Pipe material insulator

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of manufacturing an insulator having a desired shape by an easy processing step and at a low production cost.SOLUTION: At least a part of a pair of half-split pipes opposite with a pipe material in between is composed of a pair of tentative fastening components each of which is provided with a mutual engaging part and a first connection part respectively. The mutual engaging parts of the pair of tentative fastening components respectively are configured to achieve a tentative fastening state that a mutual positional relation between the pair of tentative fastening components is fixed by mutually engagement without using separate fixtures for fixing the mutual positional relation of the pair of tentative fastening components. The first connection parts of the pair of tentative fastening components are configured to mutually adhere in a tentative fastening state. The pair of tentative fastening components are configured to achieve a real fastening state being a staTe that the mutual positional relation is finally fixed by mutual connection of the first connection parts adhering to each other in the tentative fastening state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insulator for a pipe material. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in order to reduce the radiation of heat and / or sound from a pipe through which a high-temperature fluid flows to the outside, a covering member that extends along the axial direction of the pipe and covers the outer peripheral surface of the pipe at a fixed distance from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe is known as an insulator. Such an insulator is generally formed by press-forming (drawing) a metal plate. The gap between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe and the insulator can function as a heat insulating layer and / or a sound insulating layer formed by an air layer. Furthermore, in some cases, an insulating material such as glass wool is filled in the gap (sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe and the covering member) for the purpose of improving the insulating properties of the insulator and / or reducing the vibration of the covering member. Such a covering-type insulator is generally referred to as a "heat insulator."

[0003] Furthermore, the covering member can not only reduce the radiation of heat and / or sound from the pipe to the outside, but also function as a protective member that prevents damage and / or dirt to the pipe and / or insulation. Such insulators are particularly widely used in automobile exhaust pipes, and the covering member can reduce problems such as damage to the pipe and / or insulation caused by flying stones and / or dirt on the pipe and / or insulation caused by stones being kicked up from the road surface.

[0004] Many automotive exhaust pipes have a three-dimensional shape extending over a relatively long distance (e.g., several tens of centimeters to several meters) along the axial direction (extension direction) of the exhaust pipe. Typically, the insulator extends along the axial direction of the exhaust pipe, and the cross section of the insulator (a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the pipe) is circular or elliptical. An insulator having such a configuration is formed by arranging the open sides of a pair of "pipe halves" divided in half by a plane including the axis (pipe axis) of the pipe material so that the open sides face each other, and fastening connecting portions extending radially outward at both ends of the pair of pipe halves together. In this state, the connecting portions are fixed to cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap between them (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The connecting portions may be integrally formed with the pipe halves, or may be formed separately from the pipe halves and attached to the pipe halves via a stay or the like.

[0005] When assembling an insulator to a pipe material, a pair of pipe halves with their openings facing each other are set in a predetermined jig, and their joints are fixed to each other by means of welding, crimping, screwing, or other means. In this process, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of Patent Document 1, the pipe halves, which are long members formed from thin plates with low rigidity, must be held in place. Therefore, a holding jig (e.g., a base) corresponding to the shape of each pipe halve is provided for each pipe halve. As a result, the cost of manufacturing the holding jigs and the space required for storing and installing the holding jigs are high. Furthermore, the need to change the holding jigs every time the insulators to be assembled is changed makes the process complicated. This problem is particularly pronounced in small-lot, high-mix production, where a huge number and variety of holding jigs are required overall.

[0006] Furthermore, each pipe half is typically formed by press-forming (drawing) a metal plate, which requires a large, expensive press die for each pipe half. Therefore, in order to reduce the cost of the press die, the pipe half may be divided into multiple short parts along the pipe axis and these parts may be combined to form the pipe half. In this case, small press dies can be used to form each part instead of a large press die to form the pipe half itself, which reduces the cost of the press die, but the number of holding jigs required to hold the individual parts increases. This increases the overall cost and is not economical.

[0007] As described above, there is a need in the art for a technique that can manufacture an insulator having a desired shape with an easy assembly process and low production costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6744340 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] As previously mentioned, there is a need in the art for a technique that can produce insulators having desired shapes with an easy assembly process and low production costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Therefore, as a result of extensive research, the inventors have discovered that the above problem can be solved by configuring the cover portion that constitutes the insulator for the pipe material with a pair of temporary fastening parts that have interlocking portions that are configured to fix the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts by interlocking at least a portion of a pair of half-split pipes that face each other with the pipe material sandwiched between them without using a separate jig.

[0011] Specifically, the insulator for a pipe material according to the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "insulator of the present invention") is an insulator for a pipe material comprising a cover portion and a fixing portion. The cover portion is a portion that extends along the pipe axis direction, which is the axial direction of the pipe material, and covers the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap therebetween, and is composed of one or more pairs of half pipes that face each other with their opening sides facing each other, sandwiching the pipe material therebetween. The fixing portion is a portion that fixes the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material.

[0012] In the insulator of the present invention, at least a portion of the pair of opposing half pipes sandwiching the pipe material therebetween is formed by a pair of temporary fastening parts, each of which has an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion. The interlocking portions of each of the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to engage with each other to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are fixed, without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts. Furthermore, the first connecting portions of each of the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. Additionally, the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to achieve a final fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are finally fixed by fixing the first connecting portions that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, in the insulator of the present invention, a portion of a pair of half pipes facing each other with a pipe material sandwiched therebetween is formed by a pair of temporary fastening parts, each of which has an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion. The interlocking portions are configured to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are fixed by engaging with each other without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts. Furthermore, the first connecting portions are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. Additionally, the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to achieve a final fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are finally fixed by fixing the first connecting portions that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state.

[0014] Therefore, according to the insulator of the present invention, when a cover part is formed using one or more pairs of split pipe halves so as to extend along the axial direction of the pipe material and cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material at a fixed distance from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material, a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are fixed can be easily achieved without the need for separate jigs such as holding jigs corresponding to the arrangement of each of the split pipe halves.As a result, according to the insulator of the present invention, an insulator having a desired shape can be manufactured through a simple assembly process and at low production cost.

[0015] Other objects, other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present invention which will be given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of an insulator (first insulator) of a pipe according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the tube axis, showing several examples of overlapping of the tip portions of the end portions in the circumferential direction of a pair of half-split tubes whose open sides face each other with a tube material sandwiched between them. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic perspective view showing how the ends of half pipes constituting the cover portion of the first insulator are fixed in a mutually overlapping state. FIG. [Figure 11] This is a schematic oblique view illustrating the difference in the position of the axial joint between half pipes facing each other with a pipe material in between when the axial lengths of the half pipes are equal and when they are different.

[0017] [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are schematic perspective views showing an example of states before and after interlocking portions of temporary fastening components that constitute a cover portion provided in a first insulator are engaged with each other. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a temporary fastening part included in a half pipe that constitutes a cover portion provided in a first insulator. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the state of the temporary fastening parts that constitute the cover portion of the first insulator before and after the interlocking portions of the temporary fastening parts engage with each other. FIG. [Figure 15] 15 is a schematic perspective view showing details of the configuration of an interlocking portion provided in the temporary fastening component illustrated in FIG. 14. FIG. [Figure 16]10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the stay provided in the temporary fastening component that constitutes the cover portion provided in the first insulator. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the stay provided in the temporary fastening component that constitutes the cover portion provided in the first insulator. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing an example of the configuration of a bracket as a fixing portion provided in an insulator (second insulator) of a pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] First Embodiment Hereinafter, an insulator for a pipe material according to a first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "first insulator") will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] <composition> The first insulator is an insulator for a pipe material, including a cover part and a fixing part. The pipe material to which the first insulator is applied is not particularly limited as long as it is a pipe material in which radiation of heat and / or sound to the outside should be reduced. Typically, such a pipe material is a pipe material through which a high-temperature fluid flows. Specifically, the pipe material to which the first insulator is applied is, for example, an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, particularly an exhaust pipe of an automobile.

[0020] The cover portion is a portion that extends along the pipe axis direction, which is the axial direction of the pipe material, and covers the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap therebetween. The configuration (material and structure) of the cover portion is not particularly limited, except for the configuration requirements described below, as long as it can extend along the pipe axis direction, which is the axial direction of the pipe material, and cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap therebetween, and can withstand the usage environment of the first insulator. Specific examples of such materials include metals such as stainless steel, copper, and aluminum, as well as alloys containing these metals.

[0021] The area of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe that is covered by the cover is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of reducing the radiation of heat and / or sound from the pipe to the outside, as large an area as possible should be covered. For example, if flanges for connecting the pipe to other components are formed on both ends of the pipe, it is preferable that all or most of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe from one flange to the other flange be covered by the cover.

[0022] The fixing portion is a portion that fixes the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material. The configuration (material and structure) of the fixing portion is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of fixing the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material and is able to withstand the environment in which the first insulator is used. Specific examples of such materials include metals such as stainless steel, copper, and aluminum, as well as alloys containing these metals. The specific structure of the fixing portion will be described in detail later in the description of other embodiments.

[0023] In the first insulator, the cover portion is composed of one or more pairs of split pipe halves facing each other with their open sides facing each other across the pipe material. For example, if the pipe axis of the portion of the pipe material covered by the cover portion is straight or curved two-dimensionally (if the portion is curved but exists within a single plane), the cover portion can be composed of a pair of split pipe halves having a shape obtained by dividing the cover portion that covers the entire portion along a plane containing the pipe axis of the portion. Alternatively, even in this case, as described above, the split pipe halves can be divided into short parts along the pipe axis direction and these parts can be combined to form the split pipe halves. That is, for example, if the pipe axis of the portion of the pipe material covered by the cover portion is straight or curved two-dimensionally, the cover portion that covers the portion of the pipe material can be composed of one or more pairs of split pipe halves facing each other with their open sides facing each other across the pipe material.

[0024] On the other hand, for example, if the tube axis of the portion of the pipe material covered by the cover portion is curved in three dimensions (for example, if the tube axis includes portions that are geometrically twisted relative to each other), it is difficult or impossible to construct a cover portion that covers the entire portion from a pair of split pipe halves. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to divide the portion of the pipe material to be covered by the cover portion into multiple small portions formed by dividing the portion into portions with straight tube axes and / or portions with two-dimensionally curved tube axes, and to construct a cover portion that covers the small portions of the pipe material using multiple pairs of split pipe halves obtained by dividing the cover portion corresponding to each small portion along a plane containing the tube axis of each small portion. In either case, it is possible to assemble a first insulator equipped with a cover portion that fits the shape of the desired pipe material.

[0025] The first insulator may be assembled directly from the individual pipe halves that make up the cover and the components that make up the fixing part. Alternatively, as will be described in detail later, subassemblies, which are intermediate members manufactured in a stage prior to assembling the first insulator, may be manufactured in advance from some of the pipe halves that make up the cover and the components that make up the fixing part, and the first insulator may be assembled by attaching these subassemblies to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material.

[0026] However, as described above, when assembling an insulator made of one or more pairs of conventional pipe halves to a pipe material, the pair of pipe halves, with their openings facing each other, must be held in place by a holding jig, and their joints must be fastened together by welding, crimping, screwing, or other means. That is, a holding jig tailored to the shape of each pipe half is required for each pipe half. As a result, the cost of manufacturing the holding jig and the space required to store and install the holding jig are high. Furthermore, the need to change the holding jig each time the insulator is changed makes the assembly process complicated. This problem is particularly pronounced in small-lot, high-mix production, where a vast number of holding jigs are required overall.

[0027] Therefore, in the first insulator, at least a portion of a pair of opposing half pipes sandwiching a pipe material therebetween is formed by a pair of temporary fastening parts, each of which has an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion. The interlocking portions of each of the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to engage with each other to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts is fixed, without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts. Furthermore, the first connecting portions of each of the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. Additionally, the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to achieve a final fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts is finally fixed by fixing the first connecting portions that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state.

