JP2002326575A - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily improve the vibrational characteristics of a steering wheel. SOLUTION: This steering wheel 1 is formed of a holding a core 11 held by upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13. A housing part 71 is formed between the core 11 and the lower cover shell 13. A weight W is movably stored in the housing part 71. When the steering wheel 1 is vibrated, the weight W is moved instantaneously after the vibration of the core 11, and comes into contact with the core 11 and the cover shells 12 and 13 to suppress the vibration.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering wheel having a weight for improving vibration characteristics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a steering wheel used for steering a vehicle such as an automobile, vibration caused by rotation of an engine or vibration from a road surface during traveling is transmitted to a steering wheel fixed to an occupant side end of a steering shaft. The wheel is vibrating. At this time, a maximum point of vibration appears at the resonance frequency inherent in the steering wheel, and the vibration of this frequency causes the steering wheel to vibrate greatly, which causes a problem that an occupant gripping and operating the steering wheel feels uncomfortable. are doing.

In this regard, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-64675.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. HEI 1-212967, a weight (damper) supported by rubber legs is mounted inside a steering wheel to adjust a natural resonance frequency. .

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional construction, a weight having a considerable mass and volume is supported by rubber legs, and a predetermined stroke is provided so that the weight, that is, the load on the rubber legs does not collide with surrounding members. The steering wheel is moved forward and backward to obtain vibration damping performance, and therefore, a problem of an increase in mass of the steering wheel as a whole is likely to occur. In addition, the occupied volume of the vibration damping device is large, and
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 29967, it is located only at a limited place of the steering wheel such as a boss portion, or as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 62-64675, it is arranged using the entire diameter of the rim portion. ing.

[0005] However, there is a demand for disposing a collision safety device such as an airbag module, or various operating mechanisms such as a horn switch on the steering wheel. Since there is a demand for realizing a uniform and soft touch and realizing a suitable design, it is difficult to dispose the weight on the boss or the rim.

The boss portion is a base point for fastening the steering wheel to the steering shaft. The design is such that the spoke portion and the rim portion which are separated from the fastening base point are given rigidity to suppress the vibration, so that the vibration can be effectively prevented. Although it can be suppressed, the spokes and rims need to have favorable crushing deformation characteristics against external force, and a design that achieves both these deformation characteristics and vibration characteristics at a high level will eventually be the result of repeated design and experimentation. It is a difficult task that requires a lot of development investment and research time to be completed. further,
The configuration in which a part of the rim is combined with a weight having a structure completely different from that of the other part has a problem that many new problems to be technically overcome arise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a steering wheel capable of easily improving vibration characteristics.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel including a metal core, a cover for covering the metal core, a housing composed of the metal core and the cover, and being movable to the housing. And a weight accommodated in the housing.

In this configuration, when the steering wheel vibrates, the weight movably housed in the housing abuts on the cover or the metal core, the vibration characteristics are efficiently adjusted, and the operational feeling is improved. I do. By effectively utilizing the space between the cored bar and the cover covering the cored bar, the appearance of the steering wheel is easily improved. By configuring the housing for housing the weight with the cored bar and the cover, the structure can be simplified by reducing the number of parts and the like, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0010] The steering wheel according to claim 2 is
2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a plurality of shell portions combined with a cored bar interposed therebetween.

In this configuration, the cover is easily attached to the cored bar, and the housing is easily configured.
Manufacturing costs are reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel,
3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the weight is housed in the housing so as to be able to directly contact the cored bar. 4.

In this configuration, the weight is directly in contact with the metal core, so that the vibration is effectively suppressed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel,
The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a rim portion for gripping operation, a boss portion connected to the steering shaft, and a spoke portion connecting the boss portion and the rim portion. The housing portion is disposed on the rim portion.

In this configuration, since the weight is disposed at a position separated from the boss portion, which is the mounting point, the vibration characteristics are efficiently adjusted, and the operational feeling is improved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel,
The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the metal core includes a pair of opposing weight collision portions that can contact the weight.

In this configuration, the force of the weight reciprocating and vibrating is directly applied to the core metal, and the vibration is effectively suppressed.

The steering wheel according to claim 6 is
6. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the core metal contacts a first weight collision portion capable of contacting a weight moving in a predetermined direction and the weight moving in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. And a second weight collision portion that can be brought into contact therewith.

