Steering wheel cover
OwnerYu He, Jiangqiang Youinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering wheel cover that includes an outer cover layer and an inner core layer coupled to the outer cover layer is disclosed herein. The inner core layer includes an inner surface shaped to form and self-maintain an annular channel sized to receiving an automobile steering wheel therein. The inner core layer has a composition that includes ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and one or more hardening agents. The composition of the inner core layer may also include a flexibility agent, a de-molding agent, a flowing agent, an emollient, an oxidizing agent, a cross-linking agent, a coloring agent, a curing agent, and a foaming agent. The inner core layer may also include one or more ribs extending from an inner surface of the inner core layer.
Claims14
A steering wheel cover, comprising:
- an inner core layer comprising an inner surface shaped to form and self-maintain an annular channel sized to receive an automobile steering wheel therein, the inner core layer comprising ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and further comprising one or more hardening agents;
- and
- an outer cover layer coupled to and conforming to an outer surface of the inner core layer,
- wherein the composition of the inner core layer further comprises one or more first flexibility agents,
- wherein the one or more hardening agents comprises one or more thermoplastic polymers selected from the group consisting of acrylic, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride,
- wherein the one or more first flexibility agents comprise one or more elastomers,
- wherein the one or more elastomers comprise one or polyolefin elastomers,
- wherein the composition of the inner core layer comprises about 60 wt % to about 80 wt % of the EVA, about 1 wt % to about 8 wt % of the thermoplastic polymer, and about 6 wt % to about 20 wt % of the polyolefin elastomer,
- wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises polyethylene and the composition further comprises one or more of the following:
- a de-molding agent, a second flexibility agent, a flowing agent, one or more emollients, an oxidizing agent, a cross-linking agent, a coloring agent, a curing agent, and a foaming agent, and
- wherein the de-molding agent comprises talcum powder, the second flexibility agent comprises fiber cloth, the flowing agent comprises paraffin, the one more emollients comprise stearic acid and zinc stearate, the oxidizing agent comprises zinc oxide, the cross-linking agent comprises triaryl isocyanurate, the curing agent comprises a solid masterbatch colorant, the curing agent comprises dicumyl peroxide, and the foaming agent comprises azodicarbonamide (ADCA).
A steering wheel cover inner core material composition, comprising:
- about 40 wt % to about 85 wt % of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA);
- about 0.05 wt % to about 0.5 wt % of one or more cross-linking agents;
- about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % of one or more first flexibility agents;
- and
- about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % of one or more hardening agents.
A method of manufacturing a steering wheel cover, the method comprising:
- forming a steering wheel cover inner core by combining raw materials, the raw materials comprising at least ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), one or more hardening agents, and one or more first flexibility agents;
- and
- molding the steering wheel cover inner core into a self-maintaining annular channel sized to receive an automobile steering wheel therein,
- wherein the raw materials further comprise one or more of the following:
- a de-molding agent, a second flexibility agent, a flowing agent, one or more emollients, an oxidizing agent, a cross-linking agent, a coloring agent, a curing agent, and a foaming agent, and
- wherein the de-molding agent comprises talcum powder, the second flexibility agent comprises fiber cloth, the flowing agent comprises paraffin, the one more emollients comprise stearic acid and zinc stearate, the oxidizing agent comprises zinc oxide, the cross-linking agent comprises triaryl isocyanurate, the coloring agent comprises a solid masterbatch colorant, the curing agent comprises dicumyl peroxide, and the foaming agent comprises azodicarbonamide (ADCA).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.