MXPA99008716A - Terminal with fixing device for control cables - Google Patents

Abstract

The terminal comprises a tubular portion (25) wherein are coaxially arranged a fixing body (20) joined to the tubular portion (25) and adapted to receive a stem (12) fixed to one end (10) of the steel cable (2) of a control cable (1), a fixing spring (21) and a closing body (19) which is impulsed by the spring (21) and can rotate between two positions, an opening position and a fixing position. The fixing body (20) and the stem (12) have respective retension threaded parts (47, 16), and the terminal (17) has a trigger (48) with sliding capacity between two positions, an opening position and a locking position. Application to the car industry.

Description

"TERMINAL WITH FIXING DEVICE FOR COMMAND CABLES" It is a technical device of the invention. The object of the invention is a terminal with a fixing device for control cables, which is applicable to control cables constituted by a steel cable clad with the - usually used in the automotive industry as a link between a control drive and a driven mechanism, known as cables. "push-pull" drive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A very wide variety of embodiments of "push-pull" drive control cables are known. Such control cables essentially comprise a steel cable provided with a sheath in which the steel cable has sliding capacity in both directions relative to the sheath. In general, the ends of the steel cable comprise a respective steel cable terminal adapted to be coupled to said control drive and driven mechanism, such as the gear change lever arranged in the vehicle interior, and the corresponding mechanism of the change of speeds. As regards the ends of the control cable sheath, they are generally fixed to the structure of the motor vehicle at functionally suitable points on the path of the control cable, said fixing being carried out by sheath terminals. It is known that, in addition to said steel cable and sheath terminals, the control cable can also comprise a self-adjusting or self-regulating device for the length of the sheathed steel cable portion, the purpose of such device being to absorb the tolerances that in terms of distance between said control drive and driven mechanism has each particular vehicle.

The control cables such as those described are of origin supplied incorporating all the precise elements to be assembled in the motor vehicle; that is, incorporating said steel cable and sheath terminals and, if required, said self-adjusting or self-regulating device. Under certain circumstances, given for example by a high length of the control cable, or by requiring the conditions under which the control cable is mounted on the vehicle, the fact that the terminal or terminals of steel cable are fixed, in a non-removable way to the steel cable is a considerable difficulty that, consequently, makes the costs derived from the assembly of the control cable in the vehicle more expensive.

DE-U-93 04 462 discloses a terminal provided with a fixing device comprising a tubular portion and an axially disposed fixing body. The fixing body is adapted to receive a rod fixed to one end of the steel cable, said fixing body and rod being engageable with each other. Superposed to said tubular portion there is a closing body which, by sliding on said tubular portion and on the fixing body, produces the coupling of the fixing body and of the rod, the rod being fixed to the terminal. The device according to DE-U-93 04 462 has as a disadvantage the possibility of accidental sliding of the fixing body, which would cause the rod to be released, with the consequent loss of operability of the control cable.

US-A-5 156 064 discloses a device for adjusting the length of a cable, the device comprising a fixing body adapted to receive a rod fixed to a cable. The fixing body and the rod are engageable with each other through respective fixing threads with mutual interlocking ability by manual rotation of the > fixing body, the position of the fixing body being fixed by means of a locking pin. The device according to US-A-5 156 064 has the drawback of specifying the manual operation of the fixing body and the locking pin, which increases the assembly costs.

Explanation of the invention In order to provide a solution to the above-described drawbacks of the known embodiments of control cables incorporating non-removable steel cable terminals, a terminal with fixing device for control cables of new structure and functionality is disclosed.

The terminal with fixing device for control cables object of the invention comprises a terminal body provided with means for its coupling to a control drive or to an associated mechanism, the fixing device comprising, in the terminal body, a tubular portion - axially arranged, a tubular closure body coaxially disposed with respect to the tubular portion with displacement capacity between two positions, opening and fixing respectively, a tubular fastening body coaxially disposed with respect to the closure body and fixed to the tubular portion, which fixing body is adapted for receiving a rod axially fixed to one end of a steel cable of a control cable, the closing body, the fixing body and the rod comprise respective and complementary fastening means engageable with each other and adapted so that, when passing the closure body from the opening position to the fixing, the closing body acts on the fixing body and this in turn acts on the rod producing the coupling of the fixing means and leaving the rod fixed to the terminal, characterized in that, the closing body and the fastening body are housed in the tubular portion of the terminal body, - the closure body is able to rotate in both directions between the opening and fixing positions, the closure body and the tubular portion have respective and complementary means of positioning which fix the opening and fixing positions of the closure body, coaxially disposed between the tubular portion and the closure body there is a fixing spring that works permanently by torsion having one end fixed to the tubular portion and its other end to the closure body, so that, permanently, the fixing spring prints to the closure body a rotational action directed from the in the open position to the fixing position, and because the action on the positioning means produces, by elastic reaction of the fixing spring, the rotation of the closing body from the opening to the fixing position, leaving the rod fixed to the terminal .

The means of. The fixation comprises, - in the fixing body, a plurality of equal axial extensions of fixation, preferably in a number of three, regularly distributed which, in the absence of external action, by elastic reaction, have a conical arrangement adapted for receiving the rod, each of said axial clamping extensions having a retention thread, - in the stem, a retention thread in correspondence with that of the axial clamping extensions, and - in the closing body, a plurality of radial closing extensions arranged in correspondence with the axial fixing extensions and adapted so that, the rotation of the closing body from the opening to the fixing position produces the superposition of the corresponding ones radial extensions of closing with the axial fixation producing their approach so that, finding the rod disposed in the body of fixation occurs the meshing of the retaining flanges of the axial extensions of fixation and the rod.

The positioning means comprise, in the closing body, an axial housing adapted to receive an externally operable trigger and an axially arranged thrust spring, which trigger has the ability to slide in both directions between two locking positions and opening respectively, and the thrust spring works permanently under compression by supporting one of its ends against the closure body and its other end against the trigger, so that it is permanently subjected to an action directed from the open to the blocked position, - in the tubular portion of the terminal body, two axially arranged, opening and fixing grooves • respectively, adapted for receiving the trigger, and two guide grooves adapted for receiving corresponding guide protrusions of the closure body, and - in the fixing body, a perimetric positioning projection arranged so that the closure body is located between said projection and the body of terminal, all being adapted so that, the passage of the trigger from the blocking position to the opening by sliding through the opening slot subjecting more compression to the thrust spring, causes the rotation of the closure body from the opening position to the fixing position, where the reaction of the thrust spring places the trigger in the fixing slot, the position of the body being fixed or closing.

The above-described characteristics of the terminal with fixing device according to the invention thus provide a solution to the drawbacks of the known embodiments of control cables in which the ends of the steel cable incorporate non-removable terminals. In fact, the terminal according to the invention can be supplied originally with the closing body arranged in the open position, under these conditions the terminal can be mounted on the vehicle independently of the control cable itself. Once the terminal according to the invention and the control cable in the vehicle are assembled, its coupling only requires the introduction of the rod fixed to the corresponding end of the steel cable in the fixing body of the terminal, and then moving the trigger arranged in the opening groove of the tubular portion of the terminal body from the blocking position to the opening position, the locking body of the fixing body and the rod being produced by rotation of the closing body, thus remaining connected the control cable and the terminal according to the invention.

It is understood that, in addition to the foregoing regarding the functionality of the terminal according to the invention, this can be supplied originally fixed to the rod of the corresponding end of the steel cable of the control cable, in this case the closing body being in the position of fixation and locked positionally by the action of the trigger that occupies the fixing groove of the tubular portion of the terminal body.

In order to uncouple the rod from the terminal, it is simply necessary to move the trigger arranged in the slot - of the fixing from the blocking position to the opening position, while at the same time imprinting the closing body with a rotation in the direction of the fixing position. opening, where the action of the thrust spring locates the trigger in the blocking position of the opening slot, being from this moment possible to separate the rod from the terminal and leaving the terminal ready for a new coupling with the rod of the previously described.

Brief description of the drawings. In the sheets of drawings of the present specification, the terminal with a fixing device for control cables object of the invention is represented. In said drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a control cable incorporating the terminal according to the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the terminal according to the invention, Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the terminal with its closure body in the open position, Figure 4 is a view corresponding to section IV-IV obtained from Figure 3, Figure 5 is a view corresponding to the section V-V obtained from Figure 3, - Figure 6 is a view in longitudinal section of the terminal according to the invention prior to the attachment of a rod, Figure 7 is a view in longitudinal section of the terminal according to the invention to which a rod is fixed, and Figure 8 is a view corresponding to section VIII-VIII of Figure 7.

