Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Hand operated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-10-23
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Hand operated
C403S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305238
ABSTRACT:
1. TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a connecting unit for the transmitting of pulling movements to at least one bowden cable, in particular for a parking brake of a vehicle. The present invention further relates to a method for establishing a connection between a bowden cable and a pulling element for the transmitting of pulling movements, as it is preferably used during the assembly of parking brakes in vehicles.
2. THE PRIOR ART
Bowden cables serve in many fields of technology for transmitting movements from one place to another. In motor vehicles for example the transmission is often controlled by a shift lever whose movements are transmitted by means of one or more bowden cables. A further typical field of use for bowden cables is the parking brake of a car. In this case the movement of a lever is transmitted by two bowden cables to the brakes usually mounted to the two rear wheels to achieve a simultaneous operation of the two brakes.
For transmitting the pulling movements to a bowden cable a thickening is arranged at the end of the steel cable typically used for bowden cables. The receptacle for the bowden cable, for example of a brake lever, usually comprises a small hole through which the cable extends. The diameter of the hole is such that the cable, but not the thickening at the end of the cable, can fit through the hole. When the receptacle moves into a direction opposite to the direction into which the cable extends, a pulling movement is transmitted to the cable.
This kind of connection between receptacle and cable according to the prior art causes during the assembly of bowden cables, in particular in the automotive field a considerable amount of work since the cable has to be manually passed through the small hole in the receptacle before the other end can be connected with the desired part (transmission, brake, etc.). The difficulties caused thereby are to be further explained in the following with reference to the example of a parking brake in a car as it is for example shown in the DE 195 46 931:
When a parking brake is assembled, the two braking cables for the simultaneous operation of the two brakes are to be mounted to a so-called equalizer compensating a different wear of the brake linings and/or small differences in the length of the two cables. The equalizer is via a further single braking cable connected to the brake lever. In order to avoid the accumulation of dirt or corrosion such an equalizer can be arranged inside a housing.
During assembly at first the two braking cables have to be manually arranged in the corresponding receptacles of the equalizer before the housing can be mounted. The overall procedure therefore requires several manual steps and thus causes considerable costs. Further, it is necessary that the equalizer and the ends of the braking cables can be easily accessed and seen from the outside. Depending on the location where the equalizer is arranged, it will during assembly be necessary to rotate and/or lift the complete car to allow an easy access and view of the equalizer and the two braking cables.
Further, general concepts for the connection of a single bowden cable and a lever are disclosed in the EP 0 311 346 and the EP 0 857 881.
It is therefore the problem of the present invention to provide a connecting unit for the transmission of pulling movements to one or several bowden cables which can be assembled in a simple step, i.e. the connection between the end of the bowden cable and a corresponding receptacle can be achieved without having to access or to see the connecting unit.
According to a further aspect, it is the problem of the present invention to provide a simple and easy method for connecting a pulling element and a bowden cable for the transmission of pulling movements to the bowden cable.
3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These problems are solved by a connecting unit for transmitting of pulling movements to an end of at least one bowden cable, comprising: a support for mounting the connecting unit and having at least one opening; a pulling element with at least one receptacle for receiving and engaging an enlarged end of the one bowden cable; and a guiding element separate from and movable relative to the support and pulling element, the guiding element being arranged between the one opening of the support and the one receptacle such that upon insertion of the one bowden cable through the one opening in the direction of the one receptacle, the guiding element will cause the enlarged end of the one bowden cable to be laterally deflected for passage to a position beyond the one receptacle that enables the enlarged end of the one bowden cable to move into and engage the one receptacle; and by a method for establishing a connection between at least one bowden cable and a pulling element for the transmission of pulling movements from the pulling element to the one bowden cable, the method comprising the steps of: moving an enlarged end of the one bowden cable in the direction of a receptacle in the pulling element; causing the enlarged end of the one bowden cable to be laterally deflected by a guiding element during the movement of the enlarged end in the direction of the receptacle and thereby resiliently bending the one bowden cable, the guiding element being separate from and movable relative to the pulling element; and allowing the bowden cable to resiliently spring-back for movement of the enlarged end of the one bowden cable into engagement with the receptacle.
In the connecting unit according to the invention the cable is not inserted from the front side but slides, coming from the back side, preferably sideways through a slit into the receptacle. This is achieved by the sideways deflection of the end of the cable by the guiding element, leading to an elastic bending of the cable which causes the cable to spring back into the slit of the receptacle once it has passed the guiding element.
As a result, the bowden cable can “automatically” engage the receptacle in one step by a simple pushing of the end through the opening in the support in the direction of the receptacle. Since the guiding element itself inserts the end of the bowden cable under such a movement into the slit, the complete procedure can be carried out “blind”, i.e. without the need to be able to see the connecting unit from the outside. The end of the braking cable in the direction of the receptacle can also be moved by pushing at the other end of the bowden cable so that there is no need to directly access the connecting unit. The complete connecting unit can therefore be arranged inside a closed housing which does not need to be opened for the assembly of the bowden cable. This allows a pre-assembly to a great extent which considerably shortens the time for the assembly of a vehicle at the assembly line.
According to a preferred embodiment the guiding element comprises a groove-like guiding surface for deflecting the end of the at least one bowden cable. By this shape of the guiding surface it is assured that the end of the bowden cable is reliably deflected by the guiding element. Preferably, the groove-like guiding surface comprises a slit-like recess, in which the at least one cable extends after the end of the cable has engaged the at least one receptacle.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the pulling element comprises a second receptacle with a slit and a second bowden cable extends essentially parallel to the first bowden cable through a second opening in the support where the guiding element deflects one end of the second bowden cable under a movement in the direction of the second receptacle so that it is inserted into the slit of the second receptacle.
For the use in a parking brake of a vehicle the pulling element is preferably provided as an equalizer and the two bowden cables as braking cables. The equalizer preferably contacts in the disengaged state of the parking brake the front side of the guiding element.
Preferably, the two receptacles for the two braking cables are shaped as essentially hemispherical recesses in
Bucci David A.
Fico Cables S.A.
Kim Chong H.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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