Housing member and method for manufacturing housing member

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a housing member capable of achieving space saving. [Solution] The present invention relates to a housing member characterized in comprising at least a first housing part and a second housing part adjacent to each other, wherein outer layers of the first housing part and the second housing part have a first fusion member and a second fusion member that face each other, the first housing part and the second housing part have a first non-fusion member disposed between the first fusion member and the second fusion member, the first non-fusion member is fused to the second fusion member of the first housing part and to the first fusion member of the second housing part, and a second non-fusion member and a third non-fusion member are fused to the first fusion member of the first housing part and the second fusion member of the second housing part, respectively. [Selected drawing] FIG. 6

Description

Storage member and method for manufacturing the storage member

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing member for housing cables, tubes, and support members (hereinafter referred to as "cables") and a manufacturing method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a housing member for protecting cables used in continuously moving objects such as machine tools, electronic devices, industrial robots, and transport machines.

[0002] In continuous moving objects that involve sliding, bending, etc., such as machine tools, electronic devices, industrial robots, and transport machinery, cables (flexible cables and hoses such as electric cables, fiber optic cables, and fluid supply hoses) can be damaged by twisting, friction between cables, and tensile and bending forces applied to the cables as the continuous moving object moves. Therefore, there is a need for a housing member that can protect cables and prevent damage to them by stably supporting them.

[0003] 1 and 2, a conventional storage member includes a flexible sleeve 120 having one or more insertion holes into which cables 110 are respectively inserted, and this flexible sleeve 120 is typically made of a polymeric material to achieve flexibility, and an upper fusion sheet layer 130 and a lower fusion sheet layer 140 that make up the flexible sleeve 120 are partially joined to form one or more pods (insertion holes) 110. As will be described in detail later, conventional storage members have had the problem that the connection between the upper fusion sheet layer 130 and the lower fusion sheet layer 140 must be bonded at a certain width.

[0004] In contrast, in recent years, there has been a strong demand for space-saving in the above-mentioned continuous moving bodies, and if the layout is not possible due to the large width of the flexible sleeve, it is necessary to reduce the number of insertion holes and shorten the length in the width direction, and the cables that were originally intended to be inserted into these insertion holes must be inserted into another flexible sleeve, and multiple flexible sleeves must be arranged by stacking them in the height direction. Multiple flexible sleeves arranged in this way not only have the risk of being damaged by friction due to sliding and other movements, but also have the risk of impairing stable operation due to friction, etc., despite the need for synchronized movement, which significantly impairs quality stability.

[0005] Therefore, there has been a demand for a housing member that can protect cables used in continuously moving objects such as machine tools, electronic devices, industrial robots, and transport machines, and can prevent damage to the cables by supporting them more stably, while also being space-saving, highly durable, and highly reliable, and ultimately preventing process errors and damage to cables due to dust.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a storage member that can protect cables used in moving objects such as machine tools, electronic devices, industrial robots, and transport machines, and can prevent damage to the cables by supporting them more stably, thereby enabling space savings.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a container member comprising at least adjacent first and second container sections, the outer layers of which have a first fusion member and a second fusion member facing each other, the first and second container sections each having a first non-fusion member disposed between the first fusion member and the second fusion member, the first non-fusion member being fused to the second fusion member of the first container section and the first fusion member of the second container section, respectively, and a second non-fusion member and a third non-fusion member being fused to the first fusion member of the first container section and the second fusion member of the second container section, respectively.

