1. TECHNICAL FIELD
The disclosure relates to a steering wheel for steering a vehicle.
2. RELATED ART
There are steering wheels employing a deformable metal core structure to ensure the safety of the driver in the event of a vehicular collision or the like. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-98713 proposes a steering wheel configured such that for example, the metal core of a rim forming the steering wheel's rotary periphery is deformed in the opposite direction from the driver in the event of a vehicular collision or the like so that the impact on the driver hit against the rim can be absorbed and relaxed.
The above steering wheel is a so-called three-spoke type steering wheel having three spokes. Of the three spokes, a pair of spokes joined to the rim in the right-left direction (corresponding to the ring portion in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-98713) each has a first predetermined deformation portion capable of torsional deformation and a second predetermined deformation portion capable of torsional deformation upon self-alignment. They are configured such that switch operation portions arranged on the spokes on the front side can easily follow displacement of the rim upon self-alignment.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds