JP5621543B2 - Mounting structure of central module to steering wheel and steering wheel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure in which a wheel center module such as an air bag module for a driver's seat (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a center module) is attached to the front surface of a steering wheel, and in particular, the center module includes a snap lock mechanism. It is related with the attachment structure attached to the steering wheel via. The present invention also relates to a steering wheel having this mounting structure.

  WO98 / 15431 (special table 2001-501887) describes an installation structure of a driver's seat airbag device that can attach the driver's seat airbag device to the steering wheel through a snap lock mechanism.

  In the publication, tabs are provided so as to project from the left and right sides of the base plate of the driver airbag device toward the steering wheel, and the hub of the steering wheel is provided with fingers that engage the slots of the tab. ing.

  When installing the driver airbag device on the steering wheel, place the driver airbag device on the front side of the steering wheel and push the driver airbag device while sliding each tab along the side of the hub. Engage the slot with the finger. When the slot is caught by the finger, the driver airbag device cannot be separated from the steering wheel. The left and right tabs sandwich the hub from the left and right. This completes the work of attaching the driver airbag device to the steering wheel.

WO98 / 15431

  In the mounting structure of the driver airbag device of WO98 / 15431, the left and right tabs sandwich the hub from the left and right, but the tabs are elastic, so the airbag device is in the left-right direction. There is a risk of moving.

  The present invention provides a central module mounting structure capable of easily and firmly mounting a wheel central module such as an airbag device for a driver's seat, and a steering wheel to which the central module is mounted by the mounting structure. Objective.

The mounting structure of the central module to the steering wheel according to claim 1 is a mounting structure of the central module in which the central module is mounted on the steering wheel. The central module includes a module cover facing the occupant, and a cover for the module cover. A hub plate attached to the steering shaft in a mounting structure of the central module to the steering wheel attached to the steering wheel via a snap lock mechanism, and the hub plate. A hook portion provided on the retainer, a snap lock spring attached to the retainer and engaged with the hook portion, a guide projecting from the retainer toward the hub plate, and provided on the hub plate, And an insertion hole into which the guide is inserted. Brackets standing on the occupant side are erected on both the left and right ends of the hub plate, and the hooks are provided on the brackets. The insertion holes are provided on the right side of the left bracket and the left side of the right bracket, respectively. The snap lock spring includes a pair of upper rods attached to the retainer, a pair of vertical rods whose upper ends are connected to the upper rod, and extend toward the hook portion. A lower rod connecting lower ends of the rods, and the lower rods are engaged with the hook portions so as not to move in the steering shaft direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure for attaching the central module to the steering wheel according to the first aspect , wherein the upper rod extends across an edge of the retainer from an occupant-facing surface of the retainer and The rod is connected, the other end is fixed to the retainer, the retainer and the hub plate are each provided with a horn switch contact, and when the central module is pressed, the snap lock spring is elastically deformed However, the contact points are in contact with each other.

A steering wheel according to a third aspect is such that the central module is mounted by the mounting structure of the central module according to the first or second aspect .

  In the present invention, the central module is attached to the hub plate by the snap lock mechanism, so that the central module can be easily attached. Further, in the present invention, since the guide projecting from the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole provided in the hub plate, the lateral displacement of the central module is prevented, and the central module is firmly attached.

In the mounting structure according to the first aspect , the lower rod of the snap lock spring is engaged with the hook portion so as not to move in the steering shaft direction, and the movement of the wheel center module toward the occupant side is restrained.

In the mounting structure of claim 2 , when the central module is pushed from the passenger side, the snap lock spring is elastically deformed, the central module is pushed in, and the horn switch is turned on.

It is a perspective view explaining the attachment structure of the steering wheel center module which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the engagement relationship of a retainer and a hub plate. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view at the time of engagement of a retainer and a hub plate. It is the VV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the deformation | transformation of a snap lock spring. It is sectional drawing which shows the removal method of a snap lock spring. It is the VIII-VIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of an airbag device for a driver's seat as a wheel center module according to the embodiment, and shows the hub plate 2 with the retainer 40 removed.

  In the following description, the left-right direction of the steering wheel refers to the left-right direction in a state where the steering wheel is in a steering posture when the vehicle is traveling straight.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a hub plate 2 is installed at the center of the steering wheel 1. The hub plate 2 is connected to a steering shaft (not shown) by a serration hole 2a. The hub plate 2 is connected to the spoke part 3 of the steering wheel 1 by bolts 4. The hub plate 2 is provided with an insertion hole 5 (FIGS. 2 to 4) for the bolt 4.

  As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, brackets 10 project from the left and right ends of the hub plate 2 toward the occupant side, and insertion holes 20 are recessed in the anti-occupant direction.

  On the left side surface of the left bracket 10 and the right side surface of the right bracket 10, there are provided slopes 11 that rise to the side as the height increases from the occupant side to the non-occupant side (the lower side in FIGS. 2 and 3). Yes. The lower end side of the slope 11, that is, the side opposite to the occupant is a step surface 12. A protrusion 13 is provided below the step surface 12 by a predetermined distance, and a hook portion 14 into which the lower rod 33 of the snap lock spring 30 enters is provided between the protrusion 13 and the step surface 12.

  Each insertion hole 20 is provided adjacent to the right side surface of the left bracket 10 and the left side surface of the right bracket 10. The surface on the bracket 10 side of each insertion hole 20 is continuous with the side surface on the steering center side of the bracket 10, and a guide 43 of a retainer 40 described later is guided to the side surface of the bracket 10 to smoothly insert the insertion hole. 20 can be inserted.

  A guide wall 22 is provided on the opposite side of the bracket 10 across the insertion hole 20, and guides the insertion of the guide 43 into the insertion hole 20.

  A center portion of the plate-like retainer 40 is provided with an engaging port 41 of an inflator (not shown) and a bolt insertion hole 42 for fastening the inflator and an airbag mounting ring (not shown). From the left and right sides of the retainer 40, tongue-shaped guides 43 project from the occupant side.

  A pair of vertical rods 32 of the snap lock spring 30 extend along the guide 43 in the occupant-anti-occupant direction. The snap lock spring 30 includes an upper rod 31 connected to the upper end (end portion on the occupant side) of the vertical rod 32 in FIGS. And a lower rod 33 that connects the end portions). The upper rod 31 extends in the steering center direction across the side of the retainer 40. One end side of the upper rod 31 protrudes laterally from the side of the retainer 40. A U-shaped portion 34 is formed on the other end side of the upper rod 31 by bending back 180 degrees.

  The retainer 40 is provided with a pair of spring mounting portions 44 that hold the U-shaped portion 34. Each spring mounting portion 44 has an upright portion 44a that stands up from the retainer, and an overhang portion 44b that protrudes from the upright portion 44a toward each other. The U-shaped portion 34 of the upper rod 31 sandwiches the standing portion 44a.

  The spring mounting portion 44 is separated from the side of the retainer 40 by a predetermined distance. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the one end side of the upper rod 31, that is, the vertical rod 32 side, can be elastically deformed so as to be separated from the retainer 40 upward in FIG.

  In addition to the retainer 40, the inflator, and the airbag described above, the airbag device includes a module cover 70 (FIG. 8) that covers the folded airbag. As shown in FIG. 8, horn switch contacts 51 and 52 are provided on the lower surface of the retainer 40 and the upper surface of the hub plate 2.

  A back cover 60 is attached to the steering wheel 1 so as to cover the lower side of the hub plate 2 as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the back cover 60 is provided with a slot 61 for a tool such as a flat-blade screwdriver. After the airbag folded body is attached to the retainer 40, the module cover 70 (FIG. 8) is attached to the retainer 40 so as to cover the airbag folded body.

  The retainer 40 to which the airbag folding body and the module cover 70 are attached is brought close to the hub plate 2 from above the hub plate 2 as shown in FIG. Then, the guide 43 is inserted into the insertion hole 20 and the lower rod 33 of the snap lock spring 30 slides along the slope 11 while being elastically pressed against the slope 11, and passes through the lower end of the slope 11. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. The lower rod 33 is sandwiched between the protrusion 13 and the step surface 12 and is immovable in the vertical direction of FIGS.

