US-12618432-B2 - Casing cap and control cable connecting structure with casing cap

Abstract

A casing cap is connected to an end of an outer casing through which an inner cable is inserted, the casing cap comprising: a main body portion having a curved guide path guiding the inner cable in a curved state; an outer casing connecting portion protruding from the main body portion at a one-side end in an extending direction of the guide path; and an engaging portion for engaging the casing cap with an mounting target, wherein the engaging portion protrudes from the main body portion at the other-side end in the extending direction of the guide path.

Inventors

• Hironari ISHIHARA

Assignees

• HI-LEX CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231106

Priority Date

20221108

Claims (7)

1. 1 . A casing cap connected to an end of an outer casing through which an inner cable is inserted, the casing cap comprising: a main body portion having a curved guide path guiding the inner cable in a curved state; an outer casing connecting portion linearly protruding in a direction in which the guide path is linearly extended from the main body portion at a one-side end in an extending direction of the guide path; and an engaging portion for engaging the casing cap with a mounting target, wherein the engaging portion linearly protrudes in a direction in which the guide path is linearly extended from the main body portion at an other-side end in the extending direction of the guide path, wherein the outer casing connecting portion has a first insertion path through which the inner cable is inserted, wherein the engaging portion has a second insertion path through which the inner cable is inserted, wherein the engaging portion is integral with the main body portion, the engaging portion and the main body portion being formed as one piece, and wherein a protrusion amount of the engaging portion from the main body portion in the extending direction of the second insertion path is smaller than a protrusion amount of the outer casing connecting portion from the main body portion in the extending direction of the first insertion path.
2. 2 . The casing cap according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is configured to be mountable to the mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, wherein the engaging portion has a cylindrical portion that extends with a length corresponding to a thickness of the mounting target and has the second insertion path in the cylindrical portion and a flange portion that protrudes outward in a radial direction of the second insertion path with respect to the cylindrical portion, and wherein a lead-out port through which the inner cable is led out to an outside of the casing cap is provided on an end face on an opposite side to the main body portion, among end faces of the flange portion.
3. 3 . The casing cap according to claim 2 , wherein the main body portion comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion provided opposite to the first wall portion, wherein the guide path extends between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, wherein the main body portion comprises a projecting portion extending in a direction intersecting with the first wall portion and/or the second wall portion so that, when the engaging portion is mounted to the mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, the projecting portion comes into surface contact with the mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, and wherein the projecting portion has a fixing portion being fixable to the mounting target via a fixing member.
4. 4 . The casing cap according to claim 1 , wherein the guide path is formed in a groove shape extending along the extending direction of the guide path, and wherein the main body portion comprises a fall-off prevention portion covering at least a portion of the guide path formed in a groove shape so as to prevent the inner cable from falling off from the guide path.
5. 5 . The casing cap according to claim 1 , wherein the main body portion has a plane portion on an inside of a curved portion of the curved guide path.
6. 6 . A control cable connecting structure, the control cable connecting structure comprising: an inner cable; an outer casing through which the inner cable is inserted; an operation target to which one end of the inner cable is connected; a casing cap according to claim 1 ; and a mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, wherein the mounting target engages with the engaging portion of the casing cap and extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner cable led out from the engaging portion, wherein the operation target is configured to: move between a first position and a second position by being operated by the inner cable; or operate the inner cable by moving between the first position and the second position, wherein the first position is a position closer to the engaging portion with respect to the second position, and wherein a length from the operation target to the engaging portion in the first position is shorter than a radius of curvature of the curved guide path.
7. 7 . A control cable connecting structure, the control cable connecting structure comprising: an inner cable; an outer casing through which the inner cable is inserted; an operation target to which one end of the inner cable is connected; a casing cap; and a mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, wherein the casing cap comprises: a main body portion having a curved guide path guiding the inner cable in a curved state; an outer casing connecting portion protruding from the main body portion at a one-side end in an extending direction of the guide path; and an engaging portion for engaging the casing cap with a mounting target, wherein the engaging portion protrudes from the main body portion at an other-side end in the extending direction of the guide path, wherein the mounting target engages with the engaging portion of the casing cap and extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner cable led out from the engaging portion wherein the operation target is configured to: move between a first position and a second position by being operated by the inner cable; or operate the inner cable by moving between the first position and the second position, wherein the first position is a position closer to the engaging portion with respect to the second position, and wherein a length from the operation target to the engaging portion in the first position is shorter than a radius of curvature of the curved guide path.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a casing cap and a control cable connecting structure with the casing cap. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A control cable is provided along a desired routing path in an installation target where the control cable is provided. For example, when an installation target for the control cable is a vehicle, various parts are arranged in the vehicle in a desired layout. Therefore, the control cable is routed while avoiding these parts and connected to an operation target to be operated by the control cable. As mentioned above, the routing path of the control cable is restricted by other parts provided in the installation target, and therefore the control cable may have to be bent in the vicinity of the operation target. In such a case, for example, as shown in JP 2013-96440 A, a restricting member is used which holds an outer casing in a curved state. This restricting member is mounted to an end region of the outer casing and maintains the curved state of the end region of the outer casing in the vicinity of the operation target. Thereby, an inner cable is changed direction within the curved outer casing in the vicinity of the operation target and connected to the operation target, so that an operating force is transmitted via the inner cable even in the restricted routing path. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, in a case of a structure using a restricting member as in JP 2013-96440 A, a casing cap for engaging the end of the outer casing with a mounting member such as a bracket is provided at the tip of the curved outer casing. Therefore, a straight portion (casing cap portion) of a predetermined length is required at the tip of the curved portion of the outer casing. Accordingly, even if it is necessary to curve the outer casing in the vicinity of the operation target, the straight portion of the casing cap becomes an obstacle, reducing a layout flexibility of the control cable. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a casing cap and a control cable connecting structure capable of improving a layout flexibility of a control cable. The casing cap of the present invention is a casing cap connected to an end of an outer casing through which an inner cable is inserted, wherein the casing cap comprises: a main body portion having a curved guide path guiding the inner cable in a curved state; an outer casing connecting portion protruding from the main body portion at a one-side end in an extending direction of the guide path; and an engaging portion for engaging the casing cap with an mounting target, wherein the engaging portion protrudes from the main body portion at the other-side end in the extending direction of the guide path. Moreover, the control cable connecting structure of the present invention comprises: an inner cable; an outer casing through which the inner cable is inserted; an operation target to which one end of the inner cable is connected; the above-described casing cap; and a mounting target being substantially plate-shaped, wherein the mounting target engages with the engaging portion of the casing cap and extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner cable led out from the engaging portion, wherein the operation target is configured to move between a first position and a second position by being operated by the inner cable or operate the inner cable by moving between the first position and the second position, wherein the first position is a position closer to the engaging portion with respect to the second position, and wherein a length from the operation target to the engaging portion in the first position is shorter than a radius of curvature of the curved guide path. According to the casing cap and the control cable connecting structure of the present invention, the layout flexibility of the control cable can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall view of a control cable connecting structure with a casing cap according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where the casing cap in FIG. 1 is mounted to a mounting target. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the mounting target. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state where the casing cap is being mounted to the mounting target, in which an engaging portion of the casing cap engages with an engaged portion of the mounting target. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state where the casing cap is being mounted to the mounting target, which shows a state before a fixing member is inserted, in which the casing cap is aligned at a fixed position with respect to the mounting target. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the casing cap in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a front view of the casing cap in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a top view of the casing cap in FIG. 1. FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a state where a cable main body is inserted into a first insertion path of the casing cap in FIG. 1. FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing