JPH0218341Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is widely used, for example, in automobiles, where a clutch or brake is connected to a drive member so that the clutch or brake can be operated. This invention relates to a connector with a cable and a sleeve.

Such connectors can be easily bent to pass around corners, for example, and do not require rigid support along their length, resulting in some deformation at one or more bends. be able to.

[Conventional technology]

In today's manual shifting systems for automobiles, the clutch facing plate wears during use, resulting in the relatively strong clutch spring pulling the cable further toward the clutch and shortening the cable. This cannot be ignored, and play will be introduced between the clutch pedal and the cable. On the other hand, in brake systems, the effective length of the cable increases as the brake shoe wears, introducing undesirable play into the brake system and preventing excessive depression of the brake pedal before applying braking force. is required.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

Cable and sleeve connectors also suffer from undesirable play due to wear between the cable and the inner wall of the sleeve.
In addition, wear can also occur between the cable and the pulleys through which it runs, which also leads to undesirable play in the control cable system.

It is an object of the invention to provide a means by which the effective length of the sleeve can be increased or decreased to compensate for any actual or effective increase or decrease in cable length.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, one end of the cable is connected to the driving member, the other end of the cable is connected to the controlled member, and the sleeve is bent and deformed between two anchors to which the sleeve is connected. connection to an anchor remote from the controlled member is effected by cooperating one end of the sleeve with a clutch that disengages the clutch. said one end of the sleeve is slidable axially when the clutch is engaged, but said one end of the sleeve is fixed relative to said anchor when the clutch is engaged, and further includes means for biasing the clutch in the direction of engagement. and means for permitting engagement of the clutch when the drive member is actuated but disengaging the clutch when the drive member is inactive.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

In the device shown in the drawings, the controlled member in the form of a clutch 2 is connected by a control cable 3 to a drive member in the form of a clutch pedal 4 of a motor vehicle. A cable 3 extends through a housing 5 of the self-adjusting mechanism, generally indicated at 1. The housing 5 itself passes through and is fixed to an anchor in the form of a firewall 6 separating the left-hand engine compartment from the right-hand passenger compartment. On the engine side, the cable 3 extends through the first sleeve part 7, and on the passenger side, the cable 3 extends through the second sleeve part 9. One end of the sleeve portion 7 is fixed to the anchor 8, while the other end is attached to the housing 5 in an automatically adjustable manner to compensate for changes in the length of the cable 3, as will be explained later. It is connected. Between the ends of the sleeve part 7, the cable 3 and the sleeve part 7 are bent and sufficiently unconstrained to allow a certain degree of curvature change.

When the clutch pedal 4 is depressed to drive the clutch 2, an operating tension is applied to the cable 3. The pedal return spring 10 serves to return the clutch pedal 4 to the "up" position. The clutch 2 includes a lever 12 which controls a clutch spring 13 which normally biases an unillustrated outer plate of the clutch into driving engagement with a pressure of 41 Kgm. By depressing the pedal 4, tension is created in the control cable 3, which moves the lever 12 to relieve the clutch plate from the force normally exerted by the clutch spring 13, thereby shifting the gear. It becomes possible.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sleeve portion 7
One end extends into the housing 5 and the end portion is in the form of a rigid tubular member 20, at one end of which there is a guide collar 22 in which is located an O-ring 23 that fits within the housing 5. It is equipped. Beyond the collar 22, the outer surface of the tubular member 20 is serrated as indicated at 21.

The self-adjusting mechanism of which housing 5 is a part is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. The housing 5 has a hole 25 at one end through which the first sleeve portion 7 extends, and the housing 5 also has a hole 26 at the other end.
The housing 5 is formed on its outside with an annular groove 27 in which the firewall 6 is located, anchoring the housing and therefore the self-adjusting mechanism. The housing is divided on the inside by a shoulder 28 through which an opening opens into a circular wall section 2 tapering towards the passenger compartment.
9.

Clutch means 30, which includes four collet members 31, are used to cooperate with serrations 21. Collet members 31 are shown in FIG. 3, each having an inner serration 32 that engages the serration 21 and an outer surface 33 having a taper corresponding to the taper of the wall portion 29. .

A first helical spring 3 extending between a slack-fit collar 36 abutting the end of the collet member 31 and a shoulder 37 formed by the end of the collar 22.
5 surrounds the rigid tubular member 20. Thus, spring 35 effectively biases collet 31 into contact with tapered wall 29, and this contact biases collet member 31 radially inwardly against the inner surface of cable 31. The serrations will engage the serrations 21.

Clutch relief means in the form of a tubular member 40 are located within the housing 5 coaxially surrounding the control cable 3 to enable the collet member 31 to be disengaged from the sleeve portion. Tubular member 40 has a shoulder 41 that abuts the flange defining aperture 26, which shoulder 41 prevents tubular member 40 from moving out of the housing and prevents tubular member 40 from entering housing 5. It acts as a guide when moving. Tubular member 4
The end portion of 0 projects through the hole 26 so that the end wall 43 can be abutted by the end of the second sleeve 9. The other end of the tubular member 40 abuts the collector member 31.

The end of the sleeve 7 and the end wall 43 within the housing 5
The helical spring 44 acting between the shoulder 41
is biased toward contact with the end of the housing.

