CA1140428A - Control mechanism for hydraulic locking device - Google Patents
Control mechanism for hydraulic locking deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1140428A CA1140428A CA000335036A CA335036A CA1140428A CA 1140428 A CA1140428 A CA 1140428A CA 000335036 A CA000335036 A CA 000335036A CA 335036 A CA335036 A CA 335036A CA 1140428 A CA1140428 A CA 1140428A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- piston rod
- mount
- conduit
- cable
- control mechanism
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 50
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 101100238304 Mus musculus Morc1 gene Proteins 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011324 bead Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/02—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable
- B60N2/22—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable the back-rest being adjustable
- B60N2/23—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable the back-rest being adjustable by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
- B60N2/231—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable the back-rest being adjustable by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms by hydraulic actuators
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Control Devices (AREA)
- Flexible Shafts (AREA)
- Chairs For Special Purposes, Such As Reclining Chairs (AREA)
- Standing Axle, Rod, Or Tube Structures Coupled By Welding, Adhesion, Or Deposition (AREA)
- Springs (AREA)
- Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)
Abstract
CONTROL MECHANISM FOR HYDRAULIC LOCKING DEVICE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A control mechanism for use with a hydraulic locking device to permit the device to be unlocked under control of an operator. The control mechanism includes a lever assembly fastened to the piston rod of the hydraulic control device and connected by a cable to a remotely located push button assembly.
When the operator presses the push button, the cable is drawn causing the lever assembly to move an operating rod of the hydraulic locking device to a release position thereby unlocking the device. The lever assembly can be installed on the hydraulic locking device without the use of tools by sliding a spring clip which is a non-removable portion of the lever assembly. A threaded collar permits the effec-tive length of the conduit to be altered to adjust the stroke of the mechanism.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A control mechanism for use with a hydraulic locking device to permit the device to be unlocked under control of an operator. The control mechanism includes a lever assembly fastened to the piston rod of the hydraulic control device and connected by a cable to a remotely located push button assembly.
When the operator presses the push button, the cable is drawn causing the lever assembly to move an operating rod of the hydraulic locking device to a release position thereby unlocking the device. The lever assembly can be installed on the hydraulic locking device without the use of tools by sliding a spring clip which is a non-removable portion of the lever assembly. A threaded collar permits the effec-tive length of the conduit to be altered to adjust the stroke of the mechanism.
Description
CO~IT~O-'. ~I~`C~ l FOR El`~l~l'AVI,IC l,OC~ `!, D~ CE
.
6 The present invention is in the field o~
7 hyclraulic loc~in~ devices and morc speciEically i5 a control mechanism which can be u~ed by an operator to 9 release the hydraulic locXing device. ' ~Iydraulic locking devices are widely used to 11 control the spacing between two members. In one exem-12 plary application, the hydraul,ic locking device is used 13 for controlling the inclination of a tiltahle hackrest 1~ of a reclining seat in aircra~t and other vehicles.
This use of the device is described in U.S. Patent No.
16 2,522,2~l6 ~or XECLINli~C; CHAIR, issued to ~rmstron~
17 September 12, 1950.
18 Typically such hydraulic loc~ing devices in-1~ clude a hydraulic cylinder connected'to one of the mem-bers, a hollow piston rod extending through one end of 21 the hydraulic cylinder and connected to the other of the 22 two members, and an operating rod extending coaxially 23 within the hollow piston rod and protruding beyond the
.
6 The present invention is in the field o~
7 hyclraulic loc~in~ devices and morc speciEically i5 a control mechanism which can be u~ed by an operator to 9 release the hydraulic locXing device. ' ~Iydraulic locking devices are widely used to 11 control the spacing between two members. In one exem-12 plary application, the hydraul,ic locking device is used 13 for controlling the inclination of a tiltahle hackrest 1~ of a reclining seat in aircra~t and other vehicles.
This use of the device is described in U.S. Patent No.
16 2,522,2~l6 ~or XECLINli~C; CHAIR, issued to ~rmstron~
17 September 12, 1950.
18 Typically such hydraulic loc~ing devices in-1~ clude a hydraulic cylinder connected'to one of the mem-bers, a hollow piston rod extending through one end of 21 the hydraulic cylinder and connected to the other of the 22 two members, and an operating rod extending coaxially 23 within the hollow piston rod and protruding beyond the
2~' exposed'end of the piston rod, and operative wnen pushed into the piston rod to a release position to release 26 the hydraulic locking device so it can be reset to alter 27 the separation between the ~wo members.
32 , , , ~ , d,4,P~
42~
Contemporary lockiny devices are disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,760,911 for HY~RAULIC LOCKING DEVICE, issued to Porter et al. Septembex 25, 1973 and in U.S. Patent No.
32 , , , ~ , d,4,P~
42~
Contemporary lockiny devices are disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,760,911 for HY~RAULIC LOCKING DEVICE, issued to Porter et al. Septembex 25, 1973 and in U.S. Patent No.
3,860,098 for HYDRAULIC LOCKING DEVICE, issued to Porter et al. January 14, 1975. The devices described in these patents are sold under the name ~IYDROLOK, a registered trademark of the P. L. Porter Company of Woodland Hills, California, to whom the aforementioned patents have been assigned.
