Cutting tool

Abstract

To provide a cutting tool that can cut off long bodies having different diameters more easily.SOLUTION: A cutting tool comprises: a pair of split bodies that are pivotally supported by a turning shaft extending in an axial direction, be mutually turnably, form an arrangement space in which a long body is arranged sandwiched between inner sides of the split bodies, and has an opening / closing end that can perform opening / closing operation in order to introduce the long body is into the arrangement space; and a cutting blade, provided in at least either of the pair of split bodies, which faces the arrangement space in order to cut the long body. The pair of split bodies is provided with holding parts for holding the pair of split bodies in a closing direction. The pair of split bodies can relatively move in an axial direction with respect to the long body so that the long body penetrates through both ends in the axial direction of the split bodies, in a state where the long body is arranged sandwiched between the split bodies in the arrangement space. The cutting blade is configured to be able to cut off the long body in the axial direction, by relatively moving in the axial direction of the long body, in a state where the long body is arranged in the arrangement space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting tool for cutting elongated bodies, in particular corrugated tubes. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cutters or scissors have been used to cut long objects such as corrugated pipes used in piping. However, even for experienced workers, it is difficult to cut long objects with a consistent cross-sectional shape using cutters or scissors. Therefore, various cutting tools have been proposed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheath tube cutting tool capable of cutting a bellows-shaped circular sheath tube. In the following paragraphs, the reference numerals of Patent Document 1 are shown in parentheses. A sheath tube cutting tool (C1) which is a first embodiment of Patent Document 1 is formed in a substantially U-shape having a recess (11) into which a bellows-shaped sheath tube (PO) can be fitted, and two parallel protrusions (12) are provided on the edge of the recess (11) and have a shape matching the valley portion (P1) of the sheath tube (PO), and a blade (13) capable of cutting the sheath tube (PO) is provided at a position corresponding to the peak portion (P2) of the sheath tube (PO), i.e., between the two protrusions (12). On the other hand, a sheath tube cutting jig (C2) which is a second embodiment of Patent Document 1 is configured by hingedly connecting a pair of half members (2, 2) which can be joined into a ring shape having a circular hole through which a bellows-shaped sheath tube (PO) can be inserted, with a pin (3), and each half member (2, 2) is configured with a doughnut portion (21) which is a shape obtained by equally dividing a doughnut-shaped member in the radial direction, and a handle portion (22) provided on the outer periphery of the doughnut portion (21). Both half members (2, 2) are provided with two rows of convex portions (24) which can be fitted into the valley portions (P1) of the sheath tube (PO) on the circular hole edge portion (23) of the doughnut portion (21), and a blade (25) which can cut the sheath tube (PO) in the length direction is provided at a position corresponding to the peak portion (P2) of the sheath tube (PO), i.e., between the two rows of convex portions (24, 24). That is, the sleeve pipe cutting jig (C2) is configured so that when the handles (22, 22) of both halves (2, 2) are brought together, the doughnut portions (21, 21) of both halves (2, 2) are joined into a ring shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-213761 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The sheath pipe cutting tool (cutting tool) of the first embodiment of Patent Document 1 is inconvenient because it is formed in a non-movable C-shape and can only cut pipes of a specific diameter. In contrast, the sheath pipe cutting tool (cutting tool) of the second embodiment of Patent Document 1 is capable of cutting pipes of different diameters by hinge-connecting a pair of half-split members. When cutting a pipe with the sheath pipe cutting tool, the user operates the pair of handles of the sheath pipe cutting tool with both hands to open the pair of half-split members and place the pipe between the pair of half-split members. Then, by operating the pair of handles with both hands to bring the pair of handles together, the pair of half-split members are closed and the blade is brought into contact with the pipe. Furthermore, the pipe is cut by rotating the sheath pipe cutting tool relative to the pipe while holding the pair of handles with the hands and maintaining the closed state. In this way, in order to cut a pipe with the sheath pipe cutting tool, the user needs to repeatedly grip and operate the pair of handles extending in a protruding shape. Therefore, it was a problem that the user could not easily perform the cutting work. That is, conventional cutting tools do not sufficiently consider the ease of use for users, and further improvement in operability is required.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting tool that makes it possible to cut elongated bodies of different diameters with a simpler operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A cutting tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of divided bodies rotatably connected to each other via a rotation axis extending in an axial direction, forming an arrangement space between the divided bodies for sandwiching an elongated body therebetween, and having opening and closing ends operable to open and close for introducing the elongated body into the arrangement space; a cutting blade provided on at least one of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body; The present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a drive unit formed on the opening and closing end sides of the pair of divided bodies, and which rotates the pair of divided bodies in an opening direction by being pressed by the elongated body entering the arrangement space through the opening and closing ends.

[0008] A cutting tool of form 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in form 1, the drive unit is connected to the opening and closing ends on the outer surfaces of the pair of segments and has a guide surface that guides the elongated body abutting the outer surfaces of the pair of segments to the opening and closing ends.

[0009] A cutting tool of form 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in form 2, when the long body is a corrugated tube having concave and convex portions alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction, the guide surface is formed with a guide protrusion that protrudes into the concave portions.

[0010] The cutting tool of form 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in form 3, it further comprises a guide piece provided on at least one of the pair of segments, extending from the inner surface of the segment toward the arrangement space and formed to fit into the recess, and the axial positions of the guide piece and the guide protrusion are consistent.

[0011] The cutting tool of form 5 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in any one of forms 1 to 4, when the long body is a corrugated tube having concave and convex portions alternately successive in the longitudinal direction, the cutting tool further comprises a pair of guide pieces provided on both axial sides of the cutting blade and inserted into adjacent concave portions of the corrugated tube.

[0012] A cutting tool according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the cutting tool according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a biasing means for biasing the pair of divided bodies in a closing direction.

[0013] The cutting tool of form 7 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in any one of forms 1 to 6, the pair of segments is provided with gripping portions extending in the axial direction for pressing the pair of segments in a closing direction.

[0014] A cutting tool of an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the cutting tool according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the cutting blade is disposed offset toward one end side in the axial direction of the divided body.

[0015] The cutting tool of form 9 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in any one of forms 1 to 8, a cutting blade is provided on each of the pair of segments, and each cutting blade is arranged at the same axial position and biased toward the opening and closing end side of each segment.

[0016] A cutting tool according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the cutting tool according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the pair of segments is provided with the cutting blade, the arrangement space is configured to be capable of arranging a first elongated body having a first diameter and a first center point, and a second elongated body having a second diameter larger than the first diameter and a second center point; when the first elongated body is disposed in the arrangement space, the pair of cutting blades contact the first elongated body at two contact points, and two straight lines sequentially connecting one contact point, the first center point, and the other contact point form a first central angle; when the second elongated body is disposed in the arrangement space, the pair of cutting blades contact the second elongated body at two contact points, and two straight lines sequentially connecting one contact point, the second center point, and the other contact point form a second central angle; The pair of cutting blades are positioned so that the second central angle is closer to 180 degrees than the first central angle.

[0017] A cutting tool according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention comprises a pair of divided bodies rotatably supported by a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction, forming an arrangement space for placing an elongated body by sandwiching the elongated body therebetween, the divided bodies having opening and closing ends operable to open and close for introducing the elongated body into the arrangement space; a cutting blade provided on at least one of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body, The pair of divided bodies is characterized in that it is provided with gripping portions extending in the axial direction and for pressing the pair of divided bodies in a closing direction.

