Device for Attaching to a Wall the End of a Sheath in Which a Control Cable Is Slidably Received

The object of the present invention is a device for attaching to a wall the end of a sheath in which a control cable is slidably received, comprising a sheath end fitting associated with said end and designed to be received in an aperture provided in the wall.

The invention more particularly concerns a sheath end fitting adaptable to one of the ends of the sheath of a control cable usually provided with two sheath end fittings. Such cables are generally used on motor vehicles to control the brakes or a friction clutch. This type of cable is also used to control gearboxes and in the latter instance the cables used are of the "push-pull" type. These cables are generally installed between two fixed walls of a vehicle and the two sheath ends are designed to be respectively received in an aperture provided in one of the two walls. When vehicle manufacturing tolerances become too large, installing the cable on the vehicle, i.e., inserting the two sheaths end fittings in their respective aperture, sometimes becomes difficult and even impossible, as the length of sheath initially provided can be too short or too long, thus preventing installation on the vehicle.

With the aim of remedying this problem, the invention proposes a device for attaching to a wall the end of a sheath, in which a control cable is slidably received, comprising a sheath end fitting associated with said end and designed to be received in an aperture provided in said wall, said sheath end being slidably received in an inner bore of said end fitting, the latter being provided with locking means for fixing the end of the sheath axially with respect to said end fitting after installation of the control cable, characterized in that it comprises an adjustment spring bearing on said end fitting and urging said sheath end resiliently away from said wall when the cable is installed.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the locking means are constituted by a wedging system disposed between the inner wall of said terminal, and the inner surface of said sheath end. In the particular embodiments of the invention which will be described hereinafter, the wedging system is of the type comprising wedging balls received between one frustoconical bearing surface and the outer surface of the sheath end.

The four embodiments will now be described, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in axial section of a first embodiment of the attachment device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in axial section of a second embodiment of the attachment device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view in axial section of a third embodiment of an attachment device according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a view of the attachment device represented in FIG. 3 after installation of the control cable and after adjustment of the length of the sheath has been carried out.

FIG. 5 is a view in axial section of a fourth embodiment of the attachment device of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a device designated by the general reference 10, for attaching to a fixed wall 12 the end 14 of a control cable 16 in which a control cable 18 is received slidably. The attachment device 10 comprises an end fitting 11 received in an aperture 20 of the wall into which it is fitted forcibly by its axial end 22 which is provided with ridges 24 ensuring the attachment of the device 10 to the wall 12. The cable represented in FIG. 1, comprised of the sheath 16 and the actual cable 18 is generally of the type used for controlling friction clutches, i.e. of the type used only to exert a traction force on the cable. The sheath end 14 is constituted by a rigid metal tubular piece fixed to the end 17 of the sheath 16. The sheath end 14 is received in a sliding fashion in an inner bore 26 formed in the attachment device. According to the invention, the attachment device 10 is provided with a locking means 30 allowing the end 14 of the sheath to be fixed axially with respect to the end fitting 11. The locking apparatus 30 is constituted by a system of wedging with balls disposed between the inner wall 32 of the end fitting 11 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the sheath end 14. The system of wedging with balls includes a frusto-conical bearing surface 34 formed on the inner wall 32 of the end fitting 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the frusto-conical bearing surface 34 is formed on a separate ring 36 fitted in the inner bore constituting said inner wall 32 of the end fitting 11. The system of wedging with balls also includes a ball cage 38 of a generally tubular shape disposed between said frusto-conical bearing surface 34 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the sheath end 14, coaxially of the latter surface. The cage 38 is provided with balls 40 distributed circumferentially and disposed in radial bores 42 in the cage in which they are mounted to rotate. In the embodiment represented in FIG. 1, the sheath end fitting 11 includes a first part 44 whose end 22 is received in the aperture 20, and a second removable part 48. The first end fitting part 44 is constituted by two elements 44 and 46, one fitted inside the other on assembly of said end fitting and thus made solid with one another. The end fitting includes a second removable part 48 on which the ball cage 38 is fixed. In the illustrated embodiment, the ball cage 38 and the second end fitting part 48 form only a single piece screwthreadedly mounted by means of the screw thread 52 formed at the periphery of the second part 48 in a threaded inner bore 54 in the second element 46 of the first end fitting part. It will be understood that such a mounting makes the second removable part 48 capable of axial displacement, drawing the ball cage 38 with it, with respect to the first end fitting part in which the frusto-conical bearing surface 34 is formed. Lastly, the attachment device 10 includes an adjustment spring 56. The adjustment spring 56 is a helical compression spring mounted in an inner bore 60 of the sheath end 14 and which bears on the one hand on a bearing surface 58 formed in the end fitting 11 and on the other hand on the bottom 64 of the inner bore 60 of the sheath end 14. The adjustment spring 56 thus mounted resiliently urges the sheath end 14 and hence the sheath 16 away from the wall 12, i.e. in the direction indicated by the arrow A of FIG. 1.

The attachment device 10 is represented in FIG. 1 after installation of the control cable on the vehicle, i.e. when the locking means constituted by the wedging system 30 has fixed the sheath end 14 with respect to the end fitting 11 and hence with respect to the wall 12. Installation of the apparatus and the cable on the vehicle is carried out in the following way: after having unscrewed in the direction of arrow A the second terminal part 48 with respect to the element 46 of the first end fitting part until the sheath end 14 is free to slide with respect to the end fitting 11, i.e. in an axial position in which the balls 40 are no longer in contact with the frusto-conical bearing surface 34 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the sheath end 14, the operator fits the end 22 of the end fitting 11 into the aperture in the wall 20. The operator can then fit a sheath end fitting of a conventional type provided at the other end of the sheath 16 (not represented) in an aperture in another wall of the vehicle. When the cable is installed, the sheath end 14 is free to slide axially in the inner bore 26 formed in the second part 48 of the end fitting 11 and in the coaxial inner bore 66 formed in the first end fitting part 44. This sliding facilitates installation of the cable since a sheath of variable length is obtained, allowing adaptation to any variation in tolerance separating the two walls of the vehicle in which the ends of the sheath are mounted. This adaptation of sheath length is made easier by the adjustment spring 56 which draws the sheath 16 away from the wall 12 and hence in the direction of the second wall (not represented). When installation is finished, the operative fitting the cable has only to displace the second end fitting part 48 axially with respect to the first end fitting part 46 by screwing the second part 48 into the inner bore 54 of the second element 46 of the first end fitting part 44. The operator carries out this screwing until the position represented in FIG. 1 is again reached, in which the balls are wedged between the frusto-conical surface 34 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the sheath end 14. In this position, the attachment apparatus 10 behaves like a rigid, one-piece end fitting 10 allowing the sheath 16 to be fixed to the wall 12.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of a device for attaching a sheath to a wall. In the embodiment illustrating FIG. 2, the cable used is of the push-pull type used for controlling gearboxes. The components of the device of FIG. 2 identical or equivalent to components already illustrated in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals increased by 100. The device 110 illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises an end fitting 111 constituted by a first end fitting part 144 and a second end fitting part 148. The first end fitting part 144 is received telescopically in the second end fitting part 148 by means of the outer wall 170 which slides in the inner bore 172 of the second end fitting part 148. As the attachment apparatus represented is intended to allow installation of a cable of the push-pull type, it is provided with a second wedging system 174, identical to the wedging system 130 but disposed in a symmetrical fashion with respect to a median plane of the apparatus 110. The apparatus 174 in fact comprises a ball cage 176 provided with balls 178 capable of cooperating with a frusto-conical bearing surface 180 formed on the separate tubular piece on which the frusto-conical bearing surface 134 is formed and with the outer peripheral wall 115 of the sheath end 114. The axial position of the second end fitting part 148 fitted telescopically on the first terminal part 144 is determined by relative axial fixing means constituted by two ridges 182 and 184 formed on the outer peripheral surface 170 of the first terminal part 144, and which are capable of cooperating with an outer peripheral slot 186 formed in the second end fitting part 148. Cooperation of the ridges 182 and 184 with the outer slot 186 constitutes a ratchet mechanism for the first end fitting part 144 in the second end fitting part 148 allowing the relative position of these two elements to be axially varied and fixed. The various components of the attachment device 110 are represented in FIG. 2 in the position they occupy when the cable is installed on the vehicle, i.e. before axial fixing of the sheath end with respect to the end fitting 111. In this position and as can be noted from FIG. 2, the systems 130 and 174 of wedging