A hydraulic control assembly is disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,553,967 for HYDRAULIC CONTROL ASSEMBLY issued to Porter et al. January 12, 19'71 and in U.S. reissue Patent NoO Re. 28,030 for HYDRAULIC CONTROL ASSEMBLY to Porter et al., issued June 4, 1974. The~ hydraulic control assembly disclosed in these patents includes a push button operable by a passenger in a vehicle to release the hydraulic locking device so that he can adjust the tilt of the back of his ~seat. The push button includes a plunger which presses a~ainst a diaphragm to cause a hydraulic pressure, which ;~ ~20 pressure is then transmitted through a tube to a movable wall or diaphragm which controls-the release of the locking device. In contrast to the hydraulic control assembly, the present invention relates to a mechanical control assembly in which the forces are transmitted by~ a cable instead of through a tube filled with hydraulic fluid.
'~
1 The present inveiltlon thus relates to a 2 control mechanism which attaches to the locking 3 device to permit an operator to trip the release
A hydraulic control assembly is disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,553,967 for HYDRAULIC CONTROL ASSEMBLY issued to Porter et al. January 12, 19'71 and in U.S. reissue Patent NoO Re. 28,030 for HYDRAULIC CONTROL ASSEMBLY to Porter et al., issued June 4, 1974. The~ hydraulic control assembly disclosed in these patents includes a push button operable by a passenger in a vehicle to release the hydraulic locking device so that he can adjust the tilt of the back of his ~seat. The push button includes a plunger which presses a~ainst a diaphragm to cause a hydraulic pressure, which ;~ ~20 pressure is then transmitted through a tube to a movable wall or diaphragm which controls-the release of the locking device. In contrast to the hydraulic control assembly, the present invention relates to a mechanical control assembly in which the forces are transmitted by~ a cable instead of through a tube filled with hydraulic fluid.
'~
1 The present inveiltlon thus relates to a 2 control mechanism which attaches to the locking 3 device to permit an operator to trip the release
4 mechanism of the hvdraulic locking device rom a remote and more comfortable position. The hyclrauLic 6 locking device per se is not the subject of the 7 present invention, but only the control mechanism.
8 Because the hydraulic locking devices are 9 frequently used to control the tilt of the back of the seat in a vehicle, the hydraulic locking device 11 is normally positioned under the seat to prevent 12 ~amp~ring and for aesthetic reasons. ~ccorclincJly, 13 the control mechanism must be rug~ed and reliable, 14 easy to rnount -to the hydraulic locklng device, and easy to adjust. It is desirable tha-t the placement lG and adju~stment o the control mechanism should be 1~ accom~lished without removing the hydraulic locking 18 device from the seat and without removing the seat 19 from service for more than a minimal amount of time.
These desiderata were not fulfilled by 21 control mechanisms known to the prlor art. Typically, 22 such control mechanisms were attached to the piston 23 rod of the hydraulic locking device by socket set 24 screws, and it was necessary for the person installing or replacing the control mechanism to carry the propér 26 size wrench for use with the set screws. Further, 27 the socket set screws were difficult to see and to 28 /~/
_3_ Z~
l adjust in the dark and crowded surroundings where the 2 device was used. For the same reasons, it was diffi-3 cult ir. prior art devices to adjust -the end points 4 of the stroke or the cable; i.e., to trim -the cable ~5 to the proper length relative to the len~th o~ the 6 conduit through which the cable passes. In some prior q art control mechanisms, the cable was crimped between portions of the control mechanism so that the end of 9 the cable could not be readily disconnected from the control mechanism even when the cable had been cut.
This, in turn, meant that replacernent o:E a worn cable 12 would require replacement o the entire control 13 mechanism.
l~ Thus, control mechanisms known in -the prior art tende~ to be diEficult to instal and inconvenient 16 to adjust.
... .
~6 2g ;30 1 "' ' .
4~
3 The control mechanism of the present inven-4 tion incorporates a number of features designed to overcome the difficulties inherent in the prior art 6 control mechanisms.
7 No tools are required to attach the control 8 mechanism to the piston rod of the hydraulic locking 9 device. In acccrdance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control mechanism is attached .
11 to the end of the piston rod by a spring clip which 12 e~gages a circumferential groove near the end o~ the 13 piston rod. The control mechanism of the present inven-14 tiOn is attachea simply by inserting the t;p of the . .
piston rod through a hole in the control mechanism, and .
16 sliding the spring clip to a positio~ ~h~e it engages .
17 the circumferential ~roove to retain the control 18 mechanism on the piston rod. This ~ode of mounting 1~ the controi mechanism to the piston roa has the fur-~0 ther advantage that the control mechanism can rotate -. . .. .
21 about the axis of the piston rod, permitting it to be 22 installed in a convenient orientation and thereafter 23 rotated to a di~ferent position for use. Also, it is 24 not necessary to ro~ate the control mechanism to any particular position around ~he piston rod when instal-`~6 ling it, as would be re~uired if it were keyed to the 27 piston rod. The spring clip iS secured to the control 28 mechanism with respect to which it slides, and therefore ~9 ///
30 //~ -~ . . . .
~2 _5_ ~ V~2~3 the spring clip cannot fall of in use or become misplaced during installation or servicing.