[0018] A cutting tool according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention comprises a pair of divided bodies rotatably supported by a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction, forming an arrangement space for placing an elongated body by sandwiching the pair of divided bodies inside, the pair of divided bodies having opening and closing ends operable to open and close for introducing the elongated body into the arrangement space; a cutting blade provided on at least one of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body, The pair of divided bodies are provided with gripping portions extending in an axial direction and configured to press the pair of divided bodies in a closing direction, the pair of divided bodies are arranged in the arrangement space so as to sandwich the elongated body on the inside, and are capable of moving in the axial direction relative to the elongated body such that the elongated body penetrates both ends of the divided bodies in the axial direction, The cutting blade is characterized in that it is configured to be able to cut and split the elongated body in the axial direction by relative movement in the axial direction of the elongated body while the elongated body is placed in the arrangement space.

[0019] A cutting tool according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the cutting tool according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the cutting blade includes a base portion protruding inward from the divided body and a blade portion formed on an edge of the base portion facing the arrangement space; The cutting blade may be provided with a covering member at a tip end of the base portion in a protruding direction thereof, the covering member partially covering the blade portion.

[0020] A cutting tool of form 14 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in form 12 or 13, the arrangement space is configured to be capable of arranging a first corrugated tube having a first diameter and a second corrugated tube having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and when the first or second corrugated tube is arranged in the arrangement space, the first or second corrugated tube can be cut to form a longitudinally continuous slit at one circumferential location by relative axial movement of the cutting blade.

[0021] The cutting tool of form 15 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cutting tool described in any one of forms 12 to 14, at least one of the pair of divided bodies is provided on the opening / closing end side with a position display unit that displays the axial position of the cutting blade, and / or a placement position indicating unit that indicates the placement position of the end of the elongated body that is placed in the placement space. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the cutting tool of the first embodiment of the present invention, the drive unit formed on the open / close end side of the pair of divided bodies is pressed by the long body entering the arrangement space through the open / close end, thereby rotating the pair of divided bodies in the opening direction. That is, the user can introduce the long body into the arrangement space between the pair of divided bodies by operating the cutting tool so as to press the long body against the drive unit on the open / close end side. Therefore, the cutting tool of the present invention significantly improves operability for the user.

[0023] According to the cutting tool of the present invention in the second aspect, in addition to the effects of the invention in the first aspect, the user can press the elongated body against the guide surface to guide the elongated body into the arrangement space via the open opening and closing ends. Therefore, the cutting tool of the present invention significantly improves the operability for the user.

[0024] According to the cutting tool of the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the second aspect of the invention, the guide protrusion fits into the recess of the corrugated tube, so that the corrugated tube abutting the guide surface can be locked in the longitudinal direction. This prevents the corrugated tube from shifting from the guide surface in the longitudinal direction, and allows the corrugated tube to be easily positioned.

[0025] According to the cutting tool of form 4 of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the invention of form 3, the axial positions of the guide piece and the guide protrusion are consistent, so that when the corrugated tube is guided by the guide surface and introduced into the arrangement space from the opening and closing end, the recess of the corrugated tube slides from the guide protrusion to the guide piece, preventing the corrugated tube from shifting in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] According to the cutting tool of the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, The pair of guide pieces clamp the protrusions of the corrugated tube from both sides in the axial direction of the cutting blade, thereby preventing the corrugated tube from shifting in the longitudinal direction during cutting. In addition, the guide pieces engage with the corrugated tube in the longitudinal direction, preventing the cut pieces of the corrugated tube from falling off the cutting tool after cutting.

[0027] According to the cutting tool of the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to fifth aspects, the biasing means biases the pair of divided bodies in the closing direction, so that the cutting tool can be maintained in a compact form when not in use. Furthermore, after the opening and closing ends are opened and the elongated body is placed in the arrangement space, the biasing force of the biasing means can automatically rotate the pair of divided bodies in the closing direction, so that the cutting blade can contact the elongated body. Furthermore, since the biasing means maintains the closed state after cutting, the cut piece of the elongated body is prevented from falling off the cutting tool.

[0028] According to the cutting tool of the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to sixth aspects, when cutting a long body placed in the arrangement space, the user can hold the gripping portion and press the pair of halves in the closing direction to maintain the cutting blade biting into the outer surface of the long body, and the user can easily rotate the cutting tool in the circumferential direction of the long body by moving the wrist. In other words, the user can operate the gripping portion to perform pressing and rotating operations with one hand.

[0029] According to the cutting tool of embodiment 8 of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the inventions of embodiments 1 to 7, since the cutting blade is biased toward one end side in the axial direction of the divided body, it is relatively easy to visually check the contact portion between the cutting blade and the elongated body.

[0030] According to the cutting tool of the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to eighth aspects, the pair of cutting blades cut the elongated body from both sides at the same axial position, making it possible to cut the elongated body more efficiently. Also, since each cutting blade is arranged biased toward the opening and closing ends of each divided body, when a relatively large-diameter elongated body is arranged in the arrangement space such that the opening and closing ends of the pair of divided bodies are not closed, the pair of cutting blades can contact the elongated body at a position farther apart on the outer periphery of the elongated body (compared to when the cutting blades are arranged in the middle of the divided bodies). In other words, when cutting a large-diameter elongated body, the overlap of the movement paths of the pair of cutting blades during rotation can be reduced, and the required rotation angle can be made closer to 180 degrees.

[0031] According to the cutting tool of the tenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to ninth aspects, the pair of cutting blades are positioned so that the second central angle when the second elongated body having a larger diameter is disposed in the arrangement space is larger (approaching 180 degrees) than the first central angle when the first elongated body is disposed in the arrangement space. This reduces the overlap of the movement paths of the pair of cutting blades when rotating when cutting the second elongated body having a larger diameter. As a result, the rotation angle required to cut the second elongated body can be reduced compared to the first elongated body having a small diameter, which is relatively easy to rotate.

[0032] According to the cutting tool of the eleventh aspect of the present invention, when cutting a long body placed in the arrangement space, the user holds the gripping portion and presses the pair of divided bodies in the closing direction, thereby maintaining the cutting blade biting into the outer surface of the long body, and the user can easily rotate the cutting tool in the circumferential direction of the long body by moving the wrist. In other words, compared with conventional cutting tools in which the user re-holds the handle that extends in the direction away from the long body, the cutting tool of the present invention allows the user to rotate the cutting tool in one hand while holding the gripping portion, thereby significantly improving operability in cutting a long body.

[0033] According to the cutting tool of the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, when cutting a long body arranged in the arrangement space, the user can hold the pair of divided bodies in the closing direction by gripping the gripping portion, thereby maintaining the cutting blade biting into the outer surface of the long body. The user can then relatively slide the cutting tool in the axial direction of the long body to cut or split the long body in the axial direction. In other words, compared to conventional cutting tools, the cutting tool of the present invention allows the user to operate the cutting tool while holding the gripping portion with one hand, thereby significantly improving operability in cutting or splitting a long body.

[0034] According to the cutting tool of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the invention of the twelfth aspect, a covering member that covers the tip of the cutting blade is provided, so that the user can be prevented from touching the tip of the blade and being injured. In other words, the cutting tool takes into consideration safety in operating the cutting tool.

[0035] According to the cutting tool of the present invention in the fourteenth aspect, in addition to the effects of the invention in the twelfth or thirteenth aspect, the cutting tool can arrange different kinds of corrugated tubes in the arrangement space and cut each corrugated tube in the axial direction, thereby making it possible to form slits in the corrugated tubes to serve as entrances for wiring / piping materials to be housed in the corrugated tubes.

[0036] According to the cutting tool of form 15 of the present invention, in addition to the effects of any of the inventions of forms 12 to 14, the user can easily determine the cutting position of the elongated body by checking a position display unit that displays the axial position of the cutting blade, and / or, by using a placement position indicating unit that indicates the placement position of the end of the elongated body to be placed in the placement space, it is easy to position the elongated body so that it is cut in the axial direction from the end. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1A is a schematic perspective view of a cutting tool according to one embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of a cutting tool in an open state. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are plan views of the cutting tool of FIG. 1 in a closed state and an open state, respectively. [Diagram 3] 2A is a front view of the cutting tool of FIG. 1 in a closed state, and FIG. 2B is a front view of the cutting tool of FIG. 1 in an open state. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are rear and side views of the cutting tool of FIG. 1 in a closed state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the cutting tool taken along the line AA. [Figure 6] FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the cutting tool taken along line B-B. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting tool of FIG. 1 . [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting blade assembly of FIG. 7; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a process of cutting a corrugated tube with a cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are schematic plan views showing a process for cutting a corrugated tube with a cutting tool of one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a process for contacting the cutting tool with the corrugated tube, and (b) shows a process for pressing the cutting tool against the corrugated tube. [Figure 11] 4 is a plan view of the cutting tool according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a corrugated tube is placed in the placement space. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front view of the cutting tool and corrugated tube of FIG. 11 . [Figure 13]1 is a partially enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cutting tool and a corrugated tube, showing a state in which a cutting blade is biting into the corrugated tube held in an arrangement space, in a cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view of a cutting tool and corrugated tube of the embodiment of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 13 is a partially enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cutting tool and the corrugated tube, showing the configuration after the corrugated tube has been cut in the arrangement space in the cutting tool of one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 16] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a corrugated tube with a larger diameter is disposed in the arrangement space. FIG. [Figure 17] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cutting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a corrugated tube with a larger diameter is placed in the placement space. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a cutting tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 17 is an exploded perspective view of a cutting blade unit of the cutting tool of FIG. 16. [Figure 20] 17A and 17B show cross-sectional views of the cutting tool in which a corrugated tube is arranged in the arrangement space of the cutting tool of FIG. 16, showing (a) a first corrugated tube having a first diameter and (b) a second corrugated tube having a second diameter. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a cutting tool according to another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a cutting tool according to another embodiment (third embodiment) of the present invention. [Diagram 23] 13A is a schematic perspective view of a cutting tool according to another embodiment (fourth embodiment) of the present invention in a closed state, and FIG. 13B is a schematic perspective view of a cutting tool in an open state. [Figure 24] 24A and 24B are plan views of the cutting tool of FIG. 23 in a closed state and an open state, respectively. [Diagram 25] 24A and 24B are front views of the cutting tool of FIG. 23 in a closed state and an open state, respectively. [Figure 26] 24A and 24B are rear and side views of the cutting tool of FIG. 23 in a closed state. [Figure 27] FIG. 24( a ) is a cross-sectional view of the cutting tool taken along the line CC. [Figure 28](a) DD cross-sectional view and (b) EE cross-sectional view of the cutting tool in Figure 25(a). [Figure 29] FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting tool of FIG. 23 . [Diagram 30] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a step of cutting a corrugated tube with the cutting tool of FIG. 23, illustrating the step of aligning the ends of the corrugated tube. [Diagram 31] 24A to 24C are schematic cross-sectional views showing a step of cutting a corrugated tube with the cutting tool of Figure 23, (a) showing a step of contacting the cutting tool with the corrugated tube, and (b) showing a step of pressing the cutting tool against the corrugated tube. [Diagram 32] 24 is a plan view of the cutting tool shown in FIG. 23, showing a state in which a corrugated tube is placed in the arrangement space. [Diagram 33] 24 is a plan view of the cutting tool shown in FIG. 23, showing a state in which a corrugated tube is placed in the arrangement space. [Diagram 34] 24A and 24B are schematic longitudinal and transverse sectional views showing a process of cutting a corrugated tube in an axial direction using the cutting tool of FIG. 23. [Diagram 35] 24A and 24B are schematic longitudinal and transverse sectional views showing a process in which a larger diameter corrugated tube is cut in the axial direction using the cutting tool of FIG. 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the shapes of the figures referred to in the following description are conceptual or schematic diagrams for explaining preferred shapes and dimensions, and the dimensional ratios do not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratios. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional ratios in the drawings.

[0039] The cutting tool 100 of one embodiment of the present invention is used to cut a corrugated tube 10, which is an elongated body having concave portions 11 and convex portions 12 arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. More specifically, the cutting tool 100 is rotated in the circumferential direction of the corrugated tube 10, and the cutting tool 100 cuts the corrugated tube 10 by the rotational movement of the cutting blade 111.

[0040] 1(a) and (b) are perspective views of the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment in a closed state (initial position) and an open state (deformed position). FIG. 2(a) and (b) are plan views of the cutting tool 100 in a closed state and an open state. FIG. 3(a) and (b) are front views of the cutting tool 100 in a closed state and an open state. FIG. 4(a) and (b) are rear and side views of the cutting tool 100 in a closed state. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA and a transverse sectional view taken along line BB of the cutting tool 100. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting tool 100.

[0041] The cutting tool 100 of this embodiment includes a pair of divided bodies 101, 102 movably combined, a pair of cutting blades 111, 111 provided on each of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 to cut the corrugated tube 10, and a spring 109 that biases the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in a closing direction. The cutting tool 100 extends from the upper end to the lower end along an axial direction that coincides with the longitudinal direction of the long body (corrugated tube 10) to be cut. The cutting tool 100 has an upper part on the axial upper side that functions to cut the corrugated tube 10, and a lower part that extends axially below the upper part and is operated by the user. In other words, the cutting blade 111 is provided biased toward one end side of the divided bodies 101, 102 in the axial direction.

[0042] The pair of divided bodies 101, 102 are movably combined. Here, the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 are defined as a first divided body 101 and a second divided body 102. The first divided body 101 and the second divided body 102 each extend along an axial direction (which coincides with the longitudinal direction when in use) and have a base end (fixed end) and a tip end (free end) in a plan view. Each divided body 101, 102 has an arc shape extending circumferentially from the base end to the tip end in a plan view, and the inner concave curved surfaces face each other.

[0043] The first divided body 101 and the second divided body 102 are connected to each other rotatably via a rotation shaft 103 at the base end. The first divided body 101 and the second divided body 102 have mutually complementary shapes at the base end and are combined via the rotation shaft 103. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 103 is a long metal pin extending in the axial direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the rotation shaft of the present invention merely means the rotation center axis of the pair of divided bodies, and its form can be changed arbitrarily. In addition, the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 have inner surfaces facing each other, and form an arrangement space 104 between them for placing the corrugated tube 10 to be cut, sandwiched between them. And, at the tip located on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 103 of the cutting tool 100, an opening and closing end 105 capable of opening and closing for introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 104 is formed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, in the closed state, the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 abut against each other at the opening / closing end 105 via abutment surfaces 105a, 105a.

[0044] Further, an upper portion of each divided body 101, 102 is provided with a driving unit 106 which is pressed toward the center of the arrangement space 104 to rotate the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the opening direction. The driving unit 106 is formed adjacent to the opening / closing ends 105 of each divided body 101, 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the driving unit 106 forms the tip end surface of the divided body 101, 102 and has a guide surface 106a connected to the opening / closing end 105 on the outer surface. The guide surface 106a is an inclined plane which is inclined such that the side closer to the opening / closing end 105 (contact surfaces 105a, 105a) is located on the base end side and the side farther from the opening / closing end 105 is located on the tip end side in a plan view. That is, the guide surface 106a can function to guide the corrugated tube 10 that is in sliding contact with the surface to the open / close end 105, and convert the pressing force of the corrugated tube 10 that is trying to pass through the open / close end 105 into a force that rotates the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the opening direction. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, each guide surface 106a of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 has a guide protrusion 106b that protrudes so as to enter the recess 11 of the corrugated tube 10. The guide protrusion 106b is two protrusions that extend in the circumferential direction and extend continuously through the closed open / close end 105. These two upper and lower protrusions are configured to sandwich the protrusion 12 of the corrugated tube 10. As described later, the guide protrusion 106b can function to prevent the corrugated tube 10 that is in contact with the guide surface 106a from shifting in the longitudinal direction and to position the part to be cut. The guide projections 106b may extend beyond the guide surfaces 106a to the contact surfaces 105a and inner circumferential surfaces of the divided bodies 101 and 102.

[0045] A grip 107 is provided at the lower portion of each of the divided bodies 101, 102, extending in the axial direction and for pressing the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in a closing direction. The grip 107 is connected to the axially lower side of the upper portion. Each grip 107 has a semi-cylindrical shape with dimensions that allow a user to easily hold it with one hand. That is, a user can easily open and close the divided bodies 101, 102 by holding the grip 107 with one hand and simply opening and closing the hand. In addition, a user can rotate the cutting tool 100 by holding the grip 107 with one hand and moving the wrist.

[0046] Furthermore, a plurality of ribs extending in an arc perpendicular to the axial direction are formed on the inner surface of the lower portion of the divided bodies 101, 102. Furthermore, a window 108 that allows a part of the corrugated tube 10 arranged in the arrangement space 104 to be visually observed from the outside is provided near the lower end of each divided body 101, 102. A string can also be attached to the window 108 to prevent falling during work at height.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4, a spring 109 is disposed near the lower end of the rotating shaft 103 of the cutting tool 100. The spring 109 is a torsion coil spring fitted onto the lower end of the rotating shaft 103, and applies a force in the rotation direction to the pair of divided bodies 101, 102. That is, the spring 109 functions as a biasing means that biases the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the closing direction. The spring 109 constantly biases the divided bodies 101, 102 in the closing direction, thereby enabling the cutting tool 100 to be maintained in a compact form.

[0048] A pair of cutting blades 111, 111 are provided on both of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102, respectively, and are arranged to face each other at the same position in the axial direction. The cutting tips of each cutting blade 111 face the arrangement space 104 to cut the corrugated tube 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 are located at approximately the center of the arc of the divided bodies 101, 102 (i.e., approximately the middle between the base end and the tip end) and face each other. Each cutting blade 111 has a sharp tip and has a blade on both sides in the circumferential direction. That is, when the cutting tip of the cutting blade 111 is biting into the corrugated tube 10, the cutting blade 111 rotates relative to the corrugated tube 10 in the circumferential direction, so that the cutting blade 111 can cut the corrugated tube 10 on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. In addition, the cutting blade 111 is provided biased toward one end side of the divided bodies 101, 102 in the axial direction so as to be easily visible from the upper end.

[0049] A pair of upper and lower guide pieces 112, 112 are provided above and below each cutting blade 111 in the axial direction. Each guide piece 112 extends on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction and is made of a fan-shaped thin plate corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the corrugated tube 10. Each guide piece 112 can be elastically deformed in the axial direction. Each guide piece 112 is configured with a thickness that allows it to enter the recess 11 of the corrugated tube 10. The pair of guide pieces 112, 112 are separated from each other so that the protrusion 12 of the corrugated tube 10 can be placed therebetween. The cutting blade 111 is located at the middle position between the pair of guide pieces 112, 112. The pair of guide pieces 112, 112 are located at the same position in the axial direction as the pair of guide protrusions 106b, 106b. The guide protrusions 106b and the guide pieces 112 may be connected to form a continuous protrusion. In this case, the corrugated tube 10 can be continuously transferred from the guide protrusion 106b to the guide piece 112.

[0050] Moreover, it is preferable that the inner peripheral edge of the guide piece 112 is located in the same position as the tip of the cutting blade 111 or located radially inward from the tip of the cutting blade 111 in a plan view. In other words, since the tip of the cutting blade 111 does not protrude from the guide piece 112 toward the center, it is possible to prevent a user from touching the cutting blade 111 with his or her hand and getting injured.

[0051] In this embodiment, the cutting blade 111 and the guide piece 112 are fixed at predetermined positions of the divided bodies 101, 102 as part of the cutting blade cartridge 110. As shown in Fig. 7, the cutting blade cartridge 110 is configured so as to be easily attached and detached to the upper surface of each of the divided bodies 101, 102 by screws and nuts.

[0052] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting blade cartridge 110. As shown in FIG. 8, the cutting blade cartridge 110 is an assembly in which a cutting blade 111 embedded in a blade housing part 113a at the center of a base 113 having a predetermined thickness and a circular arc shape are combined with a cover 114 covering the blade housing part, and a pair of guide pieces 112, 112 arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the base 113. The cutting blade 111 is held at a substantially central position in the circumferential and thickness directions of the base 113. The thickness of the base 113 forms a separation distance between the pair of guide pieces 112, 112. By replacing the worn-out cutting blade cartridge 110 of the cutting tool 100 with a new cutting blade cartridge 110, the deteriorated cutting blade 111 can be easily replaced. Alternatively, it is also possible to replace it with a cutting blade cartridge of a different form (for example, see FIG. 19) depending on the object to be cut and the purpose.

[0053] Next, a method for cutting the corrugated tube 10 using the cutting tool 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 14. The method generally includes a step of introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 104 between a pair of divided bodies 101, 102 of the cutting tool 100, and a step of rotating the cutting tool 100 relatively around the corrugated tube 10 to cut the corrugated tube 10.

[0054] The process of introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 104 will be specifically described. First, the gripping portion 107 of the cutting tool 100 is loosely gripped with one hand. As shown in Fig. 9, the cutting tool 100 is brought relatively close to the corrugated tube 10 with the opening and closing end 105 of the cutting tool 100 facing the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and held in a position to cut the corrugated tube 10. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube 10 and the axial direction of the cutting tool 100 are aligned.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the portion where the corrugated tube 10 is to be cut is positioned, and the driving part 106 of the cutting tool 100 is brought into contact with the corrugated tube 10 according to the cutting position. The outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 is brought into contact with both guide surfaces 106a, and the guide protrusions 106b enter the recesses 11 of the corrugated tube 10. The corrugated tube 10 is guided by the guide surfaces 106a toward the open / close end 105. At this time, the protrusions 12 (including the cutting portion) are sandwiched between the pair of upper and lower guide protrusions 106b, 106b from above and below, so that the corrugated tube 10 and the cutting tool 100 are locked in the axial direction (longitudinal direction). This restricts the cutting tool 100, which is positioned relative to the corrugated tube 10, from sliding in the axial direction relative to the corrugated tube 10.

[0056] 10(b), the cutting tool 100 is pressed against the corrugated tube 10 so as to pass the open / closed end 105 through the corrugated tube 10. This pressing force acts on the driving unit 106 of the cutting tool 100, which drives the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the opening direction. The pair of divided bodies 101, 102 gradually rotate in the opening direction, and finally, the open / closed end 105 is opened to a width that allows the corrugated tube 10 to pass through. Through this opened open / closed end 105, the corrugated tube 10 is placed in the arrangement space 104 between the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 of the cutting tool 100.

