Patent Publication Number: US-9850689-B2

Title: Vehicle door cable abutment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for actuating a vehicle door handle, and particularly to a cable fitting or abutment for engaging and disengaging an inside door handle located outboard of a door trim pad. 
     Typically a vehicle assembler requires training to learn how to attach a cable to a door handle located on the door and outboard of a door trim pad. When the door is being serviced, technicians may be puzzled regarding the proper way to remove the door abutment of the actuating cable from its attachment to the door handle. Occasionally, the cable is pulled in an attempt to disconnect the cable assembly, or the technician may use a screw driver incorrectly to remove the abutment connection. In either case, the abutment is sometimes broken. 
     Currently, door handle actuation employs tree-type abutments that attach on the inner surface of the handle. Such abutments require a tool for removal. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A cable fitting includes a hollow cylinder sized to receive a portion of a sheath therein; and a lever including a blade supported on the cylinder; a pivot about which the blade pivots; an engagement member secured to the blade and spaced from the pivot in a first direction; and a tab secured to the blade and including a surface spaced from the pivot in a second direction opposite the first direction and on which force can be applied to elastically pivot the engagement member away from an engaged position. 
     The elastic operation of the lever occurs due to elastic flexure without need for a spring. 
     The abutment design allows technicians, operators and service mechanics to connect and disconnect the cable to the inside handle without the use of a tool. A lever on the abutment can be alternately depressed manually without use of a tool to disengage the cable assembly and released manually without a tool to reengage the cable assembly such that pivoting motion of the lever is conducted within the ergonomic constraints of a 45 Newton thumb load. 
     The abutment design is intuitive for connection and disconnection, and is less likely to break due to incorrect tool usage or failure to apply a correct connection and disconnection technique. The lever may enable installation and removal of the cable assembly such that when the lever is depressed, the front end of the abutment deflects upward, thereby allowing the abutment to easily enter or exit a connection to the inside door handle. 
     The scope of applicability of the preferred embodiment will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims and drawings. It should be understood, that the description and specific examples, although indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications to the described embodiments and examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a cable end fitting for a vehicle door; 
         FIG. 2  is rear perspective view of the cable end fitting; and 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view showing the cable end fitting secured to a door bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cable end fitting  10  includes a sleeve member  12 , which is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder sized to receive a portion of a cable assembly  14  therein. The cable assembly  14  includes a hollow cylindrical sheath  16  and a cable or rod  18  that extends along the length of the sheath. Sleeve member  12  allows the rod  18  to extend through the sheath  16  and to protrude outward from an end of the cable end fitting&#39;s sleeve member  12 . A spherical ball  20  is secured to an end of rod  18 . The rod and ball operate as an actuator due to their ability to be displaced relative to and along the length of the sheath  16  and fitting  10 . 
     The cable end fitting  10 , which is preferably formed of molded plastic material, includes a blade portion  22 , supported on the outer surface of sleeve member  12 ; teeth  24  extending from a lower surface of the blade  22 ; a service tab  26 , supported on blade  22  for actuating the teeth  24 ; a service tab stop  28 , located at an inboard lateral side of the sleeve member  12 ; and a projection  30  extending from an end of the sleeve member opposite the location of the teeth  24 . When tab  26  is depressed, contact between the tab  26  and the tab stop  28  limits the range of pivotal displacement of the tab  26 . 
     Projection  30  aids in manually gripping the cable fitting  10  during installation and removal, and helps prevent entangling the fitting  10  with other cables in the vehicle door assembly. Corrugations  32  on the outer service tab  26  indicate intuitively a place where an operator can apply pressure to depress the service tab  26 . 
     Blade  22  is connected to the outer surface of sleeve member  12  at a relatively narrow pivot surface  34 , which extends laterally across the outer surface of the cylinder. The location of the corrugations  32 , where force is applied to the service tab  26 , is spaced along sleeve member  12  in a first direction from the pivot  34 . Teeth  24  are spaced along sleeve member  12  in a second direction opposite the first direction from the pivot  34 . This arrangement forms a lever that actuates teeth  24  into and out of engagement. 
     When the service tab  26  is depressed, blade  22  and teeth  24  pivot upward due to elastic flexure that occurs at the pivot  34 . When tab  26  is released, blade  22  and teeth  24  pivot downward due to elastic flexure that occurs at pivot  34 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the cable end fitting  10  secured to a bracket  36  connected to an inside handle  44  of a vehicle door. In the secured state, teeth  24  engage a surface  38  of bracket  36 , thereby securing fitting  10  and cable assembly  14  to the bracket. Rod  18  is installed through a space between upper and lower flanges  40 ,  42  of bracket  36 . Ball  20  engages a cylindrical passage  46  formed in the front door handle  44 , thereby permitting the handle to pivot about the axis of the ball. 
     The cable end fitting  10  and cable  14  are secured to bracket  36  without need for any tool by securing ball  20  to the cylindrical passage  46  and passing the teeth  24  across the surface of the upper flange  40 , preferably while the service tab  26  is depressed manually, then releasing the tab  26 , and allowing teeth  24  to pivot downward into engagement with surface  38  of the upper flange  40  of bracket  36 . 
     The cable end fitting  10  and cable  14  are released from engagement with bracket  36  without the need for any tool by manually depressing tab  26 , thereby causing teeth  24  to pivot upward and to disengage surface  38  of the upper flange  40  of bracket  36 . Then the ball  20  is removed from the passage  46 , and rod  18  is displaced laterally in the space between the upper and lower flanges  40 ,  42  of bracket  36 . 
     While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.