US 7,605,694 B2Granted

Steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle

AssigneeTakata-Petri AG

InventorsMarc Prost-Fin, Frederike Keudel, Delf Neumann

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Abstract

A steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a steering wheel, a steering wheel rim of the steering wheel at least partially rotating about a steering axis about which the steering wheel is mounted to be rotatable at an angle to the steering axis, at least one display device, arranged on the steering wheel, for displaying travel-related information of a motor vehicle, and at least one detection device, disposed on the steering wheel, for detecting an attentiveness level of the driver of the motor vehicle. The detection device is adapted to control the display device depending on the detected attentiveness level of the driver. The application is characterized that the at least one display device is mounted on the steering wheel rim.

Claims34

Dependent claims

A steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle, having:

a steering wheel rotatably mounted about a steering axis;
a steering wheel rim for activating the steering wheel;
at least one display device, arranged on the steering wheel, for displaying travel-related information of a motor vehicle;
and
at least one detection device, arranged on the steering wheel, for detecting the state of attentiveness of a driver of the motor vehicle, wherein the detection device serves to actuate the display device as a function of the state of attentiveness of the driver, characterized in that, in a straight-ahead travel position of the steering wheel, the display device is arranged on the steering wheel rim along the vertical axis of the vehicle above the steering axis, and in that, in a straight-ahead travel position of the steering wheel, the detection device is arranged on the steering wheel rim adjacent to the display device along the vertical axis of the vehicle above the steering axis.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/826,834Filed 18 Jul 2007 · continuation
Priority: DE 10 2005 003 18719 Jan 2005
Published: US 2008/0023254 A131 Jan 2008
Granted: 20 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

B60N 2/4279
Characterised by the triggering system: electric or electronic triggering
B60K 35/10
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle,…
B60K 35/22
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: display screens
B60K 35/25
Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor: using haptic output