JP7470064B2 - handle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a handle equipped with a grip for gripping operation.

In recent years, there has been a demand for adding additional functions to the steering wheel of an automobile. For example, a steering wheel equipped with a sensor for detecting when the driver grips the rim portion, which is the gripping portion, is known. In this configuration, a sheet-shaped shield electrode is wrapped around the rim portion core metal, which is the gripping portion core metal that constitutes the rim portion, an insulator is formed covering the shield electrode, and a sheet-shaped detection electrode is wrapped around and covers the insulator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 6714788 (Pages 7-8, Figures 1-3)

However, in the case of the above-mentioned configuration, in order to avoid compromising the appearance of the rim portion, it is necessary to carefully wrap the detection electrode as thin as possible so as to avoid creating unevenness on the surface, which makes manufacturing complicated and increases costs.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a handle that has a good appearance and can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

The handle described in claim 1 is a handle with a gripping portion for gripping operation, and has a communication portion that communicates with the inside, a conductive gripping portion core metal corresponding to the gripping portion, a core wire that is arranged inside the gripping portion core metal and insulated from the gripping portion core metal and leads from the communication portion to the outside of the gripping portion core metal, a sensor unit that is electrically connected to the gripping portion core metal and the core wire to form a capacitance sensor with the gripping portion core metal and the core wire as electrodes, and a covering member formed to cover the gripping portion core metal.

The handle of claim 2 is the handle of claim 1, further comprising a shaft connection portion that is connected to the steering shaft, a shaft connection portion core metal corresponding to this shaft connection portion, a connecting portion that connects the shaft connection portion to the grip portion, a connecting portion core metal corresponding to this connecting portion, and an insulating portion that insulates at least the shaft connection portion core metal and the connecting portion core metal from the grip portion core metal.

The handle described in claim 1 does not require the use of dedicated parts for constructing a capacitance sensor, nor the laborious task of wrapping these dedicated parts around the grip core metal so as not to cause unevenness in the appearance of the covering material, and a handle with a good appearance can be easily and inexpensively manufactured with the grip core metal covered by the covering material.

The handle described in claim 2 has the effect of the handle described in claim 1, and in addition, the function of the electrodes of the capacitance sensor can be limited to the grip core metal and core wire.

3A is a front view showing a core bar of a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view showing a position corresponding to II in FIG. 2. FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2, 10 is a steering wheel, which is the steering wheel of an automobile, for example. The steering wheel 10 includes a steering wheel body 11, which is the steering wheel itself, and a module 12 attached to the passenger side of the steering wheel body 11. The steering wheel 10 is usually attached to a steering shaft, which is a steering shaft provided in a vehicle, in an inclined state. In the following, when the steering wheel 10 is viewed from the driver (passenger) side, the direction of the arrow U is the upper side, the direction of the arrow D is the lower side, the front side of the vehicle, i.e., the windshield side above the front side, is the front side or rear side, and the rear side of the vehicle, i.e., the rear lower side, is the rear side, near side, or front side. The positions of each part of the steering wheel 10 are based on the neutral position.

The steering wheel body 11 is composed of a rim portion (grip portion) 15, which is the gripping portion, a boss portion 16, which is the shaft connection portion located inside the rim portion 15, and spoke portions 17, which are multiple connecting portions that connect the rim portion 15 and the boss portion 16.

The rim portion 15 is the portion that is gripped and operated by the driver (passenger). The rim portion 15 is formed in at least an arc shape. In this embodiment, the rim portion 15 is formed in an annular shape.

The boss portion 16 is surrounded by the rim portion 15. The module 12 is attached to the boss portion 16.

In this embodiment, three spokes 17 are formed, one on each side, at the left and right, and at the bottom. That is, the spokes 17 are formed at the 9 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 6 o'clock positions of the analog clock.

The steering wheel body 11 also includes a core metal 20 as shown in Fig. 1(a) and Fig. 1(b). The core metal 20 is made of, for example, metal. The core metal 20 includes a substantially cylindrical boss 22 with a serration structure that meshes with the steering shaft on the rear side of the boss portion 16 (Fig. 2) that faces the vehicle body, and a boss plate 23, which is a shaft connection portion core metal that constitutes the boss portion 16 (Fig. 2), i.e., a boss core metal (hub core metal), is fixed integrally to the boss 22. A spoke core metal portion 24, which is a connecting portion core metal that constitutes the spoke portion 17 (Fig. 2), is formed integrally and continuously from the boss plate 23. Furthermore, the core metal 20 includes a rim core metal portion 25, which is a gripping portion core metal corresponding to the rim portion 15, fixed to the spoke core metal portion 24 by welding or the like.

The spoke core metal portions 24 are arranged radially. The spoke core metal portions 24 are integral with the boss plate 23 and are formed, for example, from a magnesium alloy. The spoke core metal portions 24 do not necessarily correspond to all of the spoke portions 17 (Fig. 2). In this embodiment, the spoke core metal portions 24 protrude from the left and right sides of the boss plate 23 and are each connected to a rim core metal portion 25. In other words, only the left and right spoke portions 17 (Fig. 2) have spoke core metal portions 24, and as shown in Fig. 2, the lower spoke portions 17 are formed by a finisher 26.

The rim core metal portion 25 shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) constitutes a part of the rim portion 15. The rim core metal portion 25 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the rim portion 15. That is, the rim core metal portion 25 is formed, for example, in an arc shape according to the shape of the rim portion 15. In this embodiment, the rim core metal portion 25 is formed in an annular shape. In the illustrated example, the rim core metal portion 25 is divided in the circumferential direction at a position other than the connection portion with the spoke core metal portion 24, and is joined to each other by the joint portion 28, which is an insulating portion, to form an annular shape. That is, the rim core metal portion 25 in this embodiment is divided into three parts: the semicircular upper rim core metal portion 25a, which is one rim core metal portion constituting the upper half, and the left and right lower rim core metal portions 25b, 25b, which are the other rim core metal portions, which are arc-shaped. The joint portion 28 has the function of insulating the parts that are joined to each other. That is, the left and right joints 28 join the rim core metal portion 25 to the boss plate 23 and the left and right spoke core metal portions 24 in an insulated state, and the lower joint 28 joins the left and right lower rim core metal portions 25b, 25b in an insulated state. The joints 28 are made of synthetic resin, such as nylon material containing glass fibers.

The rim core metal portion 25 is formed of a conductive metal such as iron. The rim core metal portion 25 has a circular cross section and is cylindrical with a space portion 25c inside. In other words, the rim core metal portion 25 is formed in a hollow shape. The rim core metal portion 25 has a communication portion 25d that communicates with the space portion 25c. The communication portion 25d is a portion that communicates the space portion 25c inside the rim core metal portion 25 with the outside. Preferably, the communication portion 25d is formed in the rim core metal portion 25 at a position where the rim portion 15 and the spoke portion 17 (Figure 2) are connected. In the illustrated example, the communication portion 25d is formed in the rim core metal portion 25 at a lower portion that is the connection portion between the rim portion 15 and the lower spoke portion 17 (Figure 2). In this embodiment, the communication portion 25d is formed at the opposing ends of the lower rim core metal portions 25b, 25b. The communication portion 25d is covered by the joint portion 28.

The core wire 30 is disposed inside the rim core metal portion 25, i.e., in the space portion 25c. The core wire 30 is made of a metal such as iron that has electrical conductivity. The core wire 30 is disposed inside the rim core metal portion 25 and insulated from the rim core metal portion 25. The core wire 30 is located, for example, in the center of the space portion 25c and is positioned away from the inner surface of the rim core metal portion 25. The core wire 30 is disposed along the circumferential direction of the rim core metal portion 25. In other words, the core wire 30 is disposed in an arc shape. The core wire 30 is also disposed throughout the entire interior of the rim core metal portion 25. One end of the core wire 30 is led out from the communicating portion 25d of the rim core metal portion 25 to the outside of the rim core metal portion 25. The other end of the core wire 30 is positioned away from the one end.

The core wire 30 and the wiring 32 electrically connected to the rim core metal portion 25 are electrically connected to a sensor unit (sensor ECU) 34. The sensor unit 34 is arranged, for example, in the boss portion 16 (Fig. 2). The sensor unit 34 constitutes a capacitance sensor with the rim core metal portion 25 and the core wire 30 as electrodes. That is, the sensor unit 34, together with the rim core metal portion 25 and the core wire 30, constitutes a grip detection circuit that detects whether or not a passenger such as a driver is gripping the rim portion 15 (Fig. 2) based on a change in capacitance (hands-off detection). In the capacitance sensor, preferably, the rim core metal portion 25 (wiring 32) is the positive electrode and the core wire 30 is the negative electrode. In addition, in order to improve the sensitivity of the capacitance sensor, the rim core metal portion 25 and the core wire 30 are preferably arranged close to each other. That is, the distance between the rim core metal portion 25 and the core wire 30 is preferably as far and as small as possible.

The space 25c of the rim core metal portion 25 is filled with a filler 36 such as synthetic resin, covering the core wire 30. The filler 36 has insulating properties and insulates the core wire 30 from the rim core metal portion 25 (wiring 32). For example, an elastomer such as TPO material is used as the filler 36.

The surface of the rim core portion 25 is covered by a covering member 38. In this embodiment, the covering member 38 is formed to cover, for example, the entire rim core portion 25, parts of the spoke core portions 24, and the joint portions 28. For example, a finely foamed soft polyurethane foam is used as the covering member 38. In this embodiment, the surface of the covering member 38 is covered by a skin 39 made of leather or the like, but the skin 39 is not an essential component. In other words, the covering member 38 may be the outermost layer of the rim portion 15 (Figure 2).

When manufacturing the steering wheel 10, the rim core metal part 25 formed by casting or the like is joined to the boss plate 23 and spoke core metal part 24 formed integrally at the joint 28 to form the core metal part 20. Next, the core wire 30 is placed in the space part 25c of the rim core metal part 25 of this core metal part 20, and the space part 25c is filled with the filler material 36 and hardened. Furthermore, the intermediate body in which the joint part 28 is formed, including the core wire 30 drawn out from the communication part 25d and the wiring 32 electrically connected to the rim core metal part 25, is set in a predetermined molding die, and the covering member 38 is formed by, for example, RIM molding, and the skin body 39 is wrapped around it as necessary. The steering wheel main body 11 thus formed is connected to the steering shaft and attached to the vehicle body side. Next, the core wire 30 and the wiring 32 are electrically connected to the sensor unit 34.

After this, the module 12 is attached to the steering wheel body 11, and if necessary, a finisher 26 etc. is attached, completing the steering wheel 10 attached to the vehicle body.

When an occupant grips the rim portion 15 of the steering wheel 10 manufactured in this manner, the capacitance increases according to the contact area or proximity area between the rim portion 15 and the occupant's hand. The capacitance sensor compares the amount of change in capacitance with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not the occupant is gripping the rim portion 15. Although the amount of change in capacitance decreases as the thickness of the covering member 38 and the skin body 39 increases, by setting the threshold value according to the thickness of the covering member 38 and the skin body 39, it is possible to determine whether or not the occupant is gripping the rim portion 15 even if the thickness is large.

Thus, according to this embodiment, the core wire 30 is arranged insulated from the rim core metal part 25 inside the conductive rim core metal part 25, which is a normal strength member corresponding to the rim part 15, and the core wire 30 is led out of the rim core metal part 25 from the communication part 25d, and the rim core metal part 25 and the core wire 30 are electrically connected to the sensor unit 34 to form a capacitance sensor. Therefore, it is not necessary to use members such as a dedicated mat or sheet for forming a capacitance sensor, or to wrap these members around the rim core metal part 25 so as not to cause unevenness in the appearance of the covering member 38. With the rim core metal part 25 covered by the covering member 38, a steering wheel 10 with a capacitance sensor that has a good appearance similar to a normal one without a capacitance sensor can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

In addition, by insulating the boss plate 23 and spoke core metal portion 24 from the rim core metal portion 25 by the joint 28, the electrode function of the capacitance sensor can be limited to the rim core metal portion 25 and the core wire 30.

Furthermore, by joining the lower rim core metal parts 25b, 25b that constitute the communication part 25d with the joint part 28, the core wire 30 drawn out from the communication part 25d and the wiring 32 electrically connected to the rim core metal part 25 are insulated from each other by the joint part 28, and the core wire 30 and the wiring 32 can be electrically connected to the sensor unit 34 with different polarities.

In the above embodiment, the communication portion 25d is not limited to the connection portion between the lower spoke portion 17 and the rim portion 15, but may be formed in the rim core portion 25 at the connection portion between the left or right spoke portion 17 and the rim portion 15.

The communicating portion 25d is not limited to being formed by dividing the rim core metal portion 25. A hole formed in a part of the rim core metal portion 25 that communicates with the internal space portion 25c may be used as the communicating portion 25d, and the core wire 30 may be drawn out from the communicating portion 25d.

The joint 28 may be integrally formed with the spoke core 24 using a resin material.

The steering wheel 10 is not limited to a configuration with three spoke portions 17, but may be a configuration with two or four or more spoke portions 17.

The steering wheel 10 may be used as a steering handle for any vehicle, not just an automobile.

The present invention can be suitably used as a steering wheel for vehicles such as automobiles.

10. Steering wheel
15 Rim part which is the gripping part
16 Boss part which is the shaft connection part
17 Spokes, which are the connecting parts
23 Boss plate which is the core metal of the shaft connection part
24 Spoke core part which is the core part of the connecting part
25 Rim core part which is the core of the grip part
25d Connecting part
28 Insulating joints
30 core wire
34 Sensor unit
38 Covering materials

Claims (2)

A handle having a grip for gripping operation,
a conductive grip core metal having a communication portion communicating with the inside and corresponding to the grip portion;
a core wire disposed within the gripping portion core metal while being insulated from the gripping portion core metal and led out from the communication portion to the outside of the gripping portion core metal;
a sensor unit electrically connected to the grip core metal and the core wire to configure a capacitance sensor having the grip core metal and the core wire as electrodes;
A covering member formed to cover the grip portion core metal;
A handle comprising: a shaft connection portion connected to the steering shaft;
a shaft connection portion core metal corresponding to the shaft connection portion;
A connecting portion that connects the shaft connecting portion and a grip portion;
a connecting portion core metal corresponding to the connecting portion;
an insulating portion that insulates at least the shaft connecting portion core metal and the coupling portion core metal from the grip portion core metal;
2. The handle of claim 1, further comprising:

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