with balls are free, i.e. the balls 140 and 182 are not wedged between their respective frusto-conical bearing surfaces 134 and 180 and the outer peripheral surface 115 of the sheath end 114. In this position, the operator can install the control cable on the vehicle in the same way as the one described for the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. When the operator has installed the cable and adjustment of the length of the sheath has been made automatically under the action of the adjustment spring 156, the operator should then lock the systems 130 and 174 of wedging with balls. To do this, the operator urges the second end fitting part 148 axially in the direction indicated by the arrow B of FIG. 2, against the stop defined by the cooperation between the ridge 184 and the surface 188 formed at the side end of the second part 148, until the ridge 184 instead of the ridge 182 cooperates with the side end surface 190 of the outer peripheral slot 186. It will be understood that when the two elements occupy this new position, bringing together the two ball cages 138 and 176 causes wedging of the balls 140 and 178 between their respective frusto-conical bearing surface and the outer peripheral surface of the sheath end. To ensure proper locking of the two systems 138 and 174 of wedging with balls, it is of course necessary for the displacement travel between the two ridges 182 and 184 to be greater than or equal to the distance separating the theoretical points of contact of the balls 140 and 178 with their respective frusto-conical bearing surfaces: the separate tubular piece 136 must also by fitted slidingly in the inner bore 132 of the first end fitting part 144.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a third embodiment of an apparatus for attaching one end of a control cable sheath to a wall. In this third embodiment, the cable used is the push-pull type like the one represented in FIG. 2. The components of the attachment device illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, identical or equivalent to the components of the device 110 of FIG. 2, are designated by the same reference numerals increased by 100. In this third embodiment, the two ball cages 238 and 276 of the two systems 230 and 274 of wedging with balls, are mounted to be free axially with respect to the body of the end fitting 211 which in this embodiment comprises two elements 300 and 302 forming a casing. According to one characteristic of the invention, the ball cages 238 and 276 are each provided with a wedging spring 306 and 308, respectively. The wedging spring 306 is a helical compression spring bearing on a bearing surface 310 formed in the element 302 of the end fitting 211 and on a surface 312 formed on the ball cage 238. The wedging spring 306 thus disposed urges the ball cage 238 resiliently in the direction of the conical bearing surface 234, i.e. in the axial direction corresponding to wedging of the balls 240 between the frusto-conical bearing surface 234 and the outer peripheral wall 215 of the sheath end 214. In a symmetrical manner, the wedging spring 308 is a helical compression spring bearing on the surface 314 formed in the first element 300 of the casing of the end fitting 211, and the bearing surface 316 forming on the end of the ball cage 276. According to another characteristic of the invention, and as can be noted from FIG. 3, the attachment apparatus includes removable abutment means 320, fixing the ball cages 238 and 276 against resilient forces exerted by the wedging springs 306 and 308, in a position, illustrated in FIG. 3, in which the balls 240 and 278 are not wedged between the frusto-conical bearing surfaces 234 and 280 and the outer peripheral surface 215 of the sheath end 214, the latter being free to slide with respect to the end fitting 211 so that the cable can be installed on the vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, the removable abutment means 320 are constituted by a single element which combines two removable abutment means 322 and 324 which each cooperate with the ball cages 238 and 276 respectively. The abutment means 322 will be described, by way of example. The removable stop means 322 is constituted by a pin, fitted to slide in a radial bore 326 formed in the end fitting 211 and whose end 327 cooperates with an abutment surface 328 formed at the end of the cage 238. The removable abutment means 322 and 324 are connected by a loop 330 produced integrally with them which facilitates removal of the removable abutment means after the cables are installed on the vehicle.

