Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Hand operated
Patent
1996-10-15
1998-05-05
Bonck, Rodney H.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Hand operated
745015R, F16C 122
Patent
active
057460949
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an automatic cable-length adjusting device for flexible cable drives or the like, in particular a cable-adjusting device, comprising a tube fitting with a seat receiving a tube of the drive cable and furthermore a duct for the cable proper located in the area of an integrated extension, the outer wall of said fitting comprising a radial toothing in the region of the said extension means. The device of this invention also comprises an essentially bush-shaped casing evincing a longitudinal borehole wherein the extension is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner and also a detent means cooperating with said radial toothing.
b) Description of Related Art
Devices to correct the length of mechanically flexible, remote drives are known for instance from the patent document W093/22571, in particular its FIG. 4 and the associated description. This length-correcting device is characterized in that it automatically carries out length-adjustment as soon as the required prestressing for instance of the tube of a mechanically flexible remote control means has vanished. Operationally this known device has been found quite satisfactory, however its design is fairly complex and the detent means is susceptible to soiling, and as a result device operation may be degraded. The need therefore exists for a device of the initially cited species that offers a simpler design and having operational reliability that is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Essentially the invention solves the drawbacks in the prior art in that the casing comprises in a rear zone a receiving recess adjoining the front zone with the longitudinal borehole wherein the detent means is displaceably received between two limit positions and wherein it may be moved from a locked position into an unlocked position, a compression spring being mounted between the casing and the tube fitting, said spring moving the tube fitting out of the casing for the purpose of effecting length adjustment.
These design steps provide an exceedingly simple construction of length-correcting devices which on one hand thus are constituted only of a very few components and on the other hand protect the detent means against soiling within a receiving recess in the casing, thus opposing the danger of soiling and increasing operational reliability.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the detent means is the bush enclosing the extension and comprises integral elastic arms fitted unilaterally with inward detent teeth. The bush-shaped detent means thereby is guided reliably and safely between the inside wall of the receiving recess of the casing and the outside wall of the extension of the tube fitting.
In another advantageous feature of the invention, the elastic arms evince at their ends an external bevel surface resting in the locked position of the detent means on a substantially conical support of the recess. As a result, length adjustment of the device is precluded when a detent means is in the locked position.
Advantageously the detent means comprises in one end zone a circumferential annular wall which may be fitted with slots and which on the inside is fitted with a step and/or on the outside is fitted with a run-up bevel. Whereas the inside step serves to receive a portion of the tube fitting in the telescoped position and hence makes the device more compact, the annular wall per se acts as a stop for the detent means present in the recess to limit the excursion. The run-up bevels facilitate the initial insertion of the detent means into the casing's receiving recess when the device of the invention is being installed.
To limit the detent means' excursion, the casing's receiving recess comprises a circumferential step at its rear to act as a stop for the detent means when it is in the unlocked position.
Advantageously an externally pointing collar is present at an end segment of the tube fitting, the compression spring being clamped between this collar and an annular support of t
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patent: 5161428 (1992-11-01), Petrucello
patent: 5178034 (1993-01-01), Reasoner
patent: 5261292 (1993-11-01), Gabas et al.
patent: 5295408 (1994-03-01), Nagle et al.
patent: 5544543 (1996-08-01), Hilgert et al.
Marscholl Klaus
Medebach Thomas
Bonck Rodney H.
Kuster & Co. GmbH
Rodriguez Saul J.
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