Steering wheel and damper unit thereof
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorsHyo Ryeol Sim, Jun Yong Min, Hong Joo Jung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steering wheel includes a damper unit and an airbag cover configured to move, when a horn is activated, in a horn operation direction with respect to an airbag housing. The damper unit includes a damper made of insulating material coupled to the airbag housing, a switch assembly coupled to the airbag housing in an insulating state via the damper and coupled to the steering wheel to be continuously energized, and a spring. The spring is coupled to the airbag housing to be continuously energized and selectively electrically conducted with the switch assembly depending on whether the airbag cover is in contact with the switch assembly due to elastic deformation when the airbag cover moves in the horn operation direction.
Claims9
A steering wheel, comprising:
- an airbag cover configured to move, when a horn is activated, in a horn operation direction with respect to an airbag housing;
- and
- a damper unit including
- a damper made of an insulating material and coupled to an airbag housing,
- a switch assembly coupled to the airbag housing in an insulating state via the damper and coupled to the steering wheel so as to be continuously energized, and
- a spring coupled to the airbag housing to be continuously energized and selectively electrically conducted with the switch assembly depending on whether or not the airbag cover is in contact with the switch assembly due to elastic deformation when the airbag cover moves in the horn operation direction,
- wherein the switch assembly includes
- an electric conduction pin supported on an underside of the damper by expanding a flange in a radial direction, the flange having an upper end passing through the damper and a lower end connected to the steering wheel, and
- an electric conduction connection member coupled to the upper end of the flange so as to be supported on an upper side of the damper, and to which the spring that is elastically deformable is selectively contacted,
- wherein the spring includes
- a base part supported between a bottom surface of the airbag housing and the damper, and
- an elastic deformation part configured to be inclined in an upward direction toward the airbag cover at an end of the base part and to be pressed by the airbag cover so as to be elastically deformed vertically around the end of the base part, and
- wherein a contact part is provided by being bent in a shape protruding toward the base part in a middle of the elastic deformation part so as to come into contact with the electric conduction connection member of the switch assembly positioned between the base part and the elastic deformation part.
A damper unit of a steering wheel, the damper unit comprising:
- a damper made of an insulating material and coupled to an airbag housing;
- a switch assembly coupled to the airbag housing in an insulating state via the damper and coupled to the steering wheel so as to be continuously energized;
- and
- a spring coupled to the airbag housing to be continuously energized and selectively electrically conducted with the switch assembly depending on whether or not the airbag cover is in contact with the switch assembly due to elastic deformation when the airbag cover moves in a horn operation direction,
- wherein the switch assembly includes
- an electric conduction pin supported on an underside of the damper by expanding a flange in a radial direction, the flange having an upper end passing through the damper and a lower end connected to the steering wheel, and
- an electric conduction connection member coupled to the upper end of the flange so as to be supported on an upper side of the damper, and to which the spring that is elastically deformable is selectively contacted,
- wherein the spring includes
- a base part supported between a bottom surface of the airbag housing and the damper, and
- an elastic deformation part configured to be inclined in an upward direction toward the airbag cover at an end of the base part and to be pressed by the airbag cover so as to be elastically deformed vertically around the end of the base part, and
- wherein a contact part is provided by being bent in a shape protruding toward the base part in a middle of the elastic deformation part so as to come into contact with the electric conduction connection member of the switch assembly positioned between the base part and the elastic deformation part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.