Communications: electrical – Selective – Having indication or alarm
Patent
1980-05-27
1983-01-11
Groody, James J.
Communications: electrical
Selective
Having indication or alarm
74484R, 74552, 180 78, G08G 100, G05G 1100
Patent
active
043684548
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention refers to a steering device having a steering wheel supported by a steering shaft, and a dished impact plate in which provision is made for respectively indicating instruments and operating controls, with the impact plate, arranged stationary within the steering wheel and also, as seen by the driver, before the spokes.
A steering device of this type is known from the DE letter of disclosure No. 21 31 902. In this known device, the dished impact plate is fixedly connected to a non-rotating component immovably fixed in the vehicle, and the steering wheel is coupled over planetary gears with the steering shaft. This known steering device has the advantage that the dished impact plate with its indicating instruments and operating controls will always remain stationary in the vehicle and will not turn with the steering wheel; it is, however, of the grave disadvantage that technical expenditure is relatively high and that the requisite operating safety is not ensured. The occurrence of defects, particularly in the planetary gears, cannot be excluded herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the objective of creating a steering device which will avoid the disadvantages of the known steering device and which, despite its moderate technical expenditure will be safe in operation to a high degree and which will be simple to install.
As per invention, this objective is attained by fixedly attaching the steering wheel to the steering shaft and provision of a dished impact plate linked to a component stationarily installed in the vehicle by means of at least two movable coupling elements, the latter being movable by a control component connected to the steering wheel so that least one coupling element is in arresting position whilst another coupling element is displaced from the arresting position to allow the passing of a steering wheel spoke.
In the device as per invention, the steering wheel will allways be rigidly connected to the steering shaft by its spokes. The dished impact plate supported in the steering wheel will, however, not turn with the steering wheel since one of the coupling elements will hold the dished impact plate stationary relative to a component which is stationarily installed in the vehicle, so that the former is thus being held stationary.
The coupling elements will preferably be components engaging recesses, such as pins, bolts, spheres, latches etc., guided so they may slide or pivot, and movable by the steering component connected to the steering shaft. Instead of components in positive engagement, elements may also be used that effect coupling by friction. The spokes of the steering wheel may also serve as control component so that upon passing of a spoke the spoke itself will directly withdraw the coupling element from its engaged position and the latter will, after passing of the spoke, be pressed back into its engaged position by, for instance, a spring.
The slidable or pivotable coupling elements may be located in the dished impact plate or also in a component immovably mounted in the vehicle. The coupling elements may be pressed by springs against the cam curve of a control component which, on passing of a spoke, will press the coupling elements against the force of a spring and out of their arresting position.
The coupling elements may, however, also be moved by control elements which will move the coupling elements into the arresting position as well as into the unlatching position. In this instance the coupling elements will be engaged by the cam curve of the control component, for instance the outer perimeter of a cam plate.
Although the movable coupling elements and their guide and control components may be so designed that defects will not occur, it may be appropriate to design these components so that the coupling elements will be pressed away by the spokes of the steering wheel in case they had not been moved into the unlatching position by the control components.
Since in the steering device as per invention
REFERENCES:
patent: 1769517 (1930-07-01), Ivandick
patent: 1795566 (1931-03-01), MacComb
patent: 1944905 (1934-01-01), Rowell
patent: 2465825 (1949-03-01), Tucker et al.
patent: 2622690 (1952-12-01), Barenyi
patent: 2699034 (1955-01-01), Maire
Groody James J.
Striker Michael J.
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