Electric fusion joint and method of manufacturing electric fusion joint
By embedding an electric heating wire in a helically notched electro-fusion joint with a specific wire diameter to buried depth ratio, the joint achieves thermal efficiency and reliable fusion, addressing the issue of fusion failures in existing technologies.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023147655
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing electro-fusion joints experience fusion failure due to the buried depth of electric heating wires, leading to inefficiencies and unreliable fusions.
The electro-fusion joint incorporates a notch formed in a helical shape on the inner peripheral surface of the pipe joint, with an electric heating wire embedded within, and sets the ratio of wire diameter to buried depth between 0.5 to 1.6 for enhanced thermal efficiency and reliable fusion.
This configuration allows for thermal efficiency and reliable fusion, ensuring that the heat from the electric heating wire is effectively transmitted to the resin material, preventing fusion failures and improving the overall performance of the electro-fusion joint.
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Figure 2025040699000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an electrofusion joint and a method for manufacturing an electrofusion joint. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, for example, an electric fusion joint is known, as described in Patent Document 1. This electric fusion joint has a fusion part in which an electric heating wire is inserted into a notched groove formed in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface of a thermoplastic resin pipe into which a connecting resin pipe is inserted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO 93 / 14342 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Normally, the heating wire is placed on the innermost surface of the joint by wrapping it around the joint core during injection molding, but a groove for the heating wire is created after the joint is injection molded, and the heating wire is embedded in the groove, so the depth can be set as desired. However, it has become clear that poor fusion can occur depending on the embedding depth of the heating wire when laying the heating wire in an electric fusion joint. That is, there is room for improvement in this type of electric fusion joint in terms of reliably performing fusion with the plastic pipe to be connected.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric fusion joint that can reliably proceed with fusion with good thermal efficiency, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] (1) An electric fusion joint according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: An electric fusion joint having a pipe joint formed of a thermoplastic resin, a fusion portion having a helically formed cut portion on an inner circumferential surface of the pipe joint and an electric heating wire embedded in the cut portion, The ratio d / t of the wire diameter d of the heating wire to the embedment depth t of the heating wire is 0.5 to 1.6. It is characterized by: In the electric fusion joint having the above configuration, by setting the ratio of the wire diameter of the heating wire to the embedment depth thereof to 0.5 to 1.6, fusion can be carried out reliably with good thermal efficiency.
[0007] (2) In the electric fusion joint described in (1) above, The Young's modulus of the heating wire is 65 kN / mm 2 ~150kN / mm 2 may be also possible. (3) In the electric fusion joint described in (1) or (2) above, A ratio p / d of a pitch p of the heating wire to a wire diameter d of the heating wire may be 3.0 to 4.5. (4) In the electric fusion joint described in (3) above, The heating wire may have a wire diameter of 0.2 mm to 1.1 mm. (5) In the electric fusion joint described in (1) or (2) above, The heating wire may have a wire diameter of 0.2 mm to 1.1 mm.
[0008] (6) A method for producing an electric fusion joint according to one aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: A method for producing an electric fusion joint according to claim 1, forming a spiral cut portion on an inner circumferential surface of the pipe joint; embedding the heating wire in the cut portion; a step of cutting the inner circumferential surface in which the heating wire is embedded to form the fusion portion; Includes It is characterized by: In the method for producing an electric fusion joint having the above configuration, by setting the ratio of the wire diameter of the heating wire to the embedment depth of the heating wire to 0.5 to 1.6, it is possible to produce an electric fusion joint that has good thermal efficiency and can reliably proceed with fusion. Effect of the Invention
[0009] With the electric fusion joint of the present invention, fusion can be carried out reliably with good thermal efficiency. Furthermore, with the manufacturing method of the electric fusion joint of the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an electric fusion joint that can be carried out reliably with good thermal efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an electric fusion joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view taken in the direction of an arrow II in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of an electric fusion joint according to one embodiment of the present invention taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heating wire embedded in an electric fusion joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an electric fusion joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which a heating wire is embedded in an electric fusion joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is an explanatory view showing how the distance between the first fixing part and the second fixing part is widened to enable placement of a resin tube in a joint setting step in the manufacturing method of an electric fusion joint. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is an explanatory view showing how the resin pipe is temporarily fixed to the first fixing part in the joint setting step. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory view showing how a resin pipe is fixed to a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion in a joint setting step. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a heating wire embedding portion used in a wire embedding portion cutting and embedding step in a manufacturing method for an electric fusion joint. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory view showing how a first heating wire is embedded in an inner peripheral surface of a first resin pipe portion in a wire-embedding portion cutting and embedding step. FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 13 is a side view of a modified example of the electric fusion joint. [Figure 13] 13 is a plan view seen from the direction of an arrow XIII in FIG. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of an electric fusion joint and a method for manufacturing an electric fusion joint according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.
[0012] <Electric fusion joint> As shown in Fig. 1, the electric fusion joint 1 has a fusion part on the inner circumferential surface of a thermoplastic pipe joint into which a plastic pipe to be connected is inserted. The fusion part has an electric heating wire embedded in a helical cut formed on the inner circumferential surface of the pipe joint. Specifically, the electric fusion joint 1 comprises a thermoplastic resin tube 10, a first fusion portion (fusion portion) 20, two first terminals (terminals) 30, 31, a first indicator (indicator) 40, a second fusion portion (fusion portion) 50, two second terminals (terminals) 60, 61, and a second indicator (indicator) 70.
[0013] In this embodiment, the pipe joint is a thermoplastic resin pipe 10, which is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. Examples of the thermoplastic resin constituting the resin pipe 10 include polyolefin resin, polyvinyl chloride, and thermoplastic polyester (thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate, etc.). Among them, from the viewpoint of further improving earthquake resistance and durability, polyolefin resin is preferable as the thermoplastic resin constituting the resin pipe 10.
[0014] Polyolefin resin pipes have a higher tensile breaking elongation measured according to JIS K 6815-1 and JIS K 6815-3 than rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes. The tensile breaking elongation of rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes is 50-150%, while the tensile breaking elongation of polyolefin resin pipes is 350% or more. In particular, by the extrapolation method specified in ISO / TR9080, high density polyethylene pipes (PE100) have a tensile breaking elongation of 500% or more, which can better prevent damage caused by earthquakes.
[0015] The polyolefin resin is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include polypropylene, polybutene, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, atactic polypropylene, isotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, poly-α-olefin, and the like.
[0016] The melt mass flow rate (MFR) of the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, but is, for example, preferably from 0.1 to 25 g / 10 min, more preferably from 0.1 to 10 g / 10 min, and even more preferably from 0.20 to 1.00 g / 10 min. The MFR can be measured in accordance with JIS K 7210:1999 at a test temperature of 190°C and a test load of 2.16 kg.
