Flexible hose

Abstract

To prevent a hose wall from entering the inside of a hose when the hose is contracted or bent.SOLUTION: The flexible hose 10 has a hose wall 11 and a reinforcing body 17 joined to the outer peripheral side of the hose wall. The hose wall 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape by spirally winding a flexible strip made of a soft synthetic resin having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and joining side edges of the flexible strips adjacent to each other. The reinforcement body 17 is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the hose wall 11. The hose wall 11 is formed substantially parallel to the hose center axis m. A projection part 14 projecting toward the inside of the hose more than the hose wall is formed in a central part of the hose wall 11 in a section between the reinforcing bodies 1717,. The hose wall 11 is curved toward the outside of the hose as it goes from the reinforcing body 17 toward the projecting part 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Flexible hoses, which have a reinforcing member spirally bonded to the periphery of the flexible hose wall, are used in a variety of applications, including as hoses for transporting gases, 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, and in which the outer surface of the reinforcing body is made of polyarylate resin. It is disclosed that this flexible hose improves the weather resistance of the reinforcing body, thereby improving the weather resistance of the resulting hose. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-72027 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 contraction or bending, the flexible hose wall is deformed into a pleated shape between the reinforcing members, resulting in the bending or contraction 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 effectively reduced.

[0006] A decrease in the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the hose increases the flow resistance of the hose, which is undesirable in applications where sufficient flow rate must be ensured with low resistance.

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

[0008] As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that if a protrusion that protrudes further inward than the hose wall is provided in the center of the hose wall in the section between the reinforcing bodies, and the hose wall is curved so that it moves toward the outside of the hose as it moves from the reinforcing body toward the protrusion, it is possible to prevent the hose wall from intruding into the inside of the hose, and completed the present invention.

[0009] The present invention is a flexible hose having a hose wall and a reinforcing member 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 a soft synthetic resin and having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and joining the side edges of adjacent flexible strips, the reinforcing member is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the hose wall, the hose wall is formed substantially parallel to the central axis of the hose, and a ridge portion is formed in the central portion of the hose wall in a section between the reinforcing members, protruding more inward than the hose wall, and the hose wall is curved so as to extend outward from the reinforcing member toward the ridge portion (first invention).

[0010] In the first aspect of the invention, preferably, a pair of protrusions is provided in the center of the hose wall in the section between the reinforcing members (a second aspect of the invention).Furthermore, in the second aspect of the invention, preferably, the hose wall is thin-walled between the pair of protrusions, and other parts of the hose wall are thick-walled, and the reinforcing members are joined to the thick-walled parts (a third aspect of the invention). [Effects 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 creeping into the inside of the hose.

[0012] Furthermore, the second aspect of the invention can further prevent the hose wall from creeping into the inside of the hose. Also, the third aspect of the invention can make the hose wall flexible and particularly prevent the hose wall from creeping into the inside of the hose. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flexible hose of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a hose wall of a flexible hose according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible strip that forms a hose wall of the flexible hose of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are schematic diagrams illustrating a part of the manufacturing process of the flexible hose of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing modified forms and functions of the flexible hose of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a hose wall of a flexible hose according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[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 can be practiced by modifying the form.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a flexible hose 10 of a 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 a single spiral, but the reinforcement 17 may be provided in two or more spirals. The reinforcement 17 is bonded to the outer periphery of the hose wall 11. The reinforcement 17 and the hose wall 11 may be bonded using an adhesive, may be bonded by welding, or may be mechanically bonded using a structure such as a locking, engaging, or embedding structure. The reinforcement 17 may be bonded 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 (FIG. 3) made of soft synthetic resin and having a predetermined cross-sectional shape, and joining the side edges T1A, T1B of adjacent flexible strips (FIG. 4). 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. 3. The side edges T1A, T1B of the strip may be joined by butting them together, or, as in this embodiment, by overlapping them. The side edges of the strip may be joined by adhesive 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 spirally winding it 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. There are no particular restrictions on the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member 17, but in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 17 is semi-cylindrical. 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. As shown in Fig. 1, the hose wall 11 is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis m. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged cross section of the hose wall 11.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, protrusions 14, 14 that protrude further inward than the hose wall 11 are formed in the central portion of the hose wall 11 in the section between the reinforcing members 17, 17. Here, the central portion refers to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the hose in the section between the reinforcing members 17, 17. Preferably, as in this embodiment, a pair of protrusions is provided in the central portion of the hose wall in the section between the reinforcing members 17, 17. In particular, in this embodiment, two protrusions 14, 14 are provided. However, there may be only one protrusion, as in the flexible hose of a second embodiment described below.

