Textile thread element for treating the inside of a hose with rigid and flexible parts

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the general field of the treatment of the interior of tubes of millimetric diameter, this treatment comprising in particular the lapping, polishing and / or cleaning of the interior of the tubes.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to a string comprising a first rigid part and a second flexible part, an assembly comprising such a string and a tube into which the string is introduced, as well as a method of manufacturing such a string. STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] Throughout the description, the expression "inter-tube treatment" designates one or more operations of lapping, polishing and / or cleaning the interior of a tube of millimeter diameter. In addition, by "millimeter diameter" is meant a diameter of the order of a few tenths of a millimeter to a few millimeters.

[0004] The treatment of the inter-tube of millimeter diameter over long lengths, typically of the order of several tens of centimeters, or even more than a meter, is a source of difficulties with the known solutions of the prior art. These conventionally include: swabs; rigid rods coated or not with suitable material; a string or rubbing fabric of diameter close to, or even slightly larger than, the inter-tube, previously introduced using a wire puller.

[0005] Concerning the swabs, their head is either made of metallic material, which allows for effective removal of dirty deposits but carries a risk of scratching the tube, or of polymer material, which does not scratch the tube but has only very limited effectiveness against adhering dirt. In addition, the polymer material is fragile and wears quickly to the point of no longer being able to provide the friction necessary for the various treatments inside the tube. Furthermore, the swabs' shaft is made of metallic material, which is necessary for stiffness and the transmission of the torque in the rotational movement of the swab. This shaft, which may be in contact with the very long tube, can therefore also scratch the inside of the tube.

[0006] Regarding rigid rods, whether coated or not with suitable material, these are rods that are sufficiently rigid to withstand the torsional and compression / traction forces associated with the back-and-forth and rotational movements required for inter-tube treatment operations, in other words, lapping, polishing and / or cleaning operations. For example, the materials used for such rigid rods may include wood or metal. The rods may, for example, be single-strand or multi-strand metal rods coated with suitable material, such as an abrasive material for lapping or polishing, or a soft material for cleaning.It should also be noted that, for inter-tube diameters of the order of a millimetre, there are metal rods or cables capable of transmitting these forces, but this solution is suitable for rough lapping or polishing without therefore allowing fine lapping or polishing, nor where appropriate cleaning without deterioration of the internal surface condition of the tube.

[0007] Concerning the string or rubbing fabric, it is a textile material, synthetic or natural, which is pulled by force inside the tube. One of the difficulties of use lies in the introduction of this string, whose nominal diameter is necessarily close to, or even slightly greater than, the internal diameter of the tube. To do this, a small-diameter wire puller is used, made of polymer or metal material, sheathed to avoid scratching the tube. The wire puller is then passed first, then a mechanical connection is made with the textile material. Finally, by pulling on the wire puller, the textile material is gradually brought through the tube. This solution works for tubes with an internal diameter of a few millimeters, for example for an internal diameter of 2.5 mm or more. However, it is very tricky to use for long tubes with smaller internal diameters.Furthermore, it should be noted that there are wire pullers and textile materials that are strong enough to withstand the forces, but the difficulty lies in the fragility of the connection between the wire puller and the textile material: in particular, either this connection imposes a diameter that is too large; or it imposes radii of curvature that are too small and cannot withstand the forces; or it imposes a wire puller and / or a textile material of a diameter that is too small to be functional or to withstand the tensile forces.

[0008] Documents EP0625032 A1, disclosing the preamble of claim 1, and US2004 / 187892 A1 are part of the state of the art. STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The invention thus aims to at least partially remedy the needs mentioned above and the drawbacks relating to the achievements of the prior art.

[0010] The invention thus relates, according to one of its aspects, to a string for treating a tube, in particular a tube of millimetric diameter, characterized in that it comprises: a first part, called the “rigid part”, forming a wire puller for the introduction and forward traction of the string into the interior of the tube, a second part, called the “flexible part”, forming a flexible wire for treating the interior of the tube, the rigidity of the first part being greater than that of the second part, and the first part and the second part being made of the same material(s) and in continuity with each other.

[0011] By "rigid" we mean that the first part can be rigid or semi-rigid.

[0012] Furthermore, it should be noted that the second part can also possibly be used for the forward traction of the string into the interior of the tube, in particular in the case of total insertion into the interior of the tube and protrusion on either side of the tube.

[0013] According to the invention, the first and second parts are made in continuity with each other. In other words, there is no discontinuity between the two parts and no mechanical connection is necessary to connect them together. The first and second parts are, according to the invention, formed from a single piece. They are, according to the invention, connected to each other continuously, with no junction. The second part comprises metal wires.

[0014] By means of the invention, it may be possible to achieve the thread pulling functionality and the inter-tube processing functionality through identical textile material(s), thereby eliminating the need for a mechanical connection inherent in the heterogeneous solutions of the prior art providing an initial separation between thread pulling and textile material.

[0015] The string according to the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics taken in isolation or in any possible technical combination.

[0016] The second part may include, along its length, one or more geometric variations on the surface, in particular one or more asperities on its surface, for example reliefs and / or hollows, used for the treatment of the interior of the tube.

[0017] The first part can advantageously be, over its length, substantially uniform.

[0018] Furthermore, the string according to the invention can be made at least partially, in particular totally, from thermosetting fibers.

[0019] The string may comprise yarns dedicated to specific functions. In particular, the second part may comprise yarns dedicated to specific functions chosen from fluid absorption fibers and / or fibers for abrasion of the interior of the tube among others, which are advantageously non-thermosetting.

[0020] Furthermore, the string may further comprise a third part, called the "flexible or rigid part", forming a gripping wire for pulling the string backwards inside the tube. The third part and the second part may be made of the same material(s) and in continuity with each other.

[0021] Advantageously, the third, second and first parts are made in continuity with each other. In other words, there is no discontinuity between the three parts and no mechanical connection is necessary to connect them together. The first, second and third parts are advantageously formed in one piece.

[0022] Additionally, only the second part can have an abrasive coating.

[0023] Advantageously, when the string comprises only a first part and a second part, i.e. no third part, the second part can form a gripping wire for the rear pulling of the string into the interior of the tube. When the string comprises first, second and third parts, the third part is the preferred part for the rear pulling of the string.

[0024] If necessary, in this second configuration, the second part can also be used for rear-wheel drive.

[0025] Furthermore, the invention also relates, according to another of its aspects, to an assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a string as defined above, a tube, in particular a tube of millimetric diameter, into which the string is introduced for the treatment of the interior of the tube.

[0026] The length of the string can preferably be greater than the length of the tube.

[0027] Furthermore, the length of the first rigid part may advantageously be greater than the length of the tube.

[0028] Furthermore, the invention also relates, according to another of its aspects, to a method of manufacturing a string as defined above, comprising the following steps: braiding, in particular continuously, of textile filaments to form the string, heating, in particular intermittently, of the first part to make it rigid.

[0029] Advantageously, when the string comprises at least partially, in particular totally, thermosetting fibres, the method according to the invention may comprise the step of thermosetting, in particular by intermittent heating, the first part to make it rigid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention may be better understood by reading the detailed description which follows, non-limiting examples of its implementation, as well as by examining the schematic and partial figures of the attached drawing, in which: there figure 1 illustrates an example of string in accordance with the invention, the figure 2illustrates an example of an assembly comprising a tube of millimeter diameter and a string in accordance with the invention, such as that of the figure 1 , there figure 3 illustrates a method of manufacturing a string according to the invention, such as that of the figure 1 , and the figure 4 illustrates another example of string in accordance with the invention.

