JP5493751B2 - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel used in a vehicle steering device such as a vehicle, and more particularly to a steering wheel in which a part of the rim portion in the circumferential direction is constituted by a hard decoration portion.

  As an aspect of a vehicle steering wheel, a part of the rim portion in the circumferential direction is covered with a rim core for the purpose of improving the design (appearance) and feel of an annular rim portion. There is a configuration in which a soft covering portion is formed and a cylindrical hard decorative portion that wraps around the soft covering portion and is decorated on the outer surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A hard decoration part consists of a pair of division body divided | segmented into the half shape. And the hard decoration part is formed by welding both division bodies with a welding apparatus, and making it join mutually.

  When welding the two divided bodies, cover one of the divided bodies while aligning with the soft covering portion, and cover the other divided body with the soft covering portion while covering the other divided body from the opposite side. . Then, the steering wheel intermediate body in a state in which both divided bodies are covered with the soft covering portion is placed in a horizontal state so that one divided body is positioned on the upper side and the other divided body is positioned on the lower side, and welding is performed. It is mounted between the lower receiving jig and the upper welding jig of the apparatus. The welding apparatus is moved down and finely vibrated in the vertical direction while applying a load to the upper divided body. Due to this vibration, frictional heat is generated on the opposing divided surfaces of both divided bodies, and the vicinity of the divided surfaces of both divided bodies is melted and joined.

JP 2004-306671 A

  By the way, in the steering wheel of the said structure, after covering a soft coating | coated part with both division bodies and forming a steering wheel intermediate body, it is a period after mounting (setting) between the receiving jig of a welding apparatus, and a welding jig. In addition, the lower divided body may fall from the soft covering portion due to its own weight. Thus, although there is no direct description in Patent Document 1, in many cases, the lower divided body is bonded to the soft covering portion with an adhesive. In this way, although the fall of the lower divided body from the soft covering portion can be eliminated, a step (work) for applying an adhesive to at least one of the lower divided body and the soft covering portion is required. As a result, there arises a new problem that the workability when the steering wheel intermediate body is attached to the welding apparatus is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the purpose thereof is a phenomenon in which the lower divided body falls from the soft coating portion before the steering wheel intermediate body is set in the welding device. An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel that can be suppressed without deteriorating workability.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a portion of the substantially annular rim portion having the rim portion core as a skeleton in the circumferential direction has the rim portion core. A soft covering portion to be coated; and a cylindrical hard decorative portion that wraps around the soft covering portion and is decorated on the outer surface; and the hard decorative portion is divided into halves, and A pair of divided bodies sandwiched along the outer wall surface of the soft coating portion are formed by welding and joining each other with a welding device, and prior to welding with the welding device, the outer wall surface of the soft coating portion When the steering wheel intermediate body sandwiched between the two divided bodies is set in the welding apparatus, at least the inner wall surface of the divided body on the lower side is provided with the soft coated portion with respect to the soft coated portion. Biting into the metal core side while compressively elastically deforming Viewed portion is provided, wherein the biting portion, the steering wheel intermediate was held in the divided body comprising at least lower placed over the soft coating portion when set in the welding apparatus, the biting portion Is provided at a plurality of locations including at least both end portions of the divided body in the circumferential direction of the rim portion .

