The steering wheel in a vehicle includes a frame, an attachment support movable between a rest position and a depressed position, and an element for guiding the attachment support. The element for guiding the attachment support includes a first guiding part and a second guiding part. Further, the steering wheel includes an electrical circuit part with at least one switch having a first contact terminal, a second contact terminal, a resilient return element, and deformable damping element. In addition, the second guiding part includes a push interface for receiving the return force of the resilient return element. The push interface is arranged between the resilient return element and the damping element, and the second contact terminal is supported by the second guiding part.

A method and an apparatus for generating a horn actuation signal. A load cell is placed inside a steering wheel, which changes its resistance when being stressed or deformed by a force transmitting part of the steering wheel. An actual voltage (V.sub.a) depending on the resistance of the load cell is measured and the horn actuation signal is generated based on the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a). The actual voltage (V.sub.a) depends additionally to the resistance of the load cell and on an adjustable voltage (V.sub.ad) generated by an adjustable voltage generation unit. Additionally, the result of the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a) is permanently compared to a defined value, and the adjustable voltage (V.sub.ad) is adjusted in response to the difference between the result of the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a) and the defined value at least as long as no horn actuation signal is generated, such that closed circuit for controlling the actual voltage (V.sub.a) is provided.

The vehicle occupancy reminder is configured for use with a vehicle that is further defined with a vehicle engine control unit (VECU) that generates an ignition off signal and a door open signal. The vehicle occupancy reminder monitors the vehicle for a passenger in a child safety seat. The vehicle occupancy reminder generates a plurality of alarms when: a) a passenger is detected in the child safety seat after the VECU has transmitted an ignition off signal to the vehicle occupancy reminder; or, b) a passenger is detected in the child safety seat after the VECU has transmitted a door open signal to the vehicle occupancy reminder. When the vehicle occupancy reminder detects a selected alarm condition alarm condition, the vehicle occupancy reminder generates a plurality of visual, audible, and tactile alarms that alert an appropriate authority that a selected alarm condition has occured.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle steering wheel comprising a horn device, the steering wheel comprising: •—a frame (1), •—an attachment support (2) movable between a rest position and a depressed position, •—means for guiding the attachment support, comprising a first guiding part (8, 81), and a second guiding part (7), •—an electrical circuit part with at least one switch comprising a first contact terminal (3), and a second contact terminal (4), •—resilient return means (9), •—deformable damping means (5), •—the second guiding part comprising a push interface (71) for receiving the return force of the resilient return means, characterized: •—in that the push interface is arranged between the resilient return means and the damping means, and •—in that the second contact terminal is supported by the second guiding part.

A steering switch device, which is mounted on a steering wheel, includes a linear switch that includes a hollow insulator having restorability and two electrode wires arranged spirally along an inner surface of a hollow part in the hollow insulator while being kept not in contact with each other, wherein a winding pitch coiling spirally the electrode wires is at least not more than 10 mm, and a detecting device that detects a press of the linear switch by sensing a contact of the electrode wires. The linear switch is arranged so as to be along at least part of a surface of the steering wheel.

This steering equipment component is retained on a steering wheel main unit (4) by a lock portion when, at the time of its attachment, pushed in the steering wheel main unit (4) by a predetermined stroke or longer. The steering wheel main unit (4) and the steering equipment component are each provided with an energizing portion, and the energizing portions energize a horn circuit (38) through their mutual contact. In attaching the steering equipment component, the energizing portions are configured to be in contact connection to each other until the steering equipment component is pushed in by the predetermined stroke or longer, and the contact connection between the energizing portions is configured to be interrupted when the steering equipment component is pushed in by the predetermined stroke or longer.

The present invention provides a horn system (1) for a vehicle, comprising an airbag module (7) and a cover (3) for receiving and covering the airbag module (7), wherein the cover (3) is moveable relative to the airbag module (7), and a horn circuit (17) for producing a warning signal in response to moving the cover (3) relative to the airbag module (7). The horn system according to the present invention is characterised in that it comprises at least one conductive element (21, 22) attached to a housing (8) of the airbag module (7) and displaceable between an assembling position and a holding position, wherein the conductive element (21, 22) is configured to interact with the cover (3) in the holding position.

A steering wheel for vehicle having a steering column includes a steering wheel main body and a horn control assembly. The steering wheel main body includes a pressing portion, a handle and at least one connection portion. The handle is disposed around the pressing portion. The connection portion connects the handle to the pressing portion. The horn control assembly includes a pressure sensing module, a control module and a horn. The pressure sensing module is disposed at the pressing portion for sensing the pressed status of the pressing portion and outputting a pressure sensing signal. The control module is configured to have preset pressure ranges and connected to the pressure sensing module. The preset pressure ranges correspond to multiple volume levels of the horn. The control module receives the pressure sensing signal and compares it with the preset pressure ranges to control the volume of the horn to sound.

The invention relates to a vehicle horn operating device comprising: a steering wheel skeleton structure, a support for a portion of an electric horn circuit comprising a first electrical contact point, an operating component comprising a second contact point, the operating component being able to move between a rest position and a depressed position; in the rest position, the second contact point is kept in contact with the first contact point by a spring element, the first contact point forming a first end stop for the operating component, wherein the device comprises—operating-component retaining elements arranged in such a way as to form a second end stop in the event of loading that causes the operating component to move beyond the first end stop.

Provided are a horn switch and steering wheel capable of reducing a space for the horn switch. A horn switch 4 includes: a guide pin 41 provided with a first end part 411 axially slidably connected to a first opening 211 of a core metal 2, and a second end part 412 disposed to be locked to a second opening 322 of an airbag module 3; a stopper 42 provided with a flange part 421 fixed to the shaft part of the guide pin 41; a damper 43 disposed in a space between the second end part 412 and the flange part 421 and locked to the inner edge of the second opening 322; a horn spring 45 disposed between the flange part 421 and the core metal 2; a fixed-side contact 46 disposed in the core metal 2; and a movable-side contact 47 disposed in the airbag module 3.