Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/20—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
  • B60R21/215—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components characterised by the covers for the inflatable member
  • B60R21/2165—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components characterised by the covers for the inflatable member characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
  • B60R21/21656—Steering wheel covers or similar cup-shaped covers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a steering wheel for motor vehicles provided with an air bag device.
• Steering wheels for motor vehicle provided with an air bag device generally comprise a central polyurethane cover inside which there are housed an inflatable balloon, devices for inflating the balloon and sensors for triggering the inflation procedure.
• the polyurethane is not, however, a valuable material, and a cover made of such material is not adequate for a steering wheel to be installed in high-class cars, such as those that are currently equipped with an air bag device.
• the object of the present invention is that of obtaining a steering wheel that, while being capable of receiving an air bag device, it also has aesthetic and valuable finishing-Level features.
• a steering wheel for motor vehicles comprising a central cover in synthetic material containing an air bag device and provided with rupture areas suitable for rupturing to allow the opening of the cover and the consequent escape of said air bag, characterized in that said cover is endowed with a coating in leather or such like provided, at said rupture areas of the cover, with areas of separation of the leather such as not to obstruct said opening of the cover.
• Fig. 1 shows a front view of a steering wheel with air bag according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of said steering wheel taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 shows on an enlarged scale a detail of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of said detail taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;
• Fig. 5 shows a similarly enlarged cross-sectional view of a detail in a rupture area of the cover endowed with a controlled pre-rupture area of the leather.
• a steering wheel for motor vehicles provided with an air bag device 4 comprises a central cover 1 of synthetic material, typically polyurethane, linked to a crown 2 by means of spokes 3. Inside said cover 1 there is the air bag device 4.
• the cover 1 is provided on the internal surface of the front wall 7 and of the Lateral walls 6 with a continuous rupture line 5, represented by thinner portions of the synthetic material, while on the internal surface of the upper wall 30 and of the Lower walls 31 there are two weakening Lines 8, wherein the thinner portion of the synthetic material is less accentuated.
• a leather coating 9 covers the central cover 1 completely, and, at the latter's rupture line 5, it has a separation Line 10 of the leather, for example constituted by the bringing together of two separate portions 13 of the coating 9 having lips folded-down over themselves (Fig. 3), or by a series of holes 20 obtained in the Leather itself (Fig. 5).
• the air bag device 4 comprises in a manner known in itself a balloon (not shown in the drawings) whose inflation is activated by acceleration sensors (also not shown).
• the balloon's expansion at one point causes the rupture of the cover 1 into two parts along the rupture line 5, and the corresponding separation of the coating 9 into several leather portions at the separation lines 10.
• the two parts of the cover 1 can thus, under the action of the balloon, open up to allow the escape of the balloon itself, while also becoming bent along the weakening line 8.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11365156

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (4)

Citations (4)

• 1993
  • 1993-05-03 IT ITMI930363 patent/IT229873Y1/it active IP Right Grant
• 1994
  • 1994-04-23 WO PCT/EP1994/001293 patent/WO1994025312A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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