[0017] The specific gravity of the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 942 to 953 kg / m3. The specific heat of the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1.9 to 2.3 kJ / kg·[K]. The thermal conductivity of the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.46 to 0.5 W / m·K.
[0018] The thermoplastic resin may be a composition containing additives such as pigments, ultraviolet absorbers, antioxidants, and lubricants.
[0019] The melting point of the thermoplastic resin (ie, the melting temperature of the resin pipe 10) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 125 to 260°C, and more preferably 125 to 150°C.
[0020] The resin pipe 10 may have a multi-layer structure having a surface layer on at least one of the outer and inner surfaces. For example, by having a surface layer containing an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, the resin pipe 10 is more suitable for air conditioning, hot water supply, gas, or fuel. This is because the surface layer containing an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin makes it difficult for gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, propane, and butane, and hydrocarbons such as gasoline and benzene to permeate.
[0021] The surface layer of the resin pipe 10 may contain, for example, at least one of inorganic fibers and organic fibers. Examples of inorganic fibers include glass fibers, carbon fibers, silicon-titanium-carbon composite fibers, boron fibers, and metal fibers. Examples of organic fibers include aramid fibers, vinylon fibers, polyester fibers, and polyamide fibers. When the surface layer contains these fibers, the tensile strength of the resin pipe 10 can be increased and thermal expansion can be further suppressed. The surface layer may also contain a fluororesin. When the surface layer contains fluorine, resistance (chemical resistance) to acids, alkalis, and the like can be increased. Moreover, a layer similar to the above-mentioned surface layer may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the resin pipe 10 .
[0022] Methods for forming the resin pipe 10 include extrusion molding and injection molding. In particular, extrusion molding is easy to form the resin pipe 10 into a long length or a large diameter. Therefore, for example, when the length of the resin pipe 10 in the pipe axis O direction is 2 m or more, or when the outer diameter of the resin pipe 10 is a large diameter such as 300 mm or more, it is preferable to form the resin pipe 10 by extrusion molding. In addition, in the case of extrusion molding, the inner diameter of the molded resin pipe 10 is the same from one end to the other end of the resin pipe 10, so that the inner surface cutting (dimension setting) step S3 when manufacturing the electric fusion joint 1 can be omitted, or the amount of resin discarded by the inner surface cutting (dimension setting) step S3 can be reduced. In particular, when manufacturing a large-diameter electric fusion joint 1 having an outer diameter of 400 mm or more, which is difficult to mold by injection molding, a long resin pipe 10 having an outer diameter of 400 mm or more and a length of 2 m or more can be molded by extrusion molding, and the long resin pipe 10 can be cut to an appropriate length and a fusion portion can be provided on the inner surface to form the electric fusion joint 1. Also, one end of the long resin pipe 10 can be enlarged to form a socket, thereby manufacturing an electric fusion joint 1 having a length of 2 m or more, which is difficult to mold by injection molding.
[0023] In the electric fusion joint 1 according to the embodiment, the outer diameter of the resin pipe 10 is preferably 63 mm to 1000 mm. The SDR (average outer diameter / thickness) is preferably 11 to 17. For example, in the case of an SDR of 11, the inner diameter of the resin pipe 10 is more preferably 50 mm to 810 mm. The thickness of the resin pipe 10 is preferably 5.8 mm to 100 mm. The clearance between the inner diameter of the resin pipe 10 and the outer diameter of the connecting resin pipe is, for example, 2 mm at most.
[0024] The thermoplastic resin pipe 10 has a first resin pipe section 11 and a second resin pipe section 12. The first resin pipe section 11 and the second resin pipe section 12 are provided along the pipe axis O direction of the resin pipe 10. Hereinafter, the pipe axis O direction of the resin pipe 10 may be abbreviated as "pipe axis O direction". Also, the radial direction with respect to the pipe axis O may be abbreviated as "radial direction". Furthermore, the circumferential direction with respect to the pipe axis O may be abbreviated as "circumferential direction".
[0025] The first resin pipe portion 11 is provided on one end side of the electric fusion joint 1 in the direction of the pipe axis O. The second resin pipe portion 12 is provided on the other end side of the electric fusion joint 1 in the direction of the pipe axis O. A first resin pipe 80 as a connecting resin pipe is inserted into the first resin pipe section 11 from one end side in the pipe axis O direction. A second resin pipe 81 as a connecting resin pipe is inserted into the second resin pipe section 12 from the other end side in the pipe axis O direction. Both the first resin pipe section 11 and the second resin pipe section 12 function as receiving ports.
[0026] In the embodiment, the first resin pipe portion 11 and the second resin pipe portion 12 have the same diameter. However, the first resin pipe section 11 may be formed to have a larger diameter than the second resin pipe section 12. The first resin pipe section 11 and the second resin pipe section 12 may be arranged at one end and the other end along the pipe axis O direction with a gap therebetween, and may be connected by a third resin pipe section whose diameter increases in an inclined manner in the pipe axis O direction.
[0027] The plastic pipe 10 may be a so-called socket. For example, the plastic pipe 10 may be a so-called increaser or reducer. For example, the plastic pipe 10 may be bent at the center in the direction of the pipe axis O, and may be a so-called elbow. For example, the plastic pipe 10 may have a branch pipe, and may be a so-called Tee. For example, the plastic pipe 10 may be long enough to be usable not only as a joint but also as a general pipe material. An example of such a plastic pipe 10 is a pipe material in which only the pipe end is expanded in diameter. More specifically, an example is a pipe material in which one end is a socket that is expanded in diameter and provided with a fusion portion 20, and the other end is a spigot that is inserted into the socket of another pipe material, and the distance between the socket and the spigot (between the one end and the other end) is a long plastic pipe, for example, 2 m or more.
[0028] A first fusion portion 20 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11. That is, the first fusion portion 20 is provided on one end side in the pipe axis O direction of the electric fusion joint 1. The first fusion portion 20 has a first heating wire (heating wire) 21 embedded in a first cut portion (cut portion) formed in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11. The opening portion of the first cut portion that opens on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 may have a spiral shape with the pipe axis O as the central axis and the distance from the central axis to the inner peripheral surface 11a as the radius, for example.
[0029] The two first terminals 30, 31 are provided in the first resin pipe section 11 near the end 11b of the socket section with a gap therebetween in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 2). The first terminal 30 is disposed in the first wire outlet hole 33 and connected to one end of the first heating wire 21. The first terminal 31 is disposed in the first wire outlet hole 34 and connected to the other end of the first heating wire 21. The two first wire outlet holes 33, 34 penetrate the first resin pipe section 11 in the radial direction near the end 11b of the socket section. The two first terminals 30, 31 pass electricity through the first heating wire 21 when the first resin pipe 80 to be connected is electrically fused to the first fusion section 20.
[0030] The first indicator 40 is embedded in, for example, a first recess 41 provided on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe portion 11. The first indicator 40 protrudes radially outward from the first recess 41 during electrical fusion when power is supplied to the first heating wire 21 via the two first terminals 30, 31. The protrusion of the first indicator 40 allows confirmation that the first fusion portion 20 is electrically fused to the first resin pipe 80 to be connected. The first indicator 40 may be molded integrally with the plastic pipe 10 using the same material, or may be assembled to the plastic pipe 10 that is made of a different material from the plastic pipe 10. When the first indicator 40 is molded integrally with the plastic pipe 10 using the same material, for example, the first indicator 40 and the first recess 41 can be simultaneously post-machined in the plastic pipe 10. Specifically, the first recess 41 may be cut (bored) with a drill or the like while leaving the portion that will become the first indicator 40 so that the portion that will become the first indicator 40 remains in the first recess 41, and the first indicator 40 and the first recess 41 may be molded in the plastic pipe 10 at the same time.
[0031] A second fusion part 50 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 12a of the second resin pipe section 12. That is, the second fusion part 50 is provided on the other end side in the pipe axis O direction of the electric fusion joint 1. The second fusion part 50 has a second heating wire (heating wire) 51 inserted into a second cut part (cut part) formed in a spiral shape on the inner peripheral surface 12a of the second resin pipe section 12. The opening part of the second cut part that opens on the inner peripheral surface 12a of the second resin pipe section 12 may be, for example, spiral in shape with the pipe axis O as the central axis and the distance from the central axis to the inner peripheral surface 12a as the radius.
[0032] The second fused portion 50 is configured substantially similarly to the first fused portion 20 . An inner peripheral surface 11 a of the first resin pipe portion 11 and an inner peripheral surface 12 a of the second resin pipe portion 12 correspond to the inner peripheral surface of the resin pipe 10 .
[0033] The winding direction of the spiral formed by the first heating wire 21 and the second heating wire 51 is not particularly limited. For example, when the winding direction is right-handed as viewed from the opening side of one of the sockets in the electric fusion joint 1, it is left-handed as viewed from the opening side of the other socket. In other words, the winding direction is right-handed or left-handed as viewed from the opening side of one of the sockets in the electric fusion joint 1, and when viewed from the opening side of the other socket, it is reversed from when viewed from one socket. Here, the winding direction (hereinafter also referred to as the first winding direction) of the first heating wire 21 as viewed from the opening side of the first resin pipe section 11 (the opening side of one of the receiving ports) and the winding direction (hereinafter also referred to as the second winding direction) of the second heating wire 51 as viewed from the opening side of the second resin pipe section 12 (the opening side of the other receiving port) may be the same or different. For example, the first winding direction and the second winding direction may be common to right-handed winding or common to left-handed winding. Furthermore, one of the first winding direction and the second winding direction may be right-handed winding and the other may be left-handed winding.
[0034] In the embodiment, an example in which the first fusion part 20 is provided on one end side of the electric fusion joint 1 and the second fusion part 50 is provided on the other end side of the electric fusion joint 1 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As another example, a fusion part may be provided on at least one end side of the electric fusion joint 1. Here, when the fusion portion is only on one end (the socket portion) side, the winding direction of the heating wire may be clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from the opening side of the socket portion.
[0035] The two second terminals 60, 61 are provided in the second resin pipe section 12 at a circumferential interval near the end 12b of the socket section. The second terminal 60 is connected to one end of the second heating wire 51 via a second wire outlet hole 63. The second terminal 61 is connected to the other end of the second heating wire 51 via a second wire outlet hole 64. The two second wire outlet holes 63, 64 are passed through the second resin pipe section 12 in the radial direction near the end 12b of the socket section. The two second terminals 60, 61 pass electricity through the second heating wire 51 when the second resin pipe 81 to be connected is electrically fused to the second fusion section 50. The two second terminals 60, 61 are configured substantially similarly to the two first terminals 30, 31.
[0036] The second indicator 70 is embedded in, for example, a second recess 71 provided on the outer circumferential surface 12c of the second resin pipe portion 12. The second indicator 70 protrudes radially outward from the second recess 71 during electrical fusion when power is supplied to the second heating wire 51 via the two second terminals 60, 61. The protrusion of the second indicator 70 allows confirmation that the second fusion portion 50 is electrically fused to the second resin pipe 81 that is the connection partner. The second indicator 70 may be integrally molded with the plastic pipe 10 using the same material, or may be assembled to the plastic pipe 10 using a material different from that of the plastic pipe 10. The second indicator 70 is configured in a manner substantially similar to that of the first indicator 40.
[0037] As described above, the second fusion section 50 is configured substantially similarly to the first fusion section 20. Moreover, the second terminals 60, 61 are configured substantially similarly to the first terminals 30, 31. Furthermore, the second indicator 70 is configured substantially similarly to the first indicator 40. Therefore, hereinafter, the resin tube 10, the first fusion section 20, the first terminals 30, 31, and the first indicator 40 will be described in detail, and descriptions of other configurations will be omitted. In this embodiment, both the first fusion portion 20 and the second fusion portion 50 are provided, but only one of the first fusion portion 20 and the second fusion portion 50 may be provided. That is, the electric fusion joint 1 may have a configuration in which only one end can be electrically fused.
[0038] <Resin pipe> As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a plurality of first fixing marks (fixing marks) 15 may be provided in a first portion of the first resin pipe portion 11 located closer to the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11 than the first fusion portion 20 in the pipe axis O direction. In the embodiment, the first portion located on the end face 11d side of the first resin pipe portion 11 is described as the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11. Also, in the embodiment, an example in which four first fixing marks 15 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11 as the plurality of first fixing marks 15 will be described. However, the first fixing marks 15 do not have to be provided at equal intervals.
[0039] The four first fixing marks 15 are, for example, depressions formed by contact of four first needle portions 106 provided on a first device 102 (see FIG. 7) described later. The four first needle portions 106 contact the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11, so that the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11 is supported by the first device 102. In the embodiment, an example in which there are four first fixing marks 15 will be described, but the number of first fixing marks 15 can be arbitrarily selected from two or more. Furthermore, the location where the first fixing mark 15 is provided is not limited to the end surface 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11. The location where the first fixing mark 15 is provided may be any first portion located on the end surface 11d side of the first resin pipe portion 11.
[0040] A plurality of second fixing marks (fixing marks) 16 may also be provided in a first portion of the second resin pipe portion 12 located closer to the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12 than the second fusion portion 50 in the pipe axis O direction. In the embodiment, the first portion located on the end face 12d side of the second resin pipe portion 12 is described as the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12. Also, in the embodiment, an example in which four second fixing marks 16 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12 as the plurality of second fixing marks 16 will be described. However, the second fixing marks 16 do not have to be provided at equal intervals.
[0041] The four second fixing marks 16 are, for example, depressions formed by contact of four second needle portions 107 provided in a first device 102 (see FIG. 7) described later. When the four second needle portions 107 contact the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12, the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12 is supported by the first device 102. Thus, the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11 and the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12 are supported by the first device 102. As a result, the resin pipe 10 is supported in a state in which it is positioned by the first device 102. In the embodiment, four second fixing marks 16 are described as an example, but the number of the second fixing marks 16 can be arbitrarily selected from two or more. Furthermore, the location where the second fixing mark 16 is provided is not limited to the end surface 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12. The location where the second fixing mark 16 is provided may be any first portion located on the end surface 12d side of the second resin pipe portion 12.
[0042] The first fixing marks 15 and the second fixing marks 16 may be arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction, or may be arranged at the same positions in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the number of the first fixing marks 15 and the number of the second fixing marks 16 may be the same or different.
[0043] <Heating wire> As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the first heating wire 21 is embedded in a first cut portion (cut portion) formed in a spiral shape on the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 in the first fusion portion 20. The first heating wire 21 has an outward heating wire 21a, a folded portion 21b, and a return heating wire 21c in the first fusion portion 20. Hereinafter, the outward heating wire 21a may be referred to as the "outward portion 21a". Also, the return heating wire 21c may be referred to as the "return portion 21c".
[0044] The outgoing path section 21a is drawn out from the first wire drawing hole 33, and is formed by progressing in a spiral in the outgoing direction from the opening side of the first resin pipe section 11 to the opening side of the second resin pipe section 12. Here, the opening side of the first resin pipe section 11 is "one opening side of the electric fusion joint 1". The opening side of the second resin pipe section 12 is "the other opening side of the electric fusion joint 1 (the opening side opposite to the one opening)". In Figs. 1 and 3, the outgoing path section 21a is indicated by a solid line.
[0045] The folded-back portion 21b connects the outward path portion 21a and the return path portion 21c of the first heating wire 21. The folded-back portion 21b is curved in a front view of the folded-back portion 21b seen from the inside in the radial direction of the first resin pipe portion 11.
[0046] The return path portion 21c is formed by a spiral that advances from a folded-back portion 21b where the outward path portion 21a is folded back in a return direction opposite to the outward direction. The return path portion 21c advances to the first wire drawing hole 34 on the opening side of the first resin pipe portion 11. That is, the first heating wire 21 is formed of a single heating wire including the outward path portion 21a in the outward direction, the folded-back portion 21b, and the return path portion 21c in the opposite direction to the outward path portion 21a.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first resin pipe section 11 in a plane parallel to the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10 and including the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 and the vicinity of the electric heating wire 21. As shown in FIG. 4, in a cross-sectional view parallel to the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10 and including the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10, the shortest distance in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis O from the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 to the electric heating wire 21 is defined as the embedding depth t of the first electric heating wire 21. In addition, in a cross-sectional view parallel to the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10 and including the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10, the distance between the central axes of the first electric heating wires 21 in a direction parallel to the pipe axis O is defined as the laying pitch p of the first electric heating wire 21. In addition, the wire diameter of the first electric heating wire 21 is defined as d.
[0048] In the electric fusion joint 1 of the embodiment, when the ratio of the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 to the embedment depth t of the first heating wire 21 is d / t, d / t is 0.5 to 1.6. When heating the heating wire 21, it is necessary to raise the temperature above the melting point of the resin material forming the resin pipe 10, and to ensure reliable fusion, it must be heated to a temperature at least 50° C. higher than the melting point of the resin material forming the resin pipe 10, otherwise it may take a long time to fuse or fusion may be insufficient. However, by defining the installation position of the heating wire 21 based on the ratio d / t of the wire diameter d of the heating wire and the embedding depth t, the heat of the heating wire 21 can be reliably transferred to the resin material.
[0049] When d / t is 0.5 to 1.6, the heat generated in the first heating wire 21 can be reliably transferred to the first resin pipe section 11, the resin material forming the first resin pipe section 11 can be efficiently melted, and fusion with the connected resin pipe can be reliably performed. By setting d / t to 0.5 or more, the embedding depth is appropriate, and the increase in the fusion time can be suppressed, and the decrease in the fusion temperature can be suppressed. By setting d / t to 1.6 or less, for example, even when a thick heating wire is used and the embedding depth is shallow, the temperature during melting can be suppressed from rising too high, causing resin flow during fusion, which can lead to peeling of the fused surface during cooling.
[0050] The Young's modulus of the first heating wire 21 is 65 kN / mm 2 More than 150kN / mm 2 It is more preferable that: The Young's modulus of the first heating wire 21 is 65 kN / mm 2 By setting the Young's modulus at 150 kN / mm or more, it is possible to prevent breakage of the heating wire 21. 2 This has the advantage that the work of embedding the heating wire 21 can be easily performed.
[0051] When the ratio of the laying pitch p of the first heating wire 21 to the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 is defined as p / d, it is more preferable that p / d is 3.0 to 4.5. By setting p / d to 3.0 or more, it is possible to prevent the heating wires 21 from coming into contact with each other and short-circuiting due to the melting and expansion of the resin material forming the first resin pipe portion 11. By setting p / d to 4.5 or less, the resin material between the heating wires 21 melts appropriately, so that the fusion strength can be ensured without requiring a long time for fusion or insufficient melting of the resin material.
[0052] It is more preferable that the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 is 0.2 mm or more and 1.1 mm or less. When the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 is 0.2 mm or more, breakage of the heating wire 21 during installation can be suppressed. When the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 is 1.1 mm or less, there is an advantage that the work of embedding the heating wire 21 can be easily performed, so that the installation speed can be guaranteed.
[0053] The method for measuring the embedding depth t and the laying pitch p of the first heating wire 21 is as follows. The plastic pipe 10 is cut on a plane that is parallel to and includes the pipe axis O, and the cut surface is smoothed using a plastic file. Using a microscope or the like, the cross section of the heating wire 21 exposed on the cut surface and the periphery of the inner surface of the plastic pipe 10 are observed, and the embedding depth t and laying pitch p of the first heating wire 21 are measured. However, the heating wire 21 for one turn at the start and end of the winding are excluded. The above-mentioned measurements are performed at three locations, and the arithmetic mean of the embedding depth t and laying pitch p of the first heating wire 21 at these three locations is calculated as the embedding depth t and laying pitch p of the first heating wire 21. The wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 is the wire diameter when the first heating wire 21 is embedded in the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 and then pulled out. A caliper is placed perpendicular to the length direction of the pulled out first heating wire 21 to measure the wire diameter d. Such measurements are performed at three locations, and the arithmetic mean of the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21 at these three locations is calculated as the wire diameter d of the first heating wire 21.
