Flexible hose

Abstract

To provide a flexible hose that can be curved with a small force even in a state where an internal pressure is high, and which is unlikely to be bent.SOLUTION: A flexible hose 1 comprises: a flexible hose body 10 having a fluid inlet on one end side and an outlet at the other end side; an end holding material 30 having an opening 32 through which fluid passes, and arranged on one end side and the other end side inside the hose body 10; and elongation suppressing material 20, 200 that are bendable and arranged from one end side to the other end side, with its end part held by the end holding material 30. When fluid flows through the hose body 10, the elongation suppressing materials 20, 200 resist the force generated by the pressure of the fluid for stretching the hose body 10 in the axial direction, thereby suppressing the axial elongation of the hose body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hose that constitutes a flow path for a pressurized fluid. [Background technology]

[0002] In firefighting activities, fire hoses (water supply hoses) are extended from fire engines or water sources to the fire site, and pressurized water or extinguishing agents such as foam are sent to a spray nozzle (water discharge nozzle) connected to the end of the fire hose. The firefighter in charge of spraying the water aims the spray nozzle at the fire site and sprays the extinguishing agent to put out the fire. Most Japanese fire brigades use rubber-lined fire hoses, which have a woven jacket with a rubber or synthetic resin lining to prevent water leakage. Fire hoses made of rubber are lightweight and flexible when not pressurized, so they can be rolled up and stored compactly. On the other hand, when pumping extinguishing agent, they become as rigid as a rod. When a fire hose becomes rigid, it always generates a repulsive force (rotational moment) of "tensile force x hose radius" against an external force that tries to bend the hose, so a large force is required to bend the hose, and it is not easy to bend it, and the curvature cannot be made small. A fire hose (rubber hose) that is originally soft and can be bent freely becomes hard when extinguishing agent is pumped through it because of the high internal pressure. The pressure inside the hose when pumping extinguishing agent acts in the radial and axial directions of the fire hose. The radial pressure works to make the fire hose round, while the axial pressure works as a tensile force to straighten the fire hose. For example, the nozzle pressure during general firefighting is 0.7 MPa, so there is a pressure of about 7 atmospheres inside the fire hose. There are three types of fire hoses that are commonly used, with diameters of about 65 mm, 50 mm, and 40 mm, and the tensile forces on both ends of the fire hose in the axial direction are about 230 kg, 140 kg, and 90 kg, respectively. This tensile force on both ends of the fire hose works to straighten the fire hose until it balances with the tensile force of the warp, so the fire hose becomes as stiff as a rod. If a hardened fire hose is forcibly bent, it cannot be bent evenly, and a bend called a "kink" will inevitably occur somewhere. When a kink occurs, the passage area inside the fire hose is greatly reduced, leading to a decrease and instability in the amount of fire sprayed from the spray nozzle.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a fire hose that has a flat hose that is foldable when not passing water and expands into a cylindrical shape due to water pressure when water passes through it, with the aim of making it less likely to bend or twist at the end, and a shape-retaining hose that has one end connected to the end of the flat hose, is bendable, and always maintains a cylindrical cross section. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a fire hose with a double jacket structure, with the aim of providing a fire hose with a small minimum bending radius and extremely low occurrence of kinking, in which the inner tube has a lining layer made of rubber or resin at least on the inner circumference of the inner tube and a coating layer made of rubber or resin on the outer circumference of the inner tube, and the difference in diameter between the outer diameter of the inner tube and the inner diameter of the outer tube is configured so that when the fire hose is normally discharging water, the inner circumference of the outer tube and the outer circumference of the inner tube are in close contact with each other, and when water is not being discharged, there is a gap between the inner circumference of the outer tube and the outer circumference of the inner tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-38670 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-47898 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As mentioned above, when the pressurized extinguishing agent enters the fire hose, it becomes hard and difficult to bend (rigidifies), making it difficult for firefighters to quickly change the direction of the spray nozzle attached to the end of the fire hose. In addition, when there are multiple fires scattered in multiple directions, firefighters need to aim the spray nozzle at each fire depending on the situation; however, if the axis of the fire hose and the axis of the spray nozzle do not match, they have to forcefully change the direction of the spray nozzle and hold it, which places a great burden on the firefighters. In addition, when extinguishing a residential fire, it is necessary to enter the house to put out the fire, but when spraying extinguishing agent from the entrance to the fire room into the room, there can be a discrepancy between the direction of spray and the direction of entry (the direction the fire hose is extending), and the angle discrepancy can be large, for example, about 90 degrees. In addition, when extinguishing a vehicle fire, firefighters need to move around the burning vehicle while spraying the extinguishing agent, so there is always an angular misalignment between the direction of spray (the axis of the spray nozzle) and the axis of the fire hose. In addition, while firefighters are waiting to stop spraying or spraying in the direction of the fire hose's extension, they need to hold the spray nozzle horizontally or at a certain angle, but in such cases, the axis of the fire hose on the ground and the axis of the spray nozzle often do not coincide. Even if there is no need to change the spray direction, if firefighters try to keep the spray nozzle horizontal, they must constantly apply force to overcome not only the weight of the filled fire hose but also the tension of the fire hose, which places a heavy burden on the firefighters. Furthermore, since there is always the possibility that the axis of the fire hose and the axis of the spray nozzle may become significantly misaligned, a firefighter is needed to stand behind the firefighter holding the spray nozzle and work together while lifting the hose.

