Patent ID: 7547042

Claim:
A steering wheel comprising a frame and an outer skin that at least partially covers the frame, the frame to be connected to a steering shaft and having radially outwardly extending spokes and a rim, the frame defining a recess to receive an air-bag unit, the steering wheel being provided with a plurality of mounting elements, each of the mounting elements being associated with a respective spoke, each of the mounting elements being connected to the steering wheel and having a flange that lies over top of the outer skin of the steering wheel exposing the flange of each of the mounting elements to outside the steering wheel, each of the mounting elements being adjacent a periphery of the air-bag unit; the air-bag unit being connected to each of the mounting elements by means of a respective resiliently biased connection to enable relative movement of the air-bag unit with respect to the steering wheel, the periphery of the air-bag unit defining a substantially controlled gap with the flange of each of the mounting elements.