Attachment structure and control cable assembly

Abstract

A cylindrical part of a protector in this attachment structure has a through hole into which a control cable is inserted. A first protrusion part and a second protrusion part protrude from the surface of the cylindrical part, are formed along the circumferential direction the cylindrical part, and are arranged opposite to each other. A protector-side attachment part of an attachment clamp in the attachment structure has the cylindrical part inserted therein, is disposed between the first and second protrusion parts, and can be slid with respect to the cylindrical part. A fixing clamp of the attachment structure is disposed around the protector on a side of the first protrusion part opposite to the second protrusion part. In a direction along the axial direction of the cylindrical part, the length between the first and second protrusion parts is longer than the length of the protector-side attachment part. With such a structure, it is possible to provide a long member attachment structure capable of preventing damage to a long member even when the long member is moved due to vibration or the like.

Description

Mounting structure and control cable assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting structure and a control cable assembly.

[0002] A control cable is provided on the vehicle body to transmit the operation of an operating member to a driven member. Such a control cable is set to a sufficient length to prevent damage to the cable due to the transmission of vibrations while the vehicle is running. However, because the cable is long, it is prone to movement due to vehicle vibrations, etc.

[0003] For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which a support member is used to support an intermediate portion of a control cable on a vehicle body. The support member in Patent Document 1 includes a bracket for fixing the control cable to the vehicle body and a protector through which an outer casing is inserted. The bracket has a portion for fixing to the vehicle body and an insertion portion through which the protector is inserted. The protector covers the outer casing and is inserted into the insertion portion of the bracket.

[0004] JP 2013-249903 A

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the insertion portion of the bracket is sandwiched between a pair of annular walls formed on the protector, so when vibration is transmitted to the control cable, the control cable needs to have sufficient slack to avoid damage due to the control cable being unable to move, which may make vibration more likely to occur.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for a long member and a control cable assembly that can prevent damage to the long member even when the long member moves due to vibration or the like.

[0007] A mounting structure according to a first aspect of the present invention is a mounting structure for mounting an elongated member to an object, and includes a protector, a fixing member, and a mounting member. The protector is disposed around the elongated member. The fixing member fixes the protector to the elongated member. The mounting member mounts the protector to the object. The protector has a tubular portion and first and second protrusions. The tubular portion has a through hole through which the elongated member is inserted. The first and second protrusions protrude from the surface of the tubular portion, are formed along the circumferential direction, and are disposed opposite each other. The mounting member has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The tubular portion is inserted into the first mounting portion, is disposed between the first and second protrusions, and is slidable relative to the tubular portion. The second mounting portion is fixed to the object. The fixing member is disposed around the protector on a side of the first ridge portion opposite the second ridge portion, and the length between the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion in the axial direction of the tubular portion is longer than the length of the first mounting portion.

[0008] A control cable assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a control cable, a protector, a fixing member, and an attachment member. The protector is disposed around the control cable. The fixing member fixes the protector to the control cable. The attachment member attaches the protector to an object. The protector has a tubular portion and first and second protrusions. The tubular portion has a through hole through which the control cable is inserted. The first and second protrusions protrude from the surface of the tubular portion, are formed along the circumferential direction, and are disposed opposite each other. The attachment member has a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion. The tubular portion is inserted through the first attachment portion, is disposed between the first and second protrusions, and is slidable relative to the tubular portion. The second attachment portion is fixed to the object. The fixing member is disposed around the protector on the side of the first protrusion opposite the second protrusion. In the axial direction of the cylindrical portion, the length between the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion is longer than the length of the first mounting portion.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mounting structure for a long member and a control cable assembly that can prevent damage to the long member even when the long member moves due to vibration or the like.

[0010] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the control cable assembly of the first embodiment; Fig. 4 is a side view showing the mounting structure of the control cable assembly; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a side view showing a part of the control cable assembly of the second embodiment; Fig. 7 is a side view showing the position of a mounting clamp when mounting the control cable assembly of the second embodiment to a vehicle body;

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A control cable assembly and an attachment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1 is a perspective view showing a control cable assembly 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The control cable assembly 1 according to the present embodiment is used, for example, to transmit the operation of a shift lever to a transmission of a vehicle such as an automobile, thereby performing gear shifting operations of the vehicle.

[0013] The control cable assembly 1 includes a control cable 11 (an example of a long member), an operation-side connecting portion 12 , a transmission-side connecting portion 13 , and an attachment structure 14 .