[0008] 1A and 1B are overall perspective views schematically illustrating a conventional continuous moving body; (a) is a perspective view schematically illustrating a conventional housing member, and (b) is a cross-section diagram of the conventional housing member; and (b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a state prior to completion by heat treatment to explain the configuration of the conventional technology; (a) is a perspective view schematically illustrating a housing member according to a first embodiment, and (b) is a cross-section diagram of the housing member according to the first embodiment; and (b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a state prior to completion by heat treatment to explain the configuration of the first embodiment; (a) is a perspective view schematically illustrating a housing member according to a second embodiment, and (b) is a cross-section diagram of the housing member according to the second embodiment; and (b) is a diagram schematically illustrating a state prior to completion by heat treatment to explain the configuration of the second embodiment; (a) is a perspective view schematically illustrating a housing member according to a third embodiment, and (b) is a cross-section diagram of the housing member according to the third embodiment; Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a state prior to completion by heat treatment, in order to explain the configuration of a third embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flow diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a storage member according to the present invention. Fig. 12 is a diagram for schematically explaining a manufacturing apparatus for a storage member according to the present invention. Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically showing an elongated body protection and guiding device according to the present invention. Fig. 14 is a diagram for schematically explaining a storage member of the present invention.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the examples presented herein are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the specification.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention may be modified in various ways and may have various forms, and examples will be described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention. Similar reference symbols are used for similar components throughout the drawings. Terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. The terms used in this application are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. A singular term includes a plural term unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, the use of terms such as "comprises" or "comprises" is intended to specify the presence of any feature, numeral, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof stated in the specification, but should be understood as not precluding the possible presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0011] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same component numbers refer to the same elements regardless of the drawing. Duplicate explanations will be omitted in the examples. Furthermore, although the following describes embodiments and examples, the present invention is not limited to these and may be any other invention based on the above technical idea.

[0013] First, to clarify the differences from the present invention, the prior art will be described. Figures 1 to 3 are diagrams for conceptually explaining a conventional housing member. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a continuous moving body in a state where multiple housing members are stacked in multiple stages and cables are inserted through them. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of the housing part, and Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the housing member.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a conventional continuous moving body 100 includes a flexible sleeve (housing member) 120 including insertion passages 110a (three in Figure 2(b)) through which cables 110 (not shown in Figure 2(b)) are inserted. Note that Figure 1 shows three flexible sleeves stacked in multiple layers, and Figure 2(b) shows only one of them. The flexible sleeve 120 includes an upper fusion sheet layer 130, a lower fusion sheet layer 140, and insertion hole forming members 150a, 150b (three in Figure 2(b)) sandwiched between the fusion sheet layers 130, 140.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2(b), the upper fusion sheet layer 130 and the lower fusion sheet layer 140 are each sheet-like, extending in a longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction in Fig. 2(b)), which is a first direction, having a predetermined thickness in a height direction (up-and-down direction in Fig. 2(b)), which is a second direction, and having a predetermined width in a width direction (left-to-right direction in Fig. 2(b)). The upper fusion sheet layer 130 and the lower fusion sheet layer 140 are each made of a material (e.g., polyurethane) that can be bonded to each other by heat treatment, and face each other in the height direction (up-and-down direction in Fig. 2(b)).

[0016] Furthermore, the through-hole forming members 150a, 150b each extend in the longitudinal direction and are tape-like and made of a material that can be bonded to the above-mentioned fusion sheet layers 130, 140 by heat treatment, but cannot be bonded to each other even by heat treatment, and two pieces of the same material that form a pair in the vertical direction face each other.

[0017] 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the housing member 100 having the above-described configuration, showing a schematic state prior to completion by heat treatment. When the housing member 100 is pressed from the height direction by heat treatment from the state shown in the figure, the opposing fusion sheet layers 130, 140 and the opposing fusion sheet layers 130, 140 and the through-hole forming members 150a, 150b are bonded together, but the opposing through-hole forming members 150a, 150b are not bonded together. As a result, an insertion hole 110a through which a cable or the like can be inserted is formed between the portions of the through-hole forming members 150a, 150b.

[0018] However, in such a configuration, in order to ensure the durability of the flexible sleeve (housing member) 120, it is necessary to ensure that the adhesive portions 135 (see FIG. 2(b)) between the fused sheet layers 130, 140 have a certain width (see the distance between the dashed lines in FIG. 3). As the number of insertion holes increases, the number and width of the adhesive portions 135 also increase, which hinders space saving.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problem will now be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Fig. 2 described above. As shown in Fig. 4, a flexible sleeve (housing member) 200 according to the first embodiment has insertion holes (three in the figure) 290 into which cables or the like are respectively inserted. The flexible sleeve (housing member) 200 has housing sections that form insertion holes 290a, 290b, and 290c, which are continuously arranged in parallel in the width direction (the left-right direction in the figure), and in this embodiment has a first housing section 210a, a second housing section 210b, and a third housing section 210c.

