JP4623034B2 - Steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel used for automobiles, motor boats and the like.

  In recent years, as a means for improving the comfort during driving of automobiles, motor boats, etc., a device in which a planar heating element is incorporated in a steering wheel for cold regions has been considered and put into practical use.

  Conventionally, as this type of steering wheel, there is one in which a connecting portion between a heater wire and a power supply wire is disposed on the back side of a spoke portion of the steering wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In FIG. 7, 1 is a steering wheel, 2 is a core body of the steering wheel 1, 3 is a heat insulating material disposed on the outer periphery of the core body 2 of the steering wheel 1, and 4 is disposed on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material 3. The sheet heating element 4 is composed of a heater wire 5 and a feed line 6 for supplying power to the heater line 5, and 7 is a connection portion between the heater line 5 and the feed line 6. The connecting portion 7 is disposed on the back side of the spoke portion 1 a of the steering wheel 1 via the heat insulating material 3.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the sheet heating element 4, and the thermistor 8 is disposed on the ring portion 1 b of the steering wheel 1, and the outer periphery thereof is covered with a skin 9.
JP 61-81273 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, since the connecting portion 7 is disposed on the back side of the spoke portion 1a of the steering wheel 1 via the heat insulating material 3, the surface of the steering wheel 1 is uneven as it is, and the steering operation is not performed. There was a problem that the driver felt uncomfortable or was not beautiful in appearance.

  In addition, since the thermistor 8 is disposed on the ring portion 1b of the steering wheel 1, the surface of the steering wheel 1 is uneven as it is, which causes the driver to feel uncomfortable at the time of steering operation and is not beautiful in appearance. In addition, there is a problem that stable temperature control cannot be performed because the detected temperature of the thermistor 8 is different between when the driver grips the top of the thermistor 8 and when the driver does not grip it.

  In addition, in order to solve the said subject, when the connection part 7 and the thermistor 8 are embed | buried in the recessed part formed in the core 2 of the steering wheel 1 except the heat insulating material 3, it is provided with the case where the planar heating element 4 is provided. In other cases, the shape of the core body 2 of the steering wheel 1 must be changed, so that the core body 2 of the steering wheel 1 cannot be shared, and there is a problem that an inexpensive steering wheel 1 cannot be provided.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the components such as the connecting portion of the heater of the planar heating element do not float on the surface of the steering wheel, and the driver does not feel uncomfortable during the steering operation. An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive steering wheel by sharing the core of the steering wheel in both the case where the planar heating element is provided and the case where the planar heating element is not provided.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the steering wheel of the present invention is such that a connection portion between a heater of a planar heating element and a power supply line is provided in a boss portion of the steering wheel.

  And the connection part does not float on the surface of the steering wheel, the driver does not feel uncomfortable at the time of steering operation, the appearance is a beautiful steering wheel, and the core of the steering wheel is provided with a planar heating element There is no need to change the case when it is not provided, and the steering wheel core can be shared to provide an inexpensive steering wheel.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a steering wheel that is beautiful in appearance and does not cause any uncomfortable feeling to the driver during steering operation, because components such as the heater connecting portion of the planar heating element do not protrude on the surface of the steering wheel. An inexpensive steering wheel can be provided by sharing the core of the steering wheel both in the case where the planar heating element is provided and in the case where the planar heating element is not provided.

  The present invention includes a planar heating element including a support, a heater disposed on the support, and a power supply line that supplies power to the heater, and a connection portion of the heater and the power supply line is connected to a boss of a steering wheel. By arranging in the part, the connection part does not float on the surface of the steering wheel, it does not give the driver an uncomfortable feeling at the time of steering operation, it can provide a steering wheel that is beautiful in appearance, and the shape of the core of the steering wheel There is no need to change between the case where the sheet heating element is provided and the case where the sheet heating element is not provided, and an inexpensive steering wheel can be provided by sharing the core of the steering wheel.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a steering wheel, and 12 denotes a steering wheel core body. A planar heating element 13 is disposed on the steering wheel core body 12, and leather or synthetic leather is formed on the planar heating element 13. An epidermis 14 made of, for example, is wound. Further, a linear heater 15 is sewn to the sheet heating element 13 on a support 16 made of a nonwoven fabric or a foamed resin such as urethane foam or polyethylene foam, and the support 16 of the sheet heating element 13. At least one end portion 16a of the steering wheel 11 passes through the spoke portion 11a of the steering wheel 11 and extends into the boss portion 11b.

