Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Gregory F Exner

Sheryar Durrani

Mark E Scharboneau

Richard Lawrence Matsu

Mark T Lecznar

John Curtis Hofer

Fritz Sanders

E Scott Dershem

Mark R Shermetaro

A steering wheel assembly generally comprises a hub having a bore for receiving an outer end of a steering column shaft. A gear having circumferentially spaced teeth is disposed within an upper end of the bore. The gear includes threads complementary to threads on an outer end of the steering column shaft. A hub cap is threadably secured over an outer end of the bore in the hub, thereby retaining the gear within the hub. A hub plate is secured to the hub and provides structure to which an airbag inflator is secured above the hub and hub cap. During removal of the steering wheel assembly from the steering column shaft, the gear impinges upon the hub cap and directly transmits force to the hub to separate the hub from the steering column shaft.

Steering wheel assembly

A combined steering wheel and air bag modular unit is ultimately assembled. A cover is first molded around a steering wheel insert. The cover is molded as a single piece over the wheel and the area where the air bag module will be placed. In the past, two separate covers were utilized since the air bag was generally attached to the steering wheel after the steering wheel had been attached to the vehicle. The modular unit is then attached from the side to the vehicle steering column shaft. The present invention results in increased flexibility in the location of where manufacturing steps occur, and improves the aesthetic appearance of the cover for the steering wheel and air bag.

Modular steering wheel and air bag combination

A modular steering wheel and airbag combination includes an airbag assembly, a steering wheel assembly and a separate hub plate. The combination is preassembled as a unitary component which can easily be attached to a steering column shaft. A taper or wedge lock is formed between the steering wheel armature and hub plate. The steering wheel assembly includes a plurality of ribs or spokes extending from an upper rim portion of the steering wheel assembly and a ring portion connecting the spokes to provide structural integrity and support to the steering wheel assembly. The airbag assembly includes a retaining ring as part of an airbag component which provides easy and secure attachment of the airbag component to the hub plate. The inventive steering wheel and airbag combination comprises a structure for securing the combination to a steering column shaft. One embodiment of the structure includes a worm gear and complementary gear. The complementary gear may be a helical gear. In other embodiments, the combination is secured to a steering column shaft by rotating the combination to a predetermined stop position and inserting the locking bolt into the threaded bore and tightly securing the bolt. A method of securing the combination to a steering column shaft is disclosed. A method of forming and assembling a steering wheel and airbag combination is also disclosed.

Modular steering wheel and airbag combination

A steering wheel has a hub sleeve with an inside surface defining a longitudinal bore with at least a portion of the inside surface having a longitudinally oriented substantially tapered configuration disposed within a section of the bore closest to a vehicle driver. The steering wheel further includes a hub having an inside face and an outside face wherein the sleeve is formed as a single piece with the hub. The sleeve and hub have an inside surface with a longitudinal bore such that at least a portion of the inside surface of the sleeve further has a longitudinally oriented tapered configuration. The tapered portion is longitudinally disposed within a section of the bore closest to the inside face and a flat first locking sleeve formation is positioned along the tapered portion longitudinally adjacent an end of the bore.

Steering wheel with tapered hub sleeve

A jack assembly which is adapted to engage a side frame of an automotive vehicle for the purpose of raising and lowering the same relative to its adjacent ground surface comprises a base for engaging the ground surface and which has a pair of upwardly extending sides having horizontally disposed slots therethrough, a main support link having one end pivotally connected to the sides of the base via a pivot means extending through the slots and having its other end pivotally connected to a screw nut means, a lift arm having one end pivotally connected to the main support link and its other end connected to a bearing means rotatably supporting a screw which is also threadably engaged with the screw nut means carried by the main support link, a positioning link having one end pivotally connected to the base and its other end pivotally connected to the lift arm and follower links having one end pivotally connected to the positioning link and its other end pivotally connected to the pivot means connecting the main support link to the base, and with the length of the positioning link and following links and the locations of their respective pivotal connections with the lift arm and positioning link being such that the bearing means of the lift arm follows an arc which is the natural arc of the frame or side body portion of the vehicle when used to raise and lower the same while simultaneously the follower link causes the first pivot means to slide in the slots and horizontally move the main support link so that its pivotal connection with the base is always located directly beneath the side frame of the vehicle being raised or lowered when the screw nut means is rotated.

Growing community of inventors

Woodhaven, MI, United States of America

Gregory F Exner