Painting pipe holder

Abstract

To provide a pipe holder for painting that can hold pipes with a simple mechanism without complex equipment. [Solution] The painting pipe holder 1 for holding the pipe 10 during painting comprises an insertion part 2 configured to change its outer dimensions to match the inner dimensions of the pipe 10, and a holding part 3 attached to the insertion part 2 and configured to be held by friction against the inner wall 11 of the pipe when placed inside the pipe 10 together with the insertion part 2. The outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 expand under its own weight, while when inserting the holding part 3 and the insertion part 2 into the pipe 10, the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 shrink against its own weight when the holding part 3 comes into contact with the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe holder for painting.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when painting a pipe, it is known to drill a hole in the pipe and suspend it from above with a wire or the like for painting. Such a painting method requires a process of drilling a hole in the pipe. However, the hanging holes naturally deteriorate the appearance of the pipe. In addition, the process of drilling holes in the pipe increases the man-hours of the painting process.

[0003] Therefore, there has been a demand for a holder that can suspend a pipe without forming a hanging hole during painting. As such a holder, for example, a pipe holder is known in which the holder is inserted into the pipe and then expanded by a mechanical operation or air to hold the pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, since the conventional pipe holder expands the holder by a mechanical driving force or a power such as air, dedicated and complicated equipment is required, and there is room for improvement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made to improve such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a pipe holder for painting that can hold a pipe with a simple mechanism without complicated equipment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention relates to a pipe holder for painting, which is a holder for holding a pipe during painting, and comprises an insertion part configured to change its outer dimensions to match the inner dimensions of the pipe, and a holding part attached to the insertion part and configured to be held by friction against the inner wall of the pipe when placed inside the pipe together with the insertion part, wherein the outer dimensions of the insertion part expand under its own weight, while when the holding part comes into contact with the inner wall of the pipe while inserting the holding part and insertion part into the pipe, the outer dimensions of the insertion part shrink against its own weight.

[0008] According to the painting pipe holder of the present invention, when the holding part and the insertion part are inserted into the pipe, the outer dimensions of the insertion part shrink against its own weight, and the holding part is held against the inner wall of the pipe by friction, so that the pipe can be held with a simple mechanism without complex equipment.

[0009] In the painting pipe holder of the present invention, the holding portion may be provided with a holder having a projection that is obliquely upward on the surface of the portion facing the inner wall of the pipe.

[0010] In this configuration, the diagonally upward-facing projections on the surface of the holder do not get caught when inserted into the pipe because there is little friction, but once inserted into the pipe, they catch on the inner wall of the pipe due to the weight of the pipe being suspended, thus securely holding the pipe.

[0011] Furthermore, in the painting pipe holder of the present invention, the insertion portion may be provided with a pair of left and right link bodies extending diagonally upward, with one end rotatably supported at the lower end of the rod body, and the holding portion may be provided with a pair of left and right holding bodies rotatably supported at the other end of the link bodies.

[0012] In this configuration, by pulling up the rod with the holding part and insertion part positioned inside the pipe, the left and right link bodies become taut and the holding part is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe, so that the pipe can be securely held by the weight of the pipe being suspended.

[0013] Furthermore, the left and right retaining bodies may be supported by the link body in a manner such that, while suspended from the link body, the distance between their lower ends is smaller than the inner dimension of the pipe.

[0014] In this configuration, after the lower ends of the left and right retaining bodies are inserted into the pipe, when they are pushed further in, the retaining bodies change their orientation so that they conform to the inner wall of the pipe, while the outer dimensions of the insertion part are reduced. As a result, when suspending and supporting a pipe, the retaining body and insertion body can be inserted into the pipe with simpler operation without requiring any special operation, and the pipe can be held in place by its own weight.

[0015] Furthermore, the insertion portion may include a sliding support shaft provided on the rod body so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right connecting bodies, one end of which is connected to the link body and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the sliding support shaft, such that the outer dimensions are reduced when the sliding support shaft is pulled upward.

