Flexible shaft with a catch and method for producing a flexible shaft with a catch

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible shaft (1) with a spiral coil (3) arranged on a core (2) of the cable (1) and with a catch (4) arranged at one of the cable ends for transmitting a force, for example to sliding roofs or cargo hold covers of motor vehicles. In order to further simplify the production of the flexible shaft (1), the invention proposes providing a bore (5) in the catch (4), with an inner section (7), in particular an internal screw thread, corresponding to the spiral coil (3).

Claims

1. A drive cable (1) for a sunroof or cargo space cover of a vehicle, comprising: a helical coil (3) mounted onto a core (2) of the drive cable (1); and a catch (4) that is arranged on a section of the drive cable (1), the catch (4) having a bore (5) in which an internal thread (7) is formed that corresponds to the helical coil (3), wherein the catch (4) is affixed to the drive cable (1) by an attaching means selected from the group consisting of: gluing, fusing, welding and a combination thereof.

2. The drive cable according to claim 1, wherein the catch (4) is made as an injection-molded plastic part.

3. The drive cable according to claim 1, wherein the internal section (7) is created by means of a casting process.

4. The drive cable according to claim 1, wherein the drive cable (1) has a first end and a second end, and the catch (4) is attached at or near the first end, and the second end of the drive cable is provided with a sleeve cap (6).

5. The drive cable according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve cap (6) has a bore whose wall has a shape that corresponds to the end of the helical coil (3).

6. The drive cable according to claim 4, wherein the second end of the drive cable is processed before being joined to the sleeve cap.

7. A method for making a drive cable (1) for transmitting force to a sunroof or a cargo space cover of a vehicle, comprising: a) producing a drive cable (1) having a helical coil (3) mounted on the drive cable, and producing a catch (4) having a bore (5), wherein an internal threaded section (7) formed inside the bore (5) corresponds to the helical coil (3); b) joining the catch (4) to the drive cable (1), or screwing the drive cable (1) into the bore (5) of the catch (4); and c) affixing the catch (4) to the drive cable (1), wherein affixing is selected from the attaching means selected from the group consisting of: gluing, fusing, welding and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the catch (4) is compressed after being affixed.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the catch (4) is made by means of an injection-molding process.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the drive cable (1) has a first end and a second end, and the catch (4) is affixed at or near the first end, and a sleeve cap (6) is mounted onto the second end of the drive cable (1).

11. A method for making a drive cable (1), comprising: a) providing a drive cable (1) with a helical coil (3) around at least a portion of the drive cable; b) providing a sleeve cap (6) with a bore (5), wherein a shape that corresponds to the helical coil (3), is formed inside the bore (5); c) joining the sleeve cap (6) to one end of the drive cable (1), or joining the drive cable into the bore of the sleeve cap (6); and d) affixing the sleeve cap (6) to the drive cable (1), wherein affixing is selected from the attaching means selected from the group consisting of: gluing, fusing, welding and combinations thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one end of the drive cable (1) is processed before being joined to the sleeve cap.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following is schematically shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a perspective view of a drive cable according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a perspective view of the catch according to the invention, on the drive cable shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a perspective view of the sequence of the method (steps a), b) and c)) according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 a perspective view of a drive cable that has been cut to the right length;

(6) FIG. 5 a perspective view of another step within the scope of the method according to the invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 a perspective view of another step within the scope of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a drive cable, which is designated by the reference numeral 1.

(9) The drive cable 1 has a core 2 which, in the embodiment selected here, consists of wires made of metal or plastic and wound in opposite directions over each other in several layers.

(10) As can be also seen in FIG. 1, a helical coil 3 made of wire is wound onto the core 2.

(11) As is also shown in FIG. 1, the end of the drive cable 1 is provided with a catch 4. The catch 4 is affixed to the drive cable 1 and it has a bore 5 in which an internal section 7 in the form of an internal thread is formed that corresponds to the helical coil 3 shown in FIG. 2. The internal section 7, at the same time, constitutes the wall of the bore 5.

(12) FIG. 1 also shows that the second end of the drive cable 1 is provided with a sleeve cap 6 that forms the closure of the drive cable 1 and that is attached to the drive cable 1. The sleeve cap 6 has been mounted on the drive cable 1 by means of an automated process.

(13) The catch 4 shown in FIG. 2 is provided with a surface element 8 which, projecting from the catch 4, serves to couple the catch to a movable sliding element such as, for example, the sunroof of a motor vehicle. As is also shown in FIG. 2, the catch 4 has the internal section 7, which is in the form of an internal thread and configured as a cast part. Moreover, the catch 4, as an injection-molded part, is formed separately from the drive cable 1 shown in FIG. 1, that is to say, the catch 4 shown in FIG. 1 is initially not an integral part of the drive cable 1 and is separate from the drive cable 1.

(14) The drive cable 1 and the catch 4 are connected and joined within the scope of the method according to the invention, whose sequence is illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3c.

(15) The method starts with the production of a drive cable 1 having a helical coil 3 as well as with the production of a catch 4 having a bore 5, whereby an internal section 7, which is in the form of an internal thread and which corresponds to the helical coil 3, is formed inside the bore 5.

(16) As can be seen in FIG. 3a, the catch 4 is initially not an integral part of the drive cable 1 and is separate from it. The catch 4 shown in FIG. 3a is manufactured as a free-falling injection-molded part.

(17) In another step, as illustrated in FIG. 3b, the drive cable 1 is screwed into the catch 4. This is achieved by means of the helical coil 3 and the internal section 7 of the catch 4, said internal section 7 corresponding to the helical coil 3 and being in the form of the internal thread.

(18) Finally, within the scope of another method step, which is illustrated in FIG. 3c, the catch 4 is affixed to a section of the drive cable which, in FIG. 3c, is one end of the drive cable 1. It is affixed by means of an ultrasonic welding process, by gluing, by fusing or by welding.

(19) Additional steps are integrated into the method according to the invention. FIG. 4 shows that, during the production of the drive cable 1, namely, starting with an endless drive cable, the latter is first cut to the right length, that is to say, before the catch 4 shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c is mounted and affixed. Once the drive cable has been cut to the right length, the sleeve cap 6 can be automatically mounted onto one end of the drive cable 1, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(20) As is shown in FIG. 6, the drive cable 1 outside of the catch 4 is wrapped in flock yarn filaments 10 between the windings of the helical coil 3, thereby preventing noise during the movement of the drive cable 1. The flock filaments 10 are removed in the section 9 where the catch 4 is mounted.

(21) The present invention is not restricted in terms of its configuration to the embodiments presented here. Rather, several variants are conceivable which make use of the solution presented here, even in the case of other types of configurations. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(22) 1 drive cable/flexible shaft 2 core 3 helical coil/spiral coil 4 catch 5 bore 6 sleeve cap 7 internal section/inner section 8 flat element 9 catch section 10 filaments