JP6948905B2 - Coupling device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connecting device for connecting a member such as a shift cable and a member to be connected.

Conventionally, a structure has been provided for connecting a control cable such as a shift cable and a member to be connected such as a shift lever and preventing one of the two connected members from falling off. As a generally provided fall-off prevention structure, a convex male member is fitted into a cylindrical female member, and a bush made of a material such as rubber is interposed between these members. ing.

However, the rubber bush has low robustness to environmental changes, and there is a concern that the original function such as deterioration of rubber may be lost in an environment such as high temperature. In particular, in recent years, it is highly necessary to assume the use of vehicles in a hot overseas environment, and measures against environmental changes are required.

Further, as a detachment structure of the connecting device, Patent Document 1 below includes a columnar outer lever pin provided on the shift lever side and a cable end provided on the shift cable side, and is formed on the outer lever pin. A connector having a configuration in which a clip is locked in a circumferential groove is disclosed.

The connector of Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the clip can be easily removed from the circumferential groove by pressing the protruding portion of the clip to deform the clip. The connector of Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a clip is locked in a circumferential groove to mechanically connect the two members and improve the workability of removal. Further, the connector of Patent Document 1 is expected to have improved robustness as a fall-off structure that does not depend on the rubber member.

JP-A-2017-9021

However, in the structure of the connector of Patent Document 1, it is very difficult to process the dimensional difference between the striatum and the circumferential groove to be "0", and the circumferential groove and the striatum are processed. There is a gap between them. Therefore, in the connector of Patent Document 1, it is assumed that rattling occurs between the circumferential groove and the striatum due to vibration of the vehicle or the like, and abnormal noise is generated. In particular, in a connecting device used near the interior of a vehicle, the problem of generation of abnormal noise due to such rattling becomes remarkable. For example, when the connector of Patent Document 1 is adopted as a connector between the shift cable and the shift lever, it is assumed that the backlash of the connector is transmitted to the shift knob and the feeling is deteriorated.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a coupling device having a retaining function, which can improve robustness against environmental changes and suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to rattling.

The connecting device of the present invention provided to solve the above-mentioned problems is a connecting device that connects two members, and has a protruding shape and a male portion having a groove extending in the circumferential direction. A female part having a tubular part through which a male part can be inserted, a locking body having at least a part that can be fitted into the groove part, and elasticity that allows the female part to be urged in a predetermined direction. The elastic member has a tubular cylindrical portion and a flange portion formed by expanding the diameter of one end of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction, and the cylindrical portion and the flange portion are described as described above. It is interposed between the female part and the male part, and the locking body is attached to the female part, and the male part is provided on one of the two members and the other. The female portion is provided in the above, and when the direction in which the male portion is inserted into the tubular portion is set as the first direction and the direction intersecting with the first direction is set as the second direction, the said In a state where the male portion is inserted through the tubular portion, at least a part of the locking body can be fitted into the groove portion from the second direction, and at least a part of the locking body is the groove portion. It is characterized in that the urging force of the elastic member acts in the first direction and the locking body is positioned in the first direction with respect to the groove portion in a state of being fitted with respect to the groove. Is.

According to the connecting device of the present invention, in a state where the male portion is inserted into the female portion and the locking body is fitted in the groove portion (fitting state), the locking body is moved in the first direction by the urging force of the elastic member. Positioned. In other words, in the connecting device of the present invention, the locking body is positioned in the groove portion by the configuration in which the reaction force of the elastic member is received by the locking body. As a result, while adopting the mechanical structure of the groove portion and the locking body in the detachment structure of the male part and the female part, the locking body is positioned in the groove portion to suppress the occurrence of backlash between the two. be able to. As a result, while eliminating the concern that the original function will be lost due to deterioration of the rubber, etc., which is expected when a falling-out structure such as a rubber bush is adopted, the occurrence of backlash due to the mechanical structure is suppressed and abnormal noise is generated. It can be suppressed that it becomes a factor of.

