Damper unit, a damper assembly, and a method for making a damper unit

A damper unit for use in a vibration-reducing assembly for a steering wheel, said damper unit comprising:

• a slider having a central bore extending along an axis, said slider being configured, upon horn activation on the steering wheel, to slide in a direction of said axis on a guide shaft received in said central bore;
• a damper element which is made from an elastomeric material and is molded on a first part of the slider;
• and
• a molded horn spring element which is made from an elastomeric material and comprises a horn spring part and an attachment part molded in one piece and molded in one piece with the damper element, wherein the attachment part of the horn spring element is molded on a second part of the slider, wherein the horn spring part is configured to exert a force on the slider in the direction of the axis;
• and
• wherein the attachment part of the horn spring element is mechanically bonded to the slider by one or more molded locking elements, which are molded in one piece with the horn spring element and the damper element, and which are in mechanical locking engagement with associated one or more locking openings in the slider.

A vibration-reducing assembly for dampening vibrations in a steering wheel, comprising:

• a base structure which is fixed to the steering wheel and presents vibrations to be dampened;
• a guide shaft fixed to the base structure;
• a damper unit comprising:
• a slider having a central bore extending along an axis, said slider being configured, upon horn activation on the steering wheel, to slide in a direction of said axis on a guide shaft received in said central bore;
• a damper element which is made from an elastomeric material and is molded on a first part of the slider;
• and
• a molded horn spring element which is made from an elastomeric material and comprises a horn spring part and an attachment part molded in one piece and molded in one piece with the damper element, wherein the attachment part of the horn spring element is molded on a second part of the slider, and wherein the horn spring part is configured to exert a force on the slider in the direction of the axis;
• wherein the guide shaft is slidably received in the central bore of the slider, and wherein the horn spring part of the damper unit is configured, upon horn activation on the steering wheel, to be compressed in response to the slider moving along the axis of the damper unit towards the base structure;
• and
• a mass which is supported by the base structure via the damper element of the damper unit for allowing movement of the mass perpendicular to said axis;
• wherein the damper element of the damper unit is configured to transfer vibrations, directed perpendicular to said axis, from the steering wheel to the mass;
• and
• wherein the damper element and the mass are configured to operate as a spring-mass system forming a frequency-tuned dynamic damper for dampening said vibrations in the base structure and the steering wheel.

A method for manufacturing a damper unit for use in a vibration-reducing assembly for a steering wheel, said damper unit including a slider having a central bore extending along an axis, said slider being configured, upon horn activation on the steering wheel, to slide in a direction of said axis on a guide shaft received in said central bore, a damper element, and a molded horn spring element which is made from an elastomeric material and includes a horn spring part and an attachment part, wherein the horn spring part is configured to exert a force on the slider in the direction of the axis, the method comprising:

• providing the slider having the central bore extending along the axis of the damper unit
• providing the damper element on the first part of the slider;
• and
• providing the horn spring element comprising the horn spring part and the attachment part molded in one piece, wherein the attachment part is molded on the second part of the slider,
• wherein providing the damper element and providing the horn spring element comprise molding the damper element and the horn spring element in one piece on the slider from the elastomeric material;
• wherein the slider comprises a tubular element extending along said axis, and a flange extending radially outwards from the tubular element and including one or more locking openings in the form of through-holes;
• and
• wherein molding the damper element and the horn spring element in one piece comprises molding the damper element and the horn spring element on axially opposite sides of the flange and with one or more locking elements, said locking elements extending through said locking openings, thereby mechanically bonding the damper element and the horn spring element to the slider.