JPS5912466Y2 - Rubber pipes for gas equipped with a deterioration identification layer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a gas rubber tube provided with a deterioration identification layer on its outer peripheral surface.

In recent years, as demands for the safety of gas appliances have increased, there has also been an increasing demand for improvements in the safety of the gas rubber tubes used in these appliances.In response to this, the gas rubber tube industry has Efforts have been made to establish self-inspection standards and to make various proposals for improving the safety of gas rubber pipes.

The quality of gas rubber pipes has improved through the efforts of the gas industry, but as long as rubber is the main material, it is difficult to avoid deterioration due to ozone and ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere, and sooner or later it will deteriorate. If the rubber tube continues to be used without realizing that it has reached the end of its lifespan due to the progress of deterioration, it will lead to tragic situations such as poisoning or explosion due to leaking gas.

However, as the quality of gas rubber pipes currently on the market has improved, they can withstand relatively long-term use, so general users may carelessly miss the time to replace them, and they generally suffer from ozone deterioration. The problem is that it is difficult to discern the progress of the process.

In view of the current situation, the present invention has been developed to provide a deterioration identification layer that does not affect the quality of gas rubber pipes in any way, and also allows general users to easily determine when to replace deteriorated rubber pipes. A rubber tube for gas is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to an illustrated example. The gas rubber tube, the cross-sectional structure of which is shown in FIG. The rubber inner layer 1 is made of an ozone-resistant rubber compound consisting of either alone or blended with other suitable rubbers, or an ozone-resistant rubber compound blended with an ozone-resistant agent, and the rubber inner layer 1 is mainly made of, for example, chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM). According to standards, the outer covering layer 2 is colored blue for city gas rubber pipes and orange for propane gas rubber pipes. ing.

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. Over the course of
By adjusting the blending ratio of ozone-resistant rubber (for example, CSM, EPDM) or an ozone-resistant agent, a deterioration identification layer 3 made of a rubber compound whose ozone resistance is inferior to that of the rubber compound of the rubber tube body is provided.

Since the deterioration identification layer 3 has lower ozone resistance than the rubber compound of the rubber tube body, cracks occur earlier than the rubber tube body due to ozone deterioration, and this generally indicates that it is time to replace the rubber tube. Although it is intended to make users aware of it, it will not fulfill its role if cracks occur too early.

Therefore, if the rubber tube main body has a useful life of 2 years, for example, the deterioration identification layer 3 needs to be appropriately designed to cause ozone cracking in about 1 to 1.5 years.

As a compounding example for this purpose, the rubber tube main body (outer cover layer 2 or outer cover layer 2 and inner layer 1) is made of a blend of CSM and EPDM, while the deterioration identification layer 3 is made of CSM.
It is composed of a synthetic rubber such as SM and SBR, or a blend of natural rubber.

Furthermore, the deterioration identification layer 3 can be constructed by reducing the amount of the anti-ozone agent or by using a rubber compound that does not contain the anti-ozone agent at all.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the deterioration identification layer 3 composed of a rubber compound with poor ozone resistance designed as described above is replaced with a rubber outer covering layer 3 as shown in FIG. It can also be provided on the entire outer peripheral surface of the.

As explained above, the gas rubber pipe of the present invention does not contain an anti-ozone agent on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rubber pipe over its entire length or on the entire peripheral surface of the rubber pipe. Alternatively, by adjusting the compounding ratio of ozone-resistant rubber, a deterioration discrimination layer made of a rubber compound with poor ozone resistance was provided, so that the discrimination layer was exposed to the atmosphere earlier than the main structure of the rubber pipe or the rubber layer. The rubber pipe itself deteriorates due to ozone and cracks occur, which makes general users aware that it is time to replace the rubber pipe while the rubber pipe body still has a sufficient service life. When a person notices a crack, avoid a dangerous situation where a gas leak is about to occur in the future, or a tragic accident such as a sudden poisoning or explosion due to leaking gas without noticing the crack. be able to.

Note that while the outer cover layer 2 is blue or orange as described above, the deterioration identification layer 3 may be colored in a different color from the rubber layer located below it, such as by coloring it white. For example, since the different color of the lower layer rubber is exposed through the cracks generated in the identification layer 3, the occurrence of cracks can be recognized more reliably.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating the structure of a conventional rubber tube, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a rubber tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Main body inner layer, 2... Outer cover layer, 3... Deterioration identification layer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A gas rubber pipe made of an ozone-resistant rubber compound is coated on a part or all of the outer circumferential surface of the gas rubber pipe by adjusting the compounding ratio of an ozone-resistant agent or ozone-resistant rubber over the entire length of the rubber pipe. 1. A rubber pipe for gas equipped with a deterioration identification layer, characterized in that the deterioration identification layer is made of a rubber compound having lower ozone resistance than the rubber compound of .