[0016] In this configuration, the tension between the left and right link bodies can be released and the retaining body separated from the inner wall of the pipe by a simple configuration and a simple operation of pulling up the slide support shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention provides a pipe holder for painting that can hold pipes with a simple mechanism without the need for complex equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] One embodiment is shown, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 2] (A) is a front view showing an enlarged view of the insertion part of the same embodiment, and (B) is a side view. [Figure 3] (A) is a plan view showing the embodiment together with a pipe, and (B) is a front cross-sectional view. [Figure 4](A) is a plan view showing the state where the embodiment holds the pipe, (B) is a front sectional view, and (C) is a view seen from the P direction with the pipe cut at the A-A position in (A). [Figure 5] (A) is a plan view showing the state where the outer dimensions are reduced, and (B) is a front sectional view.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0019] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, terms such as "front and rear" and "left and right" are used to specify directions. However, the direction in which the outer dimensions of the pipe holder change is defined as the left-right direction, and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction and the vertical direction is defined as the front-rear direction. These terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a view showing a pipe holder 1 for painting according to an embodiment, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. FIG. 2 is a view showing an enlarged insertion portion 2 of the same embodiment, where (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. FIG. 3 is a view showing the same embodiment together with the pipe to be suspended, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a front sectional view. In the following description, the pipe holder for painting is also simply referred to as a pipe holder.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the pipe holder 1 of the present embodiment is for holding the pipe 10 during painting. The pipe holder 1 includes an insertion portion 2 configured such that the outer dimensions change according to the inner dimensions of the pipe 10, and a holding portion 3 attached to the insertion portion 2. The holding portion 3 is configured to be held by friction against the inner wall 11 of the pipe when disposed inside the pipe 10 together with the insertion portion 2. The insertion portion 2 is configured such that the outer dimensions expand by its own weight. Further, when inserting the holding portion 3 and the insertion portion 2 into the pipe 10, the outer dimensions of the insertion portion 2 contract against its own weight when the holding portion 3 contacts the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0022] When the pipe holder 1 is inserted into the pipe 10, the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 shrink against its own weight, and the holding part 3 is held against the inner wall 11 of the pipe by friction. Therefore, the pipe 10 can be held with a simple mechanism without complex equipment.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pipe holder 1 comprises a rod 4 to which an insertion part 2 is connected at the lower part. The rod 4 has a hanging part 42 at its upper end that has a hole 41 to which a hook or the like can be attached. The insertion part 2 comprises lower support shafts 21 that protrude from both the front and rear sides of the lower end of the rod 4. One end of a pair of left and right link bodies 22 is rotatably supported on the lower support shafts 21. The other end of the link body 22 is rotatably connected to the connecting member 31 of the holder 3 via a connecting support shaft 23 that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0024] The rod body 4 is provided with an elongated hole 43 formed at a vertical distance from the lower support shaft 21. The elongated hole 43 extends vertically and penetrates the rod body 4 in the front-to-back direction. The insertion part 2 is provided with a slide support shaft 24 positioned within the elongated hole 43. The slide support shaft 24 is inserted through the elongated hole 43 and protrudes from both the front and rear sides of the rod body 4. One end of a pair of left and right connecting bodies 25 is rotatably supported on the slide support shaft 24. The other ends of the connecting bodies 25 are rotatably connected to the connecting support shaft 23 on the left and right sides of the rod body 4, respectively.

[0025] The pipe holder 1 includes a lever body 5 that extends vertically along the rod body 4. A slide support shaft 24 is fixed to the lower part of the lever body 5. The lever body 5 is positioned on the rear side of the rod body 4 and has a rod insertion hole 51 provided at the point where the upper part is bent toward the front. The rod body 4 is inserted through the rod insertion hole 51 which penetrates vertically, and the lever body 5 is held in a way that prevents it from being detached from the rod body 4.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the holding portion 3 comprises a pair of left and right holding bodies 32. The holding bodies 32 are connected to the insertion portion 2 on both the left and right sides of the rod 4 via connecting members 31. The holding bodies 32 have an inwardly facing, approximately C-shaped cross-section and comprise a first surface portion 33 extending in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear second surface portions 34 that are angled outward in the front and rear direction from both front and rear edges of the first surface portion 33. The angle between the front and rear second surface portions 34 is approximately 90 degrees. Multiple protrusions 35 projecting diagonally upward are provided on the outer surfaces of the first surface portion 33 and the second surface portions 34 at equal intervals in the vertical direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the connecting member 31 is fixed to the upper end portion of the inner surface 33 of the holder 32. The holder 32 is suspended and supported by the connecting shaft 23 to which the connecting member 31 is rotatably connected, and is in an inclined position with its upper end positioned to the left and right of the lower end. Figure 3(A) shows the rod 4 and lever 5 in cross-section. Figure 3(B) shows the pipe and one of the holders 32 in longitudinal section.

