Tube unit manufacturing method, tube unit, and deaeration module

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a tube unit includes: a sheath manufacturing step for manufacturing a tube sheath in which a plurality of tubes are weft yarns and a plurality of resin members having a melting point lower than that of the plurality of tubes are warp yarns; a winding step for winding the tube sheath so that the plurality of tubes are arranged in a spiral shape; and a binding step for melting a resin member arranged in a planned binding region of the plurality of tubes among the plurality of resin members, thereby binding the plurality of tubes in the planned binding region. This tube unit comprises the plurality of tubes, and a binding part that binds the ends of the plurality of tubes in a spirally arranged state.

Description

Method for manufacturing a tube unit, tube unit, and degassing module

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a tube unit, a tube unit, and a degassing module.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a fluororesin tube bundle in which ends of a plurality of fluororesin tubes are bundled. This fluororesin tube bundle includes a plurality of bundled fluororesin tubes, a fluororesin sleeve externally fitted to an end of the bundle of these fluororesin tubes, and a heat-shrinkable tube made of a thermally fusible fluororesin that is externally fitted individually to ends of the plurality of fluororesin tubes to join and integrate the plurality of fluororesin tubes and the fluororesin sleeve.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-131392

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to perform an operation of externally fitting the heat-shrinkable tube individually to ends of a plurality of fluororesin tubes, the human labor during manufacturing becomes excessive. Also, errors due to human influence are likely to occur, and it is not suitable for mass production.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a tube unit, a tube unit, and a degassing module that can reduce the human labor during manufacturing.

[0006] [1] The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to the present disclosure includes a curtain manufacturing step of manufacturing a tube curtain using a plurality of tubes as weft threads and a plurality of resin members having a melting point lower than that of the plurality of tubes as warp threads, a winding step of winding the tube curtain so that the plurality of tubes are arranged in a spiral shape, and a binding step of binding the plurality of tubes in a binding planned region by melting a resin member arranged in the binding planned region of the plurality of tubes among the plurality of resin members.

[0007] In this method of manufacturing a tube unit, a tube curtain is created using multiple tubes as the weft and multiple resin members having a lower melting point than the tubes as the warp. The tube curtain is then wound so that the multiple tubes are arranged in a spiral shape, and the multiple tubes are bound together in the bound area by melting the resin members placed in the area where the multiple tubes are to be bound. This makes it possible to manufacture a tube unit in which multiple tubes are bound together without having to fit a sleeve onto each of the multiple tubes, thus reducing the human labor required during manufacturing.

[0008] [2] In the method for manufacturing the tube unit described in [1], in the bundling step, the resin members arranged in the area to be bundled may be heated at a temperature higher than the melting points of the multiple resin members and lower than the melting points of the multiple tubes. In this method for manufacturing the tube unit, in the bundling step, the resin members arranged in the area to be bundled are heated at a temperature higher than the melting points of the multiple resin members and lower than the melting points of the multiple tubes, so that the resin members arranged in the area to be bundled can be melted without melting the multiple tubes.

[0009] [3] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in [1] or [2], the area to be bound may be both ends of the multiple tubes. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since both ends of the multiple tubes are designated as the area to be bound, a tube unit can be manufactured in which both ends of the multiple tubes are bound together without having to cut the ends of the multiple tubes.

[0010] [4] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to [3], each of the multiple tubes may be a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since each of the multiple tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, the manufactured tube unit can be used to degas the liquid.

[0011] [5] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to [4], the blind manufacturing step may involve weaving together a plurality of tubes and a plurality of resin members to produce a tube blind. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since the tube blind is produced by weaving together a plurality of tubes and a plurality of resin members, the tube blind can be easily manufactured.

[0012] [6] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to [4], in the blind manufacturing step, a plurality of resin members may be placed on a plurality of tubes, and the plurality of resin members may be temporarily fixed to the plurality of tubes by melting the plurality of resin members to manufacture a tube blind. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, a plurality of resin members are placed on a plurality of tubes, and the plurality of resin members may be temporarily fixed to the plurality of tubes by melting the plurality of resin members to manufacture a tube blind, so a tube blind can be easily manufactured.

[0013] [7] In the method for manufacturing the tube unit described in [6], in the blind manufacturing step, multiple resin members may be arranged on both sides of the multiple tubes so as to sandwich the multiple tubes. In this method for manufacturing the tube unit, since multiple resin members are arranged on both sides of the multiple tubes so as to sandwich the multiple tubes, a sufficient amount of resin can be secured for bundling the multiple tubes in the bundling step.

[0014] [8] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in [6] or [7], in the blind manufacturing step, the multiple resin members may be heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members and lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since the multiple resin members are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members and lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes in the blind manufacturing step, the multiple resin members can be melted and temporarily fixed to the multiple tubes without melting the multiple tubes.

