Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Hand operated
Patent
1992-01-03
1993-11-16
Luong, Vinh T.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Hand operated
745005, 74502, 745026, F16C 110
Patent
active
052612929
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a self-adjusting device for adjusting the length of control cables which, particularly, have steel cables provided with a sheath usually used in control and adjusting mechanisms and, in particular, in the automobile industry.
The use of self-adjusting devices which are disposed on the control cable itself and serve to adjust and set the length of sheathed steel cable extending between the mechanisms connected thereby is widely known in the automobile industry. The devices are used for example, in control cables for the clutch mechanism, the gear change mechanism, etc.
The purpose of the self-adjusting devices is to take up the tolerances in the distance between the points of connection of the control cables of the mechanisms connected thereby, during the assembly process of each vehicle in particular. Thereby the length of the control cables are adjusted and set precisely while they are being assembled in the vehicle.
Under these conditions, the control cables usually comprise, in addition to the regular connection terminals, a self-adjusting device allowing normally automatical adjustment of the length of the control cable in the portion where the steel cable is sheathed, once said control cable has been connected at both ends thereof to the corresponding mechanisms.
In this way, the known of control cable length self-adjusting devices comprise all or some of the following operative members. The devices have a main body member through which and adjusting stud may suitably slide. This is provided with a retaining screw thread and is firmly attached at one end to the sheath, of the steel cable. The cable, stripped of its sheath, may slide longitudinally through the adjusting stud. The main body member is provided with mechanical means allowing it to be attached to a fixed point of the motor vehicle structure. The devices also have retaining means disposed inside the main body member. These means operate on the adjusting stud so as to set the position thereof relative to the said fixed point.
The devices further have a control spring coaxially disposed relative to the adjusting stud. This spring bears permanently against the main body member and against the adjusting stud at the end attached to the steel cable sheath.
The above described self-adjusting devices are supplied originally with the control spring compressed. When both ends of the control cable ar attached to the points of connection of the mechanisms the cable joins together and the device main body member is attached to a fixed point on the vehicle structure, the adjusting stud is released from the retaining means and under the urging of the control spring it establishes the appropriate length of the sheathed cable between the adjusting stud and the corresponding mechanism. Thereafter the position of the adjusting stud is fixed again with the retaining means with the cable length being appropriately set in this way.
As an example of said control cable length self-adjusting devices, there may be cited Spanish patent P 8803905 for "Control cable tension self-adjusting device" which, providing the innovating features characterizing it, comprises all the operative elements succinctly described above.
Generally speaking, the known control cable length self-adjusting devices have as a main drawback the need to have recourse to tools for actuating the retaining means operating on the adjusting stud during the above described operations of adjusting and setting the control cable length. This causes notable difficulties which increase the cost of installation of the control cables, particularly in those cases in which the self-adjusting device is located, due to the design and/or location of the devices connected by the control cable, in points of the motor vehicle structure of difficult or limited access where the use of tools under appropriate conditions is not feasible.
The control cable length self-adjusting device of the invention has: a main body member suitably dimensioned snugly to hous
REFERENCES:
patent: 4753123 (1988-06-01), Stormont
patent: 4762017 (1988-08-01), Jaksic
patent: 4841805 (1989-06-01), Italiano
patent: 4872367 (1989-10-01), Spease
patent: 4903541 (1990-02-01), Shiota
patent: 5098214 (1992-03-01), Solano
Gabas Carlos
Roca Agustin
Luong Vinh T.
Pujol y Tarrago S.A.
Striker Michael J.
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