Steering wheel with horn switch assembly
US5508481A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H3/122
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A motor vehicle steering wheel having a horn switch assembly including a module mounting plate on the steering wheel, a pair of horn contact plates attached to the module mounting plate in plug-in fashion, an occupant restraint module including a module base plate, and a plurality of electrically insulating plastic retainers. Each of the plastic retainers has a plurality of short legs received in keyhole slots in the module base plate and a plurality of long legs received in keyhole slots in the horn contact plates. When the retainers are twisted to locked positions, hooks on the short legs clamp the retainers to the module base plate. In the locked positions of the plastic retainers, the long legs cooperate with the keyhole slots in the horn contact plates in supporting the module base plate on the horn contact plates for in and out movement through a horn sounding stroke. Springs nested in the plastic retainers urge relative separation between the module base plate and the horn contact plates. An inner end of the horn sounding stroke is defined by engagement of the module base plate on the horn contact plates. Hooks on the ends of the long legs arrest relative separation between …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.