Flexible duct

Abstract

To provide a flexible duct for air conditioning which can be used outdoors and which has high functionality.SOLUTION: A flexible duct includes: a first flexible duct having a heat insulation property; and a second flexible duct having waterproofness, and for covering the first flexible duct. Between an outer peripheral surface of the first flexible duct and an inner peripheral surface of the second flexible duct, a gas layer is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible tact. [Background technology]

[0002] Flexible ducts are often used in facilities, buildings, etc., because of their high degree of freedom in installation and ease of construction. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connection structure and a connection method for a flexible duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-90078 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, flexible ducts for air conditioning may require heat retention to suppress temperature changes in the air passing through the flexible duct. Furthermore, when the flexible duct for air conditioning is used outdoors, it may require waterproofing against rain and condensation, and insulation to suppress the effects of outside air temperature. In other words, there is a demand for flexible ducts for air conditioning with high functionality that can be used outdoors.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a highly functional flexible duct for air conditioning that can be used outdoors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A first flexible duct having a heat retaining property; A second flexible duct that is waterproof and covers the first flexible duct, A gas layer is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the first flexible duct and an inner peripheral surface of the second flexible duct. A flexible duct is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly functional flexible duct for air conditioning that can be used outdoors. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of an air conditioning system. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible duct according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible duct according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible duct according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible duct according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible duct according to one embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment <Example of air conditioning system configuration> 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system 1 to which a flexible duct 3 of the present invention can be applied. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction (height direction).

[0011] The air conditioning system 1 is a system that adjusts the temperature and humidity inside a room. The air conditioning system 1 may be applied to various buildings and facilities, such as factories, offices, houses, accommodation facilities, commercial facilities, leisure facilities, sports facilities, public facilities, educational facilities, research facilities, nursing care facilities, logistics facilities, agricultural facilities, horticultural facilities, museums, data centers, warehouses, and event venues. The air conditioning system 1 is not limited to buildings and facilities, and may be applied to transportation such as railways, ships, airplanes, and automobiles. The air conditioning system 1 may also be applied to booths such as vinyl greenhouses and tents.

[0012] The air conditioning system 1 includes, for example, an air conditioning unit 2, an air supply side flexible duct 3a, an exhaust side flexible duct 3b, an air conditioned room 4, and a control device 5. The air conditioning system 1 sends air from the air conditioned room 4 to the air conditioning unit 2 via the return air side flexible duct 3b. The air conditioning system 1 adjusts the temperature and humidity of the sent air by the air conditioning unit 2, and sends it to the air conditioned room 4 via the air supply side flexible duct 3a. The air conditioning system 1 described above can maintain the internal space of the air conditioned room 4 at a predetermined temperature and humidity. Each component of the air conditioning system 1 will be described below.

[0013] The air conditioning unit 2 is a device for controlling the temperature and humidity of air to be blown into the air-conditioned room 4. The air conditioning unit 2 may be, for example, a heater, a cooler, a humidifier, or a dehumidifier. The supply air side flexible duct 3a is a duct for blowing air whose temperature and humidity have been adjusted by the air conditioning unit 2 to the air-conditioned room 4. The return air side flexible duct 3b is a duct for blowing air in the internal space of the air-conditioned room 4 to the air conditioning unit. The ends of the supply air side flexible duct 3a and the return air side flexible duct 3b are connected to a connection port 20 on the air-conditioning unit 2 side and a connection port 40 on the air-conditioned room 4 side by, for example, a ring-shaped member 31 to be described later. The supply air side flexible duct 3a and the return air side flexible duct 3b will be described in detail in the flexible duct 3 to be described later. The air conditioning unit 2, the supply air side flexible duct 3a, and the return air side flexible duct 3b may be disposed outdoors. The air-conditioned room 4 may be, for example, the interior space of the above-mentioned facilities, buildings, transportation facilities, booths, and the like.

[0014] The control device 5 controls the entire air conditioning system 1. The control device 5 includes a processing unit, a memory unit, an input / output interface (I / O), and a communication unit. The processing unit is a processor such as a CPU, and controls each device of the air conditioning system 1 by executing a program stored in the memory unit. The memory unit is a storage device such as a ROM, RAM, or HDD, and stores various control information in addition to the program executed by the processing unit. The I / O is an interface that transmits and receives signals between the processing unit and an external device. The communication unit is a communication device that communicates with the above devices or other control devices via a communication line.

[0015] The air conditioning system 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1 and may have other configurations. The air conditioning system 1 may include, for example, a blower fan that blows the air flowing inside the flexible ducts 3a to 3b, a damper unit that controls the flow rate of the air flowing through the flexible ducts 3a to 3b, etc. The air conditioning system 1 may also include, for example, an air outlet that adjusts the wind direction and volume of the air blown into the air-conditioned room 4. The air conditioning system 1 may also include, for example, a deodorizing filter, a dust collecting filter, etc.

