Handle device and manufacturing method of handle device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508477-B2
Application number	US-201816225546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A handle device operating an inner cable inserted in an outer cable, the handle device includes a handle base fixing an operation handle to which the inner cable is connected and a cable holding portion provided in the handle base to hold the outer cable and configured to be fitted to a circumferential groove portion reduced in diameter in a radial direction in an outer circumferential surface of the outer cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handle device operating an inner cable inserted in an outer cable, the handle device comprising:
a handle base fixing an operation handle to which the inner cable is connected; and
a cable holding portion provided in the handle base to hold the outer cable and configured to be fitted to a circumferential groove portion reduced in diameter in a radial direction in an outer circumferential surface of the outer cable,
wherein the cable holding portion includes a fitting portion which is configured to be fitted to the circumferential groove portion and to hold the outer cable, and a pair of guide pieces which is provided to face each other to fit into the circumferential groove portion from both sides and which forms an insertion groove guiding the circumferential groove portion into the fitting portion,
wherein a first guide piece which is one guide piece of the pair of guide pieces includes a fixing portion,
wherein when the circumferential groove portion moves along the insertion groove, the fixing portion is elastically deformed to a direction perpendicular to a plane where the first guide piece extends, and
wherein when the circumferential groove portion passes the first guide piece, the fixing portion is elastically returned to the direction perpendicular to the plane to be engaged with the outer circumferential surface of the outer cable.

2. The handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first guide piece has a boundary between the first guide piece and the fitting portion separated by a gap, and
wherein the fixing portion is a corner of the first guide piece adjacent to the gap, the corner extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane.

3. The handle device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the handle base includes an opening groove along the corner of the first guide piece to prompt the elastic deformation of the fixing portion.

4. The handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixing portion includes a step portion configured to be locked to a corner portion of the outer cable adjacent to the circumferential groove portion.

5. The handle device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a second guide piece which is the other guide piece of the pair of guide pieces includes a flexural deformation portion which is flexibly deformed in a planar direction when the circumferential groove portion moves along the insertion groove to widen a width between the pair of guide pieces.

6. The handle device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the handle base includes a slit along a side edge of the second guide piece to prompt flexural deformation of the flexural deformation portion.

7. The handle device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the fixing portion of the first guide piece has a deformation characteristic to the direction perpendicular to the plane better than the second guide piece, and
wherein the flexural deformation portion of the second guide piece has a deformation characteristic to the planar direction better than the first guide piece.

8. A handle device operating an inner cable inserted in an outer cable, the handle device comprising:
a handle base fixing an operation handle to which the inner cable is connected; and
a cable holding portion provided in the handle base to hold the outer cable and configured to be fitted to a circumferential groove portion reduced in diameter in a radial direction in an outer circumferential surface of the outer cable,
wherein the cable holding portion includes a fitting portion which is configured to be fitted to the circumferential groove portion and to hold the outer cable, and a pair of guide pieces which is provided to face each other to fit into the circumferential groove portion from both sides and which forms an insertion groove guiding the circumferential groove portion into the fitting portion,
wherein any one guide piece of the pair of guide pieces includes a flexural deformation portion which is flexibly deformed in a planar direction when the circumferential groove portion moves along the insertion groove to widen a width between the pair of guide pieces, and
wherein the handle base includes a slit along a side edge of the one guide piece to prompt flexural deformation of the flexural deformation portion.

9. A manufacturing method of a handle device which operates an inner cable inserted into an outer cable using an operation handle connected to a handle base, the handle device provided with a cable holding portion in the handle base to fix the outer cable, the cable holding portion including a fitting portion which is configured to be fitted to a circumferential groove portion reduced in diameter in a radial direction in an outer circumferential surface of the outer cable to hold the outer cable and a pair of guide pieces which is provided to face each other to fit into the circumferential groove portion from both sides and which forms an insertion groove guiding the circumferential groove portion into the fitting portion, and one guide piece of the pair of guide pieces which is a first guide piece including a fixing portion elastically deformable to a direction perpendicular to a plane where the first guide piece extends, the manufacturing method comprising:
inserting the circumferential groove portion into the insertion groove while the pair of guide pieces are fitted to the circumferential groove portion;
elastically deforming the fixing portion to the direction perpendicular to the plane and moving the circumferential groove portion along the insertion groove; and
causing the circumferential groove portion to pass through the first guide piece to reach the fitting portion, so that the fixing portion elastically returns to the direction perpendicular to the plane to be engaged with the outer circumferential surface of the outer cable.

Assignees

• Alpha Corp

Inventors

• Okuma Ryoya

Classifications

• E05B79/20 Primary

  using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables · CPC title

• B60J5/04

  arranged at the vehicle sides {(panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428)} · CPC title

• F16C1/10

  Means for transmitting linear movement in a flexible sheathing, e.g. "Bowden-mechanisms" (guiding-sheathings F16C1/26) · CPC title

• E05B79/06 Primary

  Mounting of handles, e.g. to the wing or to the lock · CPC title

• B60J5/0415

  Outer panel · CPC title