JPH1148984A - Steering switch device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve assembling workability and maintenance workability at the time of occurrence of a failure of a switch unit and manufacture the switch unit by dividing parts among separate parts makers by installing the switch unit between a rim and a pad base via a spoke. SOLUTION: A switch unit 1 is installed between a rim 2 of a steering wheel of a vehicle and a pad base 3 and operating knobs 11, 12, 13, 14 are operated in a state that the rim 2 is grasped. The switch unit 1 is provided with grip parts 15, 16 to be fixed to the rim 2 and a connecting part 17 to be connected with a connector 31 provided on the pad base 3. The grip parts 15, 16 are made freely attachable/detachable to/from the rim 2 and the connecting part 17 is made freely attachable/detachable to/from the connector 31. Further, also an operating part 18 is made freely attachable/detachable to/from a spoke 4. Thus, assembling workability and maintenance workability at the time of occurrence of a failure are excellent and the switch unit 1 can be manufactured by dividing parts among separate parts makers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic constant-speed traveling device, comprising: a switch unit having an operation knob provided adjacent to a steering wheel of a vehicle; and the operation knob is operated while holding a rim of the steering wheel. The present invention relates to a vehicle steering switch device for remotely controlling an AV device or the like, and more particularly to a vehicle steering switch device having a switch unit installed between a rim and a pad base via spokes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this kind of prior art, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No.
Japanese Patent No. 6659 discloses a vehicle steering switch device used for an automatic constant speed traveling device. In this conventional vehicle steering switch device, a switch group such as a set switch, a cancel switch, and an acceleration switch is arranged in a switch case, and operation knobs corresponding to these switches are provided on the surface of the switch case. .

[0003]

However, the control target which is remotely operated by operating the steering switch device for a vehicle has conventionally been an automatic constant-speed traveling device or an AV device. There has been a demand that a device such as a navigator device also wants to be remotely controlled using a vehicle steering switch device. If the configuration is such that one operation knob operates only one switch, as in the above-described related art, When a large number of operation knobs are required and the steering switch device is to be mounted in a limited space adjacent to the steering wheel of the vehicle, it is necessary to reduce the shape of the operation knob. Therefore, not only the operability of the operation knob is deteriorated, but also the risk of erroneous operation has occurred.

According to the present invention, in a vehicle steering switch device provided with a switch unit having an operation knob adjacent to a steering wheel of a vehicle, the switch unit is installed between a rim and a pad base via spokes. In addition to solving the problems described above, the switch unit is configured to be detachable from the rim, the spokes and the pad base, so that the assembling workability and the maintenance workability at the time of failure are improved, and the steering wheel and the switch unit are separated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle steering switch device that has the convenience of being able to be manufactured separately by a parts manufacturer.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a steering switch device for a vehicle in which a switch unit having an operation knob is provided adjacent to a steering wheel of the vehicle. The switch unit includes a grip portion fixed to a rim of a steering wheel, a connection portion connected to a connector provided on a pad base of the steering wheel, and an operation portion having the operation knob and fixed to a spoke of the steering wheel. The present invention also provides a steering switch device for a vehicle, wherein the switch unit is provided between a rim and a pad base via a spoke.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle steering system wherein the grip portion is detachable from the rim, the connection portion is detachable from the connector, and the operation portion is detachable from the spoke. A switch device is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering switch device for a vehicle, wherein the operation knob includes a rubber contact.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configuration indicated by reference numeral 1 in the drawings is a switch unit. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the switch unit is provided between a rim 2 of a steering wheel of a vehicle and a pad base 3 having an airbag mounted therein. I have. The switch unit 1 exemplifies a unit for remotely controlling an automatic constant speed traveling device (ASCD) by operating the operation knobs 11, 12, 13, and 14 while holding the rim 2 of the steering wheel. Operation knobs 11, 12, 1
3 and 14 are ASCD, CANCEL and RES respectively
/ ACCC and COST / SET operation functions.

The switch unit 1 has operation knobs 11, 12, 13, 14 on the surface of a case. The operation knobs 11, 12, 13, and 14 are formed by rubber contacts, and are formed by a conductive portion (not shown) on the back surface of the operation knobs 11, 12, 13, and 14, and a printed circuit board 19 is provided.
The switch operation is performed by bridging between the common electrodes (not shown). The operation knobs 11, 12,
The operating forces 13 and 14 are set such that they can be easily operated with the fingers of the hand holding the rim 2 of the steering wheel.

