JP2012201065A - Rotary drawout type extrusion molding method, extrusion molding apparatus capable of carrying out molding method and tube body provided with spiral independent lumen on tube wall which is manufactured by molded method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a tube by integrally providing a small diameter tube in a spiral shape in a large diameter tube by one extrusion molding.SOLUTION: The extrusion molding apparatus has: a structure provided with: an extruder 120 extruding a tube from an extrusion die; a cooling device 130 for receiving the extruded tube and cooling; a drawing machine 140 drawing the cooled tube at a predetermined speed; and a cutting device 150 for cutting the tube into a tuber body having a predetermined length, wherein the drawing machine 140 applies the rotation torque to the tube 200 in addition to the drawing force to the tube 200 and the tube 200 is drawn while being rotated. The extruding die 122 is provided with a mouthpiece corresponding to the large diameter tube and a mouthpiece corresponding to the small diameter tube to be provided along the mouthpiece corresponding to the large diameter tube. The rotation direction of at least one in rotors of the drawing machine 140 is tilted to the drawing direction to give a rotation force in addition of the force to the drawing direction to the tube 200.

Description

  The present invention relates to an extruding technique of a tube in which a tube is extruded from a mold and taken in-line as it is long and cut into a predetermined length to produce individual tube bodies. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a tube body in which an independent lumen is provided on the tube tube wall.

Conventionally, an extruding apparatus as shown in FIG. 13 is known as an extruding technique for a tube that extrudes a tube from a mold and pulls it in-line as it is long, cuts it into a predetermined length, and manufactures individual tube bodies. .
FIG. 13 is a diagram simply showing a configuration example of a conventional tube extrusion molding apparatus 10.
The extrusion apparatus 10 is an in-line manufacturing apparatus, and a material hopper 11, an extruder 12, a cooling water tank 13, a take-up machine 14, and a cutter 15 are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

  The material used for the material hopper 11 is charged. What is necessary is just to select a material according to the raw material to shape | mold. For example, by introducing a material such as polyvinyl chloride into the material hopper 11, an appropriate amount of the material is supplied to the extruder 12, melted in the extruder 12, and pressurized to be an extrusion die (die) of the extruder 12. ).

  The tube tube extruded from the extrusion die of the extruder 12 is cooled by the cooling water tank 13. The cooling water tank 13 is a tank filled with running water and filled with water. The cooling water tank 13 has a tube receiving port from the upstream side and a tube feeding port to the downstream side, cools the hot tube extruded from the extruder 12 and takes it out. Make it possible. The tube formed by being extruded from the extruder 12 is initially at a high temperature of 150 ° C. or higher, but is cooled by the cooling water tank 13 disposed downstream. The tube cooled by the cooling water tank 13 is taken up by the take-up machine 14.

  The take-up machine 14 has a structure including one or two rollers each having a set of two facing each other, and the one set of rollers faces each other at intervals according to the outer diameter of the tube, and each roller is sandwiched between them. The gripped tube is rotated in the direction of drawing downstream, and the tube cooled in the cooling water tank 13 is drawn at a predetermined speed in accordance with the control of the control device. That is, one roller is disposed above and below the tube, the rotation axis of the roller is perpendicular to the in-line direction in which the tube flows, and the rotation direction is parallel to the direction in which the tube flows.

  The cutter 15 cuts the tube manufactured in this way into a predetermined length, and is cut out as one tube body by cutting the cutter 15. In this configuration example, when the tip of the tube touches the position sensor 16, the cutter 15 cuts the tube, and a tube body having a length corresponding to the distance between the cutter 15 and the position sensor 16 is obtained.

  The control device (not shown) controls the amount of resin extruded from the extruder 12, the tube take-up speed by the take-up machine 14, and the like. The control device controls the operation of the entire manufacturing apparatus based on a control program stored in advance and an instruction from a control panel as a user interface. By controlling the molding conditions of the tube by the control device, by controlling the extrusion amount of the resin from the extruder 12, the take-up speed of the tube by the take-up machine 14, etc. so that a tube having a desired thickness is formed. A tube having a desired wall thickness can be formed.

JP 2001-317293 A JP 2001-82095 A

One of the uses of a tube manufactured by extrusion molding is application to a tube portion of an endoscope which is a medical device.
In recent years, a completely new next-generation minimally invasive endoscopic treatment called NOTES (Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery) has emerged. NOTES can be said to be a therapeutic method in which conventional laparoscopic surgery (surgical) and gastrointestinal endoscopy (internal medicine) are developed and integrated. In the next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES, the flexible endoscope and the flexible treatment instrument that have been used in the digestive endoscopic treatment so far are positioned as important components. However, these flexible treatment tools have many problems such as small functions and insufficient types compared to rigid surgical instruments used in surgical laparoscopic surgery, etc. This is one of the major factors that hinder the spread of endoscopic treatment. Therefore, development of various types of high-performance flexible endoscope treatment tools is urgently required for the safe introduction and widespread use of next-generation endoscopic treatment.