  Further, in FIG. 2, the end 16 a of the support body includes a thermistor 17 that detects the temperature of the planar heating element 13, a thermistor heating heater 17 a that heats the thermistor 17, and a power supply line 19 that supplies power to the linear heater 15. In addition, a connecting portion 20 between the linear heater 15 and the power supply line 19 is provided, and the end portion 16a of the support and the temperature control device 18 are disposed in the boss portion 11b of the steering wheel 11.

  In addition, the thermistor 17 and the connection part 20 are being fixed to the support body 16 by adhesion | attachment or the adhesive tape.

  Further, the linear heater 15 is connected to a power supply line 19 for supplying power by a connecting portion 20 by soldering or spot welding, and is insulated by a heat shrinkable tube 21 or the like.

  The operation and action of the steering wheel 11 configured as described above will be described below.

  First, the connection part 20 of the linear heater 15 and the power supply line 19 is provided inside the boss 11b of the steering wheel 11, so that the connection part 20 does not float on the surface of the steering wheel 11 and the steering operation is performed. The steering wheel 11 can be provided with a beautiful appearance without causing discomfort to the driver, and the shape of the core body 12 of the steering wheel 11 does not need to be changed depending on whether or not the planar heating element is provided. The inexpensive steering wheel 11 can be provided by sharing the core 12.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the thermistor 17 is heated by a thermistor heating heater 17 a formed by a part of the linear heater 15 of the planar heating element 13, thereby changing the temperature of the thermistor 17. The temperature of the planar heating element 13 is controlled by a temperature controller (not shown) that repeatedly turns on and off the power supplied to the linear heater 15 and the thermistor heater 17a by comparing the set temperature with the thermistor 17. Accordingly, the thermistor 17 and the thermistor heating heater 17a formed by a part of the linear heater 15 of the planar heating element 13 are connected to the boss of the steering wheel 11. 11b can be disposed inside.

  As described above, the thermistor 17 and the thermistor heating heater 17a formed by a part of the linear heater 15 of the planar heating element 13 are disposed inside the boss 11b of the steering wheel 11, so that the upper side of the thermistor 17 is disposed. Since the driver does not hold it, the temperature detection of the thermistor 17 is stabilized, the temperature of the sheet heating element 13 can be controlled stably, and the thermistor 17 does not float on the surface of the steering wheel 11, and the driver operates during steering operation. The steering wheel 11 can be provided with a beautiful appearance, and the shape of the core body 12 of the steering wheel 11 does not need to be changed depending on whether or not the planar heating element 13 is provided. It is possible to provide an inexpensive steering wheel 11 by sharing the core body 12. That.

  In the present embodiment, the heater 15 of the planar heating element is linear, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, planar.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a steering wheel according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG.

  3 and 4, the difference from the configuration of the first embodiment is that the temperature control device is constituted by a thermostat 22 and a thermostat heating heater 23 formed by a part of the linear heater 15 provided below the thermostat 22. The thermostat 22 and the thermostat heater 23 and the connection part 24 of the thermostat 22 and the thermostat heater 23 are disposed in the boss portion 11 b of the steering wheel 11.

  The thermostat 22, the thermostat heater 23, and the linear heater are connected in series.

  About the steering wheel comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, when electric power is supplied to the sheet heating element 13, the linear heater 15 and the thermostat heating heater 23 formed by a part of the linear heater 15 generate heat, and the thermostat 22 is a thermostat heating heater 23 below. The thermostat 22 is turned off after a predetermined time has passed after heating. Since the thermostat 22 and the thermostat heating heater 23 are also connected in series, when the thermostat 22 is turned off, power is not supplied to the thermostat heating heater 23 and the thermostat 22 is not heated, so that the thermostat 22 is cooled. When a predetermined time elapses, the thermostat 22 is turned on.

  By repeating such an on / off operation, the temperature control of the linear heater 15 of the sheet heating element 13 connected in series with the thermostat is performed, so that the thermostat 22 and the thermostat heating heater 23 are connected to the steering wheel 11. It becomes possible to dispose inside the boss 11b.

