JP2010175246A - Piping sleeve for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To deal with a difference in diameters of through holes for piping bored in a wall while solving the problem of a space required for storage and conveyance of a sleeve body of a piping sleeve which is a molded article. <P>SOLUTION: The piping sleeve (1) is a flexible molded article made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene and includes the sleeve body (2) and an end flange (4) provided at one end in the longitudinal direction thereof. The piping sleeve (1) has a slit (10) extending over the entire length of the sleeve body (2) in a straight line. The slit (10) extends from a radially inner end to an outer end of the end flange (4). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a synthetic resin pipe sleeve installed in a pipe through-hole formed in a wall of a building, and more specifically, a refrigerant pipe or the like connecting an outdoor unit and an indoor unit of an air conditioner is inserted. Related to the piping sleeve.

  In an air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipe, and a drain pipe is installed to drain the drain water of the indoor unit to the outside. This refrigerant pipe is connected to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit through a through hole drilled in the wall of the building, but when installing the air conditioner, a pipe sleeve is inserted into the through hole for piping on the wall, And a refrigerant pipe etc. are inserted in this piping sleeve (for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

  This type of piping sleeve is a molded product made of synthetic resin that can be bent and deformed, and typically has a cylindrical shape or a shape having a flange at one end in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder. In other words, in general, the through hole for piping is formed in the wall so as to be a hole having a circular cross section that extends straight.

  Patent document 3 explains the problem regarding installation of an air conditioner. To explain this problem in detail, the through-hole for piping is usually drilled in a place where it is not necessary to bend the refrigerant pipe or the like. However, the installation environment of the air conditioner is various. For example, when the refrigerant pipe must be bent in the through hole for piping due to an obstacle or the like, the refrigerant pipe or the like is bent in the cylindrical piping sleeve. Therefore, work to bend the refrigerant pipe at right angles immediately after exiting the piping sleeve is unavoidable. Of course, it is not preferable to bend the refrigerant pipe excessively at one place, and in addition, the indoor unit tends to be lifted from the wall.

  With respect to this problem, Patent Document 3 proposes a cylindrical pipe sleeve having a shape in which the inner diameter is enlarged from one end to the other end, that is, a tubular shape having a wide end. According to this, since the refrigerant pipe can be bent from the piping sleeve, the above-mentioned problems can be solved.

JP-A-7-243670 JP-A-8-4322 JP-A-5-157272

  As described above, since the piping sleeve is a molded product made of a synthetic resin formed into a cylindrical shape or a cylindrical shape that spreads toward the end, for example, a molding manufacturer needs a considerably large space to store the manufactured molded product, In addition, there is a problem that it is bulky when it is delivered in a box. In addition to this, pipe sleeves with different diameters are manufactured to cope with various sites (differences in the diameters of pipe through holes drilled in the wall), but the management is complicated. There is a problem.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is for an air conditioner that can cope with a difference in the diameter of a through hole for piping formed in a wall while solving the problem of space required for storing and transporting a molded product. It is to provide a piping sleeve.

The above technical problem is in the piping sleeve for the air conditioner of the present invention,
A synthetic resin piping sleeve disposed in a piping through-hole formed in a wall of a building where an air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit is installed, and a refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit Assuming a tubular piping sleeve for inserting pipes,
The tubular piping sleeve has flexibility,
The piping sleeve has a slit extending from one end in the longitudinal direction to the other end;
The diameter of the piping sleeve can be enlarged or reduced by the slit.

  According to the piping sleeve of the present invention, a plurality of piping sleeves can be laminated such that one piping sleeve is expanded and another piping sleeve is inserted into the piping sleeve. Thereby, the space for storing the molded piping sleeve can be significantly reduced. In addition, the slitted piping sleeve can freely change the diameter of the piping sleeve. Specifically, at the site where the air conditioner is installed, even if the diameter of the through hole for piping on the wall is large or small, for example, when the diameter of the through hole for piping is smaller than the diameter of the piping sleeve, The diameter of the piping sleeve can be reduced and inserted into the through hole for piping. Therefore, in the past, several pipe sleeves with different diameters have been manufactured, but this can be made unnecessary, which not only facilitates product management, but also the diameters of the through holes for piping that were planned at the construction site. Even if they are different, it can be dealt with as if nothing had happened without considering this as a problem.

  Other objects, configurations and operational effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention.

It is a perspective view of the piping sleeve of 1st Example. It is the side view which notched some piping sleeves of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which installed the piping sleeve of FIG. 1 in the through-hole for piping of a wall. It is a figure for demonstrating that it can be in the state which piled up the multiple piping sleeve of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a plurality of piping sleeves in the storage state overlapped with each other in FIG. 4. It is a front view of the piping sleeve of FIG. 1, and is a figure for demonstrating that the diameter of a piping sleeve can be made small. It is a front view of the end component fitted by the piping sleeve. It is a side view for demonstrating an example of the cylinder part of the end component of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the other example (strip-shaped cylinder part) of the cylinder part of the end component of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating another example (bellows-shaped cylinder part) of the cylinder part of the end component of FIG. It is a front view for demonstrating the modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a figure for demonstrating the other modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a figure for demonstrating another modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a figure for demonstrating the other modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a figure for demonstrating another modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a figure for demonstrating the further modification of the end flange of an end component. It is a perspective view of the modification of the piping sleeve of 1st Example shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the other modification of the piping sleeve of 1st Example shown in FIG. It is a front view of the piping sleeve of FIG. It is a perspective view of another modification of the piping sleeve of 1st Example shown in FIG. It is a front view of the piping sleeve of FIG. It is a front view of the piping sleeve of 2nd Example. It is a figure which shows the inner surface of the piping sleeve seen from the direction of the arrow X23 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the outer surface of the piping sleeve seen from the direction of the arrow X24 of FIG. It is a front view of the modification of the piping sleeve of 2nd Example. It is a figure which shows the inner surface of the piping sleeve seen from the direction of the arrow X26 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the inner surface of the piping sleeve seen from the direction of arrow X27 of FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Example (FIGS. 1 to 6) :
Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a piping sleeve for an air conditioner. The piping sleeve 1 of the first embodiment includes a cylindrical sleeve body 2 and an end flange 4 extending radially outward and circumferentially from one longitudinal end of the sleeve body 2. The crossing angle with the sleeve body 2 is about 90 degrees.

  The piping sleeve 1 is a flexible molded product made of synthetic resin. Examples of the resin material include polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyamide resin, polyacetal, and resin EVA resin. The end flange 4 has a shape in which both sides of the circular contour are cut out by parallel lines when viewed from the front, but is not particularly limited to this contour shape.

  The piping sleeve 1 of the first embodiment has a bellows 6 at the flange side end of the sleeve body 2, and a plurality of weakening lines 8 are preferably arranged at equal intervals in the axial direction at the other end of the sleeve body 2. Each weakening line 8 is formed and extends continuously over the entire circumference. The overall length of the piping sleeve 1 can be adjusted by cutting the desired weakening line 8 with a cutting tool such as scissors.

  The piping sleeve 1 has a slit 10 extending linearly over the entire length of the sleeve body 2, and the slit 10 extends from the radially inner end to the outer end of the end flange 4.

  FIG. 3 shows an application example of the piping sleeve 1. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 12 denotes a building wall. The piping through-hole 14 drilled in the wall 12 of the building is generally formed in a state of being slightly inclined forward and downward from the indoor side toward the outdoor side.

  When installing an air conditioner (not shown) including an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, the length of the piping sleeve 1 is adjusted according to the thickness W of the wall 12, and then the piping sleeve 1 is connected to the through-hole 14 for piping. Inserted inside. The installation of the piping sleeve 1 is performed by inserting the piping sleeve 1 into the piping through hole 14 from the end opposite to the end of the piping sleeve 1, that is, the end on the end flange 4 side, from the indoor side. Thereby, the piping sleeve 1 is installed in the wall 12 in a slightly inclined state in which the indoor side is at a high level and the outdoor side is at a low level.

  As the piping sleeve 1 is disposed in an inclined state, the lower portion of the end flange 4 of the piping sleeve 1 is in a state of floating away from the indoor side wall surface of the wall 12, but before the piping sleeve 1 is installed. Further, the end flange 4 can be angled with respect to the sleeve body 2 by pressing the lower portion of the bellows 6 of the sleeve body 2 in the axial direction, thereby preventing the end flange 4 from being lifted. As can be understood from FIG. 3, the entire periphery of the end flange 4 can be in a state along the indoor side wall surface of the wall 12.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the piping sleeve 1 is inserted and positioned in the through-hole 12 for piping in the wall 12 prior to the installation of the air conditioner, and reference numeral 16 indicates an end part. The end component 16 is fitted to an end portion on the outdoor side of the piping sleeve 1. When installing the air conditioner, it goes without saying that a refrigerant pipe or a drain pipe (both not shown) connected to the indoor unit is inserted into the pipe sleeve 1 and the end part 16.

  Since the piping sleeve 1 includes the slit 10, the piping sleeve 1 can be expanded and contracted in the radial direction. Therefore, in the manufacturer that manufactures the piping sleeve 1, the piping sleeve 1 is stored in a state where a plurality of piping sleeves 1, 1,... Are inserted in a single piping sleeve 1 as shown in FIGS. Can also be shipped in this state.

