Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Matsuo Industries, Inc.

Norio Suzuki

Osamu Hirose

Hitoshi Iida

Kenji Sasaki

Koji Sakurai

Yoshiteru Banno

Masakazu Asano

Akira Urayama

Tomoki Okada

An elastic wire which is linearly moved in an assembling direction parallel with an orthogonal surface perpendicular to an axial line of a steering shaft and thus assembled to a core member includes an attaching part that is attached to a core member and an engaging part that is engaged into a pin in a through-hole. The core member is provided with a surface restraint part that permits the attaching part to linearly move in the assembling direction and restrains the engaged attaching part from moving in a direction parallel with the orthogonal surface. The surface restraint part includes a restraining protrusion that permits the bent partof the attaching partto surmount the restraining protrusion as the elastic wire is linearly moved and restrains the bent part having surmounted the restraining protrusion from moving in an opposite direction to the assembling direction.

Steering wheel having airbag apparatus attached thereto

A horn switch mechanismhas a securing pinserving as a support member, a movable memberserving as an insulating portion, a compression coil springserving as an urging member, and a contact terminalserving as a movable contact. The securing pinis fixed to a metal coreof a steering wheel bodyand supports a bag holderin such a manner that the bag holderselectively proceeds toward and retreats from the metal core. The movable memberis arranged between the securing pinand the bag holderand electrically insulates the securing pinand the bag holderfrom each other. The coil springurges the bag holderaway from the metal core. The contact terminalmoves together with the bag holder. When the bag holdermoves toward the metal coreagainst the urging force of the compression coil spring, the contact terminalcontacts the securing pinand permits conduction between the contact terminaland the securing pin. This activates a horn deviceof the vehicle.

Steering wheel with airbag device

In an airbag-equipped steering wheel, a plurality of horn switch mechanisms assembled to a bag holder each have a securing pin, which is inserted into a corresponding one of through holes formed in a metal core. A clip is engaged with a locking groove of each securing pin, so that each horn switch mechanism is fastened to the metal core. The through holes include one or more normal through holes that restrict inclination of the corresponding securing pins, and a special through hole that has an inclination permitting portion. The inclination permitting portion permits the corresponding securing pin to be inclined about the corresponding clipserving as a fulcrum. In the special through hole, the securing pin is permitted to be inclined about the clip serving as a fulcrum only when the clips are disengaged from the securing pin in all the normal through holes.

Airbag-equipped steering wheel device

A folded airbag is accommodated between a bag holder, to which horn switch mechanisms are secured, and a pad secured to the bag holder. The horn switch mechanisms are installed by being inserted in attachment holes formed in the bag holder. The pad has switch support portions for supporting the horn switch mechanisms.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi-ken, Japan

Norio Suzuki