  As described above, the thermostat 22 and the thermostat heater 23 for heating the thermostat 22 are provided, and the thermostat 22 and the thermostat heater 23 are disposed in the boss portion 11b of the steering wheel 11, so that the thermostat 22 is located above the thermostat 22. The temperature of the thermostat 22 is stabilized and the temperature can be controlled stably, and the thermostat 22 does not float on the surface of the steering wheel 11 so that the driver does not feel uncomfortable during steering operation. The steering wheel 11 having a beautiful appearance can be provided, and the shape of the core 12 of the steering wheel 11 does not need to be changed between the case where the planar heating element 13 is provided and the case where it is not provided, and the core 12 of the steering wheel 11 can be shared. With sir Than the method according to static temperature control device can reduce the component parts, it is possible to provide a more inexpensive steering wheel 11.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a linear heater used in the planar heating element of the steering wheel according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 5, the linear heater 15 is formed by braiding a plurality of conductors 25.

  The operation and action of the planar heating element for a steering wheel configured as described above will be described.

  By configuring the linear heater 15 in a braided shape with a plurality of conductors 25, the linear heater 15 is further flattened, and the linear heater 15 is not further raised on the surface of the steering wheel 11. As a result, the steering wheel 11 having a more beautiful appearance can be provided.

  Further, by configuring the linear heater 15 of the present embodiment with an alloy wire using metal fiber reinforcement, the strength of the linear heater 15 between the spoke portion 11a and the boss portion 11b of the steering wheel 11 is increased, and the steering is performed. Since the durability of the linear heater 15 between the spoke portion 11a and the boss portion 11b of the wheel 11 can be improved, disconnection of the linear heater 15 between the spoke portion 11a and the boss portion 11b of the steering wheel 11 can be prevented.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel according to the third embodiment of the present invention in the CC section of FIG.

In FIG. 6, the core body 12 of the steering wheel 11 is constituted by a core metal 26 and a covering material 27 made of hard urethane or the like molded on the core metal 26, and the planar heating element is formed on the covering material 27. The 13 linear heaters 15 and the support 16 are arranged in this order.

  The operation and action of the steering wheel configured as described above will be described.

  By arranging the linear heater 15 and the support 13 in this order in the ring cross-sectional outer periphery direction of the steering wheel 11, the linear heater 15 is not exposed between the spoke portion 11 a and the boss portion 11 b of the steering wheel 11. Since the durability of the linear heater 15 between the spoke 11a and the boss 11b can be improved, disconnection of the linear heater 15 between the spoke 11a and the boss 11b of the steering wheel 11 can be prevented.

  Further, by plating the conductor of the linear heater 15 of the present embodiment, water resistance, corrosion resistance, and solderability can be improved, and the hardness of the surface of the linear heater 15 can be increased. As a result, the durability of the linear heater 15 between the spoke portion 11a and the boss portion 11b of the steering wheel 11 can be further improved.

  Further, by applying an insulating coating to the conductor of the linear heater 15 of the present embodiment, the water resistance and corrosion resistance can be improved, and the hardness of the surface of the linear heater 15 can be increased. The durability of the linear heater 15 between the 11 spoke portions 11a and the boss portion 11b can be further improved.

1 is a plan view of a steering wheel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The enlarged view of the steering wheel of Embodiment 1 of this invention Plan view of a steering wheel according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention The enlarged view of the steering wheel of Embodiment 2 of this invention The enlarged view of the linear heater of Embodiment 3 of this invention Sectional enlarged view of the surface steering wheel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Plan view of a conventional steering wheel

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Steering wheel 11a Spoke part 11b Boss part 13 Planar heating element 15 Linear heater 16 Support body 17 Thermistor (temperature detection element)
17a Thermistor heating heater (heater for temperature detection element heating)
19 Feeder 20, 24 Connection 22 Thermostat 23 Thermostat Heater 25 Conductor

Claims (1)

A ring-shaped core body, a boss part located in the center of the core body, a spoke part connecting the core body and the boss part, and a planar heating element disposed on the core body, planar heating element, a support, and a heater disposed on said support, Ri Do from the feed line for supplying power to the heater until the boss said support through said spoke portion is extended, a steering wheel connecting portion between said feed line and said heater is arranged inside the boss portion.

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