JP2006035750A - Manufacturing method of bellows rubber hose - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a bellows rubber hose capable of continuously manufacturing the bellows rubber hose, which has a laminated structure of a rubber inner pipe, the reinforcing layer on the outer peripheral side thereof and an outer surface rubber layer and is characterized in that the reinforcing layer forms an accurate bellows shape from its forming point of time to equally develop a reinforcing effect over the whole length of the hose, with high productivity at a low manufacturing cost. <P>SOLUTION: When the bellows rubber hose, wherein the rubber inner pipe 18, the reinforcing layer 20 and the outer surface rubber layer 22 form the bellow shape, is manufactured, the rubber inner pipe 18 are preliminarily vulcanized and molded by injection molding to be continuously arranged in series by an arranging machine 36 and reinforcing yarns 58 are braided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the rubber inner pipes 18 along the bellows shape while continuously feeding the inner rubber pipes 18. The unvulcanized outer surface rubber layer 22 is molded and vulcanized on the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing layer 20 and the formed hose is cut to obtain each of the bellows rubber hoses. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a bellows rubber hose suitable for automobile piping and the like.

Conventionally, hoses mainly composed of a rubber layer have been widely used as piping hoses for automobiles.
The main purpose of using such a hose is to absorb vibrations.
For example, in the case of a piping hose disposed in the engine room of an automobile, the engine vibration, the compressor vibration of an air conditioner (in the case of a refrigerant transport hose, that is, an air conditioner hose), and various vibrations generated as the vehicle travels It absorbs at a portion and plays a role of suppressing vibration from being transmitted from one member connected through a hose to the other member.

For this purpose, i.e. in order to ensure good vibration absorption, these piping hoses require a certain length.
Especially in the case of high pressure hoses such as oil systems (for example, power steering hoses) and refrigerant systems (refrigerant transport hoses) compared to low pressure hoses such as fuel systems and water systems, vibration absorption, vehicle interior The required length to reduce the propagation of sound and vibration to the
For example, in the case of a refrigerant transport hose, even if the length of a straight line that must be connected is 200 mm, vibration absorption and propagation of sound and vibration are generally reduced by using a hose having a length of 300 to 600 mm. It is carried out.

  However, various devices and parts are incorporated in the engine room in a narrow space. Especially in recent years, the engine room has become increasingly compact, and the length of the hose disposed therein has been increased. If the length of the hose is long, the hose must have a complicated bent shape in order to avoid interference with others.

As a manufacturing method of such a bent hose (bent hose), a manufacturing method using a bending die as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 has been conventionally performed.
In the production method shown in the figure, an unvulcanized rubber material is continuously extruded from an extruder in a long length, and then first semi-vulcanized to such an extent that the appearance is not damaged, and then the semi-vulcanized state. The long rubber hose 200A is cut at a predetermined size as shown in FIG. 13I to form one rubber hose 200a.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13 (II), a flexible mandrel (core body) 202 having an insertion allowance is inserted in each semi-vulcanized rubber hose 200a to suppress flatness. Then, as shown in FIG. 13 (III), each semi-vulcanized rubber hose 200a with the mandrel 202 inserted is inserted into the bent and grooved recess 206 of the outer frame mold 204. The whole 202 is fitted while being bent (see FIG. 14 (IV)).
Then, as shown in FIG. 14 (V), the rubber hose 200a together with the outer frame mold 204 is placed in the secondary vulcanizing furnace 208, where it is heated for a predetermined time to perform vulcanization.

After the vulcanized rubber hose 200 is taken out from the secondary vulcanization furnace 208 together with the outer frame mold 204, the rubber hose 200 is removed from the outer frame mold 204 together with the mandrel 202 as shown in FIG. The mandrel 202 is extracted from the rubber hose 200.
Here, the intended curved rubber hose 200 is obtained.

  However, in this manufacturing method, the mandrel 202 is inserted into the semi-vulcanized rubber hose 200a, the mandrel 202 is fitted into the outer frame mold 204, the vulcanized rubber hose 200 is removed from the outer frame mold 204, and An operator must manually perform the operation of extracting the mandrel 202 and other operations, which cannot be performed continuously, have low productivity, and inevitably have a very high manufacturing cost.

FIG. 15 (a) shows a method of manufacturing a curved rubber hose 200 disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, where an unvulcanized straight tube extruded from an extruder 212 using a tubular bending die 210. The rubber hose 200a is inserted into the bending die 210 until its tip contacts the limit switch 214, and then cut by the cutter 216, and then the rubber hose 200a is placed in the vulcanizing furnace together with the bending die 210 for a predetermined time. To heat and vulcanize.
However, in this manufacturing method as well, various operations such as manually pulling out the rubber hose 200 after vulcanization from the bending mold 210 must be manual operations, and as in the above manufacturing method, continuous production is difficult. The property is poor and the manufacturing cost is high.

