Abstract:
the invention relates to a passage for rods, especially for actuating rods ( 8 ) in a motor vehicle, comprising a receiving bushing ( 4 ) which is inserted into an assembly hole ( 2 ) of a component and which has an opening ( 6 ) for the rods ( 8 ). The receiving bushing ( 4 ) has, on one side, an extended auxiliary introduction element ( 16 ) protruding above the assembly hole ( 2 ) of the component in the form of a cone or a ramp whereby the end of the rods ( 8 ) to be introduced can be introduced into the opening of the passage ( 6 ) by slidingly placing it in or on the auxiliary introduction element ( 16 ).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a linkage passage, in particular for an activation linkage in a motor vehicle, having a receiving bushing which is to be inserted into a mounting opening in a component and which has a through-opening for the linkage.  
         [0002]     It is frequently difficult to mount activation linkages, for example in the motor vehicle industry, because the corresponding mounting opening in the respective component is not directly visible or accessible from the side from which the linkage is to be inserted. For this reason, the mounting operation must be carried out by the fitter by touch, which is difficult and time-consuming and also includes the risk of incorrect mounting.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is based on the object of simplifying the mounting of a linkage passage of the aforesaid type using simple and cost-effective means.  
         [0004]     This is achieved according to the invention in that the receiving bushing has, at one end, an extended auxiliary insertion element which protrudes beyond the mounting opening of the component and is in the form of a ramp and/or funnel such that the linkage can be inserted, with an end which is to be inserted, into the through-opening by sliding abutment against or in the auxiliary insertion element. Here, the receiving bushing can be inserted into the mounting opening from an outside of the respective component with the auxiliary insertion element at the front, and if appropriate with elastic, radially tapering deformation of the auxiliary insertion element, in particular can be latched in said mounting opening in such a way that, in the inserted state, the auxiliary insertion element projects freely into an interior space of the component, while the receiving bushing finishes on the outside of the component so as to be preferably essentially flush with a component face which surrounds the mounting opening at the mouth end.  
         [0005]     The invention significantly facilitates and simplifies the mounting of the linkage by virtue of the fact that, with the rod end which is to be inserted, the auxiliary insertion element according to the invention can be found more easily and more quickly owing to its significantly larger grasping region in comparison with the through-opening, and can then be inserted into the through-opening by abutting in a sliding-along fashion. For this purpose, a sliding insertion face of the auxiliary insertion element merges directly with the through-opening of the receiving bushing. The invention thus leads to a significant saving in time when mounting the linkage and to a significantly higher mounting reliability by avoiding incorrect mounting.  
         [0006]     Further advantageous refinement features of the invention are contained in the subclaims and the following description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The invention will be explained in more detail by means of preferred exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a section through a component which is embodied with a linkage passage according to the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a receiving bushing according to the invention, and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment of a receiving bushing according to the invention, again in a perspective view. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates part of a component  1  in section, which part may be, for example, the curb region of a vehicle door. The component  1  has a mounting opening  2  into which a receiving bushing  4  is inserted. The receiving bushing  4  has a through-opening  6  for a linkage  8  which is, in the application example illustrated, a locking rod for activating a door lock.  
         [0012]     The component  1  can be embodied, as illustrated, as a multi-layer built-on part which is composed of a load-bearing, dimensionally stable structure  10 , a foamed part  12  which is attached by foaming and an outer reference material  14 .  
         [0013]     According to the invention, the receiving bushing  4  has, at one end, an extended auxiliary insertion element  16  which protrudes beyond the mounting opening  2  in the component  1 . This auxiliary insertion element  16  is embodied as a direct extension of the through-opening  6 , in the manner of a ramp and/or funnel such that the linkage  8  is brought into abutment with an end  8   a , to be inserted, in the direction of the arrow  18  according to  FIG. 1 , and can then be introduced by sliding abutment into the through-opening  6  in the direction of the arrow  20 .  
