Steering wheel unit for a motor vehicle

US6976404B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TRW AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Wolfgang Kerner · Stuttgart, DE
• Martin Kreuzer · Kleinwallstadt, DE
• Anke Nigrin · Ilmenau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 19, 2002
• Grant date: Dec 20, 2005
• Expiry date: Nov 6, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T74/20834
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A steering wheel unit for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, comprises a connection hub which may be non-rotatably connected with a steering shaft of a steering device, a steering wheel rim which is non-rotatably connected with the connection hub by spokes, and a central piece which is mounted by a spacer element to the connection hub so as to be rotatable relative to the steering shaft and the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel unit further comprises a coupling device which arrests the central piece with respect to a rotational movement of the steering wheel rim. The spacer element has a first end which is non-rotatably connected with the central piece, and has a second other end which is rotatably mounted to the connection hub and constructed as a crash element. The crash element fails after a predetermined failure value of a force driving the central piece towards the connection hub. The steering wheel rim is supported by its spokes on the central piece at least in a direction leading from the steering wheel rim to the connection hub and the spokes are rotatably mounted on the central piece in a region of the support.