[0057] 11 and 12 show the state in which the corrugated tube 10 is placed in the arrangement space 104 of the cutting tool 100 for the cutting process. As shown in Fig. 11 and 12, the cutting tool 100 clamps the corrugated tube 10 between a pair of divided bodies 101, 102, with the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 facing forward from the open / closed end 105. In this state, the user can press the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the closing direction by tightening their grip on the gripping portion 107, causing the cutting edge of the cutting blade 111 to bite into the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 13, when the corrugated tube 10 is placed in the arrangement space 104, a pair of upper and lower guide pieces 112, 112 enter the recesses 11, 11 of the corrugated tube 10, respectively, and sandwich the protrusion 12 to be cut. This restricts the corrugated tube 10 from shifting in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) within the arrangement space 104. At this time, the cutting blade 111 bites into approximately the center of the protrusion 12 in the longitudinal direction. In addition, since the pair of upper and lower guide pieces 112, 112 are in the same axial position as the pair of upper and lower guide protrusions 106b, 106b, the corrugated tube 10 passing through the opening and closing end 105 can be introduced into the arrangement space 104 without being shifted in the axial direction.

[0059] 14, the user can cut the corrugated tube 10 by holding the gripping portion 107 with one hand and rotating the cutting tool 100 around the corrugated tube 10 in the direction of the arrow while moving the wrist. Conversely, the corrugated tube 10 may be rotated in the circumferential direction without moving the cutting tool 100.

[0060] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, a pair of cutting blades 111, 111 contact the corrugated tube 10 at two contact points, and one contact point, a center point C1, and the other contact point are located approximately on the diameter of the corrugated tube 10. In other words, two straight lines sequentially connecting one contact point, a center point C1, and the other contact point form a central angle, and the central angle is approximately 180 degrees. In addition, the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 contact the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 at the most distant positions on the outer circumference of the corrugated tube 10. This allows the user to cut the corrugated tube 10 by rotating the cutting tool 100 180 degrees around the corrugated tube 10. In general, the closer this central angle is to 180 degrees, the fewer overlapping points in the rotation trajectory (movement path) of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111, and the amount of rotation operation can be reduced. On the other hand, as the central angle departs from 180 degrees, the rotation trajectories of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 overlap, forcing the user to perform more rotation operations. In other words, minimizing the amount of rotation operation leads to improved operability for the user. Therefore, it is preferable to set the positions of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 so that they are aligned on the diameter of the corrugated tube 10 in accordance with the diameter of the corrugated tube 10 to be cut.

[0061] FIG. 15 shows the state after the corrugated tube 10 is cut by the cutting tool 100. As shown in FIG. 15, the corrugated tube 10 is cut along the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 12. The outer surface of the side wall connecting the outer surface of the recessed portion 11 and the outer surface of the protruding portion 12 is placed on the guide piece 112. This prevents the cut piece of the corrugated tube 10 from accidentally falling out of the arrangement space 104 only by the biasing force of the spring 109, even if the user loosens the grip of the gripping portion 107. The cut piece of the corrugated tube 10 can be removed from the arrangement space 104 by the user opening the divided bodies 101 and 102.

[0062] The cutting tool 100 of this embodiment is configured to fit the corrugated tube 10 having a first diameter and a first axial width as the first elongated body. However, the cutting tool 100 is capable of cutting corrugated tubes of different sizes. The corrugated tube 10' described next has a second diameter and a second center point C2 larger than the first diameter (reference diameter of the cutting tool 100) as the second elongated body. In addition, the axial width of the recessed portion 11 and the protruding portion 12 of the corrugated tube 10' is larger than the axial width of the corrugated tube 10 (reference width of the cutting tool 100).

[0063] As shown in Figure 16, even if the axial width of the unevenness of the corrugated tube 10' is larger than the axial width of the corrugated tube 10 and also larger than the distance between a pair of upper and lower guide pieces 112, 112, the guide pieces 112, 112 can be elastically bent and changed in the direction of separating them from each other vertically, so that the convex portion 12 can be positioned between the guide pieces 112, 112.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 17, the second diameter of the corrugated tube 10' is larger than the first diameter of the corrugated tube 10, so that the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 are positioned in a position that is farther apart from each other in the opening direction. In this state, the cutting blade 111 is located in the middle of the divided bodies 101, 102, and is therefore located closer to the base end side (rotation axis 103) from the corrugated tube 10'. That is, the central angle (inner angle) formed by two straight lines connecting one contact point, the center point C2, and the other contact point in order is about 140 degrees. Therefore, there is an overlapping portion in the rotation trajectory of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111, and a rotation operation amount of at least 220 degrees is required to completely cut the corrugated tube 10' in the circumferential direction. This means that when cutting a corrugated tube with a large or small diameter different from the reference diameter, an additional rotation operation amount is required, which reduces the operability of the user. In particular, rotating the cutting tool 100 around a larger diameter corrugated tube requires the cutting tool 100 to move a greater distance, which can result in additional challenges such as increased wrist movement and increased need to re-grip the tool, making operation even more difficult.

[0065] In order to address the additional problem, the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment is provided with a cutting blade position adjustment means that allows the position of the cutting blade 111 to be changed according to the diameter of the corrugated pipe to be cut. That is, the cutting blade position adjustment means is a plurality of types of cutting blade cartridges in which the cutting blades are arranged at different positions. More specifically, the cutting tool 100 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 18 is obtained by replacing the cutting blade cartridge 110 with a second cutting blade cartridge 110-2 in which the cutting blade 111 is arranged at a different position. As shown in FIG. 19, the second cutting blade cartridge 110-2 is configured to arrange the cutting blade 111 on the tip side of the divided bodies 101 and 102. Specifically, in the second cutting blade cartridge 110-2, unlike the cutting blade cartridge 110, a blade housing portion 113a is formed on the tip side of the base 113'.

[0066] 20(a) and (b) respectively show a form in which a corrugated tube 10 having a first diameter and a first center point C1 is arranged in the arrangement space 104, and a form in which a corrugated tube 10' having a second diameter and a second center point C2 is arranged in the arrangement space 104. As shown in Fig. 20, each of a pair of cutting blades 111, 111 is arranged at the same position in the axial direction and is arranged biased toward the opening and closing ends of each divided body 101, 102.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 20(a), in a form in which a corrugated tube 10 of a first diameter is arranged in the arrangement space 104, the cutting blades 111, 111 are located on the tip side (the opening and closing end 105 side) of the center point C1 of the corrugated tube 10. The central angle (inner angle) formed by two straight lines sequentially connecting one contact point, the center point C1, and the other contact point is about 100 degrees. Therefore, overlapping portions occur in the rotation trajectories of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111, and a rotation operation amount of at least 260 degrees is required to completely cut the corrugated tube 10 in the circumferential direction. However, it can be said that rotating the cutting tool 100 around a corrugated tube 10 of a smaller diameter is easier to operate than one of a larger diameter because the user does not need to turn his or her wrist as much.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 20(b), in a configuration in which the corrugated tube 10' of the second diameter is disposed in the arrangement space 104, the cutting blades 111, 111 are located approximately on a diameter passing through the center point C2 of the corrugated tube 10'. That is, the central angle of two straight lines sequentially connecting one tangent point, the center point C2, and the other tangent point is approximately 180 degrees. Therefore, there is almost no overlap in the rotation trajectories of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111, and a (minimum) rotation operation amount of 180 degrees is sufficient to completely cut the corrugated tube 10 in the circumferential direction. That is, in the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment, when cutting a corrugated tube 10' of a relatively large diameter, the overlap of the movement paths during rotation of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 is small. As a result, compared with a corrugated tube 10 of a small diameter that is relatively easy to rotate, the rotation angle required to cut the corrugated tube 10' can be reduced. Therefore, when cutting a plurality of corrugated tubes of different sizes, it is preferable to select the second cutting blade cartridge 110-2.