         [0014]     In the preferred embodiment, the receiving bushing  4  can be inserted, and specifically in particular latched, into the mounting opening  2  from an outside  22  of the component  1  with the auxiliary insertion element  16  at the front. In the inserted state ( FIG. 1 ), the auxiliary insertion element  16  projects freely into an interior space  24  of the component  1 , while the receiving bushing  4  preferably finishes on the outside  22  of the component so as to be essentially flush with a component face  26  which surrounds the mounting opening  2  at the mouth.  
         [0015]     As is apparent from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the receiving bushing  4  has a hollow cylindrical securing section  28  which has the through-opening  6 , said securing section  28  having, for its part, fixing means  30  for securing the receiving bushing  4  in a positionally fixed fashion in the mounting opening  2  of the component  1 . Thus, in order to secure the receiving bushing  4  in the insertion direction or the direction in which the linkage is led through, there is provision that, as fixing means  30 , the securing section  28  has, on the one hand, a radial flange-like ring-shaped supporting extension  32 —on its side lying opposite the auxiliary insertion element  16 —for resting on the outer component surface  26  (or in a depression formed therein) and, on the other hand, at least one radial latching extension  34 —in the region of the junction with the auxiliary insertion element  16 —for engaging in a latching fashion behind an opening edge—pointing to the interior space  24  of the component—of the mounting opening  2 . In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the securing section  28  has (at least) two latching extensions  34  which are offset with respect to one another in the insertion direction and in particular each run round in an annular shape and are formed with a barb-like or saw-tooth-like sectional contour. This configuration ensures a secure hold even when there are components  1  of different thicknesses or when the mounting opening  2  has different lengths, as is also the case, for example, with multi-layered built-on parts as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As a result of the plurality of latching extensions  34  which are offset in the insertion direction, a play-free seat of the receiving bushing  4  in the mounting opening  2  is also brought about since one of the latching extensions  34  always ensures that the corresponding latching connection occurs even when there are materials of different thicknesses.  
         [0016]     In order to secure the receiving bushing  4  against rotation, the fixing means  30  also have at least one positioning extension  36  which protrudes radially from the outer circumference of the securing section  28  and which engages in a corresponding position recess  38  within the mounting opening  2  of the respective component  1  (see  FIG. 1 ). In the illustrated embodiments, in each case a plurality of position extensions  36  are provided in one particular suitable arrangement.  
         [0017]     In order to make it even easier to find the auxiliary insertion element  16  when the linkage  8  is inserted, the auxiliary insertion element  16  is preferably formed in a groove-like fashion, and with a groove width which increases in the direction of its free end and exceeds the cross section of the mounting opening  2 , said auxiliary insertion element  16  being embodied elastically here in such a way that the auxiliary insertion element  16  can be radially elastically compressed (can be made narrower) in the region it&#39;s the free end for insertion into the mounting opening  2 . This can also be supported according to  FIG. 3  by the auxiliary insertion element  16  having, at its free end, at least one longitudinal slit  40 , which increases the elastic deformability.  
         [0018]     Furthermore, in the configuration according to  FIG. 3 , there is provision that the auxiliary insertion element  16  has, in its free end region, additional latching means  42  for prefixing the linkage  8  in a latching fashion during mounting. These latching means  42  may be, as illustrated, a clip-shaped or tongue-shaped extension which engages around the fitted-on end  8   a  of the linkage  8  in a latching fashion.  
         [0019]     The receiving bushing  4  according to the invention can be manufactured inexpensively and economically by virtue of the fact that it is embodied together with the auxiliary insertion element  16  as a single-piece plastic preform.  
         [0020]     The invention is not restricted to the illustrated and described exemplary embodiments and applications but rather also comprises all embodiments which act identically in the sense of the invention. For example, the invention is basically suitable for all desired linkage passages, that is to say not only for a locking linkage in the curb region of a vehicle door. In addition, instead of a through-opening  6  with a circular cross section, the cross section may be any other desired opening cross section, for example oval or a rectangle with rounded corners, matched to the respective linkage, in which case the securing section  28  will also correspondingly differ from the hollow cylindrical shape.