Detd description of] embodiment example. In FIG. 1, a control cable 1 comprising a steel cable 2 and a cover 3 is shown schematically. The ends 4 and 5 of the cover 3 are connected to respective fixed points 6, 7 of the structure of the vehicle and in those functionally suitable points of the path of the control cable 1 between a control drive 8 and a driven mechanism 9, represented by a circular cross section representative of a corresponding coupling axis. The ends 10 and 11 of the steel cable 2 are fixed to rods 12 and 13 respectively one of which, indicated with reference 12, is shown in detin Figure 6. The rod 12 has an elongated cylindrical general shape and comprises in one of its ends, the interior 14, an axial hole 15 to which said end 10 of the steel cable 2 and a retention thread 16 is fixed. Figure 1 shows how the terminal according to the invention is attached to the control drive 8. with reference 17 to which the rod 12 is fixed in turn; similarly, another terminal 17 is coupled to the driven mechanism 9 according to the invention to which the rod 13 is in turn fixed. The control cable arrangement 1 shown in Figure 1 is given only as an example of application of the terminal 17 according to the invention; it is understood that the control cable arrangement 1 can be a different one without affecting the essentiality of the invention, for example, the control cable 1 can incorporate an adjusting device, not shown, for adjusting the length of the cable. portion of sheathed steel cable 2, 3.

In the following description of the example of embodiment of the terminal 17 according to the invention, reference is made to Figures 2 to 5, indicating in Figures 6 to 8 those numerical references that are cited in the operation description of the terminal 17.

Figure 3 shows how the terminal 17 according to the invention comprises a terminal body 18, a closing body 19, a fixing body 20, a fixing spring 21, fixing means 22 and positioning means 23.

Figures 2 and 3 show how the terminal body 18 comprises, for coupling with the control drive 8 or with the driven mechanism 9, a through hole 24 and a tubular portion 25 in which an outer end 59 and a inner end 60 open dimensioned to receive the closing bodies 19 and fixing 20.

Figures 3 and 5 show how the closure body 19 has a general tubular shape open at its both ends, inside 26 and outside 27 respectively. Outwardly, two portions of different diameter, inside 28 and outside 29 of smaller diameter are respectively distinguished, linked by a step 30, and internally there are also other two different diameter, inner 31 and outer 32 smaller diameter portions respectively, connected by a step 33, the outer portion 32 being adapted to receive with adjustment the fixing body 20. Once coupled the tubular portion 25 and the closure body 19, the outer portion 29 of the closure body 19 defines a housing 34 for the fixing spring 21 which remains colly arranged with respect to the closure body 19.

The fixing spring 21 works permanently by twisting. One of its ends, the outside 35 is arranged in a cavity 36 of the outer end 59 of the tubular portion 25, while its other end, the interior 37, is arranged in a cavity 38 in the step 30 of the body. Closing 19. In this way, the fixing spring 21 permanently exerts on the closing body 19 a turning action in the direction indicated as A in Figure 4.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show how the fixing body 20 has a general tubular shape closed at one of its ends, the exterior 39, and opened at its other end, the interior 40. The outer end 39 is housed with adjustment in a cavity 41 at the outer end 59 of the tubular portion 25, the outer end 59 providing a through hole 42 that slots in said cavity 41 provided with a threaded thread 43 - - to which a screw 44 is screwed, being fixed between the fixing body 20 and the tubular portion 25. The fixing body 20 has a perimetric projection 45 resting on the step 33 of the closing body 19, whose purpose is to prevent the closing body 19 from sliding lly .

Figures 3 and 5 show how the fixing means 22 comprise the following elements. At the inner end 40 of the fixing body 20 three equal fixing l extensions 46 evenly distributed that elastically in the absence of any action press on the inner portion 31 of the closure body 19, the fixing extensions 46 adopting a conical arrangement, with its externally oriented larger base and adapted to under these conditions receive the rod 12 as shown in Figure 6, each of the fixing extensions 46 having a retention thread 47 in correspondence with that of the rod 12. And, in the inner portion 31 of the closing body 19 three radial closing extensions 61 which, as shown in Figure 5, are arranged intercalately between the l fixing extensions 46.

The positioning means 23 comprise, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the elements that are detailed below. A trigger 48 of general "T" shape and a thrust spring 49 disposed in an l housing 50 disposed at the inner end 26 of the closure body 19. The arms 51 of the trigger 48 are located in the l housing 50, and its body 52 passes through an axial slot 53 of the closure body 19 and an axial opening groove 54 disposed in the tubular portion 25, as shown in perspective in Figure 2, and the thrust spring 49 works permanently in compression supporting one of its ends, the interior 55, against the closure body 19 and its other end, the exterior 56, against the arms 51 of the trigger 48 on which it permanently exerts an action directed in the direction indicated as E in Figure 3, all of which adapted so that the trigger 48 can be moved between a blocking position, that shown in Figure 3, and an opening one, not shown, in which the body 52 of the trigger 48 is disposed in the bottom 62 of the groove 53 of the closure body 19 and externally with respect to the tubular portion 25. And, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, at the outer end 27 of the closure body 19, there are guide projections 57 diametrically disposed housed in corresponding grooves. guide 58 on the outer end 59 of the tubular portion 25.

The operation of the terminal with fixing device for control cables object of the invention is described below.

The terminal 17 can be supplied from origin as shown in Figure 3. Under these conditions: the body 52 of the trigger 48 is in the opening slot 54 of the tubular portion 25 and in the locked position, where it remains by the action of the push spring 49; the fixing spring 21 is compressed by exerting an action on the closure body 19 in the direction indicated as A in Figure 4; and, the axial fixing extensions 46 of the fixing body 20 by elastic reaction adopt a conical arrangement adapted to receive the rod 12. The assembly of the terminal 17, can be carried out in two ways, a first way consists in proceeding in the first place to the coupling of the terminal 17 with the control drive 8 and then the coupling of the rod 12 with the terminal 17, and a second way consists in proceeding in reverse, that is to say, the coupling of the rod 12 with the terminal 17 is first proceeded and next to the coupling of the latter with the control drive 8. In any case, the coupling of the rod 12 with the terminal 17 simply dictates performing the following operations. First, and as shown in Figure 6, the rod 12 is inserted into the fixing body 20. Next, the body 52 of the trigger 48 is pushed in the direction indicated as C by sliding, through the opening slot 54 of the tubular portion 25 and the axial groove 53 of the closure body 19, continuing such sliding until reaching the bottom 62 of the groove 53, the body 52 being located externally to the tubular portion 25, under these conditions: the thrust spring 49 it is subjected to greater compression by reducing its length; the fixing spring 21 imprints the closing body 19 with a turn in the direction indicated as A in Figure 4, which rotation is limited by the bottoms 63 of the guide grooves 58 when they are reached by the guide projections 57 of the body closing 19, or the closing body 19 being reached the fixing position; the rotation of the closing body 19 produces the superposition of the radial closing extensions 61 with the axial fixing extensions 46 bringing them closer and the locking threads 47, 16 of the fixing extensions 46 and the stem 12 respectively being interlocked, as shown Figures 7 and 8, - the rod 12 being fixed to terminal 17; and, simultaneously with the fixation of the rod 12, the elastic reaction of the thrust spring 49 causes the body 52 of the trigger 48 to slide from the open to the locked position through the slot 53 of the closure body 19 and a blocking groove 64, shown in perspective in Figure 2, arranged in the tubular portion 25, thereby locking the position of the closure body 19 with respect to the fastening 20.

If the decoupling of the stem 12 of the terminal 17 is required, the user simply has to proceed as follows: firstly, move the trigger 48 in the direction indicated as C in Figure 7 until reaching the opening position, subjecting it to greater compression to the thrust spring 49; then proceed to the rotation of the closure body 19 in the direction indicated as E in Figure 4 by subjecting the fixing spring 21 to greater compression; and, finally, the elastic reaction of the thrust spring 49 places the trigger 48 in the blocking position in the opening slot 54, the terminal 17 remaining in the initial conditions described above.

Claims (3)

- - R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. - Terminal with fixing device for control cables, comprising a terminal body (18) provided with means (24) for coupling to a control drive (8) or to an associated mechanism (9), the fixing device comprising, in the terminal body (18), a tubular portion (25) axially disposed, - a tubular closure body (19) coaxially disposed with respect to the tubular portion (25) capable of displacement between two positions, opening and fixing respectively, a tubular fixing body (20) coaxially disposed with respect to the closure body (19) and fixed to the tubular portion (25), which fixing body (20) is adapted to receiving a rod (12) axially fixed to one end (10) of a steel cable (2) of a control cable (1), - the closure body (19), the fixing body (20) and the rod (12) comprise respective and complementary fixing means (22) engageable with each other and adapted so that, when the closure body (19) passes from the open to the fixed position, the closing body (19) acts on the body of fixation (20) and this in turn acts on the vas tago (12) producing the coupling of the fixing means (22) and leaving the rod (12) fixed to the terminal (17), characterized in that, the closing body (19) and the fixing body (20) are housed in the tubular portion (25) of the terminal body (18), - - the closure body (19) is capable of turning in both directions between the opening and fixing positions, the closure body (19) and the tubular portion (25) have respective and complementary positioning means (22) that fix the opening and fixing positions of the closure body (19), coaxially disposed between the tubular portion (25) and the closure body (19) there is a fixing spring (21) that works permanently by twisting having one of its ends (35) fixed to the tubular portion (25) and its other end (37) to the closing body (19), so that, permanently, the spring (21) prints to the closure body (19) a turning action directed from the opening position to the fixing position, and because the action on the positioning means (23) produces, by elastic reaction of the fixing spring (21), the rotation of the closing body (19) from the opening position to the fixing, leaving the rod (12) fixed to the terminal (17).

2. - Terminal with fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means (22) comprise, - in the fixing body (20), a plurality of axial fixing extensions (46), preferably in a number of three , regularly distributed which, in the absence of external action, by elastic reaction, have a conical arrangement adapted for the reception of the rod (12), each of said axial fixing extensions (46) having a thread of -retention (47), - in the rod (12), a retaining thread (16) in correspondence with that of the axial fixing extensions (46), and - in the closing body (19), a plurality of radial closing extensions (61) arranged in correspondence with the axial fixing extensions (46) and adapted so that, the rotation of the closing body (19) from the opening to the fixing position produces the superposition of the corresponding extension it is radial closing (61) with the axial fixation (46) producing its approach and so that, finding the rod (12) disposed in the fixing body (20) occurs the gearing of the retaining tails (16, 47) of the axial fixing extensions (46) and of the rod (12).

3. - Terminal with fixing device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the positioning means (23) comprise, - in the closure body (19), an axial housing (50) adapted for the reception of a trigger ( 48) operable externally and of a thrust spring (49) axially arrangedwhich trigger (48) is capable of deflection in both directions between two locking and opening positions, respectively, and the thrust spring (49) works continuously under compression by supporting one of its ends against the closing body (19). ) and its other end against the trigger (48), so that it is permanently subjected to an action directed from the open to the blocked position, - in the tubular portion (25) of the terminal body (18), two grooves axially arranged, opening (54) and fixing (64) respectively, adapted for receiving the trigger (48), and two guide grooves (58) adapted for receiving corresponding guide protrusions (59) of the body of closing (19), and - in the fixing body (20), a perimetric positioning projection (45) arranged so that the closure body (19) is located between said projection (45) and the terminal body ( 18), all being adapted so that the passage of the g Atillo (48) from the locking position to the sliding opening through the opening slot (54) subjecting the thrust spring (49) to greater compression, causes rotation of the closure body (19) from the position opening to the fixing, where the reaction of the thrust spring (49) locates the trigger (48) in the fixing groove (64), the position of the closure body (19) being fixed. SUMMARY Terminal with fixing device for control cables. This terminal comprises a tubular portion (25) in which there is coaxially arranged a fixing body (20) attached to the tubular portion (25) adapted for receiving a rod (12) fixed to a cable end (10) of steel (2) of a control cable (1), a fixing spring (21) and a closing body (19) which, driven by the spring (21), can rotate between two positions, opening and fixing. The fixing body (20) and the rod (12) have respective retaining ribs (47, 16), and the terminal (17) has a trigger (48) capable of sliding between two positions, opening and locking. Applicable to the automotive industry '