[0020] The hose wall 11 is curved so that it moves toward the outside of the hose (upward in FIG. 2 ) as it moves from the reinforcing body 17 toward the protrusions 14. The hose wall 11 (thick-walled portion 12, thin-walled portion 13) is curved while being approximately parallel to the hose central axis m, and the entire hose wall is not strictly parallel to the hose central axis m. Due to this curvature, the radius of the hose wall around the central axis m is larger at the portion adjacent to the protrusions 14 than at the portion adjacent to the reinforcing body 17, i.e., radius r2.

[0021] Preferably, as in the flexible hose 10 of this embodiment, in the section between adjacent reinforcing bodies 17, 17, the hose wall 11 has a thin-walled portion 13 between the pair of protrusions 14, 14, and the other portions of the hose wall have thick-walled portions 12, 12. In other words, the thin-walled portion 13 extends spirally so as to be sandwiched between the thick-walled portions 12, 12 and the protrusions 14, 14. The reinforcing body 17 is also joined to the thick-walled portions 12, 12.

[0022] Although not essential, the thickness of thin-walled portion 13 is preferably 1 / 10 to 2 / 3 of the thickness of thick-walled portion 12. It is particularly preferably 1 / 5 to 1 / 2. The thickness of thin-walled portion 13 and thick-walled portion 12 may be constant along the length of the hose, or may vary along the length.

[0023] The radial position 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 outer periphery of the thick-walled portion 12 so that the thin-walled portion 13 and the thick-walled portion 12 are smoothly connected on the outer periphery of the hose. If the thin-walled portion 13 is connected to the outer periphery of the hose, the hose wall is less likely to intrude into the inside of the hose when the hose contracts, which is preferable.

[0024] The terms "soft" and "hard" used for the soft synthetic resin that constitutes the hose wall 11 and the hard synthetic resin that constitutes the reinforcing member 17 refer to relative hardness. That is, the hard synthetic resin that constitutes the reinforcing member 17 is harder than the soft synthetic resin that constitutes the hose wall 11. Preferably, the combination of the soft synthetic resin that constitutes the hose wall 11 and the hard synthetic resin that constitutes the reinforcing member 17 is selected from synthetic resins that have good adhesiveness and weldability to each other.

[0025] The soft synthetic resin constituting the hose wall 11 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof 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, as well as 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.

[0026] The hard synthetic resin constituting the reinforcing body 17 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as hard vinyl chloride resin, polypropylene resin, high-density polyethylene resin, and 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.

[0027] 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 of the hose closer to the hose wall 11. The flexible hose 10 may also include a heating wire, a signal wire, a sensor, or the like integrated into the outer periphery of the hose wall 11.

[0028] 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 connector may be integrated into the end of the flexible hose 10 to facilitate attachment and detachment of the hose to the respirator body or the patient's mask.

[0029] An example of a manufacturing method for flexible hose 10 will be described. Flexible hose 10 can be manufactured using known hose manufacturing methods. For example, soft polyvinyl chloride resin is extruded in a semi-molten state into strip T1 with the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 3. Strip T1 is then fed, while still softened, to a known hose-forming shaft SFT capable of spiral feed motion. Strip T1 is spirally wound on hose-forming shaft SFT, and its two side edges T1A and T1B overlap and weld together to form cylindrical hose wall 11 (FIG. 4). Meanwhile, rigid polyvinyl chloride resin is extruded in a semi-molten state into a string-like shape with a semi-cylindrical cross-sectional shape and fed onto the thick-walled portion of the hose wall 11 being formed on the hose-forming shaft. The string of rigid polyvinyl chloride resin is then spirally wound to form reinforcing member 17, which is then welded and joined to the outer periphery of hose wall 11. Thereafter, the hose wall 11 and the reinforcing member 17 formed into a predetermined shape are cooled to fix their respective shapes, and the flexible hose 10 is manufactured.

[0030] Here, the strip T1 has ribs T14, T14 that will later become the rib portions 14, 14. When the strip T1 is spirally wound around the cylindrical hose forming shaft SFT (part of which is shown schematically in FIG. 4), the hose wall is formed with a diameter that closely fits the outer periphery of the hose forming shaft SFT in areas away from the ribs T14, T14, while the hose wall rides up onto the ribs T14, T14 in areas where the ribs T14, T14 are present, resulting in a diameter that is larger than the outer periphery of the hose forming shaft SFT. In other words, the ribs T14, T14 ensure that the hose wall 11 is formed in a shape that curves toward the outside of the hose as it extends from the reinforcing member 17 toward the rib portions 14.

[0031] The above manufacturing method can be modified as appropriate depending on the materials that make up the hose wall 11 and the reinforcing body 17, or whether the hose wall and the reinforcing body are joined by welding or adhesive. 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.

[0032] The following describes the operation and effect of the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment. According to the flexible hose 10, the ridges 14, 14 that protrude further inward than the hose wall 11 are formed in the central portion of the hose wall 11 in the section between the reinforcing members 17, 17, and the hose wall 11 (particularly the thick-walled portion 12) is curved so as to move outward from the reinforcing member 17 toward the ridges 14, which prevents the hose wall 11 from intruding into the inside of the hose when the flexible hose is contracted or bent.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5(a), when the hose is bent, the hose wall is deformed (indicated by the white arrow) at the inside of the bend so that the reinforcing members 17, 17 move closer to each other. At this time, since the hose wall 11 (12) curves from the reinforcing member 17 toward the protrusion 14 toward the outside of the hose, the hose wall is deformed so that the central portion of the hose wall (thin-walled portion 13) is bent and bent toward the outside of the hose, and the hose wall deforms so as to bulge outward from the hose, as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0034] In conventional flexible hoses, if the hose wall is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis, the hose wall may be deformed in such a way that it is folded inward. On the other hand, in the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, the hose wall curves outward from the reinforcing member 17 toward the protrusion 14, and the central portion of the hose wall between the reinforcing members 17, 17 bulges outward slightly. As a result, in the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, even though the hose wall 11 is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis m, the hose wall 11 is prevented from intruding into the inside of the hose when the hose is bent or contracted.

[0035] Although not essential, when a pair of protrusions are provided in the central portion of the hose wall 11 in the section between the reinforcements 17, 17, as in the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, the hose wall becomes more curved toward the outside of the hose as it moves from the reinforcement 17 toward the protrusions 14, and this more effectively prevents the hose wall 11 from intruding into the inside of the hose.

[0036] Furthermore, although not essential, in the case of the flexible hose 10 of the above embodiment, in which the hose wall has thin-walled portions 13 between the pair of protrusions 14, 14 and the other portions of the hose wall have thick-walled portions 12, 12, and the reinforcing member 17 is joined to the thick-walled portions 12, the hose wall is more likely to deform so as to bend outward at the thin-walled portions 13, which particularly prevents the hose wall 21 from intruding into the inside of the hose. The hose wall also becomes more flexible and more likely to deform.

[0037] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be described below, focusing on differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of similarities will be omitted. Furthermore, these embodiments can be implemented by combining parts of them with each other or by substituting parts of them.

[0038] 6 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 member 27 is the same as that of the flexible hose 10 of the first embodiment. In the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment, one protrusion 24 is provided in the center of the hose wall 21 located between the reinforcing members 27, 27. The thickness of the hose wall 21 is generally constant.

[0039] In the flexible hose 20 of the second embodiment, a protrusion 24 that protrudes more toward the inside of the hose than the hose wall 21 is formed in the central part of the hose wall 21 in the section between the reinforcing bodies 27, 27, and the hose wall 21 is curved so as to move toward the outside of the hose as it moves from the reinforcing body 27 to the protrusion 24. Therefore, when the hose is deformed so that the reinforcing bodies 27, 27 move closer to each other, the central part of the hose wall is likely to deform so as to protrude toward the outside of the hose, and the hose wall 21 is prevented from entering the inside of the hose when the hose is bent or deformed, for example.

[0040] In addition, in the above embodiment, the reinforcing member 17 is made of hard resin, but the reinforcing member 17 may be a metal wire or metal strip spirally attached to the outer periphery of the hose wall. The same effects can be obtained even if the reinforcing member 17 is made of metal.

[0041] 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 hoses can be widely used as hoses for transporting liquids or gases, such as water supply hoses, drain hoses, hoses for transporting beverages or liquid foods, air supply hoses, air guide hoses, air supply hoses, exhaust hoses, etc. In this case, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. can be appropriately changed depending on the characteristics required of the hose in each field. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The flexible hose of the above embodiment can be used as a hose for a respiratory apparatus, and is highly useful in industry because it can suppress a reduction in the cross-sectional area of ​​the hose flow path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 Flexible hose 11 Hose Wall 12 Thick wall part 13 Thin-walled section 14 Projection part 17 Reinforcement T1 stripe 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 flexible strips made of soft synthetic resin and having a predetermined cross-sectional shape, and joining the side edges of adjacent flexible strips together. The reinforcing member is spirally wound around the outer periphery of the hose wall, The hose wall is formed substantially parallel to the hose central axis, A protrusion is formed in the center of the hose wall in the section between the reinforcing members, protruding further toward the inside of the hose than the hose wall, The hose wall is curved from the reinforcement toward the protrusion toward the outside of the hose. Flexible hose.

2. A pair of protrusions is provided in the center of the hose wall in the section between the reinforcing bodies. The flexible hose of claim 1 .

3. The hose wall is formed as a thin-walled portion between the pair of protrusions, and the other portion of the hose wall is formed as a thick-walled portion, and the reinforcing body is joined to the thick-walled portion.

3. The flexible hose of claim 2.

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