Patent Abstract:
A cable assembly having a condensation drain provided for the conduit thereof, wherein moisture is enabled to escape the conduit through a drainage opening of the condensation drain, yet the operative interaction between the cable and the conduit of the cable assembly is unaffected by the presence of the condensation drain. The condensation drain may be provided with a drip initiator which assists removal of the moisture from the conduit.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to cable assemblies composed of a conduit and a cable slidably disposed therewithin, wherein the cable is slidable with respect to the conduit for the purpose of operably connecting mutually separated devices connected with the ends thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a condensation drain located at the conduit for allowing escape of moisture from within the conduit. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Cable assemblies are generally composed of an outer conduit and an inner cable which is sheathed by the conduit. The cable is able to slide axially within the conduit such that at the ends of the cable assembly there is relative movement as between the end of the conduit and the end of the cable whereby various devices are operably linked for providing a useful result, such as for example the actuation of a lock member at one end of the cable assembly in response to movement of a handle at the other end of the cable assembly. 
         [0003]    In the automotive arts, a cable assembly is used to mechanically connect a door handle to a latch mechanism of the door, wherein these components are separated by a distance bridged by the cable assembly. An example of such a cable assembly used in an automotive door is depicted at  FIG. 1  and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,619 to Arabia, Jr., et al. issued on Apr. 18, 2000 and assigned to the assignee hereof, the disclosure of which is hereby herein incorporated by reference. 
         [0004]    A cable assembly  10  spans between a latch mechanism  12  and a door handle  14 . The cable assembly  10  is composed, as shown at  FIG. 1A , of a conduit (or sheath)  16  and a cable (or core)  18 , wherein the cable is axially slidable in the cable passage  16   a  of the conduit without binding. The conduit  16  has conduit connectors  16   a ,  16   b  at each end which interface with the latch mechanism  12  and the door handle  14 , respectively; and the cable  18  has cable connectors  18   a ,  18   b  at each end which also interface with the latch mechanism and the door handle, respectively. The cable assembly  10  is such that the conduit and the cable are both capable of acting in tension and in compression. In operation, when the door handle is pulled, the cable slides in relation to the conduit which effects actuation of the latch mechanism, whereby the door  20  is unlocked and unlatched in sequence. 
         [0005]    Problematically, moisture can accumulate, as for non-limiting example by a condensation process, within the conduit of the cable assembly, whereby the cable can be subjected to possible corrosion and the moisture may be subject to possible freezing. Therefore, it would be beneficial if somehow moisture could escape the conduit, while yet the operative interaction between the cable and the conduit is unaffected. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is a cable assembly having a condensation drain provided for the conduit, wherein moisture is enabled to escape the conduit, yet the operative interaction between the cable and the conduit is unaffected by the presence of the condensation drain. 
         [0007]    The condensation drain is, in one form of the present invention, a condensation drain body connected to one end of the conduit, wherein the cable passes therethrough. The condensation drain body has a top and oppositely disposed bottom, wherein a drainage opening is formed in the condensation drain body at the bottom thereof. The drainage opening is sized to allow moisture exiting therethrough, whereby the drainage opening is disposed at the gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly such that moisture in the conduit gravitationally migrates to the drainage opening where it is able to exit the conduit to the external environment. The cable operationally remains disposed within the conduit adjacent the drainage opening. In another form of the present invention, the condensation drain is located anywhere along the conduit, wherein a drainage opening is provided in the bottom of the condensation drain body, which is disposed at the gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly. 
         [0008]    In either form, the drainage opening may be provided with a drip initiator which facilitates thereat the formation of droplets, and wherein the drip initiator may be mechanically robust sufficient to provide an abutment to the cable as an aid to retain the cable within the conduit at the drainage opening. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cable assembly having a condensation drain provided for the conduit, wherein moisture is enabled to escape the conduit, yet the operative interaction between the cable and the conduit is unaffected by the presence of the condensation drain. 
         [0010]    This and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following specification of a preferred embodiment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a vehicle door having a latch mechanism and door handle which are operatively connected by a prior art cable assembly. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view, seen along line  1 A- 1 A of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a vehicle door having a latch mechanism and door handle which are operatively connected by a cable assembly, wherein the conduit of the cable assembly is equipped with a condensation drain according to a first form of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view, seen along line  2 A- 2 A of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a portion of the cable assembly showing in particular the condensation drain of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view, seen along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4A  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , wherein now a drip initiator according to the present invention is included. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a portion of the cable assembly showing in particular the condensation drain of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an elevational view of a cable assembly, wherein the conduit of the cable assembly is connected with a condensation drain according to a second form of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional view seen along line  6 A- 6 A in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a partly sectional, perspective view of the condensation drain of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view seen along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Referring now to the Drawing,  FIGS. 2 through 8  depict various aspects of a condensation drain for a cable assembly according to the present invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is an exemplar environment of use (wherein other environments of use are contemplated) of a cable assembly  100  according to a first form of the present invention, wherein in a car door, the cable assembly mechanically links a door handle  102  to a latch mechanism  104  generally in the manner indicated with respect to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0025]    As can be discerned additionally from  FIG. 2A , the cable assembly  100  includes a conduit (or sheath)  106  which receives therein a cable (or core)  108 , each of which being conventional as for example described with respect to  FIGS. 1 and 1A , wherein now a condensation drain  110  is connected to one end of the conduit. The condensation drain  110  has a condensation drain body  110   a  having a top T and an oppositely disposed bottom B, wherein a drainage opening  114  is formed in the condensation drain body at the bottom thereof. 
         [0026]    The conduit  106  may be, for example, a cylindrically shaped, transversely flexible plastic which serves to confine and guide the cable slidably therewithin. The cable  108  may be, for example, a stranded metallic cable which is also transversely flexible which is sized to slidably move without binding in the cable passage  106   a  of the conduit  106 . The cable assembly  100  is such that the conduit  106  and the cable  108  are both capable of acting in tension and in compression, wherein by way of example, when the door handle  102  is pulled, the cable slides in relation to the conduit which effects actuation of the latch mechanism  104 , whereby the door is unlocked and unlatched in sequence. A lubricant may be provided along the cable as an aid to the sliding of the cable with respect to the conduit. 
         [0027]    Turning attention now additionally to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , the condensation drain  110  is interfaced with the conduit  106  at a conduit connector  106   b  whereat the end of the conduit is anchored to the condensation drain body  110   a , as for nonlimiting example by interference fit, adhesive or sonic weld. The condensation drain body  110   a  is affixed to the door handle  102  at a condensation drain connector  112 , which may be, for example, a snap fit interface therebetween. The cable  108  extends through the condensation drain body  110   a  via a cable passageway  110   b  formed therein which communicates with the cable passage  106   a  of the conduit  106 , whereby the cable interconnects with the door handle  102  in a conventional manner, as for example as generally described hereinabove with respect to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0028]    The moisture drainage feature of the condensation drain  110  is provided by the above mentioned drainage opening  114  formed in the bottom B of the condensation drain body  110   a  which fluidically communicates with the cable passageway  110   b  (and, therefore, also with the cable passage  106   a ), wherein the drainage opening is disposed at the gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly  100 , as indicated by plane G in  FIG. 2 . Accordingly, gravity will naturally pull any moisture (i.e., condensate), M, downwardly in the space S within the conduit between the cable and conduit toward the drainage opening so as to exit thereout to the external environment. Preferably, the drainage opening  114  is in the form of an elongated drainage slot  114   a , as is shown best at  FIG. 5 . 
         [0029]    It will be seen at  FIG. 4  that for purposes of molding tooling the width W of the drainage opening  114 ,  114   a  exceeds the diameter D of the cable  108 , however, the cable is operatively retained in the cable passageway  110   b  because it is kept under tension, and thereby biased away from the drainage opening. However, in the event that the cable is also to be used under compression, then either the width of the drainage opening may be made smaller than the diameter of the cable, or an abutment may be provided (see  FIG. 4A  discussed hereinbelow). 
         [0030]    Turning attention now to  FIGS. 6 through 8 , a second form of the cable assembly  100 ′ is depicted, wherein now the condensation drain  110 ′ is configured so as to be located anywhere along the cable assembly; that is, anywhere between the first and second conduit connectors (as for example the conduit connectors  16   a ,  16   b  respectively connecting to first and second devices (i.e., a door latch  14  and a latch mechanism  12 ), as shown at  FIG. 1 ), wherein the cable  108  passes through the condensation drain via a cable passageway  110   b ′ formed therein (as for example connecting to cable connectors  18   a ,  18   b  at the respective first and second devices as shown at  FIG. 1 ). Thus, it is understood that the conduit  106 ′ is interrupted at the condensation drain  110 ′, but the cable  108  is continuous therethrough. The cable passage  106   a ′ of the conduit  106 ′ (see  FIG. 6A ) communicates with the cable passageway  110   b′.    
