Steering wheel with two spoke armature
AssigneeTakata-Petri AG
InventorsWilliam Bostick, Larry Wilmot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering wheel of hub-and-spoke configuration including a hub, a plurality of spokes and a ring portion, wherein the spokes place the ring into material contact with the hub. The first spoke of the steering wheel includes an armature support, while the second spoke of the steering wheel does not include an armature support. The second spoke may be primarily made from polyurethane foam. The second spoke may be located at a lower portion of the steering wheel, and the lower portion of the steering wheel deforms more easily than a portion of the steering wheel proximate to the first spoke.
Claims20
A steering wheel of hub-and-spoke configuration, comprising:
- a hub;
- a plurality of spokes;
- and
- a ring;
- wherein
- the spokes place the ring into material contact with the hub;
- wherein a first spoke includes an armature support;
- and
- wherein a second spoke does not include an armature support.
A steering wheel of hub-and-spoke configuration, comprising:
- a hub;
- a plurality of spokes;
- and
- a ring;
- wherein
- the spokes place the ring into material contact with the hub;
- wherein a first spoke includes an armature support;
- wherein a second spoke substantially includes a soft synthetic resin;
- and
- wherein the first spoke is substantially structurally stronger than the second spoke.
A steering wheel of hub and spoke configuration, comprising:
- a hub;
- a plurality of spokes;
- and
- a ring;
- wherein
- the spokes place the ring into material contact with the hub;
- wherein a first spoke is adapted to transfer a substantial amount of a first steering torque applied to the ring to the hub;
- and
- wherein a second spoke is adapted to transfer a minimal amount of the first steering torque applied to the ring to the hub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.