[0015] [9] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to [8], each of the multiple resin members may be formed in the shape of a thread. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since each of the multiple resin members is formed in the shape of a thread, a tube curtain can be easily manufactured.

[0016]

[10] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to [8], each of the multiple resin members may be formed in the shape of a tape. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since each of the multiple resin members is formed in the shape of a tape, even if the number of resin members is reduced, a sufficient amount of resin can be secured to bind multiple tubes in the binding step.

[0017]

[11] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to

[10] , in the blind manufacturing step, resin members to be placed in the area to be bundled may be placed more densely than resin members not to be placed in the area to be bundled. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, since resin members to be placed in the area to be bundled are placed more densely than resin members not to be placed in the area to be bundled, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of resin members used while ensuring a sufficient amount of resin to bundle multiple tubes in the bundling step.

[0018]

[12] In the method for manufacturing a tube unit described in any of [1] to

[11] , in the bundling step, the area to be bundled of the plurality of tubes may be covered with a sleeve made of a heat-shrinkable resin having a higher melting point than the plurality of resin members, and the resin members and sleeve placed in the area to be bundled may be heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the plurality of resin members, lower than the melting point of the plurality of tubes, and lower than the melting point of the sleeve. In this method for manufacturing a tube unit, the area to be bundled of the plurality of tubes may be covered with a sleeve made of a heat-shrinkable resin having a higher melting point than the plurality of resin members, and the resin members and sleeve placed in the area to be bundled may be heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the plurality of resin members, lower than the melting point of the plurality of tubes, and lower than the melting point of the sleeve, so that the resin members can be melted and the sleeve can be shrunk without melting the plurality of tubes and sleeve.

[0019]

[13] The tube unit according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of tubes and a binding portion that binds the ends of the plurality of tubes in a spiral arrangement.

[0020] In this tube unit, the binding section binds the ends of multiple tubes in a spiral arrangement, allowing it to be manufactured using the method described above. This reduces the manual labor required during manufacturing.

[0021]

[14] In the tube unit described in

[13] , the binding portion may have an outer cylinder fitted over a plurality of tubes and a sealing portion filled between each end of the plurality of tubes and the outer cylinder. In this tube unit, since the sealing portion is filled between each end of the plurality of tubes and the outer cylinder, when a fluid such as liquid or gas is supplied from the end face of the binding portion, it is possible to suppress leakage of the fluid between the plurality of tubes.

[0022]

[15] In the tube unit described in

[13] or

[14] , each of the multiple tubes may be a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid. In this tube unit, since each of the multiple tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, liquid can be degassed using this tube unit.

[0023]

[16] The degassing module according to the present disclosure comprises a tube unit as described in

[13] or

[14] and a housing in which the tube unit is housed, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid, and the housing has an opening for internal space that communicates with the internal space of each of the plurality of tubes and an opening for external space that communicates with the external space of the plurality of tubes.

[0024] This degassing module can degas a liquid by supplying it through either an opening for the internal space or an opening for the external space, and by suctioning the internal space of the housing through the other opening, or by supplying sweep gas to the internal space. Furthermore, because this degassing module is equipped with the aforementioned tube unit, it can reduce the human labor required during manufacturing.

[0025] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the human effort required during manufacturing.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a degassing module of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic end view of the tube unit shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tube unit shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram that enlarges a part of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a tube blind. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X shown in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XII-XII shown in Figure 11. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV shown in Figure 13. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified blind manufacturing step. Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line XVI-XVI shown in Figure 15. Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example along the line XVI-XVI shown in Figure 15. Figure 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing a modified tube unit. Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing the tube unit shown in Figure 18. Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a modified degassing module.

[0027] The manufacturing method of the tube unit, the tube unit, and the degassing module of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The degassing module of this embodiment will be described as an internal perfusion type degassing module that degasssses liquid in vacuum mode, as an example. In all the figures, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0028] [Degassing Module and Tube Unit] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a degassing module. As shown in Figure 1, the degassing module 1 comprises a tube unit 3 in which a plurality of tubes 2 are bound together at both ends 2a, 2a, and a housing 4 that houses the tube unit 3.

