process for the manufacture of kraftfahrzeuglenkru00e4dern, particularly steering wheels with a shell made of high quality material, and through such a procedure produced wheels

摘要

The method provides for forming a supporting structure (2) of the steering wheel (1), the structure having a metal core (5) and an outer cover layer (6) of polymer material; for each portion (4) of the structure (2) to be covered with valuable material (e.g. brier), two curved preformed half-shells (11, 12) of multilayer composite material are formed of such shape and size as to fit, facing each other, on opposite sides about the corresponding portion (4) of the structure (2), so as to define a substantially continuous, tubular shell (13); the portion (4) of the structure (2) is wound, over the outer cover layer (6), with at least one layer (9) of cloth (10) impregnated with a polymer resin and to which the preformed half-shells (11, 12) are applied; and polymerization of the polymer resin, conducted in a heated mold, ensures adhesion of the half-shells (11, 12) to each other and to the structure (2). Each portion (4) of the structure (2) also has two diametrically-opposite, circumferential grooves (7) formed in the outer cover layer (6) to permit thermal expansion, without stressing the half-shells (11, 12), of the polymer material of which the outer cover layer (6) is made. IMAGE