The present invention is a control mechanism for use with a hydraulic device employed to control relative movement between two members, said hydraulic locking device including a hydraulic cylinder connected to one of the members, a hollow piston rod extending outwardly through one end of the hydraulic cylinder to an exposed end of the piston rod and connected to the other of the two members, and an operating rod extending coaxially within the hollow piston rod, protruding beyond the exposed end of the piston rod, and operative when pushed into the piston rod to release the hydraulic locking device so it can be reset to alter the separation between the two members, said control mechanism comprising in combination: a conduit having a proximal end associated with t:he piston rod and having a distal end; a cable ext~nding through said conduit slidable within it, and including a proximal end and a distal end; push button means affixed to the distal end of 2~ said condui~ for moving said cable under control oE an operator through a stroke with respect to said conduit; a mount attached to the exposed end portion of the piston rod; a spring clip secured to said mount and retaining said mount to the exposed end portion of the piston rod to permit said output lever to be attached to the piston rod without the use of tools; an output lever pivotably mounted to said mount to pivot about a lever axis perpen-dicular to the axis of the piston rod, the lever axis dis-placed to one side of the axis of the piston rod; the 2~
proximal end of said conduit attached to said mount so as to be substantially parallel to said piston rod with the proximal end of said cable drawing said output lever toward the hydraulic cylinder as the proximal end of said cable is retracted into said conduit to cause said output lever to contact the operating rod and to drive it axially into the piston rod, said output lever functioning as a third class lever to achieve a mechanical advantage.
The portion of the control mechanism which is attached to the piston rod will be referred to below as the lever assembly.
In a preferred embodiment, the lever assembly is actuated by a cable which is drawn through a conduit under control of an operator. The operator is provided with a push button assembly which includes a crank which draws the cable through the conduit when a push button is pressed.
The proximal end of the cable engages the lever assembly and the distal end of the cable engages the crank. In both instances, a metallic ball or bead is threaded onto the cable at each end and crimped in place. The larger size of the balls prevents them from being pulled through the sockets upon which they bear, thereby securing the cable at its ends to the lever assembly and to the crank respectively.
The parts on which the balls bear pivot when the push button is pressed, and if the cable were merely clamped to the pivoting parts, the cable would be subjected to flexing as the parts pivot. In accordance with the present invention, this flexing of the cable is avoided, thereby increasing the life of the cable and eliminating the stresses which would result if the relatively thick cable were clamped to the pivoting parts.
In the present invention, the push button assembly is mounted on the conduit through which the cable slides.
The length of the cable, as defined by the balls which have been swaged to it, must be such that the range of movement of the end of the cable at the push button is within the range of movement of the crank portion of the push button.
However, in accordance with the present invention, it is not necessary to determine the length of the cable with great precision, because in the present invention the length of the conduit is adjustable. A threaded sleeve connects the conduit to the control mechanism, and the length of the conduit is adjusted by manually rotating the threaded sleeve. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the threaded sleeve is connected to the lever ~ssembly by means oE a snap ring which prevents the threaded sleeve from coming loose from the lever assembly but which permits the sleeve to be rotated to adjust the len~th of the conduit.
In a preferred embodiment of the present inven-tion, the lever assembly includes a mount which is fastened to the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic locking device by the snap fastener discussed above, and further includes an output lever pivotally mounted to the mount and engaged 2S by the ball at the end of the cable so that when the cable is drawn through the conduit as the push button is pressed, the output lever is pivoted and in so doing, the output lever pushes the operating rod into the piston rod releasing the hydraulic locking device. A compression spring positioned ~ 8-between the output lever and the mount returns the output lever to its original position when the push button is released.
The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the invention both as to its structure and its operation, along with further advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is t~ be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illus-tration and description only and are not intended as a definition of khe limi.ts of the invention.
-8a-~L40~Z13 In the drawings:
Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the control mechanism of the present inven-tion; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view in the direc-tion 2-2 indicated in Figure l.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control mechanism includes a lever assembly 10 and a push button assembly 12. The push button assembly is connected to the lever assembly lO by a cable 14 which extends throu~h a conduit 16. The end of the conduit that is connected to the lever assembly is referred to as the proximal end, while the end that is connected to the push button assembly is referred to as the distal end. The lever assembly 10 is attached to the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 of the hydraulic locking device 22, which includes a hydraulic cylinder 23.
The lever assembly 10 inclucles a mount 24 which includes a hole 26. The end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 is inserted through the hole 26, and the mount 24 is fastened to the piston rod 20 by a spring clip 28 also shown in Figure 2. The spring clip 28 includes two arms 30, 32 which engage opposite sldes of a groove 34 which extends circumferentially around the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 to prevent the mount 24 from moving in either axial direction relative to the piston rod 20 but to permit the lever assembly to rotate on the piston rod about an axis 36.
The spring clip 28 is retained to the mount 24 by the washer 38 and the snap ring 40, thereby preventing separation of the spring clip 28 from the mount 24 so that the spring clip will not be inadvertently misplaced. As normally supplied, the lever assembly 10 includes the spring clip held in position by the snap ring 40. When the lever assembly 10 is to be attached to the piston rod 20, the spring clip 28 is grasped by its upturned end portion 42 and pulled in the direction shown by the arrow 44 in Figure 2.
This permits the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 to be inserted through the hole 26. An enlarged cut-out area 46 between the arm 30, 32 of the spring clip 28 permits the spring clip to be moved in the direction indicated. After the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 has been inserted through the hole 26, the spring clip 28 is pushed in a direction opposite that indicated by the arrow 44 so as to cause the arms 30, 32 to lockingly engage the groove 34.
