JPH0720417U - Control cable connecting member - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a connecting member for a control cable, which is easy to connect / disconnect, and in which engagement between the connecting members is not accidentally disengaged, so that the connecting work can be performed quickly and easily. [Structure] A connecting member 10 for releasably connecting ends of inner cables 1A and 1B of control cables 3A and 3B. At the end of one inner cable 1A, a first member 11 having a shape different from the shape viewed in the axial direction and a shape viewed from the side and thicker than the cable 1A is provided. An accommodation hole 12a for accommodating the first member 11 and holding the first member 11 so as not to slip out in the axial direction, and a accommodation hole from the side portion (side portion of the second member 12) at the end of the mating inner cable 1B to be connected. The first member 11 up to 12a
Second having an insertion hole 12b that can be inserted from the shaft end portion of the above, and a cable passage groove 12c that is formed from the shaft end portion (the shaft end portion of the second member 12) to the opening of the side insertion hole 12b. A member 12 is provided.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a connecting member for connecting control cables, and particularly for easily connecting ends of inner cables with each other. The control cable is a force transmission means including an inner cable and an outer casing, which is used for connecting the carburetor of an engine and a throttle lever, for example.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In the brush cutter (mower), for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a throttle cable 53 on the handlebar 52 and a carburetor 56 attached to the engine 55 are connected by a control cable 3 (3A, 3B). An operator can remotely operate the carburetor 56 located behind him by operating the throttle lever 53 at his hand through the control cable 3. As is well known, the control cable 3 is an inner cable formed by twisting wires, and is passed through an outer casing that is flexible and has almost no change in length. It is a thing. Since the length of the outer casing is constant, when the inner cable is pulled from one side (for example, the throttle lever 53), its tension and displacement are transmitted to the other side (for example, the carburetor 56).

In the brush cutter, since only the engine 55 may be removed from the frame 51 for adjustment or replacement, the control cable 3 can also be disconnected and connected again in the middle. In the example of FIG. 2, reference numeral 8 is the connecting portion, which is configured so that the control cable 3 can be easily disconnected and reconnected.

FIG. 4 (a) shows the details of such a connecting portion of the control cables 3A and 3B. At the connection portion, as shown in the drawing, the ends of the inner cables 1A and 1B are connected to each other by a connecting member 30, and the cylindrical spacer 6 is mounted between the ends of the outer casings 2A and 2B.

Of these, the tubular spacer 6 is intended to maintain the distance between the ends of the outer casings 2A and 2B when tensile force acts on the inner cables 1A and 1B and the connecting member 30. Therefore, in addition to the space 6a in which the coupling member 30 is movably accommodated in the axial direction, the stopper portion 6b against which the end 4 of one outer casing 2A abuts, and the length adjustment nut 5 attached to the other outer casing 2B. And an end surface 6c against which the contact is made. In order to connect and disconnect the inner cables 1A and 1B, the inner cables 1A and 1B can be opened and closed by sandwiching the hinge portion 6d, and the projections 6e and 6f are engaged to form a tubular shape. The reason why the distance between the ends of the outer casings 2A and 2B is maintained is that the tensile force of the inner cables 1A and 1B can be effectively transmitted for the first time, but for the same purpose, the cylindrical spacer 6 is replaced. In some cases, each end (or length adjustment nut) of the outer casing may be fastened by a bracket (not shown, for example, fixed to the frame or engine).

As a connecting member 30 for connecting the inner cables 1A and 1B, conventionally, two members (a first member 31 and a second member 32) shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C are used. 1B at each end and engaged with each other. The first member 31 attached to one end of the inner cable 1A is a small columnar block (having a diameter of several millimeters) formed by casting or the like, and has a diameter larger than that of the inner cable 1A. The second member 32 provided at the end of the opposite inner cable 1B is a hole for accommodating the first member 31 and has an accommodating hole 32a having an opening on the side and an opening of the accommodating hole 32a. It is a small block that is also formed by casting or the like and has a cable passage groove 32c that connects to the shaft end of the second member 32. When the first member 31 (inner cable 1A) is made parallel to the second member 32 (inner cable 1B) and inserted into the accommodation hole 32a from the side, the inner cable 1A also enters the through groove 32c, and the first member 31 becomes The second member 32 is held on the center line of the second member 32 so as not to slip out from the accommodation hole 32a in the axial direction. That is, the tensile force and the displacement are transmitted between the inner cables 1A and 1B by the members 31 and 32. When releasing the connected state, the first member 31 may be taken out from the accommodation hole 32a of the second member 32 through the open portion of the side portion. The above example is described, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-28912.

