JP3153448B2 - Steering wheel device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a steering wheel device used for steering a vehicle and having improved vibration characteristics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steering wheel for steering a vehicle includes:
Since the driver always grips and operates the steering wheel during driving, it is necessary to suppress the vibration so that the driver senses the vibration from the steering wheel and does not feel uncomfortable.

[0003] In particular, the steering wheel is mounted on a steering system connected to a tire and a vehicle suspension system or the like for transmitting a steering force. Therefore, the steering wheel is affected by low frequency vibrations of several hertz such as road surface stimulation. easy.

[0004] For this reason, the steering wheel is made lighter and its rigidity is improved so that the natural frequency of the steering wheel is increased so that the steering wheel does not vibrate greatly due to resonance with low frequency vibration.

For this reason, in a conventional steering wheel, as shown in FIG. 6, a metal core member 10 is made of a lightweight and highly rigid metal material, and a synthetic resin 12 is inserted using the metal core member 10 as a core. Injection molded products are used.

[0006]

As described above, various devices have been devised to suppress the vibration of the steering wheel. However, in order to improve the vibration characteristics, for example, a core metal having a lighter weight and higher rigidity is required. If it is made of a suitable material, the product price will be expensive. Also, if the cross-sectional area of the metal core is increased, the rigidity increases, but the mass increases and the weight cannot be reduced.
With such means, there is a limit in improving the vibration characteristics of the steering wheel.

However, when the vehicle is running at a high speed, the driver concentrates his or her nervousness on the steering, and the sense of the hand holding the steering wheel is also sharp. It will hold you.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an inexpensive steering wheel device with improved vibration characteristics.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel device which is provided around the entire circumference of an annular rim of a metal core.
A low-density, light-weight column with a U-shaped groove across it
The lightweight member formed into a shape is curved in an annular shape,
Combined with the open side of the groove over the entire circumference
Lightweight member in the groove to create space between the volume member and the bottom of the groove
With the lid covered with a lightweight member in the groove of the core,
A ring is formed by injection molding of a resin coating around the periphery.
It is characterized by having . The steering wheel device according to the second aspect of the present invention has a bottom surface extending over the entire circumference of the annular rim of the metal core.
Groove with a substantially V-shaped cross-section where the groove width increases from the end to the open end
With a low density and light specific gravity and a circular cross section
A columnar lightweight member formed about the distance between the open ends of the groove,
On the open side of the groove that curves in an annular shape and extends around the entire circumference of the annular rim of the core metal
Combination creates an empty space between the lightweight member and the bottom of the groove
Cover the groove with a lightweight member to make a space, and lighten the core metal groove
With the lid covered with the member, spray the coating molding resin material around it.
It is characterized by forming a ring portion by extrusion molding. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the steering wheel device according to the first or second aspect, the lightweight member has a specific gravity of about one tenth to one twentieth of that of the resin for covering the ring portion. It is characterized by being made of a certain low-density high-foaming resin.

With the above-described structure, the mass of the ring portion located farthest from the boss at the center of the steering wheel is reduced, and the natural frequency is increased by reducing the moment of inertia. And vibration characteristics can be improved.

[0011]

1 to 4 show a steering wheel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2, the core metal 20 of the steering wheel device has a boss 22 at a central portion thereof, an arm 24 extending therefrom and a rim 26 connected to a free end thereof, which are integrally cast with magnesium alloy. I have. The core metal 20
May be made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy or iron.

A groove 28 is formed in the rim 26 so as to have a substantially U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. This groove 2
8 has a substantially V-shape such that the groove width increases from the bottom to the open end. A lightweight member 30 is disposed in an open portion in the groove 28.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lightweight member 30 is formed in a thin cylindrical shape made of a polyethylene high foam resin.

The lightweight member 30 is curved in an annular shape, and is disposed along the annular groove 28 of the metal core 20. The diameter of the circular cross section of the lightweight member 30 is formed to be approximately the interval between the open ends of the grooves 28.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, the lightweight member 30 is combined so as to press against the open side of the groove 28, the groove 28 is covered by the lightweight member 30, and the lightweight member 30 and the bottom of the groove 28 are closed. There is a space between

As shown in FIG. 4, a steering wheel having a core member 20 combined with a lightweight member 30 and a resin material such as polyurethane or vinyl chloride coated and formed around the core member 20 to form a ring portion 32 having a circular cross section. Is completed.