[0028] From the viewpoint of enhancing the effects achieved by the present invention, it is preferable that the entire cover be composed only of temporary fastening components that are split pipe halves each having an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion. However, as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, it is not excluded that some of the members that make up the cover may include components other than temporary fastening components, such as split pipe halves according to the prior art.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of a first insulator. In FIG. 1, the first insulator 101a is drawn with a solid line, and the pipe material 200 to which the first insulator 101a is applied is drawn with a dashed line. The first insulator 101a shown in FIG. 1 includes a cover portion 110 and a fixing portion 120. The cover portion 110 extends along the pipe axis direction, which is the axial direction of the pipe material 200, and covers the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200 with a certain gap (for example, several mm) between it and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200. The fixing portion 120 fixes the cover portion 110 to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the cover portion 110 is composed of a pair of split pipe halves 111 facing each other with their open sides facing each other across the pipe material 200. Note that FIG. 1 is a plan view observed from the normal direction of a plane parallel to the drawing that includes the pipe axis of the pipe material 200. The pair of split pipe halves 111 have a shape obtained by dividing the cover portion 110 along the plane. Therefore, only one of the pair of split pipe halves 111 (the one on the near side) is depicted in FIG. 1 . The inner diameter of the cover portion 110 formed by the pair of split pipe halves 111 is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe material 200 by a dimension corresponding to the aforementioned "constant spacing." Furthermore, in the first insulator 101a, the pair of split pipe halves 111 constituting the cover portion 110 each have an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion in the areas surrounded by thick dashed lines in the figure. In other words, the pair of split pipe halves 111 included in the first insulator 101a also serve as a pair of temporary fastening components 112. The configurations of the interlocking portion and the first connecting portion will be described in detail later.

[0031] As described above, the cover portion 110 constituting the first new type reactor 101a illustrated in Fig. 1 is composed of a pair of split pipe halves 111 that face each other with their opening sides facing each other and sandwiching the pipe material 200 therebetween. However, as described above, the cover portion 110 may be composed of multiple pairs of split pipe halves that face each other with their opening sides facing each other and sandwiching the pipe material 200 therebetween.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. In FIG. 2, the first insulator 101b is also depicted by a solid line, and the pipe material 200 to which the first insulator 101b is applied is depicted by a dashed line. In the first insulator 101b illustrated in FIG. 2, the cover portion 110 is composed of two pairs of split pipe halves 111 that face each other with their open sides facing each other, sandwiching the pipe material 200 therebetween. Similarly to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is also a plan view observed from the normal direction of a plane parallel to the drawing that includes the pipe axis of the pipe material 200, and the pair of split pipe halves 111 have a shape obtained by dividing the cover portion 110 by the plane. Therefore, in FIG. 2, as in FIG. 1, only one (near side) of the two pairs of split pipe halves 111 is depicted. Furthermore, in the first insulator 101b, the two pairs of split pipe halves 111 constituting the cover part 110 each have an interlocking part and a first connecting part in the area surrounded by the thick dashed line in the figure. That is, the two pairs of split pipe halves 111 included in the first insulator 101b also serve as two pairs of temporary fastening parts 112.

[0033] 1 and 2, all pairs of pipe halves 111 constituting the cover portion 110 are also pairs of temporary fastening parts 112. However, it is not necessary that all pairs of pipe halves 111 constituting the cover portion 110 are pairs of temporary fastening parts 112, and only some of the multiple pairs of pipe halves 111 constituting the cover portion 110 may be pairs of temporary fastening parts 112.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. In the first insulator 101c shown in Fig. 3, the cover portion 110 is formed of five pairs of split pipe halves 111 that face each other with their open sides facing each other and sandwiching the pipe material 200 therebetween. Of these five pairs of split pipe halves 111, three pairs are pairs of split pipe halves 111 that do not have an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion, and the remaining two pairs are pairs of temporary fastening parts 112 that have an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion.

[0035] As mentioned above, for example, in order to reduce the cost of press molds, a half-split pipe may be divided into multiple short parts along the pipe axis direction, and these parts may be combined to form a half-split pipe.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the first insulator. In the first insulator 101d shown in FIG. 4, the half pipe 111 constituting the cover portion 110 included in the first insulator 101c shown in FIG. 3 is divided into multiple short parts along the pipe axis direction, and the half pipe 111 is configured by combining these parts. Alternatively, each of the above parts can be considered as a "short half pipe 111." In this case, the cover portion 110 included in the first insulator 101d shown in FIG. 4 can be considered to be configured by nine pairs of half pipes 111 and two pairs of temporary fastening parts 112.

[0037] However, as mentioned above, for example, when the tube axis of the portion of the pipe material covered by the cover portion is curved three-dimensionally (for example, when the tube axis includes portions that are geometrically twisted relative to each other), it is difficult or impossible to construct a cover portion that covers the entire portion from a pair of split pipe halves. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to divide the portion of the pipe material to be covered by the cover portion into a plurality of small portions formed by dividing the portion into portions whose tube axis is straight and / or portions whose tube axis is curved two-dimensionally, and to construct a cover portion that covers the small portions of the pipe material from multiple pairs of split pipe halves obtained by dividing the cover portion corresponding to each small portion by a plane that includes the tube axis of each small portion.

[0038] The first insulator 101e illustrated in Fig. 5 has a twisted structure at a seam (see the black arrow) between a central straight section and an adjacent bent section above the straight section, such that the portion beyond the seam extends beyond the plane of the drawing. In other words, the first insulator 101e has a structure in which a portion above the seam, extending beyond the plane of the drawing, is added to the first insulator 101a illustrated in Fig. 1. In other words, the portion above and below the seam does not lie on the same plane.

[0039] In the insulator 101e having a three-dimensional shape as described above, the portion of the pipe material 200 covered by the cover portion 110 is divided into a small portion below the joint and a small portion above the joint that are covered by a portion corresponding to the first insulator 101a illustrated in Fig. 1, and the cover portions corresponding to each small portion are divided along a plane including the pipe axis of each small portion to obtain two pairs of half pipes 111, thereby forming the cover portion 110 that covers both small portions of the pipe material 200. In this way, the first insulator 101e can also be applied to a pipe material 200 whose pipe axis is bent three-dimensionally.

[0040] The first insulator 101f illustrated in Fig. 6 has a structure in which a portion extending toward the front of the paper surface of the drawing, which is located above the above-mentioned seam (see the black arrow) in the drawing, is joined to the first insulator 101b illustrated in Fig. 2. Furthermore, in the first insulator 101f, the portion above the seam also has a cover portion 110 formed by two pairs of split pipe halves 111 that face each other with their open sides facing each other with the pipe material 200 sandwiched therebetween, just like the portion below the seam. That is, the cover portion 110 of the first insulator 101f as a whole is formed by four pairs of split pipe halves 111.

[0041] The first insulator 101g illustrated in Fig. 7 has a structure in which a portion extending toward the front of the paper surface of the drawing, which is located above the above-mentioned seam (see the black arrow) in the drawing, is joined to the first insulator 101c illustrated in Fig. 3. Furthermore, in the first insulator 101g, the portion above the seam, like the portion below the seam, also has a cover portion 110 formed of five pairs of split pipe halves 111 that face each other with their open sides facing each other and sandwiching the pipe material 200 therebetween. Of these five pairs of split pipe halves 111, three pairs are pairs of split pipe halves 111 that do not have an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion, and the remaining two pairs are pairs of temporary fastening parts 112 that have an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion.

[0042] The first insulator 101h illustrated in Fig. 8 has a structure in which a portion extending toward the front of the paper surface of the drawing, which is located above the above-mentioned seam (see the black arrow) in the drawing, is added to the first insulator 101d illustrated in Fig. 4. Furthermore, in the first insulator 101h, the portion above the seam is also, like the portion below the seam, in which the split pipe half 111 constituting the cover part 110 covering that portion is divided into a plurality of short parts along the pipe axis direction, and the split pipe half 111 is configured by combining these parts.

[0043] As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the first insulator allows easy assembly of cover portions that fit pipes having a wide variety of pipe axis shapes.

[0044] In order to assemble a cylindrical cover by fixing a pair of pipe halves together with their open sides facing each other, it is common to fix the pair of pipe halves together by overlapping their circumferential ends with each other, for example, by welding. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the pipe axis, showing several examples of overlapping of the tip portions of the circumferential ends of a pair of pipe halves with their open sides facing each other across a pipe material.

[0045] In Figure 9(a), the pipe walls of the pipe halves are formed longer than half the circumference by an overlapping margin, and one pipe half is fitted inside the other pipe half so that the tips of the circumferential ends of the two pipe halves overlap each other. In Figure 9(b), similar to Figure 9(a), the pipe walls of the pipe halves are formed longer than half the circumference by an overlapping margin, and the tips of the circumferential ends of one pipe half and the other pipe half are overlapped at positions slightly offset in the radial direction. In Figures 9(c) and 9(d), the same as Figures 9(a) and 9(b), respectively, except that the overlapping portion is flat rather than curved. In Figure 9(e), a large-diameter portion is formed at one circumferential end, and the large-diameter portion of one pipe half is arranged to overlap the end of the other pipe half opposite the large-diameter portion. In (f), the overlapping portion is a flat surface rather than a curved surface, which is the same as (e) described above. As such, there are many variations in the overlapping manner of the ends of the split pipe halves. However, the above-described manner described with reference to Figure 9 is merely an example, and the overlapping manner of the ends of the split pipe halves is not limited to the above.

[0046] Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing how the ends of the pipe halves constituting the cover portion of the first insulator are fixed together in an overlapping state. However, in the first insulator 101i shown in Fig. 10, the cover portion is formed by the pipe halves 111 divided into multiple short parts along the pipe axis direction and the temporary fastening components 112, as described above. Fig. 10(a) is a schematic perspective view showing the entire first insulator 101i, and Fig. 10(b) is an enlarged view of the part surrounded by the thick dashed line in Fig. 10(a). As shown in Fig. 10(b), in the first insulator 101i, the ends of the pipe halves 111 (constituting the parts) and the temporary fastening components 112 constituting the cover portion in the pipe axis direction and the circumferential direction are fixed together by welding in an overlapping state (see the black circles in the figure).

[0047] As described above, the first insulator allows the circumferential ends of the half-split pipes facing each other with the pipe material sandwiched therebetween and the axial ends of the half-split pipes adjacent to each other along the pipe axis to be fixed in an overlapping state, thereby making it possible to easily adapt the cover portion to a wide variety of pipe materials.

[0048] In the first insulators 101a to 101i illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10, the axial lengths of the pipe halves 111 or the parts constituting the pipe halves 111 facing each other across the pipe material 200 are equal. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 11(a), the seams between all adjacent pipe halves along the pipe axis are continuous around the entire circumference. However, the axial lengths of the pipe halves or the parts constituting the pipe halves facing each other across the pipe material do not necessarily have to be equal. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 11(b), the axial positions of the seams between adjacent pipe halves or the parts constituting the pipe halves facing each other across the pipe material may be different between the pipe halves or the parts constituting the pipe halves facing each other across the pipe material. Note that while FIG. 11 illustrates a straight cover portion for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the above content, the same applies to a cover portion having a curved portion.

[0049] Next, the temporary fastening components having interlocking portions and first connecting portions will be described in detail below. In the first insulators 101a to 101h illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, the above-described interlocking portions and first connecting portions are provided in the areas surrounded by thick dashed lines. The half pipe 111 having the interlocking portions and first connecting portions in this manner also serves as the temporary fastening components 112. The number and arrangement of the interlocking portions and first connecting portions provided in the temporary fastening components 112 can be determined appropriately depending on, for example, the shape of the temporary fastening components 112. Typically, in each of the pair of temporary fastening components 112, the interlocking portions and the first connecting portions are arranged at positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to the pipe axis (i.e., at both ends in the circumferential direction).