[0006] The fire hose described in Patent Document 1 lists a flexible metal hose as a shape-retaining hose to be connected to the end of a flat hose (paragraphs 0022, 0023, etc.), but shape-retaining hoses such as flexible metal hoses also become difficult to bend when the pressure inside the hose increases, so simply connecting a shape-retaining hose makes it difficult to freely bend the shape-retaining hose when spraying water. In addition, the fire hose described in Patent Document 2 is intended to reduce kinking in thin fire hoses, such as those with a diameter of 40 mm to 50 mm, but does not prevent the hose from stiffening when pressurized. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible hose that can be bent with a small force even in a state of high internal pressure and is less likely to cause kinking.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The flexible hose 1 of the present invention according to claim 1 includes a hose body 10 having flexibility, a fluid inlet at one end side, and a fluid outlet at the other end side; end holding members 30 having openings 32 through which the fluid passes and disposed at one end side and the other end side inside the hose body 10; and elongation restraining members 20, 200 that are bendable and disposed from one end side to the other end side and whose ends are held by the end holding members 30. When the fluid flows through the hose body 10, the elongation restraining members 20, 200 resist the force that causes the hose body 10 to elongate in the axial direction due to the fluid pressure, thereby suppressing the axial elongation of the hose body 10. The present invention according to claim 2 is the flexible hose 1 according to claim 1, wherein the elongation restraining member 20 is linear, and a plurality of intermediate holding members 40 for holding the elongation restraining member 20 stretched across the hose body 10 from one end side to the other end side on the axis of the hose body 10 are provided. The intermediate holding member 40 has an outer diameter equivalent to the inner diameter of the hose body 10, a hole 41 through which the elongation restraining member 20 passes at the center, and an opening 42 through which the fluid passes between the center and the outer edge. The intermediate holding member 40 is disposed between the end holding member 30 at one end side and the end holding member 30 at the other end side, and a predetermined gap is provided between adjacent intermediate holding members 40. The present invention according to claim 3 is the flexible hose 1 according to claim 2, wherein when the gap between the intermediate holding members 40 is e and the diameter of the hose body 10 is D, the relationship e < D / 2 is satisfied. The present invention according to claim 4 is the flexible hose 1 according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate holding member 40 is cylindrical or spherical. The present invention according to claim 5 is the flexible hose 1 according to claim 4, wherein on the side surface of the cylindrical intermediate holding member 40, a protrusion 43 or a spacer is provided at the periphery of the hole 41 through which the elongation restraining member 20 passes. The present invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the flexible hose 1 described in claim 1, the elongation inhibitor 200 is formed by connecting a plurality of elongation inhibitor components 210 whose outer diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the hose body 10, and each elongation inhibitor component 210 has an opening 212 through which a fluid passes and has a connecting material 211 in the center used for connecting to other elongation inhibitor components 210, and the elongation inhibitor components 210 are connected to each other by the connecting material 211 so that the joint angle can be freely changed. The present invention as set forth in claim 7 is characterized in that in the flexible hose 1 as set forth in claim 1, the hose body 10 is provided with joints 50 on both ends. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flexible hose which can be bent with a small force even when the internal pressure is high, and which is less likely to bend. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a flexible hose according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the bending angle of the flexible hose bent under pressure. [Diagram 3] Schematic diagram of the end retainer [Figure 4] Schematic diagram of the intermediate support material [Diagram 5] Schematic diagram of an elongation suppressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram of the test equipment for bending tests of flexible hoses [Figure 7] Graph showing the test results [Figure 8] A photo showing the state of the hose when force is applied perpendicular to the coaxial line DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The flexible hose according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a hose body that is flexible, has a fluid inlet at one end, and a fluid outlet at the other end; end holding members that have openings through which the fluid passes and are arranged at one end and the other end inside the hose body; and an elongation restraining member that is bendable and is arranged from one end to the other end and whose ends are held by the end holding members. When the fluid flows through the hose body, the elongation restraining member resists the force that causes the hose body to axially elongate due to the pressure of the fluid, thereby suppressing the axial elongation of the hose body. According to this embodiment, since the elongation of the hose body is suppressed even during pressurization, the flexibility of the hose body can be maintained and it can be smoothly bent with a small force. In addition to a rubber-drawn hose, the hose body can also be a shape-retaining hose, a hose with a double-jacket structure, or the like.