In the steering wheel configured as described above, the specific gravity of the inner portion of the groove 28 of the rim 26 in the ring portion 32 is 10 times that of the resin coating the ring portion 32.
The space is occupied by a light-weight member 30 made of a low-density high-foam resin of about 1 / 20th and a space. Therefore, the mass of the ring portion 32 according to the present embodiment is significantly reduced as compared with the ring portion 32 of the conventional structure in which the groove 28 is filled with the high-density heavy coating resin.

As described above, in the steering wheel, since the mass of the ring portion 32 located at the position farthest from the center boss 22 is reduced, the moment of inertia can be reduced, and the natural frequency can be increased. And the vibration characteristics are improved.

The fact that the weight of the ring portion 32 is reduced means that the arm 24 maintains the same rigidity as before.
Since this is equivalent to a configuration in which the rigidity of the arm 24 is high,
The rigidity of the core metal 20 can be substantially increased, and the vibration characteristics can be improved. Further, since the lightweight member 30 is inexpensive and has a simple configuration, it is possible to provide an inexpensive product suitable for mass production.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, the sectional shapes of the rim 26 and the lightweight member 30 are changed. That is,
The rim 26 has a rectangular U-shaped cross section and a rectangular groove 2.
8 are formed. Further, a shallow groove 34 is formed by notching an inner corner of each open side end of the rim 26.

Along the shallow grooves 34 on both sides, a lightweight member 30 having a rectangular cross section is arranged so as to bridge, and a hollow space is formed by covering the groove 28.

When the rim 26 and the lightweight member 30 are combined as described above, a hollow rectangular cylinder having a high shape accuracy is formed by the two, so that the manufacturing accuracy of the finished product in which the resin material is coated around the periphery thereof is reduced. It is possible to manufacture a high quality steering wheel.

The configuration, operation, and effects of the second embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, a configuration in which a space is formed between the lightweight member 30 and the bottom of the groove 28 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the groove 28 may be filled with the lightweight member 30. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the rim 26, the groove 28, or the lightweight member 30 is not limited to the above-described one, and it is needless to say that various other configurations can be adopted.

[0025]

According to the present invention, since the ring portion is constituted by a light-weight member or a space portion or the like, the entire ring portion is constituted by a high-density heavy coating resin. Since the weight can be reduced, the vibration characteristics of the steering wheel device can be greatly improved, and an inexpensive product can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a cross section corresponding to a cross section taken along line II of FIG. 2 in a rim portion of a steering wheel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view illustrating a cored bar portion of the steering wheel device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the light weight member 30 of the steering wheel device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a cross section corresponding to a cross section taken along line II of FIG. 2 in a state where the lightweight member 30 is combined with the metal core of the steering wheel device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a principal part showing a cross section corresponding to a cross section taken along line II of FIG. 2 in a rim portion of a steering wheel device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a conventional steering wheel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 core metal 26 rim 28 groove 30 lightweight member 32 ring part

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-63-176774 (JP, A) JP-A-61-185673 (JP, U) JP-A-52-33676 (JP, U) JP-A-59-186166 (JP, A) , U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 60-115172 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 62-121165 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 1/04-1/28

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A U-shaped cross section over the entire circumference of an annular rim of a cored bar.
A lightweight member with a low density , low specific gravity and a columnar shape
Curved and assembled on the open side of the groove around the entire circumference of the annular rim of the metal core
By mating, the lightweight member and the bottom of the groove
The groove is covered with the lightweight member so as to create a space therebetween, and the groove is covered with the lightweight member.
The ring is formed by injection molding of resin coating around the periphery
A steering wheel device characterized by the following. 2. The core metal is opened from the bottom over the entire circumference of the annular rim.
Forming a groove with a substantially V-shaped cross-section that widens toward the end
The material has a low density and a low specific gravity.
Cylindrical lightweight members formed around the end of the
Curved and assembled on the open side of the groove around the entire circumference of the annular rim of the metal core
By mating, the lightweight member and the bottom of the groove
The groove is covered with the lightweight member so as to create a space therebetween, and the groove is covered with the lightweight member.
The ring is formed by injection molding of resin coating around the periphery
A steering wheel device characterized by the following. 3. The light-weight member is made of a low-density high-foam resin having a specific gravity of about one tenth to one-twentieth of that of the coating resin of the ring part. The steering wheel device according to claim 1 or 2.