JPH0584564U - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a steering wheel that can be reduced in weight and can be manufactured at low cost. [Structure] The ring portion 2 is composed of three spoke portions 4, a long arc portion 2a having the longest arc length, a short arc portion 2b having the shortest arc length,
2c. Inside the spoke portions 4 on both the left and right sides and inside the long arc portion 2a, a cored bar 6 integrally formed is provided. Further, the boss plate 5 and the core metal 6 are covered with a cover 7 made of polypropylene resin, and the central spoke portion 4 and both short arc portions 2b and 2c are formed of the same resin as the cover 7, and the inside thereof is The hollow portion 9 has no core metal. With this configuration, the rigidity of the long arc portion 2a is ensured, and the core metal is not required only in the hollow portion 9, so that the material can be reduced accordingly. Also, the weight is reduced by the weight of the unnecessary core metal. Furthermore, the number of welding steps is reduced.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a steering wheel used for an automobile, for example.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, as a steering wheel of this kind, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, an annular ring portion 22, a boss portion 23 located substantially at the center of the ring portion 22, the ring portion 22 and the boss portion. Some have a spoke portion 24 for connecting 23. In this steering wheel 21, a metal boss plate 25, a ring core metal 26, and three spoke core metals 27 are used to ensure rigidity. One end of each spoke core metal 27 is welded and fixed to the boss plate 25, and the other end is welded and fixed to the ring core metal 26. Further, the boss plate 25 and the cores 26, 27 are covered with a cover 28 made of polypropylene resin.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the above steering wheel 21, the ring core metal bar 26 is provided even in a portion of the ring portion 22 near the driver, which is indicated by an arrow A in FIG. It was Therefore, the weight of the core becomes heavier and the weight reduction of the steering wheel 21 is hindered.

Further, in the manufacturing process, since the cored bar is provided in a place where rigidity is not required so much, an excessive material is used. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the steering wheel has risen due to this.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a steering wheel that can be made lighter in weight and can be manufactured at a reduced cost. To do.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a ring portion having a substantially annular shape, a boss portion located substantially in the center of the ring portion, and a spoke portion connecting the ring portion and the boss portion to each other. In a steering wheel in which a part is partitioned into a plurality of parts having different arc lengths by the spoke parts, by covering a metal cored bar with a polypropylene resin, the longest arc part of the ring part is covered. The gist is that at least a part of the remaining portion is formed of polypropylene resin in a hollow shape.

[0007]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, the portion having the longest arc length in the ring portion is required to have high rigidity, but the rigidity is secured by the metal cored bar. Further, the remaining portion is not required to have the rigidity as much as the portion having the longest arc length. Therefore, even if at least a part of the remaining portion does not have a core metal, it is possible to secure rigidity by the hollow shape formed of polypropylene resin.

Further, since the core is not required in the hollow portion, the material for the core can be reduced accordingly. In addition, the entire steering wheel is lightened by the weight of the core bar that is no longer needed.

[0009]

[Effect of the device]

 Therefore, according to the steering wheel of the present invention, there is an excellent effect that the weight can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0010]

【Example】

 An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a steering wheel for an automobile will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view showing a steering wheel 1 in this embodiment. The steering wheel 1 comprises an annular ring portion 2, a boss portion 3 located slightly below the center of the ring portion 2, and three spoke portions 4 connecting the ring portion 2 and the boss portion 3. ing.

Then, the ring portion 2 is partitioned by the spoke portions 4 into three portions having different arc lengths. That is, the ring portion 2 is located above the lower ends of the left and right spoke portions 4, and is between the long arc portion 2a having the longest arc length and the lower end of the left spoke portion 4 and the lower end of the central spoke portion 4. It is located between the short arc portion 2b which is located and has a shorter arc length than that of the long arc portion 2a, the lower end of the center spoke portion 4 and the lower end of the right spoke portion 4, and is substantially the same as the short arc portion 2b. It is divided into short arc portions 2c having the same arc length.

A metal boss plate 5 is embedded in the boss portion 3. Further, inside the spokes 4 on both the left and right sides and inside the long arc portion 2a of the ring portion 2, a metal cored bar 6 integrally formed is provided. The cored bar 6 is bent and formed at a portion where the ring portion 2 and the spoke portions 4 on both left and right sides are connected. The core metal 6 is welded and fixed to the boss plate 5 at both ends thereof (see FIG. 2). Further, the boss plate 5 and the core bar 6 are covered with a cover 7 made of polypropylene resin.