The switch unit 1 has grip portions 15 and 16 fixed to the rim 2 of the steering wheel, and a connection portion 17 connected to a connector 31 provided on the pad base 3 of the steering wheel. The connection part 1
7 is electrically connected to a counter electrode of the printed circuit board 18. The grip portions 15 and 16 include a first grip portion 15 located on the front side of the rim 2, that is, the driver's seat side,
It comprises a second grip portion 16 located on the back side of the rim 2, that is, on the steering shaft side, and is detachable from the rim 2.

When the grip portions 15 and 16 are fixed to the rim 2, they are tightened using the screws S shown in FIG. 1 or by using appropriate elastic fitting means (not shown). The connecting portion 17 includes a terminal for outputting an electric signal generated by operating the operation knobs 11, 12, 13, and 14 to the pad base 3. The connecting portion 17 itself is attached to and detached from the connector 31. It is made freely.
Further, the operation unit 18 having the operation knobs 11, 12, 13, and 14 is provided with a screw S
, But may be fixed by using an appropriate elastic fitting means (not shown) similarly to the grip portions 15 and 16.

The electric signal output from the switch unit 1 is transmitted to the vehicle body via a rotary connector (not shown) called various names such as a spiral wire formed by spirally winding a flexible wire. Has been transmitted to various electrical components.

The switch unit 1 described in the above embodiment comprises a rim 2 and a pad base 3 via spokes 4.
And is detachably attached to the rim 2 and the spokes 4. Therefore, workability when assembling the switch unit 1 to the steering wheel is excellent, and replacement work when the switch unit 1 breaks down, that is, maintenance workability is good. Further steering wheel and switch unit 1
Is manufactured separately by different parts manufacturers, and the switch unit 1 is mounted on the steering wheel on the vehicle assembly line.
Can be installed, and the degree of freedom and simplicity of distribution can be increased.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided a steering switch device for a vehicle in which a switch unit having an operation knob is provided adjacent to a steering wheel of a vehicle, wherein the switch unit has a grip portion fixed to a rim of the steering wheel; A connection portion connected to a connector provided on a pad base of the steering wheel; and an operation portion having the operation knob and fixed to a spoke of the steering wheel, wherein the switch unit is connected between the rim and the pad base via the spoke. Since the steering switch device for a vehicle installed on the vehicle, the workability of assembling the switch unit to the steering shaft and the workability of maintenance in the event of a failure are improved, and the steering wheel and the switch unit are manufactured separately by separate parts manufacturers. thing Can be, the effect is there that combines the convenience of such.

3. The steering switch device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said grip portion is detachable from said rim, said connection portion is detachable from said connector, and said operation portion is detachable from said spoke. Has an effect that the switch unit can be attached to and detached from the steering wheel with a single touch in addition to the above-mentioned effects.

The steering switch device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the operation knob is formed of a rubber contact. In addition to the above-described effects, the operation portion fixed to the spoke can be made thin, and the steering switch can be used. There is an effect that does not disturb the steering wheel operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are drawings showing the steering switch shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a side view and FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing an assembled state of the one shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Switch unit 2 Rim 3 Pad base 4 Spokes 11, 12, 13, 14 Operation knob 15, 16 Grip part 17 Connection part 18 Operation part 31 Connector

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle steering switch device provided with a switch unit (1) having operation knobs (11, 12, 13, 14) adjacent to a steering wheel of a vehicle, wherein the switch unit (1) comprises: Grip portions (15, 16) fixed to the rim (2) of the steering wheel;
It has a connection part (17) connected to a connector (31) provided on a pad base (3) of a steering wheel, and the operation knobs (11, 12, 13, 14), and is fixed to a spoke (4) of the steering wheel. A steering switch device for a vehicle, comprising an operation unit (18), wherein the switch unit (1) is installed between a rim (2) and a pad base (3) via a spoke (4). 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the grip portions (15, 16) are detachable from the rim (2), and the connection portion (17) is connected to the connector (3).
A steering switch device for a vehicle, which is detachable to 1), and wherein the operation section (18) is detachable to the spoke (4). 3. The steering switch device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operation knobs (11, 12, 13, 14) are formed of rubber contacts.