JP2021045829A - Tube gripper - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tube gripper allowing work of connecting a tube and a joint member to be easily performed even in a narrow space.SOLUTION: A tube gripping portion 10 comprises: a pair of holding portions 20A and 20B which are connected with each other via a connecting portion 40 so that inner surfaces facing each other can approach and separate from each other, and which can be held by fingers of a hand; and non-slip portions 14A and 14B that are provided on respective inner surfaces 26 of the pair of holding portions 20A, 20B, and generate friction between themselves and a tube 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a tube gripper used when connecting a tube and a joint member.

Conventionally, as a tool for simplifying the connection between a tube having a small diameter and a joint member, that is, the work of inserting and fitting the joint member into the tip opening of the tube, the tube and the joint member are attached to the tool and attached to the tool. There is known a tool for fitting by manually operating the provided operation unit.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tool for fitting a tube having an outer diameter of 10 to 15 mm into a joint member. This fitting tool includes a first holding portion that holds the tube, a second holding portion that holds the joint member, and an operating portion that brings the second holding portion closer to and separated from the first holding portion. The operation unit is composed of a lever-shaped handle.

In this fitting tool, the tube and the joint member are held by the first holding portion and the second holding portion in a state where the second holding portion is separated from the first holding portion, and then the handle is moved. The tube can be fitted into the joint member by manually operating the second holding portion to bring it closer to the first holding portion. In this way, by using the fitting tool that defines the relative position between the tube and the joint member, it is possible to easily connect the tube, which has a small outer diameter and is difficult to pinch with human fingers, to the joint member. , Work efficiency can be improved.

Japanese Patent No. 2582712

However, when connecting the joint member and the tube in a narrow space where interior parts are complicatedly intricate in a housing where space is limited, for example, in the internal space of an inkjet printer, ink is applied to the joint member attached to the ink cartridge. When connecting the outflow tube, the conventional fitting tool may not be able to insert the tool into a narrow space, or the space may be too narrow to operate the handle of the tool.

Therefore, when connecting a tube with a small outer diameter and a joint member in a narrow space, the operator grasps the tube with his or her fingers while wearing bare hands or gloves without using a tool, and attaches the tube to the joint member. I was working on fitting.

However, when working with fingers, less skilled workers tend to have a stronger grip on the tube to prevent the tube from slipping between their fingers, resulting in breakage or crushing of the tube. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tube gripper capable of easily connecting a tube and a joint member even in a narrow space.

In order to achieve the above object, the tube gripper according to the present invention is connected via a connecting portion so that the inner surfaces facing each other can approach and separate from each other, and a pair of holding portions that can be gripped by the fingers of the hand. A feature is provided, and a non-slip portion provided on the inner surface of each of the pair of holding portions to generate friction with the tube.

According to the tube gripper, when the pair of holding portions are gripped by, for example, two fingers and the tube is sandwiched between the pair of holding portions by the non-slip portions provided on the inner surface, the holding portion and the tube are held together. The friction between them increases and the tube is prevented from slipping. Therefore, even if the operator does not grip the tube with a strong force, the work of fitting the tube into the joint member can be performed while preventing the tube from slipping between the fingers, and the work of connecting the tube and the joint member is easy. Therefore, the work efficiency can be improved. Further, since the pair of holding portions can be gripped by the fingers of the hand, even when the tube and the joint member are connected in a narrow space, the work is performed with the tube gripping tool gripped by the fingers. be able to.

According to the tube gripper according to the present invention, slippage of the tube can be suppressed by the non-slip portion provided on the inner surface of the pair of holding portions, and the connection work between the tube and the joint member can be facilitated even in a narrow space. Can be done.

