1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with a conduit guide fitting for attaching a Bowden cable to a mounting bar to control a piece of equipment such as a lawn mower. More particularly, it is concerned with a guide fitting which may be attached to the mounting bar without the necessity of tools and permits limited pivoting movement of the fitting to provide for prolonged useful life of the guide fitting and the Bowden cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to consumers and users of a variety of pieces of equipment such as lawn mowers, controls for the equipment are often located at a distance from the mechanism to be operated for purposes of convenience and safety. Control cables are used to connect a control such as a control lever to the mechanism, such as an engine brake, ground drive control, or throttle. In a walk-behind lawn mower, for instance, the operator grasps a handle and is provided with control levers for operating the carburetor throttle, ground drive shift mechanism, engine or blade brake, or other actuatable mechanisms. Such controls and their positioning in conjunction with a Bowden cable assembly are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,583, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
One problem associated with these devices is the need to attractively and economically mount the cable to the equipment. Cable ties and similar articles have been used, but detract from the visual acceptance of the article. Moreover, attachment of cable ties or other fittings may involve additional labor costs which often do not directly contribute to the operating capability of the equipment or are not durable in use. Metal clamps, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,583, require use of a threaded fastener. Another type of support for a Bowden cable assembly is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,822 entitled Support Means for Conduit, but is best employed remotely from the control at the lower end of the cable.
Accordingly, there has developed a need for a means of easily, attractively and economically mounting the control cable to a piece of equipment in a way which is durable and does not detract from the usefulness of the equipment, and which readily aligns the control cable with the control during actuation of the control.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds