Patent ID: 6402196
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B62D,G01L

Abstract:
A steering wheel frame for a motor vehicle comprising:a steering wheel (5) for controlling the direction of progress of the motor vehicle; ergonomic means (13) of gripping the steering wheel (5) for controlling the rotation of a steering shaft (2); means of mounting the steering wheel frame on the said steering shaft; means of measuring the stresses applied to the steering shaft by the maneuvering of the steering wheel; wherein the measuring means comprise at least one torque sensor comprising: a first movable external ring (14a); a second external ring (14b), substantially unstressed, positioned at a distance from the movable external ring (14a); an internal ring (15) fixed with respect to rotation to the steering shaft to which the torque to be measured is applied, the movable external ring (14a) being able to be fixed rigidly to the steering wheel frame, the movable external ring (14a) being connected to the internal ring (15) by at least one elastically deformable means (18a, 18b); the substantially unstressed external ring (14b) being connected to the internal ring (15) by at least one substantially unstressed means; the sensor comprising means (9, 9â€²) of measuring small relative movements of the movable external ring (14a) with respect to the substantially unstressed external ring (14b) when a torque is applied to the steering shaft via the steering wheel frame; and and wherein the movable ring (14a), the substantially unstressed external ring (14b) and the internal ring (15) are made in one piece with their connecting elements (17a, 18b, 19) the substantially unstressed external ring (14b) carrying the means of measuring (9).