For this reason, there is a demand for the development of a hose that can absorb vibrations satisfactorily even if the hose shape is linear and short.
As a means for shortening the length of the hose while ensuring vibration absorption in the hose, it is conceivable to make the hose into a bellows shape.
If the hose has such a bellows shape, even if it is formed into a linear shape, it can be piped in a bent state using its flexibility, and it has excellent flexibility. Therefore, good vibration absorbability can be secured.

Conventionally, an example of a method for manufacturing this kind of bellows-shaped rubber hose is disclosed in the following Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and the like.
FIG. 15 (b) shows the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 2. Here, a mandrel type 218 whose outer peripheral shape has a bellows shape is used, and an unvulcanized rubber hose 200 a is used as the mandrel type 218. The space between the rubber hose 200a and the mandrel mold 218 is vacuum-sucked through the suction hole 220 of the hollow mandrel mold 218, and the rubber hose 200a is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mandrel mold 218 by the vacuum suction force. Vulcanization treatment is performed to make the shape after vulcanization into a bellows shape.

  FIG. 16 (a) shows the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 3, in which an outer frame mold 222 having a circular cross section and an inner peripheral surface formed in an accordion shape is used as a molding die, and a straight tube is formed therein. The unvulcanized rubber hose 200a is inserted, and the sealing plugs 224 and 226 are fitted to both ends, and then air is blown from the blowing hole 228 of the sealing plug 226, and the rubber hose 200a is attached to the outer frame mold 222 by the pressure of the air. In this state, the rubber hose 200 after vulcanization having a bellows shape is obtained.

By the way, for example, a hose for transporting refrigerant requires pressure resistance in addition to vibration absorption and internal fluid impermeability. For such a hose requiring pressure resistance, a reinforcing wire is usually used. A braided reinforcing layer is provided, but when such a reinforcing layer is provided in a bellows rubber hose, it is required to form such a reinforcing layer in a bellows shape.
If the reinforcing layer does not have a corrugated cross-section that accurately follows the bellows shape and the reinforcing layer is floating in the bellows-shaped trough, the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing layer is not uniformly applied over the entire length of the hose. In this case, there is a problem that a part having a low strength is generated and a fracture is caused therefrom.
Also, if the reinforcing layer is braided in a low tension state, yarn disturbance is likely to occur, leading to deterioration of pressure resistance. Normally, the braid is applied with a high tension, that is, tension to a level at which yarn disturbance does not occur. However, when the inner layer portion of the hose is in an unvulcanized state, the hose may be crushed because of lack of hardness.

  Furthermore, when manufacturing a bellows rubber hose having such a reinforcing layer, it is required that each bellows rubber hose can be continuously produced, and can be manufactured with high productivity and at low cost. Does not show the solution.

The manufacturing method of the bellows rubber hose having the reinforcing layer is also disclosed in Patent Document 4 below.
FIG. 16B shows this.
In this manufacturing method, when manufacturing the rubber hose 200 having the inner rubber layer 230, the reinforcing layer 232, and the outer rubber layer 234, the rubber hose 200 is first molded into a straight tube in an unvulcanized state, A mandrel mold 236 having an outer peripheral shape having a bellows shape is inserted into the rubber hose 200a in a vulcanized state, and then the rubber hose 200a is fastened with a string-like body 238 from the outer peripheral surface so as to follow the outer bellows shape of the mandrel mold 236. In this state, vulcanization is performed to obtain a rubber hose 200 after vulcanization having a bellows shape.

  However, in this manufacturing method, it is necessary to tighten the string-like body 238 for each bellows-shaped valley, and to deform the unvulcanized straight tubular rubber hose 200a for each valley, and the rubber hose 200a1. The bellows-shaped rubber hose 200 is manufactured by using a mandrel type 236 corresponding to each book, and is unavoidable due to manual work, so that continuous production is difficult, and therefore, productivity is poor and manufacturing is difficult. The cost will be high.

  Further, if the bellows-shaped rubber hose 200 having the reinforcing layer 232 is manufactured in a continuous long tube by this manufacturing method and is cut into individual rubber hoses 200, the mold release at that time is performed satisfactorily. In fact, it is difficult to continuously produce the bellows-shaped rubber hose 200 having such a reinforcing layer 232 by the method disclosed in Patent Document 4.

  Further, in the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 4, first, the rubber hose 200a is formed into a straight tube shape, and then tightened in a string state 238 to form an unvulcanized straight tube rubber hose 200a together with the reinforcing layer 232 in a bellows shape. Therefore, the problem is that the arrangement of the reinforcing wires in the reinforcing layer 232 is disturbed at that time, so that a sufficient reinforcing effect cannot be exhibited.