[0020] The flexible sleeve 200 includes an upper fusion sheet layer 220, a lower fusion sheet layer 230, and an insertion hole forming member 240 sandwiched between the fusion sheet layers 220, 230.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4(b), the upper fusion sheet layer 220 and the lower fusion sheet layer 230 are each sheet-like, extending in a longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction in Fig. 4(b)), which is a first direction, having a predetermined thickness in a height direction (up-and-down direction in Fig. 4(b)), which is a second direction, and having a predetermined width in a width direction (left-to-right direction in Fig. 4(b)). The upper fusion sheet layer 220 and the lower fusion sheet layer 230 are each made of a material (e.g., polyurethane) that can be bonded to each other by heat treatment, and face each other in the height direction.

[0022] The through-hole forming member 240 includes a base sheet member 241 (one in this embodiment) and a plurality of tape members (second non-fusible member 245a, third non-fusible member 245b, fourth non-fusible member 245c) corresponding to the number of through-holes to be formed (three in this embodiment). The base sheet member (first non-fusible member) 241 and tape members 245a, 245b, 245c are each bondable to the above-mentioned fusible sheet layers 220, 230 by heat treatment, but are made of a material (for example, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "ePTFE") that does not bond to each other even by heat treatment).

[0023] The base sheet member 241 has a width greater than the width of the plurality of tape members 245. In this embodiment, the plurality of tape members 245a, 245b, and 245c are arranged in parallel, alternating with each other, on the upper and lower surfaces of the base sheet member 241 (i.e., the tape members 245 are arranged in the order lower, upper, and lower in the height direction relative to the base sheet member 241). The parallel-arranged tape members 245 are closer to each other in the width direction at a shorter distance than in the prior art (see the dashed lines in FIG. 5 ).

[0024] 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flexible sleeve (housing member) 200 of the above-described configuration, showing a schematic state prior to completion by heat treatment. When the flexible sleeve (housing member) 200 is pressed from the height direction by heat treatment from the state shown in the figure, the opposing fusion sheet layers 220, 230 are bonded to each other, and the opposing fusion sheet layers 220, 230 are bonded to the base sheet member 241 and the tape member 245, but the opposing base sheet member 241 and the tape member 245 are not bonded to each other. This forms an insertion hole 290 through which a cable or the like can be inserted between the base sheet member 241 and the tape member 245.

[0025] According to the first embodiment having the above configuration, unlike the prior art, the base sheet member 241 is paired with a plurality of tape members 245 to form a plurality of insertion holes 290. The base sheet member 241 is also bonded to the fusion sheet layers 220, 230 across the plurality of insertion holes 290. This allows the width of the adhesive portion between the fusion sheets, which was previously provided between the storage portions, to be reduced, thereby reducing the overall width of the flexible sleeve (storage member) 200 and achieving space savings.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 241 is paired with multiple tape members 245, which improves product yield compared to the prior art. Specifically, in the prior art, the paired insertion hole-forming members of the same size must be positioned without misalignment in the height, width, and length directions, otherwise the insertion holes would not have the desired shape and quality stability was lacking. In contrast, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 241 is paired with multiple tape members 245, so that the insertion holes can be formed as long as the tape members 245 are positioned within the size of the front or back surface of the base sheet member 241, thereby improving yield and improving quality stability.

[0027] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 6, which is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to Fig. 2 described above.

[0028] 4, a flexible sleeve (housing member) 300 according to the second embodiment has insertion holes 390 (three in the figure) into which cables or the like are respectively inserted. Flexible sleeve (housing member) 300 has housing sections forming insertion holes 390a, 390b, and 390c that are continuously arranged in parallel in the width direction (the left-right direction in the figure), and in this embodiment has first housing section 310a, second housing section 310b, and third housing section 310c.

