The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1999
Franz Rückert, Ostfildern, DE;
DaimlerChrysler AG, Stuttgart, DE;
Abstract
A one-piece steering wheel skeleton is produced by die casting an aluminum alloy of the Al—Mg—Mn type. Such a steering wheel skeleton has a high strength in combination with a high ductility. An object is to further increase the ductility of such a steering wheel skeleton, so that severe deformation of the steering wheel skeleton without breakage of the steering wheel spokes occurs under the influence of a very high acting force. To achieve this, the steering wheel skeleton undergoes a heat treatment in age hardening at elevated temperatures and then is cooled in stationary air. A steering wheel skeleton heat treated in this way can endure at least 30% greater deformation without breakage of the spokes in comparison with an untreated workpiece.