[0028] Furthermore, although the lower support shaft 21, connecting support shaft 23, and sliding support shaft 24 are simplified in Figures 1 to 5, they are formed by, for example, bolts and nuts or crimp pins, and hold the link body 22, connecting body 25, and connecting member 31 in a way that prevents them from coming loose. In addition, each member forming the pipe holder 1 is made of a metal such as steel. However, each member forming the pipe holder 1 may be made of a metal other than steel, or it may be made of plastic.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the insertion section 2 is equipped with a four-bar linkage mechanism formed by a lower support shaft 21, left and right link bodies 22, left and right connecting support shafts 23, a slide support shaft 24, and left and right connecting bodies 25. The insertion section 2 is configured such that the left-right external dimensions of the insertion section 2 change as the slide support shaft 24 moves vertically within the elongated hole 43.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, when the rod 4 is in an upright position and no force is applied to the lever body 5, the slide support shaft 24 of the insertion part 2 is positioned to contact the lower end of the elongated hole 43 due to the weight of the link body 22, connecting support shaft 23, slide support shaft 24, and connecting body 25. The weight of the holding part 3 and the lever body 5 also contributes to positioning the slide support shaft 24 to contact the lower end of the elongated hole 43.

[0031] With the slide support shaft 24 in contact with the lower end of the elongated hole 43, the link body 22, whose one end is rotatably supported by the lower support shaft 21 provided at the lower end of the rod body 4, is in a position where the other end is positioned higher than the one end and extends diagonally upward. In this state, the outer dimensions of the insertion portion 2 in the left-right direction are at their maximum.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the lower ends of the left and right retainers 32 that constitute the lower end of the retaining portion 3 are smaller in size than the inner diameter of the pipe 10, and are shaped to be insertable into the pipe 10. The pipe 10 is, for example, a metal square pipe.

[0033] In suspending and supporting the pipe 10 with the pipe holder 1, first, the insertion part 2 and the holding part 3 are positioned above the pipe 10 so that, in a plan view, the link body 22 and the connecting support shaft 23 are roughly aligned with the diagonal of the pipe 10. Next, the pipe holder 1 and the pipe 10 are moved relative to each other so that they move closer together, and the lower ends of the left and right holding bodies 32 enter the interior of the pipe 10 through the upper end opening.

[0034] Furthermore, as the pipe holder 1 and the pipe 10 move relative to each other, the outer surface intersection 36 of the first surface 33 and the second surface 34 of the holder 32 comes into contact with the upper end of the inner wall 11 of the pipe. As the relative movement progresses further, the outer surface intersection 36 of the holder 32 slides against the upper end of the inner wall 11 of the pipe, while the insertion part 2 and the holding part 3 penetrate deeper into the interior of the pipe 10. Since no projection 35 is formed on the outer surface intersection 36, damage to the upper end of the inner wall 11 of the pipe caused by sliding contact of the outer surface intersection 36 can be prevented.

[0035] At this time, an upward force is applied to the holder 32, causing the link body 22 to rotate upward around the lower support shaft 21 against its own weight, and the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 are reduced. In addition, the connecting body 25 connected to the other end of the link body 22 pushes up the slide support shaft 24 against the weight of the lever body 5.

[0036] Furthermore, as the insertion portion 2 and the holding portion 3 enter the interior of the pipe 10, the positions of the insertion portion 2 and the holding portion 3 relative to the pipe 10, as viewed from above, are automatically adjusted so that each of the four outer surface intersections 36 of the left and right holding bodies 32 slides against the upper end of the inner wall 11 of the pipe. In addition, as the insertion portion 2 and the holding portion 3 enter the interior of the pipe 10, the connecting member 31 and the holding body 32 rotate around the connecting support shaft 23 so that the first surface portion 33 and the second surface portion 34 approach a vertical position.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, when the insertion part 2 and the holding part 3 are fully inserted into the inside of the pipe 10, the holding part 3 assumes a vertical position roughly aligned with the vertical direction, and each of the four second surfaces 34 of the holding part 3 is positioned facing the four inner walls 11 of the pipe 10. Then, the diagonally upward-facing projections 35 formed on the outer surface of the second surfaces 34 come into contact with the inner walls 11 of the pipe.

[0038] At this time, a force acts on the connecting member 31 and the holder 32 in a direction toward the inner wall 11 of the pipe due to the weight of the link body 22 and the connecting support shaft 23. In this embodiment, a force also acts on the connecting member 31 and the holder 32 in a direction toward the inner wall 11 of the pipe due to the weight of the slide support shaft 24, the connecting body 25, the connecting member 31, the holder 32, and the lever body 5.

[0039] When a force is applied to the retainer 32 in the direction toward the inner wall 11 of the pipe, the projection 35 on the outer surface of the second surface 34 is pressed against the inner wall 11 of the pipe, and friction is generated between the tip of the projection 35 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe. Since the projection 35 is formed at an upward angle, when the retainer 32 moves downward inside the pipe 10, the frictional force between the projection 35 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe is small. As a result, the insertion part 2 and the retainer 3 can be inserted deeper into the interior of the pipe 10 while the projection 35 slides against the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0040] On the other hand, when the retainer 32 moves upward inside the pipe 10, the frictional force between the diagonally upward-shaped projection 35 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe increases. For example, when the pipe retainer 1 is moved upward relative to the pipe 10, and the insertion part 2 and the retaining part 3 move relative to the pipe retainer 1 and the pipe 10 in a direction that causes them to exit the inside of the pipe 10, a downward force acts on the retainer 32 due to the frictional force between the projection 35 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0041] When a downward force acts on the retainer 32, the left and right link bodies 22 become rigid, pressing the retainer 32 against the inner wall 11 of the pipe. This generates a greater frictional force between the projection 35 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe, and the retainer 3 is held in place by friction against the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0042] In this way, by pulling up the rod 4 with the holding part 3 and insertion part 2 positioned inside the pipe 10, the left and right link bodies 22 become taut, and the holding body 32 is pressed against the inner wall 11 of the pipe. As a result, the pipe holder 1 can securely suspend and hold the pipe 10 by the weight of the pipe 10 being suspended.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, when removing the insertion part 2 and the holding part 3 from the pipe 10, a release operation is performed in which the lever body 5 is moved upward relative to the rod body 4. For example, the lever body 5 is moved upward until the slide support shaft 24 contacts the upper end of the elongated hole 43. When the lever body 5 is moved upward, the slide support shaft 24 connected to the lower end of the lever body 5 is pulled up, and the other end (left and right outer ends) of the connecting body 25 connected to the slide support shaft 24 rotates downward.

[0044] As a result, the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 in the left-right direction are reduced, the tension between the left and right link bodies 22 is released, and the retaining body 32 separates from the inner wall 11 of the pipe. Subsequently, the pipe retainer 1 and the pipe 10 move relative to each other in the direction that the insertion part 2 and the retaining part 3 are removed from the pipe 10, thereby allowing the insertion part 2 and the retaining part 3 to be removed from inside the pipe 10.

[0045] As described above, when the pipe holder 1 is inserted into the pipe 10, the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 shrink against its own weight, and the holding part 3 is held against the inner wall 11 of the pipe by friction. Therefore, the pipe 10 can be held with a simple mechanism without complex equipment. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the holding part 3 is equipped with a holder 32 having an obliquely upward-facing projection 35 on the surface of the part facing the inner wall 11 of the pipe. The obliquely upward-facing projection 35 on the surface of the holder 32 does not get caught when inserted into the pipe 10 because there is little friction, but once inserted into the pipe 10, it catches on the inner wall 11 of the pipe due to the weight of the suspended pipe 10, so that the pipe holder 1 can securely hold the pipe 10.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the insertion section 2 is equipped with a pair of left and right link bodies 22 that extend diagonally upward, with one end rotatably supported at the lower end of the rod 4. The holding section 3 is equipped with a pair of left and right holding bodies 32 that are rotatably supported at the other ends of the link bodies 22. As a result, when the rod 4 is pulled up with the holding section 3 and insertion section 2 positioned inside the pipe 10, the left and right link bodies 22 are stretched and the holding bodies 32 are pressed against the inner wall 11 of the pipe, so that the pipe holder 1 can securely hold the pipe 10 with the weight of the pipe 10 being suspended.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the left and right holders 32 are supported by the link body 22 in a position where the distance between their lower ends is smaller than the inner dimensions of the pipe 10 while they are suspended from the link body 22. After the lower ends of the left and right holders 32 are inserted into the pipe 10, when they are pushed further in, the insertion part 2 and the holder part 3 change their position so that they conform to the inner wall 11 of the pipe, and the outer dimensions of the insertion part 2 are reduced. As a result, the pipe holder 1 can insert the holder part 3 and the insertion part 2 into the pipe 10 with a simpler operation without requiring any special operation when suspending and supporting the pipe 10, and the pipe 10 can be held in place by its own weight.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the insertion section 2 includes a slide support shaft 24 that is slidably mounted on the rod 4 in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right connecting bodies 25, one end of which is connected to a link body 22 and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the slide support shaft 24. The insertion section 2 is configured such that its external dimensions are reduced when the slide support shaft 24 is pulled upward. As a result, the pipe holder 1 has a simple structure and, by the simple operation of pulling up the slide support shaft 24, the tension between the left and right link bodies 22 is released, and the holder 32 is separated from the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0049] In this embodiment, the pipe holder 1 may be inserted into the pipe 10 in a position where the link body 22 and the connecting body 25 are generally parallel to the inner wall 11 of the pipe when viewed from above, with the insertion portion 2 and the holding portion 3 inserted into the pipe 10. In this case, the projection 35 formed on the outer surface of the first surface portion 33 of the holding portion 32 contacts the inner wall 11 of the pipe, generating a frictional force between it and the inner wall 11 of the pipe.

[0050] Although embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be embodied in various forms. The configuration of each part is not limited to the illustrated embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configurations described in the embodiments and modifications described above (in the notes, etc.) may be combined, and the configurations can be added, omitted, replaced, or otherwise modified.

[0051] For example, the shape of the holder 32 can be appropriately changed to match the cross-sectional shape of the pipe to be held. For instance, if the holder 32 is provided with a projection 35 at the outer surface intersection 36, it can be applied to holding a round pipe with a circular cross-section. The shape of the holder may also be, for example, a flat plate, or it may have a circular arc or L-shaped cross-section.

[0052] Furthermore, the mechanism for increasing the frictional force between the holder 32 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe is not limited to the diagonally upward-facing projection 35, but any mechanism capable of generating a greater frictional force than the frictional force when the outer surface of the holder 32 and the inner wall 11 of the pipe are in surface contact is acceptable. For example, projections or ridges may be formed on the outer surface of the holder 32 to reduce the contact area with the inner wall 11 of the pipe. Alternatively, a material with a coefficient of friction greater than that of metal, such as an adhesive substance or rubber, may be provided on the outer surface of the holder 32.

[0053] Furthermore, the other end of the connecting body 25, one end of which is connected to the slide support shaft 24, may be connected to a point midway along the length of the link body 22. Also, the connecting body 25 may be formed from a flexible material such as a wire. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1. Painting pipe holder 2 Insertion part 3 Holding part 4. Rod 10 pipes 11 Inner wall of pipe 21 Lower support axis 22 Linked bodies 23 Connecting spindle 24 Slide support shaft 25 Concatenation 32 Holding body 35 Protrusion 43 long hole

Claims

1. A holder for holding pipes during painting, An insertion part configured to change its outer dimensions to match the inner dimensions of the pipe, The system includes a retaining part that is attached to the insertion part and is configured to be held by friction against the inner wall of the pipe when placed inside the pipe together with the insertion part, The external dimensions of the insertion portion expand under its own weight, while when the holding portion and insertion portion are inserted into the pipe, the external dimensions of the insertion portion shrink against its own weight when the holding portion comes into contact with the inner wall of the pipe. Pipe holder for painting.

2. The holding portion includes a holding body having a projection that is obliquely upward oriented on the surface of the part facing the inner wall of the pipe. The painting pipe holder according to claim 1.

3. The insertion portion comprises a pair of left and right link bodies, one end of which is rotatably supported at the lower end of the rod body and extending diagonally upward, The holding portion comprises a pair of left and right holding bodies that are rotatably supported at the other end of the link body. The painting pipe holder according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The left and right retaining bodies are supported by the link body in a position where the distance between their lower ends is smaller than the inner dimension of the pipe, while being suspended and supported by the link body. The painting pipe holder according to claim 3.

5. The insertion portion comprises a slide support shaft provided on the rod body so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right connecting bodies, one end of which is connected to the link body and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the slide support shaft. The external dimensions are reduced when the aforementioned slide support shaft is pulled upward. The painting pipe holder according to claim 3.

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