JP7797282B2 - Steering structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering structure.

In recent years, irregular steering wheels, including D-shaped steering wheels, have become popular. A D-shaped steering wheel is a steering wheel with a straight bottom edge.

Such irregularly shaped steering wheels not only function as a steering wheel, but can also be equipped with a camera to film and monitor the driver (see Patent Document 1). Their use as a steering module equipped with a display unit that displays meter components is also being considered (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2020-111216 A JP 2020-185805 A

When a driver grips the irregular-shaped steering wheels described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, they typically grip either the left or right side of the rim or the bottom edge of the rim. However, when a driver grips the bottom edge of the rim, there is no grip to hold onto, which can make it difficult to hold the steering wheel.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a steering structure that can improve the retention performance of irregular-shaped steering wheels.

In other words, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the steering structure of the present invention is characterized by having a rectangular rim portion that is gripped by the driver, a space that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction at the center of the rim portion, and a curved portion that curves toward the upper edge of the rim portion at the center of the lower edge of the rim portion.

This invention can improve the retention performance of irregular steering wheels.

1 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a flat portion of the lower side of FIG. 1 . FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a bottom flat portion of FIG. 3 . FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of a curved portion of FIG. 5 . 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 5.

The following provides a detailed description of embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below are merely examples of how the present invention can be realized, and should be modified or changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied and various conditions. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, identical components in each figure are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. In the following description, references to front, back, up, down, left, and right are based on the front, back, up, down, left, and right directions as seen from the driver's perspective.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a lower flat portion of Fig. 1 .

As shown in Figure 1, the steering device 10 (steering structure) according to the first embodiment is a component that operates the steering wheels of a vehicle and controls the direction of travel of the vehicle when the driver turns the wheels.

The steering device 10 is comprised of a rim portion 1 and a curved portion 2. The rim portion 1 is the outer edge portion that constitutes the steering wheel of the steering device 10. The rim portion 1 is a so-called irregular steering wheel and has a rectangular shape. More specifically, the upper and lower sides of the rim portion 1 extend in a substantially horizontal direction. The left and right sides of the rim portion 1 extend in a substantially vertical direction. The upper side of the rim portion 1 is gently curved so that it is convex upward. The rectangular shape of the rim portion 1 allows the driver to grasp the left and right sides of the rim portion 1 or the left and right sides of the lower side of the rim portion 1. When viewed from the front, the rim portion 1 is formed from a ring-shaped member that is substantially horizontally elongated and longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction.

The steering device 10 has a space 9 in the center of the rim portion 1. The space 9 penetrates the rim portion 1 in the front-to-rear direction. Because the space 9 is located inside the rim portion 1, it is a rectangular space, just like the rim portion 1.

The steering device 10 has a curved portion 2 at the center of the lower edge of the rim portion 1. The curved portion 2 is curved so as to convex toward the upper edge of the rim portion 1. The curved portion 2 protrudes in the center of the lower edge of the rim portion 1, with both sides of the protrusion pointing downward toward the lower edge. An upwardly recessed recess 2c is formed on the underside of the curved portion 2.

On both sides of the curved portion 2 in the vehicle width direction, lower flat portions 3, 4 are provided on the lower edge of the rim portion 1, extending in the vehicle width direction. The lower flat portions 3, 4 are formed symmetrically on either side of the curved portion 2. Furthermore, the length of the lower flat portions 3, 4 in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the curved portion 2 in the vehicle width direction.

The flat lower edge portions 3, 4 have inclined surfaces 3a, 4a. When viewed from the direction of travel of the vehicle toward the driver's seat, the inclined surfaces 3a, 4a are formed so that they slope downward toward the driver's seat. The angle between the flat lower edge portions 3, 4 and the inclined surfaces 3a, 4a can be set to a predetermined angle. For example, the inclined surfaces 3a, 4a are positioned at an angle that makes it easy for the driver to rest their wrists, based on a position parallel to the underside of the upper edge of the rim portion 1.

The rim portion 1 has a switch 4b provided on at least one of the two lower flat portions 3, 4. In Figures 1 and 2, as an example, the switch 4b is provided on the right lower flat portion 4.

The switch 4b has directional keys indicating up, down, left, and right directions and a select/confirm button located in the center of the directional keys. The switch 4b can be a hardware switch or a touch panel switch. The switch 4b is a switch for operating, for example, an audio system, a car navigation system, an air conditioner, a cruise control device, etc.

In Figure 1, as an example, switch 4b is provided on bottom flat portion 4, but it may be provided on both bottom flat portion 3 and bottom flat portion 4. Furthermore, switch 4b is not limited to a hardware switch or a touch panel switch, and any desired switch, such as a button switch or a dial switch, can be used.

The rim portion 1 also has rim support portions 44 extending from both sides of the upper edge toward the direction of vehicle travel. The rim support portions 44 are provided to secure the rim portion 1 to a fixed frame 43 (see Figure 7, described below). When the driver rotates the rim portion 1, the rim support portions 44 also rotate in conjunction with it.

As described above, the steering device 10 according to the first embodiment is a steering structure for a steering wheel having a rectangular rim portion 1 that is gripped by the driver, and has a space 9 that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction at the center of the rim portion 1, and has a curved portion 2 at the center of the lower edge of the rim portion 1 that curves toward the upper edge of the rim portion 1.
According to this configuration, the steering device 10 according to the first embodiment has the curved portion 2, so that when the driver places his or her hands on the lower side of the rim portion 1, the driver can pass his or her left and right thumbs through the spaces below the curved portion 2. This allows the driver to improve the ability to hold the steering wheel.

Furthermore, since the rim portion 1 is formed in a rectangular shape, the direction of the tire transmitted to the steering device 10 can be intuitively understood.
Furthermore, the steering device 10 has a space 9 in the center of the rim portion 1, which allows for the installation of, for example, a display 21 (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 5) or a meter (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 described below, for example, the display 21 can be placed in the space 9. The display 21 may be one that is built into the vehicle, or may be a detachably attached tablet or the like. Note that what is placed in the space 9 is not limited to the display 21, and may also be a button such as a switch or a meter such as a speedometer.

The display 21 constitutes a liquid crystal display unit and displays, for example, vehicle speed, engine speed, water temperature, and various meters. The display 21 can also switch the meter display to images corresponding to, for example, a car navigation system or audio. Therefore, the steering device 10 has a space 9 for the display 21, and by placing the display 21 in the center of the rim portion 1, the display 21 can display a large amount of information. Furthermore, because there are no spokes in the center of the rim portion 1, a wide display range for the display 21 can be secured, allowing it to display a large amount of information appropriate for passengers.

In addition, lower edge flat portions 3, 4 are provided on both sides of the curved portion 2 in the vehicle width direction, extending in the vehicle width direction of the lower edge of the rim portion 1, and the lower edge flat portions 3, 4 have inclined surfaces 3a, 4a that slope downward as they approach the driver's seat side.
With this configuration, while the vehicle is traveling, for example, during automatic driving, the driver can place his or her hands on the lower flat portions 3, 4, thereby reducing hand fatigue caused by driving. In particular, because the lower flat portions 3, 4 have inclined surfaces 3a, 4a, the driver can drive with his or her hands naturally placed on the inclined surfaces 3a, 4a without exerting force on his or her arms or elbows.

In addition, the steering device 10 has a switch 4 b provided on at least one of the two lower flat portions 3 and 4 .
According to this configuration, the switch 4b is provided on the lower flat portions 3, 4, so the driver can operate the switch 4b without spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the steering device 10. In addition, in this case, the driver can operate functions provided in the vehicle, such as the display 21 and air conditioner, without removing his or her hands from the rim portion 1.

Second Embodiment
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a second embodiment. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a flat portion of the lower side of Fig. 3. The steering device shown in Fig. 3 is configured to include a display in a space.

As shown in FIG. 3, the steering device 20 according to the second embodiment has a rim portion 11, which has a curved portion 12 at the center of its lower edge that curves toward the upper edge of the rim portion 11. The steering device 20 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the steering device 10 according to the first embodiment. That is, the curved portion 12 in FIG. 3 corresponds to the curved portion 2 in FIG. 1, and the lower edge flat portions 13 and 14 in FIG. 3 correspond to the lower edge flat portions 3 and 4 in FIG. 1 and have inclined surfaces 13a and 14a.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, instead of a switch 4b being provided on at least one of the lower flat portions 3 and 4, soft pads 13b and 14b are provided on each lower flat portion 13 and 14 for the driver to place their hands on.

The upper surface of each of the soft pads 13b, 14b is formed substantially parallel to the upper surface of the inclined surface 13a, 14a. Each of the soft pads 13b, 14b is made of, for example, vinyl chloride, and is made of a material that has elasticity and feels soft when the driver's wrist touches it.
The soft pads 13b and 14b each have a recess 13c at the center in the vehicle width direction. The soft pads 13b and 14b are formed symmetrically with respect to the curved portion 12.

As described above, the steering device 20 according to the second embodiment has soft pads 13b, 14b on each lower flat portion 13, 14 for the driver to place their hands on, and the soft pads 13b, 14b have recesses 13c, 14c in the center in the vehicle width direction.

With this configuration, each soft pad 13b, 14b has a recess 13c, 14c, which improves the ability of each soft pad 13b, 14b to hold the driver's wrist, thereby improving comfort. Furthermore, each soft pad 13b, 14b is made of a resilient, soft-to-the-touch material, which improves the fit around the wrist.

Furthermore, each soft pad 13b, 14b may be equipped with a sensor inside, for example, to receive the driver's biometric information from the wrist, and this biometric information may be used for driving assistance functions (driving assistance functions). Furthermore, by equipping the soft pads 13b, 14b with a heating wire inside, the wrist can be kept warm, improving comfort.

Third Embodiment
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a steering device according to a third embodiment. Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view of a curved portion of Fig. 5. Note that the steering device shown in Fig. 5 is provided with a display, as in the second embodiment.

As shown in Figure 5, in the steering device 25 according to the third embodiment, compared to the steering device 10 according to the first embodiment, the upper surface 17 of the curved portion 2 has a curved portion flat surface 2a that extends horizontally in the vehicle width direction.

The curved portion flat surface 2a extends horizontally in the vehicle width direction, parallel to the upper and lower edges of the rim portion 1. A switch 2b is provided on the curved portion flat surface 2a. The switch 2b is located in the center of the curved portion 2, and when the driver places their wrist on the lower edge flat portions 3 and 4, it is positioned close to the left and right thumbs. The length of the curved portion flat surface 2a in the vehicle width direction can be changed depending on the number of switches 2b. For example, if more switches 2b are desired to be installed, more functions can be installed by making the curved portion flat surface 2a longer in the vehicle width direction. The type of switch 2b is not particularly limited, and may be a hardware switch, a touch panel switch, or any other suitable type.

At least one pointing stick 5, 5a is provided on the bending portion 2 at the lower side of the rim portion 1. The pointing stick 5 is a member for operating, for example, a cursor or pointer displayed on the display 21. The pointing stick 5 is provided on a surface 15 that connects the lower surface of the bending portion 2 to the upper surface of the bending portion 2 (flat surface 2a of the bending portion).
The pointing stick 5 may be provided on the lower surface 16 of the bending portion 2 (the surface behind the flat surface 2a of the bending portion) as indicated by the symbol 5a in phantom (two-dot chain line) in FIG.

The pointing stick 5 is provided on a surface 15 that is connected to the upper surface of the curved portion 2, and is disposed facing the driver and in a position close to the driver's left and right thumbs. The driver can operate the pointing stick 5 from the driver's seat side toward the steering device 10 with the driver's left and right thumbs.
Meanwhile, the pointing stick 5a protrudes from the underside 16 of the curved portion 2 toward the lower space and is positioned close to the driver's left and right thumbs. The driver can operate the pointing stick 5a by pointing it upward from the lower side of the underside 16 of the curved portion 2 with their left and right thumbs.

As described above, in the steering device 25 according to the third embodiment, the upper surface 17 of the curved portion 2 has a curved portion flat surface 2a extending horizontally in the vehicle width direction, and a switch 2b is provided on the curved portion flat surface 2a.
With this configuration, the orientation of the tire can be intuitively grasped because the curved flat surface 2a is parallel to the upper and lower edges of the rim portion 1. Furthermore, by providing the switch 2b on the curved flat surface 2a, the switch 2b can be used while resting the wrist on the lower flat portions 3, 4, making it easy to use various functions provided on the vehicle.

In addition, in the steering device 25 of the third embodiment, a pointing stick 5, 5a is provided on at least one of the lower surface 16 of the bending portion 2 and the surface 15 connecting the lower surface 16 of the bending portion 2 to the upper surface 17 of the bending portion 2.
With this configuration, the driver can operate the pointing sticks 5, 5a with their left and right thumbs while placing their hands on the lower flat portions 3, 4. Furthermore, by arranging the pointing sticks 5, 5a on the lower surface 16 of the bending portion 2 or on the surface 15 that connects the lower surface 16 of the bending portion 2 to the upper surface 17 of the bending portion 2, the pointing sticks 5, 5a can be operated without interfering with the operation of the steering device 25.

<Cross-sectional view common to the first to third embodiments>
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 7, the steering device 25 is configured to include a rim portion 1, a rim support portion 44, a fixed frame 43, a holder 42, a column cover 41, and a column shaft 40.

The rim portion 1 is connected to the column shaft 40 via the rim support portion 44, the fixed frame 43, and the column cover 41. The rim portion 1 corresponds to the steering wheel (handle) with which the driver operates the vehicle. The rim support portion 44 is a support member that fixes and supports the rim portion 1 to the fixed frame 43. The fixed frame 43 is a frame that connects the rim portion 1 fixed by the rim support portion 44 to the column shaft 40. The column shaft 40 is a shaft that controls the direction of travel of the vehicle in response to steering input to the rim portion 1. The column cover 41 is a cover that encases the column shaft 40.

When the driver rotates the rim portion 1, the steering device 25 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rim portion 1, causing the rim support portion 44 and fixed frame 43 to rotate, which in turn rotates the column shaft 40. This allows the steering device 25 to function as a steering device.

On the other hand, the display 21 is fixed to and attached to a holder 42. The holder 42 is an attachment member for attaching the display 21 to the steering device 25. A column cover 41 is attached to the back of the holder 42, and the holder 42 is installed so as not to be linked to the rotation of the rim portion 1. As a result, the display 21 is not linked to the rotation of the rim portion 1, and the upper and lower edges always extend horizontally.

In addition, in this embodiment, the relationship between the underside of the upper edge of the rim portion 1 and the lower edge flat portion 4 is such that, due to the lower edge flat portion 4 having an inclined surface 4a, the length L1 of the underside of the upper edge of the rim portion 1 and the lower edge flat portion 4 on the driver's side is different from the length L2 of the underside of the upper edge of the rim portion 1 and the lower edge flat portion 4 on the column shaft 40 side. In other words, in this embodiment, the length L1 of the rim portion 1 and the lower edge flat portion 4 on the driver's side is longer than the length L2 of the rim portion 1 and the lower edge flat portion 4 on the column shaft 40 side.

For this reason, when the underside of the upper edge of the rim portion 1 is used as the reference point, the lower edge flat portion 4 on the driver's side of the inclined surface 4a is always lowered. This allows the driver to rest their wrist on the lower edge flat portion 4 while driving, for example when using automatic driving, thereby reducing hand fatigue caused by driving.

1, 11 Rim portion 2, 12 Curved portion 2a Curved portion flat surface 2b Switch 3, 4 Lower side flat portion 3a, 4a Inclined surface 3b, 4b Switch 5, 5a Pointing stick 9 Space 10, 20, 25 Steering device (steering structure)
13, 14 Lower flat portion 13a, 14a Inclined surface 13b, 14b Soft pad 13c, 14c Recess 21 Display 40 Column shaft 41 Column cover 42 Holder 43 Fixing frame

Claims (6)

A steering structure having a rectangular rim portion that is gripped by a driver,
A space penetrating in the front-rear direction is provided at the center of the rim portion,
a curved portion at the center of the lower side of the rim portion that curves toward the upper side of the rim portion ;
The space is disposed above the curved portion.
A steering structure characterized by: A lower edge flat portion extending in the vehicle width direction of the lower edge of the rim portion is provided on both sides of the curved portion in the vehicle width direction,
The lower flat portion has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the driver's seat side.
2. The steering structure according to claim 1. A switch is provided on at least one of the two lower side flat portions.
3. The steering structure according to claim 2. Each of the lower flat portions is provided with a soft pad on which the driver places his/her hands,
The soft pad has a recess in the center in the vehicle width direction.
3. The steering structure according to claim 2. an upper surface of the curved portion has a curved portion flat surface extending horizontally in the vehicle width direction;
A switch is provided on the flat surface of the curved portion.
5. A steering structure according to claim 1, wherein the steering structure comprises a first shaft and a second shaft. a pointing stick is provided on at least one of a lower surface of the bending portion and a surface connecting the lower surface of the bending portion to an upper surface of the bending portion;
6. A steering structure according to claim 1, wherein the steering structure is a hub.