Cable controller

A cable controller is formed by a housing having a cavity into which one end of a handle is received and mounted for a pivotal movement on a pivot pin extending across the housing. The pivot pin is received within a L-shaped slot adjacent to one end and the top of the handle and an abutment is provided projecting outwardly from the bottom of the handle in position to engage the rim of the cavity. A control cable is connected to the handle positioned about midway between the abutment and the slot. The slot and the abutment are positioned so that movement of the handle in a first direction pivots the handle about the pivot pin and extends the cable and movement of the handle in the opposite direction pivots the handle about the point of contact between the abutment and the rim of housing to move the pin along the slot into a short section of the L-shaped slot to thereby extend the cable now lock the handle in a parking position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a cable 26 extends through a bottom wall 28, i.e. 
the wall of the cavity remote from the rim 24 into the cavity 22 and is 
connected to the handle 18 as will be described hereinbelow. 
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the manipulator handle 18 has a manipulating 
end 30 that projects from the cavity 22 in the form of a loop through 
which a hand may be passed to control movement of the handle 18 and a 
control end 32 that projects into the cavity 22. The control end 32 is 
provided with a L-shaped slot 34 having a long section 36 and a short 
section 38 at the end of the long section remote from the manipulating end 
30. The short section 38 is substantially perpendicular to the long 
section 36. The slot 34 is positioned adjacent to a top edge 40 and the 
front end 42 of the control end 32 remote from the manipulative handle end 
30. 
A follower such as an abutment 44 is provided at the side of the control 
end 32 remote from the top edge 40, i.e. is on the bottom side or wall 46 
of the control end 32 and, as illustrated in FIG. 2, is in a position to 
contact the rim 24 as indicated at 48 when the cable 26 is in neutral or 
relaxed position as shown in FIG. 2 i.e. the cable 26 is not extendible. 
As above indicated, the cable 26 is connected in any suitable manner to the 
handle 18. In the illustrated system the end 50 of the cable 26 is 
retained in a cavity 52 in the arm 18 by a suitable retainer 54. The 
cavity 54 is positioned spaced from and between the slot 34 and the 
abutment 44, preferably, substantially midway between slot 34 and abutment 
44 so that movement of the handle 18 in either direction by pivoting 
around pin 20 or the contact point 48, i.e. up or down, causes extension 
of the cable 26 to extend as will be described hereinbelow. 
The controller is shown in a neutral position in FIG. 2 wherein the cable 
26 is not being extended or pulled in the direction of the arrow 56 so 
that if the end of the cable 26 were connected to a brake (not shown) of a 
vehicle such as a walker or bicycle, the brake would be in a released 
position. 
The cable 26 may be extended, for example to apply the brake, the handle 18 
is moved in the direction of the arrow 58 (see FIG. 3) to pivot the handle 
18 above the pivot pin 20, move the abutment 44 away from the contact 
point 48 with the rim 24 and extend the cable 26 by movement of cavity 52 
in which the end 50 of the cable 26 is held by the retainer 54 in the 
direction of the arrow 56. 
It will be noted that the pivot pin 20 is at the end along section 36 of 
the slot 34 remote from the short section 38, i.e. is at the end of the 
slot 36 adjacent to the handle portion 30 and that the handle 18 is in 
effect pivots around the pivot 20 so that when it is released, the spring 
force or the like in the cable 26 tends to return the cable 26 to its 
normal position which moves the handle 18 in the direction opposite to the 
direction 58 to move the abutment 44 back into contact with the rim 24 at 
contact point 48, i.e. to move the handle 18 back into the position shown 
in FIG. 2. 
The controller is moved into a park position as shown in FIG. 4 by moving 
the handle 18 in the direction of the arrow 60 which pivots the handle 18 
about the point of contact 48, relatively moves the pin 20 along the long 
section 35 of the slot 34 and eventually into the short section 38 of the 
slot 34. Movement of the handle 18 moves the slot 34 to position the pin 
20 into the section 38 by sliding the abutment 44 downward along the rim 
24 so that the contact point 48 between the rim 24 and abutment 44 moves 
closer to the base of the abutment 44. This movement of the handle 18 
extends the cable 26 in the direction of the arrow 56 and locks the handle 
18 in this position with the cable 26 extended. A positive force in the 
direction of the arrow 58 (see FIG. 3) is required to release the pin 20 
from the short section 38 and move it into the long section 36 where the 
tension (spring force) in the cable 26 can pivot the handle 18 on the 
point of contact 48 and permit relative movement of the slot 34 and pin 20 
to position the pin at the end of the long section 36 of the slot 34 
remote from the short section 38 and return the handle 18 to the position 
shown in FIG. 2. 
It will be apparent that the mechanism of the present invention is 
relatively simple, yet permits easy application of tension to the cable 26 
and permits locking the cable 26 under tension in a parked position as 
shown in FIG. 4. In the case, of a walker movement of the controller into 
the parked position shown in FIG. 4 permits parking of the walker with the 
brakes in activated or applied position. 
Having described the invention, modifications will be evident to those 
skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as 
defined in the appended claims.