When an operator has installed the cable on the vehicle, in exactly the same way as described for the embodiments of the apparatus represented in FIG. 1 and 2, he pulls on the loop 330 of the removable abutment means 320 in the direction indicated by the arrow C of FIG. 3 so as to extract the pins 322 and 324 from the respective bores 326 and 332 in which they are received. When the operator has carried out this operation, the ball cages 238 and 276 move axially until they occupy the positions represented in FIG. 4. As can be noted in the latter figure, the balls 240 and 278 are wedged between the frusto-conical bearing surfaces 234 and 280 and the outer peripheral surface 215 of the sheath end 214, and are urged into this position by the wedging springs 306 and 308.

A fourth embodiment of an attachment device for attaching to a wall the end of a sheath of a control cable is illustrated in FIG. 5. This fourth embodiment is very close to the one illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and only differs therefrom by some structured details. The components of the device illustrated in FIG. 5 indentical or equivalent to the components of the device illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 are designated by the same reference numerals increased by 200.

In this fourth embodiment wherein the attachment device is illustrated in its locked position; in the same way as the device of FIG. 4 is illustrated, the two ball cages 438 and 476 are each provided with wedging springs 506 and 508 which are integrally formed with each of the ball cages 438 and 476, respectively. In this embodiment the ball cages are made from plastic material and the wedging springs are comprised of tabs integrally formed with the plastic ball cages 438 and 476. The tabs 600 and 602 extend from the lateral end faces 440 and 516 of the ball-cages 438 and 476 and bear, through their free ends 601 and 603 on the bearing surfaces 510 and 514 formed on the two end fitting parts 502 and 500, respectively. Such a design of the wedging springs allows a reduction of the number of the components of the attachment device and therefor a decrease of its cost.

Furthermore, the removable abutment means 520 are comprised of the end 604 of a tool such as a screwdriver 606 which can be introduced in a radial bore 608 formed in the separate tubular element 436. When the operator introduces the screwdriver end 604 in the bore 608 in the direction indicated by the arrow A and when the thereafter imparts a rotating motion thereto, as indicated by the arrow B, the end 604 comes into cooperation with the abutment surfaces 528 formed on the ball cages 438 and 436 and then provokes their separation. In the reached position, which is similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 3, the sheath 414 is free to slide in the bore 426 and therefore allows a free adjustment of the length of the sheath. When the operator pulls the screw driver end 604 out from the radial bore 608, the ball cages, under the action of the forces exerted by the wedging tab springs 600 and 602, move back to occupy again their wedging position as illustrated in FIG. 5. In this latter position the sheath 414 is axially fixed with respect to the end fitting 211.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments just illustrated and each of them can in particular be adapted to the two types of cable cited hereinbefore; for example, the apparatus represented in FIG. 2 can be simplified to be fitted on a cable of the pull type only, by omitting the second system 274 of wedging with balls and by axially fixing the position of the separate tubular element 136 on which the frusto-conical bearing surface 134 is formed, with respect to the first terminal part 144.

It should also be noted that in the embodiments represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, use of a terminal in two removable parts 44, 48 and 144, 148, allows the operator who may have installed the cable badly to start the installing operation again. To do this, he simply has to unscrew the screwed terminal part 48 until the balls are unwedged and the sheath end 14 is again free to slide with respect to the terminal 11. In the instance in FIG. 2, the operator has to remove the second terminal part 148 with respect to the first terminal part 144 so that the two parts again occupy the relative position represented in FIG. 2 in which the sheath end 114 is free to slide with respect to the terminal 111.