Cable Structure

Abstract

To provide a cable structure which is formed by assembling a cable to a boot including a bellows part and an air sump part and can inhibit twisting of the air sump part from standing out even when the air sump part is contracted.SOLUTION: A cable structure 10 includes: a boot 50 formed by using a hollow elastic body; and a cable 20 inserted into the boot 50. The boot 50 may expand or contract in a direction along a direction in which the cable 20 may move forward or rearward in response to the cable 20 moving forward or rearward. The boot 50 has: a bellows part 56 formed in a bellows shape; and an air sump part 58 forming a space communicating with the bellows part 56. The air sump part 58 has: a low rigidity part 72; and a high rigidity part 70 having rigidity higher than that of the low rigidity part 72. The high rigidity part 70 is formed in a direction along an insertion direction of the cable 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been provided boots for control cables, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. The boot for control cables in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a bellows portion that expands and contracts in response to the movement of the guide rod of the control cable, and an air reservoir that expands and contracts in response to the movement to minimize increases and decreases in the internal pressure of the boot. The boot for control cables in Patent Document 1 uses a thin, flexible material for the air reservoir, making it easy to expand and contract, and by providing resistance to the push-pull operation, it is possible to reduce the difference in the sense of operational resistance that occurs between the push operation and the pull operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-36159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a cable or other component is inserted into a boot with an air reservoir, such as the control cable boot described above, and the boot is assembled as a cable structure, the boot may be attached in a twisted state in the circumferential direction. If the boot is attached in this state, gas such as air will escape from the air reservoir, causing the air reservoir to contract, and even if the twist is slight, the presence of the twist will become more noticeable.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable structure in which a cable is assembled to a boot having a bellows portion and an air reservoir, and in which the twist in the air reservoir is prevented from becoming conspicuous even when the air reservoir contracts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A cable structure of the present invention comprises a boot made of a hollow elastic body and a cable inserted into the boot, wherein the boot expands and contracts in a direction along the cable's advancement and retreat as the cable advances and retreats, the boot having a bellows-shaped bellows portion and an air reservoir portion forming a space communicating with the bellows portion, the air reservoir portion having a low-rigidity portion and a high-rigidity portion having higher rigidity than the low-rigidity portion, and the high-rigidity portion is formed in a direction along the cable's insertion direction.

[0007] In the cable structure of the present invention, the air reservoir provided in the boot has a low-rigidity portion and a high-rigidity portion, and the high-rigidity portion is formed in a direction along the cable insertion direction. The cable structure of the present invention has high rigidity due to the high-rigidity portion provided in the air reservoir, and is less likely to twist. Furthermore, even if some twisting occurs in the air reservoir, the low-rigidity portion, which is a part of the air reservoir, actively contracts when the air reservoir contracts. Therefore, even if some twisting occurs in the air reservoir of the cable structure of the present invention, the presence of the twist in the air reservoir is not noticeable or noticeable.

[0008] (2) In the cable structure of the present invention, the air reservoir may include a plurality of high-rigidity portions arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0009] By configuring the cable structure of the present invention as described above in (2), when the air reservoir contracts, the low-rigidity portions provided between the high-rigidity portions provided in the circumferential direction actively contract, thereby preventing the twist in the air reservoir from becoming conspicuous even if some twist occurs in the air reservoir.

[0010] (3) The cable structure of the present invention may be characterized in that the high-rigidity portions are formed intermittently via discontinuous portions provided in the middle of the cable in the insertion direction, and the discontinuous portions are the low-rigidity portions.

[0011] By configuring the cable structure of the present invention as described above in (3), it is possible to prevent the presence of a high-rigidity portion from increasing the resistance to the advance / retract operation when the cable is advanced / retracted in the insertion direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cable structure that solves the above-mentioned problems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a cable structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the cable structure shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the inside of the boot can be seen. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A cable structure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 and 2, the cable structure 10 includes a cable 20 and a boot 50. The cable structure 10 has the cable 20 that advances and retreats when pushed and pulled (advance and retreat operation), such as a shift cable or a brake cable used in a vehicle, and the boot 50 expands and contracts in a direction along the advance and retreat direction of the cable 20 in accordance with the advance and retreat of the cable 20. Specifically, the cable structure 10 can be used in a device that transmits an operating force applied to an operating part (not shown), such as a shift lever or brake pedal of a vehicle, to an operated part (not shown), such as a transmission or brake.

[0016] One end of the cable 20 is connected to an operating unit such as the shift lever, and the other end is connected to an operated unit. This allows the cable 20 to transmit an operating force, such as a pushing or pulling operation of the operating unit, to the operated unit. In this embodiment, the other end of the cable 20 is connected to a rod 24, and is connected to the operated unit via the rod 24. The cable 20 is inserted into a hollow guide member 30 and is assembled to the boot 50. This allows the cable 20 to be slidably housed within the guide member 30.