JP 53-126083 A JP 59-199235 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-9542 JP-A-57-204386

  The present invention is based on the above circumstances, and can continuously produce a bellows rubber hose comprising a laminated structure of a rubber inner tube, a reinforcing layer on the outer peripheral side, and an outer rubber layer, which is high in productivity and low in manufacturing cost. In addition, the present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a method for manufacturing a bellows rubber hose in which the reinforcing layer has a correct bellows shape from the time of formation, and the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing layer can be evenly exhibited over the entire length of the hose.

  Thus, the present invention comprises a rubber inner tube forming a bellows tube, a reinforcing layer formed by braiding a reinforcing wire on the outer peripheral side of the rubber inner tube, and an outer rubber layer on the outer peripheral side, and A method of manufacturing a bellows rubber hose in which the reinforcing layer and the outer rubber layer have a corrugated cross-sectional shape following the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube, and (a) the rubber inner tube is previously molded alone Vulcanization molding step of the rubber inner tube to be vulcanized; (b) an alignment step in which the rubber inner tube is continuously aligned in series by an aligner; and (c) the rubber inner tube in the aligned state is elongated. The rubber inner tube after vulcanization is used as a core body in a state where the mandrel is not attached to the inside of the rubber inner tube while continuously feeding in the direction, and the reinforcing wire is continuously provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber inner tube and the bellows of the rubber inner tube. A bellows shape that follows the bellows shape of each rubber inner tube, braiding along the peaks and valleys of the shape A reinforcing layer forming step of continuously forming the reinforcing layer across the rubber inner tube, and (d) forming an unvulcanized outer rubber layer on the outer peripheral side of the reinforcing layer thereafter And (e) a subsequent vulcanizing step of the unvulcanized outer rubber layer, and (f) a cutting step of cutting each hose connected to the reinforcing layer one by one. It is characterized by including.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the mold forming is injection molding.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first and second aspects, the outer rubber layer molding step is along the outer peripheral surface of the continuous long reinforcing layer and along the bellows shape of the inner rubber tube. The rubber material is continuously extruded from the extruder, and the outer rubber layer is continuously formed in a long length across each rubber inner tube, and the cutting step forms the outer rubber layer together with the reinforcing layer. It is characterized by being cut for each hose.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the rubber material extruded from the extruder is vacuum-sucked between the rubber material extruded in a cylindrical shape and the rubber inner tube on the inner peripheral side thereof. The outer rubber layer is formed into a bellows shape having a corrugated cross-section following the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube, closely attached along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys of the rubber inner tube via the reinforcing layer. It is characterized by that.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the vulcanizing step continuously vulcanizes the long pipe by continuously passing the long pipe having the outer rubber layer unvulcanized through a vulcanizing furnace. It is characterized by being.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the third to fifth aspects, the cutting step detects, with a sensor, the passage of a specific portion of the long pipe after vulcanization that is continuously sent, It is characterized in that the long tube is automatically and continuously cut to the individual hoses one after another by a cutter at a position where the long tube has been fed a set distance from detection of passage of a specific part.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, a heat-shrinkable reinforcing wire is used as the reinforcing wire.

Effects and effects of the invention

As described above, in the present invention, the rubber inner tube is first vulcanized and molded by die molding, and then continuously aligned in series by an aligner. At this time, it is aligned by its own weight without using any alignment means. After that, while continuously feeding this in the longitudinal direction, the reinforcing wire is continuously applied to the outer peripheral surface and the rubber inner tube after vulcanization is used as the core body along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys. After continuously braiding in a wavy shape, a bellows-shaped reinforcing layer that follows the bellows shape of the inner rubber tube is formed continuously across the inner rubber tube, and then the outer rubber layer is molded and added. In the present invention, the reinforcing layer is formed as one continuous reinforcing layer that straddles each rubber inner tube, that is, straddles each hose. Therefore, the reinforcement layer can be automatically formed using a braiding machine.
That is, in the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 15 (b) and 16 (a), it is difficult to form a reinforcing layer itself, whereas in the manufacturing method of the present invention, a reinforcing wire is braided for each hose. Therefore, the reinforcing layer can be easily and continuously formed because the reinforcing wire is continuously braided with respect to the aligned rubber inner pipes. .

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, the rubber inner tube that has been pre-cured and molded is used as the core, that is, the rubber inner tube having a certain strength or more is used as the core, and the reinforcing yarn is braided on the outer peripheral surface. Therefore, the reinforcing yarn can be braided smoothly and satisfactorily along the crest and trough of the bellows-shaped portion of the rubber inner tube, and the reinforcing layer correctly follows the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube. A wavy bellows shape can be formed.