[0054] The first heating wire 21 may be made of, for example, copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or the like. The Young's modulus of various materials is shown below. The Young's modulus of copper is 117 kN / mm 2 Among copper alloys, the Young's modulus of copper-nickel 30 is 127.5 kN / mm 2 , Young's modulus of Cu-Ni-49 is 147.1kN / mm 2 , Young's modulus of Cu-Ni-69 is 147.1kN / mm 2 , Young's modulus of phosphor bronze (C5102) is 110kN / mm 2 , Young's modulus of brass (C2600) is 110kN / mm 2 The Young's modulus of aluminum is 69 kN / mm 2 The Young's modulus of aluminum alloy (A2024) is 74 kN / mm 2 Other materials that may be used for the first heating wire 21 include nichrome, iron-chrome alloy, copper-nickel alloy, copper-manganese alloy, iron-nickel alloy, manganese, copper-nickel-manganese alloy, nickel-chrome alloy, and chromel.
[0055] The first heating wire 21 may be covered or uncovered. Even if the first heating wire 21 is covered, the Young's modulus of the first heating wire 21 can be considered to be substantially the same as that of an uncovered heating wire in a bare wire state. When the first heating wire 21 is coated, polyurethane, modified polyester, polyester, polyesterimide, or polyamideimide is used as the coating resin for the first heating wire 21. The heat-resistant temperature of polyurethane is 130°C, that of modified polyester is 155 to 180°C, that of polyester is 155°C, that of polyesterimide is 180°C, and that of polyamideimide is 220°C. Preferably, an imide-based coating resin is used for the first heating wire 21, and more preferably, polyamideimide, which has excellent heat resistance, is used.
[0056] The Young's modulus of the first heating wire 21 can be measured by taking out the folded portion 21b from the electric fusion joint 1 and using the folded portion 21b as a sample. The measurement method is based on, for example, JIS C 2532:1999. For example, a test is performed according to JIS Z 2241 described in "8.2.3 Tensile test" in JIS C 2532:1999 to measure the Young's modulus.
[0057] Although the first heating wire 21 has been described above, the second heating wire 51 has substantially the same configuration as the first heating wire 21.
[0058] (Terminal) In the first resin pipe section 11, two first wire drawing holes 33, 34 and two first terminals 30, 31 are provided at a circumferential distance near the end 11b of the socket section. In this state, the first heating wire 21 has an end 21a1 of the outward path section 21a connected to the first terminal 30. Also, the first heating wire 21 has an end 21c1 of the return path section 21c connected to the first terminal 31. The first heating wire 21 can be energized by the two first terminals 30, 31.
[0059] In the embodiment, an example in which the two first terminals 30, 31 are provided at an interval in the circumferential direction in the first resin pipe section 11 will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, one protrusion (e.g., a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion) may be provided on the outer surface of the resin pipe 10, and the two first terminals 30, 31 may be arranged on this one protrusion. In this case, the two first terminals 30, 31 may be arranged adjacent to each other (adjacent to each other) in the circumferential direction on the one protrusion. Furthermore, for example, the two first terminals 30, 31 may be provided at an interval in the pipe axis O direction. A modified example in which the two first terminals 30, 31 are provided at an interval in the pipe axis O direction will be described in detail in Modification 2 of Figs. 12 and 13.
[0060] (indicator) The first indicator 40 is provided on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe portion 11. The circumferential position and the pipe axis O direction position of the first indicator 40 are as follows.
[0061] (Circumferential position of indicator) Plane X and plane Y are defined as references. The tube axis O passes through both plane X and plane Y. In other words, plane X and plane Y intersect at the tube axis O. Plane X passes through not only the tube axis O but also the midpoint in the circumferential direction of the line segment connecting the two first terminals 30, 31 in the circumferential direction. Meanwhile, plane Y passes through not only the tube axis O but also the first indicator 40. The first indicator 40 is disposed with respect to the first terminals 30, 31 such that the angle between the plane X and the plane Y in the circumferential direction is ±90° or less. However, the circumferential position of the first indicator 40 is not limited to this.
[0062] (Indicator tube axial position) The first indicator 40 is disposed on the end surface 11d side of the first resin pipe section 11 from the center of the range E in the tube axis O direction, in the range E in the tube axis O direction in which the first fusion section 20 is provided. Here, the range E in the tube axis O direction refers to the range in the tube axis O direction that extends from one end of the first heating wire 21 in the tube axis O direction to the other end of the first heating wire 21 in the tube axis O direction. The center of the range E refers to the midpoint of the range E in the tube axis O direction. In the embodiment, an example will be described in which the first indicator 40 is disposed closer to the end face 11d of the first resin pipe portion 11 than the center in the range E of the first fusion portion 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first indicator 40 may be disposed between the two first terminals in the direction of the tube axis O. A modified example in which the first indicator 40 is disposed between the two first terminals in the direction of the tube axis O will be described in detail with reference to the modified examples in Figs. 12 and 13.
[0063] <Method of manufacturing electric fusion joint> A method for manufacturing an electric fusion joint includes the steps of forming a spiral cut portion on the inner surface of a plastic pipe, embedding an electric heating wire in the cut portion, and cutting the inner surface of the plastic pipe with the electric heating wire embedded in it to form a fusion portion. The manufacturing method of the electric fusion joint 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 6 to 11, etc. in addition to the flow chart of Figure 5. Note that in the manufacturing method of the electric fusion joint 1, an example of forming the first fusion portion 20 on the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 will be described, and a description of forming the second fusion portion 50 on the inner circumferential surface 12a of the second resin pipe portion 12 will be omitted.
[0064] 6A to 6D are diagrams for explaining the process of embedding the first heating wire 21 in a cross section of the first resin pipe portion 11 parallel to the pipe axis O and including the pipe axis O of the resin pipe 10.
[0065] As shown in Figures 7 to 11, the electric fusion joint 1 is made by embedding a first heating wire 21 (see Figures 1 and 3) in a plastic pipe 10 using a heating wire laying device 100. The heating wire laying device 100 includes a first device 102 and a second device 103. The first device 102 includes a first fixing unit 104 and a second fixing unit 105. The second device 103 includes a cutting unit (not shown), a heating wire embedding unit 110, and a smoothing cutting unit (not shown).
