Daimler-benz Ag

Mercedes-benz Aktiengesellschaft

Walter Ruckert

Helmut Patzelt

Karl Peitsmeier

Klaus Peter Kuhn

Manfred Link

Wilhelm Albrecht

Joachim Kieserling

Wolfgang Russ

Heinz Waldschutz

Dieter Wurz

A motor vehicle steering wheel has flat steel deformable spokes which connect a steering-wheel rim to a hub to be mounted on a steering shaft. The associated free ends of the spokes are cast into the cast hub, and each spoke has in the cast-in area a passage bore which extends in the axial direction of the steering wheel and penetrated by the hub material during the casting process. In order to achieve an increase in rigidity in the hub/spokes connecting area, the passage bore is arranged directly adjacent to the entry area of the spoke into the hub, forming a rolling step, such that in this area a tension-rod connection is formed between the hub material located above and below the spoke.

Motor vehicle steering wheel

An automobile steering wheel that is disposed below a plane of a steering wheel rim. As a protection against impact, there is a plastically deformable cup-like deformation member within the steering wheel that absorbs energy due to an impact of a driver of the motor vehicle on the steering wheel. Spokes are constructed in such a manner that the contribute to the energy absorption by a performance of deformation work. The deformation member has a height which is less than a distance between the hub and the plane of the steering wheel rim. The deformation member is fixedly connected in its upper region with the respective spokes.

Steering wheel for a motor vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Esslingen, Germany

Walter Ruckert