For example, when the reinforcing wire is braided with a predetermined tension on the outer peripheral surface of the accordion-shaped unvulcanized rubber layer, the shape of the bellows-shaped rubber layer is broken by the tension of the reinforcing wire.
On the other hand, if the reinforcing wire is braided with a remarkably small tension to prevent this, the reinforcing wire cannot be braided along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys.

However, in this manufacturing method, the reinforcing inner wire is braided using the rubber inner tube that has been vulcanized and molded in advance to the bellows tube, that is, instead of the mandrel, so that the reinforcing wire is under a sufficiently large tension. It is possible to braid the reinforcing wire in a wavy shape along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys, and the reinforcing layer is good for the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube It can be formed in a bellows shape following the above.
As a result, the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing layer can be evenly exhibited regardless of the peak portion or valley portion of the bellows-shaped portion, and the pressure resistance performance of the bellows rubber hose can be improved.

In addition, since at least the reinforcing layer forming step can be performed on a continuous production line, the productivity of hose manufacture can be increased and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In this case, injection molding can be suitably used as vulcanization molding by molding of the rubber inner tube (claim 2).

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the rubber material is continuously extruded from the extruder in a corrugated shape along the outer peripheral surface of the long reinforcing layer and along the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube. The outer rubber layer is continuously formed in a long length across the pipes, that is, the hoses. According to this manufacturing method, the outer rubber layer forming process is continuously performed in addition to the formation of the reinforcing layer. Therefore, the productivity of the bellows rubber hose can be further increased, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

In this case, when molding the outer rubber layer, a vacuum is drawn between the rubber material extruded in a cylindrical shape from the extruder and the rubber inner tube on the inner peripheral side, and the reinforcing layer is attached to the rubber material based on the vacuum suction force. The outer rubber layer can be formed into a bellows shape having a corrugated cross-section following the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube by closely contacting along the bellows-shaped peak and valley portions of the rubber inner tube ( Claim 4).
In this way, the outer rubber layer can be easily formed into a bellows shape having a corrugated cross section following the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube, and the molding can be automated without relying on manual work. It becomes possible.

In the present invention, it is also possible to continuously pass the long tube with the outer rubber layer in the unvulcanized state through the vulcanizing furnace in the vulcanization step, thereby continuously vulcanizing the long tube. ).
This is advantageous because the vulcanization process itself can be carried out continuously and automatically.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the vulcanized long pipe is continuously cut in each hose having a predetermined length while being continuously fed in the cutting step.
Specifically, a sensor detects the passage of a specific part of a long pipe after vulcanization that is continuously sent, and the cutter at the position where the long pipe is sent a set distance from the detection of the passage of the specific part. Each hose is automatically cut continuously one after another.
According to the sixth aspect, the production of the bellows rubber hose including the cutting step can be continuous and automated.

In this case, the first peak or valley of the bellows-shaped portion can be detected from the straight shape portion of the bellows rubber hose as a specific part.
By doing in this way, the specific site | part of a hose can be detected easily and accurately.
Furthermore, in this case, the first peak or valley can be made into a special shape different from the other peaks or valleys of the bellows-shaped part.
By doing so, the specific part can be detected more easily and with high accuracy.

The seventh aspect uses a heat-shrinkable reinforcing wire.
When such a heat-shrinkable material is used as the reinforcing wire, the reinforcing wire is contracted by heating during vulcanization, particularly in the bellows-shaped valley, so that the valley shape of the reinforcing layer is changed to the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube. It can be made to follow the shape of the trough part and adhere more closely. That is, when the reinforcing layer is formed by braiding, even if the reinforcing layer is slightly lifted in the valley portion, the reinforcing layer is thermally contracted during vulcanization and the reinforcing wire is further submerged in the bellows valley portion. Can be made more closely attached, and the adhesion can be improved.
Here, as the heat-shrinkable reinforcing wire, for example, one having a heat shrinkage rate of 5% or more at the time of heating can be suitably used.
Examples of such a material include polyester and PA (polyamide) 66.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a bellows rubber hose used as, for example, a refrigerant transport hose (air conditioner hose). The bellows part 10-1 is substantially the whole, and straight tubular straight part 10-2 at both ends. And have.
The bellows rubber hose 10 has a rubber inner tube 18 as an innermost layer, a reinforcing layer 20 formed by braiding a reinforcing thread 58 (see FIG. 6) as a reinforcing wire on its outer peripheral side, and an outer rubber layer as a cover rubber layer. 22 is sequentially laminated.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the rubber inner tube 18, the reinforcing layer 20, and the outer rubber layer 22 all have a bellows shape corresponding to the bellows portion 10-1, and straight shapes at both ends. Each of the portions corresponding to the portion 10-2 has a straight tubular shape.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the rubber inner tube 18, the reinforcing layer 20, and the outer rubber layer 22 includes the bellows-shaped portions 18-1, 20-1, 22-1, and both end portions that form substantially the whole of each. Straight shape portions 18-2, 20-2 and 22-2.
Here, the bellows-shaped portions 20-1 and 22-1 of the reinforcing layer 20 and the outer rubber layer 22 both have a bellows shape having a corrugated cross section following the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18.

