JP6855087B2 - Hose structure - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to hose structures.

Patent Document 1 discloses a bellows tube (bellows hose) formed from a straight tubular synthetic resin thin tube material.

Special Fair 6-43878 Gazette

In a bellows hose as described in Patent Document 1, a liquid is flowed through a bellows-shaped water-passing member, and the hose is configured to expand and contract in the stretching direction. In such a bellows hose, the bellows-shaped water passage member comes into direct contact with the ground or the like. This may damage the water flow member. From the above, it is desired to improve the durability of the bellows hose. On the other hand, it is necessary to avoid impairing the elasticity in the stretching direction, which is a characteristic of the bellows hose. From the above, a configuration having both elasticity and durability is desired.

Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a hose structure having both elasticity and durability.

The hose structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a cylindrical inner member through which a fluid passes, and an outer member including an elastic member covering the inner member, and the inner member is configured to be expandable and contractible along a stretching direction. In a state of being contracted in the stretching direction, a peak portion protruding in the radial direction and a valley portion recessed in the radial direction are repeated along the stretching direction.

In the hose structure according to the present disclosure, an outer member covers, for example, a bellows-shaped inner member in which peaks and valleys are repeated in a contracted state. Therefore, the inner member through which the fluid passes does not come into direct contact with the ground or the like, and the durability of the inner member can be improved. Further, since the outer member covering the inner member includes the elastic member, the elasticity of the inner member is not impaired even when the outer member is covered with the outer member. From the above, according to the hose structure according to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both elasticity and durability of the inner member.

In the hose structure, the outer member may have a groove portion recessed in the radial direction. As a result, a thinly formed portion of the outer member can be provided, and the outer member can be easily expanded and contracted, so that the elasticity of the inner member covered with the outer member can be further ensured.

In the hose structure, the groove may be formed at a position corresponding to the valley portion of the inner member. For example, in a bellows-shaped inner member in which a mountain portion and a valley portion are repeated, the valley portion expands and contracts mainly by expanding and contracting. Therefore, the elasticity of the inner member can be further ensured by forming a thinly formed (easily expandable and contractible) groove portion at a position corresponding to the valley portion. Further, in the outer member, a groove portion is formed at a position corresponding to a valley portion where contact with the ground or the like is unlikely to occur where the position corresponding to the mountain portion of the inner member mainly contacts the ground or the like. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage during expansion and contraction and ensure durability while improving the elasticity as described above.

In the hose structure, the inner member extends in the stretching direction by expanding the peaks and valleys in the stretching direction, contracts in the stretching direction by shrinking the peaks and valleys in the stretching direction, and the outer member shrinks in the stretching direction. It has a thin-walled portion in which a groove is formed and a thick-walled portion formed thicker than the thin-walled portion. The thin-walled portion expands in the stretching direction to extend in the stretching direction, and the thin-walled portion shrinks in the stretching direction. It may be configured to shrink in the stretching direction. As a result, it is possible to surely realize a configuration in which the expansion / contraction performance in the stretching direction is ensured by the groove portion of the outer member.

In the hose structure, the outer member may have an elastic member and a coating portion that covers the elastic member. Since the outer member includes not only the elastic member but also a coating portion that covers the elastic member, the durability of the outer member and the inner member can be further improved.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a hose structure having both elasticity and durability.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hose structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an inner member and an outer member in a water-free state. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an inner member and an outer member in a water-free state in the hose structure according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an inner member and an outer member in a water-free state in the hose structure according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an inner member and an outer member in a water-free state in the hose structure according to the fourth embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

(Hose structure)
As shown in FIG. 1, the hose structure 1 includes a hose portion 10, a liquid source connector 11, a nozzle connector 12, and a nozzle portion 13. The hose structure 1 is configured to be portable, and has a function of supplying a liquid (fluid) such as water from a supply source (liquid source) outdoors or indoors. In the present embodiment, the hose structure 1 that supplies the fluid will be described as supplying the liquid, but it may also supply the gas.

The hose portion 10 is a long hollow tube for sending the liquid supplied from the liquid source. The hose portion 10 sends a liquid such as water. In the present embodiment, the hose portion 10 will be described as sending water, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, another liquid may be sent. The hose portion 10 will be described as being connected to a water supply facility (for example, a water tap) that is a liquid source via the liquid source connector 11, but the hose portion 10 is not limited to this, and is not limited to the liquid source connector 11. It may be indirectly connected to the water supply facility via a hose or the like. The hose portion 10 is in a state of being fully extended by the water pressure in a water flow state (a state in which water is flowing), and is in a state of being contracted by removing the water pressure in a non-water flow state (a state in which water is not flowing). In this way, the hose portion 10 is configured to be freely expandable and contractible. Details of the hose portion 10 will be described later.

The liquid source connector 11 is a connector that connects the water supply equipment and the hose portion 10. The liquid source connector 11 is connected to the base end side of the hose portion 10. That is, the liquid source connector 11 is an inflow port for water sent from the water supply facility to the hose portion 10.

The nozzle connector 12 is a connector that connects the hose portion 10 and the nozzle portion 13. The nozzle connector 12 is connected to the tip end side of the hose portion 10. That is, the nozzle connector 12 is an outlet for water sent from the hose portion 10 to the nozzle portion 13.

The nozzle portion 13 is a watering nozzle that sprinkles water sent from the water supply facility via the hose portion 10 to the water supply destination. The nozzle portion 13 has a gun lever 14 and a nozzle screen 15. The nozzle portion 13 discharges water from the nozzle screen 15 when the gun lever 14 is gripped (pushed) by the user.

(Details of hose part)
Next, the details of the hose portion 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The hose portion 10 includes an inner member 16 and an outer member 17. Both the inner member 16 and the outer member 17 have a base end connected to the liquid source connector 11 and a tip end connected to the nozzle connector 12 (see FIG. 1).

The inner member 16 is a cylindrical water passage through which water passes. The inner member 16 is a bellows-shaped hose configured to expand and contract in the direction of sending water (stretching direction) according to the water pressure. That is, the inner member 16 has a structure in which so-called mountain folds and valley folds are repeated (a structure in which an inverted V-shaped cross section and a V-shaped cross section are repeated), and the mountain portion 16a protruding in the radial direction in a state of being contracted in the stretching direction. And the valley portion 16b recessed in the radial direction are repeated in the stretching direction. The inner member 16 expands in the stretching direction by expanding the peak portion 16a and the valley portion 16b in the stretching direction, and contracts in the stretching direction by shrinking. The inner member 16 is in close contact with the outer member 17 at the mountain portion 16a. In the water flow state of the inner member 16, the valley portion 16b expands radially outward (toward the mountain portion 16a) due to water pressure, whereby the inner member 16 extends in the stretching direction. On the other hand, when the inner member 16 is in a non-water flow state, the water pressure is removed and the valley portion 16b returns to the inside in the radial direction and shrinks to the original state (the state shown in FIG. 2).

The inner member 16 is made of a hard material such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. The length of the inner member 16 in the stretching direction is, for example, about 5 m to 50 m, for example, 15 m in the stretched state. The length of the inner member 16 in the stretching direction is, for example, about 2.5 m to 25 m, for example, 7.5 m in the contracted state. The inner diameter of the inner member 16 (the inner diameter of the portion that sends water) is, for example, φ7 mm to φ15 mm. The wall thickness of the inner member 16 is, for example, 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.

The outer member 17 is an elastic member that covers the inner member 16. The outer member 17 is made of a material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomer. The length of the outer member 17 in the stretching direction is, for example, about 5 m to 50 m, for example, 15 m in the stretched state. The length of the outer member 17 in the stretching direction is, for example, about 2.5 m to 25 m, for example, 7.5 m in the contracted state. The wall thickness of the outer member 17 is, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

The outer member 17 has a groove portion 17a recessed (notched) in the radial direction. A plurality of groove portions 17a are formed over the entire outer circumference of the outer member 17, and a plurality of groove portions 17a are continuously arranged at regular intervals in the extending direction of the outer member 17. The groove portion 17a is formed at a position corresponding to the valley portion 16b of the inner member 16 facing each other in the radial direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the state where the inner member 16 is contracted, the groove portion 17a faces the valley portion 16b in the radial direction. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the groove portion 17a and the valley portion 16b have a one-to-one correspondence with each other, and one groove portion 17a is provided corresponding to each valley portion 16b. The valley portion 16b and the groove portion 17a do not have to have a one-to-one correspondence. For example, the number of the groove portions 17a may be about half of the number of the valley portions 16b.

The outer member 17 has a thin-walled portion 17x in which the groove portion 17a is formed, and a thick-walled portion 17y formed to be thicker than the thin-walled portion 17x (that is, the groove portion 17a is not formed). The outer member 17 mainly expands in the stretching direction by expanding the thin-walled portion 17x in the stretching direction, and contracts mainly in the stretching direction by shrinking the thin-walled portion 17x in the stretching direction.

The depth (recess length) of the groove portion 17a is, for example, about 50% of the wall thickness of the outer member 17 (more specifically, the thick wall portion 17y), and is, for example, 0.25 mm to 1.0 mm. The width of the groove portion 17a is, for example, 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. The distance between the groove portions 17a (distance between adjacent groove portions 17a in the stretching direction) is, for example, 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

(Action and effect of the first embodiment)

As described above, the hose structure 1 according to the present embodiment includes a cylindrical inner member 16 through which water passes, and an outer member 17 which is an elastic member covering the inner member 16, and the inner member 16 is stretched. A bellows-shaped hose that is configured to expand and contract along the direction, and in a state of being contracted in the stretching direction, a peak portion 16a protruding in the radial direction and a valley portion 16b recessed in the radial direction are repeated along the stretching direction. Is.

In such a hose structure 1, the outer member 17 covers, for example, a bellows-shaped inner member 16 in which the peak portion 16a and the valley portion 16b are repeated in a contracted state. Therefore, the inner member 16 through which water passes does not come into direct contact with the ground or the like, and the durability of the inner member 16 can be improved.

Here, by covering the bellows-shaped hose with the outer member, the durability of the hose can be improved, but the outer member may hinder the expansion and contraction of the hose. That is, if the outer member covers the expanding / contracting hose, the hose may not be sufficiently expanded / contracted due to water pressure.

In this respect, in the hose structure 1 according to the present embodiment, since the outer member 17 covering the inner member 16 includes an elastic member, the elasticity of the inner member 16 is impaired even when the hose structure 1 is covered with the outer member 17. There is no. That is, when the inner member 16 expands and contracts according to the water pressure, the outer member 17 which is an elastic member can also expand and contract according to the inner member 16, so that it is possible to prevent the outer member 17 from hindering the expansion and contraction of the inner member 16. Can be configured to. From the above, according to the hose structure 1, it is possible to achieve both elasticity and durability of the inner member 16.

Further, in the hose structure 1, the outer member 17 has a groove portion 17a recessed in the radial direction. As a result, a portion (groove portion 17a) in which the wall thickness is partially reduced is formed in the outer member 17. By having the portion where the wall thickness is thinned, the elasticity of the outer member 17 in the stretching direction is improved. As a result, the elasticity of the inner member 16 covered with the outer member 17 can be ensured, and the inner member 16 can be appropriately expanded and contracted even in a low water pressure region.

Further, in the hose structure 1, the groove portion 17a is formed at a position corresponding to the valley portion 16b of the inner member 16. More specifically, in the state where the inner member 16 is contracted, the groove portion 17a faces the valley portion 16b in the radial direction (see FIG. 2). The bellows-shaped inner member 16 in which the peak portion 16a and the valley portion 16b are repeated has a structure in which the valley portion 16b expands in the radial direction due to water pressure and extends in the stretching direction. Therefore, since the groove portion 17a formed thinly (easily expands and contracts) is formed at the position corresponding to the valley portion 16b, the elasticity of the inner member 16 can be further ensured.

Further, in the outer member 17, the position where the inner member 16 is in close contact with the mountain portion 16a tends to project outward in the radial direction and mainly comes into contact with the ground or the like, but the valley portion where contact with the ground or the like is unlikely to occur. Since the thin groove portion 17a is formed at the position corresponding to 16b, it is possible to suppress damage during expansion and contraction and ensure durability while improving the elasticity as described above.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the hose structure 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the description of the present embodiment, the points different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hose portion 20 of the hose structure 2 according to the second embodiment includes an inner member 26 and an outer member 27. The inner member 26 has, for example, the same configuration as the inner member 16 according to the first embodiment described above.

The outer member 27 is the same as the outer member 17 described above in terms of the constituent material, the length in the stretching direction, and the wall thickness. The outer member 27 has a groove portion 27a recessed (notched) in the radial direction. A plurality of groove portions 27a are formed over the entire outer circumference of the outer member 27, and a plurality of groove portions 27a are arranged at predetermined intervals in the extending direction of the outer member 27. The groove portion 27a is formed at a position corresponding to a valley portion 26b of the inner member 26 facing each other in the radial direction.

Here, in the hose portion 10 of the first embodiment, a plurality of groove portions 17a are continuously arranged at regular intervals in the extending direction of the outer member 17, but in the hose portion 20, the groove portions 27a are arranged in the outer member 27. (See FIG. 3 (see)). In the hose portion 10 of the first embodiment, one groove portion 17a is provided for each valley portion 16b, but in the hose portion 20, a part of the valley portion 26b (for example, the valley shown in FIG. 3) is provided. The corresponding groove 27a is not provided for the portion 26x).

The depth (recess length) and width of the groove portion 27a are set to be about the same as those of the groove portion 17a, for example. The distance between the adjacent groove portions 27a is, for example, a wide gap and a narrow gap alternately repeated, the wide gap is, for example, 5.0 mm to 10.0 mm, and the narrow gap is, for example, 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

As described above, in the hose portion 20 of the hose structure 2, a plurality of groove portions 27a are arranged at non-constant intervals in the extending direction of the outer member 27, and a part of the valley portions 26b (for example, the valley portion 26x shown in FIG. 3). ) Is not provided with the corresponding groove 27a. By limiting the formed portion of the groove portion 27a in this way, it is possible to make the structure less likely to be damaged even when it comes into contact with the ground or the like, and it is possible to improve the durability. Further, by limiting the formation location of the groove portion 27a, the ease of manufacturing can be improved. Further, since the groove portion 27a provided in a limited manner is provided at a position corresponding to the valley portion 26b, the elasticity can be ensured as in the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, the hose structure 3 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the description of the present embodiment, the points different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hose portion 30 of the hose structure 3 according to the third embodiment includes an inner member 36 and an outer member 37. The inner member 36 has, for example, the same configuration as the inner member 16 according to the first embodiment described above.

The outer member 37 includes an elastic member 38 and a coating portion 39. The elastic member 38 has, for example, the same configuration as the outer member 17 according to the first embodiment described above, and has a plurality of groove portions 38a continuously arranged at regular intervals in the stretching direction. That is, the outer member 37 has a configuration in which a coating portion 39 is added to the outer member 17 (elastic member 38 in the present embodiment) according to the first embodiment.

The coating portion 39 is a member that covers the elastic member 38. The coating portion 39 is made of a material such as resin, rubber, or metal. The coating portion 39 is provided at a position corresponding to the mountain portion 36a on the elastic member 38. That is, the coating portion 39 is provided in the region of the elastic member 38 excluding the groove portion 38a.

As described above, in the hose portion 30, the coating portion 39 is provided at a position corresponding to the mountain portion 36a, which is mainly in contact with the ground or the like in the elastic member 38. As a result, the wear resistance of the outer member 37 to the ground and the like can be improved, and the durability of the hose portion 30 can be improved.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, the hose structure 4 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the description of the present embodiment, the points different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the hose portion 40 of the hose structure 4 according to the fourth embodiment includes an inner member 46 and an outer member 47. The inner member 46 has, for example, the same configuration as the inner member 16 according to the first embodiment described above.

The outer member 47 is the same as the outer member 17 described above in terms of the constituent material, the length in the stretching direction, and the wall thickness. Here, in the hose portion 10 of the first embodiment, the groove portion 17a is formed in the outer member 17, but in the hose portion 40, the groove portion is not formed in the outer member 47.

In the hose portion 40 of the hose structure 4, the outer member 17 covers the bellows-shaped inner member 46. Therefore, the inner member 46 that allows water to pass through does not come into direct contact with the ground or the like, and the durability of the inner member 46 can be improved. And, unlike the hose portion 10 of the first embodiment, the outer member 47 is not formed with a groove portion. Therefore, the wear resistance of the outer member 47 to the ground and the like is improved, and the durability of the hose portion 40 can be further improved. Even in a mode in which a groove is not formed in the outer member, since the outer member 47 is an elastic member, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the elasticity of the inner member is not impaired. Further, since the formation of the groove portion described above is not required, the ease of manufacturing can be improved.

[Modification example]
Although an example of the embodiment has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the inner member has been described as having a structure in which so-called mountain folds and valley folds are repeated (a structure in which an inverted V-shaped cross section and a V-shaped cross section are repeated), but the structure is not limited to this, and the inverted U-shaped and U-shaped cross sections are repeated. It may be. Further, a flat portion having no unevenness may be sandwiched between the mountain portions and valley portions adjacent to each other, and the mountain portions and valley portions adjacent to each other may not be continuous. Further, in the inner member, a mountain portion and a valley portion may be mixed in the circumferential direction. Further, the diameter of the bellows-shaped inner member (bellows diameter) does not have to be constant in the longitudinal direction. Further, the inner member has been described as a bellows-shaped hose, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a spiral hose such as a telephone cord may be used. In this case as well, the spiral hose (inner member) may be covered with the outer member (outer rubber).

Further, although it has been described that the groove formed in the outer member is formed over the entire outer circumference of the outer member, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it is formed only in a part of the outer circumference of the outer member (for example, half a circumference). It may be one.

Further, although it has been described that a plurality of groove portions are provided along the stretching direction, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one groove portion may be formed along the stretching direction so as to draw a spiral locus.

Further, although it has been described that the groove portion is formed at a position corresponding to the valley portion of the inner member, the present invention is not limited to this, and the groove portion may be formed at a position corresponding to the mountain portion of the inner member.

Further, in the embodiment in which the outer member includes the elastic member and the coating portion, it has been described that the coating portion is provided in the region excluding the groove portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the coating portion is provided in the groove portion. You may be.

Further, in the embodiment in which the outer member includes the elastic member and the coating portion, it has been described that the elastic member is provided with a groove. For example, the elastic member has a flat shape without unevenness, and the elastic member has a flat shape. A configuration in which a coating portion is provided in a part may be adopted. In this case, in the outer member, the region where the coating portion is not provided (the region where only the elastic member is provided) is thinner than the region where the coating portion is provided, and a groove portion recessed in the radial direction is formed.

1,2,3,4 ... hose structure, 16,26,36,46 ... inner member, 16a, 36a ... mountain part, 16b, 26b ... valley part, 17,27,37,47 ... outer member, 17a, 27a, 38a ... groove portion, 17x ... thin wall portion, 17y ... thick wall portion, 38 ... elastic member, 39 ... coating portion.

Claims (2)

A cylindrical inner member that allows fluid to pass through,
An outer member including an elastic member covering the inner member is provided.
The inner member is
It is configured to expand and contract along the stretching direction,
In the state of contraction in the stretching direction, the peak portion protruding in the radial direction and the valley portion recessed in the radial direction are repeated along the stretching direction.
The outer member has a groove portion recessed in the radial direction.
The groove portion is formed at a position corresponding to the valley portion of the inner member.
The inner member extends in the stretching direction by expanding the peak portion and the valley portion in the stretching direction, and contracts in the stretching direction by shrinking the peak portion and the valley portion in the stretching direction.
The outer member has a thin-walled portion in which the groove portion is formed and a thick-walled portion formed to be thicker than the thin-walled portion, and the thin-walled portion expands in the stretching direction to form the stretching direction. And shrinks in the stretching direction by shrinking the thin portion in the stretching direction.
In a state where the inner member is contracted in the stretching direction, the thick portion is in close contact with the mountain portion, and the thin portion is separated from the valley portion.
Hose structure. The hose structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer member includes the elastic member and a coating portion that covers the elastic member.

Images