This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to EP 10153666.2, filed Feb. 16, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a steering wheel assembly and a system for steering wheel engineering.
The steering wheel is a clearly visible part of a vehicle. The design of the steering wheel may influence the whole impression of a vehicle. The design of the steering wheel further influences the grip of the steering wheel and the whole feeling when driving. The steering wheel may for example be used to give a feeling of luxury or sport. The steering wheel may function as a means to personalize the vehicle, especially if the owner/driver/user of the vehicle can make a selection between many different steering wheels. Sometimes, it also desirable to be able to exchange the steering wheel of a used vehicle, e.g. when shifting owner. The customer thus wants to be able to choose from a wide selection of different steering wheels. There is therefore a desire from the standpoint of the vehicle manufacturer or dealer to be able to offer as many steering wheel variants as possible to the customer.
On the other hand, having a wide selection of different steering wheels also has disadvantages for the manufacturer or dealer, such as development, production, storage and handling costs. From a cost efficiency point of view, there is therefore an opposite desire to have as few different steering wheels variants as possible.
Document DE 203 03 767 U1 discloses a steering wheel, wherein a cover is detachably attached to the steering wheel. The visual impression of the steering wheel is decided by the choice of cover.
One object of the present invention is to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.
It is desirable to be able to give each customer a selection of different steering wheels, while being able to keep storage and handling costs low.
It is further desirable to give the customer a possibility to make a customized choice of steering wheel.
It also desirable to provide a possibility to exchange at least part of the steering wheel in a used vehicle, e.g. when shifting owner to reflect the new owner's preferences.
It is still also desirable to provide a system for steering wheel engineering offering a wide selection of different steering wheels, while keeping development and/or production costs down.
In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a steering wheel assembly comprising
an armature comprising a hub, a wheel rim skeleton, and at least one spoke connecting the hub with the wheel rim skeleton; and
a rim interface component attachable to the wheel rim skeleton; wherein the steering wheel assembly further comprises
an insert component, which is attachable to the wheel rim skeleton and/or the hub, and wherein the rim interface component and the insert component are exchangeable independently of each other.
Thereby the customer can be offered a wide selection of different steering wheels, at the same time as costs for development, production, storage and/or handling is kept low, as compared to prior art solutions.
Since the rim interface component and the insert component are separate parts, they can be exchanged independently of each other. By independently is further meant that a certain rim interface component fits with more than one insert component and vice versa.
By a component being attachable is meant that the component may be directly or indirectly attached. The rim interface component may be attached directly to the wheel rim skeleton, for example by snap fit or by fastening means such as screws or bolts. It may also be indirectly attached to the wheel rim skeleton by means of an intermediate part. The steering wheel may for example be surrounded by a foamed sheath, and in that case the rim interface component may be attached to the foamed sheath. The intermediate part may also be used for varying the diameter of the steering wheel rim. In a similar way, the insert component may be directly or indirectly attachable to the wheel rim skeleton and/or the hub. Snap fit or fastening means may be used. Intermediate parts may be used. The insert component may be attached to the rim interface component, which in turn is attached to the wheel rim skeleton.
Optionally, the rim interface component and the insert component may be attached to the armature in order to form the steering wheel assembly at production or in a workshop. In the same way, it is also possible that a workshop makes the exchange of the rim interface component and/or the insert component in a used vehicle. For vehicles equipped with airbag in the steering wheel, it is advisable to take care, so that the function of the airbag is not disturbed, when exchanging the rim interface component and/or the insert component. It may also be possible for the customer to exchange the rim interface component and/or the insert component himself/herself.
In one embodiment, the rim interface component and the insert component can be attached/released from the rest of the steering wheel assembly on their own, i.e. one component at the time.
In another embodiment, the rim interface component and the insert component are attached/released from the armature together as one unit and then decoupled from each other. In that case the exchange of one or both components is done before coupling them together and once again attaching them to the armature as one unit.
Optionally the rim interface component and/or the insert component are/is visible, as seen when the steering wheel assembly is in use, i.e. as seen from a driver's or passenger's point of view. Both the rim interface component and the insert component may be visible, as seen when the steering wheel assembly is in use.