[0031] The different parts represented in these figures are not necessarily on a uniform scale, to make them more readable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0032] We will describe below, with reference to the figures 1 to 3 , an example of string 1 in accordance with the invention for treating the interior of a tube 2 of millimeter diameter.

[0033] This string 1 is generally in the form of a string 1 as shown in the figure 1 .

[0034] According to the invention, the string 1 comprises a first part 1a called the “rigid part”, and a second part 1b called the “flexible part”.

[0035] String 1 is homogeneous because the rigid 1a and flexible 1b parts are made of the same material or materials, and are continuous with each other. In other words, except in terms of rigidity and possibly in terms of geometric variations, there is no difference between the rigid 1a and flexible 1b parts. They are made of a single piece and together define string 1.

[0036] The first rigid part 1a is more particularly rigid or semi-rigid. It is described as “rigid” because it has greater rigidity than the second part 1b, called “flexible”.

[0037] More precisely, the string 1 thus has a dual functionality, namely that of a thread puller and that of treating the inter-tube, as explained previously in the section relating to the prior art.

[0038] Thus, the rigid part 1a has a rigidity such as that normally used for a thread puller used for the principle of rubbing strings or fabrics. This rigid part 1a allows the introduction of the string 1, and in particular of the flexible part 1b, into the tube 2.

[0039] The flexible part 1b has a flexibility such as that normally used for a conventional string or rubbing fabric. This flexible part 1b allows the treatment of the interior of the tube 2.

[0040] There figure 2 illustrates the insertion of string 1 of the figure 1 in tube 2 of millimeter diameter.

[0041] More specifically, it may be a tube 2 with an internal diameter of approximately 1 mm and a length LT of approximately 1500 mm.

[0042] Advantageously, the length L of the string 1 is greater than the length LT of the tube 2. More precisely, the length La of the first rigid part 1a is greater than the length LT of the tube 2. In this way, the rigid part 1a is entirely inserted into the tube 2, a portion of it protruding from the tube 2 at each of its ends as visible on the figure 2 . So, the flexible part 1b of the string 2, visible on the right on the figure 2 , outside tube 2, is ready to be pulled into tube 2 for processing.

[0043] Furthermore, as visible on the figure 1 , the rigid part 1a has an appearance, along its length La, which is substantially uniform so as to facilitate its introduction into the tube 2 and not to damage the interior of the tube 2.

[0044] On the contrary, as visible on the figures 1 And 3 , the flexible part 1b of the string 1 may comprise, along its length Lb, geometric variations 3 on the surface, here for example reliefs 3 in spherical form, used for the treatment of the interior of the tube 2. More precisely, the string 1 comprises point modifications of geometry to functionalize the flexible part 1b dedicated to the treatment of the inter-tube, for example surface asperities, in particular excess thicknesses, abrasives and / or cavities to for example rub the internal wall of the tube 2 or even maintain cleaning fluids.

[0045] Furthermore, the string 1 is advantageously made with thermosetting fibers in order to allow the formation of the rigid part 1a.

[0046] More precisely, the string 1, ensuring the two functions of wire pulling and treatment of the inter-tube, is produced by thermosetting a part of it to form the rigid part 1a, without thus needing a connection with the other part forming the flexible part 1b.

[0047] There figure 3 schematically illustrates a principle of manufacturing the string 1 in accordance with the invention.

[0048] The string 1 is thus formed, entirely or partially, by a conventional continuous braiding process from thermosetting fibers, the arrow F representing the direction of travel on the figure 3 .

[0049] Thus, textile filaments 5 are braided to form the string 1 in the direction of the arrow F on the figure 3 .

[0050] The rigid part 1a, dedicated to the wire pulling function, is formed by thermosetting over a length La equal to at least the length LT of the tube 2 to be treated, supplemented by an excess length for gripping and insertion, by intermittent heating C of the part of the string 1 formed first in the braiding process.