The figure explaining the use state of the tube gripper which is 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tube gripper shown in FIG. A perspective view of the tube gripper shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the inner surface side. Top view of the tube gripper. Bottom view of the tube gripper. Left side view of the tube gripper. Front view of the tube gripper. Perspective view of the base material. The perspective view which shows the modification 1 of the base material. The perspective view which shows the modification 2 of the base material. The perspective view which shows the modification 3 of the base material. The perspective view explaining the 2nd Embodiment of a tube gripper.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a usage state of the tube gripper according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tube gripper shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is FIG. It is a perspective view of the tube gripper shown in the above as seen from the inner surface side. 4 is a plan view of the tube gripper, FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the tube gripper, FIG. 6 is a left side view of the tube gripper, and FIG. 7 is a front view of the tube gripper. It should be noted that the right side view and the rear view of the tube gripper are the same as the left side view and the front view, respectively, and thus the description is omitted. The tube fitting jig 10 is a jig preferably used when connecting a tube having a small outer diameter (for example, a tube having an outer diameter of 10 mm or less) and a joint member, and the base material 12 and the base material. A pair of non-slip members (non-slip portions) 14A and 14B attached to the 12 are provided.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the base material. The base material 12 constitutes a base on which the non-slip members 14A and 14B are attached, and the pair of holding portions 20A, to which the pair of anti-slip members 14A and 14B are attached and formed of a pair of plate-like bodies, 20B and a connecting portion 40 for connecting the holding portions 20A and 20B are provided. The pair of holding portions 20A and 20B are formed in a size that can be grasped by the operator's fingers. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B are formed by the index finger 66 and the thumb 68. It is formed so that 20A and 20B can be gripped.

The holding portions 20A and 20B are formed of a material harder than the non-slip members 14A and 14B, for example, a hard resin material, a metal material, wood or the like so that the non-slip members 14A and 14B can be stably held. There is. The holding portions 20A and 20B are connected via a connecting portion 40 so that the inner surfaces 26 to which the anti-slip members 14A and 14B are attached are opposed to each other and can be approached and separated from each other. In this embodiment, the paired holding portions 20A and 20B are formed in the same shape.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, each of the holding portions 20A and 20B is surrounded by the first side wall 21, the second side wall 22, the third side wall 23, and the fourth side wall 24 in a plan view. It is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22 extend substantially parallel to the length direction (the length direction will be described in detail in the next paragraph). The third side wall 23 is a side wall connecting one end of the first side wall 21 and the second side wall, and extends linearly in the width direction orthogonal to the length direction. The connecting portions between the third side wall 23 and the first and second side walls 21 and 22 are chamfered to form a curved surface. The fourth side wall 24 is a side wall connecting the first side wall 21 and the other end of the second side wall, and the central portion in the width direction is formed into a substantially arcuate curved surface protruding outward in the length direction. There is.

In each of the holding portions 20A and 20B, the third side wall 23 forms a connecting side end portion on which the connecting portion 40 is provided, and the fourth side wall 24 has an distal end side end portion opposite to the connecting side end portion. Is forming. Further, in the present embodiment, the length direction of the holding portions 20A and 20B is a direction from the connecting side end portion to the tip end side end portion.

The dimensions of the holding portions 20A and 20B in the length direction can be set, for example, in the range of 20 mm to 35 mm, preferably in the range of 22 mm to 28 mm. Further, the dimensions of the holding portions 20A and 20B in the width direction can be set, for example, in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm, preferably in the range of 18 mm to 25 mm. In the present embodiment, the dimension in the length direction is set to 25 mm, and the dimension in the width direction is set to 20 mm. Further, the thickness of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B can be set to, for example, 10 mm or less, preferably 8 mm or less.

Each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a recessed portion 36 having the inner surface 26 recessed toward the outer surface 28 on the inner surface 26 between the third side wall 23 and the fourth side wall 24. The recessed portion 36 extends in the width direction so as to be continuous from the first side side 21 to the second side side 22. In the present embodiment, the recessed portion 36 is formed in a curved surface shape in which almost the entire area extends from the third side wall 23 to the fourth side wall 24 and is curved in an R shape. By forming the recessed portion 36 on the inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B, as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B are close to each other so that a part of the inner surface 26 of each other is in contact with each other. A gap S1 penetrating in the width direction is formed between the third side wall 23 and the fourth side wall 24 (that is, between the connecting side end portion and the tip end side end portion). The gap S1 has the largest dimension between the inner surfaces 26 facing each other at the central portion in the length direction.

Further, each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has an inner surface 26 recessed so as to be connected to the recessed portion 26 from the central end portion in the width direction of the fourth side wall 24 (that is, the distal end side end portion of the holding portions 20A and 20B). It has a tip recessed portion 38. The inner surface 26 forming the tip recessed portion 38 is a curved surface having a substantially arcuate cross section having a larger curvature than the curved surface forming the recessed portion 36. By forming the tip recessed portion 38 on the inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B, as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B approach each other so that a part of the inner surface 26 abuts on each other. When they are opposed to each other, a gap S2 is formed on the tip end side of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B so as to extend in the length direction from the tip end side end portion and communicate with the gap S1. By forming the recessed portion 36 and the tip recessed portion 38 in this way, a substantially T-shaped gap is formed between the inner surfaces 26 of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B that are closely opposed to each other.

Further, each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a recess 30 in the central portion of the outer surface 28. In this embodiment, the recess 30 is formed in a double annular shape. Specifically, the concave portion 30 forms an outer ring, and the outer concave portion 32 is recessed from the reference surface 28a of the outer surface 28, and the outer concave portion 33 is formed by a circular annular convex portion 33 formed inside the outer concave portion 32. It has 32 and a circular inner recess 34 partitioned. Further, in the present embodiment, an elliptical outer annular convex portion 31 that is more convex than the reference surface 28a is formed between the outer concave portion 32 and the reference surface 28a on the outer side thereof. The height of the top surface of the annular convex portion 33 is lower than that of the reference surface 28a. The outer recess 32 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape that is long in the length direction of the holding portions 20A and 20B.

Further, each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a tip thin portion 39 on the tip side, in which the outer surface 28 is inclined in a chamfered shape to reduce the wall thickness of the plate-like body.

The connecting portion 40 is a portion for connecting the holding portions 20A and 20B, and is formed in a flexible band shape. One end of the connecting portion 40 is connected to the third side wall 23 of one holding portion 20A and the other end is connected to the other holding portion 20B so that the inner surfaces 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B can face each other. It is connected to the third side wall 23 of the above. The connecting portion 40 of the present embodiment is made of the same material as the holding portions 20A and 20B and is integrally molded with these, but the connecting portion 40 is formed of a material different from that of the holding portions 20A and 20B. May be good.

The base material 12 is not limited to the one described above, and may be formed so that a non-slip member can be attached to or anti-slip processed on the inner surfaces of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B. Various changes are possible. Hereinafter, modifications 1 to 3 of the base material 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. In the first to third modifications, the same reference numerals are given to the portions corresponding to the base material 12 of the first embodiment described above.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a modification 1 of the base material 12. In the base material 12 of the first modification, the holding portions 20A and 20B are in the length direction (the direction in which the first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22 extend and the direction from the connecting side end portion to the tip end side end portion). The dimension of is almost equal to the dimension in the width direction orthogonal to the length direction, and is formed in a substantially square plate shape in a plan view. The outer surface 28 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B is formed in a flat surface. Further, on the inner surface 26 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B, an inner surface 26 between the third side wall 23 and the fourth side wall 24 is recessed so as to be continuous from the first side side 21 to the second side side 22. The recessed portion 36 is formed. The recessed portion 36 forms a gap S1 penetrating in the width direction between the third side wall 23 and the fourth side wall 24 in a state where the inner surfaces 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B are close to each other and face each other.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification 2 of the base material 12. In the base material 12 of the second modification, the holding portions 20A and 20B have substantially the same dimensions in the length direction and the width direction, and are formed in a substantially square plate shape in a plan view. A circular recess 30 is formed in the central portion of the outer surface 28 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B. A recessed portion 36 and a tip recessed portion 38 are formed on the inner surface 26 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B. The recessed portion 36 and the recessed portion 38 form a gap S1 penetrating in the width direction and a gap S2 connected to the gap S1 in a state where the inner surfaces 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B are close to each other and face each other.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modification 3 of the base material 12. In the base material 12 of the modified example 3, each of the holding portions 20A and 20B is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having a longer dimension in the length direction than in the width direction in a plan view. The fourth side wall 24 is formed on a substantially arcuate curved surface. A recess 30 is formed in the central portion of the outer surface 28 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B. The recess 30 is formed in a double annular shape, and is a circular shape partitioned from the outer concave portion 32 by an outer concave portion 32 forming an outer ring and a circular annular convex portion 33 formed inside the outer concave portion 32. It has an inner recess 34.
The inner surface 26 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a recessed portion 36 and a tip recessed portion 38 so that a gap S1 and a gap S2 are formed between the inner surfaces 26 facing each other in a state of being close to each other. Is formed.

As shown in the modified examples 1 to 3, in the present invention, the recesses 30, the tip recessed portion 38, and the tip thinned portion 39 of the holding portions 20A and 20B are not indispensable configurations. Further, the inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B may be flat without having the recessed portion 36 and the tip recessed portion 38. Further, the recessed portion 36 and the tip recessed portion 38 may be provided only in one of the paired holding portions 20A and 20B, and the inner surface 26 of the other holding portion may be formed in a flat shape. ..

Each of the non-slip members 14A and 14B is attached to the inner surface 26 of each of the holding portions 20A and 20B, and is made of an elastic material. The elastic material is not particularly limited, and for example, rubber, a foam such as sponge or ethylene propylene diene rubber can be used. The non-slip members 14A and 14B of the present embodiment are formed of an opsealer (registered trademark) which is a foam, and are attached to the inner surface 26 of the holding members 20A and 20B by using an adhesive. The non-slip members 14A and 14B are formed in a planar shape covering the entire inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B.

In the present invention, the non-slip members 14A and 14B are not indispensable, and the inner surfaces 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B are subjected to anti-slip processing (for example, so that the friction coefficient of the inner surface 26 is increased). The surface 26 may be roughened) to serve as a non-slip portion.

Next, the operation of the tube gripper 10 described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the user holds the tube 60 with the outer surfaces 28 of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B held by the fingertips of one hand (specifically, the index finger 66 and the belly of the thumb 68). To grasp. In FIG. 1, the tube 60 is gripped in a state of being extended in the width direction of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B. The tube 60 is gripped in a state of being sandwiched between a pair of non-slip members 14A and 14B attached to the inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B.

When the tube 60 is sandwiched between the non-slip members 14A and 14B, the non-slip members 14, A and 14B are elastically deformed to wrap the outer circumference of the tube 60 over the entire area, and the tube 60 and the non-slip member 14A, Since the contact area with the 14B is increased and the frictional force is increased due to the elastic deformation of the non-slip members 14A and 14B, the tube 60 is prevented from slipping. As a result, the connection work between the tube 60 and the joint member can be facilitated, and the work efficiency can be improved. The tube gripper 10 of the present invention can be suitably used for a tube having an outer diameter of 10 mm or less, particularly a small diameter tube having an outer diameter of 3 mm to 6 mm.

Further, since the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B can be gripped by two fingers 66 and 68, the tube gripping tool can be used even when connecting the tube 60 and the joint member in a narrow space. The work can be performed while holding the 10 with the fingers 66 and 68. In particular, the tube gripper 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a tip thin-walled portion 39 having an outer surface 28 inclined in a chamfered shape at the tip end side, so that the tube gripper 10 can be easily inserted into a narrow space. Therefore, it is excellent in workability in a narrow space.

Further, by providing the recess 30 at the center of the outer surface 28 of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B, it is possible to make it easier to tactilely align the positions of the abdomen of the fingers 66 and 68 with the recess 30. As a result, the central portion of the outer surface 28 of the holding portions 20A and 20B can be easily gripped by the pads of the two fingers 66 and 68, and as a result, the inner surface 26 of the holding portions 20A and 20B can be gripped. It becomes possible to apply the force uniformly. Further, in the present embodiment, by forming the recess 30 in a double ring shape, the inner recess 34 can tactilely guide the positions of the abdomen of the fingers 66 and 68 to be located at the center of the outer surface 28. It is possible to guide the fingertips tactilely so that the fingertips do not leak to the outside of the holding portions 20A and 20B by the outer concave portion 32.

Further, since each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a recessed portion 36 forming a gap S1 on the inner surface 26 thereof, when the tube 60 is gripped, the recessed portions 26 of the inner surface 26 facing each other By sandwiching the tube 60 between them, it is possible to suppress the tube 60 from being crushed or broken even when the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B are gripped with a strong force.

Further, since each of the holding portions 20A and 20B has a tip recessed portion 38 forming a gap S2 connected to the gap S1 on the inner surface 26 thereof, the tube 60 has a position as shown by a virtual line in FIG. Even when the tube 60 is gripped so as to extend diagonally from the second side wall 22 to the fourth side wall 24, the gaps S1 and S2 formed between the inner surfaces 26 facing each other suppress the tube 60 from being crushed or broken. be able to.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the tube gripper 10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the tube gripper 10. In the tube gripper 10 shown in FIG. 12, the parts corresponding to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

The tube gripper 10 of the second embodiment includes an annular band 18 into which the fingers of the hand are inserted. The band 18 is attached to one of the pair of holding portions 20A and 20B. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the band 18 is attached to the holding portion 20A and the index finger 66 is inserted into the band 18. The band 18 is preferably adjustable in length in the circumferential direction so as to match the thickness of the finger 66. In the illustrated example, the band 18 is made of a rubber material that can be expanded and contracted in the circumferential direction, thereby fitting the band 18 to the index finger 66. Instead of this, the band 18 may be provided with an adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the length in the circumferential direction.

In the tube gripping tool 10 of the second embodiment, since the band 18 is provided, the tube 60 and the joint member can be continuously connected without removing the tube gripping tool 10 from the fingers of the hand. , Work efficiency can be improved. For example, when connecting a plurality of tubes 60 to a plurality of joint members, it is not necessary to re-hold the tube gripper 10 with a finger each time one tube 60 is connected, and the tube gripper 10 is held by the same index finger 66 each time. The connection work can be performed while fitting the position.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

10 Tube gripper 12 Base material 14A, 14B Non-slip member (non-slip part)
18 Band 20A, 20B Holding part 21 1st side wall 22 2nd side wall 23 3rd side wall 24 4th side wall 26 Inner surface 28 Outer surface 30 Recessed 36 Recessed part 38 Tip recessed part 39 Tip thin wall part 40 Connecting part 60 Tube

Claims (7)

A pair of holding parts that are connected via connecting parts so that the inner surfaces facing each other can approach and separate from each other and can be gripped by the fingers of the hand.
A tube gripper provided on the inner surface of each of the pair of holding portions and provided with a non-slip portion for generating friction with the tube. The tube gripper according to claim 1, wherein the pair of holding portions has a recess in a central portion of an outer surface. The pair of holding portions has a recessed portion having an inner surface recessed between the connecting side end portion to which the connecting portion is connected and the tip end side end portion on the side opposite to the connecting end portion. The tube gripper according to claim 1 or 2. The tube gripper according to claim 3, wherein the pair of holding portions has a tip recessed portion whose inner surface is recessed so as to be connected to the recessed portion from the tip end side end portion. The tube gripper according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the pair of holding portions has a chamfered inclined tip thin wall portion on the outer surface of the tip end side end portion. The tube gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the non-slip portion is made of an elastic material. The tube gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an annular band attached to any one of the pair of holding portions and into which the fingers of the hand are inserted.

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