US 6,149,188 AGranted

Self-aligning energy absorbing plate for a steering wheel

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorsJames Jeffrey Simpson, Andrew James Barr, Duane David Williams, Rale Richard Wolf, Barry Christian Worrell

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Abstract

A steering wheel assembly has a mounting plate which secures a molded steering wheel to a steering shaft in a vehicle. The mounting plate has a pair of slots having respective longitudinal axes which intersect the plane of the steering wheel at a six o'clock position with an included angle of approximately ninety (90) degrees. The longitudinal axis of one of the slots intersects a transverse axis of the steering wheel at a forty-five (45) degree angle at a three o'clock position and the longitudinal axes of the other slot similarly intersects the transverse axis at the nine o'clock position. The slots are effective to control energy absorption and deflection of the steering wheel when it is impacted at a position other then the twelve o'clock position.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a wheel having first and second intersecting axes;
an air bag assembly mounted in the wheel;
a mounting plate secured therebetween said wheel and a steering mechanism of the vehicle, said mounting plate having axes disposed coplanar with said first and second axes respectfully;
a first deformation controlling slot formed in said mounting plate and having a longitudinal axis extending along an entire length of the first deformation controlling slot, the longitudinal axis being disposed at a predetermined angle relative to both the first and intersecting said axes of said mounting plate at first and second positions;
and
a second deformation controlling slot formed in said mounting plate and having a longitudinal axis extending along an entire length of the second deformation controlling slot, the longitudinal axis being disposed at a predetermined angle relative to both the first and intersecting said axes of said mounting plate at said first position and at a third position.

3 more elements

A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a wheel having first and second perpendicular axes intersecting said wheel at a three o'clock, six o'clock, nine o'clock and twelve o'clock positions;
a mounting plate secured between said wheel and a steering wheel mechanism of the vehicle, said mounting having axes disposed coplanar with said first and second axes respectively;
a first deformation controlling slot formed in said mounting plate and having a longitudinal axis extending along an entire length of the first deformation controlling slot, the longitudinal axis being disposed at a predetermined angle relative to both the first and intersecting said axes of said mounting plate at first and second positions;
and
a second deformation controlling slot formed in said mounting plate and having a longitudinal axis extending along an entire length of the second deformation controlling slot, the longitudinal axis being disposed at a predetermined angle relative to both the first and intersecting said axes of said mounting plate at said first position and at a third position;
said first position being disposed between a center of the steering wheel and the six o'clock position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.