  When the airbag cover is assembled to the hub plate 2, when the module cover 70 is pushed, the leg piece 71 (FIG. 8) moves downward by the distance between the contacts 51 and 52, and then FIG. Since the upper rod 31 is pressed against the vertical rod 32 as indicated by the arrow A, the upper rod 31 is prevented from warping and deforming upward in FIG. As a result, the lower rod 33 moves smoothly along the slope 11 and engages with the hook portion 14.

  The airbag device with the module cover 70 is installed on the hub plate 2 by the lower rod 33 engaging with the hook portion 14. The airbag device is prevented from moving toward the occupant side by engaging the lower rod 33 with the hook portion 14. In this airbag apparatus, since the guide 43 is inserted into the insertion hole 20, the movement to the left and right is restricted.

  When the module cover 70 of the airbag apparatus attached to the hub plate 2 is pushed, the retainer 40 moves downward (in the direction of the occupant) as shown in FIG. 6, and the contacts 51 and 52 come into contact with each other. Sounds. When the retainer 40 is moved downward, the snap lock spring 30 is elastically deformed. The vertical rod 32 and the lower rod 33 do not move downward because the lower rod 33 is in contact with the projection 13.

  When the hand is released from the module cover 70, the airbag device returns to the original position by the restoring force of the snap lock spring 30.

  In order to remove the airbag device connected to the hub plate 2 by the snap lock spring 30 from the hub plate 2, as shown in FIG. 62 may be inserted, the tip of the tool 62 may be inserted between the lower rod 33 and the bracket 10, and the lower rod 33 may be detached from the hook portion.

  The upper embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention may have forms other than those shown in the drawings.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the hub plate 2 is connected to the left and right and lower three spoke portions, but may be connected only to the left and right spoke portions.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the airbag apparatus which has an airbag and an inflator shall be attached to the retainer 40, an airbag and an inflator are abbreviate | omitted and the horn module which attached the module cover 70 to the retainer 40 is a hub. You may attach to a plate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 2 Hub plate 10 Bracket 11 Slope 12 Step surface 13 Projection part 14 Hook part 20 Insertion hole 30 Snap lock spring 31 Upper rod 32 Vertical rod 33 Lower rod 34 U-shaped part 40 Retainer 43 Guide 44 Spring attachment part 60 Back cover 61 Tool slot 70 Module cover

Claims (3)

A central module mounting structure in which a central module is mounted on a steering wheel,
The central module includes a module cover that faces an occupant and a retainer on which the module cover is mounted.
In the structure for attaching the central module to the steering wheel, the retainer is attached to the steering wheel via a snap lock mechanism.
A hub plate attached to the steering shaft;
Hook portions provided on the hub plate;
A snap lock spring attached to the retainer and engaged with the hook portion;
A guide projecting from the retainer toward the hub plate;
An insertion hole provided in the hub plate and into which the guide is inserted;
With
Brackets that stand up to the occupant side are respectively provided on the left and right ends of the hub plate, and the hook portions are provided on the brackets, respectively.
The insertion holes are respectively provided on the right side of the left bracket and the left side of the right bracket,
The snap lock spring connects a pair of upper rods attached to the retainer, a pair of vertical rods whose upper ends are connected to the upper rod and extend toward the hook portion, and lower ends of the vertical rods. With a lower rod,
The structure of attaching the central module to the steering wheel, wherein the lower rod is engaged with the hook portion so as not to move in the steering shaft direction. 2. The upper rod according to claim 1 , wherein the upper rod extends from an occupant-facing surface of the retainer across the edge of the retainer, the vertical rod is connected to one end side, and the other end side is fixed to the retainer. And
A horn switch contact is provided on each of the retainer and the hub plate, and when the central module is pushed, the snap lock spring is elastically deformed so that the contacts come into contact with each other. Module mounting structure. A steering wheel to which the central module is attached by the mounting structure of the central module according to claim 1 or 2 .

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