Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
i 3 ~
This invention relates to a multi-function steering
mechanism for a motor vehicle.
For a considerable period it has been the practice to
mount control dev;ces for various functions on a
conventional steering column. There is J however, a
practical limit to the number of manually actuable
switches which may be conveniently disposed on the
steering column.
Attempts have been made to dispose such switches on
the steering wheel itself. The vehicle horn has, for
example, been disposed centrally in the steering wheel
when it is not disposed on a column projecting therefrom.
When only one such device is used, or even more than one
device, conventional slip rings and wiper devices such
as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,157,854 issued
June 12, 1979 to Beauch may be used to convey
electricity between the non- rotatable support column and
the rotatable steering shaft on wheel for each device.
When more than a very few switches are to be used, each
controlling a different function, the slip ring
arrangement becomes impracticable due to the limit on the
number of slip rings which may be disposed between the
steering wheel and the support column.
Since non-rotatable display panels within the
periphery of the steering wheel are very desirable both
from a design point of view and for practicality,
numerous attempts have been made to solve the problems
presented. The solutions provided have generally been
electrically complex and sophisticated.
For example~ US Patent No. 4~616,224 issued October
7th 1986 to Reighard discloses a transmitter/receiver
r. ~
- 2 - ~31~3~
pair to convey information relative to the operation of
devices between the steering wheel and support column; US
Patent No. 4,456,903 issued June 26th 1984 to Kishi et
al discloses an optical signal transmission system; US
Patent No. 4,438,425 issued March 20th 1984 to Tsuchida
et al and US Patent No. 4,321,474 issued March 23, 1982
to Tanaka et al discloses multiplexing signals from
switches on the steering wheel and a light emitting
device to generate a signal in response to the
multiplexed output signal, a decoder unit being provided
to decode the output signal of the light emitting device;
and US Patent 4,635,029 issued January 6th 1987 to Yamada
again utilises light to transmit information between a
stationary unit and a control board mounted on a steering
wheel, light emitting and receiving means being provided
on each of the statutory unit and the control board. Such
electrical systems may be complex, expensive and
sophisticated.
Various mechanical devices may be utilised to
maintain a display panel central of the steering wheel
non-rotatable with respect thereto. US Patent No.
4,368,454, for example, discloses one such system.
An attempt has now been made to devise a simple
mechanical system utilising direct connection of wiring to
a non-rotatable display panel within the periphery of the
steering wheel, with a view to providing an inexpensive
robust alternative to the various remotely operated
systems referred to.
Thus, accordingly, the invention provides, in a motor
vehicle, a multi-function steering mechanism comprising a
rotatable steering member supported rotatably on a non-
rotatable support column, the steering wheel being in
steering connection with at least one road wheel of the
motor vehicle through a steering shaft parallel with and
i 3 ~
off-set from the support shaft; a display panel being
located within the periphery of the steering wheel and
being non-rotatably mounted on the support column; and a
wiring truss running within the support column,
individual wires of which wiring truss are directly
connected to individual units of -the display panel.
The support column to hold the display panel
stationary may comprise a fixed column which may be
tubular to house the wiring truss at least over part of
its length. The display panel may incluide a recess to
house an air bag in a collapsed state, the air bag being
inflatable by activating means to inflate to emerge from
the recess. The inflated air bag may act to prevent the
driver falling forward in the event of a crash. The
rotatable steering wheel member may comprise a
cylindrical hub, an inner surface of which is journalled
on the column for rotation.
The rotatable steering wheel member may be connected
through gearing to a steering shaft axial with said
steering wheel. The gearing may comprise an intermediate
gear shaft meshing at one end with an outer geared
surface of the cylindrical hub and, at the other end,
with an enlarged geared end of the steering shaft.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by
way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an illustration showing the line of sight
of a driver both through a car windscreen and to a
multifunction steering mechanism embodying the invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional v~ew through
a steering mechanism embodying the invention;
~3~g~
. Figure 3 is a vertical cross sec-tional view through
-similar steering rnechanism but having a display screen
located on a housing of the steering column; and
` Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view through
a different steering mechanism embodying the invention.
.,
~` In the drawings a steering wh.eel number lO is
~` rotatably journalled on a support shaft 12. The su~port
` shaft may be fixed at a lower end 13 on any suitable part
i of the automobile and may carry the steering wheel at an
.` 10 upper end 15. The shaft 12 is hollow to carry a wiring
truss 17 to a display panel 14 which is mounted at one
. end of the support column 12 to lie within the periphery
' of the steering wheel 10. Thus wires from the display
panel 14 lead continuously from the respective swi-tch or
r 15 display unit on the display panel to the respective
. controller/controlled unit with which they are
` associated.
:,
. The steering wheel may be of any convenient shape
' 20 but is conveniently circular and dished through a dish 16
which may be a continuous surface or comprise one or more
. spokes so that a front face of the display panel 14 is
either flush with or slightly recessed from the plane of
~;the steering wheel lO. The steering wheel lO is provided
25 with a hub 18 journalled onto support column 12 by
bearings 20. An outer cylindrical surface of hub 18 is
geared to mesh with corresponding gearing on an end 22 of
an elongate steering shaft 24.
The end 22 may be enlarged with respect to the shaft
, 30 to provide for good engagement with the gearing of the
outer cylindrical surf'ace of hub 18. The gearing between
hub 18 and end 22 of shaft 24 may be of any suitable
type, f'or example toothed gearing, and will not be
described in detail. Steering shaft 24 is ro-tatable about
-- 5 --
its longitudinal axis in bearings 26, 28 by rotation of
the steering wheel 10 and hub 18 such that the gearing on
the outer surface of the hub 18 meshes with the gearing
on the end 22 of the steering shaft 24 to turn it. The
bearings 26, 28 are conveniently carried on support
column 12. The lower end 27 of steering shaft 24 may be
similarly geared to a head 29 of a main steering shaft 30
coaxial with the support column l2 and hence with
steering wheel 10. By this means, an angle of turn of
steering wheel lQ may provide a similar degree of turn in
main steering shaft 30.
This may be a convenience in fitting steering
mechanism according to the invention into an automobile
which has been designed for coaxial operation of steering
wheel and steering shaft. However, in principle) it is
not of importance whether the lower end 27 of steering
shaft 24 is geared to the head 29 of drive shaft 30, or
whether drive shaft 24 replaces steering shaft 30 to
actuate further conventional mechanism to translate
turning motion of steering wheel 10 to turn road wheels
of an automobile.
Since support column 12 is stationary, the wiring
truss 17 or parts of it may be led out of it at any
convenient point. For example, as shown, the wiring
truss may be led out of the support column 12 via port 32
forward of a dividing wall 34 between the driving
compartment 35 and the engine compartment 36. Once in
the engine compartment or other location such as that
shielded from the driving compartment by the dash board.
The wiring truss 17 may be divided into smaller trusses
or individual wires which may then be led in different
directions to their destinations.
At least within the driving compartment 35, it may be
convenient to enclose the support column 12 and the drive
- 6 -
shaft 12 within a housing 38. When the steering wheel lO
is journalled for rotation on support column 12, as shown
in Figure 2, there is no reason why housing 38 must be of
circular cross-section. Indeed it may 'be as shown in
5 Figure l of almost pear-shaped cross-section wit'h the
steering shaft 24 located in the small end of the pear.
At the lower end the housing 38 may be connected with the
dividing wall 34 between the driver compartment and the
engine compartment. Alternatively, :it may pass through
the wall 34 and terminate at any convenient point. At
its upper end the housing 38 must terminate without
fouling rotation of steering wheel lO. Figures 2, 3 and
4 show the upper end of housing 38 terminating abruptly
just short of spokes 16 of wheel lO. However, any
arrangement that does not foul the rotation of wheel lO
may be envisaged.
In particular, as shown in Figure 4, shows an
embodiment in which the rotation of wheel to is journalled
on the housing instead of on the support column 12, and
in this case, bearings 26, 28 may be carried on the
housing 38. It is therefore possible to make support
column 12 less robust since its only function is to house
wiring truss 17 and to carry display panel 14. However,
in this case, the housing 38 must be of circular
25 cross-section, at least internally, for rotation of the
hub l 8.
The display panel 14 may have a circular periphery
and may take up effectively all the space within the
periphery of steering wheel lO. However, it may be
30 preferred that a portion of the space within the steering
wheel lO be left unobstructed for the location of a
recessed screen 40, within the periphery of the steering
wheel and set back from it to be free of glare. Such
screen is shown diagrammatically in Figure l in line of
35 sight with the driver's eye 41. In Figure 1 and Figures 2
- 7 ~ ~ ~8g3 ~
_
and 4 the screen is set in a top recess of display panel
14 towards the deepest part of dish of steering wheel 10.
The forwardly projecting part of the dish which in -this
case is preferably a continuous surface, acts as the light
r 5 shielding hood 42, so that light does not interfere badly
with any display on the screen.
It may be provided with hood 42 to shield the
screen from glare. Since not all drivers are of the same
height, it will be necessary to provide adjustment means
10 for screen 40 so that it is comfortably viewable for all
drivers. Such as by providing means for tilting the
steering wheel, adjustment means may be conventional, and
do not themselves form part of the invention and will not
be discussed in detail. It is appropriate to comment here
15 that tilting of the steering wheel 10 for the embodiment
of Figure 2 may easily be accomplished by provision of
coordinating tile joints in both the support column 12 and
the steering sharft 24.
It may be convenient that the hood 42 and scrren 40
20 screen be carried by the steering column housing 38 by,
for example J as shown in Figure 3. Adjustment of the
screen may by adjustment means (not shown) between housing
38 and hood 42. In this case the dish 16 of wheel 10 may
preferably be a single spoke, located at the bottom of
25 the wheel 10 in the straight steering position. Such a
spoke is less likely to obscure the view of display screen
14 or turning the wheel 10. The screen 40 may be used for
the display of information such as maps, directions and
the like, the actual display being provided from a video
30 tape or other display means.
The display panel 14 shown in Figure l may
conveniently have control switches 44 around its
periphery so that they are within easy reach of the
driver's fingers. Moreover, a car telephone may have a
35 telephone instrument 50 hengedly mounted on the display
- 8 - ~ 3~ ~$~3
panel as a speaker phone. In a "hung-up" position for non-
use the instrument lies flat against the diplay panel 14.
When it is desired for use, it may be hung downwardly to
take it o~f -the hook and be available to receive and
transmit. A diali,ng pad 52 may be loaded adjacent. Behind
display panel 1~ an air bag 39 may be tightly packed
between the panel 14 and dish 16. A recess at the bottom
of the display panel allows the inflating bag to ~low into
the driving commpartment to act as a safety cushion in the
event of a crash or sudden stop. Actuation of inflation or
flow into the driver compartment may be either
automatically activated by sudden deceleration ,or by
manual actuation. However, it is to be understood that
the illustrat;on is in no way intended to limit the form
of the display panel which may be designed in various
forms depending on the information which is to be
displayed and the control switches which are to be
carried thereon.
