Steering wheel and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

A steering wheel capable of giving the impression that it is formed thereon with a woodgrain pattern in a manner to extend in a circumferential direction thereof, resulting in the steering wheel having both an appearance and feel of wood which is substantially equal to that of natural wood. The steering wheel includes a rim section having a core incorporated therein. The rim section is constituted by rim elements made of a thermosoftening synthetic resin material to which woodmeal is added, resulting in the rim section being formed thereon with a flow pattern. The rim elements are each re-shaped from a straight rod-like configuration into an arcuate configuration in conformity to a curvature of the core and mounted on the core, so that the flow pattern may be transformed into an annular flow pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.