A heat shrink tube expanding device and a heat shrink tube sizing system

Abstract

The application discloses a heat shrink tube expansion device, relates to the technical field of heat shrink tube manufacturing, and can place a flexible expansion bag in an expansion mold, and when expanding the heat shrink tube, first, the heat shrink tube to be expanded is sleeved to the outside of the flexible expansion bag, then the flexible expansion bag is inserted into the expansion mold together with the heat shrink tube, cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag, the cold air can expand the flexible expansion bag, expand the heat shrink tube, and press the heat shrink tube to the inner surface of the expansion mold, the cold air is used for cooling and shaping the heat shrink tube, the cooling and shaping process does not need to use cooling water, and water consumption in the cooling and shaping process is reduced. The heat shrink tube shaping system provided by the application can achieve the same technical effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat shrink tubing manufacturing technology, and more particularly to a heat shrink tubing expansion device. Furthermore, this invention also relates to a heat shrink tubing shaping system. Background Technology

[0002] Heat shrink tubing is a type of tubing made from polyolefins and rubber through high-temperature kneading, extrusion molding, irradiation cross-linking, and expansion shaping. It has shape memory function, allowing it to quickly shrink back after being heated, thus providing insulation protection for wires, cables, and terminals. It is widely used in industries such as nuclear power, high-speed rail, automobiles, aerospace, and shipbuilding.

[0003] The conventional process for producing heat shrink tubing is as follows: masterbatch processing → extrusion molding → irradiation crosslinking → heating expansion → cooling and shaping. Cooling and shaping is the process of expanding and cooling the heat shrink tubing. The cooling and shaping process generally uses a method of wrapping a cold water pipe around the outside of the expansion die for cooling. The cooling water flowing through the cold water pipe cools the heat shrink tubing, and a large amount of cooling water is consumed during the expansion process.

[0004] For those skilled in the art, reducing water consumption during the cooling and setting process is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a heat shrink tubing expansion device that eliminates the need for cooling water during the cooling and shaping process, thereby reducing water consumption. The specific solution is as follows:

[0006] A heat shrink tubing expansion device includes an expansion fixture and a flexible expansion bag, the flexible expansion bag being able to be placed inside the expansion fixture;

[0007] The interior of the flexible expansion bag is used to introduce cold air, which causes the flexible expansion bag to expand. The flexible expansion bag drives the heat shrink tubing to expand and press it against the inner surface of the expansion fixture, where it is cooled and shaped by the cold air.

[0008] Optionally, the surface of the flexible expansion bag is uniformly provided with a plurality of micropores for allowing cold air to flow out.

[0009] Optionally, the flexible expandable bag is a cloth bag.

[0010] Optionally, the expansion device is a pipe extending through both ends, and the length of the flexible expansion bag is greater than the length of the expansion device.

[0011] Optionally, both ends of the flexible expansion bag extend beyond the expansion fixture, and the length of the flexible expansion bag extending beyond the expansion fixture is greater than 100mm.

[0012] Optionally, one end of the flexible expansion bag is connected to a cooling pipe, through which cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag.

[0013] Optionally, the expansion fixture is a metal tube made of thermally conductive metal.

[0014] Optionally, the tube wall of the expansion fixture is provided with an axial channel for the flow of cooling gas.

[0015] The present invention also provides a heat shrink tubing shaping system, including the heat shrink tubing expansion device described in any of the above claims, wherein the flexible expansion bag is supplied with cold air through a vortex cooling device.

[0016] This invention provides a heat shrink tubing expansion device. A flexible expansion bag can be placed inside an expansion fixture. When expanding the heat shrink tubing, the heat shrink tubing to be expanded is first fitted onto the outside of the flexible expansion bag. Then, the flexible expansion bag, along with the heat shrink tubing, is inserted into the expansion fixture. Cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag, causing it to expand and press against the inner surface of the expansion fixture. The cold air cools and shapes the heat shrink tubing, eliminating the need for cooling water and reducing water consumption during the cooling and shaping process. The heat shrink tubing shaping system provided by this invention achieves the same technical effect. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the heat shrink tubing expansion device provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heat shrink tubing shaping system provided by the present invention.

