Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An impact-absorbing steering wheel (100) comprising an energy-absorbing element (102) mounted on the steering wheel (100) in a cavity (104) formed on said steering wheel between the horn pad (106) and a mounting base (108) for said horn pad (106).
2. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cavity (104) is defined within a central beam (108B) of said steering wheel (100).
3. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said energy-absorbing element (102) is a hollow cylinder (102’) having a flange (102”) configured on an operative top edge of said cylinder (102’), said energy-absorbing element (102) being configured to absorb impact applied on said horn pad (106), and further configured to be deformed proportional to the magnitude of said impact.
4. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein a weakened portion is provided in said energy absorbing element (102).
5. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said energy-absorbing element (102) comprises at least a plurality of slots (103A) configured on said cylinder (102’).
6. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one groove (103B) is configured in between adjacent slots (103A) to define said weakened portion on the body of the cylinder (102’).
7. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said energy-absorbing element (102) is of a frangible and energy-absorbing material.
8. The steering wheel (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said energy-absorbing element (102) is of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, composite, fabric, plastic and fiber.
, Description:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of steering wheels of vehicles.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Often during vehicle collisions such as head-on collisions, there is a probability that the driver may hit the steering wheel of the vehicle. Such collisions may cause fatal injuries to the driver or at times injuries like whiplash or broken facial bones, depending on the impact with which the driver hits the steering wheel. To lower the after-effects of the collisions, currently, vehicles are provided with an air bag system and a collapsible steering system. The air bag system is designed to inflate rapidly and then quickly deflate when the driver hits the steering wheel with an impact. On the other hand, the collapsible steering system includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve which compress telescopically on impact. However, the performance of the air bag system and the collapsible steering system is variable at times. Further, the air bag system and collapsible steering system both include a large number of components that are non-reusable, thereby being expensive.
There is therefore felt a need for an impact-absorbing steering wheel that safeguards the driver from injuries.
OBJECT
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an impact-absorbing steering wheel.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an impact-absorbing steering wheel that safeguards a driver of a vehicle from injury.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an impact-absorbing steering wheel that has few components.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an impact-absorbing steering wheel that is cost-effective.
One embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide an impact-absorbing steering wheel that has a simple design.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages an impact-absorbing steering wheel comprising an energy-absorbing element that is mounted on the steering wheel in a cavity which is formed between the horn pad and a mounting base for the horn pad.
In an embodiment, the cavity is defined within a central beam of the steering wheel.
In another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element is a hollow cylinder having a flange configured on an operative top edge of the cylinder. The energy-absorbing element is configured to absorb impact applied on the horn pad. The energy-absorbing element is further configured to be deformed proportional to the magnitude of the impact.
In yet another embodiment, a weakened portion is provided in the energy absorbing element.
In still another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element includes a plurality of slots configured on the cylinder.
In one embodiment, at least one groove is configured in between adjacent slots to define the weakened portion on the body of the cylinder.
In another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element is of a frangible and energy-absorbing material.
In yet another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element is of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, composite, fabric, plastic and fiber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
An impact-absorbing steering wheel of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of the impact-absorbing steering wheel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the steering wheel of Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the steering wheel of Figure 1;
Figure 4 illustrates various configurations of an energy-absorbing element of the steering wheel of Figure 1; and
Figure 5 illustrates various cross-sectional views of the energy-absorbing element of the steering wheel of Figure 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – Impact-absorbing steering wheel
102 – Energy-absorbing element
102A – First embodiment of energy-absorbing element
102B – Second embodiment of energy-absorbing element
102C – Third embodiment of energy-absorbing element
102D – Fourth embodiment of energy-absorbing element
102E – Rectangular cross section of energy-absorbing element
102F – Triangular cross section of energy-absorbing element
102G – Hexagonal cross section of energy-absorbing element
102H – I-section cross section of energy-absorbing element
102I – Irregular cross section of energy-absorbing element
102’ – Cylinder
102’’ – Flange
103A – Slot
103B – Groove
104 – Cavity
106 – Horn pad
106A – Horn pad switches
108 – Mounting base
108A – Rim
108B – Central beam
110 – Central axis
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details, are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element is referred to as being "mounted on," “engaged to,” "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
Currently, vehicles are provided with an air bag system and a collapsible steering system to lower the chances of injury to a driver of the vehicle during collisions. The air bag system is designed to inflate rapidly and then quickly deflate when the driver hits the steering wheel with an impact. Conversely, the collapsible steering system includes inner and outer sleeves that compress telescopically when the magnitude of the impact exceeds a certain predetermined magnitude. However, both the air bag system and the collapsible steering system include a large number of components which are non-reusable and are expensive.
A preferred embodiment of an impact-absorbing steering wheel (100) of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 1 through Figure 5.
The impact-absorbing steering wheel (100) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the impact-absorbing steering wheel 100’) comprises an energy-absorbing element (102) that is mounted on the steering wheel (100), typically in a cavity (104) formed between the horn pad (106) and a mounting base (108) for the horn pad (106).
