JPH0861568A - Flexible connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a flexible connector which is coupled interposed in a certain line of an automobile such as the exhaust pipe and which can effectively exert good flexibility in the curving, expanding/contracting, and twisting direction by using a tubing prepared by braiding together metal rings and metal strips. CONSTITUTION: At the peripheral wall of a flexible connector, a plurality of metal rings 2 approx. in the form of gear are provided in which receses 2' and projections 2" having a certain width and height are repeated alternately, and the mating parts of the recess 2' and projection 2" of adjoining metal rings 2 are aligned, and a tubing is formed by braiding so that metal strips 3 of small wall thickness having a width below a certain value is threaded through adjoining recess 2' and projection 2". The heights of the recess and projection are more than the thickness of the metal strip 3, and the width of the strip 3 is made some smaller than the width of the recess and projection. A covering layer is laid on the peripheral surface of the tubing while a lining layer is furnished on the inside circumferential surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flexible connector which is, for example, an exhaust pipe of an automobile or a tube for transporting particulate matter by air pressure feeding, and which is interveningly connected to a system path thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a connector of this type, for example, both ends of the width of a processed metal strip having a Z-shaped cross section are folded back to provide hooked edges, which are continuously wound adjacent to each other in a spiral shape. It was composed of a tubular body in which the hook edges were interlocked with each other.

[0003]

However, in such a flexible connector of the prior art, the degree of freedom with respect to displacement in the direction of bending and expansion and contraction is small, and therefore there are often restrictions on the arrangement. Forced,
In addition, it lacks a flexible function in the twisting direction, and because it is displaced by an unreasonable relative movement due to friction when the hook edges are engaged with each other, it is generally prone to damage and poor in durability. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and in particular, the metal ring body and the metal strip material are braided to each other to form a tubular body. The flexible function makes it possible to displace not only in the direction of bending and expansion and contraction but also in the direction of twisting, which makes it effective and flexible, and is a highly durable flexible connector with no fear of damage over a long period of time. It is intended to provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a thin metal ring body formed in a substantially gear shape in which concave portions and convex portions having a constant width and height are alternately repeated on a peripheral wall portion. A plurality of the thin-walled metal having a width less than the predetermined width across the adjacent concave portions and convex portions in a state in which the concave portions and the convex portions of the adjacent ring bodies are aligned. A flexible connector constructed by inserting a strip material and braiding it into a tubular body, and further, at least one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the tubular body is heat-shrinkable or heat-expandable. It is formed with a coating layer or a lining layer made of a resin tube, or is formed by polymerizing the tubular bodies with a plurality of them and shifting the phases in the circumferential direction and the axial direction from each other, or the metal ring. The concave and convex parts of the body, It is formed so as to be inclined in the twisting direction with respect to the central axis formed by the strip, and on the other hand, the side end surface of the metal strip material is brought into contact with the side walls of the obliquely formed concave portions and convex portions to be braided or formed. Further, the height of the concave portion and the convex portion is at least equal to or more than the thickness of the metal strip material.

[0006]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the braided structure of the metal ring body and the metal strip material allows the flexible function at the time of the arrangement in the exhaust pipe, so that the bending and expanding / contracting directions are not limited. That is, it can be displaced with respect to the twisting direction, so that flexibility can be effectively exhibited, and at the same time, it is possible to endure for a long period of time without fear of damage due to the sufficient allowable displacement amount. The degree of freedom with respect to the twist is further improved by braiding with the width of the convex portion slightly larger than the width of the metal strip material.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of a flexible connector of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the notch showing the braid structure on the line AA of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a view of still another embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of metal ring bodies. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a perspective view of a state of braiding a metal ring body made of a metal strip material, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a metal ring body according to still another embodiment with a part of a notch. Where (1) is a tubular body, for example, made of material SUS304, SUS410, C1700, C521
0, width 3m / m to 10m / m, wall thickness 0.03m /
A substantially gear-shaped metal ring body (2) in which concave portions (2 ') and convex portions (2 ") having a constant width and height are alternately repeated on the peripheral wall portion having a thickness of about m to 0.5 m / m. A plurality of the above-mentioned concave portions (2 ') and convex portions (2 ") formed by the adjacent ring bodies are aligned with each other (Fig. 5), and the adjacent concave portions and convex portions are arranged. With the same material over the above, the concave portion (2 ') and the convex portion
Thin metal strip having a width less than a certain width of (2 ") (3)
Is inserted and braided and configured.

The height of the concave portion (2 ') and the convex portion (2 ") is equal to or greater than the thickness of the metal strip material (3), and the width of the metal strip material (3) is equal to the concave portion and the convex portion. If the width is narrower than the width, the degree of freedom for twisting increases.

Also, (4) shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is a tubular body.
(1) is a coating layer on the outer peripheral surface, and (4 ') is a lining layer on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and at least one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the tubular body is heat-shrinkable as desired. It is formed of a flexible or heat-expandable resin tube and eliminates the fear of leakage from the inside.

The concave portion (2 ') and the convex portion (2 ") of the metal ring body (2) are twisted with respect to the central axis (O) of the tubular body (1), if necessary. Diagonally (Fig. 7),
Moreover, the side end surface of the metal strip material (3) may be braided and formed by abutting the side walls of the concave and convex portions formed obliquely, and the tubular body (1) is superposed with a plurality (FIG. 4). In addition, the leakage from the inside can be reduced by shifting the phases of the concave portion (2 ′) and the convex portion (2 ″) of the metal ring body (2) in the layers adjacent to each other.

[0011]

As described above, the flexible connector according to the present invention is particularly suitable for the metal ring body (2) and the metal strip material.
(3) is braided with each other to form the tubular body (1), so the flexible function of the braid allows it to be displaced not only in the bending and stretching directions but also in the twisting direction, which is flexible. It is a very useful flexible connector that can effectively exhibit its properties, and at the same time, can be used for a long period of time without fear of damage due to a sufficient allowable displacement amount.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of a flexible connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the notch showing the braided structure on the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of still another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an array state of metal ring bodies.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a perspective view of a state of braiding a metal ring body made of a metal strip material.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a metal ring body alone according to still another embodiment, with partial cutouts.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tubular body 2 Metal ring body 2'Concave section 2 "Convex section 3 Metal strip material 4 Covering layer 4'Lining layer O Central axis

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A peripheral wall portion having a concave portion (2) having a constant width and height.
') And convex portions (2 ") are alternately repeated, and a plurality of thin-walled metal annular bodies (2) formed in a substantially gear shape are provided, and the concave portions (2') and convex portions ( 2 ") are aligned and aligned, and the thin metal strip material (3) having a width less than the certain width is inserted through the adjacent concave and convex portions and braided into a tubular shape. A flexible connector characterized by being configured as a body (1). 2. The tubular body (1) is formed with a coating layer (4) or a lining layer (4 ') made of a heat-shrinkable or heat-expandable resin tube on at least one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces. The flexible connector according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The flexible connector according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body (1) is formed by superimposing a plurality of the tubular bodies (1) and shifting the phases in the circumferential direction and the axial direction from each other. . 4. The concave portion (2 ′) and the convex portion of the metal ring body (2)
(2 ") is formed obliquely in the twisting direction with respect to the central axis (O) formed by the tubular body (1), while the side end surface of the metal strip material (3) is formed into the concave and convex parts which are formed obliquely. Abutting against the side wall of the part
It is formed, The any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.
Flexible connector described in the section. 5. The height of the concave portion (2 ′) and the convex portion (2 ″) is at least the thickness of the metal strip material (3) or more. Flexible connector described in the section.