Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Suzuaki Hongou

Atsushi Nagata

Katsunobu Sakane

Yoshiyuki Fujita

Shinichi Goto

Mitsuhiro Kikuta

Hitoshi Oshima

A steering wheel unit is provided which includes an air bag module and a steering wheel having a metal core, and in which the rigidity of the posterior spoke portions is not reinforced because the module is fastened to the anterior spoke portions of the core. The steering wheel unit W according to the present invention includes a steering wheel 1 having three or more spokes S, and an air bag module M fastened to the fastening parts 8 of the right and left anterior spoke portions 3s(f) of the core and disposed over the boss B of the wheel.

Steering wheel unit including air bag module

A steering wheel including a pad portion mounted on a boss portion, a ring portion supported on the boss portion via spokes, a horn button mounted on an upper surface of the pad portion, and a display portion of a luminous display device. The display portion is mounted on a part of the pad portion close to the driver's side, and the horn button is mounted on the part of the pad portion close to a front window of a vehicle. Only the part of the pad portion on which the display portion is mounted is inclined toward the driver's side so that the front window does not fall within a light projecting region of said display portion. The luminous display device includes a translucent light-dissipation plate mounted in an opening of a reflection chamber. The thickness of the dissipation plate becomes progressively smaller away from a main light-emitting element provided within the reflection chamber. A sub light-emitting element is mounted below a character plate and disposed close to the reflection chamber. A light-reducing wall is provided between the dissipation plate and the main light-emitting element so as to prevent the lights, emitted respectively from the main and sub light-emitting elements, from being mixed together.

Steering wheel provided with luminous display device

A steering wheel having a ring portion, a boss portion arranged at the center of the ring portion, and a spoke portion connecting the boss portion with the ring portion, and in which the boss portion includes a boss and a boss plate, the boss having non-circular surfaces formed on the outer peripheral surface of the boss, the boss plate being connected with the spoke portion and with the upper surface of the boss by resistance welding and having flexible portions and restricting projections located around the center of the boss. The flexible portions provide an energy absorbing function and non-circular surfaces of the boss and the restricting projections of the boss plate prevent rotation of the boss plate relative to the boss when the welding portion happens to break.

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Aichi, Japan

Suzuaki Hongou