Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-10
2003-01-21
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S731000, C200S061540
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508485
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims priority from Japanese application No. 2000-140797, which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a horn switch arranged on a steering wheel for vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to a horn switch provided with a connecting bolt, by which a movable member being depressed is connected to a stationary member to enable operation of the horn switch.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a horn switch of this kind is known as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 106382/1998 and the like. The horn switch disclosed in the above-mentioned publication comprises a stationary member supported on a steering wheel body and a movable member connected to a horn pad. The stationary member includes a stationary contact. The movable member includes a movable contact adapted to touch with the stationary contact to enable actuating a horn. The movable member is arranged above the stationary member.
A spring is arranged between the stationary member and the movable member to bias the movable contact away from the stationary contact. Also, a connecting bolt is arranged between the stationary member and the movable member to connect the movable member to the stationary member. The connecting bolt is arranged to allow downward movement of the movable member and to prescribe a distance of the movable contact from the stationary contact. The connecting bolt comprises a head and a shank extending upward from the head. The head is adapted to abut against an underside of the stationary member. The shank is fastened to a threaded hole in the movable member.
However, such a conventional connecting bolt is designed to extend through the stationary member from below the stationary member to be fastened to the movable member. Therefore, there is the possibility of the connecting bolt falling if it becomes loose.
Also, at the time of fastening of the connecting bolt, the stationary member and the movable member must be positioned so as not to deviate from each other. After such positioning, the connecting bolt is inserted through the stationary member to be fastened to the threaded hole in the movable member. Therefore, it is conventional that a plurality of positioning holes are provided around the threaded hole on the movable member and positioning projections provided on the stationary member are fitted into the positioning holes, thus facilitating fastening of the connecting bolt to the movable member.
A plurality of such connecting bolts are arranged at fastening locations on the entire steering wheel and rotated to be fastened to the movable member. Therefore, the movable member is sometimes subjected to rotative torque at the time of fastening a connecting bolt. In this case, the positioning projections get out of the positioning holes at other fastening locations of other connecting bolts to cause positional deviation, which takes time to correct, adding time to the operation of fastening the connecting bolts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Aspects of the invention address or solve the above-mentioned problems. One aspect of the invention provides a horn switch for a steering wheel which is capable of preventing the falling of a connecting bolt even in the event of its becoming loose, and in which the fastening operation of a connecting bolt is made easier.
These and other aspects of the invention can be attained by providing a horn switch for a steering wheel constituted in the following manner.
A horn switch for a steering wheel comprises a stationary member having a stationary contact and supported on a steering wheel body, and a movable member having a movable contact, which touches the stationary contact to enable actuating a horn, arranged above the stationary member. A spring is arranged between the stationary member and the movable member for biasing the movable contact upward so as to space the same away from the stationary contact. A connecting bolt connects the movable member to the stationary member so as to allow downward movement of the movable member and to prescribe a distance of the movable contact from the stationary contact. The connecting bolt comprises a head abutting against an underside of the stationary member and a shank extending upward from the head to be fastened to a threaded hole in the movable member. The connecting bolt is capable of being temporarily fixed to the stationary member with a lower surface of the head latched and is capable of being fastened to the movable member when temporarily fixed to the stationary member.
With the horn switch according to the invention, the connecting bolt is temporarily fixed to the stationary member before tightening. Therefore, a lower surface of the head is latched even if the connecting bolt becomes loose, thus eliminating the possibility of its falling.
Of course, when being fastened to the movable member, the connecting bolt is only temporarily fixed to the stationary member with the lower surface of the head being latched. At this time, the shank extending from the head extends toward the threaded hole of the movable member. Therefore, the shank of the connecting bolt is fitted into the threaded hole only by mounting a jig, such as a driver or the like, on the head of the connecting bolt and pushing and turning the same. As a result, the connecting bolt can be fastened to the movable member without trouble.
Accordingly, with a horn switch for a steering wheel according to the invention, the falling of a connecting bolt can be prevented even in the event of its becoming loose, and the fastening operation of a connecting bolt can be made with ease.
Also, with the above-mentioned horn switch, it is preferable that the stationary member comprises a stationary base connected to the steering wheel body and a stationary support member connected to the stationary base for supporting the stationary contact. The stationary support member preferably comprises a joint portion capable of joining to a mount hole of the stationary base. The stationary support member is formed with latch legs, which project below an underside of the stationary base when the joint portion is joined with the mount hole, being capable of temporarily fixing the connecting bolt.
With the horn switch thus constituted, the latch legs provided on the stationary support member being capable of temporarily fixing the connecting bolt are mounted on the stationary base by joining a joint portion of the stationary support member, which supports the stationary contact, to a mount hole of the stationary base. Accordingly, mounting of other members for temporarily fixing the connecting bolt to the stationary member is dispensed with. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of constituent parts for the horn switch and man-hours for assembly.
Further, with the above-mentioned horn switch, it is preferable that the movable member comprises a movable base connected to a pad, which is depressed to enable operation of the horn switch, and has a threaded hole, and a movable support member connected to the movable base to support the movable contact, By this arrangement, the stationary contact, the movable contact, the stationary support member, the movable support member and the spring are formed to have a substantially cylindrical shape provided with an insertion hole, which permits the shank of the connecting bolt to be inserted therethrough. The stationary support member and the movable support member, which support the stationary contact and the movable contact, respectively, are constructed to engage with each other to enable a switch assembly to be formed in a state in which they interpose the spring therebetween and allow downward movement of the movable support member.
With the horn switch thus constituted, the switch assembly can be formed in a state in which the stationary support member and the movable support member, which support the stationary contact and the movable contact, respectively, are made to engage with eac
Fujita Yoshiyuki
Kikuta Mitsuhiro
Kimura Toshihiro
Sekitomi Yuji
Yasuda Hiroshi
Dickson Paul N.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Rosenberg Laura B.
Toyoda Gosei Co,., Ltd.
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