[0029] Each of the multiple tubes 2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tube 2") is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids. The material, membrane shape, membrane form, etc., of tube 2 are not particularly limited. Examples of materials for tube 2 include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ethylene copolymer resin) (ETFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), amorphous fluoropolymer (amorphous fluororesin; AF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polypropylene (PP), polymethylpentene (PMP), silicon, polyimide, and polyamide. An example of an amorphous fluoropolymer is Teflon® AF.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a tube unit, and Figure 3 is a schematic end view showing an example of a tube unit. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tube unit shown in Figure 2. In the drawings, as an example, a case in which the multiple tubes 2 are composed of 12 tubes 2 is shown, but the number of tubes 2 is not particularly limited. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the tube unit 3 is constructed by fastening both ends 2a, 2a of the multiple tubes 2 together. That is, the tube unit 3 comprises multiple tubes 2 and a pair of fastening parts 5, 5 that fasten one end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the other end 2a of the multiple tubes 2, respectively. The pair of fastening parts 5, 5 are also the parts that are attached to the housing 4. Since the pair of fastening parts 5, 5 have the same configuration, one fastening part 5 will be described as representative below. However, the pair of fastening parts 5, 5 may have different configurations.

[0031] The binding section 5 binds the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 in a spiral arrangement. The binding section 5 comprises an outer cylinder 6 fitted onto each end 2a of the multiple tubes 2, and a sealing section 7 filled between each end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6.

[0032] The outer cylinder 6 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and forms the outermost layer of the binding portion 5. The outer cylinder 6 is the part that is attached to the housing 4. Examples of materials for the outer cylinder 6 include fluororesins such as PFA and PTFE.

[0033] The sealing portion 7 is filled between the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6, sealing the space between the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6. In other words, the sealing portion 7 is not filled in the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, but rather in the spaces between the multiple tubes 2 and between the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6 (see Figures 3 and 4). Therefore, only the internal space S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 is open from the end face of the sealing portion 7. The sealing portion 7 then binds the ends 2a of the multiple tubes 2 in a spiral arrangement. Examples of materials for the sealing portion 7 include fluororesins such as FEP and PFA.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 4 comprises a housing body 11, a lid 12, a first connector 13, and a second connector 14. The space inside the housing 4 is divided into the internal space S1 of each of the tubes 2 and the external space S2 of the tubes 2, with the tubes 2 serving as the boundary.

[0035] The housing body 11 is the part in which the tube unit 3 is housed. The housing body 11 is a cylindrical or rectangular parallelepiped container having an opening on one end face. The lid 12 is a lid that is airtightly joined to the housing body 11 and closes the opening of the housing body 11. The lid 12 can be joined to the housing body 11 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc. If there are no manufacturing problems, the housing 4 may not be divided into the housing body 11 and the lid 12, but may be formed integrally.

[0036] The first connector 13 and the second connector 14 are hermetically joined to the lid portion 12. The first connector 13 has a first internal space opening 15, and the second connector 14 has a second internal space opening 16. The first internal space opening 15 and the second internal space opening 16 are openings that penetrate the inside and outside of the lid portion 12 (housing 4) and communicate with the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. The first connector 13 and the second connector 14 can be joined to the lid portion 12 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.

[0037] The first connector 13 is airtightly joined to one of the binding portions 5 of the tube unit 3, and airtightly connects the one binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 to the lid portion 12 (housing 4). The first connector 13 is formed, for example, in a stepped cylindrical shape and is positioned between the one binding portion 5 and the lid portion 12 of the tube unit 3. A first pipe 18 is joined to the first connector 13 through a first internal space opening 15, which communicates with the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. The first connector 13 can be joined to one of the binding portions 5 of the tube unit 3 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc. The first connector 13 can also be joined to the first pipe 18 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.

[0038] The second connector 14 is airtightly joined to the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3, airtightly connecting the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 to the lid portion 12 (housing 4). The second connector 14 is formed, for example, in a stepped cylindrical shape and is positioned between the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 and the lid portion 12. A second pipe 19 is joined to the second connector 14 through a second internal space opening 16, which communicates with the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. The second connector 14 can be joined to the other binding portion 5 of the tube unit 3 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc. The second connector 14 can also be joined to the second pipe 19 by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.

[0039] An opening 20 for external space is formed in the housing body 11. The opening 20 for external space is an opening that penetrates the housing body 11 (housing 4) and communicates with the external space S2 inside the housing 4. A third pipe 21 is joined to the housing body 11, which communicates with the external space S2 through the opening 20 for external space. The third pipe 21 can be joined to the opening 20 for external space by, for example, welding, screwing, fitting, etc.

[0040] When deaerating a liquid using the deaeration module 1 configured as described above, for example, a suction pump (not shown) is connected to the third pipe 21. Then, while sucking the external space S2 (vacuum suction) by the suction pump connected to the third pipe 21, the liquid is supplied to the first pipe 18 and discharged from the second pipe 19. Then, the liquid supplied to the first pipe 18 is supplied from the first internal space opening 15 to the internal space S1 of each of the plurality of tubes 2. And when the liquid passes through the internal space S1 of each of the plurality of tubes 2, gas such as dissolved gas and bubbles in the liquid permeates through each of the plurality of tubes 2. Thereby, the deaeration of the liquid is performed. The deaerated liquid is discharged from the second internal space opening 16 to the second pipe 19. The gas that has passed through each of the plurality of tubes 2 is discharged from the external space opening 20 to the third pipe 21 by being sucked by the suction pump. Note that the liquid may be supplied from the second pipe 19 and discharged from the first pipe 18.