[0029] The flexible sleeve 300 also includes an upper fusion sheet layer 320, a lower fusion sheet layer 330, and an insertion hole forming member 340 sandwiched between the fusion sheet layers 320, 330.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 6(b), the upper fusion sheet layer 320 and the lower fusion sheet layer 330 are each sheet-like, extending in a longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction in Fig. 6(b)), which is a first direction, having a predetermined thickness in a height direction (up-and-down direction in Fig. 6(b)), which is a second direction, and having a predetermined width in a width direction (left-to-right direction in Fig. 6(b)). The upper fusion sheet layer 320 and the lower fusion sheet layer 330 are each made of a material (e.g., polyurethane) that can be bonded to each other by heat treatment, and face each other in the height direction.

[0031] The through-hole forming member 340 includes a base sheet member 341 (one in this embodiment) and a plurality of tape members (second non-fusible member 345a, third non-fusible member 345b, fourth non-fusible member 345c) corresponding to the number of through-holes to be formed (three in this embodiment). The base sheet member (first non-fusible member) 341 and tape members 345a, 345b, 345c are each bondable to the above-mentioned fusible sheet layers 320, 330 by heat treatment, but are made of a material (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "PTFE") that does not bond to each other even by heat treatment.

[0032] The base sheet member 341 has a width that exceeds the width of the plurality of tape members 345. In this embodiment, the plurality of tape members 345a, 345b, and 345c are arranged in parallel, alternating with one another, on the upper and lower surfaces of the base sheet member 341 (i.e., the tape members 345 are arranged in the order of lower, upper, and lower on the base sheet member 341). The parallel-arranged tape members 345 are arranged such that the other end (the right end in FIG. 7 ) of one tape member is aligned in the width direction with one end (the left end in FIG. 7 ) of the adjacent tape member (i.e., the tape members are arranged in parallel in the width direction with no gap between them; see the dashed lines in FIG. 7 ), and the tape members 345a, 345b, and 345c form the boundaries between the first storage section 310a, the second storage section 310b, and the third storage section 310c.

[0033] 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flexible sleeve (housing member) 300 of the above-described configuration, showing a schematic state prior to completion by heat treatment. When the flexible sleeve (housing member) 300 is pressed from the height direction by heat treatment from the state shown in the figure, the opposing fusion sheet layers 320, 330 are bonded to each other, and the opposing fusion sheet layers 320, 330 are bonded to the base sheet member 341 and the tape member 345, but the opposing base sheet member 341 and the tape member 345 are not bonded to each other. This forms an insertion hole 390 through which a cable or the like can be inserted between the base sheet member 341 and the tape member 345.

[0034] According to the second embodiment having the above configuration, unlike the prior art, the base sheet member 341 is paired with a plurality of tape members 345 to form a plurality of insertion holes 390. Each of the insertion holes 390 thus formed has a first arc-shaped portion extending in the longitudinal direction and having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex upward in the height direction, and a second arc-shaped portion having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex downward in the height direction. One end and the other end of the first arc-shaped portion are integrated with one end and the other end of the second arc-shaped portion to form a first insertion passage 390a. The second accommodating portion also has a third arc-shaped portion extending in the longitudinal direction and having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex upward in the height direction, and a fourth arc-shaped portion having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex downward in the height direction. One end and the other end of the third arc-shaped portion are integrated with one end and the other end of the fourth arc-shaped portion to form a second insertion passage 390b. Furthermore, the third housing portion has a fifth arc-shaped portion extending in the longitudinal direction and having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex upward in the height direction, and a sixth arc-shaped portion having an arc-shaped cross-section that is convex downward in the height direction. One end of the fifth arc-shaped portion is integral with one end of the sixth arc-shaped portion, thereby forming a third insertion passage 390c. In this embodiment, the other end of the first housing portion in the width direction coincides with one end of the second housing portion in the width direction, and the relationship between the second housing portion and the third housing portion is also similar. Furthermore, the base sheet member 341 is bonded to the fusion sheet layers 320, 330 across the multiple insertion holes 390. Therefore, the adhesive portion between the fusion sheets, which was previously provided between the housing portions, can be made even shorter than in the first embodiment, thereby reducing the overall width of the flexible sleeve (housing member) 300 and achieving space savings.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 341 is paired with multiple tape members 345, which improves product yield compared to the prior art. Specifically, in the prior art, the paired insertion hole-forming members of the same size must be positioned without misalignment in the height, width, and length directions, otherwise the insertion holes will not have the desired shape and quality stability will be lacking. In contrast, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 341 is paired with multiple tape members 345, so that the insertion holes can be formed as long as the tape members 345 are positioned within the size of the front or back surface of the base sheet member 241, thereby improving yield and improving quality stability.