[0066] As shown in FIG. 5, when manufacturing the electric fusion joint 1, first, in the pin position hole drilling process S1, two first wire withdrawal holes 33, 34 (see FIG. 3) are drilled in the electric fusion joint 1 (not the electric fusion joint 1 as a finished product, but a hollow cylindrical resin tube 10).
[0067] 5 and 7, in a joint setting step (first step) S2, the second fixing part 105 provided on the first device 102 is retreated from the first fixing part 104 to widen the gap between the first fixing part 104 and the second fixing part 105. This makes it possible to arrange the plastic pipe 10 in the gap between the first fixing part 104 and the second fixing part 105.
[0068] 5 and 8, continuing with the joint setting step S2, the plastic pipe 10 is placed in the space between the first fixing portion 104 and the second fixing portion 105. The plastic pipe 10 is temporarily fixed in a state where one end face of the placed plastic pipe 10 (i.e., end face 11d of the first plastic pipe portion 11) is in contact with the four first needle portions 106 of the first fixing portion 104. After the plastic pipe 10 is temporarily fixed, the second fixing portion 105 is moved as indicated by arrow A toward the other end face of the plastic pipe 10 (i.e., end face 12d of the second plastic pipe portion 12). In the illustrated example, the resin pipe 10 is placed horizontally, but the first device 102 may be configured so that the resin pipe 10 is placed vertically.
[0069] 5 and 9, the joint setting step S2 is continued, and the four second needle portions 107 of the second fixing portion 105 are brought into contact with the end face 12d of the second resin pipe portion 12. As a result, in the joint setting step S2, the resin pipe 10 is fixed to the first fixing portion 104 and the second fixing portion 105 of the first device 102. In this state, the resin pipe 10 is set in the first device 102 so as to be rotatable (rotatable) about the pipe axis O as indicated by the arrow B (see FIG. 10).
[0070] In this manner, in the joint setting step S2, the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 of the resin pipe 10 contacts (is pressed against) the first needle section 106 of the first fixing section 104 in the pipe axis O direction of the resin pipe 10. As a result, four first fixing marks 15 are provided on the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11. Also, the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12 of the resin pipe 10 contacts (is pressed against) the second needle section 107 of the second fixing section 105 in the pipe axis O direction of the resin pipe 10. As a result, four second fixing marks 16 are provided on the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12.
[0071] After the plastic pipe 10 is set in the first device 102, in the inner surface cutting (dimensioning) process S3, while the plastic pipe 10 is rotated on its axis as indicated by arrow B in the first device 102, a cutting unit (not shown) is moved in the direction of the pipe axis O to cut the inner surface of the plastic pipe 10 with a cutting blade provided in the cutting unit. This allows the inner surface of the plastic pipe 10 to be sized. When the sizing of the inner surface is completed, for example, the vicinity of the inner surface 11a of the first plastic pipe section 11 will be in the state shown in FIG. 6(A).
[0072] After the dimensions of the inner peripheral surface of the resin pipe 10 are determined, the rotation of the resin pipe 10 is stopped. After the rotation of the resin pipe 10 is stopped, in a wire drawing-out process (1) S4 from the pin position, the outgoing path portion 21a of the first heating wire 21 (specifically, the end portion 21a1 of the outgoing path portion 21a) is drawn out from the first wire drawing-out hole 33 shown in FIG.
[0073] Next, as shown in Figures 5, 6, 10, and 11, in the wire embedding portion cutting and embedding process (second process) S5, the first heating wire 21 is embedded into the inner surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 using the heating wire embedding section 110 provided in the second device 103. The heating wire embedding section 110 has cutting means 111 such as a cutter, heating wire guiding means 112, and containment means 113. The cutting means 111 such as a cutter forms a first cut portion (cut portion 22 in FIG. 6(B)) on the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11. This operation forms the cut portion 22 on the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 from the state shown in FIG. 6(A), resulting in the state shown in FIG. 6(B). In the state shown in FIG. 6(B), the cut portion 22 is formed and the resin material forming the first resin pipe section 11 rises to form a protuberance 23.
[0074] The cutting means 111 has a through hole or the like for guiding the first heating wire 21 into the first cut portion (cut portion 22). The heating wire guiding means 112 guides the first heating wire 21 into the first cut portion. This operation changes the state of FIG. 6(B) to the state of FIG. 6(C) in which the first heating wire 21 is embedded in the cut portion 22.
[0075] The heating wire guide means 112 is disposed so that the first heating wire 21 passes through the cutting means 111 and enters the cut portion. The containment means 113 closes the first cut portion to contain the first heating wire 21 within the first cut portion.
[0076] As shown in Figures 3, 10, and 11, the first heating wire 21 is laid on the inner surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 by the heating wire laying device 100. At this time, the resin pipe 10 is rotated on its axis as indicated by the arrow B by the first device 102, and the heating wire laying device 100 is moved in the pipe axis O direction from the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 to the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12. As a result, the cutting means 111 of the heating wire laying device 100 is used to cut a first cut portion on the inner surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11, while inserting the forward path portion 21a of the first heating wire 21 into the first cut portion. Next, the first cut portion is closed by the sealing means 113, and the forward path portion 21a is embedded in the inner surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11.
[0077] After embedding the outward path 21a in the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11, the rotation angle of the cutting means 111 is adjusted in the reverse direction to fold back the outward path 21a and embed the folded back portion 21b in the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11. After reversing the cutting means 111, the electric heating wire laying device 100 is moved in the pipe axis O direction toward the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11, so that the return path 21c of the first electric heating wire 21 is embedded in the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 in the same manner as the outward path 21a. Thus, the first electric heating wire 21 can be embedded in the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 so as to draw a double spiral by the outward path 21a and the return path 21c. This allows the first fusion portion 20 to be formed on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11.
[0078] 3 and 5, after the first fused portion 20 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11, the rotation of the resin pipe 10 is stopped in a wire drawing-out process (2) S6 from the pin position. After the rotation of the resin pipe 10 is stopped, the end portion 21c1 of the return path portion 21c is drawn out from the first wire drawing-out hole 34.
[0079] Next, in the resin smoothing and thin film cutting process S7 of the wire embedded portion, while the resin pipe 10 is rotated on its axis as indicated by the arrow B by the first device 102, an embedded portion smoothing unit (not shown) is moved in the direction of the pipe axis O. As a result, the resin of the wire embedded portion is smoothed by the embedded portion smoothing unit, and the resin smoothed portion is thin-cut by a cutting blade provided on the embedded portion smoothing unit. By thin-cutting the resin smoothed portion, the dimensions of the inner circumferential surface 11a of the first resin pipe portion 11 in which the first heating wire 21 is embedded are determined. This operation cuts off the raised portion 23, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 6(D) In the state shown in Fig. 6(D), processing marks 24 are formed at the locations where the cut portions 22 are closed.