  Further, at the site where the air conditioner is installed, the diameter of the sleeve main body 2 is set so that it can be easily understood from FIG. 6 even if the diameter of the through hole 14 for piping of the wall 12 is smaller than that of the piping sleeve 1. The sleeve body 2 can be inserted into the piping through-hole 14 in a state where the diameter of the sleeve body 2 is reduced by applying a force from the outside so as to reduce the diameter. Therefore, by preparing the piping sleeve 1 including the sleeve body 2 having a diameter that matches the largest possible diameter of the piping through-hole 14, the present invention can be applied to the piping through-hole 14 having a smaller diameter. can do. Even if the piping through hole 14 has a diameter larger than that of the piping sleeve 1, the diameter of the sleeve main body 2 is increased by expanding the piping sleeve 1 in the radial direction so that the diameter of the piping through hole 14 is almost equal. The shape of the pipe sleeve 1 can be changed.

  As best seen in FIG. 6, one or more notches 18 are made in advance in the end flange 4 so that when the diameter of the sleeve body 2 is enlarged or reduced, the end flange 4 easily changes its shape following this. It is good to keep. The notches 18 may be formed together when the piping sleeve 1 is molded with a molding die, or may be formed in the end flange 4 in a later step after the piping sleeve 1 is molded. FIG. 6 shows an example in which three cuts 18 are formed at intervals of 90 degrees, but the number of cuts 18 is arbitrary.

End parts (FIGS. 7 to 16) :
7 to 16 are views relating to the end part 16. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrating typical examples, FIG. 7 is a front view of the end piece 16, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the end piece 16. The end part 16 is composed of a cylindrical part 20 that is open at the front and rear, and an end flange 22 that is formed at one end of the cylindrical part 20 in the axial direction. 2 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the sleeve 2 and can be fitted into the outdoor end of the sleeve body 2. The end flange 22 exposed to the outer surface of the wall 12 of the building, that is, the outside of the building is circular in the example of FIG.

  The end part 16 is a molded product made of a synthetic resin similarly to the pipe sleeve 1 described above, and the end part 16 is formed with a slit 24 continuous in the axial direction thereof. That is, as can be seen from FIG. 8, the slit 24 extends linearly in the axial direction in the cylindrical portion 20, the slit 24 is continuous with the end flange 22, and the end flange 22 has an inner radial direction. An extension slit 26 extending continuously in the radial direction from the end to the outer peripheral edge is formed (FIG. 7).

  By forming the slits 24 and 26 in the end part 16 in this way, the diameter of the cylindrical portion 20 of the end part 16 can be enlarged or reduced. Therefore, the end component 16 can be fitted to the piping sleeve 1 by expanding or contracting the diameter of the end component 16 (cylinder portion 20) corresponding to the expansion or contraction of the diameter of the piping sleeve 1 (sleeve body 2) described above.

  The modification of the cylinder part 20 of the end component 16 is shown in FIG. 9, FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the above-described cylinder part 20 is configured by a plurality of strips 28 spaced in the radial direction, and FIG. 10 shows an example in which the above-described cylinder part 20 is configured by the bellows 30.

  Modification examples of the end flange 22 of the end part 16 are shown in FIGS. FIG. 11 shows an end flange 32 having a shape in which both sides of a circle are cut out by parallel lines. FIG. 12 shows an end flange 34 that is rectangular in front view. FIG. 13 shows an end flange 36 that is octagonal in front view.

  FIG. 14 shows an end flange 40 in which a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches 38 are formed on the outer periphery of the end flange 32 of FIG. FIG. 15 is a modified example of FIG. 14 and shows an end flange 44 in which the outer end corner of the strip-shaped protrusion 42 formed by the cut 38 is configured with a curve. FIG. 16 shows an end flange 46 having a shape in which triangular protrusions 42 are arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery.

  As can be seen from the above examples of FIGS. 10 to 16, the shape of the end flange 22 (32, 34, etc.) of the end component 16 is arbitrary, and any other shape can be adopted. The illustration of the outer diameter contour of the end flange 22 (32, 34, etc.) of the end component 16 is also applicable to the end flange 4 of the piping sleeve 1, and an arbitrary outer diameter contour is adopted even in the piping sleeve 1. can do.

Modified examples of the sleeve body 2 (FIGS. 17 to 21) :
The sleeve body 2 is basically cylindrical, and in the example shown in FIG. 1, a bellows 6 is provided at the end on the indoor side, while a weakening line 8 for adjusting the length of the sleeve body 2 is provided at the end on the outdoor side. However, the example of FIG. 1 is only an example. A modification is exemplarily shown with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 17 shows a modified example of a piping sleeve 54 including a sleeve main body 52 provided with a second bellows 50 between the first bellows 6 at the indoor end and the weakening line 8 at the outdoor end. Indicates. FIG. 18 shows another modified piping sleeve 58 including a sleeve main body 56 in which the first bellows 6 at the end portion on the indoor side is extended to the weakening line 8 at the end portion on the outdoor side. Further, in the piping sleeve 58 shown in FIG. 18, an end flange 60 having a circular contour is adopted (FIG. 19). FIG. 20 shows another modified piping sleeve 66 including a sleeve body 64 that employs a third bellows 62 instead of the weakening line 8 at the outdoor end. Further, the pipe sleeve 66 shown in FIG. 20 employs an end flange 68 having a substantially rectangular outline in which four corners are cut out (FIG. 19).

  Although the first embodiment and its modifications have been described above, the end flanges 4, 60, 68 are not necessarily essential. The piping sleeve 1 (54, etc.) may be composed of only the sleeve body 2 (52, 56, etc.).

Second Example (FIGS. 22 to 24) :
22 is an end view of the piping sleeve 100 of the second embodiment, FIG. 23 is a view showing the inner surface of the piping sleeve 100 as viewed from the direction of the arrow X23 in FIG. 22, and FIG. 24 is a view of the arrow X24 in FIG. It is a figure showing the outer surface of the piping sleeve 100 seen from the direction. This piping sleeve 100 is composed only of a sleeve body 102 without an end flange. The sleeve body 102 includes two half sleeve portions 102 a and 102 b having a semicircular cross section and a hinge portion 104 between the two half sleeve portions 102 a and 102 b. It extends over the entire length in the longitudinal direction.

  Note that the illustrated piping sleeve 100 has a bellows 106 at the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve main body 102, but this is merely an example, and the configuration illustrated in FIGS. Needless to say.

Modified example of the second embodiment (FIGS. 25 to 27) :
25 is an end view of the piping sleeve 110 according to a modification of the second embodiment, FIG. 26 is a view showing the inner surface of the piping sleeve 110 viewed from the direction of the arrow X26 in FIG. 25, and FIG. It is a figure showing the outer surface of the piping sleeve 110 seen from the direction of arrow X27.

  In the illustrated piping sleeve 110, end flanges are formed by a plurality of rectangular flaps 112 spaced in the circumferential direction, and the sleeve body 114 is formed of a cylindrical body having a polygonal cross section (regular tetragon), and a hinge portion. Half-sleeve portions 114 a and 114 b are connected via 104. As can be seen from this example, the sleeve main body 2 (52 and the like) described above may be formed of a cylindrical body having a polygonal cross section.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, one or more lips 120 (FIG. 19) projecting radially outward are added to the end flanges 4, 60, 68 continuous in the circumferential direction by integral molding or retrofitting. May be. By adding the lip 120, the end flanges 4, 60, and 68 can be fixed by sandwiching the lip 120 between the back plate (not shown) of the indoor unit and the wall 12. Alternatively, after installing the piping sleeve 1 (54, 58, etc.) on the wall 12, the lip 120 is screwed to the wall surface, so that the refrigerant pipe or the like is connected to the piping sleeve 1 (54, 58) during the installation work of the air conditioner. Etc.) can be prevented from being displaced together with the piping sleeve 1 (54, 58, etc.).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Piping sleeve 2 Sleeve body 4 End flange 10 Slit 12 Building wall 14 Wall through-hole 16 End component 18 End flange notch formed on the piping sleeve

Claims (4)

A synthetic resin piping sleeve disposed in a piping through-hole formed in a wall of a building where an air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit is installed, and a refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit In a tubular piping sleeve for inserting pipes,
The tubular piping sleeve has flexibility,
The piping sleeve has a slit extending from one end in the longitudinal direction to the other end;
A piping sleeve for an air conditioner, wherein the diameter of the piping sleeve can be expanded and contracted by the slit. An end flange extending radially outward at one longitudinal end of the piping sleeve;
The piping sleeve for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the slit extends from the radially inner end to the outer end of the end flange, and the end flange is formed with a cut extending in the radial direction. The tubular sleeve body of the piping sleeve is composed of two half sleeve portions and a hinge portion interposed between the two half sleeve portions,
The piping sleeve for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge portion extends continuously from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve body. In the combination of the piping sleeve for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and an end part fitted to a longitudinal end of the piping sleeve,
The end part is composed of a cylindrical portion that is fitted into the piping sleeve, and an end flange that is positioned at one end in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion,
A slit extending from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion is continuous with the end flange, and an extension slit extending in the radial direction from the center of the end flange to the outer peripheral edge is formed in the end flange. A combination of a piping sleeve and end parts.

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