Key Safety Systems, Inc.

Lorenzo Menaldo

Giuseppe Testa

Adolfo Ridolfi

Valerio Poli

Alberto Muscio

Stefano Soragni

Roberto Salvoro

A steering wheel has a ring portion, spoke portions and a hub portion. The steering wheel is provided with a thermoelectric reversible heat pump to heat or cool a fluid. A closed hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump and at least one duct extending along the ring portion of the steering wheel. The fluid is heated or cooled by the thermoelectric heat pump and is circulated by the hydraulic pump within the ring portion of the steering wheel to heat or cool the ring portion.

Heated and cooled steering wheel

A steering wheel or other component for motor vehicle interiors, is produced by pressure thermoforming an external layer of decorative material, together with an internal structural layer of support material that includes a matrix of thermoplastic material and a plurality of reinforcing fibers for the thermoplastic matrix. The matrix may be of polymer that impregnates the fabric or made of fabrics that are interwoven or mixed with the reinforcing fibers.

Steering wheel with thermoplastic composites

Growing community of inventors

Villafranca, Italy

Lorenzo Menaldo