In this configuration, even when the weights move in the directions crossing each other, a force is directly applied to the core metal, and vibration is effectively suppressed.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering wheel of an automobile.
The vehicle includes a steering wheel body 2 and an airbag device (airbag module) 4 which is a center pad mounted on the occupant side of the steering wheel body 2. The steering wheel 1 is mounted on a steering shaft (not shown) on the vehicle body, which is a steering shaft. The steering shaft is normally provided on the vehicle in an inclined state. 3 and the vicinity of the position F shown in FIG. 3 is an upper end portion and a front end portion. Hereinafter, when the configuration of the steering wheel 1 is described, the occupant side that is the airbag device 4 side, that is, the front side is the upper side, The vehicle body side, that is, the steering shaft side, that is, the rear side is the lower side, the front side of the vehicle, that is, the front windshield side above the front side is the front side, and the rear side, that is, the rear lower side is the rear side or the front side, The axis of the steering shaft will be described as an operation axis O.

The entire shape of the steering wheel body 2 is, for example, substantially annular, and an annular rim (ring) 5 for gripping operation, also called a grip or a ring, and the rim 5 And a plurality of, in the present embodiment, three spokes 7 connecting the rim 5 and the boss 6 to each other and fixed to the steering shaft.

The structure of the steering wheel body 2 is such that a cover 11 is provided as a cover including a core 11 and an upper cover shell 12 and a lower cover 13 as a shell covering a part of the core 11. 14 and a weight W.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the metal core 11 can be called a handle metal core. The metal rim 11 reinforces the rim 5 according to the overall shape of the steering wheel body 2. A boss core portion (boss plate portion) 16 which is located inside the rim core portion 15 and reinforces the boss portion 6;
And the spoke portion 7 is reinforced, that is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of three spoke core portions 17 for connecting the rim core portion 15 and the boss core portion 16 are provided. The upper shell 21 as the first half shell facing the occupant side and the lower shell 22 as the second half shell facing the vehicle body are combined, that is, integrated by hemming and welding, and the hollow portion is formed inside. A is formed in a hollow shape. The rim core part 15 and the boss core part 16 are formed in a hollow shape having a closed tubular cross section, and the boss core part 16
, A boss body 23 constituting a shaft fixing portion is fixed with a part thereof held inside the hollow portion. Hereinafter, the connection portion between the rim core portion 15 and the spoke core portion 17 is referred to as the outer connection portion 1.
8, the connection portion between the boss core portion 16 and the spoke core portion 17 will be described as an inner connection portion 19.

The upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are formed by press-forming a steel plate.
It is formed by pressing, punching, and bending an 8 mm SPCD steel plate. The upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are connected to the rim edge connecting portion 15a along the outer and inner peripheries of the rim cored bar 15,
Spoke edge joints 17 along both sides of spoke core 17
a, and the boss edge connection portion 1 along the outer periphery of the boss core portion 16
Combined at 6a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper shell 21 has a rim upper portion 31, a spoke upper portion 32, and a boss upper portion 33. In the center of the boss upper part 33, a circular hole 33a is formed, and a plurality of, for example, three, are located at equal intervals on a circumference around the circular hole 33a and protrude downward. A projection 33b is formed, and furthermore, a connection portion 33c, which is an annular projection protruding upward in a substantially U-shaped cross-section around the circular hole 33a, is located on the outer peripheral side of the projection 33b. And are formed concentrically. In addition, this connecting portion 33c
Is arranged at a position lower than the outside of the connecting portion 33c. Further, on both sides and a rear side of the boss upper portion 33, seat portions 37 for regulating the height position of the airbag device 4 are formed to protrude upward.

The spoke upper portion 32 extends upward from both sides and the rear side of the boss upper portion 33 so as to incline upward. The dimension in the width direction is substantially constant along the longitudinal direction.
In the vicinity of, a large portion 32a of the upper diameter of the spoke core metal is formed to smoothly and continuously increase the width dimension toward the outer connecting portion 18.

Further, the rim upper portion 31 is formed in a planar annular shape, and near the outer connecting portions 18 on both sides, a rim core metal upper diameter portion 31a whose height is larger than other portions is formed.

In the vicinity of the inner connecting portion 19 on both sides, a bracket 39 constituting a mounting seat 38 is formed integrally with the upper portion 33 of the boss and the upper portion 32 of the spoke. Each bracket 39 has a horizontal plate shape, and has a plurality of through holes 39a and 39b, respectively.