Thus, it is seen that installation of the control mechanism is accomplished without the use of tools, and by simply pushing the spring clip 28 into locking engagement with the groove 34.
4Z~3 -- .
1 The lever assembly 10 further..includes an 2 output lever 48 pivotably connected to the mount 24 3 by a pin 50. The output lever includes a portion 52 4 which contacts the end of the operating rod 54 -to :5 push it into the piston rod 20 to release the h~drau-6 lic locking device 22.
7 The ou-tput lever 48 includes a socket 56 for 8 ret'aining a ball 58 which is swaged to the end of the -, 9 cable 14. I~hen the cable 14 is drawn in the direction ~ -................ . .
indicated in Figure 1, the OlltpUt lever 48 is pivoted 11 in the direction shown causing -the por-tion 52 to push 12 the operating rod 54 in-to the piston rod 20 to release 13 the hydraul:ic locking device. The output lever'48 is 14 a lever of the third class an~ is used to ,provide a mechanical advantage so that -the force exerted on the 16 operatiny rod 54 is appreciably greater than the tension 17 in the cable 14. A return spring 60 is mounted ~etween 1~ the output lever 48 ànd the mount 24 and urges them 19 apart so that the output lever 48 will be returned to its initial position when the push button is released.
21 The push button assembly 12 is connected to 22 the conduit 16 and engages the cable 14. The push 23 button assemhly 12 includes the push button 62, a 24 plunger 64, a crank 66 and a frame 68. The crank 66 is pivotably mounted to the frame 68 and includes a 26 socket 70 for retaining a ball 72 which is swaged to 27 the end of the cable 14. I~hen the push button 62 is '~
~V4;~3 ..
1 moved in the direction indieated, the plullger 64 2 pushes the crank 66 to pivot in the direction shown, 3 drawillg the cable 1~ in the direction indieated.
4 In one embodiment, -the push button assembly 12 is mounted to a portion 74 of the arm of a seat (not 6 shown) and thus is loeated îemotely from the lever 7 assembly 10 and the hydraulie lockiny deviee 22.
8 The lever assembly 10 and the push button 9 assembly 12 are assembled and intereonnected by the eable 14 and the eonduit 16 before the lever assembly 11 10 is fastened to the piston rod 20.
12 From the above diseussion of the p~lS}I but-13 -ton assembly 12, it is elear that as the push button 14 62 is pressecl, the socket 70 is moved through a range of posi.tions. If ~he eontrol mechanism is -to function 16 properly~ the ball 72 must be posi-tioned along the 17 eable 14 a-t the particular location ~Ihich will permit 18 the ball 72 to remain seated in the socket 70 as the 19 crank 66 pivots. However, the present inven-tion takes into aecount the faet that it is not always possible 21 to swage the ball 72 to the cable 14 at precisely the 22 right location along the eable. In the present in-23 vention, inaeeuraeies in positioning the ball 72 along 24 the cable 14 ean be eompensated by a simple adjustment.
In a prèferred embodiment of the present in-~6 vention the adjustment is accomplished by use of the 27 threaded eollar 76 which eonneets the eonduit 16 to the 29 f// j:
1 mount 24. In a preferred embodiment, the tllreaded 2 collar 76 has a hexagonal outer surEace 78 and is 3 threaded on its inner surface. In a preferred em-4 bodiment, the threaded collar 76 extends through a ho]e 80 in the mount 24 and is retained therein by ~ the snap ring 40 and the flange 82 of the threaded 7 collar. The conduit 16 includes a portion 84 affixed 8 to the Proximal end of it and threaded on its 9 outer surFace. The snap rin~ ~0 enqages a groove ~. . . .
extending circumferentially around -the erid of the 11 threaded collar 76 and thus permits the -threaded collar 12 76 to be rotated by hand or with a wrench while the 13 condlllt 16 and -the mount 24 remain stationary. Such 14 rotation causes the portion 84 to advance within the threaded collar 76 thereby efEectively altering the 16 lellgth of the conduit, which may be rec~arded as in-lq cluding the threaded collar 76.
18 Alteration of the length of the conduit is 1~ as pointed out above, carried out during the assembly of the control mechanism and hence prior to its instal-21 lation which is accomplished by use of the spring 22 clip 28. Of course, this doe~ not preclude the possi-23 bility of altering the length of the conduit after the 24 control mechanism has been installed on the hydraulic 2~ locking device if such adjustment becomes desirable.
26 In that event, it is found that the threaded collar 76 27 can be turned by hand, although its hexagonal outer 28 surface facilitates the use of a wrench.
///
3~
If, during assembly of the contr~l mechanism, the length of the cable between the ball 58 and the ball 72 is appreciably too long, the push button 62 may bottom out against the frame 68 before the ball 72 has xeached the end of its desired stroke. In such a situation, the output lever 48 may not be moved sufficiently to push the operating rod 54 to the release position. On the other hand, if the length of the cable 14 included between the ball 58 and the ball 72 is appreciably too short, it may be impossible for the output lever 48 to move sufficiently far away from the mount 24 to permit the operating rod 54 from emerging from the piston rod 20, thereby preventing the hydraulic locking device from completely locking. Both of the situations are remedied during assembly of the control mechanism by use of the adjustment capability provided by the threaded collar 76.
The foregoing detailed description is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be 2~ obvious to those skilled in the art. These additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention.