[0069] Although not shown, cutting blades 111, 111 may be arranged on the base end side of the divided bodies 101, 102 as a third cutting blade cartridge. In this case, it becomes easy to cut a corrugated tube having a third diameter smaller than the corrugated tube 10 having the first diameter (reference diameter). When cutting a large number of small diameter corrugated tubes, it is preferable to select the third cutting blade cartridge.

[0070] In other words, by changing the cartridge as a cutting blade position adjustment means depending on the type of corrugated tube to be cut and the corresponding diameter (and number), the amount of rotational operation by the user can be reduced, making the cutting work of long objects more efficient.

[0071] The following describes the effects of the cutting tool 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] According to the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment, the driving unit 106 formed on the open / closed ends 105 of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 is pressed by the corrugated tube 10 entering the arrangement space 104 via the open / closed ends 105, thereby rotating the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the opening direction. That is, the user can introduce the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 104 between the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 by operating the cutting tool 100 with one hand so as to press the corrugated tube 10 against the driving unit 106 (guide surface 106a) on the open / closed end 105 side. Therefore, the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment significantly improves operability for the user.

[0073] Furthermore, with the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment, when cutting the corrugated tube 10 arranged in the arrangement space 104, the user holds the gripping portion 107 and presses the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 in the closing direction, thereby maintaining the cutting blade 111 biting into the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10, and the user can easily rotate the cutting tool 100 in the circumferential direction of the corrugated tube 10 by moving their wrist. That is, compared to a conventional cutting tool (see Patent Document 1) in which the handle extending in the direction away from the corrugated tube 10 is re-held, the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment can be rotated in the hand while holding the gripping portion 107, thereby significantly improving operability in cutting the corrugated tube 10.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the cutting tool 100 of this embodiment, by replacing the cutting blade cartridge 110 as the cutting blade position adjustment means, the amount of rotation operation can be increased or decreased according to the size of the outer diameter of the corrugated tube. In particular, since each cutting blade 111, 111 is arranged to one side of the opening and closing ends 105 of each divided body 101, 102, when a relatively large-diameter corrugated tube 10' in which the opening and closing ends 105 of the pair of divided bodies 101, 102 are not closed is arranged in the arrangement space 104 (see FIG. 20(b)), the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 can contact the corrugated tube 10' at a position farther apart on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube 10' than when the cutting blade 111 is arranged in the middle of the divided bodies 101, 102 (see FIG. 17). In other words, when cutting a large-diameter corrugated tube 10', the overlap of the rotation locus (movement path) of the pair of cutting blades 111, 111 during rotation can be reduced, and the required rotation angle can be made closer to 180 degrees.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various embodiments and modifications are possible. Several modifications of the present invention will be described below. In each embodiment, components that share the same last two digits have the same or similar characteristics, unless otherwise specified, and some of the descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0076] (1) The cutting tool of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may take various forms. For example, Fig. 21 shows a cutting tool 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 21, the cutting tool 200 may have a compact form in which the gripping portion is omitted. The cutting tool 200 includes at least a driving portion 206 (guide surface 206a), thereby significantly improving operability for the user.

[0077] (2) The cutting tool of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may take various forms. Fig. 22 shows a cutting tool 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 22, the cutting tool of the present invention may be configured without the drive unit (guide unit). The cutting tool 300 includes at least a grip unit 307, which greatly improves operability for the user.

[0078] (3) The shape and dimensions of the cutting tool of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the guide surface may not be an inclined plane, but may be a curved surface. The driving part may be formed at a position axially spaced from the cutting blade. Furthermore, when the pair of divided bodies are closed, the opening and closing ends may be open. The cutting blade may be disposed between the pair of guide pieces so as to cut the recess of the corrugated tube. Furthermore, the cutting blade may be formed on only one of the pair of divided bodies, or three or more cutting blades may be provided. The length of the cutting blade may be selected arbitrarily according to the shape of the elongated body to be cut.

[0079] (4) The cutting tool of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. The cutting tool may have multiple pairs of cutting blades, and the blades that are mainly used may differ depending on the diameter of the elongated body to be cut, and there may be blades that are cutting and blades that are idle (or blades that are less involved in cutting) depending on the diameter. For example, the cutting blades 111, 111 positions of the cutting blade cartridge 110 of the first embodiment of this embodiment may be combined with the cutting blades 111, 111 positions of the cutting blade cartridge 110-2 of the second embodiment. That is, a first cutting blade may be formed at an approximately intermediate position of each divided body, and a second cutting blade may be formed at a tip side position of each divided body. When cutting an elongated body of a reference diameter, the first cutting blade mainly cuts the elongated body, and the second cutting blade is less involved in cutting. On the other hand, when cutting an elongated body of a diameter larger than the reference diameter, the second cutting blade mainly cuts the elongated body, and the first cutting blade is less involved in cutting. In order to accommodate three types of elongated bodies having small diameters, standard diameters, and large diameters, three pairs of cutting blades may be provided at three locations, namely, a base end position, an intermediate position, and a tip end position.

[0080] (5) The cutting tool of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. For example, the biasing means for biasing the pair of divided bodies in the closing direction may be omitted. Even without the biasing means, the pair of divided bodies can be manually opened and closed.

[0081] (6) The cutting tool of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be used for cutting various long objects. The long object may be a straight tube without irregularities, a solid wire, a cable covering material, etc. For example, when cutting a spiral corrugated tube with the cutting tool 100, it is possible to cut the tube by opening and closing it in response to the irregularities of the corrugated tube while preventing the tube from opening by hand.

[0082] (7) An additional problem with the conventional cutting tool (Patent Document 1) is that the conventional cutting tool can cut a long body along the radial direction, but does not take into consideration cutting or splitting a long body in the axial direction, and therefore cannot perform axial splitting of a long body. In contrast, the present invention provides a cutting tool that allows a user to operate the cutting tool while holding the grip with one hand, and can significantly improve operability in axial splitting of a long body. A cutting tool 400 of a fourth embodiment will be described below as an example.

[0083] 23(a) and (b) are perspective views of the cutting tool 400 of this embodiment in a closed state (initial position) and an open state (deformed position). FIG. 24(a) and (b) are plan views of the cutting tool 400 in a closed state and an open state. FIG. 25(a) and (b) are front views of the cutting tool 400 in a closed state and an open state. FIG. 26(a) and (b) are rear and side views of the cutting tool 400 in a closed state. FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 are a CC longitudinal cross-sectional view, a DD transverse cross-sectional view, and an EE cross-sectional view of the cutting tool 400. FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting tool 400.

[0084] The cutting tool 400 of this embodiment includes a pair of divided bodies 401, 402 movably assembled, a cutting blade 411 provided on one of the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 to cut the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction, and a spring 409 that biases the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in the closing direction. The cutting tool 400 extends from the upper end to the lower end along an axial direction that coincides with the longitudinal direction of the long body (corrugated tube 10) to be cut. The cutting tool 400 has an upper part on the axial upper side that functions to cut the corrugated tube 10, and a lower part that extends axially below the upper part and is operated by the user. In other words, the cutting blade 411 is provided on one side of the axial end of the divided bodies 401, 402 in the axial direction.

