Abstract: A steering wheel includes an air bag device located centrally of a steering wheel. The air bag device includes an air bag, an inflator for supplying gas to the air bag to inflate the air bag, and a bag holder for holding the air bag and the inflator. Bolts, which are attached to the inflator, are inserted in bolt holes of the air bag and bolt holes of the bag holder. This couples the air bag, the inflator and the bag holder to each other. The bolts and nuts are used for securing the integrally joined air bag, inflator and bag holder to the steering wheel. As a result, the number of bolts and nuts need to secure the air bag device to the steering wheel is reduced.

Abstract: The cores of the spoke portions which extend to both right and left each comprises an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion and inner portion are coupled by a joint. The joint is coupled to the boss plate below the outer portions and centering on the steering shaft, it extends to both right and left. Each of the outer portions extends starting from the core of the ring portion at a point more forward than the steering shaft. The inner portions connecting the outer portions and the joint extend obliquely as seen in a plan view. While four connecting cores are provided to run along the edge profile of the pad portion, one of the connecting cores couples the two inner portions obliquely extending. The air bag device can be inserted through an opening formed by the joint and the like. Not only the stiffness of the coupled cores but also the stiffness of die casting molds is secured. Leather member is installed on part of the surface of the steering wheel.

Abstract: A steering wheel body 1 comprises sheaths 7a, 7b which covers a ring core bar 5 and spoke core bars 6A-6C, and a pad 3 formed integrally with the sheaths. A boss 8, 51, 28 is integral with the spoke core bars. A steering shaft 30 is formed at a distal end thereof with a serration 31 and an annular groove 32. The boss 8, 51, 28 includes a boss plate 33, a cylindrical portion 34, 74 with a serration 38, 68, 78, and a yoke portion 35 with through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. The cylindrical portion 34, 64, 74 is fitted on the end of the steering shaft 30 such that the serrations 31, 38, 68, 78 mesh with each other, and a bolt 41, 81, 91 is inserted and screwed into the through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. A collar 47 fitted on the bolt 41, 81, 91 is fitted in the annular groove 32. Strain stress is never transmitted directly to the bolt 41, 81, 91.

Abstract: A steering wheel includes a ring portion to be gripped during steering. The ring portion includes a core, a core coating layer coating the core, and a decorative layer arranged at a portion of the surface of the core coating layer. The decorative layer has a printed layer and a transparent protective coating layer. The printed layer is formed by hydraulic transfer and is arranged to cover surface portions of the core coating layer. The transparent protective coating layer covers the surface of the printed layer so as to protect the printed layer. The ring portion further includes a skin arranged at the remaining surface portions of the surface of the core coating layer and a level difference portion for folding therein the end portions of the skin arranged between the portion and the remainder of the surface of the core coating layer. The smooth decorative layer can be easily formed on the surface of the ring portion in this manner.

Abstract: A steering wheel has a steering wheel body which includes a boss for being fixed to a steering shaft, a ring portion metal core, spoke portion metal cores, a covering portion covering the ring portion metal core and the spoke portion metal cores, and a pad portion provided generally centrally of a ring portion, the pad portion being molded integrally with the covering portion. The steering wheel further includes an air bag device provided between the pad portion and the boss. A cloth insert is mounted on a metal core portion, forming part of the steering wheel body, and is embedded in the pad portion so that the insert can flex when the air bag device is expanded.

Abstract: A method for decoding video signals comprising decoding a bit stream, and reproducing a video signal in reverse order of frames, the bit stream including each frame of the video signal which has been encoded using one of an intra coding system (I picture), a predictive coding system (P picture), and a bidirectionally predictive coding system (B picture), includes a group of frames including at least one frame of I picture, which can be decoded from the I picture and consecutively reproduced in order of the frames, being called a GOP (Group of Pictures); the frames being output in reverse order of the frames to obtain a desired frame, wherein: when the desired frame is one of I picture and P picture, only the I picture and P pictures from the first I picture in a GOP to the desired frame are decoded; and when the desired frame is B picture, only the desired frame is decoded if reference frames required for decoding of the desired frame are present in frame memories.

