JP5993257B2 - Hose for vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flexible hose used in a vacuum cleaner. In particular, the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner hose in which a conductive wire is integrated with a hose wall.

As a vacuum cleaner hose (so-called cleaner hose) connected between the main body of the vacuum cleaner and the hand operation unit, ones that take into account the flexibility and crush resistance of the hose are known. If the conductive wire is integrated with the hose wall of the vacuum cleaner hose, the conductive wire can be used for signal transmission and power supply, and it is convenient that the conductive wire does not get in the way when using the vacuum cleaner.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaner hose in which a coated wire obtained by coating a hard steel wire with a resin is spirally wound and integrated with an inner peripheral surface of a soft synthetic resin tube wall at a predetermined interval. It is disclosed. And the inner peripheral surface of a covered wire and the inner peripheral surface of the trough part of the tube wall 1 located between adjacent covered wires are formed in substantially the same diameter, The inner peripheral surface of this trough part, and the upper direction of a covered wire By forming the side surface connected to the covering ridge almost at right angles, the wind resistance in the pipe is made as small as possible, and the hose has a low suction windage loss value. It is disclosed that even if a force in the bending direction is applied, a hose having a beautiful appearance can be obtained in which some tube walls do not protrude in the outer peripheral direction.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-294647

In a vacuum cleaner hose in which a resin-coated conductive wire (hard steel wire) is spirally integrated with a flexible hose wall, as in the vacuum cleaner hose described in Patent Document 1, the cylinder of the hose In order to maintain the shape firmly, the resin coated on the conductive wire may be a hard resin to increase the rigidity of the resin-coated wire.

However, if the conductive wire is covered with a hard resin, the coating may be cracked when the conductive wire is greatly deformed, and the internal conductive wire may be exposed to impair the insulation of the conductive wire. For example, cracks in the coating may occur when the resin-coated wire is bent into a spiral shape, and when the resin-coated wire is locally bent and deformed by stepping on a hose while using a vacuum cleaner, for example. May occur.

If the insulation of the conductive wire is impaired, there is a risk that the electric signal to be transmitted will contain an error signal and the operation of the vacuum cleaner cannot be performed well, or the electricity supplied by the conductor will be leaked. There is. It is an object of the present invention to more reliably insulate a conductive wire of a vacuum cleaner hose.

As a result of intensive studies, the inventor has found that the above object can be achieved by using a resin-coated conductive wire having a laminated structure as the conductive wire, and making the inner layer of the coating softer than the outer layer, and the present invention has been completed. I let you.

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner hose in which a resin-coated conductive wire is spirally integrated with a hose wall formed of a synthetic resin in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the resin-coated conductive wire has conductivity. A resin-coated conductive wire coated in a multilayer structure comprising a hard steel wire , a synthetic resin inner layer covering the wire, and a synthetic resin outer layer covering the outer side of the inner layer; The synthetic resin constituting the inner layer is an electric vacuum cleaner hose that is made of an insulating synthetic resin that is softer than the synthetic resin that constitutes the outer layer (first invention).

In the first invention, the inner layer is preferably formed thicker than the outer layer (second invention). In the first and second inventions, the inner layer and the outer layer are preferably joined and integrated (third invention).

According to the vacuum cleaner hose of the present invention (first invention), the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire of the vacuum cleaner hose can be made more reliable.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire is particularly reliable. Moreover, if it is made like 3rd invention, it can suppress that a resin covering conductive wire isolate | separates between an outer layer and an inner layer.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a vacuum cleaner provided with the hose for vacuum cleaners which concerns on this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the structure of the hose for electric vacuum cleaners of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the structure of the resin coating conductive wire used for the hose for vacuum cleaners of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the resin strip used as the hose wall of the hose for vacuum cleaners of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the condition where the crack generate | occur | produced in the outer layer of the resin-coated conductive wire used for the hose for vacuum cleaners of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the hose for vacuum cleaners of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the structure of other embodiment of the resin-coated conductive wire which can be used for the hose for vacuum cleaners of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the condition where the crack generate | occur | produced in the outer layer and inner layer of the resin-coated conductive wire in the hose for vacuum cleaners of a comparative example.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the individual embodiments shown below, and can be carried out by changing the form and application. As 1st Embodiment, the hose 2 for vacuum cleaners of embodiment in a household vacuum cleaner is demonstrated. FIG. 1 shows the overall appearance of the vacuum cleaner, and the vacuum cleaner hose 2 is connected to an intake port provided in the vacuum cleaner main body 99 via a connecting pipe (mouth member) 95 and one end of the vacuum cleaner hose 2. The other end of the vacuum cleaner hose 2 is connected to the hand operating section 98, and the extension pipe 97 and then the floor nozzle 96 are connected to the hand operating section 98 to form a vacuum cleaner. ing.

The vacuum cleaner hose 2 includes a plurality of conductive wires. By means of the conductive wire, an input signal of a switch provided in the hand operation section 98 can be transmitted to the cleaner body 99, or power can be supplied to the brush driving motor built in the floor nozzle 96. If possible, a conductive wire for signal transmission and a conductive wire for power supply may be shared.

The structure of the hose 2 for vacuum cleaners of 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the upper half is a sectional view, the lower half is shown in appearance, and an enlarged sectional view of a portion A of the hose wall is also shown. The vacuum cleaner hose 2 includes a flexible hose wall 3 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by a flexible synthetic resin, and a plurality of resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4. The resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are wound spirally and joined and integrated with the inner peripheral surface of the hose wall 3.

In this embodiment, a concave groove is spirally formed on the inner peripheral surface of the hose wall 3, and the resin-coated conductive wire 4 is joined to the hose wall in a state where the resin-coated conductive wire 4 is entirely accommodated in the concave groove. The resin-coated conductive wire 4 and the hose wall 3 are joined from both side surfaces of the resin-coated conductive wire positioned in the hose axial direction to the outer peripheral surface positioned outside the hose.

Examples of the joining means for joining and integrating the outer surface of the resin-coated conductive wire 4 (an outer layer 43 described later) and the hose wall 3 include joining means such as adhesion and welding. In the present embodiment, the hose wall 3 and the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are integrated by welding. The hose wall 3 and the resin-coated conductive wire 4 may be bonded with an adhesive.

As the synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 3, for example, a relatively soft synthetic resin material such as a polyolefin resin can be used. Examples of the polyolefin resin include low density polyethylene resin (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin (EVA). Soft vinyl chloride resin (PVC resin), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), urethane resin, rubber or the like can also be used as the resin for the hose wall. A preferable hardness as a resin material constituting the hose wall 3 is about 60 to 90 (JIS Shore A). In the present embodiment, the hose wall is made of a soft vinyl chloride resin.

In the present embodiment, the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are provided with four conductive wires in a four-row spiral shape. When assembled in a vacuum cleaner, two of them are used for signal transmission and the remaining two are used for power supply. The thickness of the conductor may be different between the signal transmission conductive line and the power supply conductive line depending on the magnitude of the current to be handled.

FIG. 3 shows a resin-coated conductive wire 4 used for the vacuum cleaner hose 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The resin-coated conductive wire 4 is a resin-coated conductive wire coated in a multilayer structure. The resin-coated conductive wire 4 includes a conductive wire 41, a synthetic resin inner layer 42 that covers the conductive wire 41, and a synthetic resin outer layer 43 that covers the outer side of the inner layer 42. The outer layer 43 is a layer located on the outermost periphery of the resin-coated conductive wire 4, and the outer layer 43 and the hose wall 3 are joined together.

The conductive wire 41 is a portion for supplying electricity for signal transmission and current supply. Typically, the conductive wire 41 is made of a metal wire such as a copper wire or a hard steel wire, or a conductive resin. In the present embodiment, a hard steel wire is used as the conductive wire 41. When a hard steel wire is used as the conductive wire, the cylindrical shape of the hose can be easily maintained by the resin-coated conductive wire 4 wound in a spiral.

A cylindrical inner layer 42 is provided by an insulating synthetic resin so as to surround the conductive wire 41. By covering the conductive wire 41 with the inner layer 42, the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire 4 can be maintained. The inner layer 42 may be provided adjacent to the conductive wire 41, or another layer (for example, an adhesive layer) may be provided between the inner layer 42 and the conductive wire 41.

An outer layer 43 made of synthetic resin is provided in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the outer side of the inner layer 42. Although not essential, the outer layer 43 is preferably insulative. The outer layer 43 may be provided adjacent to the inner layer 42, or another layer (for example, an adhesive layer) may be provided between the outer layer 43 and the inner layer 42. Further, the outer layer 43 and the inner layer 42 may be bonded together by means such as adhesion or welding, or may be fixed in a non-bonded state (non-bonded state). In the present embodiment, the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43 are joined and integrated by welding.

Although it does not specifically limit as a synthetic resin which comprises the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43, A thermoplastic resin can be used preferably. As thermoplastic resins, polypropylene resin (PP resin), ethylene vinyl alcohol resin (EVA resin), soft vinyl chloride resin (soft PVC resin), hard vinyl chloride resin (hard PVC resin), low density polyethylene resin (PE resin) ), High density polyethylene resin and the like can be preferably used. Moreover, thermosetting resin, such as rubber | gum and a phenol resin, can also be used as synthetic resin which comprises an inner layer and an outer layer. The synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43 is determined in consideration of the adhesiveness and hardness between the hose wall 3, the inner layer 42, the outer layer 43, the conductive wire 41, and the like. In this embodiment, the inner layer 42 is made of a soft vinyl chloride resin and the outer layer 43 is made of a hard vinyl chloride resin, and the two layers are welded when both are coextruded.

The synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 is a softer synthetic resin than the synthetic resin constituting the outer layer 43. For example, in this embodiment, the hardness of the synthetic resin constituting the outer layer 43 is 85 degrees in Shore A hardness, and the hardness of the synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 is 60 degrees in Shore A hardness. A preferred range for the hardness of the synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 is a Shore A hardness of 50 to 85 degrees, more preferably 55 to 80 degrees. A preferable range of the hardness of the synthetic resin constituting the outer layer 43 is 70 to 95 degrees, more preferably 75 to 90 degrees in Shore A hardness.
Further, the synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 is selected to be insulative. The outer layer may be a non-insulating synthetic resin, but it is preferable to select an insulating layer.

The vacuum cleaner hose 2 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method, for example, a so-called spiral molding method. Below, the example of the manufacturing method is shown.
First, the resin-coated conductive wire 4 is manufactured. The resin material that becomes the inner layer is extruded together with the hard steel wire, and then the resin material that becomes the outer layer is further extruded into the obtained wire, and the inner layer and the outer layer are laminated on the outside of the hard steel wire. A resin-coated conductive wire is obtained. The inner layer and the outer layer may be coextruded together with the hard steel wire and simultaneously formed.

The obtained resin-coated conductive wire is spirally wound by a coiling machine, and a predetermined number of resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are wound around the molding shaft of a known spiral molding apparatus in the same number of spirals. Put on. In parallel, a molding shaft of a spiral molding apparatus is so formed that a resin strip T having a cross section shown in FIG. 4 is extruded from a resin extruder in a semi-molten state and covers the outer periphery of the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4. Wrap around. At this time, the side edges adjacent to each other of the wound resin strip T are joined and integrated so as to overlap each other, and the substantially cylindrical hose wall 3 is formed by the resin strip T. Further, the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are disposed so as to be accommodated inside the concave grooves provided in the resin strip T, and the outer periphery of the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 (the outer periphery of the outer layer 43) The hose wall 3 and the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 (outer layer 43) are integrated with each other by welding to the inner peripheral surface of the concave groove provided in the resin strip T. Then, if the hose wall 3 is cooled, the vacuum cleaner hose 2 can be manufactured continuously.

The manufacturing method of the vacuum cleaner hose 2 may be a method other than the spiral molding method. For example, coiled resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are wound around a mandrel corresponding to the inner diameter of the hose in a predetermined number of spirals, and a synthetic resin is extruded into a cylindrical shape so as to surround the mandrel, and the hose wall 3 After the hose wall 3 and the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 are joined and integrated, the mandrel may be pulled out to obtain the hose 2 for a vacuum cleaner.

In the above description of the manufacturing method, the manufacturing method using welding is described for the integration of the hose wall 3 and the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4. However, the integration uses an adhesive instead of welding. It may be.

The operation and effect of the vacuum cleaner hose 2 will be described.
The vacuum cleaner hose 2 can be used as a flexible hose of a vacuum cleaner, and the resin-coated conductive wires 4 and 4 can be used for signal transmission and power supply. And in the hose 2 for vacuum cleaners, the insulation of a resin-coated conductive wire can be made more reliable.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a state in which a crack has occurred in the outer layer 43 of the resin-coated conductive wire 4 in the vacuum cleaner hose 2. Since the outer layer 43 is made of a relatively hard resin, when a bending deformation with a small bending radius is applied to the resin-coated conductive wire, or when a strong force such as crushing the resin-coated conductive wire in the radial direction is applied, The outer layer 43 may break so as to tear along the length direction of the resin-coated conductive wire.

In the vacuum cleaner hose 2, since the synthetic resin constituting the inner layer 42 is softer than the synthetic resin constituting the outer layer 43, it is possible to prevent cracks generated in the outer layer 43 from reaching the inner layer 42. Is done. That is, even if a strong deformation or force that causes a crack in the hard outer layer 43 is applied to the resin-coated conductive wire 4, the inner layer 42 made of a softer resin than the outer layer has the softness of the resin and the diameter of the inner layer. Is less likely to crack due to the synergistic effect of the smaller diameter than the outer layer. Therefore, the insulating inner layer 42 is maintained in a state of covering the conductive wire 41 in a cylindrical shape.

On the other hand, in the comparative resin-coated conductive wire 9 in which the inner layer 92 and the outer layer 93 are both made of hard resin, the inner layer 92 is cracked together with the outer layer 93, and the conductive wire 91 is exposed. As a result, the insulation is often insufficient (see FIG. 8). This tendency becomes more prominent when the inner layer 92 and the outer layer 93 are bonded to each other, and the inner layer 92 may also be cracked together starting from a portion where the outer layer 93 is cracked. If the inner layer 92 and the outer layer 93 are both broken, the insulating properties of the resin-coated conductive wire 9 can be impaired.

Further, like the vacuum cleaner hose 2 of the first embodiment, the soft inner layer 42 is preferably formed thicker (thicker) than the hard outer layer 43. If the inner layer is thicker than the outer layer, the inner layer easily absorbs deformation and is less likely to crack even under circumstances where the outer layer breaks, and the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire can be more reliably maintained. Further, by making the inner layer thicker than the outer layer, the inner layer becomes a cushion, and an effect of suppressing the occurrence of cracking of the outer layer itself is also produced.

Moreover, in the vacuum cleaner hose 2 of the first embodiment, the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43 are preferably joined and integrated. If the inner layer and the outer layer are non-adhesive, the resin-coated conductive wire 4 is such that if the hose is stretched in a state where the outer layer is cracked, the cracks in the outer layer will spread and the inner layer and the conductive wire will jump out of the outer layer. However, if the inner layer and the outer layer are joined and integrated by means such as adhesion or welding, the inner layer and the outer layer are prevented from separating, and damage to the resin-coated conductive wire can be suppressed. Insulating properties can be maintained more reliably.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications. Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, in the following description, portions different from the above embodiment will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of the same portions will be omitted. In addition, these embodiments can also be implemented by combining some of them or replacing some of them.

In FIG. 6, the hose 5 for vacuum cleaners of 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown. FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the hose wall portion, with the upper side of the figure being the hose outer side and the lower side of the figure being the hose inner side. In the present embodiment, the resin-coated conductive wires 8 and 8 are integrated on the outer peripheral surface of the hose wall 6 with an adhesive. A concave groove is spirally provided on the outer periphery of the hose wall 6, and the resin-coated conductive wires 8 and 8 are accommodated in the concave groove and the other half is exposed to the outer surface of the hose wall 6. Are integrally joined to each other. Thus, the resin-coated conductive wire may be integrated with the outer peripheral surface of the hose wall.

In the resin-coated conductive wire 8 in this embodiment, the conductive wire 81 is covered with the inner layer 82 and further covered with the outer layer 83. The inner layer and the outer layer are made of synthetic resin, and the relatively soft inner layer 82 and the relatively hard outer layer 83 are laminated and integrated in a non-bonded state. Thus, non-adhesion may be provided between the inner layer and the outer layer.

In such a vacuum cleaner hose 5, for example, the hose wall 6 is made of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness of 60 degrees, the outer layer 83 is made of a high-density polyethylene resin having a hardness of 80 degrees, and the inner layer 82 is made of a hardness 60 This can be realized by using a soft vinyl chloride resin having a predetermined degree. And also in this embodiment, the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire can be made more reliable as in the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the two resin-coated conductive wires 8, 8 are arranged in two spirals. Thus, the specific number and arrangement of the resin-coated conductive wires may be changed as appropriate.

Further, the resin-coated conductive wire may include a plurality of conductive wires as shown in FIG. In the resin-coated conductive wire 10 of FIG. 7, two conductive wires 101, 101 made of a conductive resin are embedded in the inner layer 102, and the outer layer 103 is not bonded to the outer side of the inner layer 102. It is formed in a state. Use of such a resin-coated conductive wire is convenient for integrating a large number of signal wires into the hose.

If the resin-coated conductive wire is coated with three or more layers, the outer layer is the layer joined and integrated with the hose wall, and the inner resin layer is an insulating layer located closer to the conductive wire than the outer layer. The inner layer may be made of a softer resin than the outer layer. If so configured, the insulation of the resin-coated conductive wire can be made more reliable, as in the first embodiment.

The hose for a vacuum cleaner of the present invention has a conductive wire integrated with the hose wall, and when used in a vacuum cleaner, the conductive wire can be used for signal transmission and power supply and has high industrial utility value. .

2 Hose for electric vacuum cleaner 3 Hose wall 4 Resin coated conductive wire 41 Conductive wire 42 Inner layer 43 Outer layer T Resin strip 5 Vacuum cleaner hose 6 Hose wall 8 Resin coated conductive wire 81 Conductive wire 82 Inner layer 83 Outer layer 10 Resin Covered conductive wire 101 Conductive wire 102 Inner layer 103 Outer layer 99 Vacuum cleaner main body 98 Hand operation part 97 Extension pipe 96 Floor nozzle 95 Connection pipe 9 Resin-coated conductive wire 91 Conductive wire 92 Inner layer 93 Outer layer

Claims (3)

A hose for a vacuum cleaner in which a resin-coated conductive wire is spirally integrated with a hose wall formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by a synthetic resin,
The resin-coated conductive wire is
A wire made of hard steel wire having electrical conductivity;
An inner layer made of synthetic resin covering the wire,
A resin-coated conductive wire coated in a multilayer structure having an outer layer made of a synthetic resin covering the outer side of the inner layer;
The hose for a vacuum cleaner, wherein the synthetic resin constituting the inner layer is an insulating synthetic resin that is softer than the synthetic resin constituting the outer layer. The hose for a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the inner layer is formed thicker than the outer layer. The hose for a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined and integrated.

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