The operation of what has been described above will now be explained.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, when tension is created in the control cable 3 by depressing the pedal 4, the control cable pulls the lever 12 against the relatively strong force of the clutch spring 13. This tension causes the clutch plate, which is normally held engaged by the spring, to relax. When the pedal 4 moves, the second sleeve portion 9
will move, releasing the compression on the spring 44 and now pushing the tubular member 40 so that the shoulder 41 will move against the end wall 4.
Move it to the right until it collides with 3. The first spring means 35 may then be effective to force the outer peripheral surface 33 of the collet member into engagement with the tapered wall 29 of the housing, and upon further axial movement of the collet member in this direction, The serrated portion of the collect member 31 is connected to the tubular member 21.
The outer peripheral surface will be moved radially inward until it engages with the upper serrations, thereby fixing this end of the sleeve part 7 with respect to the housing.

When the pedal 4 is released, it rotates counterclockwise to move the second sleeve portion 9 to the left until it engages the end of the tubular member 40 as shown in FIG. Become. Further movement of the sleeve portion 9 will cause the tubular member 40 to move to the left, which causes the collector member 31 to move to the left against the force of the first spring 35.
This results in a loosening of the fixing effect of the collet member 31 on the member 21, with the result that the member 31 is able to move within the housing 5 in its own longitudinal direction.

If this device is incorporated into a manual transmission, when the clutch pedal 4 is released, progressive wear of the clutch plate will cause the pedal 12 to move further away from the anchor 8. This additional "length" is due to a change in the curvature or deformation of the first sleeve portion 7 by an amount corresponding to a reduction in the actual length of the sleeve portion 7 located between the anchor 8 and the collet member 31. Given. When the collet member 31 is loosened from the tubular member 20, this end of the next first sleeve portion 7 can move in the direction of the arrow 50 in FIG. 5, following the change in its curvature. The device described above is designed to reduce the stress caused by strain on the cable 3.
It operates in a similar manner, adapting to the actual increase in length. In order to accommodate a real or effective reduction in the length of cable 3 (which may occur if the shoe were to be replaced by a worn brake in clutch 2), then Compensation for the change in length of sleeve portion 7 would occur by movement of member 20 in the direction opposite to arrow 50.

The device described above can be easily integrated into existing systems.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a clutch, a clutch pedal, and a bent cable and sleeve connection therebetween, including a self-adjusting mechanism capable of changing the effective length of the sleeve; ing. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of one component of the self-adjusting mechanism. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fixed collet forming one component of the self-adjusting mechanism. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an axial cross-section of the self-adjusting mechanism illustrating the relative positions of the components when the cable is in tension. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an axial cross-section of the self-adjusting mechanism illustrating the relative positions of the components when the cable is in a relaxed state. 1... automatic adjustment mechanism, 2... clutch, 3...
Control cable, 4...Clutch pedal, 5...Housing, 6...Firewall, 8...Anchor, 2
0,40...Tubular member, 21...Serrated part, 30
...Clutch means, 31...Collection member, 32
...medial serration.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A connector consisting of a cable and a sleeve, in which one end of the cable 3 is connected to a driving member 4, the other end is connected to a controlled member 2, and the sleeve 7 is connected to a controlled member 2. The sleeve extends along a curved deformable path between the ends of the sleeve, one end of the sleeve being fixed to an anchor 8 adjacent to the controlled member and the other end being fixed to another anchor 6 by a clutch. The clutch includes a plurality of collet members 31 disposed surrounding the sleeve 7 and clamped between the tapered aperture wall portion 29 of the other anchor and the outer surface 21 of the other end of the sleeve. The outer surface of the collect member is connected to the wall portion 29.
The collet member 31 has a taper corresponding to the taper of the sleeve, and the collet member 31 has a clamped position and a relative sliding movement of the other end 20 of the sleeve in the axial direction with respect to the opening of the other anchor. is axially movable between permissible positions;
It includes a spring 35 for biasing the collet member 31 to the clamped position and for disengaging the collet member 31 from the other end 20 of the sleeve when the drive member 4 is in an inoperative state. Means 40 are provided for allowing movement of the collet 31 into a clamping position when the drive member 4 is in the actuated state, the outer surface 21 of the other end 20 of the sleeve being serrated, The surface of said collect member 31 cooperating with the other end 20 has a corresponding serration 32.
A connector formed by a cable and a sleeve. 2 The spring 35 is connected to the other end 2 of the sleeve.
0, one end of the helical spring acts on the collector member 31, and the other end acts on the collar 22 protruding outward from the sleeve. connector. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the sleeve from the collar 22 to the collet member 31 is a rigid body. 4. The means 40 extend along the cable between the other anchor 6 having the opening and the drive member 4, and when the drive member 4 is relaxed, the collet member 31 is attached to the other end of the sleeve. Utility Model Registration comprising a sleeve portion 9 held on said drive member 4 so as to apply a force axially to said collet member 31 sufficient to move it into a position permitting axial sliding movement of said collector member 31. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5 between the end of the sleeve portion 9 and the collet member 31 is a rigid body which surrounds the cable 3 and is biased by a spring 44 away from the position where the disengagement force is applied on the collet member 31; The connector according to claim 4, in which a tubular member 40 is interposed. 6. The rigid tubular member 40 is supported by a helical spring 44 located inside the tubular member, surrounding the cable, and acting between the other end 20 of the sleeve and an inwardly directed end wall 43 within the tubular member. 5. The connector according to claim 5, which is biased by a spring. 7 there is a housing 5 fixed to said other anchor 6, said housing having a shoulder 41 projecting outwardly from said collar 22 and said tubular member 40;
and which cooperates with an abutting member of the housing to limit the extent to which the tubular member 40 can protrude from the housing 5. Connector described in Section 6.