Further, the rim upper part 31, each spoke upper part 32,
As shown in FIG. 5, the edge of the boss upper part 33 has a flat base 41 and a vertical wall 42 extending downward from the edge of the base 41 as shown in FIG. Is formed, and is connected to the lower end of the vertical wall portion 42,
Horizontal plate-shaped upper flange portion 44a and this upper flange portion 44a
And a winding portion 44b extending downward from the outer end of the holding portion 44, and a plastically deformable holding portion 44 is formed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
Like the upper shell 21, a lower rim 51, a lower spoke 52, and a lower boss 53 are provided. In the center of the boss lower part 53, a circular hole 53a having a larger diameter than the circular hole 33a of the boss upper part 33 is provided.
Are formed, and a plurality of, for example, three, projections 53b projecting upward are formed at equal intervals on a circumference around the circular hole 53a. Note that these projections 53b are formed at positions shifted by 60 degrees from the projections 33b of the boss upper part 33. Further, an annular connecting portion 53c, which is located on the outer peripheral side of the projection 53b and protrudes upward in a substantially U-shaped cross section around the circular hole 53a, is formed concentrically with the circular hole 53a. The outer diameter of the connecting portion 53c of the lower shell 22 is smaller than that of the connecting portion 33c of the upper shell 21 so that the connecting portion 53c of the lower shell 22 is fitted into the connecting portion 33c of the upper shell 21. It is formed large. Also, the inside connection part 19
In the vicinity, that is, on both sides and the rear side of the boss upper portion 33, holes 53d, into which a self-tapping screw (not shown) is screwed, are formed so as to face the seat portion 37 of the boss upper portion 33.

The spoke lower portion 52 extends upward from both sides and the rear side of the boss lower portion 53 so as to incline upward. The dimension in the width direction is substantially constant along the longitudinal direction.
In the vicinity of, a large diameter portion 52a of the spoke cored bar whose width dimension is smoothly and continuously increased toward the outer connecting portion 18 is formed.

Further, the rim lower portion 51 has a planar annular shape, and near the outer connecting portion 18 on both sides, a rim core metal lower diameter large portion 51a whose height is larger than other portions is formed.

In the vicinity of the inner connection portion 19 on both sides, a bracket 59 constituting the mounting seat 38 is formed integrally with the boss lower portion 53 and the spoke lower portion 52. Each bracket 59 has a horizontal plate shape, and has a plurality of through holes 59a and 59b, respectively.

Further, a rim lower part 51, each spoke lower part 52,
The rim of the boss lower portion 53 is, for example, a flat base 61 as shown in FIG.
And a vertical wall portion 62 extending upward from the edge portion, and a horizontal plate-like flange portion 64 is formed continuously from the upper end of the vertical wall portion 62.

The boss body 23 is formed by forging, casting,
Alternatively, it is formed by NC cutting or the like using an NC machine tool. In the present embodiment, a substantially cylindrical tubular portion 23a and a substantially disc-shaped boss flange portion 2 are formed by forging.
3b is manufactured integrally. A projection (serration) that meshes with a wavy projection formed on the outer peripheral portion on the distal end side of the steering shaft is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 23a.
23c is engraved. In addition, notch portions 23d which are cut out semi-circularly at six locations at equal intervals are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the boss flange portion 23b. Further, a cancel portion 23e, which is a rectangular concave portion, is formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 23a. The canceling portion 23e is engaged with a cancel pin provided on a steering column (not shown) for automatically returning an operation lever of a lamp of a direction indicator.

The core metal 11 is configured by connecting upper and lower shells 21 and 22 with the boss 23 therebetween.

That is, in the manufacturing process of the metal core 11, the boss body 23 is disposed between the boss upper part 33 of the upper shell 21 and the boss lower part 53 of the lower shell 22, and the upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are overlapped. . At this time, the cylindrical portion 23a of the boss body 23 is
3a and projecting downward from the boss flange 23b
Are interposed between the boss upper part 33 and the boss lower part 53, and the projections 33b and 53b are engaged with the six notches 23d of the boss flange part 23b from every other upper and lower sides, and the upper and lower shells 21 and 53 are engaged. The rotation direction of the boss body 23 and the boss body 23 is determined.

In a state where the upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are overlapped, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 for the rim core 15, a flange 64 provided along the edge of the lower shell 22 is It is accommodated in a holding unit 44 provided along the edge of the 21. In this state, the winding portion 44b of the holding portion 44 is hemmed, and the upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are joined. That is, by hemming using an automatic machine, the winding portion 44b, which is a vertical wall, is tilted inward, and furthermore, a force is applied to the winding portion 44b so as to be folded back so as to wrap the flange portion 64 of the lower shell 22 in parallel. And wound up to the lower surface side to form a rim edge joint 15a,
The upper and lower shells 21 and 22 are connected. In this state, the rim core 15 and the spoke core 17 have a closed tubular cross section, and a hollow portion A is formed inside. Note that, for example, the rim edge connecting portion 15a of the rim core metal portion 15 is formed with a concave portion by performing so-called punching at a predetermined interval, and the upper and lower shells 21 and
22 can be engaged to prevent rotation in the circumferential direction.

The boss core 16 is connected to upper and lower connecting portions 33.
One of them is housed in the other by being closely fitted with c and 53c, and is fixed without being fixed.
A weak portion (intermediate weak portion) X that is deformable by an external force is formed inside 33c, 53c and outside the boss body 23. The cross-sectional shape of the weak portion X is wider and shorter than the cross-sectional shapes of the hollow portions of the rim core portion 15 and the spoke core portion 17.
That is, the dimension in the height direction which is the direction along the operation axis O is small, and the dimension in the width direction which is the direction orthogonal to the operation axis O is large.

Further, the boss body 23 is fixed to the lower shell 22 at a predetermined position by spot welding or the like. The boss body
The 23 can be fixed to one of the upper and lower shells 21 and 22, or can be fixed to both the upper and lower shells 21 and 22.

In this state, the rim core 15 and the spoke core 17 are connected to the outer connecting portion 18 where the spoke core 17 is connected, and the spoke core 17 has a dimension in the width direction larger than that of the other portions. A spoke core large diameter portion 67 having a greatly enlarged cross-sectional area is formed. In addition, it is continuous with the outer connection portions 18 on both sides, and
On both sides of the rim, a rim core diameter large portion 68 having a larger dimension in the height direction than the other portions and an enlarged cross-sectional area is formed.

Further, in this state, the upper and lower brackets 3
The mounting seat 38 is formed by overlapping the positions 9 and 59 with each other. The mounting seat 38 has a positioning hole 38a where the through holes 39a and 59a communicate with each other, and a mounting hole 38b where the through holes 39b and 59b communicate with each other.

On the other hand, the cover shell part 14 covers the entire circumference of the rim core part 15 of the core metal 11 and a part of the spoke core part 17 connected to the rim core part 15, and the central part of the steering wheel main body 2. The airbag device 4 can be combined harmoniously.

The cover shell portion 14 is
The upper cover shell 12 fitted from above and the lower cover shell 13 fitted from below the metal core 11 are combined. And the upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13
It is formed by injection molding an ABS resin, an AES resin, a composite resin of these resins and polycarbonate, or a polypropylene resin. Further, by a two-color molding method, a coating portion can be formed on the surface of a hard resin serving as a base with a soft resin such as TPO (thermoplastic olefin). In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the cover shell portion 14, that is, the upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13 are attached to the metal core 11, the outer peripheral portions of the upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13 are A cover 66 is formed by winding natural or synthetic leather or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper cover shell 12 covers the upper part of the rim core 15 and the rim-side upper cover shell 12a, and partially covers the upper part of the spoke core 17. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ribs 12c provided with positioning portions for contacting the cored bar 11 are formed on the inner side, which is the lower side, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower cover shell 13 includes a rim-side lower cover shell portion 13a that covers a lower portion of the rim core portion 15, and a part of a lower portion of the spoke core portion 17. And a rib provided with a positioning portion for fitting to the cored bar 11 on the inner surface side which is the upper surface side.
13c are formed in plurality. Furthermore, some ribs 13c are
Positioning rib 13 provided with notch capable of receiving weight W
d, or as a positioning rib 13e that abuts on the end of the weight W.

Then, the upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13 are
11, these positioning ribs 13 d and 13 e and the lower cover shell 13 are provided inside the lower cover shell 13.
A housing part 71 having a virtual storage space S having a plane arc shape and a rectangular cross section in which the weight W is accommodated is formed between the housing portion 71 and the core metal 11 on which is mounted. That is, the portion of the housing portion 71 constituted by the cover shell portion 14 is in a state where the opening is just closed by the rim core portion 15 of the core bar 11. That is, the housing part 71 includes the cover shell part 14 and the core metal 11.
Thus, a closed storage space S is formed, though not airtight. The weight W is swingably accommodated in the housing portion 71 to constitute a vibration suppression device.