According to the above configuration, when the steering wheel intermediate body is set in the welding apparatus in order to join the pair of divided bodies to each other by welding, the work of covering each of the divided bodies on the soft coating portion is performed prior to the setting. Is called. At this time, in the divided body covered from the lower side with respect to the soft covering portion, the biting portion bites into the soft covering portion while compressively elastically deforming the soft covering portion toward the rim core metal side. The elastically deformed soft covering portion tries to return to the form before elastic deformation by its own elastic restoring force, and is in a state of being pressed against the biting portion. Accordingly, the lower divided body that bites into the soft covering portion in the biting portion is held in a state of being covered with the soft covering portion against its own weight. As a result, the steering wheel intermediate body can be set in the welding apparatus without dropping the lower divided body from the soft covering portion. Accordingly, in order to prevent the lower divided body from falling from the soft covering portion, an operation of bonding the divided body to the soft covering portion becomes unnecessary.
Further, in the divided body covered from the lower side with respect to the soft covering portion, the biting portions provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the rim portion bite into the soft covering portion while elastically deforming the soft covering portion, respectively. The soft covering portions that are elastically deformed at a plurality of locations attempt to return to the form before elastic deformation by their own elastic restoring force, and are brought into pressure contact with the corresponding biting portions. Accordingly, the lower divided body that bites into the soft covering portion at the plurality of biting portions is reliably held in a state of being covered with the soft covering portion against its own weight.
Further, in the divided body covered from the lower side with respect to the soft covering portion, the biting portions provided at least at both ends of the divided body in the circumferential direction of the rim portion are respectively elastically deformed while the soft covering portion is elastically deformed. Cut into the club. In the soft covering portion, the portions that are elastically deformed by the biting portion attempt to return to the form before elastic deformation by their own elastic restoring force, and are in pressure contact with the corresponding biting portion. The lower divided body is held in a state of being covered with the soft covering portion in a balanced state in the circumferential direction of the rim portion.
By the way, the soft coating | coated part is compressed and elastically deformed in the location which each biting part of the division body bite. The elastic deformation allowance at the same location is smaller than when there is no bite in the bite portion. Therefore, the divided body exhibits high torsional rigidity, and is difficult to be deformed (not easily twisted) even if a torsional force is applied thereto. This torsional rigidity tends to increase in the circumferential direction as the distance between the biting portions located at both ends increases. Therefore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is expected that the highest torsional rigidity can be obtained when the biting portions are provided at both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion in the divided body.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the biting portion is provided at a position that is substantially opposed to the divided body with the soft covering portion interposed therebetween, with respect to the soft covering portion. The gist is to provide a pair of sandwiching portions that sandwich the soft covering portion by biting in from both sides.

  According to the above configuration, when the lower divided body is placed on the soft covering portion, the pair of sandwiching portions constituting the biting portion are compressed on the both sides while compressing the soft covering portion toward the rim core metal side. Bite in. The soft covering portion in which both the sandwiching portions are bitten tries to return to the form before elastic deformation by its own elastic restoring force, and is in a state of being in pressure contact with both sandwiching portions. Therefore, the lower divided body that bites into the soft covering portion in both sandwiching portions is in a state of being sandwiched while pressing the soft covering portion, and is securely held in a state of being covered with the soft covering portion against its own weight. The

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the interval between the both sandwiching portions is set to be smaller than the dimension in the direction in which the soft covering portion is sandwiched between the both sandwiching portions. Is the gist.

  When the interval between both sandwiching portions and the dimension of the soft covering portion are set so as to satisfy the relationship of the invention according to claim 3, in the state where the lower divided body is covered with the soft covering portion, both sandwiching portions are The soft covering portion is bitten from both sides while being compressed toward the rim core metal side, and the effect of the invention according to claim 2 described above can be reliably obtained.

  According to the steering wheel of the present invention, the phenomenon in which the lower divided body falls from the soft covering portion before the steering wheel intermediate body is set in the welding apparatus can be suppressed without deteriorating workability.

The rear view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of steering wheel in one Embodiment which actualized this invention. The side view of a steering wheel. The partial rear view which expands and shows the specific soft coating | coated part in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section along the QQ line of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure along the RR line | wire of FIG. It is a figure which shows a 2nd division body, (A) is a front view, (B) is a rear view. The partial front view which expands and shows a part of 2nd division body in FIG. 6 (A) with a specific soft coating | coated part. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section along an SS line about the 2nd division body of FIG. 6 (A) with the site | part corresponding to a 1st division body. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section along a TT line about the 2nd division body of FIG. 6 (A) with the site | part corresponding to a 1st division body. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section along a UU line about the 2nd division body of FIG. 6 (A) with the site | part corresponding to a 1st division body. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure along the VV line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing which isolate | separates and shows the rim | limb core metal of FIG. 11, a specific soft coating | cover part, and each division body. Sectional drawing which shows the state just before mounting | wearing with a steering wheel intermediate body to a welding apparatus.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a vehicle steering wheel will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in at least one of FIGS. 1 and 2, a steering shaft (steering shaft) 11 that rotates about the rotation axis L <b> 1 is located in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle (left side in FIG. 2). It is arranged in an inclined state so as to become higher (right side in FIG. 2). A steering wheel 12 of the present embodiment is attached to the rear end portion of the steering shaft 11 so as to be integrally rotatable.