  The inventors of the present application have developed a special tube that becomes a dedicated platform for complementing the functions of the flexible endoscope. This special tube is one in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are spirally provided along the outer wall surface of a large-diameter main tube. The large-diameter main tube is used for inserting a digestive endoscope, and the small-diameter tube is used for inserting a treatment instrument such as forceps.

  The reason why the small-diameter tube is spirally formed with respect to the axis of the large-diameter main tube is as follows. In order to operate the treatment tools such as forceps using the field of view of the endoscope for digestive organs inserted in the main tube with a large diameter, the treatment tools such as forceps are inserted in the vicinity of the endoscope for digestive organs. This is important, but if it is too close, the degree of freedom of treatment operation such as peeling or excision is lost. If these forceps and other treatment tools are operated at an angle that opens outward by giving a certain deflection angle (appropriate twist) with respect to the visual axis of the endoscope inserted into the large-diameter main tube If it can be projected into the field, it becomes easy to keep the distance from the main tube having a large diameter, and the degree of freedom of the treatment operation of the forceps such as peeling and excision is secured. Therefore, if a small-diameter tube is provided so as to be spiral with respect to the axis of the large-diameter main tube, the treatment tool such as forceps rotates spirally, and the angle emitted from the distal end is the angle of the endoscope. An angle that opens outward with a certain deviation angle with respect to the visual axis can be set.

Here, as an important problem, there is a problem of how to manufacture a tube in which a small-diameter tube is provided spirally with respect to a shaft of a large-diameter main tube.
One conceivable method is to independently manufacture a straight-tube large-diameter main tube, and separately manufacture a straight-tube small-diameter tube independently, and later to create a straight-tube large-diameter main tube. It is assumed that a straight tubular small-diameter tube is spirally wound and bonded to the outer wall surface of the tube. However, this method complicates the process, and using an adhesive to bond a small-diameter tube in a spiral shape makes it difficult and time-consuming to bond, and is inappropriate for use in the lumen of a human body. It is. Moreover, even if the adhesive is used without using an adhesive, it is difficult and time-consuming to perform the fusion work.
If a large-diameter main tube can be manufactured in a single extrusion by integrating a small-diameter tube spirally on the outer wall surface as desired, using the extrusion technology. Ideally, no such extrusion technology has been established in conventional extrusion technology.

In view of the above problems, the inventors of the present application have tackled that challenge and established a new extrusion technique here.
The present invention is a single-extrusion molding of a tube with a small-diameter tube spirally provided on the outer wall surface, inner peripheral wall surface, or wall thickness as desired for a large-diameter main tube. It is an object of the present invention to provide an extrusion molding method, an extrusion molding apparatus used for the molding method, and a tube body provided with a spiral independent lumen on a tube tube wall manufactured by the molding method.

In order to achieve the above object, an extrusion molding apparatus according to the present invention comprises an extruder for melting a supplied raw material and extruding it from an extrusion die to form a tube tube, and an inlet for the tube tube from upstream and a downstream port. A cooling device that has a feeding port for the tube tube and that receives and cools the tube tube extruded from the extruder, a take-up device that takes out the tube tube cooled by the cooling device at a predetermined speed, and the take-up device A cutting device that cuts the tube tube that has passed through the tube body into a predetermined length, and the take-up machine applies a rotational torque to the tube tube in addition to a force in the take-off direction of the tube tube. The extrusion molding apparatus is characterized in that the tube tube is pulled while being rotated by the puller.
According to the extrusion molding apparatus having the above-described configuration, the tube tube being extruded can be taken out while being rotated. Conventionally, the tube tube is not an extruded product that has been simply extruded linearly in the drawing direction, but the main tube tube. An extruded product provided with a helically rotated structure along the outer wall surface or the inner wall surface or within the wall thickness can be formed.

For example, the take-up machine includes at least one rotating body that rotates while being in contact with the outer wall of the tube tube, and the rotation of at least one of the rotating bodies is provided as a configuration that gives the tube body rotational torque in the take-out machine of the extrusion molding apparatus. The direction is inclined with respect to the take-off direction.
In addition, for example, the rotating body of the take-up machine is a structure in which two rotating bodies are arranged so as to face each other, and is taken up by the rotation of the rotating body with the tube tube being sandwiched between the facing rotating bodies. In the configuration, one in which the rotating direction of one of the rotating members facing each other is inclined with respect to the take-up direction can be mentioned.

  Thus, since at least one of the rotating bodies of the take-up machine is inclined with respect to the take-up direction, the force that the rotary body gives to the tube body is rotated in addition to the vector component in the take-up direction. A vector component in the direction of rotation can be obtained, and the tube tube being extruded can be taken out while rotating.