[0041] The liquid to be deaerated is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include organic solvents and water.

[0042] [Method for manufacturing the tube unit] Next, a method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment will be described. The method for manufacturing the tube unit of the present embodiment is a method for manufacturing the tube unit 3 described above.

[0043] In the method for manufacturing the tube unit of the present embodiment, a curtain manufacturing step, a winding step, and a bundling step are performed in this order.

[0044] (Curtain manufacturing step) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing the tube unit of the embodiment. As shown in FIG., 5, in the curtain manufacturing step, a tube curtain 100 is manufactured using a plurality of tubes 101 as weft threads and a plurality of resin members 102 as warp threads).

[0045] The multiple tubes 101 become the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3. Each of the multiple tubes 101 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tube 101") is a tubular membrane that, like tube 2, is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid. The material of tube 101 is the same as the material of tube 2. The multiple tubes 101 may be the same length as the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, or they may be longer than the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3. If the multiple tubes 101 are longer than the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, the ends of the multiple tubes 101 are cut in a later step. For this reason, if the multiple tubes 101 are longer than the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, it becomes easier to align the ends of the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3. In this embodiment, the multiple tubes 101 are described as being longer than the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3.

[0046] The multiple resin members 102 are components that arrange the multiple tubes 101 in a curtain-like manner. Furthermore, some of the multiple resin members 102 are heated and melted in a later process to bind the multiple tubes 101 together and form the sealing portion 7 of the tube unit 3. The melting point of each of the multiple resin members 102 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "resin member 102") is preferably lower than the melting point of the tubes 101 and lower than the decomposition temperature of the tubes 101. Examples of materials for the resin members 102 include fluororesins such as FEP and PFA.

[0047] The resin member 102 may be of any shape as long as it can function as a warp thread of the tube blind 100. For example, the resin member 102 may be thread-like or tape-like. Thread-like means having a roughly circular cross-section and extending in an elongated shape. Tape-like means having a wide cross-section and extending in a strip-like shape.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a schematic view enlarging a part of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in the curtain manufacturing step of the present embodiment, a plurality of tubes 101 and a plurality of resin members 102 are woven to manufacture a tube curtain 100. That is, the tube curtain 100 is a woven fabric having a plurality of tubes 101 as weft yarns and a plurality of resin members 102 as warp yarns.

[0049] Here, a region where a plurality of tubes 101 are to be bundled is referred to as a bundling planned region A. The bundling planned region A is a region where a plurality of tubes 101 are bundled in a subsequent process. That is, the bundling planned region A is a region bundled by bundling portions 5 and 5 in the tube unit 3. When the plurality of tubes 101 have the same length as the plurality of tubes 2, the bundling planned region A is both ends of the plurality of tubes 101. When the plurality of tubes 101 are longer than the plurality of tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, the bundling planned region A is a portion closer to the center side of the plurality of tubes 101 than both ends of the plurality of tubes 101. That is, when the plurality of tubes 101 are longer than the plurality of tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, the plurality of tubes 101 extend on both sides of the bundling planned region A. In the curtain manufacturing step, at least one resin member 102 is arranged in the bundling planned region A. When a plurality of resin members 102 are arranged in the bundling planned region A, the resin members 102 arranged in the bundling planned region A are preferably arranged more densely than the resin members 102 not arranged in the bundling planned region A. The resin members 102 not arranged in the bundling planned region A are resin members 102 arranged outside the bundling planned region A.

[0050] Further, the resin member 102 arranged in the bundling planned region A and the resin member 102 not arranged in the bundling planned region A may be the same as each other or different from each other. The resin member 102 arranged in the bundling planned region A is heated and melted to bundle the plurality of tubes 101, but the resin member 102 not arranged in the bundling planned region A does not necessarily have to be heated and melted to bundle the plurality of tubes 101. For this reason, for example, the resin member 102 not arranged in the bundling planned region A can be a thin linear one, and the resin member 102 arranged in the bundling planned region A can be a wide tape-like one.

[0051] When using a wide, tape-like resin member 102 to be placed in the planned binding area A, for example, multiple resin members 102 narrower than the planned binding area A may be placed in the planned binding area A, or, as shown in Figure 8, resin members 102 with the same width as the planned binding area A may be placed in the planned binding area A. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a tube blind.

[0052] (Winding Step) Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of the tube unit of the embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in the winding step, the tube curtain 100 is wound so that a plurality of tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral shape. In other words, in the winding step, the tube curtain 100 is wound more than one turn. The number of turns of the tube curtain 100 in the winding step is not particularly limited and may be less than two turns.