  In the present embodiment, the bellows rubber hose 10 cuts a long tube 10B (after vulcanization) in which the bellows rubber hose 10 is continuously formed in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. It was obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the bellows rubber hose 10 has an inner diameter of about 5 to 50 mm, and the rubber inner tube 18 and the outer rubber layer 22 have a thickness of about 2 mm and 1 mm, respectively.

Regarding the material, the rubber inner tube 18 is made of IIR, halogenated-IIR (Cl-IIR, Br-IIR), NBR, CR, EPDM, EPM, FKM, ECO, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, or the like. Can do.
The reinforcing yarn constituting the reinforcing layer 20 is preferably a polyester or polyamide type having heat shrinkability.

  Further, as the outer rubber layer 22, various rubber materials listed in the rubber inner tube 18 can be used, but other than that, a heat-shrinkable tube or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) called elastomer rubber can be used. Possible materials include acrylic, styrene, olefin, diolefin, vinyl chloride, urethane, ester, amide, and fluorine.

The rubber inner tube 18 can be used by selecting an appropriate material according to the fluid flowing through the inside.
However, in the case of an HFC refrigerant transport hose, an IIR or halogenated-IIR single material or a blend material is particularly preferable.
The same applies to the outer rubber layer 22.

Next, the manufacturing method of the bellows rubber hose 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated in detail below based on FIGS.
First, in FIG. 3, 24 is an injection molding machine and 26 is a molding die. The molding die 26 has an outer die 28 and a middle die 30, and a cavity 32 between them.
In the injection molding machine 24, a rubber material for the rubber inner tube 18 is injected into the cavity 32 and heated for a predetermined time, and the rubber inner tube 18 is vulcanized.

The vulcanized rubber inner tube 18 is taken out from the cavity 32 by the robot hand 34 (firstly, the intermediate die 30 is separated from the outer die 28, and then the rubber inner tube 18 is removed from the intermediate die 30 by air blow). It is sent to an aligner 36 in a subsequent process and is put into a container 38 of the aligner 36.
The rubber inner tubes 18 thrown into the container 38 fall freely one by one in the guide tube 40 extending vertically and downward from the container 38, and are aligned in series in the vertical direction.

The respective rubber inner tubes 18 are passed through the braiding machine 52 one after another in such a vertically aligned state, and the reinforcing yarns 58 are continuously braided on the outer peripheral surfaces thereof. That is, the reinforcing layer 20 is continuously formed in a long length across each rubber inner tube 18.
3A in FIG. 3 and 10A in FIG. 5 (II) represent long tubes in a state where the respective rubber inner tubes 18 are connected in the longitudinal direction via the reinforcing layer 20.

6 to 9 show the main part of the braiding machine 52 and the braiding method.
As shown in FIG. 6, the braiding machine 52 includes a disk-shaped deck plate 54, and further includes a plurality of pairs of carriers 56A and 56B that are paired with each other along the circumference. The carriers 56A and 56B move in a circular motion around the center of the deck plate 54 while crossing and moving in the shape of a figure 8, whereby the reinforcing yarn 58 is braided on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber inner tube 18.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 60 denotes a disk for rotating the pairs of carriers 56A and 56B around the center of the deck plate 54 while crossing each other in the shape of a figure 8. As shown in FIG. A large number of disks 60 are provided on a circumference around the center of 54.
These disks 60 are provided with a U-shaped notch 62 on the outer periphery, and the carriers 56A and 56B are transferred from one disk 60 to another adjacent disk 60 as the disk 60 rotates in the same direction. They are delivered at the notches 62.

Here, the carriers 56 </ b> A and 56 </ b> B are transferred from one disk to a disk 60 that is provided on the opposite side of each other, and each move around the center of the deck plate 54 in the opposite direction.
As a result, the carriers 56A and 56B make a circular motion in the opposite direction around the center of the deck plate 54 while crossing the carrier 56A and 56B in the shape of figure 8.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, each disk 60 is provided with a driven gear 66 that rotates integrally with the corresponding disk 60.
Further, as shown in the figure, adjacent gears 66 are meshed with each other.
A drive gear 68 is engaged with any one of the driven gears 66, and the drive gear 68 is rotationally driven by a drive motor 70.
That is, when the drive gear 68 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 70, the driven gears 66, and hence the disks 60, are simultaneously rotated.