As another connecting means of the inner cable, there is also one shown in FIG. 5 which uses a sheet metal working part. Small blocks 41 and 42 are attached to the end portions of the inner cables 1A and 1B, respectively, and these blocks 41 and 42 are housed inside the claws 43a and the cable passage groove 43b of the connector 43 formed by sheet metal pressing. To do.

[0008]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The connecting member 30 shown in FIG. 4 can be connected and released very easily in principle, but the first and second members 31 and 32 are unintentionally disengaged by the time the completion of the connecting work, and the connecting member is instead connected. It is often a hassle. That is, when the cylindrical spacer 6 is closed and the projections 6e and 6f are completely fastened, such a situation does not occur, but before the closing, as shown in FIG. 4 (d), the inner cable 1A is closed. The first member 31 protrudes from the accommodation hole 32a of the second member 32 to the side part with only a slight angle formed between 1B, and the engagement between both members 31 and 32 is disengaged. Even when the cylindrical spacer 6 is not used, the same situation tends to occur before the fixing of the outer casings 2A and 2B is completed. It is not uncommon for the routes of the control cables 3A and 3B to be bent, and in particular, in the vicinity of the connecting portion, the routes are often bent, so such inconveniences frequently occur in reality.

On the other hand, in the case of connecting as shown in FIG. 5, it takes time (man-hours) to manufacture the connecting tool 43 by sheet metal working, which causes a cost disadvantage. If such a connecting tool 43 and the like are housed in the cylindrical spacer 6 as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the connecting tool 43 may have an inner surface of the spacer 6 due to its shape and burrs during processing. The inner cables 1A and 1B often do not move smoothly.

An object of the present invention is a low-cost connecting member that can be easily connected / disconnected and can keep the inner cable moving smoothly, so that the engagement between the connecting members cannot be unintentionally disengaged, and therefore the connecting work can be performed quickly. -To provide a control cable connecting member that can be easily performed.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The connecting member of the present invention is a connecting member for releasably connecting the end portion of the inner cable of the control cable. A) One end portion of the inner cable has a shape and a side as viewed in the axial direction. Provide a first member that has a shape different from that of the cable and is thicker than the cable (that is, the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis when viewed in the axial direction is larger than the diameter of the cable). At the end of the inner cable, b-1) accommodation hole for accommodating the first member and holding it so as not to slip out in the axial direction, and b-2) accommodation hole for the side part (side part of the second member). Up to the insertion hole where the first member can be inserted from the shaft end of the same member (first member), and b-3) from the shaft end (the shaft end of the second member) to the opening of the side insertion hole The second member having the formed cable passage groove and-is provided.

With regard to this connecting member, as described in claim 2, A) the first member is formed into a cylindrical shape, and B), regarding the second member, B-1) the accommodation hole is an insertion hole (see below). ), And the B-2) insertion hole is a circular opening with the diameter through which the first member passes, and is provided at only one place. It is recommended to form only the part to the insertion hole so as not to connect to the open part of the accommodation hole.

[0013]

[Action]

 In the connecting member of the present invention, the first member of the above a) is housed in the accommodation hole of the above b-1), and the inner cable is inserted from the position of the shaft end in the cable passage groove of b-3). When it comes out, it engages with the second member of b). The first member is thicker than the inner cable and does not come out of the cable passage groove.When the inner cable receives a tensile force in the axial direction, it is retained in the accommodation hole of the second member, and the tensile force is retained. Transmit to the other party's inner cable via the second member.

