Steering wheel having an air bag unit

Claim 2

A steering wheel adapted for use with an air bag unit, wherein ring core segments of a ring core are supported on spoke cores, and wherein a front ring core segment has the largest span, the steering wheel comprising: a plurality of spoke cores, wherein each of the spoke cores is a die cast molding and includes a distal end portion mounted around the ring core, thus forming the ring core segments; and said distal end portion of two of said spoke cores which support the front ring core segment having a first part and a second part, extending along a circumference of the ring core, the first part having a vertical thickness larger than a radial thickness of the first part in a radial direction of the steering wheel, wherein said first part is disposed toward the front ring core segment and said second part is disposed away from the front ring core segment.

Claim 3

A steering wheel as recited in claim 1, wherein the first part of each of the distal end portions is larger in vertical thickness than the second part of the distal end portions.

Claim 4

A steering wheel as recited in claim 2, wherein the ring core is hollow.

Claim 5

A steering wheel as recited in claim 3, wherein a span of the front ring core segment is at least about one half of the circumference of the ring core.

Claim 6

A steering wheel having an air bag unit disposed within a center portion thereof, said steering wheel comprising: a ring core member; and a plurality of spoke portions extending from said center portion to said ring core member, each of the spoke portions including a distal portion connected to the ring core member, said spoke portions separating said ring core member into a plurality of sections along a circumference of the ring core member that including at least a first second and third section. said distal portions of the spoke portions which separate said first section of said ring core member from the other portions spoke portions having a first extension, which extends onto said first section, having a vertical thickness larger than a radial thickness in a radial direction and a second extension, which extends onto the other sections, having a vertical thickness less than the vertical thickness of said first extension; and wherein said first section is the circumferentially largest of said plurality of sections.

Claim 7

A steering wheel having an air bag unit disposed within a center portion thereof, said steering wheel comprising: a ring core member; and a plurality of spoke portions extending from said center portion to said ring core member, each of the spoke portions including a distal portion connected to the ring core member, said spoke portions separating said ring core member into a plurality of sections along a circumference of the ring core member that including at least a first second and third section. said distal portions of the spoke portions which separate said first section of said ring core member from the other portions spoke portions having a first extension, which extends onto said first section, having a vertical thickness larger than a radial thickness in a radial direction and a second extension, which extends onto the other sections, having a vertical thickness less than the vertical thickness of said first extension; and wherein said first section is the circumferentially largest of said plurality of sections.