Vehicle steering wheel

Details Vehicle steering wheel Vehicle steering wheel

2001-10-12

2004-02-10

Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3619)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S731000, C200S061550

Reexamination Certificate

active

06688638

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In steering wheels, usually, a separate horn contact switch is provided between the gas bag module and the steering wheel skeleton, which switch is actuated on displacement of the gas bag module in the direction of the longitudinal axis. This horn contact switch is an additional component which has to be mounted as an extra component and hence entails additional costs in the production of the vehicle steering wheel. Furthermore, the separate horn contact switch takes up a portion of the already confined space in the vehicle steering wheel. A further disadvantage consists in that these switches generally cause noises on contacting.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is therefore based on the problem of providing a vehicle steering wheel with few components and a reduced installation expenditure. This is achieved in a vehicle steering wheel for a vehicle with a horn, said steering wheel having a longitudinal axis and comprising a gas bag module, a steering wheel skeleton, a gas bag module, at least one detent connection for connecting the gas bag module with the steering wheel skeleton. The gas bag module is displaceably mounted to the skeleton to allow a displacement of the gas bag module in the direction of the longitudinal axis to actuate the horn. The detent connection has first and second electrical contact surfaces, which come into contact with each other by displacement of the gas bag module to actuate the horn. In this way, the vehicle steering wheel is provided with a horn contact switch, without additional components being necessary.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, provision is made that the detent connection has a detent element and a locking element, a first contact surface being constructed on the detent element and a second contact surface being constructed on the locking element. When the horn is actuated, the locking element lies with its second contact surface against the first contact surface, which is provided on the detent element. When the horn is not actuated, the locking element lies against a holding surface on the detent element, an electrical insulation being provided on the holding surface or on the locking element, which insulation when the horn is not actuated prevents an electrical contact between the locking element and the holding face and between the detent and locking elements, respectively. In this particularly simple development, the detent connection consists of merely two parts, which at the same time form the contact elements of the horn contact. The insulated holding surface on the detent element offers the possibility of using the detent element and the locking element as contacts and nevertheless, when the horn is not actuated, of bringing about via the two elements a mechanical connection between gas bag module and steering wheel skeleton.
Further developments of the invention and their advantages will be apparent from the sub-claims.


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Research Disclosure for Steering Wheel Low Cost Ground for Floating Horn Mechanism, vol. 2244, p. 2039, Dec. 2000 XP-001052274, GB No. 440, Kenneth Mason Publications.

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