Patent Publication Number: US-2003221513-A1

Title: Assembly, in particular a vehicle steering wheel covering assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The invention relates to an assembly, in particular a vehicle steering wheel covering assembly, comprising a component with a through bore for a tool and a shield to cover the through bore.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] With the installation of a steering wheel, it is desirable that a gas bag module is inserted at as late a stage in manufacturing as possible. This leads to through bores having to be provided in the outer covering of the steering wheel, through which the screws, for example for fastening the gas bag module inside the steering wheel, are accessible to a tool. Such through bores, however, interrupt the uniform appearance of the covering and therefore represent a visual intrusion. It is known to cover larger access openings with camouflage caps, which in turn, however, again have through bores, through which the screws of the gas bag module are accessible at the customer&#39;s. The through bores either remain open and disturb the appearance, or they have to be covered individually with caps at the customer&#39;s side, the additional installation expenditure being a disadvantage.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] The present invention provides a possibility for providing a component with a shield, with which no additional installation work is required for the customer.  
       [0004] This is achieved in an assembly comprising a component with a through bore for a tool and a shield to cover the through bore. The shield has a fastening section and an at least partially elastic cover section, which is movable with respect to the fastening section so that it covers the through bore in a first position and exposes the through bore in a second position. The fastening section is fastened to the component a distance away from the through bore, and the shield is endeavouring to move automatically into the first position in which the through bore is covered. The cover section is movable with respect to the fastening section, in particular is elastically flexible, so that it covers the through bore in one position and exposes the through bore in another position. The shield is constructed so that it endeavours to move automatically into the first position in which the through bore is covered, the movement being induced by the elasticity of the shield. The invention allows the shield to be delivered to the customer already installed on the covering of the steering wheel or on the camouflage cap over an access opening. For the installation of the gas bag module, the cover section of the shield can then be moved aside by a suitable tool, e.g. a screwdriver, and the screws of the gas bag module can be tightened. As soon as the tool is withdrawn from the through bore again, the elastic section makes provision that the cover section places itself over the through bore again and covers the latter completely.  
       [0005] Preferably, the shield is a separate component with respect to the component having the through bore. Usually, the shield and the component with the through bore are made from different materials.  
       [0006] Of course, the use of the invention is not restricted to steering wheels, but rather it can be used for any object in which a component lying therebeneath is to be accessible through an opening in a covering.  
       [0007] The shield preferably has an elongated shape, the fastening section being arranged in the extension of the cover section. Either only a portion of the cover section adjoining the fastening section is constructed so as to be elastic, or the shield consists entirely of an elastic material, e.g. rubber or elastomer. In both cases, the shape of the shield makes provision in a simple manner that the cover section flaps back into its initial position after a movement, in which initial position it covers the through bore.  
       [0008] The shield is arranged most favourably on the inner face of the component.  
       [0009] Preferably, the cover section of the shield has a projection, which can engage into the through bore in a form-fitting manner. In this way, a continuous surface is produced on the outer face of the covering in the region of the through bore.  
       [0010] When the edges of the projection and of the through bore have a conical shape, this facilitates the guiding of the projection into the through bore when the cover section flaps back.  
       [0011] It is possible to connect the fastening section with the component by means of a detent connection, e.g. openings can be provided in the fastening section, whilst one or more detent protuberances are constructed on the component, over which the fastening section is drawn. However, the fastening section can also be connected with the component in another suitable manner, e.g. by glueing.  
       [0012] The invention further provides a vehicle steering wheel cover assembly comprising a steering wheel covering for being arranged on a rear side of a steering wheel, the covering having a through bore for a tool, and a shield for covering the through bore. The shield has a fastening section and an at least partially elastic cover section. The cover section is movable with respect to the fastening section so that the cover section covers the through bore in a first position and exposes the through bore in a second position. Further, the fastening section is fastened to the covering a distance away from the through bore and the shield endeavours to move automatically into the first position in which the through bore is covered. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic section through an assembly according to the invention, in this case a steering wheel in the region of the rear face;  
     [0014]FIG. 2 shows an enlarged cut-out of FIG. 1 with closed through bore; and  
     [0015]FIG. 3 shows the cut-out of FIG. 2 with a shield opened by a tool.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0016] In FIG. 1 a steering wheel  10  is illustrated, with a vehicle steering wheel covering assembly having an outer covering  12  on the rear face, a skeleton  14  and a gas bag module  16 , which is only shown in the region of its fastening and which is to be connected to the skeleton  14  by means of a screw  18 .  
     [0017] For this purpose, a through bore  20  is provided in the covering  12 , through which the screw  18  is accessible by a tool  22 . The covering  12  in this example has a larger access opening, which is closed by a camouflage cap  23  belonging to the covering  12 , the through bore being arranged in the camouflage cap  23 .  
     [0018] In FIGS. 2 and 3, the region enclosed by a circle in FIG. 1 is illustrated on an enlarged scale.  
     [0019] In order to cover the through bore  20  after the screw  18  has been tightened, a shield  24  is arranged on the inner face of the covering  12  or of the camouflage cap  23 .  
     [0020] The shield  24  has a fastening section  26  and a cover section  28 . The fastening section  26  and the cover section  28  are arranged in extension of each other, so that the shield  24  as a whole has an elongated shape.  
     [0021] In the present example, detent protuberances  30  or thermally formed rivet-like projections are constructed in the covering  12  or camouflage cap  23 , by means of which the shield  24  is fastened to the covering  12  via a snap-in connection.  
     [0022] In an initial or first position, the cover section  28  lies over the through bore  20  and covers the latter (FIGS. 1, 2). On the cover section  28 , a projection  32  is provided, which is coordinated with the through bore  20 . The edges of the projection  32  and of the through bore  20  are chamfered, as can be seen particularly well in FIG. 3, so that the projection  32  is automatically centred, when it comes into engagement with the through bore  20 . When the projection  32  sits in the through bore  20 , so that the cover section  28  covers the through bore  20 , the outer face of the covering  12  and the projection  32  form a smooth surface.  
     [0023] The shield  24  consists of an elastic material, so that on the one hand the cover section  28  can be moved towards the fastening section  26  and on the other hand, with a movement a restoring force is produced, through which the cover section is moved back into its initial position again. The shield  24  is arranged on the covering  12  so that the cover section  28  is prestressed against the through bore  20 . In the example shown, this is favoured in that the through bore  20  is situated in a corner of the covering  12 , so that the shield  24  is arranged in bent form in the covering  12 .  
     [0024] The shield  24  is a separate component with respect to the covering  12  or to the camouflage cap  23  and is, usually, made from a different material than those parts.  
     [0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the cover section  28  can be pushed aside by the tool  22  into a second position, in which the through bore is exposed, in order to reach the screw  18 . When the tool  22  is withdrawn from the through bore  20 , the prestressing of the cover section  28  in the direction of the through bore  20  makes provision that the cover section  28  flaps back again into the first position. The conical edges of the projection  32  and the through bore  20  cause the projection  32  to engage securely and completely into the through bore  20  again and to close the latter.  
     [0026] Although the invention has been described here in connection with a steering wheel, the covering  12  can represent any desired component, in particular in the vehicle interior, in which an opening is to be reversibly covered.