Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Katsunobu Sakane

Atsushi Nagata

Akio Hosoi

Yoshiyuki Fujita

Tadashi Yamamoto

Norinari Nagata

Tetsuya Takamori

Ichizou Shiga

Takanori Mizuno

Hitoshi Yamamoto

Toshinori Tanase

Yuji Kuriyama

Tooru Koyama

Shinji Oguchi

Chiharu Totani

Tetsushi Hiramitsu

Osamu Hirose

Makoto Kanai

Koji Sakurai

Kazutoshi Hayashi

Muneharu Sasajima

Masafumi Kurokawa

Suzuaki Hongou

Katsumi Sakakida

Kouji Sakurai

Koji Shiraki

Mikio Kozakai

Kouzi Sakurai

A passenger's seat airbag device is mounted on a vehicle in which a rear wall portion is arranged on the rear side of a side window. The airbag is folded and housed on the upper edge side of the side window to cover the side window. The airbag is mounted on its two longitudinal ends. The rear side leading end is mounted on the rear wall portion. In the vicinity of the corner portion a guide guides the downward protrusion of the airbag and can regulate the movement of the airbag to the interior side when the airbag is extending and expanding.

Head protecting airbag device

A head protecting airbag device comprising an airbag folded and housed above the upper edge of a window inside of a vehicle and expanded while being extended to cover the inner side of the window when it admits an inflating gas. The airbag includes a body portion and an extension portion. The body portion covers the inner side of a side window positioned on the side face of the vehicle. The extension portion is arranged on at least the front end of the body portion, and extends on the inner side generally perpendicular to the side window. Moreover, the extension portion is formed into a sheet shape having flexibility such that it can be arranged in front of a passenger upon completion of the expansion of the airbag. Moreover, the body portion is fixed at its upper edge upon completion of the expansion on the body side while allowing the lower edge upon completion of the expansion to move generally perpendicular to the side window. The extension portion is fixed at its leading end removed from the body portion to the vehicle body and is housed in a roof portion over the portion of the cabin in front of the passenger such that it can protrude downward along with the body portion housed above the upper edge of the side window. In this head protecting airbag device, the body portion of the airbag can be smoothly arranged between the passenger and the side window by moving its lower edge. Moreover, the extension portion can protect the passenger moving forward.

A plurality of pins provided on a bottom surface of an air bag module in such a manner as to protrude therefrom are allowed to pass through a plurality of passage holes formed in a steering wheel, respectively, so that hook portions formed in the respective pins are brought into engagement with a locking wire constituted by a single continuous resilient wire which is provided so as to extend over the respective passage holes whereby the air bag module is mounted on the steering wheel. The locking wire is brought into engagement with a lock projection by push moving the locking wire by an operating portion so that the locking wire is held at a release position, while the engagement between the locking wire and the plurality of hook portions is released at one time.

Air bag module mounting structure

A steering wheel having a metal framework is disclosed. The framework includes an annular grip core, spoke cores extending inward from the grip core, a boss plate fixed on a steering shaft, and a frame located inside the grip core to connect the spoke cores. The steering wheel further includes a pad located in the grip core, an air bag device, and inserts embedded in the pad. The inserts include portions that are attached to the frame. The inserts prevent the pad from scattering when the air bag device is activated.

Steering wheel

A steering wheel has a steering wheel body which includes a boss for being fixed to a steering shaft, a ring portion metal core, spoke portion metal cores, a covering portion covering the ring portion metal core and the spoke portion metal cores, and a pad portion provided generally centrally of a ring portion, the pad portion being molded integrally with the covering portion. The steering wheel further includes an air bag device provided between the pad portion and the boss. A cloth insert is mounted on a metal core portion, forming part of the steering wheel body, and is embedded in the pad portion so that the insert can flex when the air bag device is expanded.

Steering wheel with integral air bag pad

A steering wheel mounted on a steering shaft with a boss plate. The steering wheel has a gripping ring for manually turning a steering shaft. The steering wheel includes a metal ring core embedded in the gripping ring and connecting pieces formed integrally with the boss plate. Spoke cores extend between the ring core and the connecting pieces and each has a first end coupled to the ring core and a second end overlapping one of the connecting pieces. A fastener fastens together the spoke cores and connecting pieces at the second end of each spoke core.

A steering wheel for vehicles includes a metal ring core connected to a steering shaft by a boss plate and at least one spoke core. The ring core and the spoke core are covered with surface layers. A pad is arranged above the boss plate and at the center of the ring core. The pad is formed integrally with the surface layers. An air bag device is arranged between the pad and the boss plate to protect the driver of a vehicle when an impact is applied to the vehicle. The air bag device is supported by a holder which is connected to the spoke cores. The holder includes a mechanism for absorbing load that is applied to the steering wheel.

A steering wheel has a ring core embedded in a gripping ring, a plurality of spokes extending in the ring core, a plurality of spoke cores embedded in the associated spokes. A connecting member connects at least two spoke cores together. A coupling mechanism couples the boss to the connecting member. The coupling mechanism includes an cylindrical support formed on the connecting member, and a pair of spaced ribs formed on the boss for holding the support. The connecting member fits between the ribs when the connecting member is coupled to the boss. A bolt fastens the support to the ribs.

