Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Kolbenschmidt Aktiengesellschaft

Toyoda Cesei Co., Ltd.

Mitsuru Harata

Hiroshi Yasuda

Minoru Niwa

Tadashi Yamamoto

Sadao Uchida

Kouji Shiraki

Takahiro Hashiba

Akihiko Sonobe

Toru Abiko

Yoichi Hyodo

Isamu Ito

Ichiro Hirata

Suzuaki Hongo

Katunobu Sakane

Kuniyasu Itou

A method of manufacturing a steering wheel, in which a coating layer is molded of a synthetic resin, by using a molding die unit, on at least the annular portion of a steering wheel core including a boss. The annular portion is located around the boss and has a groove extending in the circumferential direction thereof. Spokes couple the boss and the annular portion to each other. The method includes a die opening step in which an upper molding die and a lower molding die, which have a gate formed at the separation surfaces of the dies and communicating with the molding cavity of the die unit, are opened from each other. The second step is a core setting step in which the core is set in the cavity so that the outermost part of the groove of the annular portion having walls defining the groove between them is located as the top of the groove, one of the walls, which faces the gate and has a notched part notched to be smaller in height than the other of the walls, faces the gate at the notched part, and the top of the notched part is located below the separation surfaces. Third, a coating layer molding step is carried out in which the dies are closed on each other and the resin is injected into the cavity through the gate so that the coating layer is molded of the resin on the core. Last and a steering wheel takeout step in which the dies are opened from each other and the wheel is taken out from the dies is accomplished.

Method of manufacturing steering wheel

A steering wheel core is disclosed which comprises a boss, a core piece of a ring part disposed around the boss, and core pieces of spoke parts interconnecting the boss and the core piece of the ring part. The core pieces of the spoke parts are formed by die casting an aluminum alloy containing magnesium, iron, manganese, silicon, and unavoidable impurities. The magnesium content in the aluminum alloy is not less than 1.5% by weight and less than 2.5% by weight.

Steering wheel core

There is disclosed a pad for use in an air bag device enclosing an air bag which inflates in case of an accident. The device is mounted to mount members disposed around the bag. The pad is shaped like a box, and comprises an upper wall and side walls extending downward from the fringes of the upper wall. The pad is molded integrally with an insert on which a coat layer is formed out of a soft synthetic resin. The coat layer has a thin-walled portion that breaks when the air bag inflates. The thin-walled portion is disposed at a given position on the upper wall. The insert comprises a rectangular tubular base portion made from a synthetic resin and a plurality of flexible nets disposed on opposite sides of the thin-walled portion. The base portion is disposed inside the side walls. The nets are disposed on the upper wall and connected to the top of the base portion. An attachment portion for mounting the pad to the mount members and setting portions for setting the pad in a mold used to mold the coat layer are formed on the base portions.

Pad for air bag device

In a steering wheel for vehicles, a self-aligning plate comprises a boss fitting portion, a spoke fitting portion and a plurality of plastically deformable arm portions arranged in radial direction in an annular space formed between both fitting portions so as to connect between an assembled body of rim/spokes and a boss. Each plastically deformable arm portion of the self-aligning plate has a curved portion at intermediate portion, and when impact force is applied to the rim, the rim surface is slanted in approximately perpendicular direction with respect to the line of impact force due to plastic deformation of the plastically deformable arm portion. Intersection angle between the adjacent plastically deformable arm portions near the spokes mounted on the spoke fitting portion is made obtuse angle, thereby stress concentration at edge portion of the boss fitting portion in the intersection position between these plastically deformable arm portions is prevented.

Steering wheel for vehicles

An impact energy absorbing structure for attachment to the boss of a steering wheel in an automobile is disclosed. It comprises an energy absorbing member made of brittle plastic material and a cover member. It has empty spaces formed between the central part and the outer peripheral part of the energy absorbing member to give rise to an external wall part breakable under an impactive load in the outer peripheral part of the energy absorption member. Owing to this arrangement, the impactive energy absorbing structure of this invention is enabled to maximize the amount of energy absorption and enhance the energy absorption efficiency to a great extent.

Impactive energy absorbing structure

A method for forming an energy absorbing coupling for connecting a steering wheel to a steering shaft is provided. The energy absorbing coupling is formed from a deformable member, a junction to the steering wheel and a junction to the steering shaft, each of which are formed as separate members. The deformable member includes a deformable part which functions to absorb energy from the force of an impact on the steering wheel. The deformable member is formed by bending without drawing. Work hardening effects of drawing are therefore avoided. The energy absorbing coupling formed has stable energy absorbing characteristics.

Method for forming an energy absorbing coupling for a steering wheel

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Mitsuru Harata