Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Wheel making
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-23
2001-06-26
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Wheel making
C074S552000, C156S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249970
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The present invention refers to a steering wheel for motor vehicles and a procedure to make it.
In the field of accessories for motor vehicles there are known steering wheels having a rim made of a plastic material. There are also some known steering wheels of finer aesthetic quality in which the rim is made of solid wood.
The latter, in addition to being much more costly, are also heavier and they guarantee a lesser reliability in case of collision as compared to the more economical steering wheels with plastic rims.
In view of the state of the art described, the object of the following invention is to provide a steering wheel that would combine, the characteristics of a low cost, lightness and reliability in case of collision that are typical of the steering wheels with a plastic rim, with the characteristics of a finer aesthetic quality of the steering wheels with a solid wood rim.
According to the present invention, such object is attained by means of a steering wheel, characterised in that it comprises a rim consisting of an internal polyurethane core, covered at least partially with a coating of a material with an aesthetically finer quality.
According to the invention there is also provided a procedure for the making of a steering wheel for motor vehicles comprising a driving rim with a polyurethane core, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:
grinding of the surface of said polyurethane core,
providing a couple of coating elements of material with aesthetically finer quality having plane shape and size congruent to at least one portion of said polyurethane core,
applying said coating elements to said polyurethane core and respective bending of the same by means of a hot press provided with a suitable template,
removing part of said coating elements in excess,
honing of the portion of the rim coated by the coating elements,
varnishing the coated rim.
Preferably, in case it is desirable to coat the steering wheel with briar wood, said couple of coating elements are realised by shearing briar wood sheets available on the market in the suitable shape and dimensions.
If instead it is desirable to coat the steering wheel with a kind of wood with veining that would not consent to bending parallel to the veining itself, as for example mahogany wood, said couple of coating elements are realised by winding and gluing sheets of wood in a spiral to form a drum, from which plane rings of wood, or ring portions are subsequently created, by shearing or shear turning, which can be applied to said polyurethane core.
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patent: 8-310407 (1996-11-01), None
Breed Automotive Technology Inc.
Drayer Lonnie
Echols P. W.
Vrioni Beth
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