Joints and connections – Articulated members – Including static joint
Patent
1997-06-30
1998-11-03
Kim, Harry C.
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Including static joint
403 4, 403122, 403326, 745026, F16C 1110
Patent
active
058299068
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is a linking mechanism for control cable terminals, which is of general application on control cables which work subjected to thrust-traction forces and which are usually known as push-pull operating cables. In particular, the linking mechanism of the invention is applicable to thrust-traction control cables generally used in the automobile industry as a means of linkage between the gearbox and its operating shift lever inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known in the art are a wide variety of thrust-traction control cables which link an actuating control with the mechanism or device to which it is attached. These control cables essentially consist in a sheathed steel cable one end of which has a terminal which, when coupled to the actuating control, forms an articulated coupling which permits the thrust-traction forces applied on the actuating control to be transmitted by the steel cable.
The known embodiments of terminals such as those cited comprise an articulating body attached to the steel cable of the control cable by means of a rigid linking piece, formed for example by an axially arranged metal rod. Coupling of the terminal with the actuating control is implemented by means of an articulating extension which, orthogonally arranged with respect to an actuating arm, is mounted with a tight fit in a housing made for the purpose in the articulating body. In broad terms, the articulation which makes up the coupling of the articulating body with the articulating extension is either a ball or ball-joint articulation or an articulation in which the articulating body and extension are permanently orthogonally arranged and can rotate with respect to each other, unlike the ball articulation in which the position of both parts, articulating body and extension, can occupy positions other than orthogonally mounted positions.
As an example of embodiment of a control cable terminal in which the coupling of the articulating body with the articulating extension of the actuating control forms an articulation in which both parts, articulating body and extension, work orthogonally arranged, we might cite U.S. Pat. 4,581,953, which, in addition to including the aforesaid parts, describes a shock-absorbing sleeve mounted in the housing of the articulating body.
In the known embodiments of terminals described above, the means of coupling of the terminal with the actuating control consist in a single opening made in the articulating body to permit entry by pressure of the articulating extension in a housing in which it is retained; this coupling arrangement has the clear disadvantage that, in general, it requires prior positioning of the terminal with respect to the articulating extension. This disadvantages becomes especially important when the actuating control is constituted by the actuating shift lever of the gearbox of an automobile vehicle; in this case, positioning of the terminal for reception of the articulating extension generally requires rotation of the control cable about its axis when the articulating extension takes up a fixed position, which, given the difficulty of access to the articulating extension, means that the coupling of the cable terminal calls for long execution times which increase fitting costs.
Another disadvantage presented by the known embodiments of terminals such as those described above consists in the fact that the means which retain the articulating extension in the housing of the articulating body operate, once coupled, in such a way that the force which has to be applied to achieve insertion of the articulating extension in said housing is equal in intensity to the force which has to be applied to achieve its withdrawal, which can under some circumstances lead to inopportune uncoupling of the terminal.
EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION
A linkage mechanism for control cables of new structure and operation is made known hereby in order to provide a solution to the above-described disa
REFERENCES:
patent: 4581953 (1986-04-01), Walston et al.
patent: 4694705 (1987-09-01), Frankhouse et al.
patent: 4947704 (1990-08-01), Gokee
Cottingham John R.
Fico Cables S.A.
Kim Harry C.
Striker Michael J.
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