BMW Patents Space-Saving Yoke Steering Wheel For Use In Future Cars

Image via United States Patent and Trademark Office

BMW has recently applied to patent a steering yoke that makes use of two grips instead of an entire wheel. 

The application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), first reported by CarBuzz, features a “steering handle” with vertical grips attached to a horizontal bar. The yoke rotates around a central point, much like a regular steering wheel. 

Motor Authority posited that the design could be used in future self-driving cars, which would not require drivers to steer for much of the trip. The grips can then be folded up for extra dashboard space when the vehicle is operating on its own. 

Image via United States Patent and Trademark Office

According to Car and Driver, BMW specifically stated that “as much free space as possible is to be provided for the driver… with the result that he/she can read a newspaper, for example, or can manage emails, for example, by means of a tablet or the like with the aid of a display unit.” 

Though the filing of a patent doesn’t mean the invention will ever see the light of day, BMW has not only attempted to trademark the steering yoke in the US, but also in China and Germany, which could hint that the automaker has real plans of bringing it to fruition. 

[via Motor Authority and Car and Driver, images via United States Patent and Trademark Office]