Abstract: A steering wheel is provided with a steering wheel body, a boss core and an air bag device held by the boss core. The steering wheel body includes a core portion having a ring core and spoke cores and a cover portion covering the core portion. The cover portion includes a core cover layer covering the ring core and the spoke cores and a ceiling cover layer continuously formed with the core cover layer covering the center of the steering wheel. The boss core holds an air bag device between the boss core and the ceiling cover layer. The boss core also has a connection part that allows a steering shaft to be connected from underneath the steering wheel.

Abstract: The steering wheel assembly disclosed herein is mountable on a steering shaft and includes at least a bolt, a boss, and a steering wheel body. The boss is adapted to be fitted on the steering shaft and includes a cylindrical portion and a yoke portion formed integrally with the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a boss serration corresponding to a serration of the steering shaft. The yoke portion has through holes formed near both ends thereof. The steering wheel body includes a ring core bar, spoke core bars coupled to the ring core bar, sheaths covering the ring core bar and spoke core bars, and a pad formed integrally with the sheaths. Part of the spoke core bars are connected to the boss. The bolt has and external thread that is receivable by the through holes and engageable with internal threads of at least one of the through holes so as to permit the boss, to which the steering wheel body is connected, to be fixed on the steering shaft.

Abstract: A steering wheel body has covering materials for covering a ring core and spoke cores and a pad member integrally formed with the covering materials. An adaptor is fitted to the tip of a steering shaft, the adaptor having an inside serration engaging with the serration of the steering shaft and an outside serration engaging with the serration of a boss member. Moreover, the boss member of a boss plate is provided with a through-hole extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft. A bolt for fastening the adaptor of the steering shaft is screwed into the through-hole.

Abstract: An attaching system for a steering wheel assembly including a ring portion, a plurality of spokes, as well as integrally formed ring and spoke covering layers, and a pad portion. A steering shaft is formed at its distal end with external screw threads, a portion of which project beyond the upper surface of a boss plate. A nut includes a wheel gear having a plurality of teeth that are engagable with screw threads as a fastening tool. The nut is screwed onto or off from the steering shaft by the fastening tool that engages and rotates the nut, relative to steering shaft.

Abstract: An air bag equipped steering wheel that absorbs impact energy of a forward impact, even if applied to the rear side of a ring portion thereof. The steering wheel comprises core bars for connecting its ring portion, boss portion and spoke portions to each other. The spoke portions are composed of two front spoke portions arranged at the right and left of the front side, and a rear spoke portion arranged at the rear side. The air bag unit is securely mounted on the core bars of the front spoke portions and the rear spoke portion. Twistable torsional portions are formed at the core bars of the front spoke portions at positions closer to the core bar of the ring portion than the mounting portion for the air bag unit. A first deformable bent portion is formed at the core bar of the rear spoke portion at the side closer to the boss core bar than the mounting portion for the air bag unit.

Abstract: A steering wheel body 1 comprises sheaths 7a, 7b which covers a ring core bar 5 and spoke core bars 6A-6C, and a pad 3 formed integrally with the sheaths. A boss 8, 51, 28 is integral with the spoke core bars. A steering shaft 30 is formed at a distal end thereof with a serration 31 and an annular groove 32. The boss 8, 51, 28 includes a boss plate 33, a cylindrical portion 34, 74 with a serration 38, 68, 78, and a yoke portion 35 with through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. The cylindrical portion 34, 64, 74 is fitted on the end of the steering shaft 30 such that the serrations 31, 38, 68, 78 mesh with each other, and a bolt 41, 81, 91 is inserted and screwed into the through holes 36, 37, 66, 67, 76, 77. A collar 47 fitted on the bolt 41, 81, 91 is fitted in the annular groove 32. Strain stress is never transmitted directly to the bolt 41, 81, 91.