In an embodiment the rim interface component and/or the insert component essentially covers the wheel rim skeleton, as seen when the steering wheel assembly being in use. Thereby, the wheel rim skeleton is normally not seen. Therefore the wheel rim skeleton can be engineered to have the desired mechanical properties, while the rim interface component and/or the insert component provides the desired visual impression and the grip properties.
In an embodiment, the rim interface component and the insert component have geometrically complementary shapes. By complementary shapes is meant that their geometrical shapes match each other, such that they fit side by side, when attached in the steering wheel assembly. In one embodiment, the rim interface component and the insert component together form at least part of the rim surface of the steering wheel assembly, or even substantially the whole rim surface of the steering wheel assembly. Side by side in that case relates to side by side on the rim of the steering wheel assembly. Since they fit side by side, there are no interspaces, neither any overlap. In another embodiment, side by side may relate to the insert component being attached between the wheel rim and the hub.
In an alternative embodiment, the geometrical shapes of the rim interface component and the insert component may allow at least partial overlap, e.g. the insert component being attached at least partly on top of the rim interface component or vice versa. Also in this embodiment, the rim interface component and the insert component may together form at least part of the rim surface of the steering wheel assembly, or even substantially the whole rim surface of the steering wheel assembly.
The insert component may form at least one extra spoke, but there may also be variants without an extra spoke. As examples 0, 1, 2 or 3 extra spokes may be formed by the insert component. At least one of the extra spokes of the insert component may at least partly cover a spoke of the armature.
The rim interface component may be used to give the steering wheel assembly a special look, e.g. by choice of material, such as leather, wood or polymer, or design, such as sport look.
In an embodiment of the steering wheel assembly according to the invention, the rim interface component and the insert component together form substantially the whole rim surface of the steering wheel assembly, as seen when the steering wheel assembly being in use. The rim interface component and the insert component may together cover the whole circumference of the rim. In an alternative embodiment, the rim interface component itself forms substantially the whole rim surface of the steering wheel assembly.
The insert component may form at least 2%, preferably at least 5% and most preferably at least 10% of the rim surface of the steering wheel assembly, as seen when the steering wheel assembly being in use.
The rim interface component may be formed from several parts, although preferably only one part is used. The rim interface component, if only one is used, or the rim interface components together, if more than one are used, may form between 50% and 100%, preferably between 65% and 98% and most preferably between 80% and 95% of the rim surface of the steering wheel assembly, as seen when the steering wheel assembly being in use.
In an embodiment, the rim interface component may form substantially the whole rim surface of the steering wheel assembly with the insert component being attachable between the rim interface component and the hub of the steering wheel assembly.
The insert component and/or the rim interface component may at least partly cover the hub. In that case, the geometry should preferably, if needed, be prepared for an airbag being mounted on the hub.
The hub may comprise at least one protrusion for facilitating the attachment of the optional at least one extra spoke.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided an insert component for use in a steering wheel assembly according to above.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a rim interface component for use in a steering wheel assembly according to above.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for steering wheel assembly engineering, the system comprising
i armature variants, i being a positive integer
j rim interface component variants, j being a positive integer,
each of the armature variants comprising a hub, a wheel rim skeleton, and at least one spoke connecting the hub with the wheel rim skeleton, and
the rim interface component variants being attachable to the wheel rim skeleton, wherein the system further comprises
k insert component variants, k being a positive integer,
the insert component variants being attachable to the wheel rim skeleton and/or the hub. A selected steering wheel assembly is formed by combining one armature variant with at least one rim interface component variant and at least one insert component variant. The armature variants, the rim interface component variants and the insert component variants have such geometrical shapes, that an armature variant is combinable with more than one rim interface component variant and/or more than one insert component variant in order to form the selected steering wheel assembly. As mentioned above the rim interface component and the insert component may be directly and/or indirectly attached.
In an embodiment of the system for steering wheel engineering, a rim interface component variant is combinable with more than one insert component variant.
In an embodiment of the system for steering wheel engineering, an insert component variant is combinable with more than one rim interface component variant.
In an embodiment of the system for steering wheel engineering, any of the rim interface component variants is combinable with any of the insert component variants, giving j times k different combinations.
