JP3421177B2 - Protective structure of automatic control device for automotive control cable - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control cable for interlocking a transmission mechanism in a transmission case to a throttle valve of an engine, and more particularly to a protection structure of an automatic adjusting device for automatically absorbing a slack in an axial direction of an outer cable constituting a control cable. is there. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a structure for protecting an automatic adjusting device of a control cable for a vehicle has conventionally been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-32725.
There is the one shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. According to this, a control cable for interlocking a transmission mechanism in a transmission case to a throttle valve of an engine includes a flexible outer cable,
A flexible inner cable is slidably inserted in the outer cable in the axial direction. One end of the outer cable is connected to a stationary member of the throttle valve, and the other end is connected to the transmission case. On the other hand, one end of the inner cable is connected to a valve body of the throttle valve, and the other end is connected to a transmission mechanism. When the engine output is increased or decreased by operating the occupant to set the throttle valve to a desired opening, the throttle valve is opened according to the opening of the throttle valve at this time, that is, according to the engine output. The speed change mechanism is automatically operated via an inner cable of the control cable, so that a speed change state of the speed change mechanism corresponding to the engine output is automatically obtained. In the above case, it is assumed that the outer cable is slackened in the axial direction and the outer cable is easily bent. Then, when a pulling force is applied to the inner cable in the axial direction in an attempt to link the transmission mechanism to the throttle valve, the pulling force is absorbed by the bending of the outer cable, and the inner cable is substantially bent. Since the length becomes short, there is a possibility that the transmission mechanism may not be accurately linked to the outer cable. Therefore, an automatic adjusting device is provided between the end of the outer cable on the transmission mechanism side and the transmission case side for automatically absorbing the slack in the axial direction of the outer cable. However, according to the above-mentioned prior art, the automatic adjusting device is in a state of being protruded from the outer surface of the transmission case, and has been jumped up by the running of the automobile. Foreign matter such as stones may easily collide with the automatic adjusting device. In addition, the automatic adjusting device has an outer shell made of resin or the like, and does not have strength as high as that of a transmission case. For this reason, there is a possibility that the automatic adjusting device may be damaged by a collision of foreign matter with the automatic adjusting device. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a protective cover for covering the above-mentioned automatic adjusting device from the outside. However, simply doing so may increase the number of parts of the vehicle and may complicate the configuration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and protects an automatic adjusting device of a control cable of an automobile so that foreign matter does not collide with the automatic adjusting device to prevent breakage thereof. It is an object of the present invention to provide this protection with a simple configuration. [0012] The structure for protecting an automatic adjusting device of a control cable for a vehicle according to the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows. That is, a control cable 11 for linking the transmission mechanism 9 in the transmission case 8 to the throttle valve 3 of the engine 1 is provided, and an end of an outer cable 12 constituting the control cable 11 on the transmission mechanism 9 side is connected to the control cable 11. An automatic adjusting device 16 for automatically absorbing the slack of the outer cable 12 in the axial direction is interposed between the transmission case 8 and the transmission case 8. On the other hand, the automatic adjusting device 16 is turned on or off depending on the speed change state of the speed change mechanism 9. In a vehicle in which the shift position detection switch 20 is provided and the switch 20 is detachably attached to the outer surface of the transmission case 8, the automatic adjusting device 16 is disposed in a concave portion 25 of the transmission case 8 on the outer surface. And the switch 20 covers the automatic adjusting device 16 from outside. A. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an engine (internal combustion engine) mounted on an automobile. A throttle valve 3 for adjusting the degree of opening of an intake passage 2 to the engine 1 is provided. The throttle valve 3 includes a valve case forming an outer shell thereof and a butterfly type valve body provided in the valve case. It is configured. Further, an accelerator pedal 5 is provided which is interlocked to the valve body of the throttle valve 3 via interlocking means 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a power transmission device mounted on the automobile, and wheels for driving the vehicle are linked to the engine 1 via the power transmission device 7. The arrow Fr indicates the front of the vehicle, and the left and right described below refer to the vehicle width direction toward the front. The power transmission device 7 includes a transmission case 8 constituting an outer shell thereof, and a transmission mechanism 9 is accommodated in the transmission case 8. The transmission case 8 is made of metal (aluminum) and has sufficient strength and rigidity. The transmission mechanism 9 is composed of a plurality of gears, a plurality of hydraulic clutches, etc., which can change the meshing state of these gears. A manual shift operation lever 10 is provided which is operatively connected to the power transmission device 7. When an occupant operates the shift operation lever 10, the vehicle is parked, reverse, neutral, first forward speed, second forward speed, and second forward speed. Each "shift state" of the forward low speed can be arbitrarily selected. A control cable 11 for interlocking the transmission mechanism 9 to the throttle valve 3 is provided. The control cable 11 includes a flexible outer cable 12 and a flexible inner cable 13 that is slidably inserted in the outer cable 12 in the axial direction. One end of the outer cable 12 is connected to a valve case which is a stationary member of the throttle valve 3,
