Steering Wheel and a Method for Manufacturing a Steering Wheel
AssigneeAutoliv Development AB
InventorJérome Dodard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering wheel (1) has spokes (5) extending outwardly from a boss (3) to a rim (6). The rim has an inner frame (6) with an integrally moulded plastics coating (9) which has an internal cavity (11). The presence of the cavity minimises the overall weight of the steering wheel. The cavity is formed by initially injecting hot plastics material into a substantially vertical mould and subsequently blowing air into the lower part of the mould after some of the plastic adjacent the mould of walls has cooled.
Claims27
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A steering wheel for a motor vehicle comprising a metal frame, the metal frame defining a boss portion to be connected to a steering column, at least one spoke and a peripheral rim, at least the peripheral rim being provided with a surrounding integral plastic moulding, the moulding forming at least a single closed cavity within the integral plastics moulding, the walls of the cavity being defined by the plastic moulding.
A method of making a steering wheel, comprising the steps of preparing a mould defining a cavity to receive a frame for a steering wheel, the frame having a portion defining a boss to be secured to a steering column, at least one spoke and a rim connected to the spoke;
- the mould defining a mould cavity surrounding at least the rim, the mould cavity being provided with an injector arrangement to inject a molten plastics material and a propellant into part of the mould chamber to receive the rim of the steering wheel, the method further comprising the steps of:
- locating the mould in a force field, injecting plastics material into the mould at such a position, relative to the force field, that a predetermined part of the mould becomes filled with the plastics material;
- allowing the plastics material in contact with the surface of the mould to at least partially solidify;
- injecting a propellant into the mould cavity so that still molten plastics material spaced from the walls of the mould is driven into parts of the mould further from the injector arrangement;
- and permitting the thus driven plastics material to solidify on the walls of the mould, thus producing a steering wheel having an integral moulding surrounding the rim of the frame, with that integral moulding incorporating a cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.