[0080] When the heating wire 21 is laid in the plastic pipe 10 as in the electric fusion joint 1 of the embodiment, the cut portion (cut portion 22) is physically blocked by the plastic material of the first plastic pipe section 11 after the heating wire 21 is inserted, and the blocked portion remains as an interface (processing mark 24). Therefore, when the state of the plastic pipe 10 between the heating wire 21 and the inner peripheral surface 11a is confirmed in the cross section of the plastic pipe 10 as described above, it is clear that the heating wire 21 was laid later. Alternatively, the fact that the heating wire 21 was laid after the plastic pipe 10 was formed can also be confirmed by the fact that the heating wire 21 can be easily pulled out from the first plastic pipe section 11 by pulling the heating wire 21 toward the inner peripheral surface 11a.
[0081] After the dimensions of the inner surface 11a of the first resin pipe section 11 are determined, in the fitting removal process S8, the second fixing section 105 provided on the first device 102 is retracted from the resin pipe 10, and the resin pipe 10 with the first heating wire 21 embedded therein is removed from the first device 102. As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5, after the plastic pipe 10 is removed from the first device 102, in the indicator step S9, the first indicator 40 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 11c of the first plastic pipe section 11. When the first indicator 40 is integral with the plastic pipe 10, in the indicator step S9, a cylindrical drill is used to cut a recess in the outer peripheral surface 11c, leaving a protrusion that will become the first indicator 40, thereby forming the first indicator 40. When the first indicator 40 is a member separate from the plastic pipe 10, the first indicator 40 can be formed by forming a through hole or a recess (a non-through recess) in the outer peripheral surface 11c, and then assembling a member that will become the first indicator 40 into the through hole or recess.
[0082] After forming the first indicator 40 on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe portion 11, in a terminal pin positioning process S10, two first terminals 30, 31 are provided on the first resin pipe portion 11. The end portion 21a1 of the outgoing path portion 21a is connected to the first terminal 30. In addition, the end portion 21c1 of the return path portion 21c is connected to the first terminal 31. In this way, by carrying out the steps S1 to S10, the electrofusion joint 1 can be manufactured, and the manufacturing method for the electrofusion joint 1 is completed. However, the manufacturing method is not limited to this. For example, as in the embodiment, both the indicator step S9 and the terminal pin position step S10 may be carried out after the joint removal step S8, and at least one of the indicator step S9 and the terminal pin position step S10 may be carried out before the joint removal step S8.
[0083] According to the electric fusion joint 1 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, four first fixing marks 15 are provided on the end surface 11d of the first resin pipe section 11. In addition, four second fixing marks 16 are provided on the end surface 12d of the second resin pipe section 12. The first fixing marks 15 and the second fixing marks 16 are provided by contacting the first needle section 106 and the second needle section 107 of the first device 102 with the resin pipe 10 when the first resin pipe section 11 is provided with the first fusion section 20 and the second resin pipe section 12 is provided with the second fusion section 50. In this way, by sandwiching the resin pipe 10 with the first device 102 from the pipe axis O direction, the first needle section 106 and the second needle section 107 of the first device 102 contact the resin pipe 10. Therefore, the resin pipe 10 can be positioned with high accuracy by the first device 102. This can improve the molding accuracy of the electric fusion joint 1.
[0084] In addition, the first fixing mark 15 is provided on the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11, and the second fixing mark 16 is provided on the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12. As a result, when the resin pipe 10 is positioned by the first device 102, there is no risk of the first device 102 interfering with the wire-embedding section cutting and embedding step of providing the first fusion section 20 on the first resin pipe section 11 and the second fusion section 50 on the second resin pipe section 12.
[0085] According to the manufacturing method of the electric fusion joint 1 in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., the first needle 106 of the first device 102 contacts the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 to provide four first fixing marks 15 on the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11. The second needle 107 of the second device 103 contacts the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12 to provide four second fixing marks 16 on the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12. Thus, the resin pipe 10 can be positioned with high accuracy by the first device 102. This allows the molding accuracy of the electric fusion joint 1 to be improved.
[0086] Furthermore, four first fixing marks 15 are provided on the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11, and four second fixing marks 16 are provided on the end face 12d of the second resin pipe section 12. With this, in a state where the resin pipe 10 is positioned by the first device 102, there is no risk that the first device 102 will interfere with the wire embedding section cutting and embedding step S5 in which the first heating wire 21 is inserted into the first cut section by the second device 103.
[0087] 3, the first heating wire 21 is folded back at the folded back portion 21b to switch the spiral direction from the forward direction (i.e., the forward portion 21a) to the backward direction (i.e., the backward portion 21c). It is preferable that the folded back portion 21b secures folding accuracy of the first heating wire 21, taking into consideration, for example, the laying pitch of the heating wire 21 in the tube axis O direction. By folding back the folded-back portion 21b of the first heating wire 21 in a curved manner, the first heating wire 21 can be folded back smoothly at the folded-back portion 21b, making the first heating wire 21 less likely to break.
[0088] 1 and 3, the first indicator 40 is embedded in, for example, a first recess 41 provided on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe portion 11. The first indicator 40 protrudes radially outward from the first recess 41 during electrical fusion when power is supplied to the first heating wire 21 via the two first terminals 30, 31. The protrusion of the first indicator 40 makes it possible to confirm that the electrical fusion joint 1 is electrically fused to the first resin pipe 80 as a connection partner.
[0089] Here, it is considered that the first resin pipe section 11 expands relatively greatly radially outward at the center 11e in the pipe axis O direction of the first fusion section 20 during electrical fusion. Therefore, for example, if the first indicator 40 is provided at the center of the first fusion section 20 on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe section 11, it is considered that resin leakage occurs during fusion or the first indicator 40 protrudes too much during fusion. For this reason, it is desired to ensure the performance of the electrical fusion joint 1 while providing the first indicator 40 on the outer circumferential surface 11c of the first resin pipe section 11.
[0090] Therefore, the first indicator 40 is arranged, in the direction of the pipe axis O, closer to the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 than the center of the range E in the direction of the pipe axis O in which the first fusion section 20 is provided. Therefore, it is possible to confirm by the first indicator 40 that the electric fusion joint 1 is electrically fused to the first resin pipe 80 as a connection partner. As a result, the performance of the electric fusion joint 1 can be ensured while providing the first indicator 40 to the electric fusion joint 1.