[0053] The tube curtain 100 wound in the winding step is called the tube curtain winding body 103. In the tube curtain winding body 103, multiple tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral shape. Also, in the tube curtain winding body 103, each of the multiple resin members 102 is wound in a spiral shape. Note that when multiple tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral shape, it means that the tube curtain 100 is wound so that it makes more than one turn. For this reason, the multiple tubes 101 do not need to be arranged in a neat spiral shape; they only need to be arranged in a way that makes the whole thing look like a spiral.

[0054] (Binding step) In the binding step, the resin members 102 located in the binding area A are melted to bind the multiple tubes 101 in the binding area A.

[0055] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of the tube unit according to the embodiment. Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XII-XII shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the bundling step, first, a plurality of tubes 101 are inserted into a sleeve 104 made of heat-shrinkable resin, and the area A to be bundled of the plurality of tubes 101 is covered with the sleeve 104.

[0056] The sleeve 104 shrinks when heated to form the outer cylinder 6. The heat-shrinkable resin forming the sleeve 104 shrinks when heated to near its melting point and melts and becomes fluid when heated above its melting point. The melting point of the sleeve 104 is preferably higher than the melting point of the resin member 102, lower than the melting point of the tube 2, and preferably lower than the decomposition temperature of the tube 2. Examples of materials for the sleeve 104 include fluororesins such as PFA and PTFE.

[0057] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of the tube unit according to the embodiment. Figure 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV shown in Figure 13. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, in the bundling step, the resin member 102 and sleeve 104 placed in the bundling area A are heated to melt the resin member 102 and thermally shrink the sleeve 104. At this time, the resin member 102 and sleeve 104 placed in the bundling area A are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the resin member 102, lower than the melting point of the sleeve 104, and lower than the melting point of the tube 101. As a result, the sleeve 104 shrinks, narrowing the gap between the sleeve 104 and the plurality of tubes 101, and also narrowing the gap between the plurality of tubes 101. In addition, the resin member 102 placed in the bundling area A melts and flows, sealing the gap between the sleeve 104 and the plurality of tubes 101, and the gaps between the plurality of tubes 101. In this process, by appropriately adjusting the size, shape, and number of resin members 102 placed in the planned bundling area A during the blind manufacturing step, the spaces between the sleeve 104 and the multiple tubes 101, and between the multiple tubes 101, can be properly sealed. For example, if the areas between these parts are large, a large resin member 102 can be placed in the planned bundling area A during the blind manufacturing step, or many resin members 102 can be placed in the planned bundling area A.

[0058] From the viewpoint of preventing the sleeve 104 from falling off the tube coil 103, the sleeve 104 may be heated to slightly shrink it before the binding step, and the sleeve 104 may be temporarily fixed to the tube coil 103. In this case, the heating temperature of the sleeve 104 is below the melting point of the sleeve 104, and preferably below the melting point of the sleeve 104.

[0059] Then, as the molten resin of the resin member 102 cools and hardens, a tube unit 3 is obtained in which the ends of the multiple tubes 2 are bound together. In other words, a tube unit 3 is obtained that comprises multiple tubes 2 and a pair of binding parts 5, 5 that bind one end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the other end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 in a spiral arrangement. If the multiple tubes 101 are longer than the multiple tubes 2 of the tube unit 3, the resin member 102 placed in the binding area A is melted so that the pair of binding parts 5, 5 are placed at both ends of the multiple tubes 2, and the ends of the multiple tubes 101 are cut at any timing after the sleeve 104 has been heat-shrinked.

[0060] As described above, in the manufacturing method of the tube unit of this embodiment, a tube curtain 100 is manufactured using a plurality of tubes 101 as the weft and a plurality of resin members 102 having a lower melting point than the plurality of tubes 101 as the warp. The tube curtain 100 is wound so that the plurality of tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral shape, and the plurality of tubes 101 are bound together in the planned binding area A by melting the resin members 102 placed in the planned binding area A. Therefore, a tube unit 3 in which a plurality of tubes 2 are bound together can be manufactured without having to perform the work of fitting a sleeve over each of the plurality of tubes 101, thus reducing the human labor required during manufacturing.

[0061] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, the resin members 102 placed in the planned bundling area A are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members 102 and lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes 101. Therefore, the resin members 102 placed in the planned bundling area A can be melted without melting the multiple tubes 101.

[0062] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, by designating both ends of the multiple tubes 101 as the planned bundling area A, it is possible to manufacture a tube unit 3 in which both ends 2a, 2a of the multiple tubes 2 are bundled together without cutting the ends of the multiple tubes 101 in the bundling step.

[0063] Furthermore, in this method of manufacturing the tube unit, since each of the multiple tubes 101 is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but not to liquid, the manufactured tube unit 3 can be used to degas the liquid.

[0064] Furthermore, in this method of manufacturing the tube unit, a tube curtain 100 is manufactured by weaving together a plurality of tubes 101 and a plurality of resin members 102, making it possible to easily manufacture the tube curtain 100.

[0065] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, the tube curtain 100 can be easily manufactured by forming each of the multiple resin members 102 in a thread-like shape.

[0066] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, by making each of the multiple resin members 102 formed in a tape shape, even if the number of resin members 102 is reduced, a sufficient amount of resin can be secured to bind the multiple tubes 101 in the binding step.

[0067] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, when multiple resin members 102 are placed in the planned bundling area A, the resin members 102 placed in the planned bundling area A are arranged more densely than the resin members 102 not placed in the planned bundling area A. This suppresses an increase in the number of resin members 102 used, while ensuring a sufficient amount of resin for bundling multiple tubes 101 in the bundling step.

[0068] Furthermore, in this method for manufacturing the tube unit, the area A where multiple tubes 101 are to be bundled is covered with a sleeve 104 made of a heat-shrinkable resin having a higher melting point than the multiple resin members 102. The resin members 102 and sleeve 104 placed in the area A are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members 102, lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes 101, and lower than the melting point of the sleeve 104. As a result, the resin members 102 can be melted and the sleeve 104 can be shrunk without melting the multiple tubes 101 and sleeve 104.

[0069] In the tube unit 3 of this embodiment, the binding portions 5, 5 bind the ends 2a of multiple tubes 2 in a spiral arrangement, so it can be manufactured using the above manufacturing method. Therefore, the human labor required during manufacturing can be reduced.

[0070] Furthermore, in this tube unit 3, since a sealing portion 7 is filled between each end 2a of the multiple tubes 2 and the outer cylinder 6, when a fluid such as liquid or gas is supplied from the end faces of the binding portions 5, 5, it is possible to suppress leakage of the fluid between the multiple tubes 2.

[0071] Furthermore, in this tube unit 3, each of the multiple tubes 2 is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but not to liquid, so liquid can be degassed using this tube unit 3.

[0072] In the degassing module 1 of this embodiment, liquid can be degassed by supplying liquid from the first internal space opening 15 and sucking the external space S2 of the housing 4 from the external space opening 20. Furthermore, since this degassing module 1 is equipped with the tube unit 3 described above, the human labor required during manufacturing can be reduced.

[0073] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0074] For example, in the above embodiment, the blind manufacturing step was described as manufacturing a tubular blind by weaving together multiple tubes and multiple resin members. However, any method is acceptable for manufacturing a tubular blind, as long as it allows for the manufacture of a tubular blind using multiple tubes as the weft and multiple resin members having a lower melting point than the tubes as the warp.

[0075] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified blind manufacturing step. Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI shown in Figure 15. Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII shown in Figure 15 for another example. In the modified blind manufacturing steps shown in Figures 15 to 17, a plurality of resin members 102 are placed on a plurality of tubes 101, and the plurality of resin members 102 are temporarily fixed to the plurality of tubes 101 by melting the plurality of resin members 102 to manufacture a tube blind 100A. In other words, the tube blind 100A is not a woven fabric, but is made by welding a plurality of tubes 101 and a plurality of resin members 102 to each other in an overlapping state. The plurality of resin members 102 may be placed on both sides of the plurality of tubes 101 so as to sandwich the plurality of tubes 101, as shown in Figure 16, or they may be placed only on one side of the plurality of tubes 101, as shown in Figure 17.

[0076] Then, in the blind manufacturing step, the multiple resin members 102 are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members 102 but lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes 101, thereby melting the multiple resin members and temporarily fixing the multiple resin members 102 to the multiple tubes 101. This gives rise to the tube blind 100A.

[0077] In this way, by arranging multiple resin members 102 on multiple tubes 101 and temporarily fixing the multiple resin members 102 to the multiple tubes 101 by melting the multiple resin members 102, the tube curtain 100A can be easily manufactured.

[0078] Furthermore, by arranging multiple resin members 102 on both sides of multiple tubes 101 so as to sandwich the multiple tubes 101, a sufficient amount of resin can be secured for bundling the multiple tubes 101 in the bundling step. On the other hand, by arranging multiple resin members 102 on only one side of the multiple tubes 101, the tube curtain 100A can be easily manufactured.

[0079] Furthermore, in the blind manufacturing step, the multiple resin members 102 are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the multiple resin members 102 but lower than the melting point of the multiple tubes 101 to melt the multiple resin members 102. This allows the multiple resin members 102 to be melted and temporarily fixed to the multiple tubes 101 without melting the multiple tubes 101.