Steering wheel and method of manufacture, and horn switch

A steering wheel includes an air bag device located centrally of a steering wheel. The air bag device includes an air bag, an inflator for supplying gas to the air bag to inflate the air bag, and a bag holder for holding the air bag and the inflator. Bolts, which are attached to the inflator, are inserted in bolt holes of the air bag and bolt holes of the bag holder. This couples the air bag, the inflator and the bag holder to each other. The bolts and nuts are used for securing the integrally joined air bag, inflator and bag holder to the steering wheel. As a result, the number of bolts and nuts need to secure the air bag device to the steering wheel is reduced.

The cores of the spoke portions which extend to both right and left each comprises an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion and inner portion are coupled by a joint. The joint is coupled to the boss plate below the outer portions and centering on the steering shaft, it extends to both right and left. Each of the outer portions extends starting from the core of the ring portion at a point more forward than the steering shaft. The inner portions connecting the outer portions and the joint extend obliquely as seen in a plan view. While four connecting cores are provided to run along the edge profile of the pad portion, one of the connecting cores couples the two inner portions obliquely extending. The air bag device can be inserted through an opening formed by the joint and the like. Not only the stiffness of the coupled cores but also the stiffness of die casting molds is secured. Leather member is installed on part of the surface of the steering wheel. The cover of the ring portion has a groove formed on the border between the leather member and the exposed area on either side and the leather member is installed by fitting its edge portions into the grooves.

Steering wheel with an integral pad portion

A steering wheel body 1 comprises sheaths 7a, 7b which covers a ring core bar 5 and spoke core bars 6A-6C, and a pad 3 formed integrally with the sheaths. A boss 8, 51, 28 is integral with the spoke core bars. A steering shaft 30 is formed at a distal end thereof with a serration 31 and an annular groove 32. The boss 8, 51, 28 includes a boss plate 33, a cylindrical portion 34, 74 with a serration 38, 68, 78, and a yoke portion 35 with through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. The cylindrical portion 34, 64, 74 is fitted on the end of the steering shaft 30 such that the serrations 31, 38, 68, 78 mesh with each other, and a bolt 41, 81, 91 is inserted and screwed into the through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. A collar 47 fitted on the bolt 41, 81, 91 is fitted in the annular groove 32. Strain stress is never transmitted directly to the bolt 41, 81, 91. The boss 8, 51, 28 comprises a boss body 66 composed of the cylindrical portion 34, 64, 74 and the yoke portion 35, 65, 75, and the boss plate 33 fixed by welding to the boss body. When casting the spoke core bars 6A-6C from aluminum, the boss plate 33, 53 serves as a seal in a die so that molten aluminum is prevented from going around to the inside of the cylindrical portion 34, 64, 74 through an opening of the yoke portion 35, 65, 75, and therefore the extreme edge of the boss plate 33, 53 can be embedded in the spoke core bars 6A-6C.

Steering wheel assembly, and a mounting structure and boss structure of

The steering wheel assembly disclosed herein is mountable on a steering shaft and includes at least a bolt, a boss, and a steering wheel body. The boss is adapted to be fitted on the steering shaft and includes a cylindrical portion and a yoke portion formed integrally with the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a boss serration corresponding to a serration of the steering shaft. The yoke portion has through holes formed near both ends thereof. The steering wheel body includes a ring core bar, spoke core bars coupled to the ring core bar, sheaths covering the ring core bar and spoke core bars, and a pad formed integrally with the sheaths. Part of the spoke core bars are connected to the boss. The bolt has and external thread that is receivable by the through holes and engageable with internal threads of at least one of the through holes so as to permit the boss, to which the steering wheel body is connected, to be fixed on the steering shaft. The boss includes a boss body and flange formed integrally with the boss body. The boss body includes the cylindrical and yoke portions. The boss flange has a larger area than the yoke portion and is embedded in the spoke core bars.

Steering wheel assembly and a mounting structure and boss structure of

Steering wheel mounting structure thereof and boss structure thereof

A steering wheel includes a metal ring mounted on a steering shaft with a boss plate and at least one spoke. An adaptor is provided in the boss plate for securing the boss plate to the steering shaft. The adaptor includes a cylindrical portion into which the steering shaft is inserted and a yoke formed integrally with the cylindrical portion for holding the steering shaft. The yoke has flexible ends constituting a pair of clamping pieces. One of the clamping pieces is provided with a bolt hole while the other is provided with a through hole. A bolt is inserted through the through hole and then screwed into the bolt hole for holding the steering shaft with the yoke. A lower cover, which is made from a synthetic resin, surrounds the steering shaft and covers a lower part of the steering wheel. A holder is provided in the lower cover for supporting the bolt in a ready position to prevent the bolt from falling off the yoke. The bolt is accessible from the side of the steering wheel.

Growing community of inventors

Ichinomiya, Japan

Katsunobu Sakane