  As another configuration described above, for example, a rotating body of a take-up machine is configured such that two rotating bodies are arranged to face each other, and a tube tube is sandwiched between the rotating bodies facing each other. In a configuration in which the rotating body is picked up by rotation of the body, the rotating direction of one rotating body of the rotating bodies facing each other is inclined with respect to the take-up direction, and the rotating direction of the other rotating body is inclined in the opposite direction. Is mentioned.

  In this way, the rotating body of the take-up machine is such that the two rotating bodies face each other, and the rotation directions are opposite to each other, that is, the direction in which the rotation direction of one of the rotating bodies is in the take-off direction (for example, the right direction). And the rotational direction of the other rotating body is tilted in the opposite direction (for example, the left direction) with respect to the take-off direction, so that rotational torque can be obtained from both, and a vector component in a larger rotational direction can be obtained. The tube tube being formed can be taken out while rotating.

  Here, for the extrusion die, a base portion corresponding to the large-diameter main tube cavity, and a base portion corresponding to one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes provided along the large-diameter main tube tube; Is provided with a large diameter main tube and the small diameter tube cavity in the cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die. When the tube tube having such a cross section is taken up in the take-up direction while being rotated by the take-up machine, a tube body in which a small-diameter tube is spirally provided with respect to the large-diameter main tube is generated.

According to the extrusion molding method using the above extrusion molding apparatus, the following tube body is obtained.
For example, a tube body in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are provided spirally with respect to a large-diameter main tube, of which at least one small-diameter tube is outside the large-diameter main tube. It is provided along the wall surface.
In addition, for example, a tube body in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are spirally provided with respect to a large-diameter main tube, and at least one small-diameter tube is a large-diameter main tube. It is provided along the inner wall surface.
In addition, for example, a tube body in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are spirally provided with respect to a large-diameter main tube, and at least one small-diameter tube is a large-diameter main tube. It is provided within the wall thickness.
It goes without saying that various combinations of the above are possible if the shape of the extrusion die is devised. For example, four small-diameter tubes are provided spirally with respect to a large-diameter main tube, and one small-diameter tube spirals along the outer wall surface of the large-diameter main tube. The other one small-diameter tube is provided in a spiral shape along the inner wall surface of the large-diameter main tube, and the remaining two small-diameter tubes are connected to the large-diameter main tube. A tube provided spirally within the wall thickness is also possible.

  The tube can be applied as a part of a treatment tool used in next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES. For example, a flexible endoscope can be inserted into a large-diameter main tube, and a treatment instrument such as forceps can be inserted into a small-diameter tube. When a treatment instrument such as forceps inserted into a small-diameter tube protrudes from the tip, it can have a deviation angle with respect to the visual axis of the digestive endoscope inserted into the large-diameter main tube. The advantage is that the degree of operation becomes higher and the operation range becomes wider.

According to the extrusion molding apparatus of the present invention, the tube tube being extruded can be taken out while being rotated, and is not an extruded product that has been only extruded linearly in the take-off direction, but the main tube tube. An extruded product provided with a helically rotated structure along the outer wall surface or the inner wall surface or within the wall thickness can be formed.
According to the extrusion molding method using the extrusion molding apparatus of the present invention, it becomes possible to mold a tube body in which a small-diameter tube is spirally provided with respect to a large-diameter main tube. It becomes possible to supply a tube body having a shape that could not be supplied. For example, a high-performance platform that can insert a flexible endoscope for gastrointestinal endoscopy treatment into a large-diameter main tube and a rigid treatment instrument such as laparoscopic forceps into a small-diameter tube As a tube body can be provided.

  Examples of the extrusion molding apparatus of the present invention will be described below. The present invention is not limited to these configuration examples.

Example 1 shows a basic configuration example and a basic molding method of the extrusion molding apparatus of the present invention.
First, the basic configuration of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention.
In the configuration example of the first embodiment, the extrusion molding apparatus 100 is a combination of a raw material supply apparatus 110, an extruder 120, a cooling apparatus 130, a take-up machine 140, and a cutting machine 150. These are arranged as an inline device by arranging them from upstream to downstream.

The raw material supply device 110 is a supply device that stores raw materials and supplies raw materials to the downstream extruder 120 in appropriate amounts. Various things such as a vibration hopper and a hopper with a forced feed are not particularly limited and can be applied.
As raw materials, there can be various materials such as silicon resin, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane, fluororesin, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate. In some cases, additives such as carbon and calcium carbonate are also added to the resin material as the main raw material. What is necessary is just to select a raw material according to the tube body to shape | mold.

The extruder 120 includes a mechanism that melts the raw material supplied from the raw material supply device 110 and extrudes the raw material from the extrusion die 122 to form a tube tube.
The extruder 120 includes a cylinder 121 containing a screw and the like, and an extrusion die 122 at the outlet of the cylinder 121. The cylinder 121 is a heating cylinder.

  The extrusion die 122 is a die for extruding a molded product attached to the tip of the extruder 120, and the shape of the extruded tube body is determined according to the shape of the extrusion die. There are straight dies, crosshead dies, and flat dies. For the die, it is necessary to consider various points such as the type of raw material to be applied, the temperature / pressure / shear rate in the die, and the cross-sectional shape of the tube.

  There is also a structure in which a filter is provided in the extruder 120. The filter is a kind of filtration device for removing foreign matters, carbides, gels and the like in the raw material melted and plasticized by the extruder 120.

  The raw material supplied from the raw material supply device 110 is melted and plasticized in the cylinder 121, and is extruded toward the extrusion die 122 while being kneaded by a screw, and the raw material is discharged from the extrusion die 122 at a predetermined amount and at a predetermined speed.

  With the operation of the extrusion apparatus 100, the tube tube is pushed out from the extrusion die 122 of the extruder 120. Although the shape of the extrusion die 122 is not particularly limited, a tube body that can be applied as a part of a treatment instrument used in next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES can be formed by selecting the shape of the extrusion die 122 as described later. . The shape of the extrusion die 122 will be described later.

Next, in the inline configuration of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, a cooling device 130 is disposed on the downstream side of the extruder 120.
Various cooling devices such as a water-cooling type and an air-cooling type are applicable. Here, the water-cooling type cooling device 130 using a water tank is used.

As shown in FIG. 1, a tube tube receiving port 131 from the upstream, a water tank 132, and a tube tube feeding port 133 from the downstream are provided, and the tube tube pushed out from the extruder 120 is received and cooled. The tube formed by being extruded from the extruder 120 is initially at a high temperature of 150 ° C. or higher, but the tube is immersed in water in the water tank section 132 to be cooled and made ready for take-up. The tube cooled by the cooling device 130 is taken up by the take-up machine 140.
In addition, in order to keep the temperature of the water in the water tank 132 always low, it is good also as what is called a pouring method which discharges | emits overflowing water, pouring cold water from water supply. Although the length of the water tank 132 is not limited, it is preferable that it is a distance which can be immersed in water for the time which fully cools the tube pipe extruded from the extruder 120. FIG.

Next, in the in-line configuration of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, a take-up machine 140 is disposed on the downstream side of the cooling device 130.
The take-up machine 140 is a device that takes up the tube tube cooled by the cooling device 130 at a predetermined speed. Further, in the take-up machine 140 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, the take-up machine 140 is in the take-off direction of the tube tube. In addition to force, it is possible to give rotational torque to the tube tube. There may be various mechanisms as the take-up mechanism, but here, description will be made assuming that the take-up mechanism is taken up by a rotating body.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, the take-up machine 140 has a structure in which one or a plurality of opposed rotating bodies 141 a and 141 b are provided. In FIG. 1, two sets of two rotating bodies 141a and 141b are provided. The interval between the rotating body 141a and the rotating body 141b is an interval according to the outer diameter of the tube.

  When the extrusion molding apparatus 100 is in an operating state, as shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later, each of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b rotates in a direction in which the sandwiched and gripped tubes are pulled downstream, and the tubes are rotated by the rotating bodies 141a. And it is pulled out by the rotation of the rotating body 141b.

  Here, at least one of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b is provided with an inclination in the rotating direction, and the rotating bodies 141a and 141b are devised to give a rotating torque to the tube tube in addition to the force in the take-up direction of the tube tube. Has been.

The relationship between the rotation shaft angles of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140, the rotating direction of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b, and the in-line direction through which the tube flows will be described in detail.
First, among the rotating bodies facing each other, only one of the rotating bodies is inclined slightly clockwise with respect to the inline tube take-up direction, and the other rotary body remains in the same direction as the inline tube take-up direction. Will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for briefly explaining the relationship between the rotation shaft angles of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140, the rotating direction of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b, and the in-line direction through which the tube flows.
FIG. 2A is a view showing a state in which the tubes taken up by the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140 are viewed from the side, and FIG. 2B is a drawing of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140 and the take-up machines. It is a figure which shows a mode that the tube obtained was seen from the upper surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the rotary body of the take-up machine 140 rotates while contacting the outer wall of the tube tube, and at least one of the rotary bodies, here, the rotary body 141a disposed on the upper side. The rotation direction of the is inclined with respect to the take-up direction. As is easy to understand in FIG. 2B, the rotation direction of the rotating body 141a is slightly inclined clockwise with respect to the vertical direction that is the in-line take-up direction. In this example, the rotating direction of the opposing rotating body 141b is the same as the in-line take-up direction.

In this way, the following technical effect can be obtained when the rotation direction of the rotating body 141a is inclined with respect to the in-line take-up direction.
FIG. 2C illustrates the force applied to the gripped tube sandwiched by the rotating body 141 when the rotating direction of the rotating body 141a is inclined with respect to the in-line tube take-up direction. It is a thing. The force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is shown by a solid line, and the force Fb given by the rotation of the rotating body 141b is shown by a dotted line. The force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is applied to the upper surface of the tube body 200, and the force Fb given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is applied to the lower surface of the tube body 200. ing.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a has an inclination with respect to the in-line tube take-up direction, so that the vector can be decomposed. And a force Fa2 perpendicular to the in-line tube take-up direction are obtained. The perpendicular force Fa2 is not an effect that the axis of the tube body rolls to the right, but acts so that the tube body rotates on the spot. Actually, the inventors have confirmed by experimenting with the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, and have confirmed the effect of rotating the tube body on the spot. The tube body has a total length of 5 m or more from being extruded from the extruder 120 to being cut by the cutting device 150. The tube body advances linearly from the extruder 120 to the take-out machine 140 and enters from the center, and the rotating body 141a. Since the tube body enters from the center and the point in contact with the rotating body 141a always moves to the subsequent point entering from the center by rotation, the tube body rotates as a whole and comes off from the take-up machine 140 sideways. It turned out that it was possible to operate.
Eventually, the force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a becomes the force Fa1 that pulls in the in-line tube take-up direction and the force Fa2 that gives the rotating torque of the tube body.

  On the other hand, when the conventional take-up machine is used, naturally, the rotation direction of the rotating body 141 is parallel to the in-line take-up direction, so that there is no force corresponding to the above-described vertical component force F2, and the force against the tube body The rotation torque cannot be obtained.

  As described above, if the rotating shaft of the rotating body 141a has an inclination as in the take-up machine 140 of the present invention and the rotation direction has an inclination with respect to the in-line drawing direction, the rotational torque is applied to the tube body. Can be obtained.

  Next, as a further contrivance, both of the rotating bodies facing each other are tilted slightly clockwise with respect to the inline tube take-up direction, and the other rotary body is slightly counterclockwise with respect to the inline tube take-up direction. An example of tilting around will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for simply explaining the relationship between the rotation shaft angles of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140, the rotating direction of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b, and the in-line direction through which the tube flows, as in FIG.
FIG. 3A is a view showing a state in which the tubes taken up by the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140 are viewed from the side, and FIG. 3B is a drawing of the rotating bodies 141a and 141b of the take-up machine 140 and the take-up machines. It is a figure which shows a mode that the tube obtained was seen from the upper surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the rotating body of the take-up machine 140 rotates while contacting the outer wall of the tube tube. Here, the rotating direction of the rotating body 141a arranged on the upper side is the take-up direction. In contrast, it has a clockwise inclination. Further, the rotating direction of the rotating body 141b disposed on the lower side is inclined counterclockwise with respect to the take-up direction.

In this way, the following technical effects can be obtained if the rotation direction of the rotating body 141a and the rotation direction of the rotating body 141b are inclined with respect to the in-line take-up direction.
FIG. 3 (c) shows a grip that is sandwiched between the rotating body 141a and the rotating body 141b when the rotating direction of the rotating body 141a and the rotating direction of the rotating body 141b are inclined with respect to the in-line tube take-up direction. The force applied with respect to the made tube is illustrated. The force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is shown by a solid line, and the force Fb given by the rotation of the rotating body 141b is shown by a dotted line. The force Fa given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is applied to the upper surface of the tube body 200, and the force Fb given by the rotation of the rotating body 141a is applied to the lower surface of the tube body 200. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the force applied by the rotation of the rotating body 141a has an inclination with respect to the in-line tube take-up direction, so that the vector can be decomposed. A pulling force Fa1 and a force Fa2 perpendicular to the in-line tube take-up direction are obtained. Since the force given by the rotation of the rotating body 141b has an inclination with respect to the in-line tube take-up direction, the vector can be decomposed, the force Fb1 pulling in the in-line tube take-up direction, and the in-line tube take-out direction A force Fb2 perpendicular to is obtained. The force Fb2 is opposite to the force Fa2, but the force Fa2 is applied clockwise with respect to the upper portion of the tube body, and the force Fb2 is applied counterclockwise with respect to the lower portion of the tube body. As a result, the force applied by the rotation of the rotating body 141a and the rotating body 141b is the forces Fa1 and Fb1 that are pulled in the in-line tube take-out direction, and the rotation of the tube body. The torques Fa2 and Fb2 are given.

  In the present invention, the opposing relationship between the rotator 141a and the rotator 141b is not necessarily one-to-one as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but as shown in FIG. This includes a relationship in which the rotating bodies face each other in a so-called zigzag shape.

The description of the remaining apparatus configuration will be continued.
In the in-line configuration of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, a cutting device 150 is disposed downstream of the take-up device 140.
The cutting device 150 cuts the tube manufactured in this way to a predetermined length, and is cut out as a tube body by the cutting of the cutting device 150. In this configuration example, when the tip of the tube touches the position sensor 152, the cutter blade 151 cuts the tube, and a tube body having a length corresponding to the distance between the cutter blade 151 and the position sensor 152 is obtained. .

  The control device (not shown) controls the amount of resin extruded from the extruder 120, the tube take-up speed by the take-up machine 140, and the like. The control device controls the operation of the entire manufacturing apparatus based on a control program stored in advance and an instruction from a control panel as a user interface.

  The outer diameter and thickness of the tube tube to be extruded are substantially determined by the size and shape of the extrusion die 122, but within a certain range, it depends on the amount of resin extruded from the extruder 120 and the take-up speed of the take-up machine 140 (in-line running speed). It is also possible to control. That is, if the resin extrusion amount from the extruder 120 is a constant amount, the tube pipe becomes thinner as the take-up speed of the take-up machine 140 (in-line running speed) increases, and the take-up speed of the take-up machine 140 (in-line running speed). The slower the speed), the thicker the tube tube is formed. Therefore, it is necessary to control the resin extrusion amount from the extruder 120 and the take-up speed (in-line running speed) of the take-up machine 140.

  By controlling the molding conditions of the tube by the control device, by controlling the extrusion amount of the resin from the extruder 120, the take-up speed of the tube by the take-up machine 140, etc. so that a tube having a desired thickness is formed. A tube having a desired wall thickness can be formed.

The above is the basic configuration and the basic molding method of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention.
Other auxiliary equipment can be provided. For example, the structure provided with the outer diameter measuring device (not shown) is also possible. The outer diameter measuring device is a device that checks whether the outer diameter of a tube manufactured in-line is a desired outer diameter and feeds back the data to the control device. The outer diameter of the tube coming out of the cooling device 130 is measured by the outer diameter measuring device, and the control device compares the predetermined target value and allowable error with the actual measured value measured by the outer diameter measuring device, Feedback control to change the operating conditions related to the tube outer diameter and wall thickness such as the extrusion speed of the extruder 120 and the take-up speed of the take-up machine 140 as necessary so that the value is included in the range of the reference value. It can be carried out.
In order to configure the actual extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, necessary peripheral devices such as a control device, switches, and rollers are further attached.

  Next, production of a tube body to be applied as a part of a treatment tool used in next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES using the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described. As a tube body to be applied as a part of a treatment instrument used in next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES, a large-diameter main tube into which a flexible endoscope is inserted and a small-diameter tube into which a treatment instrument such as forceps is inserted In particular, it is a specially shaped tube body in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are spirally wound around a large-diameter main tube.

  In order to manufacture a tube body used for next-generation endoscopic treatment such as the above NOTES, the extrusion die 122 is provided so as to follow the base portion corresponding to the large-diameter main tube and the large-diameter main tube tube. If the base portion corresponding to the small-diameter tube to be provided is provided, a main tube having a large diameter and a small-diameter tube are provided in the cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die 122. When the tube tube having such a cross section is taken up in the take-up direction while being rotated by the take-up machine, a tube body in which a small-diameter tube is spirally provided with respect to the large-diameter main tube is generated.

In addition, when providing a small diameter tube spirally with respect to a large diameter main tube, there can be the following three patterns, for example.
The first pattern is a tube body in which a small-diameter tube is spirally provided along an outer wall of a large-diameter main tube.
The second pattern is a tube body in which small-diameter tubes are spirally provided along the inner peripheral wall of the large-diameter main tube.
The third pattern is a tube body in which a small-diameter tube is spirally provided within the wall thickness of a large-diameter main tube.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram simply showing an example of an extrusion die 122a for forming the first pattern tube and a tube 200a extruded using the extrusion die 122a. As shown in FIG. 5, the extrusion die 122a includes a base portion 1221a corresponding to the large-diameter main tube and a base portion 1222a corresponding to the small-diameter tube provided along the outer wall of the large-diameter main tube tube. It has become with. The cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die 122a in FIG. 5 is such that a small diameter tube 220a is provided on the outer wall surface of the large diameter main tube 210a.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the tube 200a formed by attaching the extrusion die 122a to the tip of the extruder 120 and pulling it while applying the rotational torque by the puller 140 is pulled while the tube 200a is rotated. Although the tube 220a is always on the upper surface at the tip of the extruder 120, the position of the small-diameter tube 220a gradually becomes spiral while being pulled while rotating. Although the extrusion die 122a itself is fixed and does not move, the tube 200a rotates, so that the small-diameter tube 220a is formed in a spiral shape relative to the outer wall surface of the large-diameter main tube 210a. .

  FIG. 6 is a diagram simply showing an example of an extrusion die 122b for forming the second pattern tube and a tube 200b extruded using the extrusion die 122b. As shown in FIG. 6, the extrusion die 122b includes a base portion 1221b corresponding to the large-diameter main tube and a base portion 1222b corresponding to the small-diameter tube provided along the inner wall of the large-diameter main tube tube. It has become with. The cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die 122b in FIG. 6 is such that a small diameter tube 220b is provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the large diameter main tube 210b.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the tube 200b formed by attaching the extrusion die 122b to the tip of the extruder 120 and pulling it while applying the rotational torque by the puller 140 is pulled away while the tube 200b is rotated. The tube 220b is always on the upper surface at the tip of the extruder 120, but the position of the small-diameter tube 220b gradually becomes spiral while being pulled while rotating.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram simply showing an example of an extrusion die 122c for forming the tube of the third pattern and a tube 200c extruded using the extrusion die 122c. As shown in FIG. 7, the extrusion die 122c includes a base portion 1221c corresponding to a large-diameter main tube and a base portion 1222c corresponding to a small-diameter tube provided along the inner wall of the large-diameter main tube tube. It has become with. The cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die 122c in FIG. 7 includes the small-diameter tube 220c within the wall thickness of the large-diameter main tube 210c.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the tube 200c formed by attaching the extrusion die 122c to the tip of the extruder 120 and pulling it while applying the rotational torque by the puller 140 is pulled while the tube 200c is rotated. The tube 220c is always within the wall thickness on the upper surface side of the large-diameter tube 210c at the tip of the extruder 120, but the position of the small-diameter tube 220c gradually spirals as it is drawn while rotating. .

The inventors actually constituted the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention, and manufactured the tube body 200 of the present invention using the extrusion molding method of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention actually configured.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the extrusion die 122 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention that is actually configured.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the tube 200 is taken up in the take-up machine 140 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention that is actually configured.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the tube 200 is cut in the cutting device 150 of the extrusion molding device 100 of the present invention actually configured.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a prototype example of a tube body 200 in which a small-diameter tube 220 is spirally provided with respect to a large-diameter main tube 210 actually obtained.
When the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention actually configured as described above is operated, the tube 200 is actually taken up while rotating by the take-up machine 140, and the small-diameter tube 220 is spirally formed with respect to the large-diameter main tube 210. The tube body 200 provided in the above was obtained.

As a technique of the present invention, when a rigid treatment instrument such as laparoscopic forceps is inserted into a small-diameter tube 220, a deviation angle is set with respect to the visual axis of the digestive endoscope protruding from the large-diameter main tube. As a result, the degree of freedom of movement of rigid treatment tools such as forceps is increased, and it is easy to perform treatments such as peeling and excision.
On the other hand, when a rigid treatment instrument such as laparoscopic forceps is inserted into a large-diameter tube as a conventional technique, the deflection angle with respect to the visual axis of the digestive endoscope protruding from the large-diameter main tube is large. It can be seen that it is small and the degree of freedom of movement of a rigid treatment instrument such as forceps is small, and it is difficult to perform treatment such as peeling and excision.

  As mentioned above, although the preferable example in the structural example of the extrusion apparatus of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. .

  The extrusion molding apparatus and the extrusion molding method of the present invention can be applied as an apparatus for extruding various tube bodies and the like. Since the tube body can be taken out while being rotated, a tube of a treatment instrument used in next-generation endoscopic treatment such as NOTES can be manufactured. In the obtained tube, for example, a flexible endoscope can be inserted into a large-diameter main tube, and a treatment instrument such as forceps can be inserted into a small-diameter tube.

It is the figure which showed typically the structure of the whole extrusion molding apparatus 100 of this invention. It is the figure (the 1) explaining simply the relationship between the angle of the rotating shaft of the rotary body of the take-up machine 140, the rotation direction of a rotary body, and the in-line direction through which a tube flows. It is the figure (the 2) explaining simply the relationship between the angle of the rotating shaft of the rotary body of the take-up machine 140, the rotation direction of a rotary body, and the in-line direction through which a tube flows. It is the figure (the 3) explaining simply the relationship between the angle of the rotating shaft of the rotary body of the take-up machine 140, the rotation direction of a rotary body, and the in-line direction through which a tube flows. It is a figure which shows simply the example of the extrusion die 122a for forming the tube of the said 1st pattern, and the tube 200a extruded using the said extrusion die 122a. It is a figure which shows simply the example of the extrusion die 122b for forming the tube of the said 2nd pattern, and the tube 200b extruded using the said extrusion die 122b. It is a figure which shows simply the example of the extrusion die 122c for forming the tube of the said 3rd pattern, and the tube 200c extruded using the said extrusion die 122c. It is a figure which shows an example of the extrusion apparatus 100 of this invention comprised actually. It is an enlarged view near the extrusion die 122 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of the present invention actually configured. It is a figure which shows a mode that the tube 200 is taken up in the take-up machine 140 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of this invention actually comprised. It is a figure which shows a mode that the tube 200 is cut | disconnected in the cutting device 150 of the extrusion molding apparatus 100 of this invention actually comprised. It is a figure which shows the trial example of the tube body 200 by which the small diameter tube 220 was provided in the spiral with respect to the large diameter main tube 210 actually obtained. It is a figure which shows simply the structural example of the conventional extrusion molding apparatus 10 of a tube.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Extrusion molding apparatus 110 Raw material supply apparatus 120 Extruder 121 Cylinder 122 Extrusion die 130 Cooling apparatus 131 Tube tube receiving port from upstream 132 Water tank section 133 Tube tube feeding port downstream 140 Take-out device 141 Rotating body 150 Cutting device 151 Cutter blade 152 Position sensor 200 Tube 210 Large diameter tube portion 220 Small diameter tube portion

Claims (18)

An extruder for melting the supplied raw material and extruding it from an extrusion die to form a tube tube;
A cooling device comprising an inlet for the tube tube from the upstream and an outlet for the tube tube to the downstream, and receiving and cooling the tube tube extruded from the extruder;
A take-up machine for taking up the tube tube cooled by the cooling device at a predetermined speed;
A cutting device for cutting the tube tube that has passed through the take-up machine into a tube body of a predetermined length;
The take-up machine can give a rotational torque to the tube tube in addition to a force in the take-up direction of the tube tube with respect to the tube tube, and the take-up device takes up the tube tube while rotating the tube tube. An extrusion apparatus characterized by the above.   The take-up machine includes at least one rotating body that rotates while being in contact with an outer wall of the tube tube, and a rotation direction of at least one of the rotating bodies is inclined with respect to the take-up direction. The extrusion molding apparatus according to claim 1.   In the configuration in which the two rotating bodies are arranged to face each other, and the tube tube is sandwiched between the rotating bodies facing each other, and is taken up by the rotation of the rotating body, the rotating bodies facing each other The extrusion molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rotation direction of one of the rotating bodies is inclined with respect to the take-up direction.   In the configuration in which the two rotating bodies are arranged to face each other, and the tube tube is sandwiched between the rotating bodies facing each other, and is taken up by the rotation of the rotating body, the rotating bodies facing each other The extrusion molding according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rotation direction of one of the rotating bodies is inclined with respect to the take-up direction, and a rotation direction of the other rotating body is inclined in a reverse direction. apparatus.   The extrusion die includes a base portion corresponding to a large-diameter main tube, and a base portion corresponding to one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes provided along the large-diameter main tube tube, The cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die has the large diameter main tube and the small diameter tube, and the tube body has the small diameter tube with respect to the large diameter main tube. The extrusion molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the extrusion molding apparatus is provided in a spiral shape. An extruder that melts the supplied raw material and extrudes it from an extrusion die to form a tube tube, and is provided with an inlet for the tube tube from upstream and a feed-out port for the tube tube downstream, and is extruded from the extruder. A cooling device that receives and cools the tube tube, a take-up machine that takes the tube tube cooled by the cooling device at a predetermined speed, and the tube tube that has passed through the take-up device is cut into a tube body having a predetermined length. An extrusion molding method using an extrusion molding apparatus equipped with a cutting device to perform,
In the take-up machine, in addition to the force in the take-off direction of the tube tube, in addition to the force in the take-off direction of the tube tube, the take-up machine takes the tube tube while rotating the tube tube. An extrusion method characterized by the above.   The take-up machine includes at least one rotating body that rotates while contacting the outer wall of the tube tube, and the rotation direction of at least one of the rotating bodies is inclined with respect to the take-up direction. The extrusion molding method according to claim 6.   In the take-up machine, the two rotating bodies are arranged to face each other, and the tube tube is sandwiched between the rotating bodies facing each other. The extrusion molding method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a rotation direction of one of the rotating bodies that fits is inclined with respect to the take-off direction.   In the take-up machine, the two rotating bodies are arranged to face each other, and the tube tube is sandwiched between the rotating bodies facing each other. The rotating direction of one of the rotating bodies of the matching rotating bodies is inclined with respect to the take-off direction, and the rotating direction of the other rotating body is inclined in the opposite direction. The extrusion molding apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.   The extrusion die includes a base portion corresponding to a large-diameter main tube, and a base portion corresponding to one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes provided along the large-diameter main tube tube. And a cross section of the tube tube extruded from the extrusion die is provided with the large-diameter main tube and the small-diameter tube, and the tube body is in contact with the large-diameter main tube. The extrusion molding method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the small-diameter tube is provided in a spiral shape.   A tube body in which one or a plurality of the small-diameter tubes are spirally provided with respect to the large-diameter main tube manufactured by the extrusion molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The tube body according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the small diameter tubes is provided along an outer wall surface of the large diameter main tube.   The tube body according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the small-diameter tubes is provided along an inner wall surface of the large-diameter main tube.   The tube body according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the small-diameter tubes is provided within a wall thickness of the large-diameter main tube.   A tube body in which one or a plurality of small-diameter tubes are spirally provided with respect to the large-diameter main tube manufactured by the extrusion molding method according to any one of claims 6 to 10.   The tube body according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the small diameter tubes is provided along an outer wall surface of the large diameter main tube.   The tube body according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the small diameter tubes is provided along an inner wall surface of the large diameter main tube.   The tube body according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the small-diameter tubes is provided within a wall thickness of the large-diameter main tube.