8 Because the hydraulic locking devices are 9 frequently used to control the tilt of the back of the seat in a vehicle, the hydraulic locking device 11 is normally positioned under the seat to prevent 12 ~amp~ring and for aesthetic reasons. ~ccorclincJly, 13 the control mechanism must be rug~ed and reliable, 14 easy to rnount -to the hydraulic locklng device, and easy to adjust. It is desirable tha-t the placement lG and adju~stment o the control mechanism should be 1~ accom~lished without removing the hydraulic locking 18 device from the seat and without removing the seat 19 from service for more than a minimal amount of time.
These desiderata were not fulfilled by 21 control mechanisms known to the prlor art. Typically, 22 such control mechanisms were attached to the piston 23 rod of the hydraulic locking device by socket set 24 screws, and it was necessary for the person installing or replacing the control mechanism to carry the propér 26 size wrench for use with the set screws. Further, 27 the socket set screws were difficult to see and to 28 /~/
_3_ Z~
l adjust in the dark and crowded surroundings where the 2 device was used. For the same reasons, it was diffi-3 cult ir. prior art devices to adjust -the end points 4 of the stroke or the cable; i.e., to trim -the cable ~5 to the proper length relative to the len~th o~ the 6 conduit through which the cable passes. In some prior q art control mechanisms, the cable was crimped between portions of the control mechanism so that the end of 9 the cable could not be readily disconnected from the control mechanism even when the cable had been cut.
This, in turn, meant that replacernent o:E a worn cable 12 would require replacement o the entire control 13 mechanism.
l~ Thus, control mechanisms known in -the prior art tende~ to be diEficult to instal and inconvenient 16 to adjust.
... .
~6 2g ;30 1 "' ' .
4~
3 The control mechanism of the present inven-4 tion incorporates a number of features designed to overcome the difficulties inherent in the prior art 6 control mechanisms.
7 No tools are required to attach the control 8 mechanism to the piston rod of the hydraulic locking 9 device. In acccrdance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control mechanism is attached .
11 to the end of the piston rod by a spring clip which 12 e~gages a circumferential groove near the end o~ the 13 piston rod. The control mechanism of the present inven-14 tiOn is attachea simply by inserting the t;p of the . .
piston rod through a hole in the control mechanism, and .
16 sliding the spring clip to a positio~ ~h~e it engages .
17 the circumferential ~roove to retain the control 18 mechanism on the piston rod. This ~ode of mounting 1~ the controi mechanism to the piston roa has the fur-~0 ther advantage that the control mechanism can rotate -. . .. .
21 about the axis of the piston rod, permitting it to be 22 installed in a convenient orientation and thereafter 23 rotated to a di~ferent position for use. Also, it is 24 not necessary to ro~ate the control mechanism to any particular position around ~he piston rod when instal-`~6 ling it, as would be re~uired if it were keyed to the 27 piston rod. The spring clip iS secured to the control 28 mechanism with respect to which it slides, and therefore ~9 ///
30 //~ -~ . . . .
~2 _5_ ~ V~2~3 the spring clip cannot fall of in use or become misplaced during installation or servicing.
The present invention is a control mechanism for use with a hydraulic device employed to control relative movement between two members, said hydraulic locking device including a hydraulic cylinder connected to one of the members, a hollow piston rod extending outwardly through one end of the hydraulic cylinder to an exposed end of the piston rod and connected to the other of the two members, and an operating rod extending coaxially within the hollow piston rod, protruding beyond the exposed end of the piston rod, and operative when pushed into the piston rod to release the hydraulic locking device so it can be reset to alter the separation between the two members, said control mechanism comprising in combination: a conduit having a proximal end associated with t:he piston rod and having a distal end; a cable ext~nding through said conduit slidable within it, and including a proximal end and a distal end; push button means affixed to the distal end of 2~ said condui~ for moving said cable under control oE an operator through a stroke with respect to said conduit; a mount attached to the exposed end portion of the piston rod; a spring clip secured to said mount and retaining said mount to the exposed end portion of the piston rod to permit said output lever to be attached to the piston rod without the use of tools; an output lever pivotably mounted to said mount to pivot about a lever axis perpen-dicular to the axis of the piston rod, the lever axis dis-placed to one side of the axis of the piston rod; the 2~
proximal end of said conduit attached to said mount so as to be substantially parallel to said piston rod with the proximal end of said cable drawing said output lever toward the hydraulic cylinder as the proximal end of said cable is retracted into said conduit to cause said output lever to contact the operating rod and to drive it axially into the piston rod, said output lever functioning as a third class lever to achieve a mechanical advantage.
The portion of the control mechanism which is attached to the piston rod will be referred to below as the lever assembly.
In a preferred embodiment, the lever assembly is actuated by a cable which is drawn through a conduit under control of an operator. The operator is provided with a push button assembly which includes a crank which draws the cable through the conduit when a push button is pressed.
The proximal end of the cable engages the lever assembly and the distal end of the cable engages the crank. In both instances, a metallic ball or bead is threaded onto the cable at each end and crimped in place. The larger size of the balls prevents them from being pulled through the sockets upon which they bear, thereby securing the cable at its ends to the lever assembly and to the crank respectively.
The parts on which the balls bear pivot when the push button is pressed, and if the cable were merely clamped to the pivoting parts, the cable would be subjected to flexing as the parts pivot. In accordance with the present invention, this flexing of the cable is avoided, thereby increasing the life of the cable and eliminating the stresses which would result if the relatively thick cable were clamped to the pivoting parts.
