Bowden Cable Housing Insertion Means for Lock Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for axial fixing of Bowden cables, such as motor vehicle latches, often suffer from incorrect mounting, leading to misalignment and potential malfunctions, as the flange can be inserted into the wrong groove or mounted against the housing, causing pre-tensioning issues and risk of the cable sliding out of its mounting position.
Innovation Solution
A device with a housing that includes a specific insertion means, such as a form-fit mechanism or bevelled design, to ensure the Bowden cable is correctly aligned and fixed, preventing incorrect mounting by allowing only intended insertion into the designated mounting, thus ensuring secure positioning and preventing malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Bowden cable is mounted without insertion means, then the mounting process is simple, but incorrect mounting occurs leading to misalignment and malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion means acts as an intermediary element between the Bowden cable flange and the housing groove. It includes a guiding surface that directs the flange into the correct groove position, and a stop surface that prevents over-insertion. This intermediary structure ensures accurate alignment and prevents incorrect mounting without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion means is pre-formed as an integral part of the housing structure during manufacturing. The guiding surface and stop surface are built into the housing before assembly, so that when the Bowden cable is inserted, the alignment and positioning actions have already been prepared in advance. This eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustment during assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the Bowden cable can be inserted freely into the housing, then the mounting is easy, but the cable may be mounted against the housing causing pre-tensioning issues
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion means serves as a mediator that controls the insertion process. The guiding surface facilitates easy insertion by directing the flange, while the stop surface simultaneously prevents the flange from being pushed too far against the housing. This dual-function intermediary structure maintains both ease of operation and functional reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop surface is pre-positioned at the correct insertion depth during housing manufacturing. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the Bowden cable is inserted, it automatically stops at the correct position without requiring the operator to judge the correct depth, preventing pre-tensioning issues while maintaining ease of installation.
3Productivity
If the flange is inserted into the wrong groove, then mounting is quick, but misalignment occurs causing pre-tensioning and malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion means employs asymmetric design where the guiding surface is positioned and shaped to match only the correct groove geometry. The stop surface is also asymmetrically positioned relative to the groove. This asymmetric configuration allows the flange to be quickly and easily inserted into the correct groove while making incorrect groove insertion physically impossible or extremely difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion means acts as an asymmetric intermediary that mediates between the flange and the multiple grooves. The guiding surface geometry is specifically designed to align with only one groove, and the stop surface is positioned to engage only at the correct groove location. This asymmetric intermediary structure enables fast mounting while guaranteeing alignment accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the invention is a device (1) for axially fixing one end (9) of a Bowden cable (3), in particular a motor vehicle lock, comprising a housing (2), a Bowden cable (3), wherein the housing (2) has a receptacle (11), in which the end (9) of the Bowden cable (3) can be fixed, wherein the housing (2) has a means for introducing (12) the Bowden cable (3) into the receptacle (11) so that an incorrect assembly of the Bowden cable (3) can be prevented.