  The steering wheel 12 includes a rim portion (sometimes referred to as a handle portion or a ring portion) 13, a pad portion 14, and a spoke portion 15. The rim portion 13 is a member that is gripped and steered by the driver, and has a substantially annular shape centered on the rotation axis L1 (see FIG. 1). Since the steering shaft 11 is inclined as described above, the rim portion 13 is also inclined so as to approach the driver's seat toward the lower side (see FIG. 2).

  The pad portion 14 is disposed in a space surrounded by the rim portion 13. A front portion of the pad portion 14 is constituted by a lower cover 16. The spoke portion 15 connects the rim portion 13 and the pad portion 14 and is provided with a plurality (three in this case).

  In the present embodiment, when describing each part of the steering wheel 12, the rotation axis L1 of the steering shaft 11 is used as a reference. The direction along the rotation axis L1 is referred to as the “front-rear direction” of the steering wheel 12, and among the directions orthogonal to the rotation axis L1, the direction in which the steering wheel 12 stands is referred to as the “vertical direction”. Therefore, the front-rear direction and the vertical direction of the steering wheel 12 are slightly inclined with respect to the front-rear direction (horizontal direction) and the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the vehicle. In FIG. 5, the steering wheel 12 is illustrated in a state where the vertical direction of the steering wheel 12 matches the vertical direction.

  Further, in order to specify the circumferential position in the rim portion 13, in the present embodiment, “up”, “down”, “left”, “Right” shall be defined.

  As shown in at least one of FIGS. 1 and 4, iron, aluminum, magnesium, an alloy thereof, or the like is provided inside each of the constituent members (rim portion 13, pad portion 14, spoke portion 15) of the steering wheel 12. The cored bar 20 formed by is disposed. Among the metal cores 20, the one located in the rim part 13 has a substantially annular shape when viewed from the driver side (in front view), and is called a rim part metal core 21, and the skeleton of the rim part 13. I am doing.

  In addition to the rim core metal 21, the core metal 20 includes a boss core metal 22 on the rotation axis L <b> 1, a skeleton of the spoke portion 15, and a boss core metal 22 and a rim core metal 21. The spoke core metal 23 is provided. The core metal 20 having the above-described configuration is attached to the rear end portion of the steering shaft 11 at the boss core metal 22 so as to be integrally rotatable.

  Many portions of the rim cored bar 21 are covered with the soft covering portion 30. The entire soft covering portion 30 is formed by resin molding using a soft (elastic) material such as foamed polyurethane.

  In order to distinguish between a specific region in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 in the soft covering portion 30 and other regions, the former is referred to as a “specific soft covering portion 31” and the latter is referred to as a “normal soft covering portion 32”. Let's say. Usually, the soft covering portion 32 includes a connecting portion with the spoke portion 15. Usually, the soft covering portion 32 is covered with a skin 33 made of leather or the like. In the present embodiment, the arc portion on the upper side of the soft covering portion 30 is the specific soft covering portion 31.

  As shown in at least one of FIGS. 3 and 5, the specific soft covering portion 31 is usually formed thinner than the soft covering portion 32. This is because the specific soft covering 31 is covered with a first divided body 46 and a second divided body 47 which will be described later.

  Each of the front surface 34 and the rear surface 35 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is basically constituted by a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis L1. On the front surface 34 and the rear surface 35, positioning grooves 36 that extend straight in the radial direction are formed at a plurality of locations (five locations in the present embodiment) spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. In the present embodiment, these positioning grooves 36 are provided at substantially equal angles in the circumferential direction of the front surface 34 and the rear surface 35. However, among the plurality of positioning grooves 36, those located at both ends of the rim portion 13 in the circumferential direction are usually slightly separated from the boundary portion with the soft covering portion 32.

Each of the inner peripheral surface 37 and the outer peripheral surface 38 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is basically constituted by a cylindrical surface centered on the rotation axis L1.
Inner circumferential protrusions 39 are formed at a plurality of locations on the inner peripheral portions of the front surface 34 and the rear surface 35 of the specific soft covering portion 31 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. Each inner peripheral protrusion 39 has a substantially triangular shape or a substantially trapezoidal shape whose width becomes narrower as viewed from the back (see FIG. 3). Each of the inner peripheral protrusions 39 has a larger amount of protrusion from the front surface 34 or the rear surface 35 as viewed from the side (see FIG. 5).

