WO2012045956A1

WO2012045956A1 - Device for transmitting tensile stress between at least two cables

Info

Publication number: WO2012045956A1
Application number: PCT/FR2011/052240
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Musement
Original assignee: Peugeot Citroën Automobiles SA
Priority date: 2010-10-08
Filing date: 2011-09-26
Publication date: 2012-04-12
Also published as: FR2965866A1; FR2965866B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transmitting tensile stress between at least two cables, a gearbox control means comprising said device, an engine and a vehicle comprising said device. The device for transmitting tensile stress between at least two cables (108, 109) according to the invention comprises a support (100) that can be mounted in such a way that it is rotationally mobile about a rotational axis, said support comprising at least two cable guiding elements (106, 107), each having a means (102, 105) for fixing a cable end and a curvature radius higher than the minimum distance between said guiding element and said rotational axis.

Description

DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING TRACTION EFFORTS BETWEEN

AT LEAST TWO CABLES

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables, a gearbox control means incorporating the device, a motor and a vehicle comprising this device.

State of the art

It is common to use cables to connect the different bodies they will transmit orders especially in the automotive industry.

It is necessary to bend or bend the control cables when assembling the components. To ensure proper operation and avoid damage, a business rule recommends maintaining a minimum radius of cable curvature that depends on the type of cable considered. The radius of curvature is generally defined as a multiple of the diameter of the cable in question, the multiplication factor being a function of the specificities of this cable.

A solution of the prior art for maintaining a curvature equivalent or equal to the recommended radius of curvature is to use a device for guiding control cables.

The patent application EP0878385 relates to an apparatus for guiding a control cable, comprising a guide element of the cable mounted on a frame, by a rotation about a guide axis. This device makes it possible to maintain a radius of curvature of the cable which is not less than the recommended minimum radius of curvature.

Patent Application EP1714751 discloses a cable support system with a deformable structure within predetermined limits. This support system is composed of several elements articulated between them. This structure has the advantage of preventing the circular deformation of the cable below an allowed radius of curvature. These two solutions make it possible to protect the cables and prevent their deformation beyond a determined radius of curvature so as to keep it above the recommended value.

However, the need to respect a radius of curvature requires trajectories and lengths of cables that take up a lot of space. The disadvantage of the solutions of the prior art is that they do not solve the problem of congestion generated by the trajectories of the cables while maintaining a defined radius of curvature during the transmission of control between the organs.

This congestion is very problematic in automotive applications for example, where the place occupied by the trajectories of the cables during their connections is very restrictive. As a result, the implantation of different organs nearby is very difficult. Interference occurs, especially with the exhaust and air conditioning unit. In this context, the renewal of existing bodies is complicated or even infeasible.

The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these disadvantages.

Presentation of the invention

For this purpose, the present invention aims, in a first aspect, a device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables, device which comprises a support adapted to be mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation, said support having at least two cable guide members each having means for attaching a cable end and a radius of curvature greater than the minimum distance from said guide member to said axis of rotation.

The traction on one of the cables fixed to a guide element of the device according to the invention causes a rotational movement of the support, this movement causing the winding of the other cable around the guide element to which it is attached. and transmitting traction by said second cable. Since the guide elements have a radius of curvature greater than the distance between these guide elements and the axis of rotation of the support, each cable suffers only a small curvature, typically greater than the radius. recommended minimum curvature for this cable, while allowing a transfer of the direction of the tensile force in a space reduced to the size of the support.

Thus, the particular shape of the portion of the guide element on which the cable is wound to guide the cable according to a predetermined radius of curvature which is a first advantage of the invention.

The invention further advantageously makes it possible to reduce the space required by the cable trajectories by virtue of the possibility of configuring the arrangement of the cable guide elements relative to one another. This makes it possible to modify the amplitude of the trajectory of the cable and the length of cables.

In other words, the invention solves the problem of congestion generated by the paths of the cables while ensuring both the maintenance of a certain radius of curvature for these cables and the transmission of commands by cable between organs. Thus the device according to the invention allows the implantation of other organs and facilitates the assembly at the wedding of the mechanics on the body in the assembly workshop. In addition, the invention not only allows a gain in the length of cables and ducts but also a gain studies, since the implementation of the control organs and the cutting of sheet metal become simpler.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the support is composed of at least two parts capable of being mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation, each of the parts comprising at least one cable guide element and adapted to rotating about the axis of rotation independently of other parts, this rotational movement between the parts being effected so as to adjust the positioning of the cable guide members on different parts relative to each other .

