Steering wheel

1. A steering wheel that includes a main body attached to a steering shaft for converting a rotational operation into a steering operation and a pad disposed in a substantially central portion of the main body, the pad being attached to the main body such that the pad is movable in an axial direction of the steering shaft, the steering wheel including a horn switch being configured between a fixed contact disposed on a main body side and moving contacts disposed on a pad side, the steering wheel comprising:

a first horn plate secured to the main body;

a second horn plate secured to the pad;

a plurality of guide pins, each guide pin arranged vertically on the second horn plate and inserted through an opening of the first horn plate;

a flange-shaped steppers stopper formed on each of the guide pins;

a first and second insulator retained in each opening of the first horn plate and disposed so as to be slidable along a corresponding guide pin;

an elastic member engaged with an outer periphery of each corresponding first and second insulator;

a protector engaged with an outer periphery of each elastic member, each protector retained at the first horn plate; and

a coil spring disposed between the second horn plate and a corresponding second insulator so as to urge each corresponding first and second insulator toward a corresponding stopper;

wherein each first insulator has a wall surface portion that covers an outer periphery of a corresponding stopper and has a height substantially equal to an offset distance between the fixed contact and the moving contact;

wherein each first insulator includes a first flange portion disposed between a corresponding stopper and a corresponding elastic member;

wherein each second insulator includes a second flange portion disposed between a corresponding coil spring and a corresponding elastic member;

wherein each elastic member includes:

a first enlarged portion having a first diameter, the first diameter configured such that the elastic member contacts a corresponding first flange portion; and

a second enlarged portion having a second diameter the second diameter configured such that the elastic member contacts a corresponding second flange portion;

wherein a plurality of linear protrusions are substantially radially formed on a surface of the first flange portion in contact with the first enlarged portion.

2. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the pad includes an airbag device including:

an airbag to be inflated and deployed in an emergency situation;

an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag; and

a harness connected to a steering shaft side, a firing signal being transmitted to the inflator through the harness;

wherein the wall surface portion of each first insulator is formed to have a height with which the harness does not get caught in a first gap between the corresponding stopper and the first insulator and pinched therebetween.

3. The steering wheel according to claim 2 ,

wherein each wall surface portion of each first insulator includes a plurality of lightening holes;

wherein a size or shape of each lightening hole is configured to prevent the harness from being received within the first gap between each stopper and first insulator.

4. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the each first insulator having further includes a first leg portion extending from the corresponding first flange portion toward the corresponding second flange portion;

wherein each first leg portion is disposed along a corresponding guide pin;

wherein each second insulator further includes a second leg portion extending from the corresponding second flange portion to the corresponding first flange portion;

wherein each second leg portion is disposed along a corresponding guide pin.

5. The steering wheel according to claim 1 , wherein a second gap at least twice as thick as the first horn plate is provided between the first horn plate and each stopper;

wherein each first and second insulator is disposed within a majority of a corresponding second gap;

wherein each of the first and second insulators is formed of synthetic resin as an integral unit.

6. The steering wheel according to claim 5 , wherein the second gap is one in which a third insulator with a damping function having an elastic member can be mounted.

7. The steering wheel according to claim 6 , wherein the integrally formed first and second insulators and the third insulator have substantially the same external shape.