Abstract: A steering wheel includes a metal ring mounted on a steering shaft with a boss plate and at least one spoke. An adaptor is provided in the boss plate for securing the boss plate to the steering shaft. The adaptor includes a cylindrical portion into which the steering shaft is inserted and a yoke formed integrally with the cylindrical portion for holding the steering shaft. The yoke has flexible ends constituting a pair of clamping pieces. One of the clamping pieces is provided with a bolt hole while the other is provided with a through hole. A bolt is inserted through the through hole and then screwed into the bolt hole for holding the steering shaft with the yoke. A lower cover, which is made from a synthetic resin, surrounds the steering shaft and covers a lower part of the steering wheel. A holder is provided in the lower cover for supporting the bolt in a ready position to prevent the bolt from falling off the yoke. The bolt is accessible from the side of the steering wheel.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly having a slidably mounted locking system of the boss plate to connect the steering wheel onto a steering shaft. The lock system comprises a fixing device slidably mounted on an upper surface of a boss plate. The fixing device includes an inwardly directed, tapered tongue or flange that when slid will engage and interact with the steering shaft. When the boss plate is mounted on the steering shaft provided about the circumference of a nut mounted on the steering shaft, the fixing device can then be moved with a screw bolt thereby interlocking the locking tongue or flange in the groove thereby locking the steering wheel on the steering shaft.

Abstract: An air bag device comprises at the center a bag provided with a gas flowing orifice, a pad for receiving the bag in its folded state, an inflator arranged so as to permit gas to be jetted toward the gas flowing orifice of the bag and an inflator insertion hole into which a holding cylinder below the inflator can be inserted and further provided with a retainer for holding the inflator and the bag in their inner periphery and the pad in its outer periphery. The air bag device further includes a holding cloth surrounding the lower holding cylinder of the inflator and formed continuously below the gas flowing orifice of the bag, and a coupling is formed between the peripheral surface of the inflator and peripheral edge of the inflator insertion hole of the retainer.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly in which a main body is slidably connected to a boss for connecting the steering wheel onto a steering shaft. The steering wheel main body has a connecting plate with a pair of tapered guide rails that will slidably receive a hooking portion therein. When the hooking portion is inserted into the guide rails, the position of the steering wheel main body is defined at a desired position relative to the shaft.

Abstract: An air bag inflator actuating assembly, which is suitable for application in a steering wheel assembly, including an air bag module is provided. The air bag module includes a folded air bag and an inflator, which are disposed above a core of a boss retained in the steering wheel. A lower cover is assembled below the inflator, and a wheel pad is arranged immediately above the air bag module. The inflator is electrically connected to an external wiring connector through a brushless transmitter. A lower surface of the inflator and an upper surface of the brushless transmitter are electrically connected to each other through a pair of leadless connectors.

Abstract: A steering wheel body includes a ring core, a plurality of spoke cores extending from the ring core, a surface layer that covers the ring core and the spoke cores, and a pad which is located at the center of the ring core and formed continuously from the surface layer. A mounting member attached to the wheel body is constituted by either an insert embedded in the insert, an air bag mechanism accommodated in the insert, or a boss plate connecting the wheel body to a steering shaft. Adjacent spoke cores are connected to each other by connectors. The mounting member is attached to the connectors.

Abstract: A steering wheel that includes a body integrally formed from ring and spoke cores and a boss, has ring core, spoke core covers integrally formed with a central pad. The boss includes a through hole having an inner peripheral surface with a first serration. The steering shaft includes a bolt portion at a distal end and a second serration capable of engaging the first serration. The distal end of the steering shaft is inserted into the through hole of the boss so that the first serration engages the second serration. Then a nut is placed on the bolt portion by a tool capable of temporarily and releasably holding the nut and accessing the bolt portion through a space defined between the body and the boss. Thereafter, the nut is fastened on the bolt portion by a jig.

Abstract: A moving image signal encoding apparatus includes: a frame decimating circuit for extracting .?.encoded.!. frames from an input moving image signal at specified intervals; a frame interpolating circuit for obtaining an interpolated frame between the .?.encoded.!. .Iadd.extracted .Iaddend.frames, and a circuit for obtaining an error formed by frame interpolation. A moving image signal decoding apparatus includes: a receiving circuit for extracting a frame code from an inputted signal; a frame decoding circuit for decoding the frame code to obtain a reproduced frame, and a frame interpolating circuit for obtaining an interpolated frame between the reproduced frames. By transmitting an error of the interpolated frame from the encoding apparatus to the decoding apparatus and correcting the error of the interpolated frame with the decoding apparatus, the error of the interpolated frame is eliminated.