Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Takanori Mizuno

Atsushi Nagata

Katsunobu Sakane

Akio Hosoi

Tetsuya Takamori

Hitoshi Yamamoto

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

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Owariasahi, Japan

Takanori Mizuno