         [0031]    The cable assembly  100 ′ is generally as described hereinabove, being composed of a conduit (or sheath)  106 ′ which receives therein a cable (or core)  108 , both, as previously mentioned, being capable of acting in tension and in compression. Alluding to the prior example of operation, when a door handle is pulled, the cable slides in relation to the conduit which effects actuation of a latch mechanism, whereby the door is unlocked and unlatched in sequence. The condensation drain  110 ′ is interfaced with the conduit  106 ′ at third and fourth conduit connectors  106   b ′,  106   c ′ whereat ends of the conduit are respectively anchored to respectively opposing sides of the condensation drain body  110   a ′, as for nonlimiting example by interference fit, adhesive or sonic weld. 
         [0032]    The condensation drain body  110   a ′ has a top T′ and an oppositely disposed bottom B′, wherein the moisture drainage feature of the condensation drain  110 ′ is a drainage opening  114 ′ formed at the bottom of the condensation drain body  110   a ′ which fluidically communicates with the cable passageway  10   b ′ (and, therefore, also with the cable passage  106   a ′ of the conduit  106 ′). The drainage opening  114 ′ is disposed at the gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly  100 ′, as indicated by plane G′ of  FIG. 6 . Accordingly, gravity will naturally pull any moisture (i.e., condensate) M to run downwardly in the space S′ between the cable  108  and the conduit  106 ′ toward the drainage opening and exit thereout to the external environment. Preferably, the drainage opening  114 ′ is in the form of an elongated drainage slot  114   a′.    
         [0033]    It will be seen at  FIG. 8 , in the sense discussed hereinabove with respect to  FIG. 4 , that for purposes of molding tooling the width of the drainage opening  114 ′ (or drainage slot  114   a ′) exceeds the diameter of the cable  108 , however, the cable is retained in the cable passageway  10   b ′ because it is kept under tension, and thereby biased away from the drainage opening. However, in the event that the cable is also to be used under compression, then either the width of the drainage opening may be made smaller than the diameter of the cable, or an abutment may be provided, as for example shown at  FIG. 8  in the form of a drip initiator  116 . 
         [0034]    An optional drip initiator  116  is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  located at the bottom B′ of the condensation drain body  110 ′ adjoining the drainage opening  114 ′ (or drainage slot  114   a ′). The drip initiator  116  is preferably in the form of a lip  116   a  spanning the drainage opening on either side of the lip, wherein an upstanding cut-out  116   b  is formed of the conduit in generally normal relation to the drainage opening and generally co-terminal with the lip. The drip initiator  116  provides a feature at which drop formation is encouraged with respect to the exiting moisture, whereby the drops MD drip therefrom. The lip  116   a  of drip initiator  116  may further serve, as mentioned above, as an abutment to assist retention of the cable within the cable passageway  110   b′.    
         [0035]    In this regard, for the moment returning to the first form of the cable assembly  100 ,  FIG. 4A  depicts a modification of  FIG. 4  which now includes a drip initiator  116 ′ formed in the bottom B″ of the conduit body  110   a ″ of the conduit  110 ″ and adjoining the drainage opening  114 ″ (or drainage slot  114   a ″) in the manner as generally described with respect to  FIG. 8 , having a lip  116   a ′ and a co-terminal upstanding cut-out  116   b ′. The drip initiator  116 ′ provides a feature at which drop formation is encouraged with respect to the exiting moisture, whereby the drops MD drip therefrom. The lip  116   a ′ of drip initiator  116 ′ may further serve, as mentioned above, as an abutment to assist retention of the cable  108  within the cable passageway  110   b″.    
         [0036]    Optionally, the condensation drain body  110   a ′ is affixed to an article, as for example a door at its trim or interior panels, via for example, a snap fit interface therebetween snap features  118  located on a projection member  110   c  integral to the condensation drain body. This affixment ensures that the drainage opening  114 ′ of the condensation drain  110 ′ will remain at the gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly  100 ′. 
         [0037]    In operation, the cable assembly  100 ,  100 ′ with condensation drain  110 ,  110 ′,  110 ″ is connected between selected devices, as for example a latch mechanism and a door handle, wherein the drainage opening  114 ,  114 ′,  114 ″ of the condensation drain is disposed at a gravitationally lowest location of the cable assembly. Should any moisture get into the cable passage  106   a  of the conduit  106 ,  106 ′, as for example by condensation or otherwise, this moisture will be gravitationally pulled to the drainage opening where it will exit the conduit of the cable assembly. 
         [0038]    To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5