[0050] As described above, the interlocking portions of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 are configured to interlock with each other to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 is fixed, without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112. Note that the term "locking" in this specification is not limited to a specific form and encompasses various forms in which the relative positional relationship of the two members is fixed, such as a form in which convex portions (e.g., projections or ridges) formed on both members abut against each other to fix the relative positional relationship of the two members, and a form in which a convex portion (e.g., a claw, projection or ridge) formed on one member fits into a concave portion (e.g., a hole, depression or groove) formed on the other member to fix the relative positional relationship of the two members.

[0051] Furthermore, the first connection parts of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. In addition, the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 are configured to achieve a permanent fastening state in which the mutually opposing first connection parts are fixed to each other by means of, for example, welding in the temporary fastening state.

[0052] Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a state before and after interlocking portions of temporary fastening components constituting a cover portion provided in a first insulator engage with each other. Fig. 12(a) is a schematic perspective view showing a state before the interlocking portions engage with each other, and Fig. 12(b) is a partial schematic perspective view showing a state after the interlocking portions engage with each other. Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing an example of the configuration of temporary fastening components included in the cover portion provided in a first insulator. (a) of Figure 13 shows the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 shown in (a) of Figure 12, where the temporary fastening parts 112 are located on the upper side (positive side in the z-axis direction) of the drawing, when observed from the negative side to the positive side of the y-axis shown in (a) of Figure 12; (b) of Figure 13 shows the temporary fastening parts 112 when observed from the positive side to the negative side of the z-axis shown in (a) of Figure 12; (c) of Figure 13 shows the temporary fastening parts 112 when observed from the positive side to the negative side of the y-axis shown in (a) of Figure 12; and (d) of Figure 13 shows the temporary fastening parts 112 when observed from the positive side to the negative side of the x-axis shown in (a) of Figure 12.

[0053] 12 and 13, recesses 112d are formed on both circumferential ends of a pair of temporary fastening components 112, and stays 112s are fixed to the recesses 112d from the inside by, for example, spot welding, arc welding, or the like. First connecting portions F1, which are portions extending radially outward, are formed on the ends of the stays 112s on both circumferential ends of the temporary fastening components 112, and one first connecting portion F1 is formed with a claw as a locking protrusion 112es, and the other first connecting portion F1 is formed with a hole as a locking recess 112er.

[0054] As described above, the stay 112s having the first connection portion F1 on which the locking protrusion 112es is formed and the stay 112s having the first connection portion F1 on which the locking recess 112er is formed are preferably made of an elastically deformable material (for example, a thin steel plate, etc.). As a result, in the process of bringing the first connection portion F1 on which the locking protrusion 112es is formed and the first connection portion F1 on which the locking recess 112er is formed of a pair of temporary fastening parts 112, whose open sides face each other with a pipe material (not shown) sandwiched therebetween, closer to each other as illustrated in Fig. 12(a), the locking protrusion 112es and the locking recess 112er elastically deform with each other, so that the first connection portions F1 can be brought closer to a position where they abut against each other.

[0055] At this time, the locking protrusion 112es (as a claw) formed on one first connection portion F1 reaches the locking recess 112er (as a hole) formed on the other first connection portion F1, and the locking protrusion 112es (as a claw) enters the locking recess 112er (as a hole), and they are locked together. In this way, by locking the locking protrusion 112es (as a claw) and the locking recess 112er (as a hole) together, it is possible to easily achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 is fixed, without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112. In other words, the interlocking portion 112e is formed by the locking protrusion 112es and the locking recess 112er.

[0056] Furthermore, the first connection portions F1 of the pair of temporary fastening components 112 are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state achieved as described above. Therefore, by fixing the first connection portions F1 that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state to each other by a technique such as spot welding or arc welding, a final fastening state can be achieved in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening components are finally fixed. As a result, the relative positions of the other split pipe halves 111 connected to the pair of temporary fastening components 112 are also fixed.

[0057] 12 and 13, the interlocking portions 112e are formed by the claws serving as the locking projections 112es and the holes serving as the locking recesses 112er. However, the interlocking portions provided on the first insulator are not particularly limited as long as they can achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are fixed by engaging them with each other without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts as described above. The portions indicated by the symbol "Wp" in FIGS. 12 and 13 are tip portions (circumferential overlapping portions) of the circumferential ends of the temporary fastening parts 112 that overlap when the opening sides of the pair of temporary fastening parts 112 are placed facing each other with a pipe material sandwiched therebetween, as described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0058] Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the state of temporary fastening parts constituting the cover portion of the first insulator before and after the interlocking portions of the temporary fastening parts engage with each other. Fig. 14(a) is a schematic perspective view showing the state before the interlocking portions engage with each other, and Fig. 14(b) is a partial and schematic perspective view showing the state after the interlocking portions engage with each other. Fig. 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the state of the interlocking portions of the temporary fastening parts illustrated in Fig. 14 before and after they engage with each other. Fig. 15(a) is a schematic perspective view showing the state before the interlocking portions engage with each other, and Fig. 15(b) is a partial and schematic perspective view showing the state after the interlocking portions engage with each other.

[0059] 14 and 15, similar to the pair of temporary fastening components 112 illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, recesses 113d are formed at both circumferential ends of the pair of temporary fastening components 113, and stays 113s are fixed to the recesses 113d from the inside by, for example, spot welding, arc welding, or the like. The ends of the stays 113s at both circumferential ends of the temporary fastening components 113 are formed with first connecting portions F1, which are portions extending radially outward. One first connecting portion F1 is formed with a locking waveform portion 113et, while the other first connecting portion F1 does not have such a shape (i.e., the other first connecting portion F1 is flat). The locking waveform portion 113et may be formed integrally with the first connecting portion F1, or a separate member on which the locking waveform portion 113et is formed may be fixed to the first connecting portion F1 by, for example, spot welding, or the like.

[0060] As described above, the stay 113s having the first connection portion F1 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first connection portion F1a") on which the locking waveform portion 113et is formed and the stay 113s having the first connection portion F1 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first connection portion F1b") on which the locking waveform portion 113et is not formed are preferably made of an elastically deformable material (e.g., a thin steel plate, etc.). As a result, in the process of bringing the first connection portion F1a and the first connection portion F1b of a pair of temporary fastening components 113, whose opening sides face each other with a pipe material (not shown) sandwiched therebetween, closer to each other as illustrated in Fig. 14(a), when both ends of the first connection portion F1b in the pipe axis direction (x-axis direction) abut against the insides of the pair of opposing locking waveform portions 113et formed on the first connection portion F1a, the pair of locking waveform portions 113et are elastically deformed in a direction in which they are pushed apart.