In this embodiment, the reinforcing thread 58 is braided on the outer peripheral surface of the hard rubber inner tube 18 that has already been vulcanized, and the reinforcing layer 20 is continuously formed.
In the step of forming the reinforcing layer 20, when the rubber inner tube 18 is an unvulcanized soft one, when the reinforcing yarn 58 is braided with a large tension, the rubber inner tube 18 is braided by the braided reinforcing yarn 58. As a result, the shape of the material collapses and the braiding cannot be performed satisfactorily.

However, in the present embodiment, the rubber inner tube 18 is hard after being vulcanized and molded in advance, and therefore the reinforcing yarn 58 is braided with a large tension on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber inner tube 18 as a core body. be able to.
Therefore, not only the straight shape portion 18-2 of the rubber inner tube 18 but also the bellows shape portion 18-1, the reinforcing thread 58 is satisfactorily along the peaks and valleys of the bellows shape portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18. The reinforcing layer 20 can be well formed into a bellows shape following the bellows shape portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18.

Further, in this embodiment, when braiding the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18 in order to further improve the adhesion, the rotational speeds of the carriers 56A and 56B are higher than when braiding the straight-shaped portion 18-2. (Feeding speed is constant).
As a result, the reinforcing yarn 58 can be lowered by the bellows valley portion with respect to the bellows-shaped portion 18-1, so that the adhesion is improved and the reinforcing layer 20 can be satisfactorily formed.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the driving of the take-up machine 50 of the long tube 10A and the driving of the carriers 56A and 56B in the braiding machine 52 are separately driven, and these are transferred to the control unit 72. Control automatically.
Specifically, when the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18 reaches the braided point P in FIG. 9, the rotational speed of the carriers 56A and 56B is increased, and the straight-shaped portion following the bellows-shaped portion 18-1. When 18-2 reaches the braiding point P, the rotational speeds of the carriers 56A and 56B are returned to the normal rotational speed.

The specific control is performed as follows.
That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, after the sensor 74 provided at a fixed position along the traveling path of the rubber inner tube 18 detects the passage of the first peak portion of the bellows-shaped portion 18-1, When the rubber inner tube 18 is fed forward by a distance L from the braid point P, the rotational speed of the drive motor 70 (see FIG. 7) is increased to increase the rotational speed of the carriers 56A and 56B, and the braid density of the reinforcing yarn 58 is increased. , Increase the pitch of the braid.
Here, the feed of the distance L can be detected based on the feed amount detected by the encoder 76 provided in the take-up machine 50.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the sensor 74 detects the straight-shaped portion 18-2, the rotational speed of the carriers 56A and 56B is changed to a normal speed when the rubber inner tube 18 is fed forward by LL2. return.
As a result, the braid density and the braid pitch are changed to the normal density and pitch when the straight shape portion 18-2 reaches the braid point P.
Here, L2 is set because the sensor 74 does not detect the peak portion over a certain distance (L2 in the figure) in order to accurately detect the straight shape portion 18-2 by the sensor 74. This is because the straight shape portion 18-2 can be recognized for the first time.

In the present embodiment, the reinforcing yarn 58 can be braided into a corrugated cross section, that is, a bellows shape along the peak and valley portions of the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18 as described above. There may be a case where the reinforcing layer 20 is not braided so as to be in close contact with the bottom of the valley portion of the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 in the rubber inner tube 18 only by the braiding step.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12I, the trough portion of the reinforcing layer 20 may slightly float from the trough portion of the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18.
However, since the heat-shrinkable yarn is used as the reinforcing yarn 58 in this embodiment, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing yarn 58 is heat-shrinked by subsequent vulcanization treatment, whereby the reinforcing layer 20 is made into the rubber inner tube. The bellows shape portion 20-1 of the reinforcing layer 20 is satisfactorily lowered until it closely adheres to the valley portion of the bellows shape portion 18-1 in FIG. It becomes.

  FIG. 12B shows, as a comparative example, the reinforcing layer 20 has a bellows shape of the rubber inner tube 18 when braiding is performed without using a heat-shrinkable reinforcing yarn and without applying sufficient tension to the reinforcing yarn 58. This means that the valley portion of the bellows-shaped portion 20-1 does not accurately follow, and the valley portion of the rubber inner tube 18 is lifted.