Further, according to the connecting device of the present invention, by selecting various positions for interposing the elastic member, it is possible to avoid the interference of the member which may cause the generation of abnormal noise and suppress the generation of abnormal noise. For example, by interposing an elastic member between the member to be connected and the female part, or between the female part and the male part, the backlash in the vertical direction or the radial direction of the connecting device is caused by the vibration of the vehicle. The effect of suppressing the generation of abnormal noise can be expected.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coupling device having a retaining function, which can improve robustness against environmental changes and suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to rattling.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the shift lever and the shift cable in which the coupling device of this invention is used. It is a perspective view which shows the coupling apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the male part and bush (elastic member) of the connecting device of FIG. It is a top view which shows the female part and the locking body of the coupling device of FIG. The cylindrical portion of the connecting device of FIG. 2 is shown. (A) is a cross-sectional view in a plan view, and (b) is a side view. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection process of the connection device of FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a fitted state of the connecting device of FIG. 2, and (b) is an enlarged view of a main part in FIG. 7 (a).

Hereinafter, the connecting device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Although the present invention is characterized by the coupling device, in the following description, first, the outline of the shift cable 2 and the shift lever 4 in which the coupling device of the present invention is used will be described, and then the coupling device 10 will be described. Will be explained.

≪Overview of transmission ≫

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a shift cable 2 and a shift lever 4 of a vehicle transmission 1. The vehicle transmission 1 is a so-called automatic transmission. The vehicle transmission 1 includes a transmission 3 (not shown) and a shift lever 4 operated by a driver to switch the traveling state of the vehicle. The operation on the shift lever 4 is transmitted to the transmission 3 via the shift cable 2.

The shift lever 4 is positioned in any of the P (parking), R (reverse), N (neutral), and D (drive) ranges when the driver operates the shift knob 5 in the front-rear direction. The state from the input to the output of the driving force of the transmission 3 can be mechanically switched via the shift cable 2 according to the range position of the shift lever 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting device 10 is used as a connecting member that connects the shift cable 2 and the shift lever 4.

≪About connecting device≫
Next, the connecting device 10 will be described with reference to the drawings. As described above, in the present embodiment, the connecting device 10 is used as a connecting member that connects the two members of the shift cable 2 and the shift lever 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting device 10 has a pin 20 (male portion), a bush 30 (elastic member), a cable end 40 (female portion), and a snap ring 52 (locking body). The pin 20 is provided on the shift lever 4. The bush 30 is attached to the shift lever 4. The cable end 40 is provided on the shift cable 2. The snap ring 52 is attached to the cable end 40.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the bush 30 is attached to the shift lever 4 is shown, but in the connecting device 10 of the present invention, the bush 30 may be attached to the shift cable 2, or the cable as a separate member. It may be arranged between the end 40 and the pin 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the coupling device 10, the cable end 40 and the pin 20 in a state of being separated from each other in the first direction X, which is the axial direction of the pin 20 and the cable end 40, are brought close to each other, and the pin 20 and the pin 20 are brought close to each other. It is connected by inserting 20 in the first direction X.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pin 20 (male portion) has a protruding appearance. The pin 20 is provided so as to stand upright from the shift lever 4. The pin 20 has a columnar portion 22 having a columnar shape, and a tapered portion 24 formed so as to shrink in the radial direction from the columnar portion 22 toward the tip end.

A groove 26 is formed in the pin 20. The groove portion 26 is formed in the middle of the columnar portion 22 in the axial direction. Further, the groove portion 26 extends in the circumferential direction of the columnar portion 22 and is formed so as to be concave from the outer side in the radial direction to the inner side. The groove portion 26 has a width that allows the approach portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52, which will be described later, to enter.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bush 30 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape and formed in an annular shape. The bush 30 is made of an elastic rubber or resin material. In this embodiment, a rubber material is used as the bush 30. Since the bush 30 is made of an elastic material, the cable end 40 can be urged in a predetermined direction. The bush 30 has a cylindrical cylindrical portion 32 and a flange portion 34 formed by expanding the diameter of one end of the cylindrical portion 32 in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of the cylindrical portion 32 in the radial direction is D2. Further, the thickness of the flange portion 34 in the axial direction of the bush 30 is set to D1.

