STEERING WHEEL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

摘要

A STEERING WHEEL (1) CAPABLE OF GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS FORMED THEREON WITH A WOODGRAIN PATTERN IN A MANNER TO EXTEND IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION THEREOF, RESULTING IN THE STEERING WHEEL HAVING BOTH AN APPREARANCE AND FEEL OF WOOD WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF NATURAL WOOD. THE STEERING WHEEL (1) INCLUDES A RIM SECTION (4) HAVING A CORE (44) INCORPORATED THEREIN. THE RIM SECTION (4) IS CONSTITUTED BY RIM ELEMENTS (A2) MADE OF A THERMOSOFTENING SYNTHETIC RESIN MATERIAL TO WHICH WOODMEAL IS ADDED, RESULTING IN THE RIM SECTION (4) BEING FORMED THEREON WITH A FLOW PATTERN. THE RIM ELEMENTS (A2) ARE EACH RE-SHAPED FROM A STRAIGHT ROD-LIKE CONFIGURATION INTO AN ARCUATE CONFIGURATION IN CONFORMITY TO A CURVATURE OF THE CORE (44) AND MOUNTED ON THE CORE (44) , SO THAT THE FLOW PATTERN MAY BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ANNULAR FLOE PATTERN.(FIG 1A,1B)