant spoke between the surfaces .

In addition, the means of attachment 10 comprises a rib part 24 that is arranged to be supported on the hub 104 of the steering wheel 102. The means of attachment 8 is thus arranged to be supported on the steering wheel 102 at three points (the two spokes 105,106 and the hub 104) when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said first position. Figure 14 shows the support unit 8 arranged on the steering wheel 102. A surface of the support unit 8 on the opposite side to the flat surface 19 rests here on the rim 103 of the steering wheel. The support unit 8 is, however, in such a position that most of the rim 103 of the steering wheel is available to be operated by the driver when the support unit 8 is arranged in the said first position.

Figure 15 shows a notepad 17 positioned on the support unit 8 when this is arranged on the steering wheel 102.

Figure 16 shows the steering wheel 102 set in a second position, in which a plane through the rim 103 of the steering wheel has a relatively large angle (>20°) in relation to the horizontal plane. Figure 17 shows positioning of the support unit 8 in a second position in relation to the steering wheel 102, which position corresponds to the position shown in Figure 10 for the steering wheel of the wheel loader 2. Figure 18 shows a laptop 21 placed on the support unit 8 corresponding to Figure 11. ^■

Figure 19 shows an armrest 25 in the cab of a wheel loader. The armrest 25 has a rectangular cross section. The means of attachment 10 for the support unit 8 is designed to engage with the armrest 25. The rib structure of the support unit 8 has a rectangular part 26 of a shape and size that corresponds to the shape of the armrest 25, see Figure 4. More specifically, the rectangular shape is defined by four ribs projecting from the disk-shaped part 9. Figure 20 shows the support unit placed on the armrest 25 in such a way that the upper part of the armrest is received in the rectangular shape defined by the rib structure. Figure 21 shows the notepad 17 positioned on the support unit according to Figure 20.

The invention is not to be considered to be limited to the embodiments described above, a number of additional variants and modifications being possible within the framework of the following claims.

For example, the invention is not limited to the support unit being designed to be attached and released by means of only a linear movement. The support unit can, for example, be designed to be attached to and released from the steering wheel by rotating the support unit.

As an alternative to the means of attachment of the support unit comprising the said rib structure for the attaching function, a structure consisting of sprung elements can, for example, be used. A spoke can be clamped between a pair of sprung elements . Such a sprung element can, for example, consist of metallic strips, that comprise a curved part to receive the spoke. By arranging two such curved metallic strips alongside each other with the concave surfaces facing towards each other, the clamping function can be achieved. In a similar way to the rib structure, the sprung elements can project in an essentially perpendicular direction from the disk-shaped part.

In addition, the means of attachment of the support unit can be designed to engage only with the hub of the steering wheel. In this case, the means of attachment would thus not engage with the spokes of the steering wheel .

Claims

1. A support unit (8) for supporting an object (17,21) on the steering wheel (2,-102) of a vehicle (l;101), which steering wheel (2,-102) comprises a rim (3; 103), a hub (4;104) and a plurality of spokes (5, 6, 7;105, 106) that extend between the rim of the steering wheel and the hub, with the support unit (8) comprising a disk- shaped part (9) with an essentially flat surface (19) and means (10) for attaching the support unit (8) to the steering wheel (2; 102) in a first position, characterized in that the said means of attachment (10) is arranged on an opposite side of the flat surface (19) and is designed to engage with the steering wheel (2; 102) by being pressure-fixed by the support unit (8) being moved in a first direction towards the steering wheel and being released from the said engagement with the steering wheel by a movement of the support unit in a direction opposite to the first direction.

2. The support unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the said means of attachment (10) is arranged to engage with at least one of the spokes (5, 6, 7; 105, 106) of the steering wheel.

3. The support unit as claimed in claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the means of attachment (10) comprises a plurality of recesses (11, 12, 13,-111, 112) , each arranged to receive a part of one of the said spokes (5, 6, 7; 105, 106) in such a way that the support unit rests on the steering wheel in the said first position.

4. The support unit as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that each of the recesses (11, 12, 13 ,-111,112) comprises two surfaces (15,16;115,116) that are angled towards each other to wedge the respective spoke between the surfaces .

5. The support unit as claimed in claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) comprises a rib structure that projects from the disk-shaped part (9) and in that the recesses (11, 12, 13 ; 111, 112) are arranged in the rib structure.

6. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) is arranged to be supported on the steering wheel (2; 102) at three points when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

7. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) is designed to engage with at least two of the said spokes (5, 6, 7; 105, 106) when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

8. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) is designed to engage with three of the said spokes (5,6,7) when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

9. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support unit

(8) is designed in such a way that the flat surface (19) is essentially parallel to a plane that coincides with the rim (3,-103) of the steering wheel when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

10. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between the flat surface (19) and the said means of attachment (10) is sufficiently large to enable the flat surface to be at least level with a plane that coincides with the rim (3,-103) of the steering wheel when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

11. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support unit

(8) is such a shape that the whole of the circumference of the rim (3,-103) of the steering wheel is available to be operated by the driver when the support unit is arranged in the said first position.

12. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flat surface

(19) has an outer shape that at least essentially corresponds to the shape of the rim (3,-103) of the steering wheel.

13. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) matches the spacing between at least two of the spokes (5, 6, 7; 105, 106) of the steering wheel

(2; 102) for engagement with these.

14. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) matches the spacing between all the spokes (5,6,7) of the steering wheel (2,-102) for engagement with these.

15. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means of attachment (10) comprises a first set of recesses (11,12,13) that are a distance apart that corresponds to the gap between at least two of the spokes (5,6,7) of a first type of steering wheel (2) and a second set of recesses (111,112) that are a distance apart that corresponds to the gap between at least two of the spokes (115,116) of a second type of steering wheel.

16. The support unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support unit

(10) is such a shape that a part (18) of the support unit can be inserted between two adjacent spokes

(5, 6,-105, 106) in the steering wheel (2,102) so that the support unit is supported from above by the spokes and thereby holds the support unit in a second position on the steering wheel.

17. The support unit as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a plane through the flat surface (19) of the support unit (10) has a relatively large angle in relation to a plane that coincides with the rim

(3,-103) of the steering wheel when the support unit is arranged in the said second position on the steering wheel .

18. The support unit as claimed in claims 16 or 17, characterized in that a side of the support unit (10) that is opposite to the flat surface (19) faces upwards in the second position.

19. The support unit as claimed in claims 16, 17 or 18, characterized in that the disk-shaped part (9) is designed in such a way that a part of this (18) can be inserted between the two adjacent spokes in order to achieve the second position.