JPH0247348Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] This invention relates to a multi-core flat tube made by integrating flexible tubes made of polymeric materials such as plastics in parallel. It is about improvement.

[Conventional technology]

In industrial robots, pneumatic equipment, medical equipment, etc., multiple flexible tubes made of rubber or plastic are arranged in parallel to transfer fluid between moving parts or between fixed and moving parts. Multi-core flat tubes are used, which are formed by integrating tubes by various joining means such as fusion and adhesion.

By the way, in recent years, the performance of robots has improved, and their operating speeds have become faster.Also, various types of equipment have become smaller and lighter, and their speeds have increased, making it possible to bend quickly in a limited space. As this is becoming more and more repeated,
These multi-core flat tubes are required to have greater flexibility than ever before.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in conventional multi-core flat tubes, it may be possible to make the wall thickness of each tube thinner as a means of improving flexibility, but when made thinner, the pressure resistance of the tube decreases, and furthermore, There is also a limit to how thin the tube can be because it causes the problem that it becomes easily deformed when forming.

The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide a multi-core flat tube that has improved flexibility without reducing pressure resistance and has good moldability.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention was devised in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and therefore, according to this invention, a tube body made of a low-friction polymeric material has a structure on its outer peripheral surface that is slidable relative to the tube body. A multicore flat tube is constructed by arranging a plurality of coated tubes having outer jackets coated in a non-adhesive state in parallel, and connecting the outer jackets of adjacent coated tubes to each other at least at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. .

In this configuration, the outer periphery of a fluororesin tube body is coated with a polyvinyl chloride jacket as the covering tube, these covering tubes are arranged in parallel, and adjacent covering tubes are bonded using adhesives, organic solvents, etc. It is preferable to adhere them to each other.

[Effect]

According to this invention, as described above, a plurality of coated tubes coated with an outer jacket in a non-adhesive state are arranged in parallel on the outer peripheral surface of a tube body made of a low-friction polymeric material, and these coated tubes are arranged in a longitudinal direction. Since it is a multi-core flat tube formed by connecting the outer sheaths of adjacent sheathed tubes to each other over the entire length or at predetermined intervals, when each tube body is bent, the outer sheath and peripheral surface of each tube Because it is not connected with the outer cover, slipping occurs,
In addition, as the outer cover deforms individually, it has excellent flexibility.

In this case, if a particularly low-friction polymeric material such as fluororesin is used as the material for the tube body, slipping will occur with extremely small force, which will further improve flexibility and improve chemical resistance. It can be made excellent. In addition, it is advantageous to use a material with good processability such as polyvinyl chloride for the outer sheath, since it is easy to bond with adhesives or organic solvents, or heat-seal when bonding each sheath tube together. It is.

In addition, since the covering tube itself has a thick wall, its flexibility can be improved without making it thinner, so it is possible to maintain pressure resistance. Because it has a thick wall, it is less likely to be deformed by heat, so it has good workability.

〔Example〕

The figure is a perspective view with the end cut away showing an embodiment of the multi-core flat tube 1 according to this invention. A plurality of covering tubes 4 each having an outer covering 3 made of a polymeric material coated in a non-adhesive state are arranged in parallel, and the outer covering 5 of each covering tube 4 is mutually arranged between adjacent sides of the covering tube 4. The connecting portions 5 to be integrated are provided intermittently in the longitudinal direction of the covering tube 4.

In such a configuration, the bonding portion 5 can be easily integrated by using various bonding means such as heat fusion, adhesive, organic solvent, or the like. Therefore, when making multi-core flat tubes using tubes made of non-adhesive polymeric materials such as fluororesin, it is necessary to surface-treat each tube in advance and then bond and integrate them, which requires a lot of work. However, according to this invention, especially if a plastic material with good workability such as polyvinyl chloride is used as an outer covering for the outer periphery of the fluororesin tube as in the above embodiment, Since it can be easily joined using any joining means, it is extremely easy to work with. in this case,
Since the coated tube 4 uses a fluororesin with excellent low friction and non-adhesive properties as the tube body 2, when the tube body 2 is coated with the outer sheath 3, the tube body 2 will not be fused and will not bend. Both can be deformed individually, and the tube body 2
Because of its low friction, it can slip with extremely small force, resulting in a multi-core flat tube with excellent flexibility.

In the above embodiment, the tube body is made of fluororesin, but of course it may be made of other low-friction polymer materials than fluororesin. Even if the tube main body 2 and the outer cover are not provided with the same, interposing a lubricant such as talc between the tube body 2 and the outer cover is effective in reducing friction between the two during bending.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to this invention, the coated tube has an outer jacket coated on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body made of a low-friction polymeric material in a non-adhesive state so as to be able to slide on the tube body. A plurality of these tubes are arranged in parallel, and the outer sheaths of adjacent tubes are connected to each other over the entire length of the tube or at predetermined intervals, so when the multi-core flat tube is bent, each In the coated tube, the tube body and the outer sheath can easily slip and be displaced, resulting in excellent flexibility.

In addition, there is no need to make each tube thicker and thinner to increase flexibility, as in the past.
Can maintain pressure resistance.

Furthermore, when the tube body is made of a non-adhesive material such as fluororesin, the tube can be made by covering it with a material that can be easily processed by heat-sealing or adhesion, such as polyvinyl chloride. It also has the effect of simplifying the integration work while maintaining properties such as chemical resistance in the main body.

Furthermore, since the tube body is not adhered to the outer jacket, there is less risk of damaging the inner tube body when separating the coated tubes from each other at the end portions, compared to when both are adhered. It becomes less.

Note that this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and for example, a bonding portion may be provided over the entire length of each covering tube, or instead of bonding means such as heat fusion or adhesive, synthetic fibers or the like may be used. Using a string-like body, multiple covering tubes arranged in parallel may be knitted together like a woven fabric by using them as warp threads, and the number and material of the covering tubes may also be changed. Various modifications within the technical concept are of course possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a perspective view with the end cut away showing an embodiment of the multi-core flat tube according to this invention. 2: tube body, 3: outer cover, 4: covering tube, 5: joint portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A coated tube having an outer jacket made of a low-friction polymeric material and coated on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body in a non-adhesive state so as to be able to slide on the tube body. A multi-core flat tube formed by arranging a plurality of tubes in parallel and connecting adjacent jackets to each other at least at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. (2) In the multi-core flat tube described in claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, the covered tube is characterized in that the outer periphery of the tube body made of fluororesin is coated with a jacket made of polyvinyl chloride. Multi-core flat tube.