[0020] The image includes:

[0021] 1. Expanding fixture; 2. Flexible expansion bag; 3. Cooling pipe; 4. Vortex cooling device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The core of this invention is to provide a heat shrink tubing expansion device that eliminates the need for cooling water during the cooling and shaping process, thereby reducing water consumption during the cooling and shaping process.

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the heat shrink tubing expansion device and heat shrink tubing shaping system of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Combination Figure 1 The present invention provides a heat shrink tubing expansion device, including an expansion jig 1 and a flexible expansion bag 2. The expansion jig 1 is a rigid, non-deformable structure, and the flexible expansion bag 2 is made of a soft material that can be flexibly deformed. The flexible expansion bag 2 can be deformed by external forces.

[0025] The expansion device 1 has an inner cavity that can accommodate a flexible expansion bag 2. The flexible expansion bag 2 can be placed inside the expansion device 1 and can contact the inner surface of the expansion device 1 when it expands. When the flexible expansion bag 2 is not subjected to any external force, it does not have a specific shape. When the flexible expansion bag 2 is inflated, it expands and forms a cylindrical shape.

[0026] The flexible expansion bag 2 is provided with at least one air-circulating opening. Cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag 2 through the opening. When the cold air from the outside enters the flexible expansion bag 2, the cold air can cause the flexible expansion bag 2 to expand into a cylindrical shape. The flexible expansion bag 2 then drives the heat shrink tubing to expand and press the heat shrink tubing against the inner surface of the expansion fixture 1. The cold air is used to cool and lower the temperature of the heat shrink tubing, so that the heat shrink tubing is cooled and shaped.

[0027] The expansion process of heat shrink tubing is as follows: First, the heat shrink tubing to be expanded is placed over the flexible expansion bag 2, which is not yet inflated. Then, the flexible expansion bag 2 and the heat shrink tubing to be expanded are inserted into the inner cavity of the expansion fixture 1. Cold air is then introduced into the flexible expansion bag 2, causing it to expand and in turn causing the heat shrink tubing to expand. Ultimately, the heat shrink tubing is pressed against the inner surface of the expansion fixture 1. The flexible expansion bag 2 and the expansion fixture 1 squeeze the heat shrink tubing from both sides. The flexible expansion bag 2 squeezes the inner surface of the heat shrink tubing, and the inner surface of the expansion fixture 1 squeezes the outer surface of the heat shrink tubing, ultimately matching the shape of the heat shrink tubing to the inner surface shape of the expansion fixture 1. The cold air inside the flexible expansion bag 2 cools and lowers the temperature of the heat shrink tubing, maintaining its specific shape. Since the heat shrink tubing expansion device of the present invention uses cold air to shape and cool the heat shrink tubing, compared with the traditional method of setting water cooling on the outer wall of the expansion fixture, the cooling process of the present invention does not require the use of cold water, which can reduce the use of cold water and the consumption of cooling water resources.

[0028] Based on the above scheme, a number of micro-holes are uniformly arranged on the surface of the flexible expansion bag 2 to allow cold air to flow out. The cold air inside the flexible expansion bag 2 can be dissipated to the outside through the micro-holes. The cold air discharged from the micro-holes can be directly blown onto the inner surface of the heat shrink tubing, thereby achieving direct cooling of the heat shrink tubing and increasing the efficiency of cooling.

[0029] Specifically, the flexible expansion bag 2 of the present invention is a cloth bag, which is woven and formed. There are gaps between the threads that make up the cloth bag. The cold air inside the flexible expansion bag 2 can be pulled out through the gaps on the surface of the cloth bag to realize the cooling process of the heat shrink tubing.

[0030] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the expansion fixture 1 of this invention is a pipe extending through both ends. The length of the flexible expansion bag 2 is greater than the length of the expansion fixture 1. After inflation, the end of the flexible expansion bag 2 is curved, making it difficult to achieve a sufficient compression effect on the heat shrink tubing. To address this, this invention utilizes the middle section of the flexible expansion bag 2 to compress the heat shrink tubing, ensuring a uniform compression effect across all parts of the tubing. In this structure, the expansion fixture 1 is preferably made of seamless steel pipe. During the expansion process, the heat shrink tubing remains completely within the expansion fixture 1, ensuring one-time molding.

[0031] In addition to using a through channel, the expansion fixture 1 can also adopt a two- or three-lobed structure. In this case, after the expansion fixture 1 is assembled, the flexible expansion bag 2 can be completely contained in the inner cavity. This configuration should also be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0032] Specifically, the two ends of the flexible expansion bag 2 extend beyond the expansion fixture 1, and the length of the flexible expansion bag 2 extending beyond the expansion fixture 1 is greater than 100mm. The two ends of the flexible expansion bag 2 extend beyond the expansion fixture 1 by a certain length, and the middle section of the flexible expansion bag 2 has a uniform cylindrical shape, so that the heat shrink tube is subjected to uniform compression.

[0033] Combination Figure 1 One end of the flexible expansion bag 2 is connected to a cooling pipe 3, through which cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag 2. The cooling pipe 3 serves as a channel for air inlet and outlet. In addition to using one cooling pipe 3, other channels can be provided to separate air inlet and outlet. These specific implementation methods should also be included within the protection scope of this invention.

[0034] Preferably, the expansion device 1 used in this invention is a metal tube made of heat-conducting metal, which can dissipate the heat received by the expansion device 1 to the outside in a timely and rapid manner, thereby accelerating the cooling process of the heat shrink tube.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention provides an axial channel for the flow of cooling gas in the pipe wall of the expansion fixture 1, and the pipe wall of the expansion fixture 1 is configured as a hollow structure to allow air to circulate and improve the cooling and heat dissipation effect.

[0036] Combination Figure 2 The present invention also provides a heat shrink tubing shaping system, including the heat shrink tubing expansion device described above, wherein the flexible expansion bag 2 is supplied with cold air through the vortex cooling device 4. Figure 2 The left end of the vortex cooling device 4 outputs cold air, the right end outputs hot air, and the inlet of the vortex cooling device 4 is used to introduce compressed air.

[0037] A vortex cooling device 4 is used, with the cooling air temperature adjustable from +10℃ to -40℃. During the expansion of the heat shrink tubing, the temperature of the cooling air is adjusted by regulating the regulating valve of the vortex cooling device 4. The generated hot air can be used to heat the extruded part of the heat shrink tubing to be expanded, saving electricity and water resources. Compressed air becomes cold compressed air after passing through the vortex cooling device 4, and then the cold compressed air is connected to the cooling pipe 3 through a pipeline. The extruded part of the heat shrink tubing to be expanded is located between the flexible expansion bag 2 and the expansion die 1. During expansion, the cold air acts directly on the surface of the heat shrink tubing to be expanded, achieving the effect of simultaneous expansion and cooling.

[0038] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A heat shrink tubing shaping system, characterized in that, It includes a heat shrink tubing expansion device and a vortex cooling device (4). The heat shrink tubing expansion device includes an expansion fixture (1) and a flexible expansion bag (2). The flexible expansion bag (2) can be placed inside the expansion fixture (1). The interior of the flexible expansion bag (2) is supplied with cold air through the vortex cooling device (4). The cold air can cause the flexible expansion bag (2) to expand. The flexible expansion bag (2) drives the heat shrink tube to expand and press it against the inner surface of the expansion fixture (1). The cold air is used to cool and shape the tube. The surface of the flexible expansion bag (2) is uniformly provided with a number of micropores for allowing cold air to flow out.

2. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible expansion bag (2) is a cloth bag.

3. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion fixture (1) is a pipe that runs through both ends, and the length of the flexible expansion bag (2) is greater than the length of the expansion fixture (1).

4. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two ends of the flexible expansion bag (2) extend beyond the expansion fixture (1), and the length of the flexible expansion bag (2) extending beyond the expansion fixture (1) is greater than 100mm.

5. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the flexible expansion bag (2) is connected to a cooling pipe (3), through which cold air is introduced into the flexible expansion bag (2).

6. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion fixture (1) is a metal tube made of heat-conducting metal.

7. The heat shrink tubing shaping system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion fixture (1) has an axial channel in its tube wall for the flow of cooling gas.

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