[0016] <Example of flexible duct configuration> The flexible duct 3 in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a flexible duct. Fig. 2 corresponds to a diagram in which the flexible duct 3 is arranged in a straight line. The flexible duct 3 in this embodiment has a flexible duct portion 30 and annular members 31 provided on both ends of the duct portion 30.

[0017] Also refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible duct 3 in this embodiment, and corresponds to the view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. That is, FIG. 3 is also a cross-sectional view of the duct portion 30. The duct portion 30 in this embodiment is a circular member in cross-section. The duct portion 30 may be an elliptical or rectangular member in cross-section. The flexible duct 3 has a first flexible duct 30a having heat retention properties and a second flexible duct 30c having waterproof properties and covering the outer peripheral surface of the first flexible duct 30a. The first flexible duct 30a is inserted through the inside of the second flexible duct 30c. In addition, the flexible duct 3 has a gas layer 30b formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first flexible duct 30a and the inner peripheral surface of the second flexible duct 30c. That is, the duct portion 30 is formed, from the inside of the duct portion 30, with the first flexible duct 30a, the gas layer 30b, and the second flexible duct 30c in this order.

[0018] The first flexible duct 30a has a heat retaining member 300 and cover members 301 provided on the inside and outside of the heat retaining member 300. For example, glass wool, rock wool, foamed glass (foam glass), calcium silicate, perlite, ceramic, foamed rubber, foamed plastic, etc. may be used for the heat retaining member 300. For example, polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam, urethane foam, phenol foam, etc. may be used for the foamed plastic. The heat retaining member 300 is not limited to the above-mentioned materials and may be other materials. For example, the cover member 301 may be made of resin, metal, or ceramic. The cover member 301 may be composed of multiple layers. For example, the cover member 301 may be a laminated material in which a resin layer and a metal layer are laminated. For example, the cover member 301 may be formed by evaporating a thin metal film onto a resin layer. The resin used as the cover member 301 may be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin. The resin used as the cover member 301 may be, for example, a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate. Also, it may be an acrylic resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, or a polyacetal resin. Also, the cover member 301 is not limited to the above-mentioned resin, and may be other resin. Also, the cover member 301 may be formed by kneading or laminating a plurality of resins. The metal used as the cover member 301 may be, for example, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, copper, tin, zinc, or the like. Also, the cover member 301 is not limited to the above-mentioned metal, and may be other metal. Also, the cover member 301 may be formed, for example, by an inner cover member covering the inside of the heat-retaining member 300 and an outer cover member covering the outside of the heat-retaining member 300. Also, the inner cover member and the outer cover member may be different materials.

[0019] In this way, the first flexible duct 30a has heat retention properties due to the heat retention member 300. This makes it possible to suppress temperature changes in the fluid passing through the inside of the first flexible duct 30a. Furthermore, by surrounding the heat retention member 300 with the cover member 301, it is also possible to improve the heat retention properties of the flexible duct 3. Furthermore, by surrounding the heat retention member 300 with the cover member 301, it is also possible to improve, for example, shapeability, moisture-proofness, moisture resistance, waterproofness, and the like.

[0020] The gas layer 30b may be, for example, the atmosphere. The gas layer 30b may be, for example, a specific gas such as argon gas or krypton gas having a lower thermal conductivity than the atmosphere. By having the gas layer 30b in the flexible duct 3, it is possible to suppress the influence of the outside air temperature on the fluid passing through the inside of the first flexible duct 30a when the flexible duct 3 is used outdoors. That is, the gas layer 30b can also be said to be a heat insulating layer. Furthermore, by providing the gas layer 30b in the flexible duct 3, it is possible to increase the flexibility of the flexible duct 3. That is, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom when installing the flexible duct 3. Note that, in the present embodiment, the fluid passing through the inside of the first flexible duct 30a is described as air as an example, but it may be, for example, a liquid.

[0021] The second flexible duct 30c may be made of resin or metal. The second flexible duct 30c may be a laminated material in which a resin layer and a metal layer are laminated. The resin used for the second flexible duct 30c may be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin. The resin used for the second flexible duct 30c may be, for example, a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, or may be an acrylic resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, or a polyacetal resin. The second flexible duct 30c may be made of other resins, not limited to the above-mentioned resins. The second flexible duct 30c may be formed by kneading or laminating a plurality of resins. The metal used for the second flexible duct 30c may be, for example, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, copper, tin, zinc, or the like. The second flexible duct 30c may be made of other metals, not limited to the above-mentioned metals.

[0022] In this way, the second flexible duct 30c is made of resin or metal and is therefore waterproof. This allows the flexible duct 3 to be used even in environments where rain or condensation occurs. That is, according to this embodiment, the flexible duct 3 can be used outdoors. Furthermore, when the second flexible duct 30c is made of resin, the flexible duct 3 can be made lighter. Furthermore, by making the second flexible duct 30c of resin, the flexibility, heat insulation, and other properties of the flexible duct 3 can be improved. Furthermore, when the second flexible duct 30c is made of metal, the durability, heat resistance, pressure resistance, and other properties of the flexible duct 3 can be improved.

[0023] The duct portion 30 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may have other configurations. The duct portion 30 may have, for example, a soundproofing material that reduces the blowing noise. The second flexible duct 30c may be provided with a functional layer having water repellency, oil repellency, weather resistance, rust resistance, heat insulation, heat reflectivity, light reflectivity, antibacterial properties, antiviral properties, friction resistance, sound absorption, fire resistance, insect resistance, etc. The functional layer may be provided, for example, on the outer periphery of the second flexible duct 30c. The functional layer may be formed, for example, by coating. The functional layer may be formed of a film or sheet having the above-mentioned functions.

[0024] Please also refer to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible duct 3 in this embodiment, and corresponds to a part of the view taken along the line BB in Figure 2. The flexible duct 3 has an annular member 31, a fastening member 32, a restraining member 33, a sealing member 34, a connecting member 35, a sensor mounting portion 36, etc.

[0025] The annular member 31 is a member that fixes the end of the first flexible duct 30a and the end of the second flexible duct 30c. For example, a member called a short pipe or a single pipe may be used as the annular member 31. In the flexible duct 3 in this embodiment, the end of the first flexible duct 30a and the end of the second flexible duct 30c are fixed to the annular member 31 in a state where they are overlapped. The annular member 31 also has a flat connection surface 310. The connection surface 310 is a surface that contacts a duct or the like to be connected. In other words, the connection surface 310 is a flange portion. Since the connection surface 310 is flat, the flexible duct 3 can be connected to a duct or the like to be connected in a stable state. The outer peripheral surface 311 of the annular member 31 is provided with a connection member 35, which will be described later.

[0026] The fastening member 32 is a member that fastens the first flexible duct 30a to the annular member 31. The fastening member 32 may be, for example, a rivet, a screw, a pin, an adhesive, solder, a bolt, a nut, a hose band (hose clamp), etc. Fig. 4 shows an example in which the first flexible duct 30a sandwiched between the annular member 31 and a fixing plate 32a is fixed by a rivet.

[0027] The restraining member 33 is a member that restrains the end of the second flexible duct 30c from the outer peripheral surface side of the end. For example, a hose band (hose clamp), a cable tie, a banding tape, a belt, a clip, etc. may be used as the restraining member 33. Fig. 4 shows an example in which the end of the second flexible duct 30c is restrained by a hose band from the outer peripheral surface side of the second flexible duct 30c.

[0028] The sealing member 34 is a member that seals between the end of the first flexible duct 30a and the annular member 31. For example, caulking, tape, adhesive, solder, gasket, etc. may be used as the sealing member 34. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the end of the first flexible duct 30a and the annular member 31 are sealed by caulking at two locations, the inner part and the outer part of the flexible duct 3. The inner part of the flexible duct 3 is the end on the inner circumferential surface side of the first flexible duct 30a. The outer part of the flexible duct 3 is the end on the outer circumferential surface side of the first flexible duct 30a.

[0029] In this way, by sealing between the end of the first flexible duct 30a and the annular member 31 with the sealing member 34, it is possible to prevent outside air, moisture, and the like from entering the inside of the flexible duct 3 from the outside of the flexible duct 3. In other words, the sealing member 34 can improve the waterproofing, heat retention, and moisture resistance of the flexible duct 3. The sealing member 34 can also prevent air passing through the inside of the flexible duct 3 from leaking out of the flexible duct 3.

[0030] The connection member 35 is a member that detachably connects the flexible duct 3 to the duct to which it is connected. For example, a fastener called a snap lock may be used as the connection member 35. Also, the connection member 35 may be a coupler, a bolt, a nut, or the like. See also FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a view from the connection surface 310 side of the flexible duct 3, and corresponds to the view in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the connection member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 311 of the annular member 31. In this way, the connection member 35 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 311 of the annular member 31, and the flexible duct 3 can be detachably attached to the duct to which it is connected, thereby increasing the ease of attachment and detachment of the flexible duct 3. This can increase the convenience, for example, when constructing or replacing the flexible duct 3. In addition, the flexible duct 3 can be connected to the flexible duct 3 or another flexible duct to extend the air blowing distance. This can increase the degree of freedom in designing the air conditioning system 1, for example.