To reach such an engagement state, that is, as a work for connection, through the insertion hole of b-2) formed from the side portion of the second member to the accommodation hole, into the accommodation hole. Insert the first member. At this time, the first member should be inserted into the insertion hole only from the shaft end (that is, the shaft centers of the first and second members should be at a right angle so that the shaft end of the first member may enter the insertion hole first). Can only be inserted). Since the shape of the first member when viewed in the axial direction (that is, the end of the shaft) differs from the shape when viewed from the side, the axial center of the first and second members relative to the above insertion hole This is because it is not possible to insert them in parallel.

As described above, after inserting the first member from the shaft end portion through the insertion hole from the side portion of the second member, and after the first member has entered the accommodation hole of the second member, along the cable passage groove. If the direction of the first member and its inner cable is changed by 90 °, both members will engage in the state described at the beginning of this section. In order to release the connection again, the direction of the first member and the cable may be changed in the opposite manner from the normal engagement state, and then the first member may be pulled out through the insertion hole of the second member. . Compared to the conventional case of handling the connecting member (Fig. 4), the number of operations to change the direction of the end of the inner cable by 90 ° is increased, and therefore the connecting / disconnecting work is not difficult. Moreover, in the case of this connecting member, once the first member is once housed in the accommodation hole of the second member, the two members will not be disengaged unless the direction of the inner cable or the like is changed by 90 °. Therefore, before the completion of the connecting work, the engagement between both members will not be unintentionally disengaged while fastening the end of the outer casing or installing a tubular spacer etc. It is always smooth and quick.

Since the outer shape of the second member for accommodating the first member can be formed, for example, by casting to match the inner shape of the tubular spacer, the inner cable can be moved without being caught. It can also be kept smooth.

Further, when the connecting member of the present invention is configured as in claim 2, in addition to the above, the following operation is performed. That is, (a) The second member is one in which the one side of the accommodation hole is open, so it is easily formed by simple casting without using a core, and the cost required for production is low.

(B) Although the side portion of the accommodation hole is open, the cable passage groove is not connected to the open side of the accommodation hole, so the first member inserted from the insertion hole into the accommodation hole is opened. Even if it begins to come out a little from the release part, the inner cable connected to it will be restrained by the second member, and the engagement between both members will not be accidentally disengaged.

C) Since the first member has a cylindrical shape, it can be easily manufactured at low cost.

D) The insertion hole of the second member may be a circular opening having a diameter into which the first member can be inserted from the shaft end portion (that is, a diameter slightly larger than that of the first member), and thus it is also easy to form. Is.

[0021]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. This example is applied to the connecting portion 8 of the control cable 3 (3A, 3B) in the brush cutter of FIG. 2 introduced previously. As described above, the throttle lever 53 attached to the handle 52 on the frame 51 and the carburetor 56 on the engine 55 are connected by the control cable 3, but the frame 51 and the engine 55 may be separated from each other. The control cable 3 is divided into 3A and 3B and is connected at this connecting portion 8. Since the frame 51 and the engine 55 are separated and connected at the flange 54, the connecting portion 8 is provided at a position near the flange 54.

FIG. 1A is an enlarged view showing the inside of the connecting portion 8. As shown in the figure, a tubular spacer 6 is mounted between the outer casings 2A and 2B, and the inner cables 1A and 1B are connected by a connecting member 10. The cylindrical spacer 6 is a resin part for accommodating the connecting member 10 inside and for maintaining a distance between the end portion 4 of the outer casing 2A and the length adjusting nut 5 attached to the outer casing 2B. Since the structure and function are the same as those of the cylindrical spacer 6 shown in FIG. 4, the description thereof will be omitted.

This connecting portion is characterized by the connecting member 10 that connects the inner cables 1A and 1B. That is, the connecting member 10 is formed by releasably connecting the first member 11 and the second member 12 shown in FIGS. 1 (b), (c), and (d). I am configuring. First, the first member 11 is a small block having a cylindrical shape whose shape and dimensions are not different from those of the conventional one (for example, the first member 31 in FIG. 4), and the end portion of the inner cable 1A is made of a zinc alloy (other metals may be used). It is cast and molded into.