The present invention will hereinafter be further explained by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the appended figures wherein:
The invention will, in the following, be exemplified by embodiments. It should however be realized that the embodiments are included in order to explain principles of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims. Details from two or more of the embodiments may be combined with each other. The suggested steering wheels may be used in vehicles or vessels, such as cars, buses, trucks, lorries, ships or boats.
Moreover, as can be gleaned from
In
The insert components 30 may form extra spokes 33 as shown in
Preferably, essentially the whole the wheel rim skeleton 14 is covered by the rim interface component 20 or by the rim interface component 20 together with the insert component 30, such that a user of the vehicle will normally not see the wheel rim skeleton 14.
A system for steering wheel assembly engineering may comprise
i armature variants 10, 110, 210,
j rim interface component variants 20, 120, 220,
k insert component variants 30, 130, 230,
each of i, j, k being a positive integer {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 . . . }.
In
For cost reasons it is normally preferred to keep the number i of armature variants in a certain system for steering wheel assembly engineering low, since it is rather expensive to develop and produce different armature variants. Therefore i may be between 1 and 5, preferably between 1 and 3 and most preferably between 1 and 2. A preferred embodiment using 2 armature variants may have one with small diameter and one with large diameter.
It is relatively inexpensive to develop and produce different interface component variants, as compared to the armature variants. Therefore j may be between 1 and 20, preferably between 2 and 15, and most preferably between 3 and 10. As mentioned above in conjunction with
It is also relatively inexpensive to develop and produce different interface component variants, as compared to the armature variants. Therefore k may be between 1 and 20, preferably between 2 and 15, and most preferably between 3 and 10. Properties such as material, width, no of extra spokes, may be varied independently of each other, giving rise to a great number of different variants.
The theoretical highest number of combinations of the system is i×j×k, that is i times j times k. For a system comprising the variants of
As long as the number of feasible combinations are higher than the total number of components i+j+k, the number of different articles to be handled or stored is lower with the suggested system for steering wheel engineering according to the invention as compared to storing and handling whole steering wheels. Even if the number of feasible combinations would be lower than the total number of components i+j+k, it may still be worthwhile to use the system according to the invention, since individual articles are smaller and lighter than whole steering wheels. Moreover, the system may still provide a cost-efficient solution, even if the number of feasible combinations would be lower than the total number of components i+j+k, since the number i of armature variants may be kept low, while still offering a selection of steering wheels to the customer.
As long as j×k is less than j+k, the number of different articles to be handled or stored is lower with the suggested system for steering wheel engineering according to the invention as compared to storing and handling unitary covers as suggested by prior art.
A particular manufacturer or dealer may choose to only have a subset of the total set, as illustrated for
The armature 10 may further comprise a foamed sheath (not illustrated) formed on the wheel rim skeleton 14. In that case, the foamed sheath may form the basis for the rim interface component 20, i.e. the rim interface component 20 is attached on top of the foamed sheath. By using different designs for the foamed sheath, one wheel rim skeleton 14 may be used to make different armature variants 10, e.g. one with a smaller diameter and one with larger diameter. Smaller and larger here mean in comparison to each other. In that case, the rim interface components 20 need to be adapted, so that they fit on the respective armature variants 10, e.g. by having one subset of rim interface components 20 with a small diameter and one with a large diameter. In such a system, all rim interface components will therefore not fit with all armature variants. However, there should preferably be more than one interface component fitting to each armature variant.
An example of a system using a foamed sheath according to a fourth embodiment of the invention:
Armature: i=2, small and large diameter
Rim interface component: j=6, leather, wood and sport for small and large diameter respectively.
Insert component: k=6, corresponding to the insert components of
Number of possible combinations: 1×3×3+1×3×3=18.
Number of components: 2+6+6=14.
However, in this system, it would be possible to use only one wheel rim skeleton 14. Since the wheel rim skeleton 14 is expensive to develop and/or to produce, the exemplary system is beneficial from a cost point of view.
Further modifications of the invention within the scope of the appended claims are feasible. As such, the present invention should not be considered as limited by the embodiments and figures described herein. Rather, the full scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims, with reference to the description and drawings.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10153666.2 | Feb 2010 | EP | regional |