Connecting element, mounting element and mounting system for the connection of Bowden cables

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to a connecting element for the connection of at least two cables of Bowden cables, a mounting element for the common connection of at least two sheaths of Bowden cables, as well as a mounting system for the common mounting of at least two Bowden cables.

2, Prior art

Bowden cables are usually used to transmit mechanical movements to distant locations. For example, in motor vehicles a braking force for the parking brake is transmitted via Bowden cables. Other use cases are for example the transmission of movements for the ventilation and heating of a motor vehicle.

Bowden cables consist of a bendable sheath, which usually comprises of a wire spiral and of a cable which is displaceably supported within this sheath out of a wire or wire rope. By the displacement of the cable with respect to the sheath, a mechanical movement respectively force can be transmitted.

To transmit a tensile or pressure force with a Bowden cable, the sheath of the Bowden cable is usually mounted at the device to be actuated. A cable of the Bowden cable can be freely displaced within the sheath and usually comprises an end fitting, e.g. in the form of a nipple. By means of this end fitting, the cable can be mounted at a component which should be moved or which introduces a movement into the Bowden cable.

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From the EP O 619 437 Al, it is known to insert the sheath of a Bovvden cable into a cylinder shaped receptacle and to secure it with a bushing. Besides that, e.g. from the DE 199 61 824 Al, clamps are know by which the sheath of a Bowden cable can be tightly clamped.

The end fittings of cables of Bowden cables are usually hooked into correspondingly shaped receptacles at the device to be actuated.

Therefore, in the prior art devices are known by which one sheath or one cable of a Bowden cable respectively can be mounted.

It is therefore the problem of the present invention to provide an improved mounting system for the common mounting of a plurality of Bowden cables, such that a plurality of Bowden cables for common actuation or for a common drive of a component can be mounted or connected in an easy and fast way.

Further, a connecting element for connecting a plurality of cables of Bowden cables should be provided and a mounting element for a common mounting of a plurality of sheaths of Bowden cables.

2, Summary of the invention

The above-mentioned problems are solved by a connecting element according to patent claim 1, a mounting element according to patent claim 7, a mounting system according to patent claim 15 as well as by a method for the mounting of at least two Bowden cables according to claim 16.

Particularly, the above-mentioned problems are solved by a connecting element for the connection of at least two cables of Bowden cables, comprising a main body with an opening which extends in transverse direction T for receiving of end fittings of the cables; an insertion slot within the main body, which extends along the opening, such that the cables with the end fittings can be introduced into the

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opening; and at least two latching slots, which extend essentially perpendicular to the transverse direction T, which are connected with the insertion slot, such that the connecting element can be rotated around the transverse direction T for latching of the cables.

Thereby, a connecting element for the connection of at least two cables of Bow- den cables is provided, which can connect in a very easy way two or more cables of Bowden cables with each other due to the opening which extends in transverse direction T and the insertion slot which extends along the opening. Due to the provision of the latching slots, which extend perpendicular to the transverse direction T, the connecting element can be rotated around the transverse direction T, such that the cables are latched securely within the connecting element. Due to the rotation of the connecting element into a latching position, it is particularly not possible anymore that the end fittings of the cables can move out of the opening, since the cables abut the latching slots.

If the connecting element is rotated into the opposite direction, i.e. into a de- latching position such that the cables are arranged in the direction of the insertion slot, the end fittings can easily be removed from the opening to separate the cables from the connecting element.

By means of such a connecting element for cables of Bowden cables, it is possible to simultaneously actuate a plurality of Bowden cables, e.g. to simultaneously actuate by these elements a right and a left ventilation flap of a motor vehicle.

In a first preferred embodiment, the connecting element comprises three latching slots, which essentially extend perpendicularly to the transverse direction T. Thereby, three cables of Bowden cables can be connected with each other by means of the connecting element, e.g. for a simultaneous actuation.

Of course, it is possible to increase the number of the latching slots and to extend the opening which extends in transverse direction T, such that four or more cables of Bowden cables can be connected with each other.

In a further preferred embodiment, at least one of the latching slots comprises a projection at its transition to the insertion slot, which locally narrows the at least one latching slot.

By means of this projection, which has to be crossed or passed over during the assembly of the cable, a mounting protection is provided which prevents that the connecting element is rotated undesirably into the de-latching position. Thereby, it is possible to connect the cables of the Bowden cables during a preassembly step with each other and to later connect the connecting element at the device to be actuated. During a possible transport of these pre-assembled cables the connection remains existing.

