GB2149044A

GB2149044A - A connecting member

Info

Publication number: GB2149044A
Application number: GB08423441A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henning Dehn
Original assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG; Max Kammerer GmbH
Current assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG; Max Kammerer GmbH
Priority date: 1983-09-19
Filing date: 1984-09-17
Publication date: 1985-06-05
Also published as: ES293242U; GB2149044B; GB8423441D0; ES293242Y; DE3333816A1

Abstract

A connecting member for securing the sheath (2) of a Bowden cable (1,2) to a fixed support member (4), wherein a clamping nipple (3) is attached to the sheath (2), the sheath (2) being supported against the support member (4) by the insertion of the clamping nipple (3) into a recess (10) formed in the support member (4), the clamping nipple (3) being located within a support sleeve, the support sleeve comprising a surrounding sleeve (5) and a stem portion (6), the stem portion (6) being located in a corresponding recess (10) formed in the support member (4) and the clamping nipple (3) being located within the surrounding sleeve (5). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A connecting member The present invention relates to a connecting member for securing the sheath of a Bowden cable to a rigid or fixed support.

A connecting member of this general type is known and comprises a clamping nipple which is secured to the sheath. By means of the clamping nipple, the sheath is caused to abut against the rigid support when the nipple is inserted into a recess formed in the support.

Known members of the above-described type have, in the main, proved technically satisfactory and acceptable. However, it has been found that a Bowden cable, particularly the metal wire spiral forming part of the sheath of such a cable acts as a prominent transmitter of vibrational forces. The problems of noise abatement is also a universal concern and such noise abatement is particularly important in living or work areas and other areas often occupied by people. Such areas include the passenger compartments of motor vehicles. In such vehicles, Bowden cables are often used as clutch or accelerator cables and therefore constitute a direct link between components which are close to the engine and which vibrate strongly, thus constituting a source of noise, and components such as the accelerator and clutch pedals which are located within the passenger compartment.The Bowden cables thus act as transmitters of noise and vibrational forces from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment.

The present invention seeks to provide a cable connection suitable for Bowden cables by means of which the transmission of vibrational forces and noise is reduced to a minimum.

According to the present invention, there is provided a connecting member for securing the sheath of a Bowden cable to a fixed support member, wherein a clamping nipple is attached to the sheath, the sheath being supported against the support member by the insertion of the clamping nipple into a recess formed in the support member, the clamping nipple being located within a support sleeve, the support sleeve comprising a surrounding sleeve and a stem portion, the stem portion being located in corresponding recess formed in the support member and the clamping nipple being located within the surrounding sleeve.

Such an arrangement would thus appear to achieve the above-described aim of the invention because the vibration and noise produced by the support are strongly damped before they reach the sheath of the Bowden cable.

The assembly of such arrangement is exceptionally simple, it merely being necessary to insert the support sleeve, more particularly the stem component thereof into the recess formed in the fixed support. No further means of attachment are necessary and the sleeve is held firmly against the support by the force of the cable sheath under all operating conditions.

Preferably, the stem portion comprises a plurality of arm members extending parallel to one another, the arm members being interconnected at their free ends to form a closed loop, at least some of the arm members being attached to the surrounding sleeve whilst the remaining arm members are disposed between the attached arm members, are unattached and project radially inwardly.

Desirably, the stem portion comprises a six arm member.

Advantageously, half of the arm members are attached to the surrounding sleeve and half are unattached. In this manner, the sleeve member of the support sleeve bearing the sheath of the Bowden cable or having the sheath attached thereto is, in effect, suspended from the stem portion. It is fixedly secured in the support so that any vibrational forces originating from the support are damped in the stem member and are not transmitted to the sleeve member and thence to the sheath of the cable. This embodiment of the invention can therefore be used with particular effectiveness for vibration damping and for preventing the transmission of engine noise into the passenger compartments of vehicles.

Further preferably, the unattached, inwardly projecting arm members are each provided with a shoulder portion on their external surface so as to cause them to project radially outwardly beyond the arm member attached to the surrounding sleeve. By so doing the entire connecting member only touches the surface defining the recess in the support through the intermediary of the unattached arm members which project inwardly. The arms bearing the sleeve do not contact the support. The damping effect is thus considerably enhanced.

The damping effect can be further improved if the surrounding sleeve is formed as an external sheath which receives a solid block in which the recess which receives the clamping nipple is formed. This solid block can be made of rubber, rubber/metal or metal or, indeed, any other suitable damping material.

In order to increase the mass and the area of contact of the clamping nipple, the surrounding sleeve and the damping block can each be provided with a peripheral flange and can be dimensioned in such a way that they only contact with one another at the base of the sleeve.

One embodiment of the present invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a connecting member according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a support sleeve forming part of the connecting member shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, there is shown a Bowden cable comprising a cable 1 and a sheath 2.

Such a cable may be used, for example, for connecting the clutch pedal of a vehicle with the disengaging lever of the clutch. The sheath 2 is provided with a clamping nipple 3 by means of which it is supported in a fixed support member 4 so as to absorb forces, such as vibrational forces, when the cable is in use.

The clamping nipple 3 is located in a support sleeve, which latter comprises a surrounding sleeve member 5 and a stem portion 6. The stem portion 6 projects into a correspondingly dimensioned recess 10 formed in the fixed support 4, and the sleeve member 5 retains the clamping nipple 3. The stem portion 6 is formed from a plurality, for example, six, arm members 7, 8 which extend parallel to one another. The arm members 7 and 8 are interconnected at their free ends to form a closed ring. The arm members 7 are attached to sleeve member 5 whilst the arm members 8 are disposed between the arms 7, are unattached and project inwardly towards the axis of the support sleeve.

In this way, the transmission of vibrational forces and body noise through the Bowden cable is substantially reduced because the sleeve member 5 of the support sleeve, which either carries the sheath 2 of the Bowden cable or is attached thereto is, in effect, "suspended" from the stem portion 6. This latter is firmly anchored in the fixed support 4 so that vibrations emanating from the support 4 are damped by the stem portion and are not transmitted to the sleeve portion 5 and thence to the sheath 2. The entire connecting member rests against the surface defining the recess in the support 4 only through the intermediary of the unattached, inwardly projecting arms 8. The arms 7 which are attached to, and therefore carry, the sleeve portion 5 do not contact the support 4.Assembly of the connecting member is exceptionally simple since it is merely necessary to insert the stem portion 6 of the support sleeve into the recess 10 in the support 4. The sleeve is held firmly in position against the support by means of the force of the sheath 2 of the Bowden cable under all operating conditions.

The unattached, inwardly projecting arms 8 are each provided with a shoulder portion 11 on their external surfaces. These shoulder portions 11 cause the arms 8 to project radially beyond the arms 7 which are attached to the surrounding sleeve 5.

The sleeve 5 is constructed as an external sleeve and serves to retain a solid block 10 made of, for example, rubber, metal or mixtures thereof, such as a lead alloy. The recess 10 which receives the clamping nipple 3 is formed in the block. The sleeve 5 and the solid block are each provided with a peripheral flange 12, 1 3 and are so dimensioned that they only abut one another at the base of the sleeve.

Claims

1. A connecting member for securing the sheath of a Bowden cable to a fixed support member, wherein a clamping nipple is attached to the sheath, the sheath being supported against the support member by the insertion of the clamping nipple into a recess formed in the support member, the clamping nipple being located within a support sleeve, the support sleeve comprising a surrounding sleeve and a stem portion, the stem portion being located in a corresponding recess formed in the support member and the clamping nipple being located within the surrounding sleeve.

2. A connecting member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stem portion comprises a plurality of arm members extending parallel to one another, the arm members being interconnected at their free ends to form a closed loop, at least some of the arm members being attached to the surrounding sleeve whilst the remaining arm members are disposed between the attached arm members, are unattached and project radially inwardly.

3. A connecting member as claimed in claim 2 wherein the stem portion comprises a six arm member.

4. A connecting member as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein half of the arm members are attached to the surrounding sleeve and half are unattached.

5. A connecting member as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the unattached, inwardly projecting arm members are each provided with a shoulder portion on their external surface so as to cause them to project radially outwardly beyond the arm member attached to the surrounding sleeve.

6. A connecting member as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the surrounding sleeve is constructed as an external sheath and retains a damping block in which the recess which receives the clamping nipple is formed.

7. A connecting member as claimed in claim 6, wherein the damping block is formed of rubber, metal or a rubber/metal mixture.

8. A connecting member as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the surrounding sleeve and the damping block are each provided with a peripheral flange and are so dimensioned that they abut one another only at the base of the sleeve.

9. A connecting member as claimed in claim 1 constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.