Patent ID: 7533897

Claim:
An assembly comprising: a steering wheel ( 18 ) including a plurality of support members ( 330 ); a plurality of mounting members ( 34 ) associated with an automotive component, each mounting member having an extending element; each support member including a body and an open passage, the open passage configured to receive one extending element ( 37 ) of a particular mounting member; a resilient attachment mechanism ( 20 ) operable to couple each of the mounting members with corresponding portions of the steering wheel; wherein the attachment mechanism ( 20 ) is operable to release the plurality of mounting members from the steering wheel upon the application of a retractive force applied to the attachment mechanism; wherein each attachment mechanism includes first portion ( 90 ) configured to receive the retractive force, a resilient first leg ( 86 , 88 ) situated near a middle of the attachment mechanism and a first distal end, the steering wheel further includes a first set ( 306 , 308 , 308 a ) of at least three posts, each of the three posts contacting the first resilient leg ( 86 , 88 ) of the attachment mechanism, wherein a first ( 308 ) of the three posts is misaligned relative to the other two posts; wherein the second ( 306 ) and third ( 308 a ) posts lie generally along an imaginary straight line wherein a portion of the first post ( 308 ) intersects with the straight line; wherein the first resilient leg ( 86 , 88 ) is configured that when it is in engagement with a surface of the first post ( 308 ), other adjacent portions of the first resilient leg are each forcefully urged against corresponding surfaces of the second ( 306 ) and the third ( 308 a ) posts; wherein at least a second distal end ( 92 ) of the first portion or the first distal end ( 104 ) of the attachment mechanism extends perpendicularly through a corresponding open passage ( 332 ) of one of the support members ( 330 ) in a manner to interfere with the movement of an extending element of the mounting member through such open passage.