Steering wheel assembly for vehicles
US4590340A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 1985 |
| Grant date | May 20, 1986 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 29, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/20834
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An automotive steering wheel assembly has a metallic core and an outer covering of a molded soft plastic material in which switch-receiving recesses are formed for horn switch assemblies each including a base of a hard plastic material, a plastic switch button movably mounted on the base and carrying a movable contact thereon and springs disposed between the switch button and the base. The assembly is inserted into an associated recess and secured to a bracket with a stationary contact disposed in alignment with the movable contact and held between the bracket and the base. The bracket is secured to the metallic core of the steering wheel. The base is so shaped and sized as to be press-fitted into the recess to slightly outwardly deform the surrounding inner peripheral surface of the recess in the plastic outer covering to thereby prevent the occurrence of substantial dimensional change of the recess which would otherwise be caused by thermal deformation of the plastic outer covering during operation of the steering wheel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.