The weight W is similar to the shape of the storage space S of the housing 71, that is, a rod having a circular arc shape with the curvature of the rim core 15 and a rectangular cross section. A vertical space that fits exactly with some space in the storage space S
It is formed in the width and height dimensions. That is, the outer shape of the weight W is slightly smaller than the inner shape of the storage space S of the housing portion 71. For example, in the present embodiment, the clearance dimension between the outer surface of the weight W and the storage space S of the housing portion 71 is set. Is, for example, about 0.5 mm in total on both sides, that is, the outer shape of the weight W is
A height higher than the inner size of the virtual storage space S of the housing part 71,
Both the width and the arc-shaped total length are formed smaller by 0.5 mm.

The weight W is not connected to the housing 71 but is housed so as to be freely movable with a predetermined stroke at least in the circumferential direction of the rim 5. That is, the weight W swings in the housing 71 and the rim core 15 of the core 11 or the positioning rib 13 of the cover shell 14.
It is stored so that it can collide with d and 13e.

The weight W is made of, for example, iron, lead, copper,
It is formed by casting, extruding and bending metal such as brass, or by using ceramics or the like. In addition, a coating portion as a sound deadening member can be formed on the outer peripheral portion of the weight W by using various rubbers or soft plastics.

Further, a body cover (lower cover) 74 is attached and covered at a discontinuous portion at the center of the lower cover shell 13 to constitute the steering wheel body 2. The airbag device 4 is mounted on the portion, and the steering wheel 1 is configured.

The body cover 74 is integrally formed of, for example, synthetic resin in a shape covering a part of the boss core part 16 and the spoke core part 17, that is, a position facing the airbag device 4, and is self-illustrated. A tapping screw is inserted into a predetermined through hole from below, screwed into the hole 53d of the lower shell 22, and fixed by screwing. Note that the seat portion 37 of the upper shell 21 facing the hole 53d of the lower shell 22 has the screw portion of the upper shell 21 even when the screw portion of the self-tapping screw projects upward through the hole portion 53d. It has the function of avoiding contact with

Further, the core cover 11 is attached to the body cover 74.
A work through hole 74a is formed to face the mounting seat 38.

In the airbag device 4, a bag-shaped airbag (not shown) and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag are attached to a metal base plate 4a.
Further, the airbag is configured so as to cover the upper side with a cover body 4b that is broken by the pressure at which the airbag is inflated and deployed. The base plate 4a is provided with a pair of nuts on both sides each having a screw hole directed downward, and a positioning projection is provided near the nuts.

The airbag device 4 includes a core 11
The base plate 4a is placed on the seat 37 of the upper shell 21 and positioned in the height direction, and the positioning projection is inserted into the positioning hole 38a of the mounting seat 38, It is positioned in the horizontal direction (lateral direction). The upper and lower through holes 39a and 59a forming the positioning hole 38a are
The through-hole 59a of the lower shell 22 is formed larger than the through-hole 39a of the upper shell 21, so that the positioning projection inserted into the through-hole 39a does not come into contact with the lower shell 22 and interfere therewith. Then, in this state, the working through hole of the body cover 74 is
Insert the bolt 75 inserted from below through the mounting seat
The airbag device 4 is fixed to the steering wheel main body 2 by screwing into the nut portion of the base plate 4a through the mounting hole 38b of the steering wheel 1 to form the steering wheel 1.

In the case of a collision of a car, the airbag device 4 operates to deploy the airbag in front of the occupant, restraining the occupant thrown forward, thereby reducing the impact. Also, regardless of the operation of the airbag device 4,
When the occupant collides with the steering wheel 1, the metal core 11 deforms, that is, self-aligns, and absorbs an impact. At this time, the outer peripheral portion of the boss core 16 is reinforced by the connecting portions 33c and 53c, and the rim core 15 and the spoke core 17 continuous with the connecting portions 33c and 53c. Has a closed tubular shape, and the encapsulating connection structure has a rib structure, so that the strength is high. Further, the outer connecting portion 18 where the rim core portion 15 and the spoke core portion 17 are connected to each other is formed with a spoke core large diameter portion 67 and a rim core diameter large portion 68 having an enlarged cross-sectional area, In addition, the spoke core large-diameter portion 67 has a smooth fan shape and an enlarged cross-sectional area, so that concentration of stress on the outer connection portion 18 can be suppressed. For this reason, the boss core 16
The peripheral portion of the boss flange portion 23b of the boss body 23 is a weak portion, the deformation is concentrated, and while maintaining the overall shape of the steering wheel body 2 against external force, the so-called root portion of the spoke core metal portion 17 The angle changes to absorb the shock, and the shock absorption characteristics are easily improved.