[0085] The pair of divided bodies 401, 402 are movably combined. Here, the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 are defined as a first divided body 401 and a second divided body 402. The first divided body 401 and the second divided body 402 each extend along an axial direction (corresponding to the longitudinal direction when in use) and have a base end (fixed end) and a tip end (free end) in a plan view. Each divided body 401, 402 has an arc shape extending in the circumferential direction from the base end to the tip end in a plan view, and the inner concave curved surfaces face each other.

[0086] The first divided body 401 and the second divided body 402 are connected to each other rotatably via a pivot shaft 403 at their base ends. The first divided body 401 and the second divided body 402 have mutually complementary shapes at their base ends and are combined via the pivot shaft 403. The pair of divided bodies 401, 402 have inner surfaces facing each other and form an arrangement space 404 between them for placing the corrugated tube 10 to be cut, sandwiched between them. An opening / closing end 405 capable of opening and closing for introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 404 is formed at the tip located on the opposite side of the pivot shaft 403 of the cutting tool 400.

[0087] A grip 407 is provided at the lower portion of each of the divided bodies 401, 402, extending in the axial direction and for pressing the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in a closing direction. The grip 407 is connected to the axially lower side of the upper portion. Each grip 407 has a semi-cylindrical shape with dimensions that allow a user to easily hold it with one hand. That is, a user can easily open and close the divided bodies 401, 402 by holding the grip 407 with one hand and simply opening and closing the hand. In addition, a user can move the cutting tool 400 in the axial direction by holding the grip 407 with one hand and moving the hand axially.

[0088] Further, a driving unit 406 is provided at the lower portion of each divided body 401, 402, which is pressed toward the center of the arrangement space 404 to rotate the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in the opening direction. The driving unit 406 is formed adjacent to the opening / closing end 405 of each divided body 401, 402 and below the cutting blade 411. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the driving unit 406 has a guide portion 406a connected to the outer surface of the opening / closing end 405 on the outer surface. The guide portion 406a is composed of a plurality of ribs arranged in the axial direction and a flange formed at the lower end in the axial direction, and is inclined so that the side closer to the opening / closing end 405 is located on the base end side and the side farther from the opening / closing end 405 is located on the tip end side in a plan view. That is, guide portion 406a can function to guide corrugated tube 10, which is in sliding contact with its surface, to open / closed end 405, and convert the pressing force of corrugated tube 10 attempting to pass through open / closed end 405 into a force that rotates pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in the opening direction. Also, the ribs and flanges that constitute guide portion 406a can partially enter recessed portion 11 of corrugated tube 10, and function to prevent longitudinal displacement of corrugated tube 10 abutting guide portion 406a.

[0089] Furthermore, a step 421 is provided on the upper side of the driving unit 406 to abut against the end face of the corrugated tube 10 to position the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction. The step 421 is located at the boundary between the upper and lower parts of each divided body 401, 402. In particular, the step 421 is connected to the driving unit 406 on the axially upper side and has an abutment surface facing axially downward. On the other hand, the surface facing the step 421 is open so that the corrugated tube 10 can be positioned. That is, the step 421 functions as an arrangement position indicator that indicates to the user the arrangement position of the end of the elongated body to be placed in the arrangement space 404.

[0090] Further, a position indicator 422 is provided on the outer surface of the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 on the opening / closing end 405 side to visually indicate the axial position of the cutting blade 411. The position indicator 422 is a mark facing the front of the cutting tool 400, and is formed at approximately the same axial position as the cutting blade 411. Note that the position indicator 422 may be formed on only one of the pair of divided bodies 401, 402.

[0091] Furthermore, one or more protrusions 423 extending along the axial direction are formed on the inner surface facing the arrangement space 404 of the lower portion of the divided bodies 401, 402. The protrusions 423 can function to reinforce the divided bodies 401, 402 and to guide smooth relative movement of the corrugated tube 10 within the arrangement space 404 in the axial direction.

[0092] The cutting blade 411 is provided only on the first divided body 401 of the pair of divided bodies 401, 402. The cutting blade 411 faces the arrangement space 404 to cut the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, one cutting blade 411 is arranged in the arrangement space 404 to cut and split the corrugated tube 10 to form a slit that is continuous in the longitudinal direction at one location in the circumferential direction. Note that two or more cutting blades may be provided when the corrugated tube 10 is divided into two or more pieces in the axial direction.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 29, the cutting blade 411 includes a base plate portion 415 that protrudes inward from the inner surface of the first divided body 401, and a blade portion 416 formed on an edge of the base plate portion 415 facing the arrangement space 404. The base plate portion 415 has a rectangular plate shape and has an edge consisting of an upper edge, a lower edge, and a tip edge. The blade portion 416 has a blade capable of cutting the corrugated tube 10 on the axially lower edge of the base plate portion 415. In addition, a covering member 417 is provided on the tip of the base plate portion 415 in the protruding direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 29, the cutting blade 411 and the covering member 417 are combined to form a cutting blade cartridge 410 that is replaceably fixed to the first divided body 401 with a screw. The covering member 417 covers the sharp corners of the blade portion 416, thereby ensuring the safety of the user. That is, the cutting blade 411 can cut the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction with the covering member 417 attached since the portion of the blade 416 (excluding the sharp portion) facing downward in the axial direction is exposed. Then, with the cutting tool 400 sliding relatively in the axial direction of the corrugated tube 10 with the blade 416 of the cutting blade 411 biting into the corrugated tube 10, the cutting blade 411 can cut the flesh of the corrugated tube 10 along the axial direction. In this way, since the tip of the cutting blade 411 is covered with the covering member 417, it is possible to prevent a user from touching the tip of the cutting blade 411 with his / her hand and getting injured. Note that the blade 416 may be formed on the upper side and / or the tip of the edge of the base portion 415 of the cutting blade 411 depending on the application.

[0094] Next, a method for cutting and splitting the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction using the cutting tool 400 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 30 to 35. This method generally includes a step of introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 404 between a pair of divided bodies 401, 402 of the cutting tool 400, and a step of cutting the corrugated tube 10 by relatively sliding the cutting tool 400 in the axial direction of the corrugated tube 10. The main purpose of this method is to form a slit extending in the longitudinal direction in the corrugated tube 10, and introduce wiring / piping material into the inside of the corrugated tube 10 from there, or to cover the corrugated tube 10 with wiring / piping material. Alternatively, the corrugated tube 10 may be split vertically by performing two or more cutting operations on one corrugated tube 10, and the purpose may be to reduce the volume when discarding. The length of the elongated body is not particularly limited, and a tube whose axial length is shorter than the tube diameter may also be included in the elongated body.

[0095] The process of introducing the corrugated tube 10 into the arrangement space 404 will be described in detail. First, the gripping portion 407 of the cutting tool 400 is loosely gripped with one hand. As shown in FIG. 30, the opening and closing end 405 of the cutting tool 400 is directed toward the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10, and the cutting tool 400 is brought relatively close to the corrugated tube 10. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube 10 and the axial direction of the cutting tool 400 are aligned. Then, the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 is brought into contact with the guide portion 406a (see FIG. 31(a)), and the end face of the corrugated tube 10 is brought into contact with the step portion 421 (contact surface), thereby performing a relative positioning process of the cutting tool 400 and the corrugated tube 10. The user may perform positioning by visually checking the position display portion 422.

