It is used to transmit a pulling force over short distances. Input: yellow lever.
Moving direction of the violet output lever can be arbitrary.
The cable moves in green cable housing (a bended helical steel wire).
Orange inline hollow bolt (barrel adjuster) is for adjusting position of violet output lever.
Turning the bolt to the left means lengthening the cable housing relative to two grey fixed anchors and adjusting the output lever anticlockwise.