[0011] In the second embodiment of the present invention, in the flexible hose according to the first embodiment, the elongation restraining member is linear, and a plurality of intermediate holding members that hold the elongation restraining member stretched across the hose body from one end to the other end on the axis of the hose body are provided. The intermediate holding members have an outer diameter equivalent to the inner diameter of the hose body, have a hole through which the elongation restraining member passes at the center, and have an opening through which the fluid passes between the center and the outer edge. They are arranged between the end holding member at one end and the end holding member at the other end, and a predetermined gap is provided between adjacent intermediate holding members. According to this embodiment, the axial elongation of the hose body with increased internal pressure can be suppressed by the linear elongation restraining member, and the elongation restraining member is always kept in a state consistent with the axis of the hose body by the intermediate holding members. Therefore, the hose body can be smoothly bent even during pressurization, and no kinking occurs.

[0012] In the third embodiment of the present invention, in the flexible hose according to the second embodiment, when the gap between the intermediate holding members is e and the diameter of the hose body is D, the relationship e < D / 2 is satisfied. According to this embodiment, the hose body can be bent more smoothly.

[0013] A fourth embodiment of the present invention is the flexible hose according to the third embodiment, wherein the intermediate retaining member is cylindrical or spherical. According to this embodiment, by forming the intermediate retaining material into a cylindrical or spherical shape, the intermediate retaining material is less likely to be damaged when the hose body is stepped on, for example.

[0014] A fifth embodiment of the present invention is a flexible hose according to the fourth embodiment, in which a projection or spacer is provided on the side surface of the cylindrical intermediate retaining member around the periphery of a hole through which the elongation suppressing member passes. According to this embodiment, when the intermediate retaining material is cylindrical, the side surfaces of adjacent intermediate retaining materials are parallel to each other, but by providing a protrusion or spacer in the center of the outer surface, a gap can be created on the outer edge side, so that the hose body can be bent smoothly even when pressurized.

[0015] The sixth embodiment of the present invention is a flexible hose according to the first embodiment, in which the elongation-inhibiting material is formed by connecting a plurality of elongation-inhibiting material components whose outer diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the hose body, and each elongation-inhibiting material component has an opening through which fluid can pass and has a connecting material in the center used to connect to other elongation-inhibiting material components, and the elongation-inhibiting material components are connected to each other by the connecting material so that the joint angle can be freely changed. According to this embodiment, the axial elongation of the hose body when internal pressure increases can be suppressed by an elongation-suppressing material consisting of multiple elongation-suppressing material components connected together, and since the elongation-suppressing material components are connected to each other by a connecting material located on the axis of the hose body so that the joint angle can be freely changed, the hose body can be bent smoothly even when pressurized, and no bending occurs.