[0017] The rod 24 transmits the operating force of the operating part transmitted by the cable 20 to the operated part. The rod 24 has a rod-shaped shaft 24a. The rod 24 has a connection part 24b at one end of the shaft 24a to which the cable 20 is connected. The rod 24 also has an end part 24c at the other end of the shaft 24a to be connected to the operated part such as a transmission.

[0018] The rod 24 is provided such that one end side (connection portion 24b side) of the shaft portion 24a is inserted into the guide member 30 and an end portion 24c at the other end side of the shaft portion 24a is exposed to the outside of the guide member 30. The rod 24 is configured such that the shaft portion 24a slides inside the guide member 30. The shaft portion 24a is connected to the cable 20 at a connection portion 24b arranged inside the guide member 30. Therefore, by moving the cable 20 back and forth along the guide member 30, the shaft portion 24a slides along the guide member 30 and the end portion 24c can be moved back and forth in the direction along the guide member 30.

[0019] The boot 50 is a member made of an elastic material such as ethylene propylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, or silicone rubber. The boot 50 is a hollow member having one end 52 connected to the rod 24 on the side of the end portion 24c, and the other end 54 connected to the guide member 30. The boot 50 also has a bellows portion 56 and an air reservoir 58 between the one end 52 and the other end 54.

[0020] The boot 50 is connected to the rod 24 and the guide member 30 at one end 52 and the other end 54, respectively, thereby preventing water and dust from entering the interior from the outside and protecting the cable 20 from water and dust. The boot 50 is connected at the one end 52 and the other end 54 by a connection method such as crimping or a connection method using a fitting that utilizes concaves and convexes, so as to be at least either airtight or liquidtight.

[0021] The internal space 62 of the boot 50 is formed as a closed space by being connected to the rod 24 and the guide member 30 at one end 52 and the other end 54. The internal space 62 accommodates at least a portion of the cable 20, the rod 24, and the guide member 30. When the cable 20 and the rod 24 move, air moves within the internal space 62, causing the boot 50 to expand and contract. The internal space 62 has a bellows portion internal space 62a that forms the inside of the bellows portion 56 located midway between the one end 52 and the other end 54, and an air reservoir internal space 62b that forms the inside of the air reservoir 58. The internal space 62 is formed so that the bellows portion internal space 62a and the air reservoir internal space 62b are in communication with each other.

[0022] The bellows portion 56 expands and contracts in accordance with the movement of the rod 24, thereby allowing the movement of the rod 24 while preventing water and dust from entering the internal space 62 from the outside of the boot 50. The bellows portion 56 is generally cylindrical in shape, with peaks 56a and valleys 56b alternately and continuously formed along the axial direction of the boot 50. The bellows portion 56 is configured to be expandable and contractible along the axial direction.

[0023] The air reservoir 58 communicates with the bellows portion 56 and forms a space (air reservoir internal space 62b) that serves as an air reservoir. The air reservoir 58 is provided at a position that is continuous with the bellows portion 56 in the insertion direction of the cable 20. The air reservoir 58 is configured to contract as the bellows portion 56 expands, thereby reducing the volume of the air reservoir internal space 62b. The air reservoir 58 is also configured to expand as the bellows portion 56 contracts, thereby increasing the volume of the air reservoir internal space 62b. With this configuration, the boot 50 reduces operational resistance when the bellows portion 56 expands or contracts.

[0024] To explain in more detail, when the bellows portion 56 expands in the axial direction by pushing the cable 20, the air reservoir 58 contracts in accordance with the increase in the volume of the bellows portion internal space 62a. As a result, the air inside the air reservoir internal space 62b is sent toward the bellows portion internal space 62a. Furthermore, when the bellows portion 56 contracts in the axial direction by pulling the cable 20, the air reservoir 58 expands by accepting the air inside the bellows portion internal space 62a into the air reservoir internal space 62b in accordance with the decrease in the volume of the bellows portion internal space 62a.

[0025] The air reservoir 58 has a high-rigidity portion 70 and a low-rigidity portion 72. The high-rigidity portion 70 is a portion that has higher rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 72 by increasing the thickness of the elastic body that forms the air reservoir 58 or by attaching a member separate from the elastic body that forms the air reservoir 58. A plurality of high-rigidity portions 70 are provided in the circumferential direction of the air reservoir 58. The high-rigidity portions 70 are formed in the air reservoir 58 so as to extend in the direction along the insertion direction of the cable 20. The high-rigidity portions 70 can be provided throughout the entire longitudinal direction of the air reservoir 58 (a direction intersecting the insertion direction / diameter direction of the cable 20). In this embodiment, the high-rigidity portions 70 are provided in a portion of the longitudinal direction of the air reservoir 58. Specifically, the high-rigidity portions 70 are formed intermittently in the longitudinal direction of the air reservoir 58 via discontinuous portions 74 located in the middle of the air reservoir 58 in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] In the air reservoir 58, the portions other than the portions where the above-described high-rigidity portions 70 are provided are low-rigidity portions 72 having lower rigidity than the high-rigidity portions 70. Specifically, a discontinuous portion 74 located between adjacent high-rigidity portions 70, 70 in the longitudinal direction of the air reservoir 58 is formed as the low-rigidity portion 72. In addition, the region between adjacent high-rigidity portions 70, 70 in the circumferential direction of the air reservoir 58 is also formed as the low-rigidity portion 72.

[0027] The cable structure 10 of the present embodiment described above has the following characteristic configurations (a) to (c), which enable the cable structure 10 to achieve the following unique effects.

[0028] (a) The cable structure 10 of this embodiment includes a boot 50 constructed using a hollow elastic body, and a cable 20 inserted into the boot 50. As the cable 20 moves forward and backward, the boot 50 expands and contracts in a direction along the direction of advance and retreat of the cable 20. The boot 50 has a bellows-shaped bellows portion 56 and an air reservoir 58 that forms a space communicating with the bellows portion 56. The air reservoir 58 has a low-rigidity portion 72 and a high-rigidity portion 70 that is higher in rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 72. The high-rigidity portion 70 is formed in a direction along the insertion direction of the cable 20.

[0029] In the cable structure 10 of this embodiment, as shown in (a) above, the air reservoir 58 provided in the boot 50 has a low-rigidity portion 72 and a high-rigidity portion 70, and the high-rigidity portion 70 is formed in a direction along the insertion direction of the cable 20. The high-rigidity portion 70 provided in the air reservoir 58 increases the rigidity of the cable structure 10, making it less likely to twist. Even if the air reservoir 58 of the cable structure 10 is slightly twisted, the low-rigidity portion 72, which is a part of the air reservoir 58, actively contracts when the air reservoir 58 contracts. Therefore, even if the air reservoir 58 of the cable structure 10 is slightly twisted, the presence of the twist in the air reservoir 58 is not noticeable.

[0030] (b) In the cable structure 10 of the present embodiment described above, the air reservoir 58 includes a plurality of high-rigidity portions 70 arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0031] The cable structure 10 of this embodiment has the configuration described in (b) above, and therefore, when the air reservoir 58 contracts, the low-rigidity portions 72 provided between the high-rigidity portions provided in the circumferential direction actively contract. As a result, even if the air reservoir 58 is twisted to some extent, the cable structure 10 can prevent the twist in the air reservoir 58 from becoming conspicuous.

[0032] (c) In the cable structure 10 of this embodiment, the high rigidity portion 70 is formed intermittently via a discontinuous portion 74 provided in the middle of the insertion direction of the cable 20, and the discontinuous portion 74 is made into a low rigidity portion 72.

[0033] By configuring the cable structure 10 of this embodiment as described above in (c), it is possible to prevent the presence of the high rigidity portion 70 from increasing the resistance to the advance / retract operation when the cable 20 is advanced / retracted in the insertion direction.

[0034] The cable structure 10 exemplified in this embodiment has the characteristic configurations (a) to (c) described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cable structure 10 may have a configuration in which any of the configurations included in (a) to (c) described above is omitted, or may have other configurations in addition to or instead of the configurations included in (a) to (c), without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0035] Furthermore, the cable structure 10 of this embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the shape, configuration, etc. can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, it goes without saying that the high-rigidity portion 70 described above is not limited to being formed parallel to the insertion direction of the cable 20, as long as it is formed in a direction along the insertion direction of the cable 20, and may be formed in a direction inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the cable 20.

[0036] The high-rigidity portion 70 may have a suitable cross-sectional shape, such as a square, polygon, circle, or ellipse.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and other embodiments may be possible within the scope of the claims, based on the teachings and spirit of the invention. The components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of the embodiment may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component embodying any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention intends to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc. [Industrial Applicability]

[0038] The cable structure of the present invention can be suitably used in general cable structures in which a boot is attached to a cable that is subjected to a push-pull operation (advance and retreat operation), such as a shift cable or a brake cable used in a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10: Cable structure 20: Cable 50: Boots 56: Bellows section 58: Air reservoir 70: High rigidity part 72: Low rigidity part 74: Discontinuity

Claims

1. A cable structure comprising: a boot formed using a hollow elastic body; and a cable inserted into the boot, wherein the boot expands and contracts in a direction along the advancing and retracting direction of the cable in response to the advancing and retracting of the cable, The boots are A bellows portion formed in a bellows shape; an air reservoir portion that forms a space communicating with the bellows portion; and The air reservoir is A low rigidity portion; a high-rigidity portion having a higher rigidity than the low-rigidity portion; and the high-rigidity portion is formed in a direction along the cable insertion direction, and is provided in a plurality of high-rigidity portions in a circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the air reservoir, and is formed intermittently via discontinuous portions provided in an intermediate portion in the cable insertion direction, A cable structure, characterized in that the discontinuous portion is the low rigidity portion.

2. 2. The cable structure according to claim 1, wherein the air reservoir includes a plurality of high-rigidity portions in a circumferential direction, and the low-rigidity portions are provided between the high-rigidity portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction.

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