Steering wheel assemblies having tactile feedback devices
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorMikio David
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle, the steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel frame and a tactile notification device coupled to the steering wheel frame. The tactile notification device includes a mounting frame, a first set of disks arranged around and coupled to the first mounting frame, and an actuator operatively coupled to the first set of disks. The actuator is configured to rotate the set of disks.
Claims20
A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle, the steering wheel assembly comprising:
- a steering wheel frame;
- a first tactile notification device coupled to the steering wheel frame, the first tactile notification device comprising:
- a first mounting frame;
- a first set of disks arranged around and coupled to the first mounting frame;
- and
- a first actuator operatively coupled to the first set of disks, the first actuator configured to rotate the first set of disks.
A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle, the steering wheel assembly comprising:
- a steering wheel frame;
- a first tactile notification device coupled to the steering wheel frame, the first tactile notification device comprising:
- a first mounting frame;
- a first set of disks arranged around and coupled to the first mounting frame;
- and
- a first actuator operatively coupled to the first mounting frame, the first actuator configured to compress the first set of disks to expand the first set of disks radially outward from the first mounting frame.
A method of providing a notification using a steering wheel assembly for a vehicle, the method comprising:
- detecting an alert related to safety, including one of obstacle detection, advanced driver assistance, a precollision warning, and a blindspot warning;
- actuating a first actuator of a first tactile notification device, the first tactile notification device comprising:
- a first mounting frame;
- a first set of disks arranged around and coupled to the first mounting frame;
- and
- the first actuator operatively coupled to the first mounting frame, the first actuator configured to rotate the first mounting frame and the first set of disks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.