US 6,199,908 B1Granted

Steering wheel and horn switch assembly for the steering wheel

AssigneeToyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

InventorsMotoi Isomura, Yoshiyuki Fujita

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The horn switch assembly includes a fixed plate on a connector arm and a movable plate in an air bag module. When those plates are electrically continuous, a horn sounds. The movable plate is urged upward apart from the fixed plate. The movable plate is disposed such that a distance from the movable plate to the fixed plate is set at a fixed distance by two mounting bolts, screwed into the connector arm. Fore-spoke arm sections include torsional deformation parts, torsionally deformable, located outside the mounting seats of an air bag module. Back-spoke arm sections include first bending deformation parts located on the inner side of the mounting seats of the air bag module, and second bending deformation parts located on the outer side of the mounting seats and a column cover. The first bending deformation part has a lower bending rigidity than the second bending deformation part. A lower cover is made of synthetic resin, e.g., polypropylene, and includes a bottom wall portion and a circumferential side wall. On the back side of the lower cover, the upper end portion of the back side of the side wall of the lower cover is attached to the outer portions of the back-spoke arm sections.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A vehicle steering wheel provided with an air bag module and disposed above a column cover, comprising:

a ring arm section circular in shape,
a boss section disposed at a central portion of said ring arm section and connected to a steering wheel shaft, the air bag module being disposed above said boss section;
and
spoke sections interconnecting said boss section and said ring arm section, said spoke sections including two fore-spoke arm sections disposed on a fore side of the steering wheel and at least one back-spoke arm section disposed on a back side of the steering wheel,
wherein said fore- and back-spoke arm sections respectively include fore- and back-inner portions extending from said boss section in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of said boss section, and fore- and back-outer portions extending upwardly and outwardly from said fore- and back-inner portions up to said ring arm section, and the air bag module is fixed to said fore- and back-inner portions of said fore- and back-spoke arm sections, and
wherein said fore-spoke arm sections include a torsional deformation part being provided closer to said ring arm section than a mounting portion of the air bag module, and
said at least one back-spoke arm section includes a first bending deformation part being provided in said back-inner portion closer to said boss section than the mounting portion of the air bag module, and a second bending deformation part being provided closer to said ring arm section than the column cover and the mounting portion of the air bag module, said first bending deformation part having a lower bending rigidity than said second bending deformation part.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/514,310Filed 28 Feb 2000 · division
Priority: JP 9-514816 Jan 1997
Granted: 13 Mar 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B60R 21/2037
Using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit: the module or a major component thereof…
B60Q 5/003
Switches therefor: mounted on the steering wheel
B62D 1/11
Hand wheels: incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible
Y10T 74/20834
Handles: hand wheels