Next, the operation when the steering wheel 1 of the present embodiment receives vibration will be described.

First, the weight W in the storage space S of the housing portion 71 can swing in all directions without being connected to other members, but has a movable range of only about 0.5 mm stroke. When it swings, it immediately collides with one of the walls defining the storage space S of the housing 71. Here, the wall means the rim core 15 of the core 11 or the cover shell 14.
These are the positioning ribs 13d and 13e. Then, the weight W colliding with the wall is rebounded by the collision and collides with the wall on the opposite side of the body. Such a swing is slightly delayed from the vibration of the steering wheel 1 due to the vibration of the steering shaft, and the vibration of the steering wheel 1 can be effectively suppressed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the core metal
11 and a cover shell 14 that covers the metal core 11. The cover shell 14 has a housing 71 on the side facing the metal core 11.
Is provided so that the weight W is freely movably housed in the housing 71, so that a so-called impact damper is formed. At the time of vibration, the weight W collides with the core metal 11 or the cover shell portion 14, and efficiently absorbs vibration. Operation feeling can be improved. Thus, for example, the vibration absorption characteristics can be improved as compared with a configuration in which the weight is connected to the boss with rubber.

Further, the weight W oscillates at each frequency with respect to low-frequency vibration, for example, engine vibration during idling, and high-frequency vibration, for example, vibration during high-speed running, resulting in a plurality of different peak vibrations. Correspondingly, vibration can be effectively suppressed. That is, the vibration characteristic of the steering wheel 1 is made flat without a resonance point at a specific frequency, and a wide frequency band having such characteristics can be secured. Can be improved.

Further, the weight W is, for example, a cover shell part.
Housing part 71 formed integrally with lower cover shell 13
As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, the assembly work can be rationalized, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the weight W is composed of the core 11 and the cover shell 14.
Because the space is effectively used, that is, the space can be used rationally, so that the external appearance or the size of the steering wheel 1 can be improved or downsized. The visibility of the meter and the like provided on the instrument panel is not impaired. Then, with the steering wheel 1 attached to the steering shaft, the connection point between the spoke portion 7 and the rim portion 5 is arranged unevenly below the rim portion 5 in the circumferential direction, and the circumference of the rim portion 5 is In the steering wheel 1 that can secure a space for viewing the meter on the upper side in the direction, the weight W
Is disposed above the rim portion 5 in the circumferential direction, so that a flat vibration characteristic can be obtained in a wider frequency band than in the past, and unpleasant resonance with respect to a normal engine or running input can be suppressed. It is possible to achieve both a configuration that can improve the feeling and good visibility.

The housing 71 on the cover shell 14 side
Has an opening on the side facing the metal core 11, and the weight W is disposed in a space formed by the metal core 11 and the cover shell portion 14, so that the weight W directly abuts the metal core 11 to effectively Vibration can be suppressed.

Further, since the housing portion 71 is disposed on the cover shell portion 14 of the rim portion 5, the weight W can be disposed at a position separated from the boss portion 6 which is an attachment point of the steering wheel 1, and vibration is effectively suppressed. it can.

Further, since the cored bar 11 is hollow having the upper and lower shells 21 and 22 overlapped with each other, it is possible to easily adjust the vibration characteristics and the crush deformation characteristics together with the vibration characteristics. It is possible to easily design to achieve both.

Further, since the vibration can be effectively suppressed, the weight of the weight W can be reduced, the weight of the steering wheel 1 as a whole can be easily reduced, and the steering by reducing the weight of the vehicle and reducing the moment of inertia. It is easy to improve the performance.

The balance of the mass of the steering wheel 1 is adjusted by the weight W stored in the weight storage portion B of the rim portion 5, and the balance during the rotation operation can be easily improved.

The core 11, the cover shell 14, the housing 71, and the weight W are not limited to the above-described structures, but may have various structures.