In the present invention, the push button assembly is mounted on the conduit through which the cable slides.
The length of the cable, as defined by the balls which have been swaged to it, must be such that the range of movement of the end of the cable at the push button is within the range of movement of the crank portion of the push button.
However, in accordance with the present invention, it is not necessary to determine the length of the cable with great precision, because in the present invention the length of the conduit is adjustable. A threaded sleeve connects the conduit to the control mechanism, and the length of the conduit is adjusted by manually rotating the threaded sleeve. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the threaded sleeve is connected to the lever ~ssembly by means oE a snap ring which prevents the threaded sleeve from coming loose from the lever assembly but which permits the sleeve to be rotated to adjust the len~th of the conduit.
In a preferred embodiment of the present inven-tion, the lever assembly includes a mount which is fastened to the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic locking device by the snap fastener discussed above, and further includes an output lever pivotally mounted to the mount and engaged 2S by the ball at the end of the cable so that when the cable is drawn through the conduit as the push button is pressed, the output lever is pivoted and in so doing, the output lever pushes the operating rod into the piston rod releasing the hydraulic locking device. A compression spring positioned ~ 8-between the output lever and the mount returns the output lever to its original position when the push button is released.
The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the invention both as to its structure and its operation, along with further advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is t~ be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illus-tration and description only and are not intended as a definition of khe limi.ts of the invention.
-8a-~L40~Z13 In the drawings:
Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the control mechanism of the present inven-tion; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view in the direc-tion 2-2 indicated in Figure l.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control mechanism includes a lever assembly 10 and a push button assembly 12. The push button assembly is connected to the lever assembly lO by a cable 14 which extends throu~h a conduit 16. The end of the conduit that is connected to the lever assembly is referred to as the proximal end, while the end that is connected to the push button assembly is referred to as the distal end. The lever assembly 10 is attached to the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 of the hydraulic locking device 22, which includes a hydraulic cylinder 23.
The lever assembly 10 inclucles a mount 24 which includes a hole 26. The end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 is inserted through the hole 26, and the mount 24 is fastened to the piston rod 20 by a spring clip 28 also shown in Figure 2. The spring clip 28 includes two arms 30, 32 which engage opposite sldes of a groove 34 which extends circumferentially around the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 to prevent the mount 24 from moving in either axial direction relative to the piston rod 20 but to permit the lever assembly to rotate on the piston rod about an axis 36.
The spring clip 28 is retained to the mount 24 by the washer 38 and the snap ring 40, thereby preventing separation of the spring clip 28 from the mount 24 so that the spring clip will not be inadvertently misplaced. As normally supplied, the lever assembly 10 includes the spring clip held in position by the snap ring 40. When the lever assembly 10 is to be attached to the piston rod 20, the spring clip 28 is grasped by its upturned end portion 42 and pulled in the direction shown by the arrow 44 in Figure 2.
This permits the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 to be inserted through the hole 26. An enlarged cut-out area 46 between the arm 30, 32 of the spring clip 28 permits the spring clip to be moved in the direction indicated. After the end portion 18 of the piston rod 20 has been inserted through the hole 26, the spring clip 28 is pushed in a direction opposite that indicated by the arrow 44 so as to cause the arms 30, 32 to lockingly engage the groove 34.
Thus, it is seen that installation of the control mechanism is accomplished without the use of tools, and by simply pushing the spring clip 28 into locking engagement with the groove 34.
4Z~3 -- .
1 The lever assembly 10 further..includes an 2 output lever 48 pivotably connected to the mount 24 3 by a pin 50. The output lever includes a portion 52 4 which contacts the end of the operating rod 54 -to :5 push it into the piston rod 20 to release the h~drau-6 lic locking device 22.
7 The ou-tput lever 48 includes a socket 56 for 8 ret'aining a ball 58 which is swaged to the end of the -, 9 cable 14. I~hen the cable 14 is drawn in the direction ~ -................ . .
indicated in Figure 1, the OlltpUt lever 48 is pivoted 11 in the direction shown causing -the por-tion 52 to push 12 the operating rod 54 in-to the piston rod 20 to release 13 the hydraul:ic locking device. The output lever'48 is 14 a lever of the third class an~ is used to ,provide a mechanical advantage so that -the force exerted on the 16 operatiny rod 54 is appreciably greater than the tension 17 in the cable 14. A return spring 60 is mounted ~etween 1~ the output lever 48 ànd the mount 24 and urges them 19 apart so that the output lever 48 will be returned to its initial position when the push button is released.
21 The push button assembly 12 is connected to 22 the conduit 16 and engages the cable 14. The push 23 button assemhly 12 includes the push button 62, a 24 plunger 64, a crank 66 and a frame 68. The crank 66 is pivotably mounted to the frame 68 and includes a 26 socket 70 for retaining a ball 72 which is swaged to 27 the end of the cable 14. I~hen the push button 62 is '~
~V4;~3 ..
1 moved in the direction indieated, the plullger 64 2 pushes the crank 66 to pivot in the direction shown, 3 drawillg the cable 1~ in the direction indieated.
4 In one embodiment, -the push button assembly 12 is mounted to a portion 74 of the arm of a seat (not 6 shown) and thus is loeated îemotely from the lever 7 assembly 10 and the hydraulie lockiny deviee 22.
8 The lever assembly 10 and the push button 9 assembly 12 are assembled and intereonnected by the eable 14 and the eonduit 16 before the lever assembly 11 10 is fastened to the piston rod 20.
12 From the above diseussion of the p~lS}I but-13 -ton assembly 12, it is elear that as the push button 14 62 is pressecl, the socket 70 is moved through a range of posi.tions. If ~he eontrol mechanism is -to function 16 properly~ the ball 72 must be posi-tioned along the 17 eable 14 a-t the particular location ~Ihich will permit 18 the ball 72 to remain seated in the socket 70 as the 19 crank 66 pivots. However, the present inven-tion takes into aecount the faet that it is not always possible 21 to swage the ball 72 to the cable 14 at precisely the 22 right location along the eable. In the present in-23 vention, inaeeuraeies in positioning the ball 72 along 24 the cable 14 ean be eompensated by a simple adjustment.
In a prèferred embodiment of the present in-~6 vention the adjustment is accomplished by use of the 27 threaded eollar 76 which eonneets the eonduit 16 to the 29 f// j:
1 mount 24. In a preferred embodiment, the tllreaded 2 collar 76 has a hexagonal outer surEace 78 and is 3 threaded on its inner surface. In a preferred em-4 bodiment, the threaded collar 76 extends through a ho]e 80 in the mount 24 and is retained therein by ~ the snap ring 40 and the flange 82 of the threaded 7 collar. The conduit 16 includes a portion 84 affixed 8 to the Proximal end of it and threaded on its 9 outer surFace. The snap rin~ ~0 enqages a groove ~. . . .
extending circumferentially around -the erid of the 11 threaded collar 76 and thus permits the -threaded collar 12 76 to be rotated by hand or with a wrench while the 13 condlllt 16 and -the mount 24 remain stationary. Such 14 rotation causes the portion 84 to advance within the threaded collar 76 thereby efEectively altering the 16 lellgth of the conduit, which may be rec~arded as in-lq cluding the threaded collar 76.
18 Alteration of the length of the conduit is 1~ as pointed out above, carried out during the assembly of the control mechanism and hence prior to its instal-21 lation which is accomplished by use of the spring 22 clip 28. Of course, this doe~ not preclude the possi-23 bility of altering the length of the conduit after the 24 control mechanism has been installed on the hydraulic 2~ locking device if such adjustment becomes desirable.
26 In that event, it is found that the threaded collar 76 27 can be turned by hand, although its hexagonal outer 28 surface facilitates the use of a wrench.
///
3~
If, during assembly of the contr~l mechanism, the length of the cable between the ball 58 and the ball 72 is appreciably too long, the push button 62 may bottom out against the frame 68 before the ball 72 has xeached the end of its desired stroke. In such a situation, the output lever 48 may not be moved sufficiently to push the operating rod 54 to the release position. On the other hand, if the length of the cable 14 included between the ball 58 and the ball 72 is appreciably too short, it may be impossible for the output lever 48 to move sufficiently far away from the mount 24 to permit the operating rod 54 from emerging from the piston rod 20, thereby preventing the hydraulic locking device from completely locking. Both of the situations are remedied during assembly of the control mechanism by use of the adjustment capability provided by the threaded collar 76.
The foregoing detailed description is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be 2~ obvious to those skilled in the art. These additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention.
Claims (7)
1. A control mechanism for use with a hydraulic locking device employed to control relative movement between two members, said hydraulic locking device including a hydraulic cylinder connected to one of the members, a hollow piston rod extending outwardly through one end of the hydraulic cylinder to an exposed end of the piston rod and connected to the-other of the two members, and an operating rod extending coaxially within the hollow piston rod, protruding beyond the exposed end of the piston rod, and operative when pushed into the piston rod to release the hydraulic locking device so it can be reset to alter the separation between the two members, said control mechanism comprising in combination:
a conduit having a proximal end associated with the piston rod and having a distal end;
a cable extending through said conduit, slidable within it, and including a proximal end and a distal end;
push button means affixed to the distal end of said conduit for moving said cable under control of an operator through a stroke with respect to said conduit;
a mount attached to the exposed end portion of the piston rod;
an output lever pivotably mounted to said mount to pivot about a lever axis perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod, the lever axis displaced to one side of the axis of the piston rod;
a spring clip secured to said mount and retaining said mount to the exposed end portion of the piston rod to permit said output lever to be attached to the piston rod without the use of tools;
the proximal end of said conduit attached to said mount so as to be substantially parallel to said piston rod with the proximal end of said cable drawing said output lever toward the hydraulic cylinder as the proximal end of said cable is retracted into said conduit to cause said output lever to contact the operating rod and to drive it axially into the piston rod, said output lever functioning as a third class lever to achieve a mechanical advantage.
a conduit having a proximal end associated with the piston rod and having a distal end;
a cable extending through said conduit, slidable within it, and including a proximal end and a distal end;
push button means affixed to the distal end of said conduit for moving said cable under control of an operator through a stroke with respect to said conduit;
a mount attached to the exposed end portion of the piston rod;
an output lever pivotably mounted to said mount to pivot about a lever axis perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod, the lever axis displaced to one side of the axis of the piston rod;
a spring clip secured to said mount and retaining said mount to the exposed end portion of the piston rod to permit said output lever to be attached to the piston rod without the use of tools;
the proximal end of said conduit attached to said mount so as to be substantially parallel to said piston rod with the proximal end of said cable drawing said output lever toward the hydraulic cylinder as the proximal end of said cable is retracted into said conduit to cause said output lever to contact the operating rod and to drive it axially into the piston rod, said output lever functioning as a third class lever to achieve a mechanical advantage.