[0014] The control cable 11 connects the shift lever and the transmission to transmit the operation of the shift lever to the transmission. The control cable 11 includes an outer casing 21 and an inner cable 22. The outer casing 21 is shaped like a long, thin tube. The inner cable 22 is slidably inserted into the outer casing 21. The outer casing 21 and the inner cable 22 are flexible. The outer casing 21 may be made of, for example, resin, or a combination of resin and metal wires, but is not particularly limited thereto. The inner cable 22 may be made of, for example, a bundle of multiple metal wires, or a bundle of multiple metal wires coated with resin, but is not particularly limited thereto. Furthermore, in the case of a control cable 11 used in a transmission, the outer casing 21 has an outer diameter of, for example, 8 mm to 9 mm.

[0015] The operating side connection portion 12 is connected to one end of the inner cable 22. The operating side connection portion 12 is connected to the shift lever. The transmission side connection portion 13 is connected to the other end of the inner cable 22. The transmission side connection portion 13 is connected to the transmission. The mounting structure 14 attaches the control cable 11 to the vehicle body. Note that in FIG. 1 and the following figures, the operating side connection portion 12 side of the longitudinal direction of the control cable 11 is indicated by arrow C1, and the transmission side connection portion 13 side is indicated by arrow C2.

[0016] 2 is a side view showing the vicinity of the mounting structure 14 of the control cable assembly 1. The mounting structure 14 has a protector 31, a fixing clamp 32 (an example of a fixing member), and a mounting clamp 33 (an example of a mounting member).

[0017] The protector 31 is disposed around the outer casing 21 of the control cable 11. A fixing clamp 32 fixes the protector 31 to the outer casing 21. A mounting clamp 33 attaches the protector 31 to a frame portion 100 of a vehicle body (an example of an object). In Figure 2, the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body is indicated by a dotted line.

[0018] (Protector 31) Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. The protector 31 is made of a rubber material, for example, ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). The overall shape of the protector 31 is substantially cylindrical. Figs. 2 and 3 show the central axis O of the protector 31. The central axis O is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the control cable 11. As shown in Fig. 3, the protector 31 has a through-hole 31a, through which the control cable 11 is inserted.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , the protector 31 has a cylindrical portion 41 , a first protrusion 42 , a second protrusion 43 , a clamp placement portion 44 , and a third protrusion 45 .

[0020] The cylindrical portion 41 is cylindrical and disposed on the outside of the outer casing 21. The first protrusion 42 is disposed at one end of the cylindrical portion 41. The first protrusion 42 is disposed at the end of the cylindrical portion 41 on the operation side connection portion 12 side. The first protrusion 42 protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical portion 41. In this embodiment, the first protrusion 42 is formed in a flange shape. The radial direction is perpendicular to the central axis O of the cylindrical portion 41 and is a direction approaching or receding from the central axis. The first protrusion 42 is formed around the entire circumference of the cylindrical portion 41 in the circumferential direction of the central axis O.

[0021] The second protrusion 43 is disposed at the other end of the cylindrical portion 41. The second protrusion 43 is disposed at the end of the cylindrical portion 41 on the transmission-side connecting portion 13 side. The second protrusion 43 is disposed opposite the first protrusion 42. The second protrusion 43 protrudes radially outward beyond the cylindrical portion 41. In the present embodiment, the second protrusion 43 is formed in a flange shape.

[0022] The clamp arrangement portion 44 is disposed on the opposite side of the first protrusion portion 42 from the second protrusion portion 43. The clamp arrangement portion 44 is cylindrical and disposed coaxially with the cylindrical portion 41. The clamp arrangement portion 44 is formed from the first protrusion portion 42 toward the operation side connection portion 12. The clamp arrangement portion 44 is formed to have a smaller outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 41, but is not limited to this. The third protrusion portion 45 is disposed at the end of the clamp arrangement portion 44 on the operation side connection portion 12 side. The third protrusion portion 45 protrudes radially outward beyond the clamp arrangement portion 44. In this embodiment, the third protrusion portion 45 is formed in a flange shape.

[0023] (Fixing clamp 32) The fixing clamp 32 fixes the protector 31 to the outer casing 21. The fixing clamp 32 is attached to the outer periphery of the clamp placement portion 44 of the protector 31. The fixing clamp 32 is arranged on the protector 31 on the side of the first protrusion portion 42 opposite the second protrusion portion 43. The fixing clamp 32 is arranged between the first protrusion portion 42 and the third protrusion portion 45 of the protector 31.

