JPH0257786A - Flexible hose - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to increase the bending resistance of a flexible hose while preventing the flexibility thereof from being lowered, by laying electroconductors on the wall surface of the flexible hose along the axial direction of the flexible hose while allowing the same to meander. CONSTITUTION:In a synthetic resin flexible bellows hose 1, a hose wall 2 has crests 3 and troughs 4 formed and arranged alternately along the axial direction of the hose as viewed in its sectional plane. Two conductors 5, 5' each made of a copper wire coated thereover with a synthetic resin layer 6 are laid on the outer surface of the bellows hose 1 along the axial direction thereof, and are substantially in parallel with each other. The conductors 5, 5' are secured to the hose wall 2. As a result, it is possible to aim at making the flexible hose lightweight, and it is possible to bend the same in any direction with no resistance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to flexible hoses made of synthetic resin, etc., and mainly to so-called bellows hoses in which the cross-sectional shape along the axial direction of the hose wall is corrugated. The present invention relates to hoses, and particularly to flexible hoses with electrical conductors such as conductive wires attached to the hose wall.

A hose made of hard synthetic resin with hard steel wire and copper wire embedded in parallel on the inner surface of the bellows-shaped hose wall made of soft synthetic resin is used as a hose for a vacuum cleaner with an electric brush that is driven and rotated by an electric motor attached to the hose. Added spiral reinforcement to double pitch,
A device in which the above-mentioned copper wire is used as a power line for driving an electric brush is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 55-163954.

In addition, flexible hoses in which conductive wires made of copper wire or the like are spirally attached to the outer or inner surface of the bellows-shaped hose wall, or are spirally embedded within the thickness of the hose wall are also often used. Are known.

However, in the case of a flexible hose in which the conducting wire is spirally attached to the hose wall as described above, the length of the conducting wire attached to the flexible hose is several times the length of the hose. Since a large amount of conductor is required, a large amount of conductive wire is consumed, which increases manufacturing costs, which goes against the request for resource conservation.In addition, the weight of the hose increases significantly, making it inconvenient to handle. .

In order to solve this problem, various flexible hoses have been proposed in which conductive wires are attached in parallel and straight lines along the axial direction of the hose.

However, this flexible hose has a problem in that the electrical conductor such as the lead wire has very poor elasticity, which significantly impairs the flexibility of the hose.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when the flexible hose A is bent, the length of the hose is 1. If the hose diameter is R and the bending radius of the hose is R, the hose wall on the outside of the bend will generally be stretched by -R from its original length l, and the hose wall on the inside of the bend will be stretched back to its original length. However, if a non-stretchable electrical conductor is attached in a straight line to the hose wall that receives this stretching/contracting force, the flexibility of the hose will be reduced by -R. This will be obstructed by the conductor and cause trouble in bending the hose.

In other words, the hose is very difficult to bend in the direction in which the force of expansion and contraction acts on the electrical conductor, and if it is forced to bend, the electrical conductor will break, and the bending life of the conductor will be short accordingly. It is.

This was more noticeable when the electrical conductor was bent in the direction of contraction.

Additionally, when the conductor is attached parallel to the axial direction of the hose, some type of attachment is required to hold the conductor to the hose wall, but this attachment also has poor elasticity. In some cases, the above drawbacks are exacerbated.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, and correct the drawbacks of both cases where the conductive wire is attached to the hose wall in a spiral shape or in a straight line parallel to the axial direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible hose that is lightweight and low cost, and has excellent bending resistance without losing its original flexibility, even though it is a hose equipped with a conducting wire.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention includes a flexible hose in which an electrical conductor is attached to the hose wall, in which the electrical conductor is attached in a meandering manner along the axial direction of the flexible hose. This is what I did.

(Function) In the present invention, the electric conductor is attached along an imaginary straight line that is approximately parallel to the axial direction of the flexible hose or has a gentle inclination angle with respect to the axial center when viewed as a whole. Because the electrical conductor is attached spirally along the hose wall, the length of the conductor that must be attached to the flexible hose is shorter, and the use of the conductor is easier. The amount can be significantly reduced.

In addition, since the electrical conductor attached to the flexible hose is substantially parallel to the axis of the flexible hose, or is attached at an inclined angle to the axis, the conductor is not arranged in a straight line but in a meandering manner. Even if the hose wall is attached to a hose wall that causes stretching and contraction when the hose is bent, by changing the meandering state, that is, changing the pitch of the meandering waveform, the hose wall can easily be stretched and contracted. The presence of the electrical conductor does not impede the flexibility of the hose, and there is no risk of the conductor breaking.

This effect occurs either when the conductor is completely fixed to the hose wall or when the conductor is able to slide against the hose wall; in the former case, the conductor moves through the expansion and contraction of the hose wall. It moves in unison with the meandering state to change the meandering state.
In the latter case, the conductor itself slides as the hose wall expands and contracts, changing its meandering state.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which a hose wall 2 is made of a bellows hose made of synthetic resin in which peaks 3 and troughs 4 are alternately formed in the cross-sectional shape along the axial direction. FIG. 1 shows a front view and a side view of 1.

This bellows hose l is used as a flexible hose for a vacuum cleaner with an electric brush (not shown), and one end is connected to the vacuum cleaner body equipped with a fan for vacuum suction and a dust collection section, and the other end is It is connected to an extension pipe connected to a suction tool equipped with an electric motor for driving a rotating brush.

On the outer surface of the bellows hose 1, two conductive wires 5.5' made of twisted copper wires 7 coated with a synthetic resin coating 6 are attached in parallel and in a meandering state along the axial direction of the hose. The conductor *5.5' is fixed to the hose wall 2.

In this embodiment, when the hose wall 2 to which the conductor 5.5' is attached expands and contracts due to bending, the conductor 5.5'
' has a margin for expansion and contraction due to its meandering shape, and the conductor 5.5' follows the expansion and contraction of the hose wall by changing its meandering state and increasing or decreasing the pinch of the waveform.

3 and 4 show other embodiments, in which the bellows hose l
A conducting wire 5.5' is inserted in a meandering manner into a flat synthetic resin tube 8 attached approximately parallel to the axial direction on the outer surface of the are not fixed to the hose wall, and the conductive wires 5, 5' slide within the tube 8 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the hose wall, changing the meandering state.

In this embodiment, the conducting wire 5.5' may be formed of a bare copper wire without a synthetic resin coating.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, instead of the tube 8 in this embodiment, a soft synthetic resin tape 9 is disposed on the outer surface of the bellows hose 1 approximately parallel to the axial direction, and only the upper end 9a and lower end 9b thereof are provided. A space 10 is formed between the hose and the tape by attaching it to the outer surface of the hose along the axial direction, and the conducting wire 5.5' may be inserted in a meandering manner into the space 10. , the conductor 5.5' is not fixed to the hose wall, and the space 10 is changed depending on the expansion and contraction of the hose wall.
The meandering state is changed by sliding inside the pipe.

Next, in the present invention, the waveform pitch of the meandering conductor is not limited to a constant value over the entire length of the hose, but the waveform pitch at both ends of the hose is dense and the waveform pitch in the middle of the hose is sparse, thereby reducing the amount of conductor used. In addition, the waveform in the meandering state may be made into an Ω type to further strengthen the bending resistance of the conducting wire.

In addition, in the present invention, the conductor wires are not limited to the case where two conductors are attached to the hose in parallel, but it is also possible to attach one conductor wire at a symmetrical position on the circumferential surface of the hose. , a virtual straight line having a slight inclination angle with respect to L1.
1' (see Figure 6).

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the conductor wire is attached to the outer surface of the hose, but in each embodiment, the conductor wire is attached to the inner surface of the hose wall, or the hose wall is attached to the inner surface of the hose wall. It has a layered structure and can be clamped and fixed between the inner and outer layers, or embedded within the thickness of the hose wall.
The hose on which the conducting wire is arranged may be any of various known bellows hoses, such as a bellows hose formed by spirally attaching a reinforcing body made of hard steel wire to the inner or outer surface of a soft synthetic resin hose wall. Furthermore, a hose with a smooth surface may be used as long as it has good flexibility.

In addition, the conductive wire can be composed of not only twisted conductive wires but also various other electrical conductors, and the hose provided with the conductive wire can be used not only for the above-mentioned vacuum cleaner but also for other purposes.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the conductive wire may be adhesively fixed to the hose wall, and in the present invention, the conductive wire attached in a meandering state may be fixed to the hose wall. It is not necessary to fix it.

(Effects of the invention) In the present invention, since the amount of conductive wire used can be reduced,
In addition to reducing manufacturing costs and conserving resources, it is possible to reduce the weight of flexible hoses equipped with conducting wires, and at the same time, flexible hoses can be bent in any direction without resistance, making it possible to Even though the hose is attached along the hose axis, it can maintain good flexibility, and the electrical conductor does not break due to bending, and the electrical conductor has an excellent bending life.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment, Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, and Fig. 5 6 is a side view showing another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a front view showing another embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating expansion and contraction of the hose wall in a bent state.
(b) shows the state before bending, and (b) shows the state at the time of bending. 1... Bellows hose, 2... Hose wall, 5.5'.
...Conducting wire, 6...Synthetic resin coating, 7...
Twisted copper wire, 8...tube, 9...tape,
10... Space. Figure Figure Leap Figure Figure 7 (a) Director General of the Japan Patent Office Yoshi 1) Written by Tonoro Mata 1. Indication of the incident 1988 Patent Application No. 208662 2. Name of the invention Flexible hose 36. Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant address 1-4-1 Shinsenri Higashimachi, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka (b) Column 5 of the detailed explanation of the invention in the specification, contents of the amendment

Claims (1)

[Claims] In flexible hoses with electrical conductors attached to the hose walls,
A flexible hose, characterized in that the electrical conductor is attached in a meandering manner along the axial direction of the flexible hose.