Abstract
Provided is a vehicle steering wheel cover that is easy to be produced and that does not take much time to be attached to a steering wheel. The vehicle steering wheel cover is a ring-shape tube, and is provided with a slit formed so as to be fitted to the steering wheel along the inner circumference inside the ring-shaped tube. The hardness of material of a part of the tube is lower than the hardness of material of the other parts thereof.
Claims
1. A vehicle steering wheel cover, the vehicle steering wheel cover being a ring-shape tube and comprising a slit formed so as to fit the steering wheel along an inner circumference inside the ring-shape tube, wherein hardness of material of a part of the tube is lower than hardness of material of other parts of the tube, wherein when the vehicle steering wheel cover is fitted to the steering wheel, the part of the ring-shape tube is located on a back side part of the steering wheel.
2. (canceled)
3. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein the part of the ring-shape tube is a lower-half of the steering wheel.
4. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of material of the part of the ring-shape tube is approximately 55 degrees (±5 degrees) to approximately 60 degrees (±5 degrees).
5. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 4, wherein the hardness of material of the other parts of the ring-shape tube is approximately 70 degrees (±5 degrees) to approximately 75 degrees (±5 degrees).
6. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 5, wherein the material of the other parts of the ring-shape tube is approximately 70 degrees.
7. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the ring-shape tube is approximately 2.5 (±0.5 mm) to approximately 3.5 mm (±0.5 mm).
8. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the ring-shape tube is approximately 3.5 mm (±0.5 mm).
9. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the ring-shape tube is reticulated.
10. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein the ring-shape tube is covered with circular fabric and the circular fabric is sewn into the ring-shape tube.
11. The vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 10, wherein circular sponge is sewn inside the circular fabric.
12. A method for producing the vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 1, the method comprising: a step of producing a ring-shape tube using a material with varying hardness; and a step of providing a slit along an inner circumference of the ring-shape tube.
13. The method for producing the vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 12, further comprising: a step of cutting fabric; a step of sewing the cut fabric into a circular shape; and a step of covering the ring-shape tube with the circular fabric and sewing the fabric into the ring-shape tube.
14. The method for producing the vehicle steering wheel cover according to claim 12, further comprising: a step of cutting sponge; a step of sewing the cut sponge into a circular shape; and a step of sewing the circular sponge inside the circular fabric before covering the tube-shape tube with the circular fabric.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle steering wheel cover according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to a steering wheel.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the vehicle steering wheel cover according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front side.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the vehicle steering wheel cover according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the back side.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a ring-shape tube of the vehicle steering wheel cover according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front side.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the vehicle steering wheel cover according to the embodiment of the present invention where part of the back side with low hardness is shaded in diagonal.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a VI-VI cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 with the lower part indicating the embodiment where there is a mesh inside the ring-shape tube.
[0029] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a part of the ring-shape tube and a slit.
[0030] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating fabric before cutting.
[0031] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating sponge before cutting.
[0032] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a step of sewing circular fabric and circular sponge overlapping.
[0033] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a step of sewing the fabric sewn into the ring-shape tube and the sponge together.
[0034] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating test results when the thickness and hardness of the ring-shape tube are changed.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0035] FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIG. 7 are referred to first. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle steering wheel cover 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to a steering wheel 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the vehicle steering wheel cover 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front side and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the vehicle steering wheel cover 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the back side. FIG. 4 is a ring-shape tube 3 of the vehicle steering wheel cover 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a part of the ring-shape tube 3 and a slit 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] The ring-shape tube 3 is made of resin such as rubber (natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, acrylonitrile rubber, butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, fluorine rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber or the like) and is also called a “core material.” As described above, the vehicle steering wheel cover 1 is the ring-shape tube 3 and is provided with the slit 4 formed so as to fit the steering wheel 2 along the inner circumference inside the ring-shape tube 3 (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 7). The hardness of material of a part of the ring-shape tube 3 is lower than the hardness of material of the other parts of the tube. According to the embodiment, the part with low hardness, which is a part of the ring-shape tube 3 (low hardness (part) 5) is the back side part of the steering wheel (see FIG. 3) when the vehicle steering wheel cover 1 is attached to the steering wheel 2. According to the embodiment, the part with low hardness, which is a part of the ring-shape tube 3 (low hardness (part) 5) is the back side part of the steering wheel and a lower-half of the steering wheel (see FIG. 3).
[0037] Next, FIG. 12 is referred to. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating test results when the thickness and hardness of the ring-shape tube 3 are changed. It describes an attaching time to the steering wheel depending on the thickness, hardness (other parts), low hardness (part) 5 of the ring-shape tube 3 and comments regarding the attachment, and this makes it possible to know which combination of thickness and hardness is appropriate. According to this, when the thickness is 3.5 mm (tolerance±0.5 mm) and the hardness (other parts) is 70 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees), low hardness (part) is 55 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees) to 60 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees), it is seen that when the attaching time is 15 seconds, the attachment to the steering wheel 2 is also firm and it is hard to slip. The experiment results show that according to the embodiment, the hardness of material of a part of the ring-shape tube 3 is approximately 55 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees) to approximately 60 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees). Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the hardness of material of the other parts of the ring-shape tube 3 is approximately 70 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees) to approximately 75 degrees (tolerance±5 degrees). As described above, the hardness of material of the other parts of the ring-shape tube is optimally approximately 70 degrees in the embodiment. Note that the hardness is defined according to a method defined in JIS K6253-3:2012 (vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic rubber—How to obtain hardness—Part III: durometer hardness). According to the embodiment, the thickness of the ring-shape tube 3 is approximately 2.5 mm (tolerance±0.5 mm) to approximately 3.5 mm (tolerance±0.5 mm). As described above, the thickness of the ring-shape tube 3 is optimally approximately 3.5 mm (tolerance±0.5 mm) in the embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are referred to. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the ring-shape tube 3 and FIG. 6 is a VI-VI cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. The area shaded in diagonal of FIG. 5 is the low hardness (part) 5 of the ring-shape tube 3. According to the embodiment, the inside of the ring-shape tube 3 may also be a reticulated shape 6.
[0039] FIG. 8 and FIGS. 9 to 11 are referred to. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating fabric 7 before cutting, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating sponge 8 before cutting and FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a step of sewing the circular fabric 7 and the circular sponge 8 and FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a step of sewing the circular fabric sewn into the ring-shape tube and the circular sponge together. The material of the fabric 7 varies from product to product, and examples include PVC, synthetic leather, leather, vinyl, polyester, cotton and the like. PU is mainly used as the material of sponge, but any material may be used as long as it guarantees functionality as the sponge. The ring-shape tube 3 is covered with the circular fabric 7 and the circular fabric is sewn into the ring-shape tube 3. In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, although the circular fabric 7 is sewn with the circular sponge 8 overlapping, only the circular fabric is sewn into the ring-shape tube 3 in the embodiment.
[0040] In the embodiment, the circular sponge 8 is sewn inside the circular fabric 7. In the case of the present embodiment, the circular fabric 7 is sewn with the circular sponge 8 overlapping as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.
[0041] Next, a method for manufacturing the steering wheel cover according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 again, rubber materials with different hardness are prepared first and the ring-shape tube is produced by press molding. That is, the method includes a step of producing the ring-shape tube 3 using a material with varying hardness. In that case, the slit 4 is provided for one round along the inner circumference of the ring-shape tube 3. That is, the step of providing the slit along the inner circumference of the ring-shape tube 3 is included. The embodiment further includes a step of cutting the fabric 7 in FIG. 8, a step of circularly sewing the cut fabric 7 as shown by A in FIG. 10 and a step of covering the ring-shape tube 3 with the circular fabric 7 as shown in FIG. 11 and sewing the cut fabric 7 into the ring-shape tube 3 using a sewing machine 9. There is a seam 10 in the fabric 7 shown by D in FIG. 11, and as shown by E in FIG. 11, the fabric 7 may be folded inside the ring-shape tube 3 and sewn according to the seam 10. The embodiment further includes a step of cutting the sponge 8 in FIG. 9, a step of circularly sewing the cut sponge 8 as shown by A in FIG. 10 and a step of sewing the circular sponge 8 inside the circular fabric 7 as shown by A to C in FIG. 10 before covering the tube-shape tube 3 with the circular fabric 7.
[0042] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the present embodiment, and design changes to an extent not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention are included in the present invention.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0043] 1 vehicle steering wheel cover [0044] 2 steering wheel [0045] 3 ring-shape tube [0046] 4 slit [0047] 5 low hardness (part) [0048] 6 reticulated shape [0049] 7 fabric [0050] 8 sponge [0051] 9 sewing machine [0052] 10 seam
