US4047450A — Safety steering-wheels for automotive vehicles

Claim 1

Independent Claim 206 words

Safety steering-wheel including a central hub having a hub axis and a rim situated in a predetermined rim plane located in front of said central hub, the said steering-wheel including only two deformable legs fixed to said rim and inclined rearwardly therefrom toward said hub, with at least one of said legs being fixed to said hub, said legs when projected onto said rim plane being directed substantially along two radii in proximity to one another leaving a greater part of the rim which extends through more than 180° around said axis deprived of any point of attachment with a leg, at least one of said legs and said hub respectively having portions at least one of which is a fixing portion, the said steering-wheel comprising a complementary portion inclined to the axis of the hub, substantially in the shape of a gallows, having a pair of feet at least one of which is fixed near the hub to said fixing portion, and said complementary portion extending well in front of the hub, but behind the rim plane to a side of the hub axis opposite from said steering-wheel legs, said feet respectively forming substantially prolongations of the said legs when projected onto said rim plane.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 206 words

Safety steering-wheel including a central hub having a hub axis and a rim situated in a predetermined rim plane located in front of said central hub, the said steering-wheel including only two deformable legs fixed to said rim and inclined rearwardly therefrom toward said hub, with at least one of said legs being fixed to said hub, said legs when projected onto said rim plane being directed substantially along two radii in proximity to one another leaving a greater part of the rim which extends through more than 180° around said axis deprived of any point of attachment with a leg, at least one of said legs and said hub respectively having portions at least one of which is a fixing portion, the said steering-wheel comprising a complementary portion inclined to the axis of the hub, substantially in the shape of a gallows, having a pair of feet at least one of which is fixed near the hub to said fixing portion, and said complementary portion extending well in front of the hub, but behind the rim plane to a side of the hub axis opposite from said steering-wheel legs, said feet respectively forming substantially prolongations of the said legs when projected onto said rim plane.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 1, wherein said complementary portion extends on said opposite side of the hub axis over about 1/3 of the radius of the rim.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 70 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 1, wherein the said legs and their prolongations when projected onto an axial plane containing the axis of the hub and situated midway between the two said legs form a stylized V with unequal curvilinear legs which has its crest connected to the hub of the steering wheel and one end at its longer leg connected to the rim whereas the other end is free.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 63 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 1, wherein the said legs and their prolongations have when projected onto said rim plane substantially the configuration of a trapezoid having its vertices at points of attachment of said legs on the rim and at points of the said prolongations which are substantially opposite the said points of attachment with respect to the axis of the hub.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 1, wherein the said prolongations are constituted by an elongated member curved substantially in the shape of a U and secured to said fixing portion in proximity to said hub.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 5, wherein the legs and the rim are constituted, except for a small center-angle interval of the rim comprised between the two legs, by a single, element.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 218 words

Safety steering-wheel including a central hub having a hub axis and a rim situated in a predetermined rim plane located in front of said central hub, the said steering wheel including only two deformable legs fixed to said rim and inclined rearwardly therefrom toward said hub, with only one of said legs being fixed to said hub, said legs when projected onto said rim plane being directed substantially along two radii in proximity to one another leaving a greater part of the rim which extends through more than 180° around said axis deprived of any point of attachment with a leg, said steering wheel comprising a complementary portion inclined to the axis of the hub, substantially in the shape of a gallows, and having a pair of feet one of which is fixed to said hub, said complementary portion extending well in front of the hub, but behind the rim plane to a side of the hub axis opposite from said steering wheel legs, and the other of said feet of said complementary portion forming an integral prolongation of the other of said legs which is not fixed to said hub, the legs, the said complementary portion and the rim being constituted, except for a small center-angle rim interval comprised between the two legs, by a single element.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 218 words

Safety steering-wheel including a central hub having a hub axis and a rim situated in a predetermined rim plane located in front of said central hub, the said steering wheel including only two deformable legs fixed to said rim and inclined rearwardly therefrom toward said hub, with only one of said legs being fixed to said hub, said legs when projected onto said rim plane being directed substantially along two radii in proximity to one another leaving a greater part of the rim which extends through more than 180° around said axis deprived of any point of attachment with a leg, said steering wheel comprising a complementary portion inclined to the axis of the hub, substantially in the shape of a gallows, and having a pair of feet one of which is fixed to said hub, said complementary portion extending well in front of the hub, but behind the rim plane to a side of the hub axis opposite from said steering wheel legs, and the other of said feet of said complementary portion forming an integral prolongation of the other of said legs which is not fixed to said hub, the legs, the said complementary portion and the rim being constituted, except for a small center-angle rim interval comprised between the two legs, by a single element.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 82 words

Safety steering-wheel according to claim 7, wherein said element from its foot secured to the hub winds helically with an increasing radius above the hub, thus forming a helix constituting the aforementioned gallows-shaped complementary portion, and then forming successively one of the legs of the steering-wheel, the greater part of the rim and the second steering-wheel leg, an end of which is secured to the hub, the said helix being arranged at the opposite side of the hub axis from said legs.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-09-12	1981-03-14	1981-09-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-09-12	1985-03-14	1985-09-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-09-12	1989-03-14	1989-09-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Safety steering-wheels for automotive vehicles

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