[0024] The fixing clamp 32 may be made of, for example, metal, but is not limited to, a crimping ring. The protector 31 is fixed to the outer casing 21 by crimping using the fixing clamp 32.

[0025] (Mounting Clamp 33) The mounting clamp 33 mounts the control cable 11 to the vehicle via the protector 31. The material of the mounting clamp 33 is not particularly limited, but it is made of metal, for example. The mounting clamp 33 is formed by bending or pressing a plate-shaped member.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the mounting clamp 33 has a protector-side mounting portion 51 (an example of a first mounting portion), a vehicle-body-side mounting portion 52 (an example of a second mounting portion), and a connection portion 53.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, the protector side mounting portion 51 is cylindrical. The tubular portion 41 of the protector 31 is inserted into the protector side mounting portion 51. As shown in Fig. 2, the protector side mounting portion 51 is disposed between the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43. The protector side mounting portion 51 is disposed so as to be slidable relative to the tubular portion 41. The protector side mounting portion 51 is movable relative to the protector 31 between the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43. The protector side mounting portion 51 is disposed on the outer periphery of the tubular portion 41.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, if the length between the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43 along the central axis O of the protector 31 is L0 and the length of the protector side mounting portion 51 along the central axis O is L1, then L0 > L1.

[0029] 3, the inner diameter d1 of the protector-side mounting portion 51 is larger than the outer diameter d2 of the cylindrical portion 41. This creates a gap between the inner peripheral surface 51a of the protector-side mounting portion 51 and the outer peripheral surface 41a of the cylindrical portion 41, making it easier for the protector-side mounting portion 51 to slide relative to the protector 31.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the protector-side mounting portion 51 is positioned at the center between the first protrusion 42 and the second protrusion 43, the length from the end of the protector-side mounting portion 51 on the operation-side connection portion 12 side to the first protrusion 42 and the length from the end of the protector-side mounting portion 51 on the transmission-side connection portion 13 side to the second protrusion 43 are each designated L2. It is preferable that the values ​​of L1 and L2 be set to 2×L2 > L1. It is also preferable that the values ​​of L1 and L2 be set to L1 > L2. L2 may be set to, for example, approximately 15 mm. 2×L2 is the length that the control cable 11 can move when vibrating and includes an adjustment margin for the mounting position on the vehicle frame 100.

[0031] The vehicle body side mounting portion 52 is formed in a plate shape. A through hole 52 a is formed in the vehicle body side mounting portion 52. A bolt or the like is inserted into the through hole 52 a, and the vehicle body side mounting portion 52 is fastened to the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body.

[0032] The connecting portion 53 connects the protector-side mounting portion 51 and the vehicle-side mounting portion 52. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 53 is plate-shaped, extends from the protector-side mounting portion 51 toward the transmission-side connecting portion 13, and is connected to the vehicle-side mounting portion 52, but is not limited to this.

[0033] (Mounting Operation) In the first embodiment, when the control cable assembly 1 is mounted to the vehicle body, the protector-side mounting portion 51 is positioned approximately in the center between the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43 as shown in FIG.

[0034] When attaching the control cable assembly 1 of the first embodiment to the vehicle body, the worker visually positions the protector-side mounting portion 51 approximately in the center between the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43, as shown in Fig. 2. The control cable assembly 1 is designed so that in this state, the vehicle-body-side mounting portion 52 generally fits into the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body. By positioning the vehicle-body-side mounting portion 52 on the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body and inserting a bolt into the through-hole 52a, the vehicle-body-side mounting portion 52 can be fixed to the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body.

[0035] Second Embodiment In a second embodiment, the arrangement of the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the protector 31 when the control cable assembly 1 is mounted to the vehicle body is different.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a side view showing a part of a control cable assembly 1' according to the present embodiment 2. The control cable assembly 1' shown in Fig. 4 differs from the control cable assembly 1 according to the first embodiment in that two mounting structures 14, 14' are provided.

[0037] The mounting structure 14' of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the mounting structure 14 and includes a protector 31, a fixing clamp 32 (an example of a fixing member), and a mounting clamp 33 (an example of a mounting member). In the second embodiment, the fixing clamp 32 of the mounting structure 14 and the fixing clamp 32 of the mounting structure 14' are arranged to face each other. The mounting structure 14' is arranged on the C1 direction side of the mounting structure 14. In the mounting structure 14, the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 are arranged at the end of the protector 31 on the C1 direction side, and in the mounting structure 14', the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 are arranged at the end of the protector 31 on the C2 direction side.

