JP2010071382A - Water supply/hot water supply hose - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water supply/hot water supply hose, hardly causing a crack in an inner surface layer tube, without impairing productivity. <P>SOLUTION: This water supply/hot water supply hose includes: a flexible outer surface layer tube 1; the flexible inner surface layer tube 2 inserted inside the outer surface layer tube 1 and having at least an inner layer 2a mainly comprising a polyolefin resin and an outer layer 2b mainly comprising polyolefin elastomer; and a void part 3 formed between the outer surface layer tube 1 and the inner surface layer tube 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water supply / hot water hose whose outer side is covered with an outer surface layer tube, which is mainly used for a shower hose, a sink or the like of a bathroom or a bathroom vanity.

  Conventionally, an elastically deformable rubber or synthetic resin inner surface layer tube is inserted into a bellows-shaped metal outer surface layer tube as a water supply or hot water supply hose, which is particularly suitable as a shower hose, and is particularly suitable for a shower hose. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). This water / hot water supply hose is mainly used for the secondary side low-pressure piping. In this case, since the pressure resistance is retained by the outer surface layer tube, attention is paid to the dimensions and material of the inner surface layer tube. It never happened.

  However, when such a conventional flexible hose is used for a pull-out shower of a faucet in recent years, the hose is bent into an S shape in the faucet, and the inner layer tube cracks at the bent portion, There is a problem that water leakage occurs during water flow.

On the other hand, a flexible and hot water supply / hot water hose (for example, see Patent Document 2) formed by braiding a reinforcing layer on the outside of the inner surface layer tube has also been proposed. However, as compared with a method in which the inner surface layer tube is inserted into the outer surface layer tube, a large-scale dedicated production facility is required and the productivity is inferior.
Utility Model Registration No. 3121510 JP 2005-344753 A

Here, although the mechanism of the crack generation is not clear, the inner layer tube that does not have high pressure resistance such as the outer layer tube, which is inferred as follows, is applied to the outer layer tube by the pressure during water flow. Since it swells until it contacts and expands and deforms each time water passes, it is assumed that it is caused by the fatigue. In a portion where the bending R is small, such as the S-shaped bent portion, wrinkles are generated in the inner surface layer tube inside the bent portion, and the bending is repeatedly generated by returning to the original state with pressure each time water passes. It is considered that cracks are generated at both sides of the bent portion.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a water supply and hot water supply hose in which cracks are unlikely to occur in an inner surface layer tube without impairing productivity in consideration of the conventional techniques as described above.

The above object can be achieved by the present invention described below. That is, the water supply hot water supply hose of the present invention is
<1> An outer surface layer tube having flexibility, an innermost layer that is inserted inside the outer surface layer tube and is composed mainly of a polyolefin-based resin, and an outermost layer composed mainly of a polyolefin-based elastomer And a flexible inner surface layer tube and a gap formed between the outer surface layer tube and the inner surface layer tube.

  <2> In the hot water / hot water hose according to <1>, the polyolefin resin constituting the innermost layer is at least one selected from polybutene, crosslinked polyethylene, and polyethylene produced using a metallocene catalyst. It is characterized by being.

  <3> The water / hot water supply hose according to <2>, wherein the polyolefin-based elastomer constituting the outermost layer is a thermoplastic elastomer.

  <4> In the water / hot water supply hose according to any one of <1> to <3>, the shape of the outer surface layer tube is at least one selected from a coil shape and a bellows shape. To do.

  <5> The water / hot water supply hose according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the material of the outer surface layer tube is at least one selected from metal and hard resin. .

  <6> The water / hot water supply hose according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein a gap in the gap is in a range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hose for hot_water | molten_metal supply hot_water | hot_water supply which a crack is hard to generate | occur | produce can be provided without impairing productivity.

Hereinafter, the water supply hot water supply hose of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a water / hot water hose according to the present invention. 1 is a flexible inner surface layer comprising an inner layer 2a and an outer layer 2b inside a flexible outer surface layer tube 1 formed in a coil shape (spiral). A tube 2 is provided. The inner layer 2a is composed mainly of a polyolefin resin, while the outer layer 2b is composed mainly of a polyolefin elastomer. The inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b are integrally formed by coextrusion molding. In addition, a gap 3 is provided between the outer surface layer tube 1 and the inner surface layer tube 2.
The “void” in the gap 3 represents the difference between the maximum outer diameter of the inner surface layer tube and the minimum inner diameter of the outer surface layer tube.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inner layer tube 2 has a two-layer structure (or a structure of three or more layers), which makes it difficult to bend and suppresses the generation of wrinkles, thus improving the generation of cracks. Can be suppressed. In particular, in the present invention, a polyolefin resin having excellent durability is used as a main component for the inner layer 2a of the inner layer tube 2, and a polyolefin elastomer having excellent elongation and flexibility is used as a main component for the outer layer 2b. As a result, the occurrence of cracks is efficiently suppressed. Further, even if a crack occurs in the inner layer 2a, it is possible to suppress the progress of the crack at the boundary between the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b without progressing to the outer surface of the inner surface layer tube 2. .

  Moreover, in order to produce the water supply hot water supply hose shown in FIG. 1, the inner surface layer tube 2 must be inserted inside the outer surface layer tube 1, but as described above, the inner surface layer tube 2 is provided to provide the inner surface layer. The layer tube 2 can be easily inserted into the outer surface layer tube 1 and the productivity can be improved.

  The gap is preferably in the range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm. preferable.

  When the gap between the inner surface layer tube 2 and the outer surface layer tube 1 is 1 mm or less, the diameter-expansion deformation of the inner surface layer tube 2 in the outer surface layer tube 1 is further suppressed during water flow, and the generation of cracks is further reduced. It can be remarkably prevented. On the other hand, when the gap is 0.3 mm or more, the ease of insertion of the inner surface layer tube 2 into the inner surface of the outer surface layer tube 1 is favorably maintained, and the productivity can be further improved.

<Inner layer tube>
As described above, as a combination of materials of the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b, a combination in which the inner layer 2a has a polyolefin-based resin as a main component and the outer layer 2b has a polyolefin-based elastomer as a main component is used. The above “main component” means that it is contained in a ratio of 50% by mass or more in all components constituting the inner layer 2a or the outer layer 2b, and in this application, it is further contained in a ratio of 90% by mass or more. It is preferable.

  As the polyolefin resin used for the inner layer 2a, it is more preferable to use at least one selected from polybutene, crosslinked polyethylene and polyethylene produced using a metallocene catalyst. By using the above-mentioned material, it is possible to make the inner surface layer tube 2 very excellent in crack resistance and improve chlorine resistance. Polybutene or cross-linked polyethylene has a high hardness and is preferably set to a D hardness of 40 degrees or more, particularly 55 to 65 degrees.

  The thickness of the inner layer 2a is preferably 300 μm or less, particularly preferably 100 to 250 μm. By setting the thickness to 300 μm or less, the flexibility of the hose is maintained, and bending of the inner surface layer tube 2 within the outer surface layer tube 1 when the hose is bent is effectively suppressed. On the other hand, favorable moldability is obtained by setting it as 100 micrometers or more.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the Picat softening temperature of polyolefin resin used for the inner layer 2a shall be 80 degreeC or more. By setting the temperature to 80 ° C. or higher, the inner layer tube 2 is softened when warm water is passed through the hose, and the inner layer tube 2 is cured while the hose is bent when cooled again. Therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily suppress the wrinkles generated at that time from being bent repeatedly by passing water and becoming the starting point of cracks.

  On the other hand, as described above, a polyolefin elastomer is used as a main component for the outer layer 2b. In the present invention, since the outer layer 2b is made of a polyolefin-based elastomer having excellent elongation and flexibility, for example, when the water / water supply hose of the present invention is connected to the fitting by tightening the outside, a good sealing property is obtained. It also has the effect of being obtained.

  As the polyolefin-based elastomer used for the outer layer 2b, a polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is more preferable. Due to its chemical structure, the polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is easily compatible with polybutene, cross-linked polyethylene or polyethylene used for the inner layer 2a, and can provide strong adhesiveness between the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b. It can be done well.

  The inner surface layer tube 2 composed of the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b shown in FIG. 1 can be formed by co-extrusion of the material for the inner layer 2a and the material for the outer layer 2b. According to the co-extrusion molding, the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b are in contact with each other in a molten state, and the compatibility is effectively performed at the phase interface. Therefore, strong adhesiveness can be obtained without using an adhesive, and the inner layer 2a and the outer layer 2b can be used without being peeled off even when warm water is passed.

<Outer surface layer tube>
As a material of the outer surface layer tube 1 shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable to use at least one selected from metal and hard resin. Here, “hard” in the hard resin means that the Rockwell surface hardness is M90 or more or R110 or more, and the tensile fracture stress is 90 MPa or more.
Here, the "Rockwell surface hardness" can be measured by a method defined in JIS-K6911 (1979) and JIS-K7202-2 (2001). The “tensile fracture stress” can be measured by a method defined in JIS-K6911 (1979), JIS-K7161 (1994), and JIS-K7162 (1994).

Further, the hard resin preferably has high surface hardness, wear resistance and slipperiness, and has a strength that is not destroyed by pressure. Examples of the hard resin include polyethylene terephthalate and polyphenylene. Examples thereof include sulfide resin and high density polyethylene (HDPE).
The metal is preferably resistant to corrosion because it is used around water, and examples thereof include SUS304 and SUS316L.

  By using at least one selected from a metal and a hard resin as the material of the outer surface layer tube 1, a hose excellent in damage resistance can be obtained. Moreover, since these materials have low resistance, the inner surface layer tube 2 can be easily inserted into the outer surface layer tube 1 and the productivity can be further improved. Furthermore, since sliding resistance with members, such as a faucet, can be made low, operativity can be improved.

  In FIG. 1, the outer surface layer tube 1 has a coil shape (spiral shape), but the outer surface layer tube 1 having a bellows shape may be used as another shape. Since the shape is a coil shape or a bellows shape, for example, the inner surface layer tube 2 can be easily inserted into the outer surface layer tube 1 as compared with a braided shape, and the productivity is further improved. be able to.

  The present invention is as described above, and is mainly used as a shower hose, a hose installed in a sink, or the like, but the application is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the range of use is wide.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the hose for hot water supply of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer surface layer tube 2 ... Inner surface layer tube 2a ... Inner layer 2b ... Outer layer 3 ... Gap part

Claims (6)

A flexible outer surface layer tube;
An inner layer tube having flexibility, comprising at least an innermost layer composed mainly of a polyolefin-based resin and an outermost layer composed mainly of a polyolefin-based elastomer, inserted inside the outer surface layer tube;
And a gap formed between the outer surface layer tube and the inner surface layer tube.   2. The water / hot water supply hose according to claim 1, wherein the polyolefin resin constituting the innermost layer is at least one selected from polybutene, crosslinked polyethylene, and polyethylene produced using a metallocene catalyst. .   The hose for hot and cold water supply according to claim 2, wherein the polyolefin elastomer constituting the outermost layer is a thermoplastic elastomer.   The shape of the said outer surface layer tube is at least 1 sort (s) selected from coil shape and a bellows shape, The water supply hot-water supply hose of any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The material for the outer surface layer tube is at least one selected from a metal and a hard resin, and the water supply hot water supply hose according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The water supply hot water supply hose according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a gap in the gap is in a range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm.

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