Therefore, another advantage of the present invention is the possibility of configuring the angle between the trajectories of different cables which are each respectively connected to a member by one end and to one of the guide elements of the support by the other end. . In other words, the device according to the invention is advantageously adaptable according to the place of insertion, and the vehicle that includes it and this adaptability reduces interference with the implantation of other organs.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the support comprises a locking means in position of the parts that compose it.

An additional advantage of the device according to the invention is its reliability because the locking means makes it possible to maintain the position of the parts which has been configured before mounting the device.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the means for fixing one of the ends of a cable to one of the guide elements of the support is a pivoting endpiece.

This pivoting tip advantageously allows a good attachment of an end of a cable to the support of the device object of the invention. In addition, by pivoting, the tip facilitates the winding of the cable according to the radius of curvature of the guide element.

A second aspect of the invention is a gearbox control means comprising a gear lever connected by a cable to a cable guide element of the device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables according to the invention, said device being connected by a second cable, carried by another cable guide element, to the gearbox.

Another aspect of the invention is a vehicle engine comprising a device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables according to the invention.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle comprising a device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables according to the invention.

The advantages, aims and characteristics of the transmission control means incorporating the device, the engine and the vehicle comprising this device being similar to those of the first aspect of the invention, they are not repeated here. Presentation of figures

Other advantages, aims and characteristics will appear on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, and with reference to the figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables,

FIG. 3 is a front view of the device, after rotation of the pulley,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device forming the subject of the invention, showing the articulation of the two parts, each comprising a cable guiding element, rotated between them, and

- Figure 5 is a schematic view of a vehicle incorporating the device of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

It is noted, that the figures are not to scale.

The invention will be described below, in the case of a particular application of the device object of the invention in a motor vehicle.

The minimum radius of curvature imposed by a rule of business for the cables connecting the lever and the gearbox in a vehicle is 160 mm. These cables can be metal braided and surrounded by a sheath.

In FIGS. 1 to 5, a cable guide element support 100 is rotatable about the axis 214. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, this support takes the form of a pulley 101. 45 mm radius. The pulley 101 may be metal, or any other material commonly used in the automotive field.

This pulley 101 is fixed to the body of the vehicle 201 by a screw 202, a nut 203, a washer 204 and a bearing 205 as shown in Figure 2. The screw defines the annular axis of the pulley 214 around which it can make a rotational movement. This rotation movement is limited in size by the stroke length of the cables attached thereto which is 70 mm in this example.

The pulley 101 has at least one variable depth groove 301 (see FIG. 3) to form two cable guide elements 106 and 107. Each of these guide elements 106 and 107 has a radius of curvature of 160 mm.

Two cables 108 and 109 are connected to the pulley 101. The cable 108 runs in a sheath 1 10 which is fixed to the body by a sheath 1 1 1 stop. The cable 108 connects the gearshift lever (see FIG. 5), at one of its ends, to the guide element 106 at its other end, via a swivel endpiece 102. a sheath 103 which is fixed to the body by a sheath stop 104. The cable 109 connects the gearbox, at one of its ends, to the guide element 107, at its other end, via a swivel tip 105.

Initially, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the cable 109 runs along the entire length of the guide element 107. After pulling on the cable 109 and, consequently, rotation of the pulley 101, as shown in FIG. The cable 108 has wrapped around the pulley 101 in the guide element 106 without undergoing a radius of curvature less than the value of 160 mm, which constitutes the minimum limit imposed for this type of cable.

The shape of the guide elements 106 and 107, their arrangement and the proportions of the pulley 101 make it possible to regulate not only the amplitude of the trajectory and its position, but also its stroke length. These parameters also make it possible to fix the angle 302 between the two cables 108 and 109 connected to the pulley according to the space requirements for the implantation of the organs near the device in the box. Another advantage of the invention is that it facilitates the mounting of the gearbox and the gear lever and other organs and allows a saving of equipment.