In a further preferred embodiment, the connecting element comprises a plate- shaped connecting portion, which extends from the main body to the outside. The connecting element can be mounted to the device to be actuated by means of the connecting portion. The connecting portion is preferably arranged at the main body such that the connecting element is arranged in latching position, if it is connected to the device to be actuated by means of the connecting portion.

In a further preferred embodiment, the connecting element further comprises an L-shaped mounting pin, which initially perpendicularly extends from the connecting portion and then in parallel direction to the outside. By means of such an L- shaped mounting pin, the connecting element can easily and in a secure manner be hooked into a mounting opening at the device to be actuated without the need for further securing effort. The mounting element is thereby solely and securely fixed to the device to be actuated by means of the L-shaped mounting pin and the pulling direction of the cables.

In a further preferred embodiment, the connecting element is integrally produced from a plastic material. In doing so, it can be manufactured easily and cost- efficiently and is particularly light-weight and cost efficient.

The above-mentioned problems are also solved by a mounting element for the common mounting of at least two sheaths of Bowden cables, comprising a mounting body with at least two receptacle openings, which extend in longitudinal direction L for receiving of at least two end portions of the sheaths; and latching hooks, which are integrally shaped to the mounting body for mounting of the mounting element.

By the at least two receptacle openings, which extend in longitudinal direction L, at least two sheaths can be commonly mounted. In order to mount the mounting element itself to a device to be actuated or, e.g., to the car body of a motor vehicle, it comprises latching hooks which are integrally formed at the mounting body. The latching hooks extend preferably also in longitudinal direction L. Thereby, the mounting element can easily, securely and fast be mounted and thereby simultaneously mount two sheaths of Bowden cables.

In a further preferred embodiment, the receptacle openings comprise insertion slots, which extend in longitudinal direction L. Through the insertion slots, the cables of the respective Bowden cables can be introduced into the receptacle openings such that end portions of the sheaths can also be mounted, if each cable already comprises end fittings.

In a further preferred embodiment, the mounting body is an essentially box- shaped hollow body, which comprises an open front side, through which the cables of the Bowden cable may extend. The mounting body forms an extension of the Bowden cable sheaths, and encloses the cable essentially to all sides. After the

assembly of the Bowden cables, the cables run within the mounting body and are thereby protected by the mounting body against influences from the outside.

In a further preferred embodiment, the mounting body further comprises an inser- tion opening within a lateral wall, to allow the end fittings of the cables to be introduced into the mounting body. The insertion opening within a lateral wall of the mounting body acts for allowing that the end fittings, which are formed at the ends of the cables, reach the interior of the hollow mounting body. Thereby, it is possible to mount Bowden cables by means of the mounting element, which al- ready have end fittings at the cables.

In a further preferred embodiment, the latching hooks are arranged around the open front side of the mounting body and extend in longitudinal direction L. By means of this arrangement of the latching hooks, the mounting element can be mounted at an appropriate opening, such that the cables of the Bowden cables can extend also through this opening.

In a further preferred embodiment, the mounting element further comprises reinforcing walls, which support one front side of the mounting body at which the receptacle openings are arranged. The reinforcing walls support the front side of the mounting body, which is subjected to a pressure force by means of the sheaths of the Bowden cables. The reinforcing walls transfer these pressure forces into the mounting element, such that the front side with the receptacle openings can also receive high pressure loads of the sheaths.

In a further preferred embodiment, the connecting element is integrally made of a plastic material. Thereby, it is particularly simple to produce and particularly light-weight and cost-efficient.

The above-mentioned problems are also solved by a mounting system for the common mounting of at least two Bowden cables, comprising an above-described

connecting element and an above-described mounting element. Thereby, a mounting system is provided at which by means of two components the sheaths and also the cables of at least two Bowden cables can be commonly mounted and fixed in an easy and fast way.

The above-mentioned problems are also solved by a method for mounting of at least two Bowden cables with cables and sheaths, comprising the following steps:

a) providing a connecting element, comprising a main body with an opening, that extends in transverse direction T;

b) inserting of end fittings of the cables into the opening; and

c) rotating the connecting element around transverse direction T, for latching the cables with the connecting element.

By this mounting method, at least two cables of at least two Bowden cables can be connected with each other in a secure and simple way. Thereby, it is possible to simultaneously actuate two Bowden cables or to actuate a device to be actuated simultaneously with two Bowden cables. Further mounting steps for the mounting of the cables and for securing the cables to the connecting element are not necessary.

In a further preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps, which are performed before the other steps:

d) providing a connecting element, comprising at least two receptacle openings having slots, for receiving of end portions of the sheaths and a hollow mounting body;

e) inserting the end fittings of the cables into the mounting body, through an insertion opening within a lateral wall of the mounting body;

f) inserting of the end portions of the sheaths into the receptacle openings; and

g) pulling out of the end fittings from one open front side of the mounting body.

By means of this method, in a fast and easy way also the sheaths of the at least two Bowden cables can be commonly mounted by means of a single mounting element.

Further preferred embodiments result from the subclaims.

4. Short description of the drawings

In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described by means of the accompanying drawings. In which shows:

Fig. 1 a three-dimensional view of a preferred embodiment of the mounting system according to the invention with three mounted Bowden cables;

Fig. 2 a three-dimensional view of a preferred embodiment of a mounting element according to the invention with three mounted sheaths of Bowden cables;

Fig. 3 a three-dimensional view of the mounting sequence for mounting a sheath of a Bowden cable to the mounting element of fig. 2;

Fig. 4 a three-dimensional view of the mounting sequence for mounting of three cables of Bowden cables to a preferred embodiment of a connecting element according to the invention;

Fig. 5 a three-dimensional detail of the connecting element of fig. 4 with three mounted cables; and

Fig. 6 a three-dimensional view of the mounting system of fig. 1 from another perspective.

5. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with respect to the figures.

Fig. 1 shows a mounting system 1 for the common mounting of three Bowden cables 100, 1 10, 120, wherein the mounting system 1 comprises a connecting element 10 and a mounting element 50.

The connecting element 10 connects three cables 102, 112, 122 of Bowden cables 100, 1 10, 120 to each other such that the three cables 102, 1 12, 122 can be commonly actuated or may commonly actuate a device, for example a component of a motor vehicle.

The mounting element 50 acts for the mounting of three sheaths 106, 1 16, 126 of the three Bowden cables 100, 1 10, 120. To this end, the mounting element 50 comprises a mounting body 52, having three receptacle openings 60, 62, 64 which extend in longitudinal direction L, for receiving of three end portions 108, 118, 128 of the sheaths 106, 116, 126. The receptacle openings 60, 62, 64 are essentially cylindrically shaped and comprise a throughhole at the end, directing to the mounting body 52, through which the respective cables 102, 1 12, 122 can extend.

The sheaths 106, 1 16, 126 can abut against the receptacle openings 60, 62, 64 and can transmit pressure forces to the mounting element 50.

For the assembly of the Bovvden cables 100, 110, 120 at the mounting element 50, the receptacle openings 60, 62, 64 are provided with insertion slots 61, 63, 65, which extend in longitudinal direction L, which are wide enough such that the cables 102, 1 12, 122 may pass through them. Thereby, the Bowden cables 100,

110, 120 can easily be hooked into the mounting element 50, as it is shown in fig.

3 by the mounting sequence, also if the cables 102, 112, 122 already comprise end fittings 104, 114, 124.

Fig. 3 shows exemplarily in four steps (a) to (d) the assembly sequence for the Bowden cable 110 at the mounting element 50.

In a first step (a), the end fitting 114 of the cable 112 of the Bowden cable 1 10 is introduced through an insertion opening 58 in a lateral wall of the mounting body 52 into the mounting body 52 as indicated by arrow 80. Thereby, the cable 112 moves through the insertion slot 63.

The second step (b) shows the condition if the end fitting 114 and the cable 112 are introduced into the mounting body 52. Then, the end portion 118 of the sheath 1 16 is pushed into the receptacle opening 62 until the end, as indicated by arrow 82.

In a step (c), the cable 1 12 is now pushed through the hollow mounting body 52 of the mounting element 50 as it is indicated by arrow 84 and exits at its open front side 57.

In fig. 3 (d), the mounting element 50 is shown with the finally mounted Bowden cable 110.

For the connection of the mounting element 50 at a further component (not shown), e.g. at the car body of a motor vehicle, the mounting body 52 of the mounting element 50 is provided with latching hooks 70, 72, 74, 76 which are arranged around the open front side 57 of the mounting body 52 and extend in longitudinal direction L. These latching hooks 70, 72, 74, 76 may snap into a correspondingly shaped opening, e.g. within a wall of a device to be actuated (not shown), to mount the mounting element 50 and the thereby-mounted sheaths 106, 116, 126.

The mounting body 52 further comprises stop faces 90, as shown in fig. 6, which are arranged around the open front side 57 of the mounting body 52 and which extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction L. Via these stop faces 90 pressure forces, which are introduced from the sheaths 106, 116, 126 into the mounting element 50, can be transmitted to the device to be actuated (not shown). The latching hooks 70, 72, 74, 76 act together with the stop faces 90 for a simple and fast mounting of the mounting element 50 by simple insertion, respectively latching. Since the mounting body 52 of the mounting element 50 is provided hollow and in mounted condition the cables 102. 1 12, 122 ran through the cavity of the mounting body 52, the cables 102, 1 12, 122 are on the one hand well protected and on the other hand only a simple mounting opening for the mounting of a plurality of Bowden cables 100, 110, 120 must be provided.

As already noted, the connecting element 10 acts for connecting of at least two cables 102, 112, 122 of Bowden cables. In the shown embodiment, the connecting element 10 connects three cables 102, 1 12, 122 with each other. To this end, the connecting element 10, as shown in fig. 1 , comprises a main body 12, with an opening 14, which extends in transverse direction T for receiving of end fittings 104, 114, 124 of the cables 102, 112, 122.

The connecting element 10 further comprises an insertion slot 16 within the main body 12, which extends along the opening 14, such that the cables 102, 1 12, 122

with the end fittings 104, 114, 124 can be introduced into the opening 14 as indicated by the arrow 86 in fig. 4 (a). As shown in fig. 4 (b), the end fittings 104, 1 14, 124 are inserted in transverse direction T into the opening 14 until the end.

The connecting element 10 further comprises three latching slots 20, 22, 24 which extend essentially perpendicularly to the transverse direction T, which are connected with the insertion slot 16. These latching slots 20, 22, 24 allow that the connecting element 10 can be rotated around its transverse direction T as indicated by arrow 88 in fig. 4 (b).

The cables 102, 112, 122 are now located within the latching slots 20, 22, 24. This configuration, which is shown in fig. 4 (c) prevents that the end fittings 104, 1 14, 124 can leave the opening 14. Thereby, the cables 102, 112, 122 are securely latched within the connecting element 10.

As shown in fig. 5, the latching slot 24 comprises a projection 25, at the transition to the insertion slot 16, which locally narrows the latching slot 24. By means of the projection 25, it is prevented that the connecting element 10 undesirably pivots back into its position shown in fig. 4 (b). This is particularly advantageous if the connecting element 10 itself is not hooked into the device to be actuated.

For the mounting of the connecting element 10 to the device to be actuated (not shown), it comprises as shown in fig. 6 furthermore a plate-shaped connecting portion 17, which radially extends from the main body 12 to the outside. For an easy assembly of the mounting element 10, the connecting portion 17 is further provided with an L-shaped mounting pin 18, which initially extends perpendicularly from the connecting portion 17 and then in parallel direction to the outside. By means of this mounting pin 18, the connecting element 10 can easily be hooked into the device to be actuated. The connecting element 10 is then in an extended position in longitudinal direction L as shown in fig. 6, such that the cables 102, 112, 122 are securely held within the connecting element 10. This ar-

rangement has the advantage that no further security elements for holding of the cables 102, 112, 122 must be provided.

Fig. 6 further shows two reinforcing walls 66 which support a front side 67 of the mounting body 52 at which the receptacle openings 60, 62, 64 are arranged. These preferably triangular-shaped reinforcing walls 66 support the front side 67 of the mounting body 52 onto which the sheaths 106, 116, 126 introduce a pressure force. Since the mounting body 52 at this position comprises the insertion opening 58 within a lateral wall and is therefore weakened at this position, the reinforcing walls 66 reinforce the front side 67 such that high pressure forces can be introduced into the mounting element 50.

The mounting element 50 as well as the connecting element 10 together form a mounting system 1 , by which in an easy, fast and cost-efficient way two or more Bowden cables 100, 110, 120 can be connected to a device to be actuated (not shown).

The mounting element 50 as well as the connecting element 10 are preferably integrally injection molded from a plastic material. To this end, preferably a poly- amide PA 6.6 with fiberglass addition is used.

List of reference signs

1 mounting system

10 connecting element

12 main body

14 opening

16 insertion slot

17 connecting portion

18 mounting pin

20, 22, 24 latching slots

25 projection

50 mounting element

52 mounting body

58 insertion opening

57 open front side 60, 62, 64 receptacle openings

61, 63, 65 insertion slots

66 reinforcing walls

67 front side

70, 72, 74, 76 latching hooks 80, 82, 84, 86 arrows

90 stop faces

100, 110, 120 Bowden cables

102, 112, 122 cables of the Bowden cables

104, 114, 124 end fittings of the cables 106, 116, 126 sheaths of the Bowden cables

108, 1 18, 128 end portions of the sheaths