[0061] Subsequently, when the first connecting portion F1a and the first connecting portion F1b are brought closer together, the ends of the first connecting portion F1b reach the wide-spaced portions of the pair of locking waveform-shaped portions 113et formed on the first connecting portion F1a, and the pair of locking waveform-shaped portions 113et, which had been spread apart by elastic deformation, return to their original state, thereby locking the first connecting portion F1b with the pair of locking waveform-shaped portions 113et. Thus, the interlocking portion 113e illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 can easily achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening components 113 are fixed without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening components 113. That is, in this case, the interlocking portion 113e is formed by the pair of locking waveform-shaped portions 113et formed on the first connecting portion F1a and the first connecting portion F1b.

[0062] 14 and 15, the first connection portions F1 of the pair of temporary fastening parts 113 are also configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state achieved as described above. Therefore, similar to the temporary fastening parts 112 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first connection portions F1 that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state can be fixed to each other by, for example, spot welding or arc welding, thereby achieving a final fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are finally fixed. As a result, the relative positions of the other half pipes 111 connected to the pair of temporary fastening parts 113 are also fixed.

[0063] 12 to 14, the lengths of the temporary fastening parts 112 and 113 in the axial direction of the tube are depicted as being short, but as exemplified in, for example, Figures 2 and 6, the lengths of the temporary fastening parts in the axial direction of the tube are not limited to the lengths exemplified in Figures 12 to 14. Furthermore, as exemplified in, for example, Figures 1 and 5, a pair of temporary fastening parts may have multiple pairs of interlocking portions.

[0064] 12 to 15. The configuration of the interlocking portion of the first insulator is not limited to the configuration of the interlocking portions 112e and 113e illustrated in Fig. 12 to 15. That is, the configuration of the interlocking portion of the first insulator is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts is fixed by engaging the pair of temporary fastening parts with each other without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts, as described above. Furthermore, the pair of temporary fastening parts may be configured so that they engage with each other without being in close contact with or in contact with the pipe material, and so that they cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap between them by connecting with the adjacent pipe halves.

[0065] On the other hand, the interlocking portion of the first insulator may further include a first abutment portion that is a portion shaped along at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material. In this case, the pair of temporary fastening components can be configured so that, in the temporary fastening state and the final fastening state, the pipe material is sandwiched between the first abutment portions of the interlocking portions of the pair of temporary fastening components facing each other with the pipe material therebetween, thereby fixing the pair of temporary fastening components to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material. For example, in the pair of temporary fastening components 112 and 113 illustrated in FIGS. 12(a) and 14(a), respectively, the inner circumferential surfaces of the four stays 112s and 113s fixed inside the four recesses 112d and 113d, respectively, form first abutment portions C1 that are shaped along a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material. In the temporary fastening state and the final fastening state, the pipe material can be sandwiched between these four first abutment portions C1, thereby fixing the pair of temporary fastening components 112 and 113 to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material.

[0066] 12 and 13 and the pair of temporary fastening parts 113 illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, as described above, the stays 112s and 113s fixed to the recesses 112d and 113d formed at both ends in the circumferential direction, respectively, are provided with the interlocking portion 112e (a set of the interlocking protrusion 116es and the interlocking recess 116er that constitute the interlocking portion 113e (a set of a pair of opposing interlocking wave-shaped portions 113et formed in the first connecting portion F1a and the first connecting portion F1b that constitute the interlocking portion 113e), and the first connecting portion F1. However, the specific configurations of the interlocking portion and the first connecting portion are not limited to those described above, as long as it is possible to achieve the temporary fastening state and the final fastening state without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts. For example, the temporary fastening component may not have a recess formed therein, and a stay having an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion may be fixed directly to the temporary fastening component, or the interlocking portion and the first connecting portion may be formed integrally with the temporary fastening component.

[0067] Furthermore, in cases where a pair of temporary fastening components are provided with stays provided with an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion, the stays provided in each temporary fastening component may be a single member extending continuously from one end to the other in the circumferential direction, such as stay 114s provided in temporary fastening component 114 illustrated in Fig. 16. Furthermore, the stays provided in each temporary fastening component may be, for example, like stay 115s provided in temporary fastening component 115 illustrated in Fig. 17, extending continuously from one end to the other in the circumferential direction and having legs extending from a predetermined position between both ends in the circumferential direction toward the inner circumferential surface of the component with the stay (i.e., the stays may be fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the temporary fastening component at three or more points).

[0068] 16 and 17, the interlocking portions are omitted. As in Fig. 12 to Fig. 14 referred to in the description of the temporary fastening parts 112 and 113, the lengths of the temporary fastening parts 114 and 115 in the axial direction are depicted as short, but as illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6 referred to in the description of the first insulator, for example, the lengths of the temporary fastening parts in the axial direction are not limited to the lengths illustrated in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17. Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 referred to in the description of the first insulator, for example, a pair of temporary fastening parts may have multiple pairs of interlocking portions.

[0069] 16 and 17, (a) is a schematic perspective view of a pair of temporary fastening parts 114 and 115, (b) is a schematic diagram of the temporary fastening parts 114 and 115, (c) is a schematic plan view showing how the temporary fastening parts 114 and 115 are fixed to the pipe material 200 by stays 114s and 115s, and (d) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the plane indicated by lines AA and BB in (c). Note that (b) is a schematic diagram of the upper temporary fastening parts 114 and 115 of the pair of temporary fastening parts 114 and 115 shown in (a), and the upper diagram shows the case observed from the positive side to the negative side of the y axis shown in (a), the left diagram in the lower row shows the case observed from the negative side to the positive side of the z axis shown in (a), and the right diagram in the lower row shows the case observed from the positive side to the negative side of the x axis shown in (a).

[0070] <effect> As described above, in the first insulator, a portion of a pair of half pipes facing each other with a pipe material sandwiched therebetween is formed by a pair of temporary fastening parts, each of which has an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion. The interlocking portions are configured to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts is fixed by engaging with each other without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts. Furthermore, the first connecting portions are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. Additionally, the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to achieve a final fastening state in which the relative positional relationship of the pair of temporary fastening parts is finally fixed by fixing the first connecting portions that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state.

[0071] Therefore, with the first insulator, when a cover portion is formed using a plurality of pipe halves that extend along the axial direction of the pipe and cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe at a fixed distance from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe, a temporary fastening state in which the relative positions of the pair of temporary fastening parts 116 are fixed can be easily achieved without the need for separate jigs such as holding jigs corresponding to the arrangement of each pipe halve. As a result, with the first insulator, insulators that are compatible with pipes having a wide variety of shapes can be easily manufactured while reducing the risk of the manufacturing process becoming more complicated and / or the manufacturing costs increasing.

[0072] Second Embodiment An insulator for a pipe material according to a second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "second insulator") will be described below.

[0073] As described above, the insulator for a pipe material according to the present invention (insulator of the present invention), including the first insulator, includes a cover portion and a fixing portion, and the fixing portion is a portion that fixes the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material. The configuration (material and structure) of the fixing portion is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of fixing the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material and is capable of withstanding the usage environment of the first insulator. For example, from the viewpoint of reliably fixing the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material and reducing problems such as the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration of the cover portion, it is preferable that both ends of the cover portion be in surface contact with both the pipe material and the cover portion over as large an area as possible to fix them together.

[0074] <composition> Therefore, the second insulator is the above-mentioned first insulator, which is an insulator for a pipe material having a pair of brackets, which are a pair of half-pipe-shaped members, as fixing parts. The pair of brackets are a pair of half-pipe-shaped members fixed to the inside of the end part of each of the cover parts, which are a pair of half-pipe that respectively constitute both ends of the cover part, as in the fixing part 120 illustrated in Fig. 1. The brackets are fixed to the inner circumferential surfaces of the end parts by, for example, spot welding, arc welding, or the like.

[0075] The bracket has a second abutment portion shaped to fit the inner circumferential surface of the end piece, a third abutment portion shaped to fit the outer circumferential surface of the pipe, and a tapered portion connecting the second and third abutment portions. As described in the description of the first insulator, the inner diameter of the half pipe constituting the cover portion is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe by a dimension corresponding to the aforementioned "constant interval." Therefore, the diameter of the second abutment portion is larger than the diameter of the third abutment portion, and the diameter of the tapered portion decreases as it approaches the third abutment portion from the second abutment portion. This allows the bracket to make surface contact with both the pipe and the cover portion over a large area.

[0076] The bracket further has second connection portions that extend radially outward at least at both circumferential ends of the third abutment portion. The pair of brackets are configured to secure the end piece to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material by clamping the pipe material between the opposing third abutment portions with the pipe material sandwiched therebetween by fixing the opposing second connection portions to each other. Meanwhile, as described above, the second abutment portion of the bracket is fixed to the inside of the end portion of the cover portion on the end side of the end piece. Therefore, by fixing the opposing second connection portions to each other, the pair of brackets can secure the cover portion of the second insulator to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material. The opposing second connection portions can also be fixed to each other by techniques such as spot welding and arc welding.

[0077] The procedure for fastening the end piece to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe may include first fastening the opposing second connecting portions to each other with the pipe sandwiched between the opposing third abutments to fasten the pair of brackets to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe, and then fastening the second abutments to the inner peripheral surface of the end piece to fasten the end piece to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe. Alternatively, the opposite procedure may be used, where first the second abutments of the brackets are fastened to the inner peripheral surface of the end piece, and then fastening the opposing second connecting portions to each other with the pipe sandwiched between the opposing third abutments to fasten the pair of brackets to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe to fasten the end piece to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe.

[0078] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of brackets as fixing parts provided on the second insulator. Fig. 18(a) is a schematic perspective view of a pair of brackets (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "brackets 120") as fixing parts 120, and Fig. 18(b) is a schematic plan view showing how end pieces 116, which are half-split pipes that form the ends of the cover parts, are fixed to pipe material 200 by brackets 120. Also, Fig. 18(c) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the plane indicated by line CC in Fig. 18(b), and Fig. 18(d) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating how brackets provided on a second insulator according to a modified example are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of a pipe material. The configuration of the second insulator according to the modified example will be described later.

[0079] 18(a), the bracket 120 has a second contact portion C2 shaped to fit the inner circumferential surface of the end piece, which is a split pipe constituting both ends of the cover (not shown), a third contact portion C3 shaped to fit the outer circumferential surface of the pipe, a tapered portion T1 connecting the second contact portion C2 and the third contact portion C3, and a second connecting portion F2 extending radially outward from at least both circumferential ends of the third contact portion C3. The second connecting portion F2 of the bracket 120 illustrated in FIG. 18 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending radially outward from both circumferential ends of the third contact portion C3 and the tapered portion T1.

[0080] 18(b), the second abutment portions C2 of the pair of brackets 120 are welded and fixed to the inside of the end portions on the end side of the cover portions of the pair of end parts 116. Therefore, the second abutment portions C2 would not normally be visible in the plan view of (b), but the ends of the second abutment portions C2 are drawn with dotted lines to facilitate understanding of how the brackets 120 fix the end parts 116 to the pipe material 200. Furthermore, the pipe material 200 is drawn with dashed lines because it is not a component of the second insulator.

[0081] Then, as illustrated in (c) of Figure 18, by fixing the second connection portions F2 of a pair of opposing brackets 120 to each other, the pipe material 200 is clamped between the opposing third abutment portions C3 with the pipe material 200 sandwiched therebetween, and the pair of end parts 116 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200.