[0038] In the second embodiment, when the control cable assembly 1' is attached to the vehicle body, as shown in Fig. 5 , the protector-side attachment portion 51 of the attachment structure 14 abuts against the first protrusion portion 42, and the protector-side attachment portion 51 of the attachment structure 14' abuts against the first protrusion portion 42. In this state, the control cable assembly 1' is designed so that the vehicle-body-side attachment portion 52 of the attachment structure 14 generally fits with the frame portion 100 of the vehicle body, and the vehicle-body-side attachment portion 52 of the attachment structure 14' generally fits with the frame portion 100' of the vehicle body.

[0039] When attaching the control cable assembly 1' to the vehicle body, the worker can abut the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the mounting structure 14 against the first protrusion portion 42, and the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the mounting structure 14' against the first protrusion portion 42, and then fix the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the mounting structures 14, 14' to the vehicle body frame portion 100, 100' with bolts or the like. Therefore, when the protector-side mounting portion 51 is attached to the vehicle body frame portion 100, 100' with bolts or the like, the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the mounting structure 14 abuts against the first protrusion portion 42, and the protector-side mounting portion 51 of the mounting structure 14' abuts against the first protrusion portion 42.

[0040] In this way, when the control cable assembly 1' is attached to the vehicle body, the protector side attachment portion 51 is abutted against the first protrusion portion 42 on the fixing clamp 32 side in the attachment structure 14, 14', so that the fixing clamp 32 can be used as a positioning reference.

[0041] (Features, etc.) In the first and second embodiments, the length L0 between the first protrusion 42 and the second protrusion 43 is made longer than the length L1 of the protector-side mounting portion 51, which allows for easy position adjustment when attaching the protector 31 to the vehicle body. Furthermore, even if the vehicle body vibrates and the control cable 11 moves, the protector 31 and the control cable 11 can move relative to the protector-side mounting portion 51, preventing damage to the control cable 11.

[0042] Because the fixing clamp 32 is disposed only on the first protrusion 42 side, rather than on both the first protrusion 42 side and the second protrusion 43 side, the protector 31 can follow bending forces that act on the protector 31 due to vibrations of the vehicle body. Also, because the protector 31 and the control cable 11 are not fixed with adhesive or the like, but are fixed at one point on the end of the protector 31 using the fixing clamp 32, the protector 31 can follow bending stresses.

[0043] In the first and second embodiments, the inner diameter d1 of the protector-side mounting portion 51 is larger than the outer diameter d2 of the tubular portion 41. This creates a gap between the protector-side mounting portion 51 and the tubular portion 41, making it easier for the protector-side mounting portion 51 to move relative to the tubular portion 41, improving position adjustment and the mobility of the protector 31 when the control cable 11 moves.

[0044] In the first and second embodiments, the distance that the protector side mounting portion 51 can move is set to 2×L2>L1, thereby ensuring a margin for position adjustment and a margin for movement when the control cable 11 moves.

[0045] In this embodiment 1, when the protector side mounting portion 51 is positioned approximately in the center of the first protrusion portion 42 and the second protrusion portion 43 to fix the mounting structure 14 to the vehicle body, positioning is difficult if L2 is too long, but by making L1 > L2, it becomes easier for the worker to position.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the protector-side mounting portion 51 is positioned so as to abut against the first protrusion 42 on the side where the fixing clamp 32 is located when the mounting clamp 33 is fixed to the vehicle body. This allows the fixing clamp 32 on the first protrusion 42 side to be used as a positioning reference when fixing the mounting clamp 33 to the vehicle body. This makes it easy to attach the control cable assembly 1' to an object. Furthermore, even if the protector-side mounting portion 51 moves toward the first protrusion 42 due to vibration or the like, the fixing clamp 32 prevents the first protrusion 42 from bending, thereby preventing the protector-side mounting portion 51 from coming off the protector 31.

[0047] In the first and second embodiments, the control cable is used as a transmission shift cable. Transmission shift cables have a large diameter and require a large operating load, which causes large vibrations. However, by using the mounting structures 14, 14' of the first and second embodiments, damage can be effectively prevented.

[0048] (Other Embodiments) One embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0049] (A) In the first and second embodiments, the control cable 11 is used as a transmission shift cable, but this is not limitative and the control cable 11 may be used as a parking cable, for example.

[0050] (B) Although a control cable used in a vehicle is cited as an example of an elongated member to be attached using the mounting structures 14, 14' in the above-described first and second embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to a structure for simply attaching an elongated member to an object. Furthermore, the object to which the elongated member is attached does not have to be limited to a vehicle.

[0051] (C) In the second embodiment described above, when the protector-side mounting portion 51 is attached to the vehicle frame portion 100, 100′, the protector-side mounting portion 51 abuts against the first protrusion 42 in the mounting structure 14, and the protector-side mounting portion 51 abuts against the first protrusion 42 in the mounting structure 14′. However, the protector-side mounting portion 51 does not have to abut against the first protrusion 42, and the protector-side mounting portion 51 may be positioned closer to the first protrusion 42 than the second protrusion 43. In other words, it is sufficient that the fixing clamp 32 can be used for positioning when attaching the control cable assembly 1′ to the vehicle body. The protector-side mounting portion 51 being positioned closer to the first protrusion 42 than the second protrusion 43 means that at least the distance from the protector-side mounting portion 51 to the first protrusion 42 is shorter than the distance from the protector-side mounting portion 51 to the second protrusion 43.

[0052] (D) In ​​the control cable assembly 1 of the first embodiment, one mounting structure 14 is provided, and in the control cable assembly 1' of the second embodiment, two mounting structures 14, 14' are provided, but this is not limited to this, and the number of mounting structures may be changed as appropriate depending on the length and routing path of the control cable.

[0053] (E) In the first embodiment, the clamp placement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 are disposed at the end of the protector 31 on the C1 side, but they may also be disposed at the end on the C2 side.

[0054] (F) In the above-described second embodiment, in the mounting structures 14, 14', the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 are arranged to face each other, but this is not limited thereto. In the mounting structure 14, the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 may be arranged at the end of the protector 31 on the C1 direction side, and in the mounting structure 14', the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 may be arranged at the end of the protector 31 on the C2 direction side. Furthermore, in both the mounting structures 14, 14', the clamp arrangement portion 44 and the fixing clamp 32 may be arranged at the end of the protector 31 on the C1 direction side or the C2 direction side.

[0055] The mounting structure of the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to the elongated member even when the elongated member moves due to vibration or the like, and is useful as a control cable assembly or the like.

[0056] 11: Control cable 14: Mounting structure 31: Protector 31a: Through hole 32: Fixing clamp 33: Mounting clamp 41: Cylindrical portion 42: First protrusion 43: Second protrusion 51: Protector side mounting portion

Claims

1. An attachment structure for attaching a long member to an object, comprising: a protector disposed around the long member; a fixing member for fixing the protector to the long member; and an attachment member for attaching the protector to the object, wherein the protector has a tubular portion having a through hole through which the long member is inserted, and first and second ridge portions protruding from a surface of the tubular portion, formed along the circumferential direction, and arranged opposite each other, wherein the attachment member has: a first attachment portion through which the tubular portion is inserted, disposed between the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion, and capable of sliding with the tubular portion, and a second attachment portion fixed to the object, wherein the fixing member is disposed around the protector on the opposite side of the first ridge portion to the second ridge portion, and wherein in a direction along the axial direction of the tubular portion, the length between the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion is longer than the length of the first attachment portion.

2. The mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the first mounting portion is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion.

3. The mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein, in a direction along the axial direction of the tubular portion, the length of the first mounting portion is L1, and the length from the first mounting portion to the first protrusion portion and the length from the first mounting portion to the second protrusion portion when the first mounting portion is positioned at the center of the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion are each L2, such that 2×L2>L1.

4. The mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein L1>L2.

5. A control cable assembly comprising: a control cable; a protector disposed around the control cable; a fixing member for fixing the protector to the control cable; and an attachment member for attaching the protector to an object, wherein the protector has a tubular portion having a through hole through which the control cable is inserted, and first and second protrusions protruding from a surface of the tubular portion, formed along the circumferential direction, and arranged opposite each other, the attachment member having: a first attachment portion through which the tubular portion is inserted, disposed between the first and second protrusions, and capable of sliding with the tubular portion, and a second attachment portion fixed to the object, the fixing member being disposed around the protector on the opposite side of the first protrusion from the second protrusion, and a length between the first protrusion and the second protrusion in a direction along the axial direction of the tubular portion is longer than a length of the first attachment portion.

6. The control cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein, in a state in which the mounting member is fixed to the object, the first mounting portion is disposed closer to the first protrusion portion than the second protrusion portion.

Images