  In addition, outer peripheral protrusions 41 are formed at a plurality of locations on the outer peripheral portions of the front surface 34 and the rear surface 35 of the specific soft covering portion 31 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. Each outer peripheral protrusion 41 is located at a location facing each inner peripheral protrusion 39. Each outer peripheral protrusion 41 has an inverted substantially triangular shape or an inverted inverted substantially trapezoidal shape whose width is narrower toward the lower side in a rear view (see FIG. 3). Each outer peripheral protrusion 41 has a larger amount of protrusion from the front surface 34 or the rear surface 35 toward the lower side in a side view (see FIG. 5).

  The specific soft covering part 31 is made of a hard material such as a hard resin, and is encased by a hard decoration part 45 whose outer surface is decorated. The hard decorative portion 45 includes a first divided body 46 and a second divided body 47 that are divided in half. As shown in at least one of FIGS. 5 and 8 to 10, this division is performed in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 on the inner peripheral side (lower side in FIGS. 8 to 10) with respect to the axis L <b> 2 of the rim portion 13. The process is performed along the extending split surfaces 46I and 47I and the split surfaces 46O and 47O extending in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 on the outer peripheral side (upper side in FIGS. 8 to 10) than the coaxial line L2.

  The first divided body 46 covers approximately half of the specific soft covering portion 31 on the vehicle rear side, and the second divided body 47 covers approximately half of the specific soft covering portion 31 on the vehicle front side. And the division surface 46I of the inner peripheral side of the 1st division body 46 and the division surface 47I of the inner circumference side of the 2nd division body 47 are mutually joined by welding. Moreover, the division surface 46O on the outer peripheral side of the first divided body 46 and the division surface 47O on the outer peripheral side of the second divided body 47 are joined to each other by welding. In the vicinity of the axis L2 side of the dividing surfaces 47I and 47O of the second divided body 47, protrusions 48 and 49 are formed along the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13, respectively. These protrusions 48 and 49 are for restricting the second divided body 47 from shifting in a direction other than the approaching and separating directions with respect to the first divided body 46 at the time of welding.

  As shown in at least one of FIGS. 6 (A), 7 and 10, the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47 is spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 and is formed in the positioning groove 36. Positioning projections 53 that extend straight in the radial direction are respectively formed at a plurality of corresponding locations (five locations in the present embodiment). Of the plurality of positioning protrusions 53, those located at both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 are usually slightly separated from the boundary portion with the soft covering portion 32. Each positioning protrusion 53 protrudes more from the inner wall surface of the 2nd division body 47 than the reinforcement ribs 52 and 54 and the rib 57 which are mentioned later (refer FIGS. 8-10). Each positioning projection 53 is engaged with the positioning groove 36 facing the front surface 34 of the specific soft covering portion 31 (see FIG. 7).

  Reinforcing ribs 52 extending in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 are formed on the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47. Reinforcing ribs 54 that extend straight in the radial direction are formed at a plurality of locations between the adjacent positioning projections 53 and 53 on the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47. Each reinforcing rib 54 intersects with the reinforcing rib 52.

  Inner recesses 55 are respectively formed at a plurality of locations on the inner peripheral surface of the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 and that correspond to the inner peripheral protrusion 39. Yes. In addition, outer concave portions 56 are formed at a plurality of locations on the outer peripheral portion of the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 and correspond to the outer peripheral protrusion 41. Yes. More specifically, ribs 57 that are substantially X-shaped in a front view are integrally formed at a plurality of locations on the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. Yes. With the center of each rib 57 as a reference, the inner concave portion 55 is formed by a portion on the inner peripheral side from the center, and the outer concave portion 56 is formed by a portion on the outer peripheral side. The inner peripheral protrusion 39 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is engaged with the corresponding inner concave portion 55 of the second divided body 47, and the outer peripheral protrusion 41 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is the second divided portion. The body 47 is engaged in the corresponding outer recess 56.