[0036] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the third embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Fig. 2 described above.

[0037] 8, a flexible sleeve (housing member) 400 according to the third embodiment has insertion holes 490 (three in the figure) into which cables or the like are respectively inserted. The flexible sleeve (housing member) 400 has housing sections that form insertion holes 490a, 490b, and 490c that are continuously arranged in parallel in the width direction (the left-right direction in the figure), and in this embodiment has a first housing section 410a, a second housing section 410b, and a third housing section 410c.

[0038] The flexible sleeve 400 also includes an upper fusion sheet layer 420, a lower fusion sheet layer 430, and an insertion hole forming member 440 sandwiched between the fusion sheet layers 420, 430.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8(b), the upper fusion sheet layer 420 and the lower fusion sheet layer 430 are each sheet-like, extending in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction in Fig. 8(b)), which is a first direction, having a predetermined thickness in the height direction (up-and-down direction in Fig. 8(b)), which is a second direction, and having a predetermined width in the width direction (left-to-right direction in Fig. 8(b)). The upper fusion sheet layer 420 and the lower fusion sheet layer 430 are each made of a material (e.g., polyurethane) that can be bonded to each other by heat treatment, and face each other in the height direction.

[0040] The through-hole forming member 440 includes a base sheet member 441 (one in this embodiment) and a plurality of tape members (second non-fusible member 445a, third non-fusible member 445b, fourth non-fusible member 445c) corresponding to the number of through-holes to be formed (three in this embodiment). The base sheet member (first non-fusible member) 441 and tape members 445a, 445b, 445c are each bondable to the above-mentioned fusible sheet layers 420, 430 by heat treatment, but are made of a material (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "PTFE") that does not bond to each other even by heat treatment.

[0041] The base sheet member 441 has a width that exceeds the width of the plurality of tape members 445. In this embodiment, the plurality of tape members 445a, 445b, and 445c are arranged in parallel, alternating with each other, on the upper and lower surfaces of the base sheet member 441 (i.e., the tape members 445 are arranged in the order of lower, upper, and lower on the base sheet member 441). The parallel-arranged tape members 445 are arranged such that the other end (the right end in the figure) of one tape member overlaps with one end (the left end in the figure) of the adjacent tape member in the width direction (i.e., the tape members are arranged in parallel with a partial overlap in the width direction; see the dashed lines in FIG. 9 ).

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, when adjacent storage sections (for example, the first storage section 410a and the second storage section 410b) are viewed in cross section, the straight lines S1 and S2 (see the dashed lines in Figure 8 (b)) passing through one end and the other end in the width direction do not coincide with each other.

[0043] 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flexible sleeve (housing member) 400 having the above-described configuration, schematically showing a state prior to completion by heat treatment. When the flexible sleeve (housing member) 400 is pressed from the height direction by heat treatment from the state shown in the figure, the opposing fusion sheet layers 420, 430 are bonded to each other, and the opposing fusion sheet layers 420, 430 are bonded to the base sheet member 441 and the tape member 445, but the opposing base sheet member 441 and the tape member 445 are not bonded to each other. This forms an insertion hole 490 through which a cable or the like can be inserted between the base sheet member 441 and the tape member 445.

[0044] According to the second embodiment having the above configuration, unlike the prior art, the base sheet member 441 is paired with a plurality of tape members 445 to form a plurality of insertion holes 490. Furthermore, the base sheet member 441 is adhered to the fusion sheet layers 420, 430 across the plurality of insertion holes 490. Therefore, the adhesive portion between the fusion sheets, which is conventionally provided between the housing portions, can be made even shorter than in the first and second embodiments, and the overall width of the flexible sleeve (housing member) 400 can be reduced, thereby realizing space savings.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 441 is paired with multiple tape members 445, which improves product yield compared to the prior art. Specifically, in the prior art, the paired insertion hole-forming members of the same size had to be positioned without misalignment in the height, width, and length directions, otherwise the insertion holes would not have the desired shape and quality stability was lacking. In contrast, in this embodiment, the base sheet member 441 is paired with multiple tape members 445, so that the insertion holes can be formed as long as the tape members 445 are positioned within the size of the front or back surface of the base sheet member 441, thereby improving yield and improving quality stability.