The second member 12 on the one hand is a small block made of a slightly larger zinc alloy (other metal may be used) so that the first member 11 can be put in and engaged with the end of the inner cable 1B. It is cast-molded on the portion, and is provided with a housing hole 12a, an insertion hole 12b, and a cable passage groove 12c. The accommodation hole 12a is a space for accommodating the first member 11, and is a portion that holds the first member 11 so as not to slip out in the axial direction (left and right in the drawing). As shown in FIGS. 1 (b) and 1 (c), since the accommodation hole 12a is open to one side of the second member 12, it can be easily formed by casting together with the insertion hole 12b described below. As shown in FIG. 1 (d), the insertion hole 12b is a circular opening that is connected to the accommodation hole 12a from the side portion of the second member 12 (the side opposite to the opening side portion of the accommodation hole 12a), through which the accommodation hole 12b is accommodated. The inner diameter of the first member 11 was set to be slightly larger (about 0.5 mm in diameter) than the outer diameter of the first member 11 so that the hole 12a can be inserted. Since it is circular and the inside diameter is such a size, the first member 11 passes through the insertion hole 12b only from the axial end portion thereof, that is, in the state where the axial center of the first member 11 and the second member 12 are at right angles. You can get in and out of. As shown in FIGS. 1 (b) and 1 (d), the cable passage groove 12c is a groove-shaped gap formed from the shaft end of the second member 12 to the insertion hole 12b with a width that allows the inner cable 1A to pass therethrough. is there. However, the through groove 12c is not continuous to the open portion on the side of the accommodation hole 12a, and the wall 12d is left between the shaft end of the second member 12 and the open portion of the accommodation hole 12a. ing.

The first member 11 and the second member 12 as described above are engaged with each other as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d) to form a tension transmitting means for the inner cables 1A and 1B. Work to engage and disengage is according to Fig. 1 (e) and (f). That is, when engaging both members 11 and 12, first, as shown in (f), the axes of both members 11 and 12 are made to be at a right angle, and the first member 11 is placed with the shaft end portion first. After being inserted through the insertion hole 12b of the two member 12 into the accommodation hole 12a, the orientation is changed as shown in (e), and the normal (that is, the same (b), (c), and (d)) engagement state is achieved. To On the contrary, when disengaging, the direction of the first member 11 is changed together with the inner cable 1A as shown in (e), and each axial center of both parts 11 and 12 is 90 ° as shown in (f). At that time, the inner cable 1A is pulled and the first member 11 is pulled out. There is a wall 12d between the cable passage groove 12c and the open portion of the accommodation hole 12a. Since the inner cable 1A cannot cross this portion, the operator intentionally does the same as (f). Unless it is done, both members 11 and 12 will not come off during the connecting work. It goes without saying that both members 11 and 12 cannot be disengaged after the connection is completed and the tubular spacer 6 is fastened as shown in FIG. 1 (a).

The connecting member 10 does not use the first member 11 having the same shape and size as the first member (eg, the first member 31 in FIG. 4) used in the conventional connecting member. Therefore, it is also possible to connect the conventional control cable 3A and the new control cable 3B to which the second member 12 is attached. Therefore, for example, in the brush cutter shown in FIG. 2, the control cable 3A and the conventional first member (31 in FIG. 4) are attached to the original frame 51 (including the handle 52 and the throttle lever 53) while the above-described embodiment is used. It is also possible to attach the engine 55 having the second member 12 and connect the control cables 3A and 3B.

Next, FIGS. 3A and 3B show a second embodiment of the present invention. Although only the inner cables 1A and 1B and the connecting member 20 (first member 21 and first member 22) are shown in the figure, each inner cable 1A and 1B is also the outer casing (same) of the control cable (not shown). Each end of the outer casing is fitted with a cylindrical spacer (same) or fixed with brackets (same) as described above.

In the connecting member 20 of this embodiment, the shape and dimensions of the first part member 21 attached to one inner cable 1A are the same as those of the conventional one, but the second member provided on the other inner cable 1B. The member 22 is newly formed as follows. That is, two insertion holes 22b for inserting and removing the first member 21 are provided on the side portion of the second member 22, and the cable passage groove 22c through which the inner cable 1A passes is inserted through the shaft end portion. The holes 22b are formed so as to be connected to each other, and the accommodation hole 22a for accommodating the first member 21 is formed in the central portion so that there is no open portion other than the insertion hole 22b and the through groove 22c. .

The insertion hole 22b of the second member 22 is a circular opening having a diameter slightly larger than that of the first member 21, and allows the first member 21 to pass only from the shaft end portion in the axial direction thereof. Therefore, the engagement and disengagement of both members 21 and 22 is performed by making the axes of both members 21 and 22 substantially at right angles as in the above-described embodiment (see FIGS. 1 (e) and 1 (f)). It will not be realized unless it is done above. Therefore, the two members 21 and 22 do not accidentally come off during the connecting operation of the control cable, and the connection is always smooth and quick.

The connecting member of the present invention is not intended to be applied only to the exemplified brush cutter, and can be used in a wide range of mechanical devices using a control cable such as a bicycle, an automobile and various working machines. it can.

[0031]

[Effect of device]

 The control cable connecting member according to the present invention has the following effects.

1) When connecting or disconnecting, the operation of changing the direction (in the vicinity of the end) of the inner cable is increased as compared with the case of the conventional connecting member, so that the operation of connecting / disconnecting can be easily performed.

2) After the first member is once housed in the accommodation hole of the second member, the two members will not be disengaged unless the direction of the inner cable or the like is changed by 90 °. Before the completion, the engagement between both members does not unintentionally come off, and the connection work can always be performed smoothly and quickly.

3) Since the first member and the second member can be formed into a shape without corners by casting or the like, even when they are used inside the tubular spacer, they are smoothly caught without being caught. Moving.

With the connecting member configured as in claim 2, further, 4) the first member has a simple shape, and it is not difficult to form the second member by casting or the like, so that the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. .

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a view showing a connecting member and the like which is a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is an overall view of a connecting portion including the connecting member,
(b), (c), and (d) are detailed views of the connecting member (the same (c) is a sectional view taken along the line cc of the same (b), and the same (d) is a view taken along the line dd of the same (b)). ), And (e) and (f) are explanatory views showing the procedure of connection or disconnection.

FIG. 2 is an overall view of a brush cutter using the connecting member of the present invention.

3 (a) and 3 (b) are detailed views of a connecting member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are views showing a conventional connecting member and the like, FIG. 1A is an overall view of a connecting portion including the connecting member, and FIGS. 4B and 4C are detailed views of the connecting member. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line cc), and FIG. 11D is an explanatory diagram showing a case where the engagement state is released.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another conventional connecting means.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A / 1B Inner cable 2A / 2B Outer casing 3A / 3B Control cable 10/20 Connection member 11/21 First member 12/22 Second member 12a / 22a Storage hole 12b / 22b Insertion hole 12c / 22c Cable through groove

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A control cable in which an inner cable is passed through an outer casing, and is a connecting member for releasably connecting the ends of the inner cable, wherein one end of the inner cable has a longitudinal direction. The shape seen from the side and the shape seen from the side are different, and a first member that is thicker than the cable is provided, and the first member is accommodated at the end of the inner cable of the other party to be connected and does not slip out in the axial direction. So as to hold it, an insertion hole for inserting the first member from the side portion to the accommodation hole from the shaft end portion of the first member, and a cable passage formed from the shaft end portion to the opening of the side insertion hole. A connecting member for a control cable, comprising a second member having a groove. 2. The first member has a cylindrical shape, and with respect to the second member, the accommodation hole is opened at a side portion opposite to the insertion hole, and the insertion hole is a circular opening having a diameter through which the first member passes. The connecting member for the control cable according to claim 1, wherein the cable passage groove is formed only in one place, and the cable passage groove is formed only from the shaft end portion to the insertion hole so as not to connect to the open portion of the accommodation hole.