JP5301940B2 - Steering wheel structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a distance between the outer peripheral surface of a wooden member and a heater short even if the wooden member is not divided in a wall thickness direction. <P>SOLUTION: Heaters 30 are heated by the controlling operation of a control device 32 in a steering wheel 10 to heat a wooden member 26. By this, the heat of the heaters 30 is transferred from the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 to occupant's hands holding the wooden member 26 to heat the occupant's hands. In this case, the heaters 30 are kept to be inserted into insertion holes 28 formed at the middle part of the wooden member 26 in its wall thickness direction. By this arrangement, it becomes possible to make a distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and the heaters 30 short, and to perform efficient heat transmittance from the heaters 30 to the occupant's hands. In addition, it is possible to eliminate a necessity to divide the wooden member 26 in its wall thickness direction caused by the fact that the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and the heaters 30 is made short. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel structure in which a wooden member is provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle.

  As a steering wheel structure, there is one in which a wooden portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the steering wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this steering wheel structure, the wooden portion of the steering wheel is composed of an outer cover veneer piece and an inner support piece, and a heating element is sandwiched between the cover veneer piece and the support piece.

  Thereby, the wooden part (especially cover veneer piece) of a steering wheel can be heated because a heat generating body generates heat. Furthermore, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden part of the steering wheel (the outer peripheral surface of the cover veneer piece) and the heating element can be shortened, and heat can be efficiently transferred from the heating element to the outer peripheral surface of the wooden part of the steering wheel.

However, in this steering wheel structure, in order to shorten the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden part of the steering wheel and the heating element, the wooden part of the steering wheel is divided into cover veneer pieces and support pieces in the thickness direction. . For this reason, the number of parts is increasing.
JP 2005-335706 A

  An object of the present invention is to obtain a steering wheel structure that can shorten the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member and the heating element without dividing the wooden member in the thickness direction in consideration of the above facts.

Steering wheel arrangement according to claim 1, Rutotomoni provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle, the vehicle occupant is to be grasped, is configured by combining a plurality of constituent members in the circumferential direction Rutotomoni, thickness direction intermediate insertion holes are formed in the parts, and wood member open hole to open the insertion hole in the coupling surface of the other of said components of said structure member is disposed, can be inserted into the insertion hole from the open hole And a heating element capable of heating the wood member by generating heat.

The steering wheel structure according to a second aspect is the steering wheel structure according to the first aspect , wherein the width direction of the insertion hole is straightly extended.

The steering wheel structure according to claim 3 is the steering wheel structure according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the heating element is inserted into the insertion hole in a state of being deformed along a longitudinal direction of the insertion hole. Is done.

  In the steering wheel structure according to the first aspect, the wooden member is provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle, and the occupant of the vehicle can hold the wooden member.

  Furthermore, an insertion hole is formed in the middle portion in the thickness direction of the wooden member, and a heating element is inserted into the insertion hole. Thereby, the heat generating body generates heat, so that the heat generating body can heat the wooden member.

  Here, as described above, the heating element is inserted into the insertion hole formed in the middle portion in the thickness direction of the wooden member.

  Thereby, the distance of the outer peripheral surface of a wooden member and a heat generating body can be shortened, and heat can be efficiently transmitted from a heat generating body to the outer peripheral surface of a wooden member, and by extension, a passenger | crew.

  Moreover, in order to shorten the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member and the heating element, the need to divide the wooden member in the thickness direction can be eliminated.

Further , the wooden member is configured by combining a plurality of constituent members in the circumferential direction.

  Here, the opening hole which opens an insertion hole is arrange | positioned in the joint surface with the other structural member of a structural member, and it can insert a heat generating body into an insertion hole from an open hole. For this reason, it is not necessary to insert the heating element into the insertion hole along the circumferential direction of the steering wheel, and the heating element can be easily inserted into the insertion hole.

In the steering wheel structure according to the second aspect , the width direction of the insertion hole is straightly extended. For this reason, a heat generating body can be inserted in the state extended | stretched straight to the width direction of the insertion hole with respect to the insertion hole, and a heat generating body can be inserted in an insertion hole easily.