On the other hand, the central spoke portion 4 and both short arc portions 2b and 2c are made of the same polypropylene resin as that of the covering body 7, and the inside thereof is a hollow portion 9 without a core metal. ..

The steering wheel 1 configured as described above is configured as follows. First, a rod-shaped metal core material is curved and bent into the shape of the core metal 6 as shown in FIG. 2, and both ends thereof are welded and fixed to the boss plate 5. In this case, the welding points are at both ends of the core metal 6, that is, only at two points, and the welding process is completed with a small number of steps.

Next, the cored bar 6 fixed to the boss plate 5 by the welding is set in a predetermined position of a cavity (not shown) formed in the mold and having the outer shape of the steering wheel 1. Then, the melted polypropylene resin is injected from the gate located at the center G of the ring portion 2. Subsequently, a compressed gas is supplied from the gate to the cavity while injecting the molten polypropylene resin (the gas may be supplied alone). Then, the gas is pressed into a portion of the cavity where the core metal 6 is not installed, that is, a portion corresponding to the central spoke portion 4 and the short arc portions 2b and 2c. With this press-fitting, the molten resin spreads to every corner of the cavity. Then, after the resin is cooled and solidified, the steering wheel 1 is obtained by taking out from the mold.

In the steering wheel 1 thus obtained, the long arc portion 2a of the ring portion 2 is required to have high rigidity, but the rigidity is secured by the metal cored bar 6. It Further, the short arc portions 2b and 2c are not required to have so much rigidity. Therefore, the rigidity can be secured by the polypropylene resin even if at least a part of the remaining part does not have a cored bar.

Further, since the cored bar is not required only in the hollow portion 9, the material for the cored bar 6 can be reduced accordingly. Further, the steering wheel 1 as a whole can be made lighter by the weight of the cored bar 6 which is no longer needed, and thus the weight of the entire vehicle can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the ring portion 2 and the core metal 6 provided in the spoke portions 4 on both the left and right sides are integrated, so that the welding process for welding to the boss plate 5 can be reduced. In addition, since the central spoke portion 4 and both short arc portions 2b and 2c are hollow, the material cost of the core metal 6 or the polypropylene resin can be reduced accordingly. As a result, both the number of steps and the material cost can be reduced, and the overall manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, for example, when an airbag device is mounted on the steering wheel 1, the driver is slightly closer to the driver than the center of the ring portion 2 so that the airbag device does not narrow the driver's view. Will be placed. In this case, it becomes difficult to balance the center of gravity of the steering wheel 1, but in the steering wheel 1 of the present embodiment, the spoke portion 4 and the short arc portion 2b located on the driver side. , 2c was lightened. Therefore, even if the airbag device is arranged on the driver side as described above, the balance of the center of gravity can be favorably and easily achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be configured as follows, for example, within the scope of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is embodied in the steering wheel 1 including the three spoke portions 4. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the present invention is embodied in the steering wheel 12 including the two spoke portions 11. May be turned into. In the manufacture of the steering wheel 12, when the gas is pressed in from the position corresponding to the center of the ring portion, the hollow portion 14 is formed in the two spoke portions 11 and the short arc portion 13a of the ring portion 13. .. Further, the number of spokes may be four or more.

(2) In the above embodiment, the central spoke portion 4 and the two short arc portions 2b and 2c are all hollow, but even if only the two short arc portions 2b and 2c are hollow. Alternatively, only one of the short arc portions 2b or 2c of the ring portion 2 may be formed in a hollow shape.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a core metal welded and fixed to a boss plate in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of a steering wheel in another example.

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of a steering wheel according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

2, 13 ... Ring part, 4, 11 ... Spoke part, 3 ... Boss part, 6 ... Core bar.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A ring portion (2, 13) having a substantially annular shape, a boss portion (3) located substantially at the center of the ring portion (2, 13), the ring portion (2, 13) and a boss. Division (3)
And a spoke portion (4, 11) for connecting the ring portions, wherein the ring portion (2, 13) is divided into a plurality of portions having different arc lengths by the spoke portion (4, 11). The longest arc length part of (2, 13) is formed by coating a metal cored bar (6) with polypropylene resin, and at least a part of the remaining part is made hollow with polypropylene resin. The steering wheel that is characterized.