[0091] <Modification> Next, a modified example of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In the modified example, the same or similar configurations as those of the electric fusion joint 1 of the embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.
[0092] Modifications of the first indicator 40 and the second indicator 70 in the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13, in the modified example, two first terminals (terminals) 221, 222 are provided on the outer peripheral surface 11c of the first resin pipe section 11. The two first terminals 221, 222 are arranged at an interval from each other in the pipe axis O direction on the outer peripheral surface 11c of the first resin pipe section 11. The two first terminals 221, 222 are connected to both ends of the first heating wire 21, respectively.
[0093] The first heating wire 21 is folded back at the folded back portion 21b (see FIG. 3). Therefore, both ends of the first heating wire 21 are located closer to the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 than the center of the range E of the first fusion section 20. As a result, the two first terminals 221, 222 are located closer to the end face 11d of the first resin pipe section 11 than the center of the range E of the first fusion section 20. Therefore, the first indicator (indicator) 224 is disposed between the two first terminals 221, 222 in the direction of the tube axis O. This allows the first indicator 224 to be disposed closer to the end face 11d of the first resin tube section 11 than the center of the range E of the first fusion section 20.
[0094] 12 and 13, it is possible to confirm with the first indicator 224 that the electrofusion joint 1 is electrically fused to the first resin tube 80 as a connection partner. This makes it possible to provide the first indicator 224 to the electrofusion joint 1 while ensuring the performance of the electrofusion joint 1.
[0095] 12, two second terminals (terminals) 231, 232 are provided on the outer circumferential surface 12c of the second resin pipe portion 12. The two second terminals 231, 232 are connected to both ends of the second heating wire 51, similar to the two first terminals 221, 222. A second indicator (indicator) 234 is disposed between the two second terminals 231, 232 in the direction of the tube axis O. That is, the second indicator 234 is disposed in the same manner as the first indicator 224. Thus, according to the second indicator 234 of the second modification example shown in Fig. 12, the performance of the electric fusion joint 1 can be ensured while providing the electric fusion joint 1 with the second indicator 234.
[0096] The circumferential positions of the two first terminals 221, 222 do not have to coincide with each other, and the circumferential positions of the two second terminals 231, 232 do not have to coincide with each other. In other words, the two first terminals 221, 222 do not have to be arranged side by side in the tube axis O direction, and the two second terminals 231, 232 do not have to be arranged side by side in the tube axis O direction. For example, the two first terminals 221, 222 may be arranged at an interval from each other in the circumferential direction and also at an interval from each other in the direction of the tube axis O. In this case, the position of the first indicator 224 in the direction of the tube axis O is disposed between the two first terminals 221, 222 in the direction of the tube axis O. For example, the two second terminals 231, 232 may be arranged at an interval from each other in the circumferential direction and also at an interval from each other in the direction of the tube axis O. In this case, the position of the second indicator 234 in the direction of the tube axis O is disposed between the two second terminals 231, 232 in the direction of the tube axis O.
[0097] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and changes, combinations, deletions, etc. of the configuration are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
[0098] For example, there may be no fixing marks. For example, the indicator may not be disposed closer to the end face of the resin tube than the center of the range in the tube axial direction in which the fused portion is provided.
[0099] In addition, the components in this embodiment can be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0100] (Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below. It is obvious that the present invention is not limited to these examples.
[0101] Under the conditions shown in Tables 1 and 2, an electric heating wire was embedded in a resin pipe having an inner diameter of 91.55 mm by the method of the above-mentioned embodiment, and an electric fusion joint was produced. The material, wire diameter, embedment depth, number of turns around the resin pipe, and laying pitch of the heating wire in each experimental example are as shown in Tables 1 and 2.
[0102] The above-mentioned electric fusion joint and a plastic pipe were fusion-welded. The resin pipe used had a nominal diameter of 75 mm, an outer diameter D (reference dimension) of 90.0 mm, an outer diameter D (tolerance) of +0.60 mm, an ovality (maximum outer diameter - minimum outer diameter) of within 1.8 mm, a thickness t (reference dimension) of 8.2 mm, a thickness t (tolerance) of +1.30 mm, a length L (reference dimension) of 5,000 mm, and a length L (tolerance) of +20% (Japan Water Works Association Standard JWWA K 144 2017 Polyethylene pipe for water distribution).
[0103] Each electric fusion joint prepared by the above procedure was fused to a resin pipe at a fusion environment temperature of -5°C under the conditions shown in Tables 1 and 2. The peel resistance of the electric fusion joint fused to the resin pipe was evaluated. The peel resistance was evaluated in accordance with the Japan Water Works Association Standard JWWA K 145 Polyethylene Pipe Joints for Water Distribution. The peel resistance test temperature was -5°C. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
[0104] [Table 1]
[0105] [Table 2]
[0106] It can be seen from Tables 1 and 2 that the electric fusion joints of the examples that satisfy the requirements of the present invention have good peel resistance. In other words, it can be seen that the electric fusion joints of the present invention can reliably proceed with fusion with good thermal efficiency, and therefore have improved peel resistance. [Explanation of symbols]
[0107] 1 Electric fusion joint 10 Plastic pipe 20 1st fusion part (fusion part) 21 1st heating wire (heating wire) 22 Notch 23 Ridge 24 Machining marks 50 Second fused part (fused part) 51 2nd heating wire (heating wire) 80 First resin pipe (connection partner resin pipe) 81 Second resin pipe (connection partner resin pipe) O tube shaft
Claims
1. An electric fusion joint having a pipe joint formed of a thermoplastic resin, a fusion portion having a helically formed cut portion on an inner circumferential surface of the pipe joint and an electric heating wire embedded in the cut portion, The ratio d / t of the wire diameter d of the heating wire to the embedding depth t of the heating wire is 0.5 to 1.
6. An electric fusion joint characterized by:
2. The Young's modulus of the heating wire is 65 kN / mm 2 ~150kN / mm 2 is 2. The electric fusion joint according to claim 1.
3. The ratio p / d of the laying pitch p of the heating wire to the wire diameter d of the heating wire is 3.0 to 4.
5.
3. The electric fusion joint according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The wire diameter of the heating wire is 0.2 mm to 1.1 mm.
4. The electric fusion joint according to claim 3.
5. The wire diameter of the heating wire is 0.2 mm to 1.1 mm.
3. The electric fusion joint according to claim 1 or 2.
6. A method for producing an electric fusion joint according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: forming a spiral cut portion on an inner circumferential surface of the pipe joint; embedding the heating wire in the cut portion; a step of cutting the inner circumferential surface in which the heating wire is embedded to form the fusion portion; Includes A method for manufacturing an electric fusion joint.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Plastic pipe and method of manufacturing same
WO1993014342A1