Crash energy absorber for a vehicle steering wheel

Claim 1

A crash energy absorber for a steering wheel mechanism having a steering shaft formed with a boss portion at a tip end and a cover means so that the crash energy absorber is disposed between the boss portion and the cover means, said crash energy absorber comprising: a plate structure including at least a substantially rectangular top plate, a side plate extending from each of two opposite ends of said top plate, substantially perpendicular to said top plate and a bottom plate connected with the side plates in parallel with said top plate so as to define a substantially rectangular space and at least one reinforcement extending diagonally between said bottom plate and an upper corner portion located between said top plate and one side plate, said at least one reinforcement being secured adjacent said upper corner portion at an upper end and secured to said bottom plate at a lower end and said top plate and said bottom plate defining openings through which said plate structure engages with the boss portion so that the crash absorber is mounted on the steering wheel mechanism to absorb the impact of a force in a direction perpendicular to said top plate which is the axial direction of the steering shaft, a force in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft and parallel with said side plates, a force in a direction perpendicular to both said top plate and said side plates, and a diagonal crash force applied at corner portions located between said top plate and said side plates.