[0046] In the first to third embodiments described above, polyurethane is used as an example of the material of the fusion layer, but it is of course not limited to this, and polyurethane-based, thermoplastic polyurethane-based, polyethersulfone-based, polyamide-based, and ethylene vinyl acetate-based hot melt materials can be used. In the first to third embodiments described above, PTFE is used as an example of the material of the non-fusion layer, but it is of course not limited to this, and any material can be used as long as it is adhesive to the above-mentioned fusion layer material, such as nonwoven fabric, and the non-fusion layers do not adhere to each other.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, examples with three insertion holes were given, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this; at least two or more insertion holes are sufficient, and the more insertion holes there are, the smaller the overall width can be.

[0048] In addition, while the first to third embodiments described above exemplify storage sections of the same size, this is of course not limiting, and adjacent storage sections may have different sizes. This not only makes it possible to accommodate cables of different sizes, but also to store any number of cables. Furthermore, the storage members of the first to third embodiments described above may further include a jacket layer made of the same material as the non-fusible layer on the outside of the fusible sheet.

[0049] Next, the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. Figure 10 is a flow chart showing an overview of the manufacturing method. As shown in the figure, the storage member of the present invention first includes a fusion sheet preparation step in which a fusion sheet is prepared. In this fusion sheet preparation step, a sheet-like upper fusion sheet member having a predetermined width and extending in the longitudinal direction and a lower fusion sheet member of the same size as the upper fusion sheet member are prepared. These upper and lower fusion sheet members are made of materials that can be bonded to each other by heat treatment and also to the insertion hole-forming member described below by heat treatment, and can be made of materials such as FEP.

[0050] Next, a through-hole forming member preparation step is performed to prepare a member for forming the through-hole in the housing member. In this through-hole forming member preparation step, a base sheet member and multiple tape members are prepared. The base sheet member is prepared in a sheet-like shape with a width slightly smaller than that of the above-described upper fusion sheet member and lower fusion sheet member. This base sheet member is made of a material that can be bonded to the above-described cover member by heat treatment but cannot be bonded to the tape member by heat treatment, and can be made of, for example, expanded PTFE. Furthermore, multiple tape-like members extending in the longitudinal direction and narrower than the above-described base sheet member are prepared. These tape members are made of a material that can be bonded to the above-described cover member by heat treatment but cannot be bonded to the base sheet member by heat treatment, and can be made of, for example, expanded PTFE.

[0051] Next, pressure rolls for heat-pressing the fusion sheet and the through-hole forming member are prepared. In this pressure roll preparation step, as shown in Fig. 11, the upper and lower fusion sheet members are first set on two cover rolls R1 and R2 that are fed out facing each other, and the base sheet and tape members are set on two through-hole forming member rolls R3 and R4 that are fed out facing each other with non-fusion sheets that are partially overlapping in the width direction (as in the third embodiment), with one end aligned with the other (as in the second embodiment), or spaced apart (as in the first embodiment), respectively (non-fusion sheet placement step).

[0052] In order to integrate the cover portion and the insertion hole forming member that have been sent out in this state, they are passed through pressure rollers R5 and R6 in a heat and pressure bonding step, thereby producing a housing member.

[0053] Next, a long object protection and guidance device using a housing member will be described. As shown in FIG. 12 , this long object protection and guidance device 1000 includes a long object 1010 (six in total in this example) such as a cable or tube, and a housing member 1020. The housing member 1020 has three tubular housing sections 1030a, 1030b, and 1030c. These tubular housing sections are each configured to be approximately the same size and are adjacent or overlapping in the width direction of the housing member along their entire length. While FIG. 12 illustrates the housing member according to the first embodiment, this is not limiting; the distance between the parallelly arranged housing members may be changed to that of the second or third embodiment. In the first embodiment, the distance between adjacent housing sections of the housing member is adjacent; in the second embodiment, the distance between adjacent housing sections of the housing member is close; and in the second embodiment, the distance between adjacent housing sections of the housing member is overlapping.

