Vehicle steering wheel

Details Vehicle steering wheel Vehicle steering wheel

2001-04-11

2003-12-30

Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)

Machine element or mechanism

Control lever and linkage systems

Elements

C074S558000, C016S421000, C280S750000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06668683

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel comprising at least one decorative segment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Decorative segments are increasingly desired by vehicle purchasers, because they give the vehicle steering wheel a more precious appearance. The fastening of these decorative segments, which form separate parts, on the vehicle steering wheel is costly. For this, for example, in the prior art solutions are provided with inserted additional fastening means such as clips, whereby however, the number of parts increases. Also, the installation is more costly.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a vehicle steering wheel, the decorative segment of which can be fastened very simply and securely to the steering wheel. This is achieved in a vehicle steering wheel which comprises a skeleton, and a skeleton covering which is visible from the exterior and has recesses. The skeleton covering is provided in a region of the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel further comprises at least one decorative segment which supplements a part of the skeleton covering and has detent noses which engage into the recesses in the skeleton covering. The decorative segment is a half shell having an essentially clip-shaped form in cross-section and has free edges which are provided with the detent noses. In the vehicle steering wheel proposed, no additional parts are provided for fastening the decorative segment, because the decorative segment itself together with recesses in the skeleton covering form a detent connection. The decorative segment therefore has to be constructed to be sufficiently flexible so that on placing onto the skeleton covering it is widened elastically and finally, as soon as the recesses are reached by the detent noses, it springs back. The skeleton covering, which outside the decorative segment forms the part of the steering wheel rim which is visible from the exterior, usually has a depression or a smaller radial thickness in the region of the decorative segment, in order to achieve as smooth a transition as possible between the decorative segment and the part of the skeleton covering which is visible from the exterior. By the decorative segment being designed as a half shell which embraces the normally soft covering, the latter is compressed. So there is not the danger of the covering tearing out.
The detent connection can be improved in that several detent noses, spaced apart from each other in peripheral direction, are provided on each edge. The detent noses alternate at opposite edges as seen in axial direction. This means that viewed in cross-section through the steering wheel rim, always only one detent nose is visible on an edge. Therefore, the decorative segment is given a greater flexibility for installation.
According to the preferred embodiment, the decorative segment also has spoke covering portions, so that it is constructed as a component having a large area.
The skeleton covering consists of wood, metal or plastic or the foam casing. The recesses are then provided in the wood, metal, plastic or even in the foam casing. In this connection, the foam casing can quite be covered by leather, the leather covering being provided in the visible region of the skeleton covering.
The decorative segment can also be covered with leather, whereby an application of the leather covering can be simplified. The leather is in fact fastened to a plastic shell and this plastic shell and the leather form the decorative segment which then is only fastened to the skeleton covering by means of the detent connection.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2623405 (1952-12-01), Sampson
patent: 3802291 (1974-04-01), Young, Jr. et al.
patent: 4581954 (1986-04-01), Uchida
patent: 4758470 (1988-07-01), Koyama
patent: 4800775 (1989-01-01), Iuchi
patent: 5207713 (1993-05-01), Park
patent: 5224397 (1993-07-01), Yoo
patent: 5761968 (1998-06-01), Poteet
patent: 6012354 (2000-01-01), Futschik et al.
patent: 6279419 (2001-08-01), Testa et al.
patent: 6282982 (2001-09-01), Testa
patent: 6418814 (2002-07-01), Emeneth et al.
patent: 29910992 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 0849127 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 60151174 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 61-291266 (1986-12-01), None
Corres. to U.S. Ser. No. 09/598,866, filed Jun. 21, 2000.

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