[0082] As shown in (d), in the second insulator according to the modified example, an elastically deformable member M1 is sandwiched between the third contact portions C3 that face each other with the pipe material 200 sandwiched therebetween and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200. This elastically deformable member M1 is not particularly limited as long as it can be sandwiched between the third contact portions C3 and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200 and be interposed therebetween by the restoring force accompanying elastic deformation, and can withstand the usage environment of the second insulator. A specific example of such an elastically deformable member is a metal mesh, such as a stainless steel mesh.

[0083] As described above, by sandwiching the elastically deformable member M1 between the third contact portions C3 that face each other with the pipe material 200 sandwiched therebetween and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material 200, the two can be reliably fixed together even when the gap between them is not strictly uniform due to, for example, shape errors of the third contact portions C3 and / or the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material 200. As a result, it is possible to reduce problems such as the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration of the cover portion.

[0084] Furthermore, for the purpose of more firmly fixing the cover part 110 to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200, the third contact part C3 of the bracket 120 may be welded to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200. However, in this case, if the third contact part C3 of the bracket 120, which is fixed to both end parts 116 arranged at both ends of the cover part 110, is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200, it may not be possible to absorb the thermal expansion of the cover part 110 that accompanies the temperature rise caused by the high-temperature fluid flowing inside the pipe material 200, which may lead to problems such as deformation and / or breakage and / or detachment of the bracket 120 and / or the end part 116.

[0085] Therefore, when welding the third abutment portion C3 of the bracket 120 to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200, it is preferable to weld only the third abutment portion C3 of the bracket 120 fixed to the end part 116 at either end of the cover part 110 to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200, rather than welding the third abutment portion C3 of the bracket 120 fixed to the end part 116 at either end of the cover part 110 to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200. In this way, the third abutment portion C3 of the bracket 120 that is not welded can slide to some extent in the pipe axis direction along the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material 200, so that thermal expansion of the cover part 110, etc. can be absorbed.

[0086] <effect> As described above, the second abutment portion, which is one end of the bracket serving as a fixing portion of the second insulator, is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the end piece, which is a split pipe disposed at each end of the cover, and the third abutment portion, which is the other end of the bracket, is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material. Because the second abutment portion and the third abutment portion have shapes that conform to the inner circumferential surface of the end piece and the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material, respectively, the bracket can make surface contact with both the cover portion and the pipe material over a large area to fix them together. As a result, for example, the cover portion can be reliably fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material, and problems such as abnormal noise caused by vibration of the cover portion can be reduced.

[0087] Furthermore, by fixing the second connection portions of the opposing brackets to each other, the brackets can be easily fixed to the outer surface of the pipe material, thereby improving work efficiency when attaching the second insulator to the pipe material.

[0088] For the purpose of explaining the present invention, several embodiments having specific configurations have been described above, sometimes with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these exemplary embodiments, and it goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the claims and the matters described in the specification.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above, the insulator for a pipe material according to the present invention (the insulator of the present invention) has been described, focusing mainly on the function of reducing the radiation of heat and / or sound from the pipe material to the outside and the function of preventing damage and / or dirt, etc., of the pipe material and / or the insulating material. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and can be widely applied to insulators in general that extend along the pipe axis direction and cover the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material with a certain gap therebetween. For example, the present invention is not limited to application to various piping installed in transportation machinery such as automobiles, trains, ships, and aircraft, but can also be suitably applied to a wide range of uses for pipe materials, including, for example, piping for construction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 101a~101i...Pipe insulators 110...Cover part 111...Half-split pipe 112, 113, 114, 115...Temporary fastening parts 112s, 113s, 114s, 115s...Stay 112d, 113d, 114d, 115d...recesses 112e, 113e...Mutual locking part 112es...Convex part 112er…recess 113et...Wave shaped part for locking 116...End parts 120...Fixed part (bracket) 200…Pipe material C1...first contact part, C2...second contact part F1...first connection part, F2...second connection part M1: Elastically deformable member (metal mesh) T1...Tapered section Wp...Overlap (circumferential direction)

Claims

1. An insulator for a pipe material, comprising: a cover portion that extends along a pipe axis direction that is an axial direction of the pipe material and covers the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material at a fixed interval from the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material; and a fixing portion that fixes the cover portion to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material, The cover portion is composed of one or more pairs of half pipes facing each other with the open sides facing each other and sandwiching the pipe material therebetween, At least a portion of the pair of half pipes facing each other with the pipe material therebetween is constituted by a pair of temporary fastening parts, each of which has an interlocking portion and a first connecting portion; the interlocking portions of the pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to interlock with each other to achieve a temporary fastening state in which the relative positional relationship between the pair of temporary fastening parts is fixed, without using a separate jig for fixing the relative positional relationship between the pair of temporary fastening parts; the first connection portions of the pair of temporary fastening components are configured to be in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state, The pair of temporary fastening components are configured to achieve a final fastening state in which their positional relationship is finally fixed by fixing the first connection portions that are in close contact with each other in the temporary fastening state. Pipe insulator.

2. 2. The insulator for a pipe material according to claim 1, The interlocking portion further includes a first abutment portion that is a portion having a shape that follows at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material, The pair of temporary fastening parts are configured to clamp the tubular material between the first abutment portions of the interlocking portions provided on each of the pair of temporary fastening parts facing each other with the tubular material sandwiched therebetween in the temporary fastening state and the final fastening state, thereby fixing the pair of temporary fastening parts to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular material. Pipe insulator.

3. An insulator for a pipe material according to claim 1 or claim 2, the fixing portion is a pair of brackets, which are a pair of split pipe-like members, fixed to the inside of the end portion of each of the pair of end parts, which are a pair of split pipes constituting both ends of the cover portion, The bracket has a second abutment portion that is a portion having a shape that follows the inner circumferential surface of the end piece, a third abutment portion that is a portion having a shape that follows the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material, a tapered portion that is a portion that connects the second abutment portion and the third abutment portion, and a second connection portion that is a portion that extends radially outward at least at both circumferential ends of the third abutment portion, The pair of brackets are configured such that the opposing second connection portions are fixed to each other, thereby sandwiching the pipe material between the opposing third abutment portions and fixing the end piece to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe material. Pipe insulator.

Images