The steering wheel is defined by a rim (108A) and a central beam (108B). The cavity (104) is defined within the central beam (108B) of the steering wheel (100). The energy-absorbing element (102) is secured between the horn pad (106) and the mounting base (108) for the horn pad (106).
The energy-absorbing element (102) is defined by a hollow cylinder (102’) having a flange (102”) configured on an operative top edge of the cylinder (102’). The energy-absorbing element (102) is disposed in the cavity (104) in such a way that an operative top edge of the flange (102”) is in contact with the operative base of the hornpad (106). The energy-absorbing element (102) is configured to absorb the energy with which the impact is applied on the horn pad (106). The energy-absorbing element (102) is further configured to be deformed proportional to the magnitude of the impact. More specifically, once the value of the impact exceeds a predetermined magnitude, the energy-absorbing element (102) deforms on the impact.
In one embodiment, a weakened portion is provided in said energy absorbing element (102). In another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element (102) comprises a plurality of slots (103A) configured on the cylinder (102’). In yet another embodiment, at least one groove (103B) is provided in between adjacent slots (103A) to define the weakened portion on the body of the cylinder (102’) that facilitates deformation of the energy-absorbing element (102) in a controlled manner.
In another embodiment, the dimension of the groove (103B) is 1.5mm x 3mm with a groove angle of 45 degrees. In yet another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element (102) comprises two pairs of slots (103A) configured along the periphery of the cylinder (102A’).
In an embodiment, the hornpad (106) and the energy-absorbing element (102) have a thickness of 3mm. To accommodate the energy-absorbing element (102) in the mounting cavity (104), the horn pad (106) is elevated by 23mm from the central axis (110) in the horizontal plane.
Further, horn pad switches (106A) are mounted on the dog house (not specifically labelled in figures) of the steering wheel (100) to compensate for the increase in the height of the hornpad (106) from the central axis (110).
The energy-absorbing element (102) is of a frangible and energy-absorbing material. The frangible and energy-absorbing material facilitates disintegration of the energy-absorbing element (102) when the magnitude of the impact absorbed by the energy-absorbing element (102) exceeds a predetermined value.
In an embodiment, the energy-absorbing element (102) is of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, composite, fabric, plastic and fiber. In another embodiment, the energy-absorbing element (102) is of hot isostatically pressed fiber reinforced composite (HIP 8015 FRC).
The impact-absorbing steering wheel (100) of the present disclosure has a simple design and contains less number of components as compared to the conventionally employed systems, thereby being a cost-effective solution for lowering the probability of injuries caused to a driver due to collisions, as compared to the conventional systems.
Figure 4 illustrates various configurations of the energy-absorbing element (102). The first embodiment of the energy-absorbing element (102A) is a hollow cylinder (102’) having a flange (102”) configured on the operative top edge of the cylinder (102’). The second embodiment of the energy-absorbing element (102B) is a hollow cylinder (102’) defined by a pair of slots (103A) and a groove (103B) configured along the periphery of the cylinder (102’), and having a flange (102”) configured on the operative top edge of the cylinder (102’). The third embodiment of the energy-absorbing element (102C) is a hollow cylinder (102’) defined by two pairs of slots (103A) and a groove (103B) configured along the periphery of the cylinder (102’), and having a flange (102”) configured on the operative top edge of the cylinder (102’). The fourth embodiment of the energy-absorbing element (102D) is a hollow cylinder (102’) defined by a pair of grooves (103B) configured along the periphery of the cylinder (102’), and having a flange (102”) configured on the operative top edge of the cylinder (102’).
Figure 5 illustrates various cross sectional views of the energy-absorbing element (102) which could be of a rectangular shape (102E), a triangular shape (102F), a hexagonal shape (102G), an I-sectional shape (102H) or any irregular shape (102I).
In an exemplary embodiment, various iterations were tested to find an appropriate configuration of the energy-absorbing element (102). The first iteration included only a foam base (not specifically shown in figures) having diameter of 36 mm and thickness of 65 mm, secured beneath the horn pad (106) in the cavity (104) for the mounting base (108). However, the energy absorption property of the foam base was not adequate enough to absorb the impact.
In a second iteration, a hornpad (not specifically shown in figures) composed of a frangible and energy-absorbing material was mounted on the mounting base (108). Although the hornpad did absorb the impact to some extent, the impact absorbed by the hornpad of the second iteration was not enough to prevent an injury to the driver in case of collisions.
In a third iteration, it was observed that the energy-absorbing element (102) of the present disclosure met the necessary requirement of fully absorbing the impact.
In a fourth iteration, it was observed that the energy-absorbing element (102) having at least one pair of slots (103A) and a groove (103B) configured on the periphery of the energy-absorbing element (102) also fully absorbed the impact, so as to prevent injury to the driver at the time of collision.
Hence, it was concluded from the iterations that the energy-absorbing element (102) of the present disclosure is effective in absorbing the impact with which the driver hits the steering wheel during collisions, and thus in lowering the probabilities of injury to the driver.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an impact-absorbing steering wheel, that:
• lowers the probability of injury to a driver of a vehicle;
• has less number of components;
• has a simple design; and
• is cost-effective.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.