JP3573360B2 - Flexible tube - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention generally relates to a flexible pipe having a flexible function, which is widely used as a pipe or a joint in various industrial fields such as various machines, equipment, vehicles, and appliances.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this kind of flexible pipe, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the center portion of the width is simply formed as an inclined wall (12) by a metal band material, and both side edges are bent in opposite directions, respectively. The main body (11) formed in a spiral shape by forming the hook portions (11 ') and (11 ") in a spiral shape is interposed between adjacent main body hook portions, and is hooked and connected to form a continuous structure. It had been.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a conventional technique has a degree of freedom in the twisting direction and the axial direction of the tube because of the spiral structure wound in a fixed direction, and the engaging portions (11 ′) and (11 ″). Due to the relative movement caused by the hook-shaped friction caused by the interlocking and the hooking structure of each other, the airtightness of the hooking and the hooking portion is liable to be deteriorated, which often causes a problem such as a problem. This has the disadvantage that it tends to be inflexible with respect to bending or expansion and contraction, and that it is not possible to integrally form straight pipes at both end portions that make a connection. Was something.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the related art, and has a structure in which a plurality of locking portions of a cylindrical body and an elastic curl portion of a ring are sequentially and alternately arranged to form a ring. The relative rotational displacement function allows freedom in the twisting direction of the tube, making it easy to arrange it. The bending shape makes installation easy, and the elastic curl makes it easy to install. By using a cylinder and a ring having different widths and / or outer diameters as required, the elasticity of the pipe is partially changed to enhance the durability. If the material is not inclined, it can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, and by using different materials, the natural frequency is also partially changed to improve the vibration resistance, and products that meet the application So that the left and right mating pipes with different diameters None allows the connection between the parts, it is an object to provide a flexible tube so as to capable of forming a straight tube tubular wall for connection at the outermost ends together at the same time.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an inner or outer peripheral portion of a short cylindrical body made of a metal material or a resin material having a substantially E-shaped vertical cross section. One of short-shaped rings having a plurality of the cylindrical bodies arranged in the axial direction by forming locking portions facing in the direction and having an elastic curl portion at the end inside each of the locking portions. And the other curl portion is resiliently engaged with the other engaging portion of the adjacent separate cylinder, and the cylinder and the ring are sequentially and alternately provided. A flexible tube, wherein a curved portion facing the same direction as the locking portion is further provided on both side edges of the inner peripheral wall or the outer peripheral wall of the cylindrical body, or a curled portion of the ring Is formed in a substantially hanging ring shape in cross section, and an annular coil spring member is provided inside the curled portion. Or, the cylindrical body and the ring are connected at least one of their width and outer diameter in a stepped or inclined shape with a difference in at least one of their width and outer diameter, or the cylindrical body is formed by back-to-back with a substantially U-shaped vertical cross section. It is fixed and integrally formed, an annular mountain-shaped protrusion is formed at a substantially middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the ring, or a straight pipe wall for connection is integrally formed at the outermost end of the cylinder or the ring. It is configured to have.
[0006]
[Action]
Since the present invention is configured as described above, the ring-shaped elastic curl formed by the elastic curl on the ring side which is successively and alternately connected to the locking portion at both side edges formed on the cylindrical body side, At least in the relative rotational displacement function, preferably in addition to the relative rotational displacement function, the degree of freedom in the torsion direction, axial direction or bending direction of the pipe by the axial displacement function and the bending function such as bending and eccentricity. It is possible to make installation easier by adjusting the whole shape that makes the installation easier, and the elasticity of the elastic curl part increases the airtightness of the continuous part, Furthermore, the use of a cylindrical body and a ring body having different widths and / or outer diameters as desired allows the elastic modulus of the pipe to be partially changed to increase the durability, and the use of different materials also partially causes the natural vibration. Change the number to improve vibration resistance and use The product can be connected to the left and right mating pipes or parts with different diameters, and at the same time, the straight pipe wall for connection at the outermost end is integrated with the cylinder or ring itself. Can be formed.
[0007]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flexible tube of the present invention with a partial cutout, and FIGS. 2 to 9 are views corresponding to FIG. 1 according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are views corresponding to FIG. 1 of still another embodiment, in which (1) is a plurality of short members made of a metal material or a resin material. (8) formed integrally with each other so as to have an E-shaped vertical cross-section or brazed or glued with a U-shaped vertical cross-section back to back. The outer peripheral wall (1 ') or the inner peripheral wall (1 ") has a locking portion (2) which is directed inward or outward at both side edges.
[0008]
On the other hand, the short ring (3) has elastic curl portions (4) and (4 ') at both ends thereof, and the one curl portion (4) is engaged with one of the cylindrical bodies (1). (2) and the other curl portion (4 ') is resiliently engaged with the inside of the other curl portion (2) of the adjacent separate cylinder (1). 1) The flexible pipe is constructed by sequentially and alternately connecting the ring (3). In other words, the elastic curl portions (4) and (4 ') are elastically engaged with the outer peripheral wall (1') and the inner peripheral wall (1 ") of the cylindrical body (1). The inside of the curl portions (4) and (4 ') are annular coil spring members as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 so as to be rotatable and axially displaceable between the peripheral walls. It is also possible to improve the sealing property by increasing the elasticity of the curl portion by installing (5), and (7) is a straight tube wall for connection, which is formed of the cylinder (1) or the ring (3). It is formed integrally with the outermost end.
[0009]
The cylindrical body (1) and the ring (3) have the same diameter but are made of different materials, or their widths and / or outer diameters are stepped or changed as shown in FIGS. When it is configured in an inclined manner, a vibration preventing function is exhibited due to the difference in the natural frequency.
[0010]
Further, as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 10A, both sides of the inner peripheral wall (1 ″) or the outer peripheral wall (1 ′) of the cylindrical body (1) are oriented in the same direction as the locking portion (2). A further curved portion (2a) is provided or the outermost and innermost positions of the curled portions (4) and (4 ') of the ring (3) as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 10 (b). The ring (3) is formed in a substantially hanging ring shape so as to be outward and inward from the peripheral wall of the ring (3), or as shown in FIGS. By providing the portion (6), the degree of freedom of the bending function such as bending and eccentricity can be increased.
[0011]
Although the axial displacement function and the bending function are slightly inferior to those of the above-described embodiment, in the portion where it is sufficient to exert only the rotational displacement function, the cylindrical body (1) and the ring (3) are used as shown in FIG. The entire flexible pipe may be formed in a tapered wall that expands in one direction so as to form a trumpet shape, or the peripheral wall of the cylindrical body (1) may be protruded in a substantially mountain shape or may be depressed in a substantially valley shape as shown in FIG. It can also be configured in a wave shape.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the flexible tube according to the present invention is provided with the elastic curls (4) (4) which are successively and alternately provided with the locking portions (2) at both side edges of the plurality of cylindrical bodies (1). ′) Is formed by the resilient engagement of the ring (3) with the curled portion, so that the ring (3) has at least a relative rotational displacement function, preferably a relative rotational displacement function. In addition, the axial displacement function and the bending function make it possible to freely adjust the degree of freedom in the torsion direction, the axial direction or the bending direction of the pipe, and the entire shape can be easily adjusted, thereby simplifying the installation at the time of disposition. In addition, the elasticity of the elastic curls (4) and (4 ') enhances the airtightness at the connecting portion, and further, the cylinder (1) and the ring (3) having different widths and / or outer diameters as desired. By using, the elastic modulus is partially changed to increase durability In addition, by using different materials, the natural frequency can be partially changed to improve the vibration resistance and obtain a product suitable for the application, and it can be connected to the left and right mating pipes or parts with different diameters. This is an extremely useful flexible pipe, such that the straight pipe wall (7) for connection at the outermost end can be formed integrally with the cylinder (1) or the ring (3) itself.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flexible tube according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is partially cut away.
FIG. 2 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 according to another embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to yet another embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 according to yet another embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 according to yet another embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing still another embodiment, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are partially enlarged sectional views, respectively.
FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 according to yet another embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway plan view of a flexible pipe showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cylindrical body 1 'Outer peripheral wall 1 "Inner peripheral wall 2 Locking part 2a Curved part 3 Ring 4, 4' Elastic curl 5 Coil / spring member 6 Wavefront 7 Straight tube wall 8 Fixed

Claims (8)

An inner or outer edge is formed on both side edges of an outer peripheral wall (1 ') or an inner peripheral wall (1 ") of a short cylindrical body (1) made of a metal material or a resin material having a substantially E-shaped vertical section. An elastic curl portion (4, 4 ') is formed at the end inside each of the locking portions with a plurality of the cylindrical bodies arranged in the axial direction by forming a locking portion (2) facing toward the center. One of the curled portions (4) of the short ring (3) and the other curled portion (4 ') of the short ring (3) are connected to the other engaging portion (2) of the adjacent cylindrical body (1). A flexible pipe characterized in that the pipe (1) and the ring (3) are successively and alternately connected to each other in a resilient manner. A curved portion (2a) facing the same direction as the locking portion (2) is further provided on both side edges of the inner peripheral wall (1 ") or the outer peripheral wall (1 ') of the cylindrical body (1). The flexible pipe according to claim 1, wherein The flexible pipe according to claim 1, wherein the curled portions (4, 4 ') of the ring (3) are formed in a substantially hanging ring shape in cross section. The flexible tube according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an annular coil spring member (5) is provided inside the curled portion (4, 4 '). 5. The cylindrical body (1) and the ring (3) are successively provided in a stepped or inclined shape with at least one of their width and outer diameter being different. The flexible tube as described. The flexible tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tubular body (1) is fixed (8) by back-to-back with a substantially U-shaped vertical cross section, and is integrally formed. The flexible pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an annular chevron projection (6) is formed at a substantially middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the ring (3). 8. A tube body (1) or a ring (3), wherein a straight pipe wall (7) for connection is integrally formed at an outermost end of the ring (3). The flexible tube as described.

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