[0080] In the manufacturing method of the tube unit in the above embodiment, the tube curtain was simply wound, but the tube curtain may also be wound around a core such as a pipe.

[0081] Figure 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a modified method for manufacturing a tube unit. Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a modified method for manufacturing the tube unit shown in Figure 18. In the modified method for manufacturing a tube unit shown in Figures 18 and 19, in the winding step, a tube curtain is wound around a core such as a pipe.

[0082] As shown in Figure 18, in the winding step, the tube curtain 100 is wound around a winding core 105 such as a pipe so that multiple tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral pattern. The tube curtain 100 wound in this winding step is called the tube curtain winding body 103B. In the tube curtain winding body 103B, multiple tubes 101 are arranged in a spiral pattern around the winding core 105 as the tube curtain 100 is wound around the winding core 105.

[0083] As shown in Figure 19, in the binding step, the resin member 102 located in the binding area A is melted, thereby binding the multiple tubes 101 in the binding area A. As a result, a tube unit 3B is obtained in which multiple tubes 2 are arranged in a spiral around the core 105, and both ends 2a, 2a of the multiple tubes 2 arranged around the core 105 are each arranged in a spiral and bound together by a pair of binding parts 5, 5. The core 105 may be removed from the tube unit 3B or left in the tube unit 3B.

[0084] Although the degassing module in the above embodiment was described as an internal perfusion type degassing module that degasses the liquid in vacuum mode, the degassing module may be either an internal perfusion type or an external perfusion type degassing module, and may degass the liquid in either vacuum mode or sweep mode.

[0085] Figure 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a modified degassing module. The modified degassing module 1C shown in Figure 20 is basically the same as the degassing module 1 of the above embodiment, but differs from the degassing module 1 of the above embodiment in that a first external space opening and a second external space opening are formed in the housing as openings for the external space.

[0086] As shown in Figure 20, the degassing module 1C comprises a tube unit 3 and a housing 4C that houses the tube unit 3. The housing 4C comprises a housing body 11C, a lid 12, a first connector 13, and a second connector 14. The housing body 11C has a first external space opening 22 and a second external space opening 23. The first external space opening 22 and the second external space opening 23 are openings that penetrate the housing body 11C (housing 4C) and communicate with the external space S2 inside the housing 4C. The housing body 11C is joined to a fourth pipe 24 that communicates with the external space S2 through the first external space opening 22 and a fifth pipe 25 that communicates with the external space S2 through the second external space opening 23.

[0087] When degassing a liquid in vacuum mode using the degassing module 1C as an internal perfusion type degassing module, for example, suction pumps (not shown) are connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25. Then, while the external space S2 is sucked (vacuum suction) by the suction pumps connected to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25, liquid is supplied to the first tube 18 and the liquid is discharged from the second tube 19. As a result, the liquid supplied to the first tube 18 is supplied to the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2 from the first internal space opening 15. As the liquid passes through the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, gases such as dissolved gases and bubbles in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged to the second tube 19 from the second internal space opening 16. The gases that have permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 are sucked out by the suction pump and discharged to the fourth tube 24 and the fifth tube 25 from the first external space opening 22 and the second external space opening 23.

[0088] When degassing a liquid in sweep mode using the degassing module 1C as an internal perfusion type degassing module, for example, while supplying sweep gas from the fourth pipe 24 to the first external space opening 22, liquid is supplied to the first pipe 18 and the liquid is discharged from the second pipe 19. The liquid supplied to the first pipe 18 is then supplied from the first internal space opening 15 to the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2. As the liquid passes through the internal spaces S1 of each of the multiple tubes 2, dissolved gases, bubbles, and other gases in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged from the second internal space opening 16 to the second pipe 19. The gases that have permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 are swept by the sweep gas supplied to the first external space opening 22 and discharged from the second external space opening 23 to the fifth pipe 25.

[0089] When degassing a liquid in vacuum mode using the degassing module 1C as an external perfusion type degassing module, for example, suction pumps (not shown) are connected to the first tube 18 and the second tube 19. Then, while the internal space S1 is sucked (vacuum suction) by the suction pumps connected to the first tube 18 and the second tube 19, liquid is supplied to the fourth tube 24 and the liquid is discharged from the fifth tube 25. As a result, the liquid supplied to the fourth tube 24 is supplied to the external space S2 from the first external space opening 22. As the liquid flows through the external space S2 while in contact with the multiple tubes 2, gases such as dissolved gases and bubbles in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged to the fifth tube 25 from the second external space opening 23. The gases that have permeated each of the multiple tubes 2 are sucked out by the suction pump and discharged to the first tube 18 and the second tube 19 from the first internal space opening 15 and the second internal space opening 16.

[0090] When degassing a liquid in sweep mode using the degassing module 1C as an external perfusion type degassing module, for example, while supplying sweep gas from the first pipe 18 to the first internal space opening 15, liquid is supplied to the fourth pipe 24 and discharged from the fifth pipe 25. The liquid supplied to the fourth pipe 24 is then supplied to the external space S2 from the first external space opening 22. As the liquid flows through the external space S2, contacting multiple tubes 2, dissolved gases, bubbles, and other gases in the liquid permeate through each of the multiple tubes 2. This causes the liquid to be degassed. The degassed liquid is discharged to the fifth pipe 25 from the second external space opening 23. The gases that have permeated through each of the multiple tubes 2 are swept away by the sweep gas supplied to the first internal space opening 15 and discharged to the second pipe 19 from the second internal space opening 16.

[0091] In the manufacturing method of the tube unit of the above embodiment, the resin members 102 that are not placed in the planned bundling area A are described as not being heated and melted. However, at least one of the resin members 102 that are not placed in the planned bundling area A may be heated and melted to seal the spaces between the multiple tubes. In the tube unit manufactured in this way, a portion is formed at least at one location between the pair of sealing portions, where the spaces between the multiple tubes are sealed.

[0092] 1... Degassing module, 1C... Degassing module, 2... Tube, 2a... End, 3... Tube unit, 3B... Tube unit, 4... Housing, 4C... Housing, 5... Binding part, 6... Outer cylinder, 7... Sealing part, 11... Housing body, 11C... Housing body, 12... Lid, 13... First connector, 14... Second connector, 15... Opening for first internal space, 16... Opening for second internal space, 18... First tube , 19...Second pipe, 20...Opening for external space, 21...Third pipe, 22...First opening for external space, 23...Second opening for external space, 24...Fourth pipe, 25...Fifth pipe, 100...Tube curtain, 100A...Tube curtain, 101...Tube, 102...Resin member, 103...Tube curtain winding body, 103B...Tube curtain winding body, 104...Sleeve, 105...Core, A...Area to be bound, S1...Internal space, S2...External space.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a tube unit, comprising: a blind manufacturing step of manufacturing a blind in which a plurality of tubes are used as weft threads and a plurality of resin members having a lower melting point than the plurality of tubes are used as warp threads; a winding step of winding the blind in which the plurality of tubes are arranged in a spiral shape; and a binding step of binding the plurality of tubes in the bound-to-bound region by melting a resin member from among the plurality of resin members that is placed in the bound-to-bound region of the plurality of tubes.

2. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to claim 1, wherein in the bundling step, the resin members arranged in the bundling area are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the plurality of resin members and lower than the melting point of the plurality of tubes.

3. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the planned bundling area is the ends of the plurality of tubes.

4. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but not to liquid.

5. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blind manufacturing step involves weaving the plurality of tubes and the plurality of resin members together to manufacture the tube blind.

6. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the blind manufacturing step, the plurality of resin members are placed on the plurality of tubes, and the plurality of resin members are temporarily fixed to the plurality of tubes by melting the plurality of resin members to manufacture the tube blind.

7. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to claim 6, wherein in the blind manufacturing step, the plurality of resin members are arranged on both sides of the plurality of tubes so as to sandwich the plurality of tubes.

8. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to claim 6 or 7, wherein in the blind manufacturing step, the plurality of resin members are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the plurality of resin members and lower than the melting point of the plurality of tubes.

9. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the plurality of resin members is formed in the shape of a thread.

10. A method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the plurality of resin members is formed in the shape of a tape.

11. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the blind manufacturing step, the resin members to be placed in the area to be bound are arranged more densely than the resin members not to be placed in the area to be bound.

12. The method for manufacturing a tube unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein in the bundling step, the bundling area of ​​the plurality of tubes is covered with a sleeve made of a heat-shrinkable resin having a higher melting point than the plurality of resin members, and the resin members and the sleeve placed in the bundling area are heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the plurality of resin members, lower than the melting point of the plurality of tubes, and lower than the melting point of the sleeve.

13. A tube unit comprising a plurality of tubes and a binding portion for binding the ends of the plurality of tubes in a spiral arrangement.

14. The tube unit according to claim 13, wherein the binding portion comprises an outer cylinder fitted over the plurality of tubes and a sealing portion filled between each end of the plurality of tubes and the outer cylinder.

15. The tube unit according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but not to liquid.

16. A degassing module comprising: a tube unit according to claim 13 or 14; and a housing in which the tube unit is housed, wherein each of the plurality of tubes is a tubular membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid; and the housing has an opening for an internal space that communicates with the internal space of each of the plurality of tubes; and an opening for an external space that communicates with the external space of the plurality of tubes.

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