For example, the arrangement of the housing portion 71 and the weight W is not limited to the above-described one. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a notch portion capable of receiving the weight W is provided in the rib 12c of the upper cover shell 12. Providing a positioning rib 12d or a positioning rib for contacting the end of the weight W, and providing a housing portion 71 provided with a storage space S above the metal core 11, that is, disposing a weight above the metal core 11. Can also.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a housing 71 having storage spaces S provided above and below the cored bar 11 may be provided, and the weight W may be stored in both or one of them.

FIG. 6 shows the steering wheel 1
2 shows a magnet M which is a jig used for assembling the device. The magnet M is a magnet array formed in an arc-shaped cross section along the outer peripheral surface of the cover shell portion 14, and is used when assembling the weight W and the upper and lower cover shells 12 and 13 with the core 11. By overlapping the magnet M on the outside of the iron weight W via the cover shells 12 and 13, it is possible to prevent the weight W from falling off the cover shells 12 and 13 and to improve workability. In addition, this magnet M
Can be used for one or both of the upper and lower cover shells 12, 13, and can also be used in other embodiments.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, with the weight W accommodated in the housing portion 71 of the cover shell portion 14, the opening of the housing portion 71 is connected to another member or the cover shell portion. Lid of a member integrated with 12, 13
It can be covered with 81. In this configuration, the weight W can be held by the cover shells 12 and 13, thereby facilitating the assembling work and reducing the manufacturing cost. For example, by making the lid 81 made of resin, the metal weight W is made of metal. The direct contact with the metal core 11 is suppressed, and the sound can be easily silenced.

The weight W is not limited to the configuration in which the weight W contacts the metal core 11 in only one direction. For example, a pair of weight collision portions are formed on the metal core, and the weight is disposed between the weight collision portions. By arranging the weight in opposition to these weight collision parts, a collision is applied directly or indirectly to the core metal in both the forward and backward directions to the weight arranged outside the core metal, effectively damping the vibration. It can also be suppressed.

Further, a first weight collision portion where the weight moved along the predetermined direction collides with the core metal, and a second weight collision portion where the weight moving in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction collides with the core metal. By virtue of the provision of, even when the weight moves in the direction in which the weights intersect, each of the weights can be directly brought into contact with the core metal, and the vibration can be effectively suppressed.

For example, as shown by the arrow III in FIG.
Weight collision portions 83, 83, which are protrusions having a triangular cross section, are
May be formed so as to protrude integrally and face each other, or the weight collision portion 84, which is a projection having a rectangular cross-sectional wavy shape, may be integrally formed so as to protrude. In this configuration, the weight W directly abuts the cored bar 11 against the circumferential vibration of the steering wheel 1 (the left-right vibration in FIG. 8), and the vibration can be effectively suppressed. Further, in this configuration, if the weight collision portions 83 and 84 are the first weight collision portions, the surface extending along the circumferential direction of the cored bar 11 becomes the second weight collision portion, and the vibrations in a plurality of directions are provided. In contrast, vibration can be effectively suppressed.

As shown by an arrow IV in FIG. 8, a plurality of housing portions 71 may be provided, each of which may accommodate the weight W. In such a configuration, each weight W
Is arranged along the arc-shaped rim 5 as a rectangular parallelepiped or the like, instead of a plane arc as shown in FIG. 1, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the weight W and improving versatility.
Manufacturing costs can also be reduced.

Further, in a configuration in which a plurality of housing portions 71 are provided, the weights W disposed in each housing portion 71 can be connected to each other by leg portions as connection portions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, in the structure shown in FIG. 6, an insertion hole 86 penetrating vertically is formed in the cored bar 11, and a connecting portion W1 loosely fitted in the insertion hole 86 is used to form the upper and lower parts. Weight W
Can be connected to each other. As described above, if the weight W has a fixed length, for example, by connecting the two weights W to each other, the weight W can be configured to have a mass per piece twice that of the embodiment shown in FIG. . Therefore, a large impact (impact) is applied to the core bar 11 both in the forward and backward movements of the reciprocating motion, and the vibration can be suppressed extremely effectively. Further, since the connecting portion W1 abuts on the cored bar 11 to regulate the movement range, the effect of preventing resonance can be exerted against vibrations in the up-down direction and the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 9).

Further, in addition to the structure in which the weights W are internally connected as shown in FIG. 9, a connecting portion W2 which connects the weights W so as to surround the outer peripheral portion of the cored bar 11 as shown in FIG. Provided, so to speak, external connection. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the vertical direction and the front-back direction,
Vibration can be effectively suppressed even in oblique reciprocating motion and torsional motion, that is, an effect of suppressing vibration in all circumferential directions can be achieved. The weight W externally connected in this manner can be assembled to the cored bar 11 in a state of being divided into two parts in the left-right direction in FIG. 10 and joined using a fixing tool such as a tapping screw.

Further, the housing portion 71, that is, the weight W
The present invention is not limited to the configuration provided on the rim portion 5, and instead of the rim portion 5,
Alternatively, in addition to the rim portion 5, it can be provided on the spoke portion 7 and the boss portion 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, for the spoke part 7, a housing part having a larger volume than the rim part 5 can be easily set, and the design flexibility can be improved in some cases.

The structure of the steering wheel 1 is as follows.
Not limited to the above, for example, the spoke portion 7, that is, the spoke core portion 17, may be one, two, or four or more in addition to the three configuration.

[0082]

According to the steering wheel of the first aspect, when the steering wheel vibrates, the weight movably housed in the housing abuts on the cover or the metal core, and the vibration characteristics are efficiently improved. It can be adjusted and the operation feeling can be improved. By effectively utilizing the space between the cored bar and the cover covering the cored bar, the appearance of the steering wheel can be easily improved. By configuring the housing that accommodates the weight with the cored bar and the cover, the structure can be simplified by reducing the number of parts and the like, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to the steering wheel of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the cover has a plurality of shell portions combined with the core being interposed therebetween, so that the cover can be easily attached to the core. In addition, the housing portion can be easily configured, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to the steering wheel of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, since the weight is housed in the housing portion so as to be able to directly contact the core, the weight is directly connected to the core. The contact can effectively suppress the vibration.

According to the steering wheel of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects, in addition to the rim portion for gripping operation, the boss portion connected to the steering shaft, and the boss portion, Since the housing portion is disposed on the rim portion, the weight can be disposed at a position separated from the boss portion, which is an attachment point, and the vibration characteristics can be adjusted efficiently, Operation feeling can be improved.

According to the steering wheel of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the cored bar is provided with a pair of opposed weight collision portions capable of contacting the weight. Can be applied directly to the core metal to reciprocate and vibrate effectively.

According to the steering wheel of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to fifth aspects, in addition to the effect of the first to fifth aspects, the cored bar has a first weight collision portion capable of contacting a weight moving in a predetermined direction; With the second weight collision portion capable of contacting the weight moving in the direction intersecting with the predetermined direction, even when the weights move in the direction intersecting with each other, the force is directly applied to the core metal, Vibration can be effectively suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a steering wheel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the steering wheel, with a part cut away.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a core of the steering wheel.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the steering wheel of FIG.
It is sectional drawing of an equivalent position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention in an exploded state at a position corresponding to II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a still further embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention, taken along a line II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention, taken along a line II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a still another embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention at a position corresponding to II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a still further embodiment of the steering wheel according to the present invention at a position corresponding to II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a still another embodiment of the steering wheel of the present invention at a position corresponding to II-II in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 5 Rim part 6 Boss part 7 Spoke part 11 Core bar 12 Upper cover shell as shell part 13 Lower cover shell as shell part 14 Cover shell part as cover 71 Housing part 83 Weight collision part W Weight

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Izumi Sato 218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Nippon Plastic Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinya Suzuki 218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture Nippon Plast Corporation (72) Invention Person Hiromitsu Harada 218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture F-term in Japan Plastics Co., Ltd. 3D030 CA09 DA23 DA27 DB08

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A housing comprising: a metal core; a cover for covering the metal core; a housing portion including the metal core and the cover; and a weight movably accommodated in the housing portion. Steering wheel. 2. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a plurality of shell portions combined with a cored bar interposed therebetween. 3. The steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the weight is accommodated in the housing so as to be able to directly contact the cored bar. 4. A rim portion for gripping operation, a boss portion connected to a steering shaft, and a spoke portion connecting the boss portion and the rim portion, wherein the housing portion includes the rim portion. The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steering wheel is arranged on a steering wheel. 5. The core according to claim 1, wherein the core includes a pair of opposed weight collision portions that can contact the weight.
The steering wheel according to any of the above. 6. A first weight collision portion capable of contacting a weight moving in a predetermined direction, and a second weight collision capable of contacting the weight moving in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. The steering wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: