Flexible hose

Abstract

To suppress such a problem that a flexible hose wall gets into the inside of the hose when the flexible hose is shrunk or bent.SOLUTION: A flexible hose 10 includes a hose wall 11, and a reinforcement body 17 joined to the outer periphery side of the hose wall, the hose wall 11 is formed of soft synthetic resin into cylindrical shape, the reinforcement body 17 is formed of hard synthetic resin into spiral shape, the hose wall 11 is formed approximately parallel to a hose center axis m. In a section between the reinforcing bodies 17, 17, a center portion of the hose wall 11 is a thin portion 13, and other portions of the hose wall are thick portions 12, 12. The reinforcement bodies 17 are joined to the thick portions 12. In an area where the thin portion 13 and thick portions 12, 12 are connected, protruded strip portions 14, 14 are formed which are protruded to the hose outside further than the thick portion 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Flexible hoses having a reinforcing member spirally joined to the outer periphery of a flexible hose wall are used in a variety of applications, including as hoses for transporting gas, such as air blowing tubes, and as hoses for transporting liquids, such as beverages, cooling water, and wastewater.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a flexible hose in which a reinforcing body is spirally joined and integrated to the outer periphery of a flexible hose wall, the outer surface of the reinforcing body being made of polyarylate resin, and discloses that with this flexible hose, the weather resistance of the reinforcing body is improved, thereby improving the weather resistance of the resulting hose. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-72027 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a flexible hose such as that described in Patent Document 1 is subjected to deformation such as shrinkage or bending, the flexible hose wall is deformed into pleats between the reinforcing members, resulting in bending or shrinkage deformation of the hose. At this time, the deformed hose wall between the reinforcing members may intrude into the inside of the hose. When the hose wall intrudes into the inside, the internal space of the hose, i.e., the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, is substantially reduced.

[0006] When the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the hose is reduced, the flow resistance of the hose increases. In applications where a sufficient flow rate with low resistance is required, an increase in the resistance of the hose is not desirable. In addition, when the hose wall inwards, pleated (grooved) areas are formed on the inside of the hose, and moisture and other substances tend to accumulate in the pleated areas, so depending on the application of the hose, the occurrence of pleats on the inner surface of the hose is not desirable.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a flexible hose that can prevent the hose wall from intruding into the inside of the hose when the hose is contracted or bent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of careful consideration, the inventors discovered that in the section between the reinforcing bodies, by making the central part of the hose wall a thin section and the other parts a thick section, and forming a protrusion that protrudes further towards the outside of the hose than the thick section at the section where the thin section and the thick section are connected, it is possible to prevent the hose wall from intruding into the inside of the hose, and have completed the present invention.

[0009] The present invention is a flexible hose having a hose wall and a reinforcing body joined to the outer periphery of the hose wall, wherein the hose wall is formed into a tubular shape by spirally winding a flexible strip made of soft synthetic resin having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and joining side edges of adjacent flexible strips, and the reinforcing body is formed by extrusion-molding a hard synthetic resin into a predetermined cross-sectional shape and spirally winding it around the outer periphery of the hose wall, the hose wall is formed approximately parallel to the central axis of the hose, and in sections between the reinforcing bodies, the central portion of the hose wall is a thin-walled portion and the other portion is a thick-walled portion, the reinforcing body is joined to the thick-walled portion, and a protrusion portion that protrudes toward the outside of the hose beyond the thick-walled portion is formed at the connection between the thin-walled portion and the thick-walled portion (first invention).

[0010] In the first invention, preferably, a pair of protrusions are provided symmetrically on either side of the thin portion (second invention). Furthermore, in the first or second invention, preferably, the thin portion and the thick portion are connected via the protrusion (third invention). Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the flexible hose of the present invention (first invention), when the hose is contracted or bent, the hose wall can be prevented from intruding into the inside of the hose.

[0012] Furthermore, in the case of the second aspect of the invention, the hose wall can be further prevented from intruding into the inside of the hose. Also, in the case of the configuration of the third aspect of the invention, the hose wall can be particularly prevented from intruding into the inside of the hose. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described using a flexible hose that can be used as an air supply hose for a respirator as an example. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown below, and the form can be modified and carried out.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment. The flexible hose 10 includes a cylindrical hose wall 11 and a spiral reinforcement 17. In this embodiment, the reinforcement 17 is provided in one spiral, but the reinforcement 17 may be provided in two or more spirals. The reinforcement 17 is joined to the outer periphery of the hose wall 11. The reinforcement 17 and the hose wall 11 may be joined by an adhesive, may be joined by welding, or may be mechanically joined by a structure such as a locking, engaging, or embedding structure. The reinforcement 17 may be joined to the outer periphery of the hose wall 11, or may be embedded in the outer periphery of the hose wall 11.

[0016] The hose wall 11 is formed into a cylindrical shape by spirally winding a flexible strip T1 made of soft synthetic resin having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and joining side edges T1A, T1B of adjacent flexible strips. The flexibility of the hose wall 11 allows the hose to flexibly deform. The cross-sectional shape of the flexible strip T1 is shown in FIG. 7. The side edges T1A, T1B of the strip may be joined by butting the side edges together, or may be joined by overlapping the side edges together. The side edges of the strip may be joined by adhesion or welding.

[0017] The reinforcing member 17 is formed by extruding a hard synthetic resin into a string shape with a predetermined cross-sectional shape, and then spirally winding the string around the outer periphery of the hose wall 11 to form an integrated structure. The reinforcing member 17 maintains the cylindrical shape of the flexible hose. The cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member 17 is not particularly limited, but is semi-cylindrical in this embodiment. The cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member 17 may be oval, rectangular, or another shape.

[0018] The structure of the hose wall 11 will be described in more detail below. An enlarged cross section of the hose wall 11 is shown in FIG. The hose wall 11 is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis m. Although not essential, it is preferable that the inner peripheral surface of the hose wall is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis m, as in this embodiment.

[0019] In the section between adjacent reinforcing bodies 17, 17, the central portion of the hose wall 11 is made into a thin-walled portion 13, and the other portions of the hose wall are made into thick-walled portions 12, 12. Here, the central portion refers to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the hose in the section between the reinforcing bodies 17, 17. In other words, the thin-walled portion 13 extends in a spiral shape so as to be sandwiched between the thick-walled portions 12, 12. In addition, the reinforcing body 17 is joined to the thick-walled portions 12, 12.

[0020] Although not essential, the thickness of the thin-walled portion 13 is preferably 1 / 10 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the thick-walled portion 12. It is particularly preferably 1 / 5 to 1 / 3. The thicknesses of the thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portion 12 may be constant in the longitudinal direction of the hose, or may vary in the longitudinal direction. Although not essential, it is preferable that the thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portion 12 each extend on a cylindrical surface parallel to the hose central axis m, as in this embodiment.

[0021] The position in the radial direction of the hose where the thin-walled portion 13 is connected to the thick-walled portion 12 is not particularly limited, but as in this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 13 may be connected to the inner peripheral side of the thick-walled portion 12 so that the thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portion 12 are smoothly connected on the inner peripheral surface of the hose. Such a smooth inner peripheral surface is preferable because it reduces resistance when the fluid flows.

[0022] Furthermore, in the hose wall 11, at the portion where the thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portion 12 are connected, a protrusion portion 14 is formed that protrudes further toward the outside of the hose than the thick-walled portion 12. As described below, the protrusion portions 14 are provided in pairs, sandwiching the thin-walled portion 13, and are provided so that the pair of protrusion portions 14, 14 come into contact with each other when the hose wall 11 shrinks and deforms in the hose longitudinal direction. Although not essential, the pair of protrusion portions 14, 14 are preferably provided symmetrically in the radial direction of the hose (the up-down direction in FIG. 2) on either side of the thin-walled portion 13.

[0023] The terms "soft" and "hard" in the soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11 and the hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcement 17 refer to relative hardness. That is, the hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcement 17 has a higher hardness than the soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11. Preferably, the combination of the soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11 and the hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcement 17 is selected from synthetic resins that have good adhesiveness and weldability to each other.

[0024] The soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11 is not particularly limited, and examples of the soft synthetic resin that can be used include thermoplastic resins such as soft polyvinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, EVA resin, low-density polyethylene resin, and polyurethane resin, thermoplastic elastomers, and mixtures thereof, and thermosetting resins (rubbers) such as silicone rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR rubber). Although not essential, the soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11 preferably has a hardness of, for example, 40 to 90 degrees, more preferably 50 to 80 degrees, in Duro A hardness.

[0025] The hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcing body 17 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as hard polyvinyl chloride resin, polypropylene resin, high density polyethylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET resin), mixtures of these resins, and thermosetting resins such as hard rubber. Although not essential, the hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcing body 17 preferably has a hardness of, for example, 30 to 90 degrees, more preferably 40 to 80 degrees in Duro D hardness.

[0026] The flexible hose 10 may include other elements. For example, the flexible hose 10 may include a heat insulating layer or a protective cover layer on the outer periphery side of the hose wall 11. The flexible hose 10 may also include a heating wire, a signal wire, a sensor, and the like integrated with the outer periphery of the hose wall 11.

[0027] The flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment can be used as an air supply hose for a respirator in a medical setting, etc. A one-touch connecting member may be integrated at the end of the flexible hose 10 so that the hose can be easily attached to and detached from the respirator body or the patient's mask.

[0028] An example of a manufacturing method of the flexible hose 10 will be described. The flexible hose 10 can be manufactured by using a known hose manufacturing method. For example, soft polyvinyl chloride resin is extruded in a semi-molten state into a strip T1 having a cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 7, and the strip T1 is supplied to a known hose forming shaft capable of spiral feed motion while in a semi-molten state. On the hose forming shaft, the strip T1 is wound in a spiral shape, and both side edges T1A, T1B are overlapped and welded to form a cylindrical hose wall 11. Meanwhile, hard polyvinyl chloride resin is extruded in a semi-molten state into a string-like shape having a semi-cylindrical cross-sectional shape, and is supplied to the thick-walled portion of the outer periphery of the hose wall 11 being formed on the hose forming shaft. Then, the string of hard polyvinyl chloride resin is wound in a spiral shape to become a reinforcing body 17, which is welded and joined to the outer periphery of the hose wall 11. Thereafter, the molded hose wall 11 and reinforcing body 17 are cooled to fix their respective shapes, and the flexible hose 10 is manufactured.

[0029] The above manufacturing method can be modified as appropriate according to the materials or ingredients constituting the hose wall 11 and the reinforcing body 17, or whether the joints of the hose wall and the reinforcing body are welded or glued. If the flexible hose 10 has other elements, the other elements may be integrated on the hose forming shaft, or the other elements may be added in a separate process after the process using the hose forming shaft is completed.

[0030] The action and effect of the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment will be described. According to the flexible hose 10, the hose wall 11 is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis m, and in the section between the reinforcing bodies 17, 17, the central part of the hose wall 11 is made into a thin-walled part 13, and the other parts of the hose wall are made into thick-walled parts 12, 12, and the reinforcing body 17 is joined to the thick-walled part 12, and a protruding part 14 that protrudes toward the outside of the hose beyond the thick-walled part 12 is formed in the part where the thin-walled part 13 and the thick-walled parts 12, 12 are connected, so that when the flexible hose is contracted or bent, the hose wall 11 can be prevented from entering the inside of the hose.

[0031] In a conventional flexible hose such as that exemplified in Patent Document 1, when the hose is bent, the hose wall tends to intrude into the inside of the hose at the inside of the bend. That is, as shown in Fig. 8, when the hose is bent, the reinforcing body and the hose wall are simultaneously subjected to rotational deformation and contraction deformation at the inside of the bend, but in a conventional flexible hose, when bending deformation is applied, the hose wall deforms so that it bends overall toward the inside of the hose, and when further contraction deformation (indicated by the white arrow in the figure) is applied, the hose wall tends to deform so that it is pushed out into the inside of the hose.

[0032] On the other hand, in the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, even if the hose is bent, the hose wall is less likely to slip inward at the inside of the bend. That is, as shown in Fig. 3, when the flexible hose 10 is bent, the reinforcing member 17 and the hose wall 11 are simultaneously subjected to rotational deformation and contraction deformation at the inside of the bend, but since the hose wall 11 is composed of the central thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portions 12, 12 on either side of it, the bending deformation is borne mainly by the thin-walled portion 13, and the thick-walled portions 12, 12 remain relatively straight.

[0033] When further shrinkage deformation (the white arrows in the figure) is applied in the state of Fig. 3, the ridge portions 14, 14 provided so as to protrude outward from the hose are in contact with each other and press against each other at the portion where the thin wall portion 13 and the thick wall portion 12 are connected. Since the ridge portions 14 are offset outward from the hose than the thick wall portions 12, when the ridge portions 14, 14 press against each other, a moment M (the arc-shaped white arrow in the figure) is generated that attempts to bend the thick wall portions 12, 12 outward from the hose. This moment M is generated, so that the thick wall portions 12, 12 are biased to face outward from the hose, so that when the flexible hose is bent, the hose wall 11 is suppressed from entering the inside of the hose.

[0034] Also, Fig. 4 shows the state of the hose wall when the flexible hose 10 undergoes shrinkage deformation. When the hose wall undergoes shrinkage deformation, since the hose wall 11 is composed of the central thin wall portion 13 and the thick wall portions 12, 12 on both sides thereof, the shrinkage deformation is borne solely by the thin wall portion 13, and the thick wall portions 12, 12 are maintained in a relatively straight state.

[0035] When further shrinkage deformation (the white arrows in the figure) is applied in the state of Fig. 4, the ridge portions 14, 14 provided so as to protrude outward from the hose contact each other and press against each other at the portion where the thin wall portion 13 and the thick wall portion 12 are connected. Since the ridge portions 14 are offset outward from the hose than the thick wall portions 12, when the ridge portions 14, 14 press against each other, the thick wall portions 12, 12 are suppressed from collapsing inward into the hose. This is because if the thick wall portion 12 tries to fall inward, the ridge portions will be pressed against each other more strongly, acting to prevent the inward collapse. Therefore, even when the flexible hose is subjected to shrinkage deformation, the hose wall 11 is suppressed from entering the inside of the hose.

[0036] Although not essential, when the paired ridge portions 14, 14 are provided symmetrically with the thin wall portion 13 therebetween as in the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, when the hose is deformed, the ridge portions 14, 14 come into contact with each other more reliably and effectively, and the hose wall 11 can be more effectively suppressed from entering the inside of the hose.

[0037] Although not essential, when the thin-walled portion 23 and the thick-walled portion 22 are connected via the protrusions 24 as in the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment (FIG. 5) described later, it is particularly possible to prevent the hose wall 21 from entering inside the hose. This is because, in the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment, the reaction force generated when the thin-walled portion 23 deforms acts on the outside of the hose relative to the thick-walled portions 22, 22, and the moment due to the reaction force also acts as a moment that urges the thick-walled portions 22, 22 towards the outside of the hose.

[0038] The invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be practiced with various modifications. Other embodiments of the invention will be described below, but in the following description, the differences from the above-mentioned embodiment will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of similar parts will be omitted. In addition, these embodiments can be practiced by combining parts with each other or by replacing parts.

[0039] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hose wall 21 of the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment. The relationship between the hose wall 21 and the reinforcing body 27 is the same as that of the flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment. Also, like the flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment, the hose wall 21 is composed of a thin portion 23 and thick portions 22, 22, and a protruding portion 24 that protrudes further toward the outside of the hose than the thick portion 22 is provided at the portion where the thin portion 23 and the thick portions 22, 22 are connected. In the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment, the thin-walled portion 23 and the thick-walled portions 22, 22 are connected via the protruding portions 24, 24.

[0040] That is, in the flexible hose 20, the thin-walled portion 23 is located radially outward of the thick-walled portion 22 and is connected to the protrusion portion 24. When the thin-walled portion 23 is provided at this position, the reaction force generated when the thin-walled portion 23 is subjected to shrinkage deformation acts as a moment that bends the thick-walled portions 22, 22 outward from the hose, thereby effectively preventing the hose wall 21 from entering the inside of the hose.

[0041] 6 is a cross-sectional view of a hose wall 31 of a flexible hose 30 of the third embodiment. The basic connection relationship of the reinforcing body 37, thin-walled portion 33, and thick-walled portions 32, 32 is similar to that of the flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment. The flexible hose 30 of the third embodiment differs in that the thickness of the thick-walled portions 32, 32 varies along the hose longitudinal direction. In the hose wall 31 of the flexible hose 30 of the third embodiment, the thickness of the thick-walled portion 32 increases from the side of the reinforcing body 37 toward the side of the thin-walled portion 33. Even in this embodiment, like the flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment, when the flexible hose 30 is contracted or bent, the hose wall 31 can be prevented from entering the inside of the hose.

[0042] In the description of the above embodiment, a flexible hose that can be used as an air supply hose for a respirator has been described as an example, but the flexible hose of the above embodiment can also be applied to technical fields other than those exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, the flexible hose can be widely used as a hose for transporting liquids or gases, such as a water supply hose, a drain hose, a hose for transporting beverages or liquid foods, an air supply hose, an air guide hose, an air supply hose, an exhaust hose, etc. In this case, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. can be appropriately changed according to the characteristics required of the hose in each field. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] The flexible hose of the above embodiment can be used as a hose for a respiratory apparatus, and has high industrial applicability since a reduction in the cross-sectional area of ​​the hose flow passage can be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Flexible hose 11 Hose Wall 12 Thick wall part 13 Thin section 14 Projection part 17 Reinforcement T1 Strip T1A, T1B side edge

Claims

1. A flexible hose having a hose wall and a reinforcing body joined to an outer circumferential side of the hose wall, The hose wall is formed into a cylindrical shape by spirally winding a flexible strip made of soft synthetic resin having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and joining side edges of adjacent flexible strips, The reinforcing member is formed by extruding a hard synthetic resin into a predetermined cross-sectional shape and winding it in a spiral shape around the outer periphery of the hose wall. The hose wall is formed substantially parallel to the central axis of the hose, In the section between the reinforcing bodies, the central part of the hose wall is a thin-walled part, and the other part of the hose wall is a thick-walled part, and the reinforcing body is joined to the thick-walled part, At the part where the thin-walled section and the thick-walled section are connected, a protrusion is formed that protrudes further toward the outside of the hose than the thick-walled section. Flexible hose.

2. A pair of protrusions are provided symmetrically on either side of the thin-walled portion.

2. The flexible hose of claim 1.

3. The thin and thick sections are connected via protrusions. The flexible hose according to claim 1 or 2.

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