[0096] 31(b), the cutting tool 400 is pressed against the corrugated tube 10 so as to pass the open / closed end 405 through the corrugated tube 10. This pressing force acts on the driving unit 406 of the cutting tool 400, which drives the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in the opening direction. The pair of divided bodies 401, 402 gradually rotate in the opening direction, and finally, the open / closed end 405 is opened to a width that allows the corrugated tube 10 to pass through. Through this opened open / closed end 405, the corrugated tube 10 is placed in the arrangement space 404 between the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 of the cutting tool 400 (a space located axially below the cutting blade 411).

[0097] 32 and 33 show a state in which the corrugated tube 10 is placed in the arrangement space 404 of the cutting tool 400 for the cutting process. As shown in FIG. 32 and FIG. 33, the cutting tool 400 clamps the corrugated tube 10 between a pair of divided bodies 401, 402, and the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 faces the front from the open / close end 405. In this state, the user can maintain the clamping of the corrugated tube 10 between the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 by tightening the grip of the gripping part 407. At this time, the cutting blade 411 is located axially above the end of the corrugated tube 10, and the exposed part of the blade part 416 faces the end face of the corrugated tube 10. In addition, the covering member 417 is located radially inward from the wall part of the corrugated tube 10 in a plan view. When the pair of split bodies 401, 402 are arranged in the arrangement space 404 so as to sandwich the corrugated tube 10 on the inside, the split bodies 401, 402 are capable of moving axially relative to the corrugated tube 10 so that the corrugated tube 10 penetrates both axial ends of the split bodies 401, 402.

[0098] Next, the cutting tool 400 is slid relative to the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction, so that the cutting blade 411 cuts the corrugated tube 10 downward from the end face. FIGS. 34(a) and (b) show the intermediate progress of the process of cutting and splitting the corrugated tube 10 in the axial direction. As shown in FIGS. 34(a) and (b), the cutting blade 411 moves axially downward to cut the solid part of the corrugated tube 10, and the covering member 417 moves axially downward in the hollow space of the corrugated tube 10, so that a long slit S is formed in the corrugated tube 10. Then, when the cutting blade 411 reaches the lower end of the corrugated tube 10, the slit S for introducing the wiring / piping material can be formed over the entire axial direction of the corrugated tube 10. Note that the slit S may be formed in a part of the axial direction of the corrugated tube 10, if necessary. In addition, by changing the shape of the cutting blade 411 and removing the covering member 417 from the cutting blade 411, it is possible to expose the cutting tip at the tip side of the cutting blade 411 and form a slit S only in the central part of the corrugated tube 10 (excluding both ends).

[0099] The cutting tool 400 of this embodiment is configured to be able to cut and split the second corrugated tube 10' having a second diameter larger than the first diameter of the first corrugated tube 10, in addition to the first corrugated tube 10 having the above-mentioned first diameter. Figures 35(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing a form of cutting and splitting the second corrugated tube 10' having a second diameter. As shown in Figures 35(a) and (b), by increasing the degree of opening of the opening and closing end 405, the second corrugated tube 10' can be placed in the arrangement space 404, and the second corrugated tube 10' can be cut and split in the axial direction in the same way. That is, the arrangement space 404 is configured to be able to place the first corrugated tube 10 having a first diameter and the second corrugated tube 10' having a second diameter larger than the first diameter.

[0100] According to the cutting tool 400 of this embodiment, when cutting the long body (corrugated tube 10) arranged in the arrangement space 404, the user holds the gripping portion 407 and holds the pair of divided bodies 401, 402 in the closing direction, so that the cutting blade 411 can be maintained in a state of biting into the outer surface of the long body. Then, the user can relatively slide the cutting tool 400 in the axial direction of the long body, so that the long body can be cut in the axial direction. That is, compared with conventional cutting tools, the cutting tool 400 of this embodiment allows the user to operate the cutting tool 400 while holding the gripping portion 407 with one hand, and therefore greatly improves the operability in the cutting and cutting work of the long body. The driving unit 406 may be omitted from the cutting tool 400.

[0101] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and may be embodied in various forms within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0102] (Additional Note) In accordance with the disclosure herein, the cutting tool may further take the following forms:

[0103] (Form 1) a pair of divided bodies rotatably connected to each other via a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction, forming an arrangement space therebetween for placing the elongated body by sandwiching it therebetween, and having opening and closing ends operable to open and close for introducing the elongated body into the arrangement space; a pair of cutting blades provided at the same axial position of each of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body; A cutting tool, characterized in that each of the cutting blades is disposed biased toward an opening / closing end of each of the divided bodies.

[0104] (Form 2) a pair of divided bodies rotatably connected to each other via a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction, forming an arrangement space therebetween for placing the elongated body by sandwiching it therebetween, and having opening and closing ends operable to open and close for introducing the elongated body into the arrangement space; a pair of cutting blades provided at the same axial position of each of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body; a cutting blade position adjustment means for adjusting a position of the cutting blade relative to the divided body; Equipped with A cutting tool characterized in that the cutting blade can be positioned toward one of the opening and closing ends of each of the divided bodies by a position adjustment means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 100 cutting tools 101 1st division body 102 Second division body 103 Rotating shaft 104 Placement space 105 Opening and closing ends 105a Contact surface 106 Drive unit 106a Guide surface 106b Guide protrusion 107 Gripping part 108 Window 109 Spring (biasing means) 110 Cutting blade cartridge 111 Cutting blade 112 Guide piece 113 Base 113a Blade storage section 114 Cover 411 Cutting blade 415 Circuit Board 416 Blade 417 Covering materials 421 Stepped section (placement position instruction section) 422 Position display section 423 Projection part 10 Corrugated tube 11 Recess 12 Convex part

Claims

1. a pair of divided bodies that are rotatably supported by a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction, form an arrangement space for placing the elongated body by sandwiching the elongated body therebetween, and have opening and closing ends that can be opened and closed to introduce the elongated body into the arrangement space; a cutting blade provided on at least one of the pair of divided bodies and facing the arrangement space to cut the elongated body, The pair of divided bodies are provided with gripping portions extending in an axial direction and configured to grip the pair of divided bodies in a closing direction, the pair of divided bodies are arranged in the arrangement space so as to sandwich the elongated body on the inside, and are capable of moving in the axial direction relative to the elongated body such that the elongated body penetrates both ends of the divided bodies in the axial direction, A cutting tool characterized in that the cutting blade is configured to be able to cut the elongated body in the axial direction by relative axial movement of the elongated body while the elongated body is placed in the arrangement space.

2. The cutting blade includes a base portion protruding inward from the divided body and a blade portion formed on an edge of the base portion facing the arrangement space, The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein a covering member for partially covering the blade portion is provided at a tip end of the base portion in a protruding direction.

3. The cutting tool described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the arrangement space is configured to be able to accommodate a first corrugated tube having a first diameter and a second corrugated tube having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and the first or second corrugated tube can be cut to form a continuous slit in the longitudinal direction at one circumferential location of the first or second corrugated tube by relative axial movement of the cutting blade when the first or second corrugated tube is arranged in the arrangement space.

4. A cutting tool as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one of the pair of divided bodies has a position display portion that displays the axial position of the cutting blade, and / or a placement position indication portion that indicates the placement position of the end of the elongated body that is placed in the placement space, on the opening / closing end side of at least one of the pair of divided bodies.

5. A cutting tool as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cutting blade is biased toward one end side of the axial direction of the divided body, and the gripping portion is provided on the other end side of the cutting blade and is provided at a position axially offset from the cutting blade.

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