[0054] Furthermore, in order to more clearly specify the configuration of the storage member, the storage member of the present invention is prepared as shown in Figure 13, and when one end and the other end in the width direction are clamped from the thickness direction and pulled in the width direction so that there is no slack in the width direction, the positions of adjacent tubular storage sections in the width direction may be close to, adjacent to, or overlapping with each other.

Claims

1. At least, it includes adjacent first and second accommodating parts. The outer layers of the first and second accommodating parts have a first fusing member and a second fusing member facing each other. The first and second accommodating parts have a first non-fusing member disposed between the first fusing member and the second fusing member. The first non-fusing member is fused to the second fusing member of the first accommodating part and the first fusing member of the second accommodating part respectively. A second non-fusing member and a third non-fusing member are fused to the first fusing member of the first accommodating part and the second fusing member of the second accommodating part respectively. The accommodating member is characterized by this.

2. An accommodating member including at least adjacent first and second accommodating parts. The outer layers of the first and second accommodating parts have a first fusing member and a second fusing member facing each other. The first and second accommodating parts have a first non-fusing member, a second non-fusing member disposed between the first fusing member and the second fusing member. A part of the first non-fusing member and a part of the second non-fusing member are fused to the first fusing member and the second fusing member respectively. A part of the first non-fusing member or a part of the second non-fusing member forms the boundary between the first and second accommodating parts. The accommodating member is characterized by this.

3. The container member includes at least adjacent first and second accommodating portions. The first accommodating portion extends in a first direction that is the longitudinal direction, and has a first arc portion with an arcuate cross-sectional shape that is convex upward with respect to a second direction that is the height direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second arc portion with an arcuate cross-sectional shape that is convex downward with respect to the second direction. One end and the other end of the first arc portion are integrated with one end and the other end of the second arc portion, thereby having a first insertion passage. The second accommodating portion extends in the first direction and has a third arc portion with an arcuate cross-sectional shape that is convex upward with respect to the second direction, and a fourth arc portion that is arcuate and convex downward with respect to the second direction. One end and the other end of the third arc portion are integrated with one end and the other end of the fourth arc portion, thereby having a second insertion passage. The other end of the first accommodating portion in a third direction that is the width direction perpendicular to the first direction coincides with one end of the second accommodating portion in the third direction, or is in contact with the second accommodating portion on the side of one end of the second accommodating portion in the third direction rather than one end of the second accommodating portion in the third direction.

4. The container member includes a first accommodating portion and a second accommodating portion that each extend in a first direction that is the longitudinal direction. The cross-sectional shape of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion in a second direction that is the height direction perpendicular to the first direction has a first insertion passage and a second insertion passage that are oblate spheroids, respectively. A straight line S1 passing through one end and the other end of the first insertion passage in a third direction that is the width direction perpendicular to the first direction does not coincide with a straight line S2 passing through one end and the other end of the second insertion passage in the third direction.

5. A long body protection guiding device includes a long body and a container member. The container member has a plurality of tubular accommodating portions. The plurality of tubular accommodating portions are each configured with substantially the same size and are adjacent or overlapping in the width direction of the container member over the entire length.

6. The housing member is provided with a plurality of tubular housing portions, and when the one end portion and the other end portion in the width direction are respectively clamped from the thickness direction and pulled in the width direction so that there is no slack in the width direction, the positions of the adjacent tubular housing portions in the width direction are close to, adjacent to, or overlapping each other.

7. A method for manufacturing a housing member, comprising: a fusion sheet preparation step of preparing two fusion sheets having fusibility; a first non-fusion sheet preparation step of preparing two first non-fusion sheets having non-fusibility; a second non-fusion sheet preparation step of preparing a second non-fusion sheet having non-fusibility; a non-fusion sheet arrangement step of arranging the first non-fusion sheet between the two fusion sheets and arranging the two second non-fusion sheets on the front and back surfaces of the first non-fusion sheet such that they partially overlap in the width direction, one end and the other end coincide with each other, or are arranged at a certain interval; and a fusion step of heating and fusing the fusion sheets in the state arranged in the non-fusion sheet arrangement step.

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