Patent Application
20070151405
This invention relates generally to steering wheels for motor vehicles and, more particularly, to heated steering wheels such as heated steering wheel assemblies that contain one or more thermostats or other regulators that need be in contact with an associated heating element.
Under common cold ambient conditions, a steering wheel for a motor vehicle can become sufficiently cold so as to cause or result in discomfort to a driver, particularly in those instances where the driver is seeking to steer the vehicle without the benefit of gloves or other desired hand covering. Alternatively, a driver wearing gloves designed to provide protection against the cold may experience an undesired reduction in manual dexterity and, subsequently, an undesired reduction in vehicle control. Thus, the inclusion of a heated steering wheel can desirably increase or improve the comfort of a driver as well as facilitate vehicle steering and operation. Moreover, the inclusion of a heated steering wheel can serve as a desirable point of product differentiation as compared to otherwise similarly equipped automobiles. For these and other reasons apparent to those skilled in the art, heated steering wheels are a vehicle feature that has experienced significant and rapid growth in popularity.
Various means are available for the control of heating temperature. One typically cost effective technique for the control of heating temperature is through the incorporation and use of a thermostat. Unfortunately, the inclusion of components, such as thermostats, to effect desired control of associated heating elements can present various design challenges, particularly in motor vehicle applications. For example, for reasons of aesthetics it may be desired to minimize the visual impression of the presence of steering wheel heating features. In particular, it may be desired to incorporate control features, such as a thermostat, and associated wiring and interconnections in such a way that they normally can remain undetected, visually and/or tactually, by an ultimate user. To this end, it is common for a heated steering wheel assembly to have components such as a thermostat, associated wiring and interconnections covered or disposed below a selected steering wheel cover element. In addition, appearance or otherwise cosmetic concerns such as read through (e.g., where shapes or features disposed below such a cover element can be relatively easily discerned from a viewing of the front side of the cover element) are sought to be avoided.
Thus, there has been a need and a demand for heated steering wheel assemblies wherein component parts such as thermostats, wiring and associated interconnections can be more simply and effectively mounted and in such a way that they can effectively avoid detection, either visually or tactually, by the final user, e.g., the vehicle driver.
A general object of the invention is to provide an improved heated steering wheel assembly.
A more specific objective of the invention is to overcome one or more of the problems described above.
The general object of the invention can be attained, at least in part, through a thermostat-containing assembly for use in a heated steering wheel assembly. In general, such a heated steering wheel assembly includes a vehicular steering wheel having a hub portion and a peripheral portion including a rim and at least one spoke joining the hub with the rim. The heated steering wheel assembly also includes a heating element disposed about the rim in heat transfer communication therewith. The thermostat-containing assembly includes a retainer device having a shaped body including a first thermostat retention aperture and at least one wiring retention channel. The body of the retainer device is desirably shaped to conform to a retainer-accepting region in the peripheral portion of the steering wheel. The thermostat-containing assembly also includes a first thermostat disposed within the first thermostat retention aperture. The first thermostat has or includes a thermostatically sensitive portion in thermal contact with the heating element. The thermostat-containing assembly further includes electrical wiring disposed within the wiring retention channel and operationally joining the first thermostat with an electric power source and the heating element.
The prior art generally fails to provide heat steering wheel assemblies wherein component parts such as thermostats, wiring and associated interconnections can be mounted as simply and effectively as may be desired and in such a way that they can effectively avoid detection, either visually or tactually, by the final user, e.g., the vehicle driver.
The invention further comprehends a thermostat-containing assembly for use in a heated steering wheel assembly. The heated steering wheel assembly includes a vehicular steering wheel having a hub portion and a peripheral portion that includes a rim and at least one spoke joining the hub with the rim. The steering wheel has a driver-facing side and an opposed vehicle-facing side. The heated steering wheel assembly further includes a heating element disposed about the rim in heat transfer communication therewith and a steering wheel cover element disposed about the rim in covering relationship with the heating element. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the thermostat-containing assembly includes a retainer device having a shaped body including first and second thermostat retention apertures and at least one wiring retention channel. The retainer device body is desirably shaped to conform to a retainer-accepting region in the peripheral portion on the vehicle-facing side of the steering wheel. The thermostat-containing assembly further includes a first thermostat disposed within the first thermostat retention aperture and a second thermostat disposed within the second thermostat retention aperture. Each of the first and second thermostats includes a thermostatically sensitive portion in thermal contact with the heating element. The thermostat-containing assembly further includes electrical wiring disposed within the wiring retention channel and operationally joining each of the first and second thermostats with an electric power source and the heating element.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended claims and drawings.
The present invention provides a thermostat-containing assembly for use in a heated steering wheel assembly. As will be appreciated, the present invention may be embodied in a variety of different structures. As representative,
The heated steering wheel assembly 10 includes a vehicular steering wheel 12 having a hub portion 14 and a peripheral portion 16 including a rim 20 and spokes 22, individually designated as spokes 24, 25, and 26, respectively, joining the hub 14 with the rim 20. While the heated steering wheel assembly 10 has been shown as including three spokes 22, those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided will appreciate that steering wheel assemblies in accordance with the invention will desirably include at least one and most commonly at least two spokes 22, the broader practice of the invention is not necessarily limited by the number of spokes included in the steering wheel. The steering wheel 12 has a driver-facing side, generally designated by the reference numeral 30 and an opposed vehicle-facing side, generally designated by the reference numeral 32 and shown in
A thermostat-containing assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral 40, in combination with a heating element carrier 42 and including a heating element 43 such as in the form of a resistance heating wire, such as for placement onto the steering wheel 12, is shown laid out in plan view isolation in
The retainer device 44 has a shaped body portion 46 including a first thermostat retention aperture 50, a second thermostat retention aperture 52 and one or more wiring retention channels 54. The retainer device 44, in accordance with one preferred embodiment, includes a peripheral flange 56 such as disposed at peripheral surface edge 60 thereof.
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Those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided will appreciate that such thermostat-containing assemblies, in accordance with the invention, desirably can be formed as a subassembly prior to attachment to or with a heating element and subsequent installation in or to a vehicle steering wheel. As a result, such a subassembly can desirably significantly simplify and reduce the cost normally associated with the vehicular installation of a heated steering wheel.
In the heated steering wheel assembly 10, the heating element carrier 42 is disposed about the rim 20 (shown in
The retainer device shaped body 92 includes a steering wheel substrate adjacent surface 102 and an opposed steering wheel cover adjacent surface 104. The retainer device shaped body 92 additionally includes at least one and, in the illustrated embodiment two, retention arms 106 and 110, respectively, extending from the steering wheel substrate adjacent surface 102. The retention arms 106 and 110 are desirably adapted to join the retainer device 90 with an associated steering wheel via a snap-lock connection. For example, as shown, the retention arms 106 and 110 may desirably incorporate, include or have barbs or the like, designated by the reference numeral 114. Such barbs in turn are adapted to engage with openings or cavities provided in an associated steering wheel rim, or spoke material such as to further secure the retainer to the steering wheel and assist in minimizing or avoiding bridging of the associated steering wheel cover element, particularly in the case of a leather steering wheel cover element.
While the invention has been described above making specific reference to embodiments incorporating two thermostats, those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein will appreciate that, if desired, the invention can be practiced with embodiments incorporating a single thermostat. Alternatively, if desired, the invention may also be practiced with embodiments employing three or more thermostats.
From the above it will be appreciated that the invention provides heat steering wheel assemblies wherein component parts such as thermostats, wiring and associated interconnections can be mounted in a simple and effective manner and in such a way that they can effectively avoid detection, either visually or tactually, by the final user, e.g., the vehicle driver. In particular, the thermostats, wiring and associated interconnections are mounted or disposed in a specifically designed retainer device having a shaped body including a thermostat retention aperture and a wiring retention channel and the body is shaped to conform to a retainer-accepting region in a peripheral portion of an associated steering wheel.
The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element, part, step, component, or ingredient which is not specifically disclosed herein.
While in the foregoing detailed description this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.