Anti-slip recesses 58 are formed at a plurality of locations along the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 on the outer wall surface of the second divided body 47 (see FIG. 6B).
The positioning protrusions 53, the reinforcing ribs 52 and 54, and the ribs 57 (the inner concave portion 55 and the outer concave portion 56) described above are similarly provided on the inner wall surface of the first divided body 46 (see FIGS. 8 to 10). . And while the inner peripheral protrusion 39 of the specific soft coating part 31 is engaged in the corresponding internal recessed part 55 of the 1st division body 46, the outer peripheral protrusion 41 of the specific soft coating part 31 is the 1st division | segmentation. The body 46 is engaged in a corresponding outer recess 56.

  11 shows a cross-sectional structure along the line VV in FIG. 3, and FIG. 12 shows the rim core metal 21 and the specific soft covering portion 31 in FIG. Show. As shown in at least one of these FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the inner wall surface of the first divided body 46, at both ends of the rim portion 13 in the circumferential direction, the specific soft covering portion 31 in the same direction A terminal portion 59 is formed that approaches or lightly contacts the rear surface 35 or the like at both ends.

  On the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47, biting portions that bite into the both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 while biting the specific soft covering portion 31 while compressing and elastically deforming the specific soft covering portion 31. Each is formed. Each biting portion includes a pair of sandwiching portions 61 that bite while compressing the specific soft covering portion 31 toward the rim core metal 21 side.

  The both sandwiching portions 61 are respectively provided at locations substantially opposite to each other across the specific soft covering portion 31 in the second divided body 47, and the specific soft covering portion 31 is bitten into the specific soft covering portion 31 from both sides. 31 is sandwiched. The contact surfaces of the both sandwiching portions 61 with the specific soft covering portion 31 are substantially parallel to each other. The distance D between the both sandwiching portions 61 is set to be slightly smaller than the dimension M in the direction (radial direction) sandwiched by the both sandwiching portions 61 at both ends of the specific soft covering portion 31.

In addition, the decoration of each outer surface of the 1st division body 46 and the 2nd division body 47 is performed by sticking the wooden decorating board (decoration board) 63, for example (refer FIG. 1).
As described above, the steering wheel 12 of the present embodiment is configured. In the steering wheel 12, a welding device 70 shown in FIG. 13 is used to join the first divided body 46 and the second divided body 47, which are respectively covered on the specific soft covering portion 31, by welding. The welding apparatus 70 includes a receiving jig 71 and a welding jig 73 disposed above the receiving jig 71 so as to be movable up and down and capable of fine vibration in the vertical direction. The receiving jig 71 is provided with a lower recess 72 having an opening on the upper surface and having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the second divided body 47. Further, the welding jig 73 is provided with an upper concave portion 74 having an opening on the lower surface and having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the first divided body 46. The welding device 70 is not provided with means for positioning the specific soft covering portion 31, the first divided body 46, the second divided body 47, and the like.

  When welding is performed using the welding apparatus 70, the steering wheel intermediate body 64 before the two divided bodies 46 and 47 are welded to each other is set in the welding apparatus 70. Prior to the setting, the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is set. Then, an operation of covering each of the divided bodies 46 and 47 on the specific soft covering portion 31 is performed.

  In this operation, the first divided body 46 and the second divided body 47 are brought close to the specific soft covering portion 31, respectively. Each positioning projection 53 is engaged with the corresponding positioning groove 36, each inner peripheral protrusion 39 is engaged with the corresponding inner recess 55, and each outer protrusion 41 is engaged with the corresponding outer recess 56. With these engagements, the first divided body 46 and the second divided body 47 are placed on the specific soft covering portion 31 while being positioned (see FIG. 7). The split surface 46I on the inner peripheral side of the first split body 46 and the split surface 47I on the inner peripheral side of the second split body 47 approach each other, and the split surface 46O on the outer peripheral side of the first split body 46 and the second split surface 46O. The dividing surface 47O on the outer peripheral side of the divided body 47 approaches each other (see FIGS. 8 to 10).