2. The control mechanism of claim 1 further comprising adjustment means associated with said conduit for altering the length of the conduit under control of an operator to preset the positions of the distal end of the cable at the beginning and the end of the stroke, with respect to the distal end of said conduit.
3. The control mechanism of claim 2 wherein said adjustment means comprise a threaded collar connecting the proximal end of said conduit to said mount.
4. The control mechanism of claim 1 further comprising:
retaining means for engaging said cable to said output lever at a point on the opposite side of the axis of the piston rod from said pivot axis.
retaining means for engaging said cable to said output lever at a point on the opposite side of the axis of the piston rod from said pivot axis.
5. The control mechanism of claim 1 wherein the piston rod includes a circumferential groove adjacent the end of the piston rod, wherein said mount includes a hole, and wherein the end of the piston rod extends through the hole from one side of said mount with the circumferential groove accessible on the opposite side of the said mount, and wherein said mount is retained to the piston rod by the spring clip engaging the circumferential groove and being secured to said mount.
6. The control mechanism of claim 4 wherein said retaining means further comprise a ball affixed to said cable and pivotably and removably engaging said output lever.
7. The control mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a resilient means urging said output lever away from said mount to provide a force for returning said out-put lever to its initial position when the operator releases said push button means.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US93938378A | 1978-09-05 | 1978-09-05 | |
| US939,383 | 1978-09-05 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1140428A true CA1140428A (en) | 1983-02-01 |
Family
ID=25473089
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000335036A Expired CA1140428A (en) | 1978-09-05 | 1979-09-05 | Control mechanism for hydraulic locking device |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5561829A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1140428A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2934676C2 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2435750A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2030258B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1122973B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE3524602A1 (en) * | 1985-07-10 | 1987-01-22 | Guenther Ing Grad Selzer | DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING IN PARTICULAR THE INCLINATION OF THE BACKREST OF A SEAT |
| DE202015003901U1 (en) * | 2015-06-05 | 2015-07-08 | Guido Wandschneider | Device for triggering a gas spring and seat unit with adjustable backrest with a gas spring and such a device |
| EP3371000B1 (en) * | 2015-11-03 | 2020-09-16 | Safran Seats USA LLC | Pull actuator release for reclining seats |
Family Cites Families (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH197234A (en) * | 1937-06-30 | 1938-04-30 | Alfred Kuhn & Co | Device with push button for actuating the armature of cisterns. |
| US2522246A (en) * | 1945-08-28 | 1950-09-12 | Percy L Porter | Reclining chair |
| FR1425369A (en) * | 1964-11-30 | 1966-01-24 | Improvements to hydraulic locking devices | |
| US3380561A (en) * | 1966-11-14 | 1968-04-30 | Clyde R. Porter | Hydraulic locking device |
| US3589209A (en) * | 1969-01-02 | 1971-06-29 | Fairchild Hiller Corp | Cable operated actuator assembly |
| US3553967A (en) * | 1969-08-01 | 1971-01-12 | Porter Co P L | Hydraulic control assembly |
| US3860098A (en) * | 1969-08-01 | 1975-01-14 | Porter Co P L | Hydraulic locking device |
| US3760911A (en) * | 1971-12-22 | 1973-09-25 | Porter Co P L | Hydraulic locking device |
| US3788438A (en) * | 1972-12-06 | 1974-01-29 | F Reno | Clutch actuating mechanism with automatically determined free play |
| DE2319990A1 (en) * | 1973-04-19 | 1974-10-31 | Chester Bert Rackson | FINGER-OPERATED HAND-HELD SWITCHING DEVICE |
| JPS5353800Y2 (en) * | 1974-06-17 | 1978-12-22 | ||
| DE2460192A1 (en) * | 1974-12-19 | 1976-06-24 | Bremshey Ag | Railway and aircraft seat - has rear end of bottom and back frame suspended links pivotal downwards |
| JPS5547741Y2 (en) * | 1976-04-05 | 1980-11-08 |
-
1979
- 1979-08-14 GB GB7928318A patent/GB2030258B/en not_active Expired
- 1979-08-28 DE DE2934676A patent/DE2934676C2/en not_active Expired
- 1979-08-29 FR FR7921698A patent/FR2435750A1/en active Granted
- 1979-09-04 IT IT25483/79A patent/IT1122973B/en active
- 1979-09-05 CA CA000335036A patent/CA1140428A/en not_active Expired
- 1979-09-05 JP JP11304879A patent/JPS5561829A/en active Granted
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE2934676A1 (en) | 1980-03-13 |
| JPS5561829A (en) | 1980-05-09 |
| GB2030258A (en) | 1980-04-02 |
| IT7925483A0 (en) | 1979-09-04 |
| DE2934676C2 (en) | 1985-01-24 |
| GB2030258B (en) | 1982-09-15 |
| IT1122973B (en) | 1986-04-30 |
| FR2435750B1 (en) | 1984-03-30 |
| FR2435750A1 (en) | 1980-04-04 |
| JPS6214848B2 (en) | 1987-04-04 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |