JPH0611851Y2 - Steering wheel pad structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial field of application> The present invention relates to a pad structure of a steering wheel, and more particularly to a pad structure for covering a shock absorber fixed on a fixed part of the steering wheel with respect to a steering shaft end. Regarding

<Prior Art> In order to reduce the impact when an occupant hits the center of the steering wheel during a vehicle collision, the steering wheel fixing part at the end of the steering shaft should be provided with a shock absorber that can be deformed by a collision load. There is something to do.
This shock absorber is generally covered with a cover member having a pad made of a soft synthetic resin material.
Conventionally, the rigidity of the cover member itself has been a problem.

This is because if the rigidity of the core material of the cover member is increased by emphasizing the shape retention of the pad, it may adversely affect the deformation characteristics of the shock absorber. If you set the rigidity of the core material to the extent that it does not affect the deformation of the body,
This is because the cover member vibrates and causes an abnormal noise.

In order to improve such inconvenience, by forming an appropriate through hole in the holder for holding the shape of the pad to be covered by the shock absorber, to secure the shape retention of the pad and the core material. The technology that achieves both rigidity restrictions is Shokai 5
It is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-135363.

<Problems to be solved by the device> However, according to the same device, the shape of the holding body, which is the core material of the pad, becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost rises, and the strength of the holding body is limited. There is a tendency that vibration resistance tends to be insufficient.

In view of the above problems of the prior art, the main purpose of the present invention is to improve the steering that secures the rigidity required at normal times and does not adversely affect the deformation characteristics of the shock absorber. To provide a pad structure for a wheel.

<Means for Solving the Problems> According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a shock absorber fixed on the fixed portion of the steering wheel with respect to the end of the steering shaft so as to absorb the shock load substantially in the axial direction. A pad structure for covering a body, wherein the portion of the pad facing the surface along the axial direction of the shock absorber is separated from the shock absorber according to the deformation of the shock absorber during deformation. Of the guide means formed on the surface facing the shock absorber so as to interfere with the shock absorber, and the portion of the pad facing the surface along the axial direction of the shock absorber along a predetermined direction And a notch portion formed on the open end side so as to receive a stress concentration so as to induce stress.

<Operation> In this way, when the shock absorber is deformed along the axis of the steering shaft, the deformed shock absorber interferes with the guide means, and the pad is deformed outward. Then, the stress at this time is concentrated in the notch portion, so that the pad is broken from the notch portion. As a result, it is possible to avoid the disadvantage that the strength of the pad adversely affects the deformation characteristics of the shock absorber.

<Embodiment> Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 show the essential parts of a steering wheel to which the present invention is applied. Steering wheel 1
Is splined to the upper end of the steering shaft 4 by a center boss 3 fixed to the spoke core metal 2, and the center boss 3 is prevented from coming off by a nut 5 screwed to the most free end of the steering shaft 4.

A shock absorber 7 is fixed to the center boss 3 via a boss plate 6. The shock absorber 7 is formed by bending a metal plate into a wavy shape, and is capable of deforming flat when receiving a compressive load acting in a direction substantially along the axis of the steering shaft 4. A pad body 8 and a lower cover 9 are covered around the shock absorber 7.

The pad body 8 is a core material 1 made of a relatively hard synthetic resin material.
0 and a cover pad 11 made of a soft synthetic resin material such as urethane that covers the core material 10, and a shape that covers the front and upper sides of the spoke core metal 2 bent in a substantially V shape. Is formed in. This center pad 8
A central portion 8a mainly covering the shock absorber 7 and the central portion 8a
And the steering wheel main body 1a are connected to each other by a spoke portion 8b. The outer end portion of the spoke portion 8b is screwed to the lower cover 9 fixed to the center boss 3.

Further, the steering shaft 4 is covered with a column cover 12 which is divided into upper and lower parts.

The core material 10 of the center pad 8 has a relatively high rigidity so that the cover pad 11 can be kept in a predetermined shape.
As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of guide ribs 13 are provided on the inner side of the upper surface of the center pad 8 corresponding to the central portion 8a, and the open end side of the portion corresponding to the boundary between the central portion 8a and the spoke portion 8b. A pair of notches 14 are formed in the. The edge of the guide rib 13 is formed in a taper shape toward the open end 8c of the pad body 8 (FIG. 4).

When the occupant strongly hits the central portion 8a of the pad body 8 at the time of a collision, the pad body 8 is displaced forward and the shock absorber 7 is deformed in the axial contracting direction, whereby the collision energy is absorbed. To be done.

Conventionally, the center pad of a steering wheel provided with this kind of shock absorber does not deform when the open end of the column cover hits the end face of the column cover when it is displaced along the axial direction of the steering shaft. It was necessary to reduce the rigidity of the center pad so as not to hinder it. In order to improve this point, in the device of the present invention, a guide rib 13 is provided on the inner surface of the core material 10 so as to project.
The guide ribs 13 interfere with the outer surface of the shock absorber 7 according to the deformation of the shock absorber 7. As a result, when the pad body 8 is displaced forward, it is guided by the guide ribs 13 and pushes up the central portion 8a (FIG. 4), and when the load is further continued, stress concentrates on the notch 14 as a fracture portion, and FIG. The core material 10 is broken as shown in FIG.

In this way, the pad body 8 does not interfere with the open end 8a of the end surface of the column cover 12, but rather breaks to serve to assist absorption of collision energy.

<Effect of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, the central portion of the pad body is guided by the guide rib to be deformed upward and can be broken relatively easily. It is possible to secure the rigidity that does not occur and not prevent the deformation of the shock absorber. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a suitable shock absorbing performance without affecting the commercial property and the durability, and the effect is extremely large.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a steering wheel to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a core material of a pad body constructed according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a deformed state due to impact. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a broken state of the core material shown in FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steering wheel 1a ... Steering wheel main body 2 ... Spoke core metal 3 ... Center boss 4 ... Steering shaft 5 ... Nut, 6 ... Boss plate 7 ... Impact absorber, 8 ... Pad body 8a ... Center part, 8a ... Spoke part 8c ... Open end, 9 ... Lower cover 10 ... Core material, 11 ... Cover pad 12 ... Column cover, 13 ... Guide rib 14 ... Notch

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Kazuyoshi Nishijima, 218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Plast Co., Ltd. (72) Izumi Sato, 218, Aoshima-cho, Fuji-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Plast Co., Ltd. (56) References Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-261751 (JP, A) Actual development Sho 57-171962 (JP, U) Actual publication Sho 58-132498 (JP, Y2)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A pad structure for covering a shock absorber fixed on a fixed portion of a steering wheel with respect to a steering shaft end so as to absorb a shock load substantially along an axial direction, the shock of the pad. In order to separate the portion of the absorber facing the surface along the axial direction from the shock absorber in accordance with the deformation of the shock absorber, the portion facing the shock absorber so as to interfere with the shock absorber at the time of deformation. It is formed on the open end side so as to receive stress concentration so as to induce a fracture along a predetermined direction at a portion where the guide means formed on the surface and the surface of the pad along the axial direction of the shock absorber are induced. A pad structure for a steering wheel, which has a notch portion.