[0051] The other part, intended to form the flexible part 1b, is not heated to maintain flexibility but is provided with geometric variations 3 intended to improve the treatment of the inter-tube.

[0052] The thermosetting operation can be carried out during the unwinding of the twine 1 at the exit of the braiding operation, as illustrated in the figure 3 , or even in a second stage, after possible cutting into multiple lengths of the final use length of the string 1.

[0053] Furthermore, the string 1 may also comprise, in addition to the thermosetting fibers, other types of fibers to confer other properties to the string 1, for example fibers for absorbing or retaining cleaning fluids and / or fibers for abrasion of the interior of the tube 2 and / or resistant fibers for treating the inter-tube.

[0054] There figure 4 further illustrates another example of string 1 in accordance with the invention.

[0055] In this example, as before, the string 1 has a first rigid part 1a, and a second flexible part 1b. The rigid part 1a allows insertion and forward traction. The flexible part 1b allows the treatment of the interior of the tube 2.

[0056] This flexible part 1b may have a first configuration similar to that described previously, which may or may not include variations in geometry along it and may include wires dedicated to specific functions chosen from fluid absorption fibers and / or abrasion fibers from the inside of the tube 2 and / or metal wires, these then advantageously being non-thermosetting. It may also have a second configuration, not exclusive of the first, in which it alone is coated with an abrasive coating.

[0057] Furthermore, in this example, the string 1 also comprises a third part 1c, called “flexible or rigid part”, forming a gripping wire for the rear traction of the wire element 1 inside the tube 2.

[0058] This third part 1c can be flexible and thus constitute a specific part, or be semi-rigid constituting the beginning of the following section.

[0059] Of course, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described. Various modifications may be made thereto by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. Textile thread element (1) for treating a tube (2), characterised in that it comprises: - a first portion (1a), called the "rigid portion", forming a thread puller for introducing and front traction of the thread element (1) inside the tube (2), - a second portion (1b), called "flexible" portion, forming a flexible thread for treating the inside of the tube (2), the rigidity of the first portion (1a) being greater than that of the second portion (1b), and the first portion (1a) and the second portion (1b) being made from the same material, the first (1a) and second (1b) portions are made from a single piece, being continuously connected together, with the absence of any junction, characterized in that the second portion (1b) comprises metallic threads.

2. Thread element according to claim 1, characterised in that the second portion (1b) comprises, over its length (Lb), one or more geometrical variations (3) on the surface used for treating the inside of a tube (2).

3. Thread element according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first portion (1a) is, over its length (La), substantially uniform.

4. Thread element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is made at least partially, in particular entirely, from thermosetting fibres.

5. Thread element according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the second portion (1b) also comprises threads dedicated to specific functions chosen from fluid absorption fibres and / or abrasion fibres of the inside of the tube (2).

6. Thread element according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises: - a third portion (1c), called "flexible or rigid portion", forming a gripper thread for the rear traction of the thread element (1) inside the tube (2), the third portion (1c) and the second portion (1b) being made from the same material or materials and continuous with each other.

7. Thread element according to any preceding claim, characterised in that only the second portion (1b) comprises an abrasive coating.

8. Ensemble (10), characterised in that it comprises: - a textile thread element (1) according to any preceding claim, - a tube (2), wherein the thread element is introduced (1) for treating the inside of the tube (2).

9. Ensemble according to claim 8, characterised in that the length (L) of the thread element (1) is greater than the length (LT) of the tube (2).

10. Ensemble according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the length (La) of the first rigid portion (1a) is greater than the length (LT) of the tube (2).

11. Method for manufacturing a textile thread element (1) according to any of claims 4 to 7 when depending on claim 4, comprising the following steps: - braiding of textile filaments (5) to form the thread element (1), - heating of the first portion (1a) to render it rigid.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that, the thread element (1) comprising at least partially, in particular entirely, thermosetting fibres, the method comprising the step consisting in thermosetting the first portion (1a) to render it rigid.