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Photo Credit: Chevrolet
Steering wheels can make big news for cars like Corvettes.
Who doesn’t love the teakwood wheel that was optional for ’65 and ’66 Sting Rays? And remember all the talk about the flat-bottom wheel that debuted in the 2015 Z06 and the “squircle” design that came along in the C8?
Who knows where General Motors will head next with its steering wheel designs? But we do have a possible clue with a patent filed by the company on Feb. 27 for a “modular steering wheel assembly for a vehicle.”
The new design features a permanent center section containing the airbag, with two spokes on each side with receptacles for the insertion of replacement spokes on top and bottom.
“Over time, constant contact with a driver’s hands will cause the material on the steering rim to wear,” the patent explains. “The extent of the wear differs for every driver, but typically occurs in two locations … where the constant contact occurs most frequently.”
Replacing the worn material is often not an option, and the solution means the entire steering wheel assembly has to be removed and replaced. Likewise, changing the appearance of a steering wheel requires total replacement of the steering wheel assembly.
The new design, on the other hand, seems to eliminate those problems. We could see a potential use in a car like a Corvette where the driver wants to change to a yoke design for spirited tracking and then revert to a traditional round wheel for daily driving. Customers might also like being able to change the color of part of the steering wheel on a whim to create their own custom look.
GM files lots of patents that never wind up being used in production models, but this one might be worth considering, since it keeps the expensive airbag in place for all the designs.
Would you want to see this as a feature on an upcoming Corvette, say perhaps the C9 models, or do you consider it just a parlor trick that’s not worth it in the end?
Source:
USTPO via CarBuzz.com
Related:
GM Files Patent for Hybrid Metal-Composite Two-Piece Wheels
GM’s Tow Dolly Patent May Offer Additional Practicality to Your Corvette
GM Files Patent Application for a Lidar Vision System
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