[0031] The sensor mounting portion 36 is a mounting portion for a sensor for monitoring the air environment inside the flexible duct 3. The air environment is, for example, humidity, temperature, pressure, concentration, etc. The sensor mounted on the sensor mounting portion 36 may be, for example, a temperature and humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a sensor for detecting a specific gas, a sensor for detecting the concentration of a gas, an odor sensor, etc. Furthermore, a flow meter or the like may be attached to the sensor mounting portion 36. In this way, by providing the sensor mounting portion 36, the above-mentioned sensors can be mounted even when monitoring the air environment inside the flexible duct 3.

[0032] <Second embodiment> The following describes the differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c can be changed will be described. In the following description, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0033] Please refer to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible duct 3 in this embodiment, and corresponds to a part of the view taken along the line BB in Fig. 2. The flexible duct 3 in this embodiment has an adjustment member 37 that adjusts the fixed position of the end of the second flexible duct 30c according to the diameter of the second flexible duct 30c. The adjustment member 37 is provided on the outer circumferential surface 311 of the annular member 31.

[0034] The adjustment member 37 may be provided on the annular member 31 using, for example, solder, adhesive, screws, bolts, rivets, or the like. The adjustment member 37 may also be provided on the annular member 31 by welding. Alternatively, the adjustment member 37 may be a member that is integrally formed with the annular member 31 in advance. The adjustment member 37 has a plurality of fixing parts 370-371. The plurality of fixing parts 370-371 are parts that adjust the fixing position of the end of the second flexible duct 30c according to the aperture of the second flexible duct 30c. That is, the adjustment member 37 can also be said to be a member for fixing the end of the second flexible duct 30c to the outer periphery of the annular member 37 according to the aperture of the second flexible duct 30c. Note that, when the end of the second flexible duct 30c is fixed by the fixing part 370 or the fixing part 371 of the adjustment member 37, the gap between the end of the second flexible duct 30c and the adjustment member 37 may be sealed by the seal member 34.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an example in which the end of the second flexible duct 30c is fixed by the fixing portion 370 of the adjustment member 37, and the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c is T1. For example, when the end of the second flexible duct 30c is fixed by the fixing portion 371, the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c is T2. When the end of the second flexible duct 30c is fixed at the position shown in FIG. 4, the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c is T3. Note that the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c is not limited to being uniform. In other words, the interval between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c is also the thickness of the gas layer 30b. In this way, the distance between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c can be changed by changing the diameter of the second flexible duct 30c and fixing the end of the second flexible duct 30c to the adjustment member 37 corresponding to the diameter of the second flexible duct 30c. By changing the distance between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c, the heat insulation of the flexible duct 3 can be appropriately adjusted. For example, when the flexible duct 3 is used outdoors where there is a large temperature difference between the temperature of the fluid passing through the inside of the flexible duct 3 and the outside air temperature, the distance between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c may be increased to improve the heat insulation. In addition, the freedom of design of the air conditioning system 1 can be increased by changing the distance between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c. For example, the distance between the first flexible duct 30a and the second flexible duct 30c may be changed depending on the installation space of the flexible duct 3.

[0036] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 air conditioning system, 2 air conditioning unit, 3 flexible duct, 3a supply air side flexible duct, 3b return air side flexible duct, 4 air conditioned room, 5 control device, 30 duct portion, 30a first flexible duct, 30b gas layer, 30c second flexible duct, 31 annular member, 32 fastening member, 33 restraining member, 34 sealing member, 35 connection member, 36 sensor mounting portion, 37 adjustment member, 300 heat retention member, 301 cover member, 370 fixed portion, 371 fixed portion,

Claims

1. A first flexible duct having a heat retaining property; a second flexible duct having waterproof properties and covering the first flexible duct; A gas layer is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the first flexible duct and an inner circumferential surface of the second flexible duct. A flexible duct characterized by:

2. a ring-shaped member for fixing an end of the first flexible duct and an end of the second flexible duct; 2. The flexible duct according to claim 1 .

3. The annular member further includes an adjustment member for adjusting a fixed position of the end of the second flexible duct in accordance with a diameter of the second flexible duct.

3. The flexible duct according to claim 2.

4. Further comprising a fastening member for fastening the first flexible duct to the annular member.

3. The flexible duct according to claim 2.

5. Further, a restraining member is provided to restrain the end of the second flexible duct from an outer peripheral surface side of the end.

5. The flexible duct according to claim 4.

6. a sealing member for sealing between the end of the first flexible duct and the annular member; 6. The flexible duct according to claim 5.

7. The flexible duct further includes a connecting means provided on an outer circumferential surface of the annular member for detachably connecting the flexible duct to a duct to which the flexible duct is to be connected.

7. The flexible duct according to claim 6.

8. a sensor mounting portion provided on the annular member for monitoring an air environment within the flexible duct; 3. The flexible duct according to claim 2.

9. An air conditioning system comprising the flexible duct according to claim 1.

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