In the steering wheel structure according to the third aspect , the heating element is inserted into the insertion hole in a state of being deformed along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of manufacturing the heating element in advance along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 2) of a steering wheel 10 according to a first embodiment to which the steering wheel structure of the present invention is applied as viewed from the vehicle width direction. FIG. 2 is a front view of the steering wheel 10 viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. In the drawings, the front side of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow FR, the right side of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow RH, and the upper side is indicated by an arrow UP.

  Steering wheel 10 according to the present embodiment constitutes a vehicle steering device, and an occupant (driver) seated in the driver's seat faces the driver's seat on the rear side of the vehicle and rotates in the circumferential direction. Has been made possible.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel 10 is provided with a metal (for example, magnesium alloy) cored bar 12 constituting an inner member, and a central part of the cored bar 12 has a plate shape as a central part. The boss portion 14 is provided. The boss portion 14 is fixed to the rear end (upper end) of a circular steering shaft 16 as a support shaft constituting the steering device, and the steering wheel 10 (core metal 12) is integrated with the steering shaft 16. It is rotatably supported.

  A predetermined number (three in the present embodiment) of elongated plate-like spoke portions 18 as connecting portions are integrally provided on the outer periphery of the boss portion 14, and the spoke portion 18 extends from the boss portion 14 to the steering wheel. 10 radially outward (radially outward of the steering shaft 16).

  A rim portion 20 having an annular shape in front view that constitutes the outer peripheral portion is integrally provided at the extending tip of the predetermined number of spoke portions 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the rim portion 20 has a C-shaped cross section, and the inside of the rim portion 20 is open to the vehicle front side. In the rim portion 20, an annular weight 22 made of metal (for example, iron) that constitutes the inner member and the outer peripheral portion is inserted and fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel 10 is provided with a leather covered portion 24 as an arrangement portion at a connection portion between the spoke portion 18 and the rim portion 20. The leather covered portion 24 is configured by covering a core material 24A made of an internal resin (for example, urethane-based synthetic resin) with an outer leather body 24B. It is fixed to the cored bar 12 in a state where the connecting portion between the rim portion 20 and the rim portion 18 is covered.

  The steering wheel 10 is provided with a cylindrical wooden member 26 (main wood) as a wood part in a portion between the leather parts 24 of the rim part 20, and the wooden member 26 is a longitudinal part of the rim part 20. It is curved along the direction (curving direction).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inner peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 is bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion 20 with an elastic adhesive (not shown), and the wooden member 26 covers the rim portion 20 in a state where the rim portion 20 is covered. It is fixed to. The wooden member 26 can be gripped by an occupant. When the occupant grips the wooden member 26 and rotates the steering wheel 10 in the circumferential direction, the steering shaft 16 is rotated around the axis, and the vehicle is Steerable.

  An insertion hole 28 having a long rectangular cross section is formed in the middle part of the wooden member 26 in the thickness direction (radial direction) in the upper part and the lower part, and the insertion hole 28 extends in the longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26. It is arranged along the (curving direction) and curved, and is arranged over the longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26. The insertion hole 28 extends straight (without bending) in the width direction in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wooden member 26 (direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the steering shaft 16, the steering shaft 16, and the rim portion 20). ing.

  A long rectangular plate-shaped heater 30 as a heating element is inserted and fixed in the insertion hole 28, and the heater 30 is disposed in the entire longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 28 (the entire longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26). Yes. The heater 30 is manufactured (molded and designed) in a flat plate shape (see FIG. 3A), and the heater 30 extends in the thickness direction along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 28 (longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26). It is inserted into the insertion hole 28 in a curved and deformed state (see FIG. 3B). The heater 30 is extended straight (not bent) along the width direction of the insertion hole 28 in the width direction.

  The heater 30 is electrically connected to the control device 32. When the control device 32 is driven by an occupant's operation or the like, the heater 30 is heated by the control of the control device 32 so that the wood member 26 can be heated. Has been.

  The wooden member 26 is configured by joining a constituent material 34 having a U-shaped cross section as a pair of constituent members (divided members) in the circumferential direction (around the rim portion 20). The planar coupling surface 34A is coupled (bonded) to each other by an adhesive (not shown). One component 34 constitutes the vehicle front side portion of the wooden member 26, and the other component 34 constitutes the vehicle rear side portion of the wooden member 26.

  A rectangular opening hole 36 is disposed on the coupling surface 34A of the component member 34, and the opening hole 36 opens the insertion hole 28 at the center in the width direction.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  In the steering wheel 10 having the above-described configuration, the steering shaft 16 is rotated around the axis and the vehicle is steered by rotating the steering wheel 10 in the circumferential direction while the occupant grips the wooden member 26.

  Furthermore, when the control device 32 is driven by an occupant's operation or the like, the heater 30 generates heat under the control of the control device 32 and heats the wooden member 26. Thereby, the heat of the heater 30 is transmitted from the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 to the occupant's hand holding the wooden member 26, and the occupant's hand is heated.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the heater 30 is assembled to the wooden member 26, the heater 30 is first curved in the thickness direction along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 28 (longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26). While being deformed, the heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 from the open hole 36 of one of the coupling surfaces 34A of the pair of constituent members 34. Thereafter, the heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 from the open hole 36 of the other coupling surface 34A of the pair of components 34, and the coupling surfaces 34A of the pair of components 34 are brought close to each other and bonded to each other by an adhesive. To do.

  Here, the heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 formed in the middle portion in the thickness direction of the wooden member 26.

  As a result, the distance between the outer peripheral surface (design surface) of the wooden member 26 and the heater 30 can be shortened, and heat can be efficiently transferred from the heater 30 to the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and, consequently, the passenger's hand.

  In addition, in order to shorten the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and the heater 30, it is possible to eliminate the need to divide the wooden member 26 in the thickness direction. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the need to increase the number of parts.

  Further, when the heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the wooden member 26, the heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 from the open hole 36 in the coupling surface 34A of the constituent member 34 of the wooden member 26 as described above. For this reason, it is not necessary to insert the heater 30 into the insertion hole 28 along the longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26, and the heater 30 can be easily inserted into the insertion hole 28.

  Further, the width direction of the insertion hole 28 extends straight (not bent) in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wooden member 26. For this reason, the heater 30 can be inserted in a state of being straightly stretched in the width direction (not bent) with respect to the insertion hole 28, and it is not necessary to insert the heater 30 while being bent in the width direction with respect to the insertion hole 28. 30 can be inserted into the insertion hole 28 more easily.

  The heater 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 in a state where the heater 30 is curved and deformed in the thickness direction along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 28 (longitudinal direction of the wooden member 26). For this reason, it is not necessary to manufacture the heater 30 in a shape along the longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 28 in advance, and the heater 30 can be manufactured in a flat plate shape as in the present embodiment, and the heater 30 can be easily manufactured. . Furthermore, the heater 30 can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction where it can be easily bent and inserted into the insertion hole 28, and the heater 30 can be inserted into the insertion hole 28 more easily. In addition, by changing the deformation state (curvature) of the heater 30, the heater 30 is inserted into the insert hole 28 with respect to various wooden members 26 (insertion holes 28) having different shapes (curvatures) along the longitudinal direction. The versatility of the heater 30 can be increased.

[Second Embodiment]
4 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel 50 (steering wheel structure) according to the second embodiment to which the steering wheel structure of the present invention is applied as viewed from the vehicle width direction (cross-section taken along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2). Figure).

  The steering wheel 50 according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following points.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the steering wheel 50 according to the present embodiment, in the wooden member 26, the outer surface 28 </ b> A on the outer peripheral side of the wooden member 26 of the insertion hole 28 is curved along the outer periphery of the wooden member 26.

  The heater 30 in the insertion hole 28 is fixed to the outer surface 28A of the insertion hole 28, and the width direction of the heater 30 is curved along the outer surface 28A of the insertion hole 28 and the outer periphery of the wood member 26.

  Here, also in the present embodiment, the same operations and effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained except for the operations and effects due to the straight extension of the width direction of the insertion hole 28.

  Further, as described above, the width direction of the heater 30 is curved along the outer periphery of the wooden member 26. For this reason, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and the heater 30 can be further shortened at the intermediate portion in the width direction of the heater 30, and heat can be more efficiently transmitted from the heater 30 to the outer peripheral surface of the wooden member 26 and to the passenger's hand. Can do.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a steering wheel 60 (steering wheel structure) according to a third embodiment to which the steering wheel structure of the present invention is applied as viewed from the vehicle width direction (cross-section taken along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2). Figure).

  The steering wheel 60 according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following points.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the steering wheel 60 according to the present embodiment, in the wooden member 26, one insertion hole 28 is formed only in one component material 34, and the opening hole of the coupling surface 34 </ b> A of the component material 34. 36 is opening the edge of the insertion hole 28 in the width direction.

  Here, also in this embodiment, the same operations and effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a steering wheel 70 (steering wheel structure) according to a fourth embodiment to which the steering wheel structure of the present invention is applied as viewed from the vehicle width direction (cross-section taken along line 1-1 in FIG. 2). Figure).

  The steering wheel 70 according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following points.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the steering wheel 70 according to the present embodiment, the insertion hole 28 is formed in the middle portion in the thickness direction of the front portion and the rear portion of the wooden member 26. The insertion hole 28 is not opened from the coupling surface 34 </ b> A of the component member 34, and the opening hole 36 is not formed in the coupling surface 34 </ b> A of the component member 34.

  When the heater 30 is assembled to the wooden member 26, the heater 30 is inserted along the longitudinal direction into the insertion hole 28 from the longitudinal edge of the insertion hole 28 on the longitudinal end surface of the wooden member 26 (component 34).

  Here, also in the present embodiment, the same operations and effects as those in the first embodiment except for the operation and effect by inserting the heater 30 into the insertion hole 28 from the open hole 36 of the coupling surface 34A of the constituent member 34. There is an effect.

  In the third and fourth embodiments, as in the second embodiment, the outer surface 28A of the insertion hole 28 is curved along the outer periphery of the wooden member 26, and the heater 30 width directions may be curved along the outer periphery of the wooden member 26.

  Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment-4th Embodiment, although the wooden member 26 was set as the structure comprised by combining a pair of structural material 34 in the circumferential direction, the wooden member 26 is 3 in the circumferential direction. A configuration in which two or more components 34 are combined may be adopted.

  Furthermore, in the said 1st Embodiment-4th Embodiment, although the wooden member 26 was set as the structure which coat | covers the rim | limb part 20 of the metal core 12, the wooden member 26 is the spoke part 18 of the metal core 12, and a rim | limb. Any structure that covers at least one of the portions 20 may be used.

It is sectional drawing (1-1 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 2) seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the steering wheel which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the front view seen from the vehicle rear side which shows the steering wheel which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a perspective view which shows the heater in the steering wheel which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (B) is the wooden member and heater in the steering wheel which concern on the 1st Embodiment of this invention FIG. It is sectional drawing (1-1 line position sectional drawing of FIG. 2) seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the steering wheel which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing (1-1 line position sectional drawing of FIG. 2) seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the steering wheel which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing (1-1 line position sectional drawing of FIG. 2) seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the steering wheel which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Steering wheel (steering wheel structure)
26 Wood member 28 Insertion hole 30 Heater (heating element)
34 Components (components)
34A Coupling surface 36 Open hole 50 Steering wheel (steering wheel structure)
60 Steering wheel (steering wheel structure)
70 Steering wheel (steering wheel structure)

Claims (3)

Rutotomoni provided on the vehicle steering wheel, the vehicle occupant is to be grasped, is configured by combining a plurality of constituent members in the circumferential direction Rutotomoni, the thickness direction intermediate portion in the insertion hole is formed, and wherein A wooden member in which an opening hole for opening the insertion hole is disposed on a coupling surface of the component member with the component member ;
A heating element that can be inserted into the insertion hole from the open hole and heated to heat the wooden member;
Steering wheel structure with The steering wheel structure according to claim 1, wherein a width direction of the insertion hole is straightly extended . The steering wheel structure according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the heating element is inserted into the insertion hole in a state of being deformed along a longitudinal direction of the insertion hole .

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