Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Special application – Steering wheel – shaft or column mounted
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-22
2004-08-03
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Special application
Steering wheel, shaft or column mounted
C200S004000, C200S01700A, C280S728200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06770826
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel comprising a steering wheel body and at least one electric switch attached to the steering wheel body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The growing use of electronics in vehicles involves a constantly increasing number of functions which the driver of the vehicle can influence while driving. Aside from adjusting a ventilation or air-conditioning system, these include, for example, the operation of a cell phone or a radio. It is a known procedure to provide additional switches on the steering wheel, for instance, in the area of the airbag module, for performing such functions. Another suitable location for such switches is the spokes of the steering wheel. The arrangement of a switch within reach of the fingers of the driver when his/her hands are on the steering wheel markedly improves driving safety.
The invention serves to make the operation of an above-mentioned switch more comfortable for the driver and thus serves to improve the driving safety.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a vehicle steering wheel comprises a steering wheel body and at least one electric switch attached to the steering wheel body. The switch, for adaptation to the length of the fingers of a driver, is adjustably attached to the steering wheel body in such a way that it can be displaced by the driver to assume various positions relative to the steering wheel body. The term steering wheel body is used here to refer, for example, to the combination of a steering wheel skeleton with a foam covering that partially or completely surrounds this skeleton. The advantage of the invention is that every driver, depending on his/her hand size and finger length, can individually set the position of the switch comfortably so that he/she can operate it easily without being distracted from traffic. Adjustment of the switch is, of course, not aimed at the adjustment into another functional switch position, in which an actuated switch part has a changed distance to the steering wheel, for instance during switching “On” and “Off”. The adjustment of the switch or switch part according to the invention is rather independent of the functional switch position and the displacement of the switch or switch part does not amend the switching position. Preferably, the complete preassembled switch, as a unit, is displaced for adaptation to the finger length.
In order to make the adjustment as convenient as possible, the switch is preferably mounted in such a way that the adjustment can be made by the driver without the use of a tool. In this way, the driver can move the switch into a suitable position at any time.
Preferably the switch is accommodated in a linear guide. Advantageously, the steering wheel is designed in such a way that for mounting the switch it can be inserted into the linear guide transversely to the adjustment direction and is then held in the linear guide by being moved subsequently. This design allows a simple installation of the switch on the steering wheel and, at the same time, a reliable guidance of the switch when it is moved.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a detachable form-fitting connection is provided, which can be locked in any position of the switch. This form-fitting connection is preferably a toothed structure that meshes with counter teeth on the switch. Teeth allow a fine graduation of the various adjustment positions possible while the mechanism is simple and inexpensive to produce.
In order to actuate the adjustment mechanism, it is preferably provided that the part of the form-fitting connection that is associated with the switch can be moved transversely to the adjustment direction out of a locked position and into a traversing position in which an adjustment of the switch is permissible, the part of the form-fitting connection associated with the switch being subsequently moved into another locked position. The form-fitting connection can be unlocked, for example, in that the driver depresses an adjustment element and moves the switch, the switch being automatically locked in its new position after the adjustment element has been released.
Preferably, the adjustment element is situated on the rear side of the steering wheel and is connected to the switch, so that the switch can be moved by means of the adjustment element.
Preferably, a latching pin that forms the switch-side part of the form-fitting connection is formed on the adjustment element. Moreover, the adjustment element can be connected to the switch via a flexible bearing arm, the latching pin being brought out of the locked position and into the traversing position by bending the bearing arm. This construction is simple, space-saving and inexpensive to produce.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the switch is designed as a multi-function keypad. Such a multi-function keypad makes it possible to operate an unlimited number of functions with just a few switching elements.
The production can be even further simplified in that the switch is part of a switching unit configured as a prefabricated assembly having a housing which is rigidly attached to the steering wheel body and in which the switch is movably mounted. The housing can be attached to the steering wheel, for example, by a latching connection so that the assembly merely has to be inserted into the steering wheel body.
The switch can be attached to a spoke of the steering wheel body ergonomically and adapted to the design of the steering wheel and it can be configured to move lengthwise along said spoke.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1973831 (1934-09-01), Waggoner
patent: 2237607 (1941-04-01), Rusche
patent: 2863015 (1958-12-01), Ahrens
patent: 4219706 (1980-08-01), Koch et al.
patent: 4578592 (1986-03-01), Nakazawa et al.
patent: 4590340 (1986-05-01), Koike et al.
patent: 6437265 (2002-08-01), Kreuzer
patent: 19625966 (1998-01-01), None
patent: 10041590 (2001-04-01), None
patent: 20103890 (2001-08-01), None
patent: 0160650 (2001-08-01), None
Pending U.S. Schutz patent application Ser. No. 10/083,072, filed Feb. 26, 2002 entitled “Vehicle Steering Wheel”, Attorney Docket No. TRW(ASG)6051.
European Search Report.
Friedhofer Michael
Lee K.
Tarolli, Sundheim Covell & Tummino L.L.P.
TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
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