Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Hand operated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-07-24
Luong, Vinh T. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Hand operated
C074S50150R, C074S502600, C192S111400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263756
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is a terminal with fixing device for control cables, which is applicable to control cables made up of a sheathed steel cable of the type habitually used in the automobile industry as a linking element between an actuating control and an actuated mechanism, known as “push-pull” actuating cables.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known in the art is a very extensive variety of embodiments of control cables with “push-pull” actuation. Such control cables essentially comprise a steel cable provided with a sheath in which the steel cable has with respect to the sheath capacity to slide in both directions. In general, the ends of the steel cable include a respective steel cable terminal designed for attachment to said actuating control and actuated mechanism, such as the gear-shift lever provided in the vehicle driving compartment and the corresponding gear-shift mechanism. The ends of the control cable sheath are generally fixed to the structure of the automobile vehicle at functionally suitable points along the route of the control cable, said fixing being implemented by means of sheath terminals. It is known that, in addition to said steel cable and sheath terminals, the control cable can further include a self-adjusting or self-regulating device of the length of the sheathed portion of steel cable, the purpose of that device being to take up any distance tolerances which each particular vehicle has between said actuating control and actuated mechanism.
The control cables such as those described are supplied ex-works incorporating all the elements necessary for fitting thereof onto the automobile vehicle; that is, incorporating said steel cable and sheath terminals and, where necessary, said self-adjusting or self-regulating device. Under certain circumstances, arising for example due to considerable length of the control cable, or due to the conditions under which the control cable is fitted onto the vehicle so requiring, the fact that the steel cable terminal or terminals are fixed non-removably to the steel cable involves considerable difficulty and, therefore, increases the costs deriving from fitting the control cable on the vehicle.
The patent document DE-U-93,04,462 describes a terminal provided with a fixing device which comprises a tubular portion and a fixing body axially arranged. The fixing body is adapted to receive a stem fixed to one end of the steel cable of a control cable, said fixing body and stem being able to couple to each other. Superposed on said tubular portion, there is a closure body which, by sliding over said tubular portion and over the fixing body, produces the coupling between the fixing body and the stem, leaving the stem fixed to the terminal. The device according to DE-U-93,462 has the drawback that the fixing body could slide inadvertently, which would release the stem, with the consequent loss of effectiveness of the control cable.
The patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,064 describes a cable length adjustment device, which comprises a fixing body adapted to receive a stem fixed to a cable. The fixing body and the stem are coupled to each other by means of respective fixing thread with a mutual engagement by manual rotation of the fixing body, the position of the fixing body being terminated by a blocking pin. The device according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,064 has the drawback that it requires manual operation of the fixing body and of the blocking pin, which increases the mounting cost.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A terminal with fixing device for control cables of new structure and operation is made known herein in order to provide a solution to the aforesaid disadvantages presented by the known embodiments of control cables which incorporate non-removable steel cable terminals.
The terminal with fixing device for control cable object of the invention comprises a terminal body provided with means for coupling thereof to an actuating control or to an actuated mechanism, the fixing device comprising:
in the terminal body, an axially arranged tubular portion;
a tubular closure body coaxially arranged with respect to the tubular portion, which is able to move between two positions, opening position and fixing position respectively;
a tubular fixing body coaxially arranged with respect to the closure body and fixed to the tubular portion, which fixing body is adapted to receive a stem axially fixed to one end of the steel cable of a control cable;
the closure body, the fixing body and the stem having respective and complementary fixing means that are able to couple to each other and adapted in such a way that, by sliding the closure body from the opening position to the fixing position, the closure body actuates on the fixing body and this one, in turn, actuates on the stem, producing the coupling of the fixing means and leaving the stem fixed to the terminal; characterized in that:
the closure body and the fixing body are received in the tubular portion of the terminal body;
the closure body is able to rotate in both directions between the two positions, opening position and fixing position;
the closure body and the tubular portion have respective and complementary positioning means which determine the opening and the fixing positions of the closure body;
coaxially arranged between the tubular portion and the closure body, there is a fixing spring which works permanently under torsion, having one of its ends fixed to the tubular portion and its other end fixed to the closure body, in such a way that the fixing spring permanently imparts to the closure body a rotating action from the opening position to the fixing position; and in that
the action imparted to the positioning means produces, by resilient reaction of the fixing spring, the rotation of the closure body from the opening position to the fixing position, leaving the stem fixed to the terminal.
The fixing means include:
on the fixing body, a plurality of equal axial fixing extensions, preferably three in number, and regularly distributed, which, in the absence of exterior action, present by elastic reaction a conical arrangement designed to receive the stem, with each of said axial fixing extensions having a threaded retaining section;
on the stem, a threaded retaining section which coincides with that of the axial fixing extensions;
on the closure body, a plurality of radial closure extensions arranged to coincide with the axial fixing extensions and so designed that rotation of the closure body from the opening position to the fixing position gives rise to superimposition of the corresponding radial closure extensions on the axial fixing extensions, causing them to draw towards each other in such a way that when the stem is in the fixing body the threaded retaining sections of the axial fixing extensions and of the stem mesh onto each other.
The positioning means include:
on the closure body, an axial cavity designed to receive a trigger which can be actuated from the exterior and a thrust spring, axially arranged, which trigger can slide in both directions between two positions, a locking position and an opening position respectively, while the thrust spring works permanently under compression with one of its ends resting against the closure body and its other end against the trigger, in such a way that the latter is subjected permanently to an action directed from the opening position to the locking position;
on the tubular portion of the terminal body, two axially arranged slots, an opening slot and a fixing slot respectively, designed to receive the trigger, and two guide-slots designed to receive corresponding guide-projections of the closure body;
on the fixing body, a perimetral positioning projection so arranged that the closure body is situated between said projection and the terminal body, all of this so designed that movement of the trigger from the locking position to the opening position, by sliding through the opening slot: and subjecting the thrust spring to greater compression, produces rotation of the closure body f
Cebollero Carlos Gabas
Dalmau Riu Jordi
Fico Cables S.A.
Luong Vinh T.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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