  As described above, the reinforcing yarn 58 is continuously braided to the rubber inner tube 18 and the reinforcing layer 20 is continuously formed in a long length across the rubber inner tubes 18. Next, the pipe 10A is continuously passed through the extruder 42 as shown in FIG. 10, and the outer rubber layer 22 is continuously formed into a long shape on the outer peripheral surface thereof.

As shown in FIG. 10, as the long tube 10 </ b> A advances to the right in the drawing, the extruder 42 continuously forms rubber material from the die 44 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface thereof. Push it out.
In this case, if the rubber material is simply extruded into a cylindrical shape, the extruded rubber material has a straight tubular shape, and the extruded rubber tube and the bellows-shaped portion 20-1 of the long tube 10A. A gap is created between the valleys.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a trumpet-shaped cylindrical body 46 is provided, and the inner space is vacuum-sucked.
As a result, the rubber material of the outer rubber layer 22 pushed out in a cylindrical shape from the die 44 is brought into close contact with the crest and trough of the bellows-shaped portion 20-1 in the long tube 10A by the vacuum suction force, It is formed into a bellows shape having a corrugated cross section following the bellows shape portion 20-1 of the long tube 10A.
Of course, in the straight shape part 20-2 of the long tube 10A, it adheres along the outer peripheral surface and is formed into a straight tube having a corresponding shape.

In this embodiment, since the outer rubber layer 22 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the long tube 10A as a core body, the outer rubber layer 22 can be favorably formed into a bellows shape.
3, 5 (III), and 10B, 10B represents the long tube after the outer rubber layer 22 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the long tube 10A in this manner, and 22-1 represents the outer rubber layer. 22 represents a bellows-shaped portion, and 22-2 represents a straight-shaped portion.
In FIG. 10, 50 is a take-up machine.

The long pipe 10B is then continuously passed through a tunnel furnace type continuous vulcanizing furnace 80 shown in FIG. 4, where the long pipe 10B is continuously vulcanized by hot air, high pressure steam or the like.
For vulcanization, the long tube 10B may be charged into a batch-type vulcanization furnace for a predetermined time every predetermined length, and the batch-type vulcanization treatment may be performed there.
After vulcanization, the long tube 10B is subsequently cut into individual bellows rubber hoses 10 by an automatic cutting machine 82.

In this automatic cutting machine 82, as shown in FIG. 11, the laser sensor 84 detects the passage of the bellows of the long tube 10B that is continuously sent, and the specific peak At the position where the long tube 10 </ b> B has been fed a certain distance from the detection of the passage, the cutter 86 sequentially and automatically cuts each hose 10 one after another.
Specifically, here, the laser sensor 84 detects the position of the last peak of the bellows-shaped part 10-1 and the first peak of the next bellows-shaped part 10-1, and the cutter 86 The long tube 10B is cut one after another at exactly two intermediate positions.

In the manufacturing method of the present embodiment as described above, the rubber inner tube 18 is vulcanized and formed in advance, and the reinforcing yarn 58 is braided on the outer peripheral surface using the rubber inner tube 18 as a core body. Therefore, the reinforcing yarn 58 can be braided smoothly and satisfactorily along the peaks and valleys of the bellows-shaped portion 18-1 of the rubber inner tube 18, and the reinforcing layer 20 is made to be the bellows of the rubber inner tube 18. It can be formed into a wavy bellows shape that correctly follows the shape.
As a result, the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing layer 20 can be exhibited evenly regardless of the peak portion or valley portion of the bellows-shaped portion 20-1, and the pressure resistance performance of the bellows rubber hose can be improved.

  Further, in this manufacturing method, the reinforcing yarn 58 is not braided for each hose to form the reinforcing layer 20, but the reinforcing yarn 58 is braided with respect to the continuous long pipe 10A. Therefore, the reinforcing layer 20 can be easily and continuously formed.

  In addition, the outer rubber layer 22 is extruded continuously along the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing layer 20 of the long tube 10A and in a corrugated shape along the bellows shape of the long tube 10A and continuously across each hose. Therefore, the molding process of the outer rubber layer 22 can also be performed continuously, so that the productivity of the bellows rubber hose 10 can be increased and the manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced.

  In addition, when molding the outer rubber layer 22, the outer rubber layer 22 is made to adhere along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys of the long tube 10 </ b> A based on the vacuum suction force. It can be satisfactorily formed into a corrugated shape having a wave shape following the bellows shape of the long tube 10A, and the forming can be automated without relying on manual work.

Further, in this embodiment, the long tube 10B is continuously passed through a vulcanizing furnace and continuously vulcanized, and the vulcanization process itself can be incorporated in a continuous hose production line.
And manufacture of the bellows rubber hose 10 including the cutting process of the set can be continued and automated.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in variously modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

It is the figure which showed an example of the bellows rubber hose of the application object of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the bellows rubber hose shown in FIG. It is process explanatory drawing which showed the partial process of the manufacturing method of the bellows rubber hose of one Embodiment of this invention. It is process explanatory drawing following FIG. It is a figure which shows the bellows rubber hose which passed through each process shown in FIG.3 and FIG.4, respectively. It is a figure which shows the braiding machine which forms the reinforcement layer of the bellows rubber hose of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the control method of the rotational speed of the carrier in the braiding machine at the time of braiding a reinforcement layer. It is a figure for demonstrating the rotation state of the carrier of FIG. It is the figure which showed the principal part of FIG.6 and FIG.7. It is the figure which showed the formation process of the outer surface rubber layer in the embodiment. It is the figure which showed the cutting process in the same embodiment. It is the figure which showed the state of the braiding of a reinforcement yarn with the comparative example. It is the figure which showed the process of the manufacturing method of the conventional bending shape hose. It is the figure which showed the process following FIG. It is the figure which showed the conventional manufacturing method of the hose of a curved shape different from FIG. 13, FIG. 14, and the conventional manufacturing method of a bellows rubber hose. It is the figure which showed the conventional manufacturing method of the bellows rubber hose different from FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bellows rubber hose 10A, 10B Long tube 10-1 Bellows shape part 10-2 Straight shape part 18 Rubber inner pipe 20 Reinforcement layer 22 Outer surface rubber layer 36 Alignment machine 42 Extruder 58 Reinforcement yarn 80 Continuous vulcanization furnace 82 Automatic cutting machine 84 Laser sensor 86 Cutter

Claims (7)

A rubber inner tube forming a bellows tube, a reinforcing layer formed by braiding a reinforcing wire on the outer peripheral side of the rubber inner tube, and an outer rubber layer on the outer peripheral side, and the reinforcing layer and the outer rubber layer being the rubber A method of manufacturing a bellows rubber hose having a corrugated cross-sectional shape following the bellows shape of the inner pipe,
(A) a vulcanization molding step of a rubber inner tube in which the rubber inner tube is vulcanized and molded by molding alone in advance;
(B) an alignment step of continuously aligning the inner rubber pipes in series with an aligner;
(C) Reinforcing the outer peripheral surface of the vulcanized rubber inner tube as a core body with the mandrel not attached to the rubber inner tube while continuously feeding the aligned rubber inner tube in the longitudinal direction The wire is braided continuously and along the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys of the rubber inner tube, and the bellows-shaped reinforcing layer following the bellows-shaped reinforcement of each rubber inner tube is straddled over each rubber inner tube. Forming a reinforcing layer that is continuously formed into a long length,
(D) a step of molding an unvulcanized outer rubber layer on the outer peripheral side of the reinforcing layer thereafter;
(E) a subsequent vulcanization step of the unvulcanized outer rubber layer;
(F) a cutting step of cutting each hose connected by the reinforcing layer one by one;
The manufacturing method of the bellows rubber hose characterized by including this.   The method for manufacturing a bellows rubber hose according to claim 1, wherein the molding is injection molding. In any one of Claims 1, 2, the molding process of the said outer surface rubber layer is a rubber material from an extruder along the outer peripheral surface of the said continuous elongate reinforcement layer, and the bellows shape of the said rubber inner pipe | tube. Continuously extruding and continuously molding the outer rubber layer across each rubber inner tube,
The method of manufacturing a bellows rubber hose, characterized in that the cutting step cuts the outer rubber layer together with the reinforcing layer for each hose.   The rubber material pushed out in a cylindrical shape from the extruder and the rubber inner tube on the inner peripheral side thereof are vacuum-sucked in claim 3 so that the extruded rubber material is interposed through the reinforcing layer. A bellows rubber hose characterized in that the outer rubber layer is formed into a bellows shape having a corrugated cross-section following the bellows shape of the rubber inner tube, which is in close contact with the bellows-shaped peaks and valleys of the rubber inner tube. Manufacturing method.   5. The vulcanization step according to claim 4, wherein the long tube is continuously vulcanized by continuously passing the long tube with the outer rubber layer in an unvulcanized state through a vulcanizing furnace. Manufacturing method of bellows rubber hose.   In any one of Claims 3-5, while the said cutting process detects the passage of the specific site | part of the long pipe | tube after vulcanization sent continuously with a sensor, From detection of the passage of this specific site | part A method of manufacturing a bellows rubber hose characterized in that the long tube is automatically and continuously cut into each of the hoses one after another by a cutter at a position where the long tube is sent a set distance.   The method of manufacturing a bellows rubber hose according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a heat-shrinkable reinforcing wire is used as the reinforcing wire.

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