  At this time, as shown in at least one of FIGS. 11 and 12, in the second divided body 47 covered with the specific soft covering portion 31, a pair of sandwiching portions 61 are provided at both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. Is provided as a biting-in part. The distance D between the sandwiching portions 61 for each biting portion is smaller than the dimension M in the direction in which the sandwiching portion 61 sandwiches the end portion of the specific soft covering portion 31. From this, both sandwiching portions 61 for each biting portion bite into the end portion of the specific soft covering portion 31 from both sides while compressing it toward the rim cored bar 21 and causing elastic deformation. In the plurality of (two) biting portions, the second divided body 47 that bites into the end portion of the specific soft covering portion 31 by the both holding portions 61 is in a state of being pinched while pressing the specific soft covering portion 31. Both the end portions of the specific soft covering portion 31 that have been bitten by the both sandwiching portions 61 for each biting portion and have undergone compression elastic deformation try to return to the form before elastic deformation by their own elastic restoring force, and both pinching portions for each biting portion. It will be in the state pressed on 61. In addition, the dashed-two dotted line in FIG. 11 has shown the external shape of the specific soft coating | coated part 31 before elastically deforming. The second divided body 47 resists its own weight and is held in a state of being covered with the specific soft covering portion 31 in a balanced state in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13.

  On the other hand, in the welding apparatus 70, as shown in FIG. 13, the welding jig 73 is raised to keep the welding jig 73 away from the jig 71. Then, the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is placed in a horizontal state so that the rear surface 35 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is on the upper side and the front surface 34 of the specific soft covering portion 31 is on the lower side, and the second divided body 47 is received as a jig. 71 is disposed in the lower recess 72. Also at this time, as described above, the second divided body 47 continues to be held in a state of being covered with the specific soft covering portion 31 from the lower side by the biting of the both sandwiching portions 61 for each biting portion, and the specific soft covering It is difficult to drop from the part 31.

  After placing the second divided body 47 in the lower recess 72 of the jig 71, the welding jig 73 is lowered, and the welding jig 73 is placed on the first divided body 46 from the upper side in the upper recess 74. The lowered welding jig 73 applies minute vibrations in the vertical direction while applying a downward load to the first divided body 46. Due to this vibration, frictional heat is generated between the opposed inner peripheral side split surfaces 46I and 47I of both split bodies 46 and 47, and both are melted and joined together. Friction heat is generated between 47O, and both melt and join.

  By the way, the specific soft coating | coated part 31 is compressed and elastically deformed in the location (both ends of the specific soft coating | coated part 31) where both the clamping parts 61 for every biting part of the 2nd division body 47 were bitten. The elastic deformation allowance at the same location is smaller than that in the case where both sandwiching portions 61 are not bitten. Therefore, the second divided body 47 exhibits high torsional rigidity, and is difficult to be deformed (not easily twisted) even if a torsional force is applied thereto. This torsional rigidity tends to increase as the distance between the biting portions located at both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment in which the biting portions are provided at both ends in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 in the second divided body 47, the highest torsional rigidity that can be taken is exhibited.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) A biting portion (a pair of clamping portions 61) is provided on the inner wall surface of the second divided body 47 which is the lower side when the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is set in the welding device 70 (FIG. 13). Therefore, the second divided body 47 can be set in the lower recess 72 of the receiving jig 71 without dropping from the specific soft covering portion 31. Along with this, in order to prevent the second divided body 47 from falling from the specific soft covering portion 31, it is not necessary to temporarily fix the second divided body 47 to the specific soft covering portion 31 by bonding.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the workability is reduced due to the phenomenon that the lower second divided body 47 falls from the specific soft coating portion 31 before the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is set in the welding device 70. It becomes possible to suppress without doing.

  (2) As the biting portion, a configuration (a pair of clamping portions 61) that bites while compressing the specific soft covering portion 31 toward the rim cored bar 21 side is adopted (FIG. 11). Therefore, the biting part (both sandwiching parts 61) can be securely bited into the specific soft covering part 31, and the second divided body 47 is securely held in a state covered with the specific soft covering part 31, The effect (1) can be obtained with certainty.

  (3) As the biting part of the above (2), the biting part is provided in the second divided body 47 at substantially opposite positions with the specific soft covering part 31 in between, and the same biting into the specific soft covering part 31 from both sides. What comprises a pair of clamping part 61 which clamps the specific soft coating | coated part 31 is employ | adopted (refer FIG. 11). Therefore, the specific soft covering portion 31 can be held while being pressed by the both sandwiching portions 61, and the effect of reliably holding the second divided body 47 in the state covered with the specific soft covering portion 31 is further ensured. It can be.

  (4) The distance D between the both sandwiching portions 61 is set to be smaller than the dimension M in the direction sandwiched by the both sandwiching portions 61 for the specific soft covering portion 31 (FIG. 12). Therefore, the specific soft covering portion 31 can be bitten from both sides while being compressed toward the rim cored bar 21 by the both sandwiching portions 61, and the effect (3) can be obtained with certainty.

  (5) The biting portions (the pair of sandwiching portions 61) are provided at a plurality of locations (two locations) in the circumferential direction of the second divided body 47 (FIG. 6A). Therefore, the biting portion (the pair of sandwiching portions 61) can be bitten into the specific soft coating portion 31 at a plurality of locations (two locations), and the second divided body 47 can be resisted by its own weight to the specific soft coating portion 31. It can be reliably held in the covered state.

  (6) Two biting portions (a pair of sandwiching portions 61) are provided at both end portions in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 in the second divided body 47 (FIG. 6A). For this reason, the second divided body 47 can be held in a state of being covered with the specific soft covering portion 31 in a balanced state in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13. Further, the torsional rigidity of the hard decorative portion 45 can be efficiently increased.

Note that the present invention can be embodied in another embodiment described below.
<About the object where the biting part is provided>
The object (the first divided body 46 and the second divided body 47) provided with the biting portion is at least lower when the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is set on the welding apparatus 70 prior to welding with the welding apparatus 70. Any divided body may be used. Therefore, in the above embodiment, a biting portion may be provided in the first divided body 46 in addition to the second divided body 47.

  When the steering wheel intermediate body 64 is set in the welding device 70 in such a manner that the second divided body 47 is on the upper side and the first divided body 46 is on the lower side, the biting portion is at least the first divided body 46. Provided.

<About the place where the biting portion is provided in the second divided body 47>
The biting portion may be provided only at one location in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 in the second divided body 47. In this case, considering the weight balance of the second divided body 47, it is desirable that the biting portion is provided in the central portion or the vicinity thereof in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13.

The biting portion may be provided at three or more locations in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 13 in the second divided body 47.
-When providing a biting part in three or more places of the 2nd division body 47, it is desirable to provide at least 2 in the both ends about the circumferential direction of the rim | limb part 13. As shown in FIG. This is for efficiently increasing the torsional rigidity of the second divided body 47, and by extension, the hard decorative portion 45.

<About welding method>
In the welding, an ultrasonic welding method, a vibration welding method, a high frequency welding method, or the like can be employed.

<Others>
The present invention can be applied not only to a vehicle but also to a steering wheel of a steering device in another vehicle such as an aircraft or a ship. In this case, the vehicles include not only private vehicles but also various industrial vehicles.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Steering wheel, 13 ... Rim part, 21 ... Rim core metal, 30 ... Soft coating | cover part, 45 ... Hard decoration part, 46 ... 1st division body, 47 ... 2nd division body, 61 ... Clamping part (bite) Part), 64 ... steering wheel intermediate body, 70 ... welding apparatus, D ... interval, M ... dimensions.

Claims (3)

Of the substantially annular rim portion having the rim core metal as a skeleton, a part in the circumferential direction wraps the soft cover portion covering the rim core metal and the soft cover portion, and on the outer surface. It has a cylindrical hard decorative part with decoration,
The hard decorative part is formed by being welded and bonded to each other with a welding device, which is divided in half and is sandwiched along the outer wall surface of the soft covering part.
Prior to welding with the welding apparatus, when setting a steering wheel intermediate body, in which the outer wall surface of the soft covering portion is sandwiched between the two divided bodies, to the welding apparatus, at least the inner wall surface of the lower divided body Is provided with a biting portion that bites into the soft covering portion while compressively elastically deforming the soft covering portion toward the rim core metal side,
The biting portion holds the divided body that is at least the lower side when the steering wheel intermediate body is set in the welding apparatus in a state of being covered with the soft covering portion ,
The steering wheel is provided at a plurality of locations including at least both end portions of the divided body in the circumferential direction of the rim portion . The biting portions are provided at locations that are substantially opposite to each other with the soft covering portion sandwiched in the divided body, and include a pair of sandwiching portions that sandwich the soft covering portion by biting into the soft covering portion from both sides. The steering wheel according to claim 1. The steering wheel according to claim 2, wherein an interval between the both sandwiching portions is set to be smaller than a dimension in a direction in which the soft covering portion is sandwiched between the both sandwiching portions.

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