[0016] A seventh embodiment of the present invention is a flexible hose according to the first embodiment, wherein a joint is provided on each end of the hose body. According to this embodiment, the flexible hose can be quickly attached to and detached from other hoses, tools, etc. by utilizing the joint. EXAMPLES

[0017] A flexible hose according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a flexible hose according to a first embodiment. The flexible hose 1 comprises a hose body 10, an elongation inhibitor 20 stretched along the axis of the hose body 10, end retaining members 30 that fixedly hold both ends of the elongation inhibitor 20 inside the hose body 10, an intermediate retaining member 40 that holds the middle part of the elongation inhibitor 20 on the axis, and joints 50 provided on both ends of the hose body 10. The hose body 10 is flexible and has a fluid inlet at one end and a fluid outlet at the other end. The joints 50 are, for example, Machino-type or other plug-in coupling fittings, and a female fitting (receptacle) 51 is attached to one end of the hose body 10, and a male fitting (socket) 52 is attached to the other end of the hose body 10. By utilizing the joints 50 provided on both ends of the hose body 10, the flexible hose 1 can be quickly attached and detached to other hoses, tools, etc.

[0018] The hose body 10, which serves as a flow path for a fluid such as a fire extinguishing agent, is selected from those that satisfy the required sealing performance and pressure resistance. The hose body 10 can be a shape-retaining hose having flexibility, such as a flexible metal hose, but is preferably a rubberized hose (cloth jacket) like a general fire hose. By using the same material for the hose body 10 as that of the fire hose, it is possible to achieve a sense of uniformity in appearance when the flexible hose 1 is connected to the fire hose. Furthermore, if the flexible hose 1 is a rubberized hose, it is possible to reduce the weight of the flexible hose 1 compared to when it is a shape-retaining hose. The hose body 10 can also be of a double jacket structure, etc.

[0019] When pressurized extinguishing agent is delivered to the nozzle from a fire hose connected to a fire engine or a water source, the pressure of the extinguishing agent passing through the inside of the hose exerts an outward tensile force in the axial direction on both ends of the flexible hose 1 (a force that acts in a direction that stretches the hose body 10). If the hose body 10 were not provided with the stretch suppressing material 20, it would stretch due to this tensile force and become as hard as a rod, requiring a large force to bend it. Furthermore, bending it forcibly would result in kinking. In contrast, the flexible hose 1 of this embodiment is configured such that the extension suppression material 20 resists the tensile force that tries to extend the hose body 10 in the axial direction, so that the outward tensile force generated when pressurized is balanced with the axially inward tensile force (force resisting the outward tensile force) by the extension suppression material 20, the distance between the female fitting 51 and the male fitting 52 is maintained, and the length of the hose body 10 hardly changes from the state before the extinguishing agent is supplied. Therefore, the flexible hose 1 maintains its flexibility even when the pressurized extinguishing agent is flowing, so it can be bent smoothly in any direction with a small force. This makes it easy to quickly point the spray nozzle attached to the tip of the flexible hose 1 in a desired direction or hold it at a specified angle.

[0020] The extension suppressing material 20 is linear and stretched from one end to the other end of the flexible hose 1. The linear extension suppressing material 20 is selected so as to be freely bendable over substantially the entire length and to have a predetermined strength. For example, the extension suppressing material 20 can be inexpensively constructed using stainless steel wire, or can be constructed using a rope of synthetic fibers with high strength and low elongation, such as aramid fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, or polyarylate fiber. Even if the material is a hard material such as metal, it can be made into a linear (rod-like) extension suppressing material 20 if it is configured to be freely bendable over substantially the entire length by providing rotatable nodes at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, when selecting materials for the hose body 10 and the elongation suppressing material 20, it is preferable to select materials such that the elongation rate of the elongation suppressing material 20 when an outward tensile force is applied to both ends is smaller than that of the hose body 10. As a result, even if the elongation suppressing material 20 receives a tensile force and elongates, no tensile force is applied to the hose body 10, so that the elongation of the hose body 10 can be suppressed and flexibility can be maintained.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the bending angle of a flexible hose bent under pressure. In Fig. 2, the bottom is the inflow side and the top is the outflow side. If the portion of the elongation suppressing material 20 that can be stretched by a tensile force is longer than that of the hose body 10, the elongation of the flexible hose 1 cannot be suppressed, or even if it can be suppressed, the suppression effect will be small. Therefore, the flexible hose 1 has a maximum length of the bendable portion of the hose body 10 with the joints 50 attached to both ends of the flexible hose 1 of L h The maximum length of the bendable portion of the elongation suppressing member 20 whose both ends are fixed to the end retaining members 30 is L w Then, L w <L h This ensures that the outward tensile force generated when pressurizing, such as when the extinguishing agent flows, is received by the elongation suppression material 20 rather than the hose body 10, thereby suppressing the elongation of the hose body 10 and maintaining its flexibility. The bendable portion refers to the portion excluding the portion that cannot be bent due to the presence of metal materials, such as the portion where the joint 50 is provided and its vicinity.

[0022] Maximum length L of the bendable portion of the hose body 10 h and the maximum length L of the bendable portion of the elongation suppressing member 20 w can be calculated using the following formula (1) based on the maximum bending angle θ of the freely-flexible hose 1 and the diameter D of the hose body 10. In addition, "r" in FIG. 2 is the maximum length L of the bendable portion of the elongation suppression material 20. w This imaginary circle radius r is also used in the derivation of equation (1). [Number 1] θ=360*(L h -L w ) / (D*3.14) Using formula (1), the maximum length L of the bendable portion of the hose body 10 required to obtain the desired maximum bending angle θ is h and the maximum length L of the bendable portion of the elongation suppressing member 20 w can be easily obtained. The maximum bending angle θ is the axis A of the side (outflow side) to which the male fitting 52 is attached when the flexible hose 1 is bent to the maximum. out and the axis A on the side (inlet side) where the female fitting 51 is attached. in This is the angle between the

[0023] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an end retaining material, where Fig. 3(a) shows a first example of the end retaining material, and Fig. 3(b) shows a second example of the end retaining material. In Fig. 3(a) and (b), the left side is a side view, and the right side is an AA cross-sectional view. The end retaining member 30 is fitted with a female fitting 51 or a male fitting 52 at one end side and the other end side in the hose body 10. The end retaining member 30 is cylindrical, has a hole 31 at the center through which the elongation suppressing member 20 passes, and has a plurality of openings 32 through which a fluid passes between the center and the outer edge. Both the hole 31 and the openings 32 penetrate the end retaining member 30 in the axial direction. In addition, a step 33 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the end retaining member 30. By providing the step 33, the position of the end retaining member 30 is prevented from shifting relative to the female fitting 51 or the male fitting 52 when an outward tensile force is applied to both ends of the flexible hose 1. The female fitting 51 and the male fitting 52 may be parts that are integrated with the end retaining member 30 in advance, such as the female fitting 51 with the end retaining member 30 and the male fitting 52 with the end retaining member 30. In addition, although the end retaining member 30 in this embodiment is cylindrical, it may be other shapes, such as a spherical shape. An optional retaining mechanism is provided on the end of the elongation suppressing member 20 that is passed through the hole 31 of the end retaining member 30. For example, in a first example of an end retaining member 30A shown in Fig. 3(a), a space 34 is formed behind the hole 31, and a nut or the like having a larger diameter than the hole 31 can be attached to the portion of the elongation suppressing member 20 that protrudes into the space 34 as a retaining mechanism. In a second example of an end retaining member 30B shown in Fig. 3(b), a vertical hole 35 perpendicular to the hole 31 is formed, and a member for pressing or clamping the elongation suppressing member 20 can be inserted into this vertical hole 35 as a retaining mechanism.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an intermediate retainer, in which Fig. 4(a) shows a first example of the intermediate retainer, and Fig. 4(b) shows a second example of the intermediate retainer. In Fig. 4(a), the left is a side view, and the right is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA. The intermediate retaining material 40 has an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the hose body 10, and has a hole 41 in the center for passing the elongation suppressing material 20 therethrough, and also has a plurality of openings 42 between the center and the outer edge for allowing a fluid to pass through. Both the hole 41 and the openings 42 pass through the intermediate retaining material 40 in the axial direction. 1, a plurality of intermediate retaining members 40 are arranged between the end retaining members 30 on one end side and the end retaining members 30 on the other end side, and the elongation suppressing member 20 is passed through the center and the intermediate retaining members 40 are lined up in a daisy-chain shape in the axial direction. A predetermined gap is provided between adjacent intermediate retaining members 40. The difference is that intermediate retaining material 40A in the first example is cylindrical and intermediate retaining material 40B in the second example is spherical, but in both cases the outer diameter is approximately the same as the inner diameter of hose body 10, the outer surface is in contact with the inner surface of hose body 10, and the axis coincides with the axis of hose body 10. By providing the intermediate retaining material 40, which has a hole 41 in the center for passing the elongation suppression material 20 therethrough, coaxially with the hose body 10, the elongation suppression material 20 is always maintained in a coaxial state coinciding with the axis of the hose body 10 even when pressurized or when the hose body 10 is being curved, so that the hose body 10 can be bent smoothly. The material of the intermediate holding member 40 can be arbitrarily selected, such as resin-made like PP, metal-made, or aluminum-made. Also, the shape of the intermediate holding member 40 is arbitrary, but as shown in Fig. 4, by making it cylindrical or spherical, the durability can be improved, for example, it is less likely to be damaged when the hose body 10 is stepped on. In particular, in the case of a cylindrical shape, since the contact area with the hose body 10 is larger than that in the case of a spherical shape, it is even less likely to be damaged.

[0025] The number of the intermediate holding members 40 and the gap (interval) between the intermediate holding members 40 are appropriately set so that the hose body 10 through which the pressurized fluid flows can be bent evenly and smoothly. A predetermined gap is provided between the intermediate holding members 40 because if the side surfaces of one adjacent intermediate holding member 40 and the side surfaces of the other intermediate holding member 40 are in contact over substantially the entire area, the smooth bending of the hose body 10 will be hindered. If this predetermined gap is e and the diameter of the intermediate holding member 40 is D, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship e < D / 2. Thereby, the hose body 10 can be bent more smoothly. Here, when the intermediate holding member 40 is cylindrical, since the side surfaces of the adjacent intermediate holding members 40A are parallel, they are likely to be in a state of overall surface contact as if the opposing side surfaces are in surface contact as they are. Therefore, in the intermediate holding member 40A of the first example, protrusions 43 are provided at the peripheries of the holes 41 on the side surfaces. Thereby, the intermediate holding members 40A are in point contact at the protrusions 43 in the central portion, and a predetermined gap is formed on the outer edge side. Instead of the protrusions 43, a spacer may be interposed to create a predetermined gap. On the other hand, since the intermediate holding member 40B of the second embodiment is spherical, the adjacent intermediate holding members 40B are in point contact without providing protrusions 43 or spacers, so a predetermined gap can be ensured.

[0026] The flexible hose 1 is disposed, for example, between a fire hose and a spray nozzle by connecting one end to the fire hose and the other end to the spray nozzle. By placing the flexible hose 1 between the spray nozzle and the fire hose, even if the fire hose cannot be bent flexibly when the internal pressure of the flow path is high, such as when spraying water, the flexible hose 1 can be bent flexibly relative to the fire hose, so the spray direction of the spray nozzle can be changed quickly. This reduces the burden on the firefighter who sprays the fire and the firefighter who holds the fire hose behind him. In some cases, it may even be possible to eliminate the need for a firefighter holding a fire hose.

[0027] Next, a flexible hose according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same functional members as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an elongation suppressor according to a second embodiment. In Fig. 5(a), the left side is a side view of the elongation suppressor structure, and the right side is a cross-sectional view along the line AA. Fig. 5(b) is a front view, partially in cross section, showing the connection state of the elongation suppressor structure. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the extension inhibitor 200 of this embodiment is formed by axially lining up a plurality of extension inhibitor structures 210 in a string-like fashion from one end side to the other end side of the flexible hose 1. The elongation suppression material structures 210 are cylindrical, have connecting members 211 at the center of both sides for connecting with other elongation suppression material structures 210, and have a plurality of openings 212 through which a fluid passes between the center and the outer edge. The openings 212 penetrate the elongation suppression material structures 210 in the axial direction. In each elongation suppression material structure 210, the connecting member 211 provided on one side is a male connecting member 211A having a spherical head, and the connecting member 211 provided on the other side is a female connecting member 211B having a hemispherical recess. By fitting the head of the male connecting member 211A into the recess of the female connecting member 211B, the elongation suppression material structures 210 are connected to each other so that the joint angle can be freely changed. Also, although not shown in the figure, the end retaining material 30 is also provided with a connecting material for connecting to a male connecting material 211A or a female connecting material 211B, and the elongation suppression material structures 210 located at both ends are connected to the end retaining material 30 so that the joint angle can be freely changed. In the elongation inhibitor 200 disposed in the hose body 10, the connecting member 211 of the elongation inhibitor structure 210 is always on the axis of the hose body 10. Therefore, in the flexible hose 1 of the second embodiment, it is not necessary to separately provide an intermediate holding member 40 for holding the elongation inhibitor 20 on the axis of the hose body 10 as in the first embodiment.

[0028] The other configurations of the flexible hose 1 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. When an outward tensile force in the axial direction is applied to both ends of the flexible hose 1 due to the pressure of the extinguishing agent (pressure fluid) passing through the inside, the outward tensile force is received by the elongation suppressing material 200, and the hose body 10 maintains its flexibility without elongating much from the state before the extinguishing agent is supplied. Furthermore, even when pressurized or when the hose body 10 is curved, the connecting material 211 of the elongation suppressing material constituent 210 always coincides with the axis of the hose body 10 and maintains a coaxial state, so that the hose body 10 can be bent smoothly without applying much force. The material of the elongation suppression material structure 210 can be any material such as resin such as PP, metal, or aluminum. Although the elongation suppression material structure 210 in this embodiment is cylindrical, it can be other shapes such as spherical. The connecting member 211 can be configured using ball bearings or stainless steel wires.

[0029] Next, the results of the bending test of the flexible hose will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the test equipment. The test device comprises a buffer tank 300 in which water is stored, a digital hand scale 310 for measuring the force applied to bend the hose under test, and a fixture 320 (see FIG. 8) for fixing one end of the hose under test so that it does not move. The buffer tank 300 is provided with an air inlet 301 through which compressed air is introduced, and a pressurized water outlet 302 through which pressurized water is delivered to the hose under test, and is also equipped with a pressure gauge 330. The hoses to be tested were two types: the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment described above, and a conventional fire hose as a comparative example. Both types were cloth hoses with a diameter of about 50 mm, and had the same length when not pressurized. In the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment, the extension suppression member 20 was a stainless steel wire, and the intermediate retaining member 40 was made of aluminum and had a cylindrical shape. Fig. 6 shows a representative state in which the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment is mounted on a test device. One end where the female fitting 51 is provided is connected to the pressurized water outlet 302 via a water supply pipe 340, and is fixed to a sturdy board using a fixture 320 as shown in Fig. 8. The other end where the male fitting 52 is provided is closed with a lid, and a digital hand scale 310 is attached to the tip of the pulling rope. A conventional fire hose as a comparative example was also mounted on the test device when being tested.

