JP4153291B2 - Flexible Tube - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flexible tube inserted in the middle of an exhaust pipe of an automobile engine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a technique of a flexible tube that is inserted in the middle of an exhaust pipe of an automobile engine and absorbs an input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is known (see Patent Document 1).
The flexible tube as described above is preferably disposed at a position directly below the center of the engine roll mainly in the FF vehicle.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 6A, the input of the engine roll at the time of acceleration / deceleration of the automobile is input from the exhaust pipe 03 on the engine side mainly in the left-right direction due to the deformation of the flexible tube 01. Absorbed.
Further, depending on the layout of the engine or the like, the flexible tube 01 may not be disposed at a position directly below the engine roll center 02.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the engine roll input during acceleration / deceleration of the automobile is mainly performed from the exhaust pipe 03 on the engine side to the flexible tube 01 mainly at the center of the axis of the flexible tube 01. It is transmitted in a tangential direction on a concentric circle 04 centered on 02 and absorbed by deformation of the flexible tube 01.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-235538 A (page 1-3, FIG. 1)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional flexible tube, when the automobile accelerates rapidly and the input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side becomes an excessive input, the flexible tube cannot absorb the excessive input and may be damaged.
In addition, the excessive input as used in the field of this invention points out the stress beyond the allowable limit which a flexible tube can deform | transform and absorb.
Also, if the conventional flexible tube is placed at a position off the position directly below the center of the engine roll, the input direction from the exhaust pipe on the engine side becomes a complicated direction, which reduces the strength of the flexible tube. There is a risk that durability will deteriorate.
The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to prevent a flexible tube from being damaged by suppressing an excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side to the flexible tube. Is to provide.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible tube that can appropriately suppress excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side with the minimum necessary suppression means.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical bellows inserted in the middle of an exhaust pipe of an automobile engine and having a plurality of bellows, a cylindrical outer cylinder surrounding the bellows, and the left and right sides of the bellows and the outer cylinder In a flexible tube provided with cylindrical protectors fitted to both ends, a wire for suppressing excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is stretched between the left and right protectors, and between the left and right protectors. The direction of the wire and the direction of excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side are matched .
[0006]
In the invention according to claim 2, a cylindrical bellows inserted in the exhaust pipe of an automobile engine and having a plurality of bellows, a cylindrical outer cylinder surrounding the bellows, and left and right of the bellows and the outer cylinder In a flexible tube provided with cylindrical protectors fitted to both ends, a wire for suppressing excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is stretched between the left and right protectors, and between the left and right protectors. The wire direction and the tangential direction of a concentric circle centering on the center of the engine roll at the axial center position between the two protectors are matched .
[0009]
[Action and effect of the invention]
In the invention according to claim 1 , when excessive input is input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side, the wire restricts displacement between the left and right protectors, and as a result, deformation of the bellows in the excessive input direction can be suppressed, Breakage of the flexible tube can be prevented.
Further, the wire is suitable because it can be appropriately bent even when the input direction from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is a complicated direction.
In the first and second aspects of the invention, the direction of the wire between the left and right protectors and the tangential direction of a concentric circle centering on the center of the engine roll at the axial center position between the two protectors are matched. Thus, regardless of the position where the flexible tube is inserted, the direction of excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side coincides with the direction of the wire, and it is possible to appropriately prevent excessive input to the flexible tube.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the vehicle body front structure of the present invention will be described below.
1 is a side sectional view showing the flexible tube of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the flexible tube of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a side view (a) and a front view (b) of the protector, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the flexible tube.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible tube A of the present embodiment includes a cylindrical bellows 1, a cylindrical outer cylinder 2 surrounding the bellows 1, and left and right ends of the bellows 1 and the outer cylinder 2. The externally fitted cylindrical protectors 3 and 3 are the main components.
[0014]
The bellows 1 is formed with a plurality of bellows 1a extending and contracting so as to absorb the input of the exhaust pipe 4 on the engine side.
Further, cylindrical portions 1b for inserting and connecting front and rear exhaust pipes are provided at both ends of the bellows 1.
The outer cylinder 2 is formed, for example, by knitting a fine-line metal or blade knitting, and is deformed following the deformation of the bellows 1.
[0015]
The protector 3 is for fixing both end portions of the bellows 1 and the outer cylinder 2, and as shown in FIG. 2, a wire 5 is stretched between the left and right protectors 3 and 3.
Hereinafter, the tensioning of the wire 5 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 3, both the protectors 3 and 3 are formed in a front-view shape, and screw holes 3c and 3d for fixing screws 3b to be described later are provided below the side wall portions 3a. ing.
The protectors 3 and 3 are fixed to both ends of the outer cylinder 2 so that the screw holes 3c are diagonally positioned, and the wire 5 (the tip of which is processed into a ring shape in the screw holes 3c). Screws 3b inserted through both ends of the restraining means) are fixed.
Since the wires 5 are also stretched between the screw holes 3d and 3d of the protectors 3 and 3, a total of two wires 5 are stretched parallel to the axis of the flexible tube A. The wire 5 is given a predetermined bending.
[0016]
Hereinafter, the operation of the flexible tube A of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the flexible tube A of the present embodiment is disposed at a position deviated from directly below the center o of the engine roll.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the direction of the wire 5 is a concentric circle (illustrated by a broken line) centered on the center o of the engine roll at the axial center position C between the left and right protectors 3 and 3. Arrangement is made so that the tangential direction (shown by a one-dot chain line) coincides.
[0017]
When the automobile accelerates in normal operation, the engine roll acts in the direction of arrow a, and the input from the exhaust pipe 4 on the engine side is input in the tangential direction (shown by arrow b in the figure) in the flexible tube A, It is absorbed by deformation of the bellows 1 and the outer cylinder 2 of the flexible tube A.
[0018]
When the vehicle suddenly accelerates, for example, when it suddenly starts from a stopped state, the direction of input from the exhaust pipe 4 on the engine side by the engine roll is the same as the direction of the arrow b. A bellows 1 and outer cylinder 2 of A cannot be absorbed completely, resulting in excessive input, and the wire 5 suppresses displacement of both protectors 3 and 3 in the direction of the excessive input. As a result, the excessive input of the bellows 1 and outer cylinder 2 The displacement in the direction is suppressed.
When the automobile is decelerated, the wire 5 is bent to follow the deformation of the flexible tube A.
[0019]
Therefore, in the flexible tube A of the present embodiment, when an excessive input is input from the exhaust pipe 4 on the engine side, the wires 5 stretched in a direction that coincides with the excessive input direction are provided in the two protectors 3. , 3 and the deformation of the bellows 1 and the outer cylinder 2 are suppressed, so that the flexible tube A can be prevented from being damaged.
In addition, the wire 5 as a restraining means is inexpensive and can be easily replaced by removing the screw 3b, and is excellent in maintainability.
Further, since the protector 3 is formed in a front view, and the wires 5 are stretched by providing the screw holes 3c and 3d on both side portions 3a thereof, the wire 5 can be provided in a straight line, and the wire 5 is provided in the outer cylinder 2 It becomes difficult to touch.
[0020]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and the present invention can be applied even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the invention. include.
For example, although the outer cylinder 2 has been described as having a cylindrical shape, it may be formed in an elliptical shape.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the flexible tube A is disposed at a position directly below the center of the engine roll, the protectors 3 and 3 are placed so that the screw holes 3c and 3d of the left and right protectors 3 are opposed to each other. The wire 5 is stretched so as to coincide with a tangential direction (illustrated by a one-dot chain line) of a concentric circle (illustrated by a broken line) around the center o of the engine roll at the axial center position C between the protectors 3 and 3. It can cope by setting.
[0021]
Further, the length, diameter, strength, stretching direction, number of installations, and tension of the wire 5 can be set as appropriate.
Moreover, the wire 5 as a suppression means should just be what can suppress the deformation | transformation of the flexible tube A with respect to an excessive input, for example, a chain etc. may be substituted.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a flexible tube of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the flexible tube of the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a side view (a) and a front view (b) of the protector according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the flexible tube of the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a conventional flexible tube.
[Explanation of symbols]
A Flexible tube 1 Bellows 1a Bellows 1b Cylindrical part 2 Outer cylinder 3 Protector 3a Both side wall parts 3b Screw 3c, 3d Screw hole 4 Engine side exhaust pipe 5 Wire

Claims (2)

A cylindrical bellows that is inserted in the exhaust pipe of an automobile engine and has a plurality of bellows, a cylindrical outer cylinder that surrounds the bellows, and the left and right ends of the bellows and the outer cylinder. In a flexible tube provided with a cylindrical protector,
A wire that suppresses excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is stretched between the left and right protectors,
A flexible tube characterized in that the direction of the wire between the left and right protectors is matched with the direction of excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side . A cylindrical bellows that is inserted in the exhaust pipe of an automobile engine and has a plurality of bellows, a cylindrical outer cylinder that surrounds the bellows, and the left and right ends of the bellows and the outer cylinder. In a flexible tube provided with a cylindrical protector,
A wire that suppresses excessive input from the exhaust pipe on the engine side is stretched between the left and right protectors,
A flexible tube characterized in that the direction of the wire between the left and right protectors and the tangential direction of a concentric circle centering on the center of the engine roll at the axial center position between the two protectors are matched .

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