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US 7,350,806 B2Granted
Steering wheel with a static driver airbag module
AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsRoberto Ridolfi, Valerio Poli, Adolfo Ridolfi
Life of this patent
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AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsRoberto Ridolfi, Valerio Poli, Adolfo Ridolfi
Estimating the term…
An assembly of a steering wheel with static airbag module has a rotor portion and a stator portion. A first gear and a second gear are at least partially superimposed. An intermediate supporting element is located between first and second gears with the gears directly axially coupled. An intermediate element has a portion that defines a path for the means for axially coupling said first and second gear to temporarily disengage them from the gears when a relative rotation between the intermediate element and the first and second gears occurs.
An assembly of a steering wheel and a static driver airbag module, the assembly comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable: non-rotatable hubs, e.g. the central part of the steering wheel not rotating
In steering wheels or steering columns: the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the…
Gearings for conveying rotary motion by endless flexible members: with chains
Gearing: gear and rotary bodies
Term ended 9 Aug 2026 (estimated)
The present invention relates to a static driver airbag module assembly mounted on a vehicle steering wheel.
A common driver airbag module is mounted on a vehicle steering wheel usually fixed to a hub, which in turn is coupled to a steering shaft. Consequently a driver airbag module rotates in unison with the steering wheel. Since the deployment of the airbag may occur at different orientations of the steering wheel with respect to the vehicle driver, the airbag has to be circular to always provide the same protection surface to the driver.
Recently, assemblies have been provided that allow the driver airbag module to remain in a stationary position with respect to the vehicle during rotation of the steering wheel. This type of module is known as a static driver airbag module.
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of the assembly of FIG. 1.
As used herein and in the claims the term “static driver airbag module” refers to an assembly that allows a driver airbag module to remain in a stationary position with respect to the vehicle during rotation of the steering wheel.
A first embodiment 1 of an assembly of a steering wheel 50 and a static driver airbag module 55 of the present invention is shown, in an exploded view, in FIG. 1, comprising a rotor portion 2 and a stator portion 3. The rotor portion 2 comprises at least two gears 4, 5. At least a first gear 4 is coupled to the external ring portion of the steering wheel, that is the portion normally held by the driver to transmit the torque to the steering shaft. Thus the gear 4 is a driving gear that imparts torque to at least one driven gear of the assembly 1. The assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with the driven gear 5 that is coupled to the steering shaft of the vehicle (not shown).
The gears 4, 5 are at least partially superimposed. The gears are one above the other, at least partly, preferably completely, without actually touching each other because they are supported and separated by the intermediate element. The superimposed portions of the gears, e.g. the teeth of the two gears, are axially coupled by detachable elements that extend from the first gear to the second gear to transmit the torque and, preferably, also axial forces.