The other end extends toward the outer surface of the transmission case 8. On the other hand, one end of the inner cable 13 is connected to a valve body of the throttle valve 3, and the other end is connected to a hydraulic clutch or the like of the speed change mechanism 9. When the occupant operates the accelerator pedal 5 to set the throttle valve 3 to a desired opening, the engine output increases or decreases accordingly. On the other hand, when the occupant operates the shift operation lever 10 to bring the power transmission device 7 into a desired “shift state”, the engine output is transmitted to the wheels through the power transmission device 7 in the “shift state”. The speed change mechanism 9 is automatically operated via the inner cable 13 of the control cable 11 in accordance with the opening of the throttle valve 3, that is, in accordance with the engine output. In, the speed change mechanism 9 is automatically shifted so as to correspond to the engine output, that is, "automatic shift" is performed. The transmission mechanism 9 of the outer cable 12
The other end, which is the side end, and the transmission case 8
An automatic adjusting device 16 for automatically absorbing the "slack" of the outer cable 12 in the axial direction is interposed between the outer cable and the outer surface of the outer cable. The “slack” means that the outer cable 12 rattles in the axial direction.
When the inner cable 13 slides with respect to the outer cable 12, the outer cable 12 is excessively bent. The automatic adjusting device 16 has a cylindrical casing 17, in which a ratchet mechanism for automatically absorbing "slack" of the outer cable 12 in the axial direction is accommodated. A support piece 18 protrudes from a lower end of the casing 17, and the support piece 18 is detachably fastened to an outer surface of the transmission case 8 by a fastener 19, whereby the automatic adjusting device 16 is connected to the transmission case 8 Is detachably fixed to the outer surface of the cover. A shift position detecting switch 20 is provided on the outer surface of the right side wall, which is the outer surface of the transmission case 8, for fastening the fastener 2.
1 detachably attached. The switch 20 has an outer shell formed of a casing 22 made of metal casting, and the casing 22 has sufficient strength and rigidity. The switch 20 is connected to a control device 24 by a wire harness, and this wire harness is covered by a corrugated tube 23. The switch 20 is turned on or off in accordance with the “shift state” of the transmission mechanism 9 of the power transmission device 7. The control device 24 that has received this signal controls the switch 20 only in the neutral “shift state”.
It is said that the engine can be started. A concave portion 25 is formed on the outer surface of the right side, which is one side of the transmission case 8. The recess 25 has a right outer wall surface 26, a rear wall surface 27, and a bottom surface 2.
8. The automatic adjusting device 16 is disposed in the recess 25, and the automatic adjusting device 16 is detachably fastened to the bottom surface 28 by a fastener 19. The switch 20 is provided so as to cover the automatic adjusting device 16 from outside. More specifically, a part of the switch 20 is connected to the automatic adjustment device.
The device 16 is covered from the right outside. In this case, the recess 25 is opened substantially only upward and rearward. According to the above configuration, foreign objects such as stones jumped up by the traveling of the vehicle and collided with the automatic adjusting device 16 are prevented by the transmission case 8 having high strength and the casing 22 of the switch 20. You. Further, since the recess 25 is only opened substantially upward and rearward by the switch 20, the collision with the foreign matter which is mainly flipped upward and rearward is more reliably prevented. Is done. A fastener 19 for the automatic adjusting device 16 is disposed at the rear side of the automatic adjusting device 16,
This is located where the concave portion 25 is substantially opened, so that the operation of the fastener 19 for attaching and detaching the automatic adjusting device 16 is facilitated. Further, if the switch 20 is removed from the outer surface of the transmission case 8, the recess 25 is opened more outwardly.
Maintenance work can be easily performed. Then, as described above, the automatic adjusting device 16
Can be obtained from the use of the recess 25 of the existing transmission case 8 and the use of the switch 20, so that the protection of the automatic adjusting device 16 can be prevented from increasing the number of parts. It can be obtained with a simple configuration. According to the present invention, the control valve for interlocking the transmission mechanism in the transmission case to the throttle valve of the engine is provided, and the end of the outer cable constituting the control cable on the transmission mechanism side is provided. When,
A shift position detection switch that intervenes between the transmission case side and an automatic adjustment device that automatically absorbs the axial slack of the outer cable, and that is turned on or off according to the shift state of the transmission mechanism. In a motor vehicle in which the switch is detachably attached to the outer surface of the transmission case, the automatic adjustment device is disposed in a concave portion of the transmission case, and the switch is provided with the automatic adjustment device. It is covered from the outside. For this reason, it is possible that foreign matter such as stones jumped up by the running of the automobile collides with the automatic adjusting device.
It is prevented by the transmission case and the switch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the automatic adjustment device from being damaged by the collision of foreign matter. Further, if the switch is removed from the outer surface of the transmission case, the recess is opened more outwardly, so that the maintenance and inspection work for the automatic adjusting device can be easily performed. Further, as described above, the protection of the automatic adjusting device from the collision of foreign matter can be obtained by using the concave portion of the existing transmission case and the use of the switch. Is prevented from increasing, and it can be obtained with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is an overall rear view. FIG. 2 is an overall side view. FIG. 3 is a partially developed perspective view. [Explanation of symbols] 1 Engine 3 Throttle valve 7 Power transmission device 8 Mission case 9 Transmission mechanism 11 Control cable 12 Outer cable 13 Inner cable 16 Automatic adjustment device 20 switches 22 Casing 25 recess

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60K 20/00-20/08 F16H 59/00-59/12 G05G 1/00-25/04

Claims (1)

(1) A control cable for interlocking a transmission mechanism in a transmission case to a throttle valve of an engine is provided. An end of an outer cable constituting the control cable on the transmission mechanism side. And an automatic adjustment device for automatically absorbing the axial slack of the outer cable between the transmission case and the transmission case, and a shift position that is turned on or off in accordance with the shift state of the transmission mechanism. In a motor vehicle provided with a detection switch and detachably attached to an outer surface of the transmission case, the automatic adjustment device is disposed in a recess of the transmission case, and the switch is connected to the automatic adjustment device. Protection structure for the automatic control device of the automobile control cable that covers the vehicle from outside .