A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables as described above in which the pulley consists of two parts 206 and 210. The two parts 206 and 210 are capable of being movable between them by rotation about the annular axis 214 of the pulley. Each piece, including a circular groove of variable depth and, thus, a cable guide, is bordered on both sides by an inner flange and an outer flange. More specifically, as illustrated in Figure 2:

- The first part 206 comprises a guide around which is wound the cable 108 in the groove 207 lined on either side by the outer flange 208 of the cable 108 and the inner flange 209 of the cable 108.

- The second part 210 comprises a guide around which is wound the cable 109 in the groove 21 1 lined on either side by the outer flange 212 of the cable 109 and the inner flange 213 of the cable 109.

Before mounting in the vehicle, a workpiece can rotate relative to the other workpiece about the annular axis 214 and thereby change the positioning of the wire guide members located on different workpieces relative to each other as shown in FIG. figure 4.

Thus the designers of a vehicle can change as needed the angle 302 between the cable 108 and the cable 109, which is an advantage of the device object of the invention. In addition, this device can be adapted to different vehicles which represents a saving in the manufacture of parts and a gain in education.

In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the pulley 101 includes a position locking means of the two parts 206 and 210 which makes it possible to maintain the position of these two parts configured before mounting the device. In this example the locking means is a notch 401 on the faces in contact of the two parts.

The two parts 206 and 210 are brought into contact according to the chosen position and interlock according to the notching 401 of their faces in contact, as shown in FIG. 4. The screw-nut system which fixes the pulley to the body also prevents the two pieces to be mobile between them after assembly.

The assembly according to the invention is intended to be used in a vehicle, more particularly a motor vehicle. Figure 5 shows a motor vehicle 505 incorporating the device 504 as previously described. This engine comprises a gearbox control means 501 comprising a gear lever 502 connected by a cable 506 to the device of the invention 504, and a cable 507 which connects the device of the invention to the gearbox. .

When the shifter is actuated, the cable 506 transmits the command by changing its length. Indeed, as defined above, the cable 506 is fixed by a nozzle to its guide element on the pulley. It runs more or less on this guidance as a function of the traction on the cable 506 and the position of the pulley 503 which results.

The traction on this cable 506 causes a rotation of the pulley 503 which rotates and causes the winding of the cable 507 in the groove. The rotational movement of the pulley 503 is limited by the stroke length of the two cables 506 and 507 which is 70mm in this example.

The winding of the cable 507 takes place around its guide element while respecting its recommended radius of curvature, which is 160 mm. This movement transmits the control of the gear lever 502 to the gearbox 501.

The control can be transmitted in the other direction in a similar way, by the rocking movement that can make the pulley around its axis of rotation, for example under the effect of a return spring (not shown).

Note that in the description, only two cables are considered. However, the same support, i.e. the pulley shown in the figures, may carry more than two cable guide elements for transmitting traction from a cable to several cables or from multiple cables to a single cable.

Claims

Device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables (108, 109,, 50, and 507) forming a determined angle (302) between them, characterized in that it comprises a support (100) adapted to be mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation. rotation (214), said support having at least two cable guide members (106, 107) each having means for attaching a cable end (102, 105) and a radius of curvature greater than the minimum distance of that cable element. guidance to said axis of rotation.

Device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables according to Claim 1, characterized in that the support (100) is composed of at least two parts (206, 210) able to be mounted so as to be able to rotate about an axis of rotation. rotation (214), each of the parts having at least one cable guiding element (106, 107) and being able to effect a rotational movement about the axis of rotation independently of other parts, this rotational movement between the parts being effected from in order to adjust the positioning of the cable guide elements located on different parts relative to each other.

Device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the support (100) comprises a locking means (401) in position of the parts (206, 210) which compose it .

Device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the means (102, 105) for fixing one of the ends of a cable (108, 109) to the one of the guide elements (106, 107) of the support is a pivoting endpiece. Transmission control means characterized in that it comprises a gear lever (502) connected by a cable (506) to a cable guide element (106, 107) of the device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables according to any one of claims 1 to 4, said device being connected by a second cable (507) carried by another cable guide member to the gearbox (501).

Vehicle engine characterized in that it comprises a device for transmitting traction forces between at least two cables according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Vehicle characterized in that it comprises a device for transmitting tensile forces between at least two cables according to any one of claims 1 to 4.