[0030] The hose to be tested attached to the test device was filled with water at a specified water pressure (0.4 MPa or 0.7 MPa) supplied from the buffer tank 300, and a force F was applied to the other end of the straight hose in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the male fitting. The applied force F is a force that bends the hose, and the magnitude of the force F is read from the digital hand balance 310. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the test results. In the graph of Fig. 7, the vertical axis is the magnitude of the applied force F (bending force), and the horizontal axis is the bending angle of the hose (the angle formed by the axis of the male fitting on the other end and the axis of the female fitting on one end), with ■ showing the results of the hose of the comparative example at a water pressure of 0.4 MPa, □ showing the results of the hose of the comparative example at a water pressure of 0.7 MPa, ● showing the results of the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment at a water pressure of 0.4 MPa, and ◯ showing the results of the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment at a water pressure of 0.7 MPa. Fig. 8 is a photograph showing the state of the hose when force F is applied in a direction perpendicular to the axis in the test, with Fig. 8(a) showing a conventional fire hose as a comparative example, and Fig. 8(b) showing the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment. As a result of the test, the conventional fire hose as the comparative example expanded significantly in length from the unpressurized state at both water pressures of 0.4 MPa and 0.7 MPa, while the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment had a length that was almost the same as that of the unpressurized state. From the graph in FIG. 7, it can be seen that the conventional fire hose as the comparative example requires a large force to bend, while the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment can be bent with less than 1 / 5 of the force. In addition, the conventional fire hose as the comparative example exhibited kinks (bending) that hindered water flow as shown in FIG. 8(a) at about 12 degrees at a water pressure of 0.4 MPa and about 21 degrees at a water pressure of 0.7 MPa, while the flexible hose 1 of the first embodiment did not exhibit kinks even when bent to nearly 60 degrees, and was bent as shown in FIG. 8(b). In this way, it has been demonstrated that the flexible hose 1 of the present invention has less stretching than conventional hoses, can bend smoothly with little force even when the internal pressure increases, and is less likely to cause kingping. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Flexible hose 10 Hose body 20,200 Elongation suppressing material 30 End holding material 40 Intermediate holding material 41 holes 42 Aperture 43 Protrusion 50 Joint 210 Elongation suppressing material structure 211 Connecting material 212 Aperture

Claims

1. a flexible hose body having a fluid inlet at one end and a fluid outlet at the other end; an end retainer having an opening through which the fluid passes and disposed inside the hose body on the one end side and the other end side; An elongation suppressing member that is bendable and arranged from the one end side to the other end side, and an end portion of the elongation suppressing member is held by the end holding member, A flexible hose characterized in that, when the fluid flows through the hose body, the elongation inhibitor resists the force that generates by the pressure of the fluid to elongate the hose body in the axial direction, thereby suppressing the axial elongation of the hose body.

2. The elongation suppressing material is linear, a plurality of intermediate retaining members that retain the elongation suppressing member stretched over the hose body from the one end side to the other end side on an axis of the hose body; the intermediate retaining material has an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the hose body, has a hole at its center through which the elongation suppressing material passes and has an opening between the center and an outer edge through which the fluid passes, and is disposed between the end retaining material on the one end side and the end retaining material on the other end side, 2. The flexible hose according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined gap is provided between adjacent intermediate retaining members.

3. 3. The flexible hose according to claim 2, wherein the gap between the intermediate retaining members is e and the diameter of the hose body is D, satisfying the relationship e<D / 2.

4. 4. The flexible hose according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate retaining member is cylindrical or spherical.

5. 5. The flexible hose according to claim 4, wherein a projection or a spacer is provided on the side surface of the cylindrical intermediate retainer around the periphery of the hole through which the elongation suppression material passes.

6. The elongation suppressing material is formed by connecting a plurality of elongation suppressing material components each having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the hose body, The elongation suppression material structure has an opening through which the fluid passes, and has a connecting material at a center portion thereof for connecting to other elongation suppression material structures, 2. The flexible hose according to claim 1, wherein the extension suppression members are connected to each other by the connecting member such that a joining angle can be freely changed.

7. 2. The flexible hose according to claim 1, wherein the hose body is provided with joints at both ends.

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