The bush 30 is attached to the pin 20 as described above. The bush 30 is arranged so that the cylindrical portion 32 surrounds the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 22 of the pin 20 and the flange portion 34 is in contact with the shift lever 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cable end 40 is provided at the end of the shift cable 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the cable end 40 includes a base portion 42, a cylindrical portion 44, and mounting portions 50a and 50b. The base portion 42 is formed so as to extend in the extending direction of the shift cable 2. The tubular portion 44 is formed so as to stand upright from the base portion 42. The cable end 40 is formed with a through hole 46 penetrating the base portion 42 and the tubular portion 44. The attachment portions 50a and 50b are provided for attaching the snap ring 52, which will be described later, to the cable end 40. Insertion holes 51a and 51b for inserting the end portions of the snap ring 52 are formed in the mounting portions 50a and 50b.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the cylindrical portion 44 is provided with slits 48 and 49. The slits 48 and 49 are notches formed so as to reach the through hole 46 from the outside to the inside in the radial direction (second direction Y) of the tubular portion 44. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the slits 48 and 49 are formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion 44, and are arranged so as to face each other in the radial direction of the tubular portion 44. Further, the slits 48 and 49 are formed at positions facing the groove 26 of the pin 20 in a state where the pin 20 is inserted through the cable end 40. The slits 48 and 49 are capable of advancing and retreating the approaching portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52, which will be described in detail later.

The snap ring 52 (locking body) is fitted into the groove 26 and locked with the pin 20 inserted through the cable end 40. The snap ring 52 is provided to prevent the cable end 40 and the pin 20 from coming off. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in the present embodiment, the snap ring 52 is formed by bending one elastically deformable striatum 52a. The snap ring 52 of the present embodiment can be attached to and detached from the attachment portions 50a and 50b.

The snap ring 52 is formed into a substantially U-shaped shape in a plan view by bending one striatum 52a. One end (base end) of the snap ring 52 is inserted into the insertion hole 51a of the mounting portion 50a, and the other end (the other end) is inserted into the insertion hole 51b of the mounting portion 50b, so that the cable end It is attached to 40. A part of the snap ring 52 surrounds the tubular portion 44, and a part of the snap ring 52 enters the inner wall side of the tubular portion 44 and is maintained at the cable end 40 at a predetermined position and posture.

More specifically, the snap ring 52 is attached to the cable end 40 so that the contour formed by the striatum 52a extends in the direction intersecting the first direction X (second direction Y). Further, the snap ring 52 is formed with approach portions 54, 55 which are arranged so as to enter through the slits 48, 49 of the cable end 40 to the through hole 46. The approach portions 54 and 55 are formed so as to face each other. The approach portion 54 is arranged on the slit 48 side, and the approach portion 55 is arranged on the slit 49 side. That is, both ends of the snap ring 52 are attached to the cable end 40, and a part of the snap ring 52 enters from the outside to the inside of the tubular portion 44 in the middle of the path from a direction that intersects the axial direction of the tubular portion 44. Is placed. The approaching portions 54 and 55 have an urging force in the second direction Y so as to be close to each other. In the present embodiment, an example of the snap ring 52 in which the elastically deformable striatum 52a is bent is shown, but the locking body of the connecting device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the snap ring (locking body) may be made of a material that does not elastically deform and is formed in a predetermined shape. Further, the snap ring (locking body) is not limited to the one formed by bending the striatum into a substantially U shape. For example, the snap ring may be formed in any shape such as an annular shape or a substantially rectangular shape.

Next, a state in which the pin 20 and the cable end 40 are connected will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the connecting device 10 is to be connected, the cable end 40 and the pin 20 in a state of being separated from each other in the first direction X are brought close to each other, and the pin is connected to the through hole 46 of the cable end 40. 20 is inserted in the first direction X from the base portion 42 side. The connecting device 10 is in a connected state (connected state) in a state where the pin 20 is inserted through the cable end 40.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the process of inserting the pin 20 into the through hole 46 of the cable end 40, the entry portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52 arranged by entering the through hole 46 are pressed by the taper portion 24. It is pushed outward in the radial direction of the through hole 46. When the pin 20 is inserted through the cable end 40 and eventually reaches the position where the groove 26 and the slits 48 and 49 are adjacent to each other, the approach portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52 are released from the pressing of the taper portion 24 and the cable end. It re-enters the inside of 40 in the radial direction. Then, the approaching portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52 enter the inside in the radial direction of the cable end 40 to reach the groove portion 26 of the pin 20, and are fitted into the groove portion 26 of the pin 20 (fitting state). (See FIG. 7 (a)).

In the process of connecting the pin 20 and the cable end 40, the flange portion 34 of the bush 30 is compressed so as to be crushed, and the flange portion 34 is compressed from the thickness D1 to D3 in the fitted state.

In the fitted state, the snap ring 52 is restricted from moving in the first direction X by the groove portion 26. As a result, the base portion 42 connected to the snap ring 52 is restricted from moving in the first direction X, and the cable end 40 is prevented from coming off from the pin 20. In this way, the connecting device 10 exerts a function of preventing the snap ring 52 from coming off by fitting the snap ring 52 into the groove portion 26.

Further, as described above, when the cable end 40 and the pin 20 are put into the fitted state, the flange portion 34 of the bush 30 is pressed in the first direction X by compressing the thickness of the first direction X from D1 to D3. It is held in a state of being. As a result, the cable end 40 and the snap ring 52 attached to the cable end 40 are in a state of being urged upward by the elastic force F of the flange portion 34 (see FIG. 7B). Therefore, the snap ring 52 fitted in the groove 26 is positioned and held in a state of being urged upward and in contact with the upper surface of the groove 26. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the dimensional difference Dz is substantially “0” between the upper surface of the groove portion 26 and the approach portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52 in the fitted state.

In other words, the connecting device 10 compresses and crushes the flange portion 34 in the vertical direction (first direction X) when assembling the cable end 40 and the pin 20, and causes the flange portion 26 to come into contact with the snap ring 52. The structure is such that the rubber reaction force of the portion 34 is received. Therefore, even when the vehicle is vibrated, the connecting device 10 is generally maintained in a state (Dz≈0) in which the upper surface of the groove 26 and the approaching portions 54 and 55 of the snap ring 52 are in contact with each other. As a result, the connecting device 10 can suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to the occurrence of backlash between the snap ring 52 and the pin 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, in the connected state, the cylindrical portion 32 of the bush 30 is interposed between the inner peripheral surface 44a of the tubular portion 44 and the outer peripheral surface 22a of the cylindrical portion 22. Avoid direct contact. That is, the thickness D2 of the cylindrical portion 32 prevents direct contact between the cable end 40 and the pin 20, and a predetermined distance (dimensional difference Dy> 0) is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to the cable end 40 and the pin 20 coming into contact with each other in the radial direction.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a flange portion 34 is arranged between the base portion 42 of the cable end 40 and the shift lever 4. Therefore, a predetermined distance (dimensional difference Dx> 0) is maintained between the cable end 40 and the shift lever 4. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to the cable end 40 and the shift lever 4 coming into contact with each other in the first direction.

As described above, the connecting device 10 of the present invention has a function as a retaining function due to the fitting structure with the snap ring 52 and the groove portion 26, and has a robustness against environmental changes as compared with a retaining function using rubber or the like. I'm raising it. Further, the connecting device 10 of the present invention suppresses the generation of abnormal noise caused by having a retaining function due to the contact structure of the rigid material by providing the bush 30. As a result, the coupling device 10 of the present invention has realized the solution of both the problems of improving the robustness against environmental changes and suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

Although the connecting device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the connecting device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Specifically, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the connecting device 10 is used to connect the shift cable 2 and the shift lever 4, but the connecting device of the present invention is a select cable and a select lever. It may be used for connection with. Further, the connecting device of the present invention may be used in a portion where the shift cable 2 and the transmission 3 are connected. It is desirable that the connecting device of the present invention be used in a portion that is particularly audible to the occupant, for example, a portion close to the driver's seat when an abnormal noise is generated.

The connecting device of the present invention can be suitably used as a member for connecting a member such as a shift cable and a member to be connected.

2 Shift cable 4 Shift lever 10 Connecting device 20 pin (male part)
26 Groove 30 Bush (elastic member)
40 Cable end (female part)
44 Cylindrical part X First direction (first direction)
Y Second direction (second direction)

Claims (1)

A connecting device that connects two members
A male part with a protruding shape and a groove extending in the circumferential direction,
A female part having a tubular part through which the male part can be inserted, and a female part.
A locking body that can be fitted into the groove at least in part,
It has an elastic member that can urge the female portion in a predetermined direction.
The elastic member has a cylindrical cylindrical portion and a flange portion formed by expanding the diameter of one end of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction.
The cylindrical portion and the flange portion are interposed between the female portion and the male portion.
The locking body is attached to the female portion and is attached to the female portion.
The male portion is provided on one of the two members, and the female portion is provided on the other.
When the direction in which the male portion is inserted into the tubular portion is the first direction and the direction intersecting the first direction is the second direction, the male portion is inserted into the tubular portion. In the state, at least a part of the locking body can be fitted into the groove from the second direction.
In a state where at least a part of the locking body is fitted into the groove, the urging force of the elastic member acts in the first direction, and the locking body is the first with respect to the groove. A coupling device characterized by being positioned in a direction.

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