JP7610959B2 - Pipe Binding Tool - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a pipe fastener suitable for use in fastening multiple pipes, such as hydraulic hoses for hydraulic piping mounted on construction machinery.

Hydraulic excavators, which are representative of construction machinery, are equipped with a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and a working device mounted on the front side of the upper rotating body. The travel motor that drives the lower traveling body and the rotating motor that rotates the upper rotating body are composed of hydraulic motors, and the working device is equipped with multiple hydraulic cylinders. Hydraulic excavators are equipped with hydraulic actuators such as these hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders, as well as a hydraulic pump driven by a prime mover and a control valve that supplies and discharges pressurized oil (working oil) discharged from the hydraulic pump to the various hydraulic actuators.

The hydraulic power source consisting of a hydraulic pump and hydraulic oil tank is connected to the control valve, and the control valve is connected to various hydraulic actuators via hydraulic piping (pipes) such as multiple hydraulic hoses. These multiple hydraulic hoses are usually attached to the structure of the hydraulic excavator while being bound together by hose clamps having fitting grooves, thereby keeping them aligned (see Patent Document 1).

Meanwhile, in the medical field, binding devices known as clips are used to align tubular bodies, such as tubes and pipes to be inserted into blood vessels, in a spiral shape. These clips have multiple holding grooves arranged in parallel into which the tubular bodies fit, and are configured to align and hold the tubular bodies in a spiral shape by fitting multiple points of the spirally wound tubular body into the holding grooves (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2016-23478 A JP 2011-133083 A

Hydraulic hoses connected to hydraulic equipment mounted on hydraulic excavators vibrate when high-pressure oil flows through them. For this reason, it is difficult to stably hold a hydraulic hose by simply fitting the hydraulic hose into a retaining groove provided in a clip such as that in Patent Document 2. In contrast, when a hose clamp such as that in Patent Document 1 is used, the hydraulic hose can be stably held even if the hydraulic hose vibrates due to the flow of high-pressure oil. However, for example, when bundling multiple (many) hydraulic hoses connected to a control valve, multiple hose clamps are required to bundling these multiple hydraulic hoses.

For this reason, a method is generally adopted in which multiple hydraulic hoses are bundled together using a binder formed into a ring using a metal plate or the like. That is, when assembling a hydraulic excavator, both ends of the multiple hydraulic hoses are attached to hydraulic equipment, and the middle portions of these multiple hydraulic hoses are bundled with a binder. In this case, after connecting two hydraulic equipment via multiple hydraulic hoses, the fixed positions of each of the multiple hydraulic hoses relative to the binder are adjusted so that each of the multiple hydraulic hoses maintains an appropriate amount of slack.

However, when multiple hydraulic hoses are bundled together with a ring-shaped fastener, the bundled hydraulic hoses come into contact with each other. For this reason, when, for example, one hydraulic hose is adjusted in position by moving the hydraulic hose in the length direction relative to the ring-shaped fastener, the other hydraulic hoses in contact with the hydraulic hose to be adjusted move together due to friction. In addition, it is difficult to move the hydraulic hose to be adjusted due to friction between the hydraulic hose to be adjusted and the other hydraulic hoses. In this way, when multiple hydraulic hoses are bundled together with a ring-shaped fastener, there is a problem that it is difficult to individually adjust the positions of the multiple bundled hydraulic hoses. Furthermore, when multiple hydraulic hoses are bundled together with a ring-shaped fastener, the multiple hydraulic hoses may cross each other on the inner circumference side of the fastener instead of being parallel to each other, and the multiple hydraulic hoses may be bundled in a twisted state.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tube bundling tool that improves the ease of use when individually adjusting the positions of multiple bundled tubes.

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a plate-like member formed in a bendable plate shape and having a plurality of parallel grooves extending linearly on one side in the thickness direction of the plate, and a binding member wrapped around the other side in the thickness direction of the plate-like member, and with a plurality of tube bodies held in the plurality of grooves, the plate-like member is bent about an axis parallel to the extension direction of the plurality of grooves to narrow the open ends of the plurality of grooves to bind the plurality of tube bodies, wherein when the binding member is wrapped around the other side and the plate-like member is bent about the axis with the plurality of tube bodies held in the plurality of grooves, the one side of the plate-like member is abutted against the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder, and the binding member is wrapped around the other side of the plate-like member and the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, by bending the plate-like member to narrow the open ends of the multiple grooves, the multiple tubes can be bound together while being individually held within the multiple grooves. This prevents the bound tubes from coming into contact with each other, and allows the positions of the tubes to be individually adjusted relative to the binding tool. In addition, because the multiple tubes are individually held in the multiple grooves provided in the plate-like member, the multiple tubes are not bound together in a twisted state, and can be bound together in a parallel alignment.

1 is a left side view showing a hydraulic excavator equipped with a pipe binder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a control valve, a hydraulic hose, a pipe fastener, etc. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a pipe tie according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a plate-shaped member and a hydraulic hose. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the plate-shaped member as viewed from the direction of arrows VV in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the binding member alone. 7 is a left side view of the binding member as viewed in the direction of arrows VII-VII in FIG. 6. 13 is a front view showing the binding member with the band in an open state. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pipe tie that ties together a plurality of hydraulic hoses. 10 is a left side view of a pipe tie that ties together a plurality of hydraulic hoses, as viewed from the direction of arrows XX in FIG. 9. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a plurality of hydraulic hoses are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical body by a pipe tie according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plate-shaped member of a pipe tie according to a second embodiment is bent along the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical body. FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a pipe tie according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken in the same position as in FIG. 5 , showing a first modified example of a plate-like member. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken in the same position as in FIG. 5 , showing a second modified example of the plate-like member.

Below, a pipe fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 15, using an example in which multiple hydraulic hoses mounted on a hydraulic excavator are fastened together.

Figures 1 to 10 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, a hydraulic excavator 1, which is representative of construction machinery, is equipped with a self-propelled crawler-type lower traveling body 2 and an upper rotating body 3 that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 2. A working device 4 is provided in front of the upper rotating body 3, and the hydraulic excavator 1 performs work such as excavating soil and sand by elevating and lowering the working device 4 while rotating the upper rotating body 3.

The lower traveling body 2 is provided with drive wheels 2B that move the crawlers (tracks) 2A in a circular motion, and these drive wheels 2B are driven by a traveling motor (not shown) consisting of a hydraulic motor. Between the lower traveling body 2 and the upper rotating body 3, a turning device (not shown) that turns the upper rotating body 3 relative to the lower traveling body 2 is provided, and this turning device is driven by a turning motor consisting of a hydraulic motor.

The working device 4 has a boom 4A rotatably attached to the front side of the upper rotating body 3, an arm 4B rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 4A, and a bucket 4C rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 4B. The boom cylinder 4D that rotates the boom 4A, the arm cylinder 4E that rotates the arm 4B, and the bucket cylinder 4F that rotates the bucket 4C are each composed of a hydraulic cylinder.

In this way, the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with various hydraulic actuators such as the travel motor, the swing motor, and the cylinders 4D, 4E, and 4F that make up the working device 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper swing body 3 is provided with a control valve 5, a signal control valve 6, etc., and the hydraulic actuators mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1 are connected via the control valve 5 to a hydraulic source (not shown) consisting of a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic oil tank mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1.

The control valve 5 has multiple hydraulic pilot sections 5A, and these multiple hydraulic pilot sections 5A are each connected to the signal control valve 6 via a hydraulic hose 7 serving as a pipe body. The signal control valve 6 outputs a signal (pressurized oil) to the hydraulic pilot section 5A of the control valve 5 according to the direction and amount of operation of the operating lever devices for travel and work (neither shown) provided on the hydraulic excavator 1. In this way, the control valve 5 controls the supply and discharge of pressurized oil to various hydraulic actuators according to the operation of the operating lever devices.

For this reason, the hydraulic power source and the control valve 5, and the control valve 5 and various hydraulic actuators are connected via multiple pipes. In this case, metal pipes or rubber hydraulic hoses are selected and used depending on the installation location. In addition, the control valve 5 and the signal control valve 6 shown in Figure 2 are connected via multiple flexible hydraulic hoses 7.

The pipe fastener 11 fastens multiple hydraulic hoses 7 that connect between the control valve 5 and the signal control valve 6. One end of each hydraulic hose 7 is connected to the hydraulic pilot section 5A of the control valve 5, and the other end of each hydraulic hose 7 is connected to the signal control valve 6. The pipe fastener 11 is fixed to a bracket 5B fixed to the casing of the control valve 5 using bolts 23 (described below) while fastening the intermediate sections of the multiple hydraulic hoses 7. This makes it possible to prevent the hydraulic hoses 7 from vibrating significantly and coming into contact with the control valve 5, etc., even if pressure oil flows through the multiple hydraulic hoses 7.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tube binding device 11 is composed of a plate-shaped member 12 formed into a bendable plate, and a binding member 14 that bends the plate-shaped member 12 to bind multiple hydraulic hoses 7 together.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the plate-like member 12 is formed in a bendable rectangular plate shape using an elastic material such as rubber. The plate-like member 12 has a plurality of (e.g., five) linearly extending grooves 13 formed in parallel at equal intervals on one side surface 12A in the plate thickness direction. These five grooves 13 are formed by recessing the one side surface 12A in the plate thickness direction of the plate-like member 12 toward the other side surface 12B in the plate thickness direction, with the one side surface 12A in the plate thickness direction being the open end 13A and the other side surface 12B in the plate thickness direction being the groove bottom 13B.

The groove width A of the opening end 13A of the groove 13 and the groove width B of the groove bottom 13B have the same dimension. The groove width A of the opening end 13A is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the hydraulic hose 7 to be bundled. The groove bottom 13B is formed in a semicircular shape with a diameter slightly larger than the hydraulic hose 7. The plate-shaped member 12 holds the hydraulic hoses 7 aligned in a non-contact state by fitting the hydraulic hoses 7 individually into the multiple grooves 13.

Here, if the direction in which the multiple grooves 13 extend (extension direction) is the length direction of the plate-like member 12, and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the grooves 13 is the width direction of the plate-like member 12, it is desirable that the dimension (width dimension) C of the plate-like member 12 in the width direction is set to a length that allows the plate-like member 12 to be bent into a cylindrical shape around an axis D-D parallel to the extension direction of the grooves 13. In this way, with the hydraulic hose 7 fitted into the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12, the plate-like member 12 is bent into a cylindrical shape by the bundling member 14, thereby narrowing the groove width A of the opening end 13A of the multiple grooves 13. This allows the hydraulic hoses 7 to be fitted into the multiple grooves 13 individually, and the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 to be held in a non-contact state.

The bundling member 14 is wrapped around the other side surface 12B in the plate thickness direction of the plate-shaped member 12. The bundling member 14 bundles the hydraulic hoses 7 by bending the plate-shaped member 12 into a cylindrical shape about an axis D-D parallel to the extension direction of the grooves 13, with the hydraulic hoses 7 held in the respective grooves 13 of the plate-shaped member 12. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the bundling member 14 includes a band 15 wrapped around the plate-shaped member 12, and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 that adjusts the tightening force of the band 15 wrapped around the plate-shaped member 12.

The band 15 is the base of the binding member 14 and is wrapped around the other side 12B of the plate-like member 12 in the plate thickness direction. The band 15 is formed in a narrow band shape using a thin plate made of, for example, a metal material, and has a long band 16 and a short band 17 fixed to the long band 16. The long band 16 has an outer side 16A that is the outer circumferential side when wrapped around the plate-like member 12 in a ring shape, and an inner side 16B that is the inner circumferential side. The long band 16 also has a first hook 16D provided on one end 16C in the length direction and a second hook 16F provided on the other end 16E in the length direction. The first hook 16D is hooked to a cylinder side locking pin 19A of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 (described later), and the second hook 16F is hooked to a bolt side locking pin 20A of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 (described later).

The first hook 16D of the long band 16 is formed by folding back one end 16C of the long band 16 in the length direction toward the outer surface 16A and fixing the one end 16C to the outer surface 16A by means such as welding. The first hook 16D is tubular and extends in the width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the long band 16. A notch 16D1 is formed in the middle of the width direction of the first hook 16D, making it bifurcated (see FIG. 7). Similarly, the second hook 16F of the long band 16 is formed by folding back the other end 16E of the long band 16 in the length direction toward the outer surface 16A and fixing the other end 16E to the outer surface 16A by means such as welding. As a result, the second hook 16F is tubular and extends in the width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the long band 16, and is bifurcated with a notch 16F1 in the middle of the width direction (see FIG. 7).

The short band 17 is provided on the inner surface 16B side of the long band 16, and constitutes the band 15 together with the long band 16. The short band 17 is formed in a strip shape having the same width as the long band 16, but a shorter length than the long band 16. One end of the short band 17 in the length direction is a fixed end 17A fixed to the inner surface 16B of the long band 16 by means of welding or the like. Meanwhile, the other end of the short band 17 in the length direction is a free end 17B protruding from the second hook 16F of the long band 16 in the length direction of the long band 16.

As shown in FIG. 8, one end of the band 15 in the longitudinal direction is formed by the first hook 16D of the long band 16, and the other end of the band 15 in the longitudinal direction is formed by the free end 17B of the short band 17. Before the band 15 is wrapped around the plate-like member 12, the band 15 is in an open state (as shown in FIG. 8) in which the first hook 16D and the free end 17B of the short band 17, which are both ends in the longitudinal direction, are open. On the other hand, when the band 15 is wrapped around the plate-like member 12, the free end 17B of the short band 17 comes into contact with the inner surface 16B of the long band 16 and is in a closed state (as shown in FIG. 6) in which the band 15 is closed in a ring shape.

The tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 constitutes the binding member 14 together with the band 15, and increases or decreases the tightening force of the band 15 wrapped around the plate-like member 12. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 includes a cylindrical body 19, a bolt shaft 20 inserted into the inner periphery of the body 19, and a nut 21 screwed onto the bolt shaft 20.

The cylinder 19 is the base of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18, and is formed into a cylindrical shape using pipe material or the like. A pair (two) of cylinder side locking pins 19A are provided on one axial end side of the cylinder 19. The cylinder side locking pins 19A are provided at two locations that sandwich the cylinder 19 in the radial direction, and protrude in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylinder 19. One axial end side of the cylinder 19 is inserted into the notch 16D1 of the first hook 16D provided on the band 15 (long band 16), and the pair of cylinder side locking pins 19A protruding from the cylinder 19 are each rotatably hooked to the bifurcated first hook 16D. A nut receiving portion 19B having a truncated cone shape with a larger diameter than the cylinder 19 is provided on the other axial end side of the cylinder 19.

The bolt shaft 20 is inserted into the inner periphery of the cylindrical body 19 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The bolt shaft 20 is made of a shaft having an outer diameter dimension smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 19, and a male screw is screwed on its outer periphery. A pair (two pieces) of bolt side locking pins 20A are provided on one axial end side of the bolt shaft 20. The bolt side locking pins 20A are provided at two locations on either side of the bolt shaft 20 in the radial direction, and protrude in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the bolt shaft 20. One axial end side of the bolt shaft 20 is disposed in the notch 16F1 of the second hook 16F provided on the band 15 (long band 16), and the pair of bolt side locking pins 20A protruding from the bolt shaft 20 are hooked to the bifurcated second hook 16F so as to be rotatable around the pins.

The other axial end 20B of the bolt shaft 20 remains detached from the cylinder 19 when the band 15 is in an open state (as shown in FIG. 8). When the bolt shaft 20 is inserted into the inner periphery of the cylinder 19 and the other end 20B of the bolt shaft 20 protrudes from the nut receiving portion 19B of the cylinder 19 to the outside, the band 15 is closed (as shown in FIG. 6). In this state, a nut 21 is screwed onto the other end 20B of the bolt shaft 20, and the nut 21 is abutted against the nut receiving portion 19B and tightened. This changes the distance between the first hook 16D of the long band 16 hooked on the cylinder side locking pin 19A and the second hook 16F hooked on the bolt side locking pin 20A, and the diameter of the annular closed band 15 increases or decreases, making it possible to adjust the tightening force against the plate-like member 12.

The fixing plate 22 as a fixing part is provided on the long band 16 of the band 15 constituting the binding member 14. The fixing plate 22 has a thickness greater than that of the long band 16 and is formed as a rectangular plate having the same width as the long band 16. One end 22A in the longitudinal direction of the fixing plate 22 is fixed to the outer surface 16A of the long band 16 by means of welding or the like. The other end 22B in the longitudinal direction of the fixing plate 22 extends in a direction away from the band 15, and a bolt insertion hole 22C is formed on the other end 22B side.

As shown in FIG. 2, a bracket 5B is provided as a structure fixed to the casing of the control valve 5 around the hydraulic hoses 7 connected to the hydraulic pilot section 5A of the control valve 5. By screwing the bolts 23 inserted into the bolt insertion holes 22C of the fixing plate 22 into the bracket 5B, the bundling member 14 bundling the hydraulic hoses 7 can be fixed to the bracket 5B.

The pipe fastener 11 according to the first embodiment has the configuration described above. Next, we will explain the operation of fastening multiple (e.g., five) hydraulic hoses 7 that connect the hydraulic pilot section 5A of the control valve 5 and the signal control valve 6 using the pipe fastener 11.

First, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 are individually fitted one by one into the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12. The groove width A at the opening end 13A of the groove 13 and the groove width B at the groove bottom 13B are equal and set slightly larger than the diameter of the hydraulic hoses 7 to be bundled. This allows the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 to be easily fitted and held in the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12.

Next, the plate-like member 12 is bent with the hydraulic hoses 7 held in each of the multiple grooves 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate-like member 12 is bent into a cylindrical shape around an axis D-D parallel to the extension direction of the grooves 13. This narrows the groove width A of the open ends 13A of the multiple grooves 13, allowing the hydraulic hoses 7 to be securely held in the grooves 13. Furthermore, by holding the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 one by one in the grooves 13, they are aligned in parallel when the plate-like member 12 is bent. This reliably prevents the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 from crossing and twisting within the plate-like member 12, or from being significantly bent.

In this way, the plate-shaped member 12 holding the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 in the grooves 13 is bent into a cylindrical shape, and the band 15 of the binding member 14 is wound around the other side 12B of the plate-shaped member 12. As shown in Figure 8, before the band 15 of the binding member 14 is wound around the plate-shaped member 12, both ends in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the first hook 16D of the long band 16 and the free end 17B of the short band 17, are in an open state. Therefore, the long band 16 and the short band 17 are brought into contact with the other side 12B of the cylindrically bent plate-shaped member 12 from its outer periphery, and the free end 17B of the short band 17 is wound around the inner side 16B of the long band 16. Then, the bolt shaft 20 of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 is rotated around the bolt side locking pin 20A hooked on the second hook 16F of the long band 16, and the other end 20B of the bolt shaft 20 is inserted into the inner circumference of the cylindrical body 19. This places the band 15 in a closed, annular state. In this way, the band 15 of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 can be easily wrapped around the other side 12B of the cylindrically bent plate-like member 12.

In this state, the nut 21 is screwed onto the other end 20B of the bolt shaft 20 protruding from the nut receiving portion 19B of the cylinder 19 and tightened. This reduces the distance between the first hook 16D of the long band 16 hooked onto the cylinder side locking pin 19A and the second hook 16F hooked onto the bolt side locking pin 20A. This reduces the diameter of the annular closed band 15, and as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the band 15 can be wrapped around the other side 12B of the plate-like member 12 with an appropriate tightening force.

In this way, the plate-like member 12 holding the hydraulic hoses 7 in the grooves 13 is bent into a cylindrical shape, and the bundling member 14 is wrapped around the other side surface 12B of the plate-like member 12, narrowing the open end 13A of the grooves 13 as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 bound together by the bundling member 14 are individually held in the multiple grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12 while remaining out of contact with each other.

After bundling the hydraulic hoses 7 with the bundling member 14, a bolt 23 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 22C of the fixing plate 22 provided on the band 15 (long band 16), and this bolt 23 is screwed into the bracket 5B provided on the control valve 5. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the bundling member 14 bundling the hydraulic hoses 7 can be fixed to the bracket 5B that exists around the hydraulic hoses 7, and even if pressure oil flows through the hydraulic hoses 7, the hydraulic hoses 7 can be prevented from vibrating significantly and coming into contact with the control valve 5, signal control valve 6, etc.

After bundling the hydraulic hoses 7 using the tube binder 11 in this way, the fixed position of each of the hydraulic hoses 7 relative to the tube binder 11 is adjusted so that each of the hydraulic hoses 7 maintains an appropriate amount of slack. When adjusting the position of the hydraulic hose 7, the nut 21 is loosened relative to the bolt shaft 20 of the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 to loosen the tightening force of the band 15, and the hydraulic hose 7 is moved along the extension direction of the groove 13. In this way, by increasing or decreasing the tightening force of the band 15 using the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18, the holding force of the hydraulic hose 7 by the plate-like member 12 can be appropriately adjusted, and the position of the hydraulic hose 7 relative to the tube binder 11 can be smoothly adjusted.

In this case, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 are individually held in the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12, and are therefore kept out of contact with each other. Therefore, when moving one hydraulic hose 7 whose position is to be adjusted, it does not come into contact with the other hydraulic hoses 7, and smooth movement is prevented from being impeded by frictional forces generated between the other hydraulic hoses 7. In addition, it is possible to prevent the other hydraulic hoses 7 from moving in conjunction with the movement of one hydraulic hose 7 whose position is to be adjusted. As a result, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 can be moved individually, quickly and easily relative to the pipe fastener 11, improving the workability when adjusting the position of the hydraulic hoses 7 relative to the pipe fastener 11.

Moreover, the hydraulic hoses 7 are individually held in the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12, so that they are aligned parallel to one another. As a result, the hydraulic hoses 7 are not crossed and twisted within the plate-like member 12, and are not tied in a significantly bent state. This further improves the ease of adjusting the position of the hydraulic hoses 7 relative to the pipe fastener 11, and also reduces the pressure loss of the pressurized oil flowing through the hydraulic hoses 7.

Thus, in this embodiment, the plate-shaped member 12 is formed in a bendable plate shape and has multiple grooves 13 arranged in parallel on one side surface 12A in the plate thickness direction, the multiple grooves 13 extending linearly, and a bundling member 14 is wrapped around the other side surface 12B in the plate thickness direction of the plate-shaped member 12 and bends the plate-shaped member 12 while holding the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 in the multiple grooves 13 to bundling the multiple hydraulic hoses 7. The plate-shaped member 12 has the open ends 13A of the multiple grooves 13 arranged on one side surface 12A, and the bundling member 14 is configured to narrow the open ends 13A of the multiple grooves 13 by bending the plate-shaped member 12 around an axis parallel to the extension direction of the multiple grooves 13.

With this configuration, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 bound by the binding member 14 can be individually held in the multiple grooves 13 of the plate-shaped member 12 while remaining in a non-contact state with each other. Therefore, when adjusting the position of the hydraulic hose 7 relative to the binding member 14 so that each of the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 maintains an appropriate amount of slack, the hydraulic hose 7 does not come into contact with the other hydraulic hoses 7, and smooth movement is prevented from being hindered by frictional forces generated between the hydraulic hoses 7. As a result, the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 bound by the pipe binding device 11 can be moved smoothly individually, improving the workability when adjusting the position of the hydraulic hose 7 relative to the pipe binding device 11.

In the embodiment, the binding member 14 includes a band 15 that is wrapped around the other side 12B of the plate-like member 12, and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 that increases or decreases the tightening force of the band 15 wrapped around the plate-like member 12. With this configuration, the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 can be used to increase or decrease the tightening force of the band 15, thereby appropriately adjusting the holding force of the hydraulic hose 7 by the plate-like member 12, and the position of the hydraulic hose 7 relative to the pipe binding device 11 can be smoothly adjusted.

In the embodiment, the band 15 of the binding member 14 is in an open state with both ends in the length direction open before being wrapped around the plate-like member 12, and is in a closed, annular state when wrapped around the plate-like member 12. With this configuration, the band 15 can be quickly and easily wrapped around the outer periphery of the plate-like member 12 while the plate-like member 12 holding the hydraulic hose 7 in the groove 13 is bent into a cylindrical shape.

The bundling member 14 is provided with a fixing plate 22 that fixes the bundling member 14 to the bracket 5B (structure) of the control valve 5 that exists around the multiple hydraulic hoses 7. With this configuration, the bundling member 14 wrapped around the plate-like member 12 can be fixed to the bracket 5B via the fixing plate 22. This prevents the hydraulic hose 7 from vibrating significantly due to the flow of pressure oil through the hydraulic hose 7, and prevents the hydraulic hose 7 from interfering with the surrounding control valves 5, signal control valves 6, etc.

Next, Figures 11 and 12 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The feature of this embodiment is that the binding member does not have a fixing portion, and multiple tubes held in the grooves of the plate-like member are wrapped around the structure and fixed by the binding member. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted.

The tube binder 24 shown in FIG. 11 is configured to include a plate-shaped member 12 and a binding member 14 having a band 15 and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18, similar to the tube binder 11 of the first embodiment. However, the tube binder 24 of this embodiment differs from the tube binder 11 of the first embodiment in that the long band 16 constituting the tightening force adjustment mechanism 18 does not have a fixing plate 22.

The tube fastener 24 is composed of a plate-like member 12 in which multiple grooves 13 are formed, and a fastening member 14 having a band 15 and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18, and fastens multiple hydraulic hoses 7 using a cylindrical body 25, which is a structure arranged around the hydraulic hoses 7. The plate-like member 12 of the tube fastener 24 is bent into an arc by abutting one side surface 12A, on which the open ends 13A of the grooves 13 are arranged, against the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 25 while holding the hydraulic hoses 7 in the grooves 13 (see FIG. 12).

The band 15 of the binding member 14 is wound around the plate-like member 12 and the cylindrical body 25 from the outer periphery, with the inner surface 16B of the long band 16 abutting against the other surface 12B of the plate-like member 12. Then, the bolt shaft 20 to which the second hook 16F of the long band 16 is hooked is inserted into the inner periphery of the cylindrical body 19 to which the first hook 16D of the long band 16 is hooked, and the nut 21 is screwed onto the other end 20B of the bolt shaft 20 protruding from the nut receiving portion 19B of the cylindrical body 19 to tighten it. In this case, before the band 15 is wound around the plate-like member 12, the first hook 16D, which is both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the free end 17B of the short band 17 are open. Therefore, with the plate-like member 12 holding the hydraulic hose 7 in the groove 13 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 25, the band 15 can be quickly and easily wrapped around the outer circumferential side of the plate-like member 12 and the cylinder 25.

This allows multiple hydraulic hoses 7 to be bundled using the cylinder 25 while being individually held in the grooves 13 of the plate-like member 12. In this case, the plate-like member 12 is bent along the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 25, and the open ends 13A of the multiple grooves 13 are pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 25 and narrowed, so that the multiple hydraulic hoses 7 can be securely held in their respective grooves 13.

The pipe fastener 24 according to the second embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and its basic function is not particularly different from that of the first embodiment. However, according to the second embodiment, a plurality of hydraulic hoses 7 can be fastened together using a cylindrical body 25, which is a structure arranged around the hydraulic hoses 7. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for the fixing plate 22 provided on the pipe fastener 11 according to the first embodiment, which contributes to reducing the cost of the pipe fastener 24.

Next, FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The feature of this embodiment is that the plate-like member and the binding member are formed as a single unit by fastening the plate-like member to the binding member. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted.

The tube binder 26 shown in FIG. 13 is configured to include a plate-like member 12 and a binding member 14 having a band 15 and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18, similar to the tube binder 11 of the first embodiment. However, the tube binder 26 of this embodiment differs from the tube binder 11 of the first embodiment in that the plate-like member 12 and the binding member 14 are formed as a single unit.

The tube binder 26 is composed of a plate-like member 12 in which multiple grooves 13 are formed, and a binding member 14 having a band 15 and a tightening force adjustment mechanism 18. The other side 12B of the plate-like member 12 is fixed to the inner side 16B of the long band 16 that constitutes the binding member 14 by means of gluing, baking, or the like, and the extension direction of the multiple grooves 13 is perpendicular to the length direction of the band 15. In this way, the tube binder 26 is formed as a single unit of the plate-like member 12 and the binding member 14.

The pipe fastener 26 according to the third embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and its basic function is not particularly different from that of the first embodiment. However, according to the third embodiment, the pipe fastener 26 is formed as an integral part of the plate-like member 12 and the fastening member 14. Therefore, the work of bending the plate-like member 12 holding the hydraulic hose 7 in the groove 13 and the work of wrapping the band 15 of the fastening member 14 around the other side surface 12B of the bent plate-like member 12 can be performed simultaneously, improving the workability when fastening multiple hydraulic hoses 7 using the pipe fastener 26.

In the embodiment, the groove width A of the opening end 13A of the multiple grooves 13 formed in the plate-like member 12 is set equal to the groove width B of the groove bottom 13B. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured, for example, as a groove 13' according to a first modified example shown in FIG. 14, or a groove 13'' according to a second modified example shown in FIG. 15.

That is, in the first modified groove 13', the groove width A' at the opening end 13A' is set to be wider than the groove width B' at the groove bottom 13B' (A'>B'). This groove 13' is preferably used when, for example, the plate-like member 12 is greatly bent. On the other hand, in the second modified groove 13'' the groove width A'' at the opening end 13A'' is set to be narrower than the groove width B'' at the groove bottom 13B'' (A''<B''). This groove 13'' is preferably used when, for example, the plate-like member 12 is only slightly bent.

In addition, in the embodiment, a hydraulic hose 7 is exemplified as a pipe to be bound by the pipe binding device 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which a plurality of corrugated tubes, each of which contains a group of electric wires, are bound together using the pipe binding device.

In the embodiment, the object to be bound by the pipe binding device 11 is exemplified by a plurality of hydraulic hoses 7 connecting between the control valve 5 and the signal control valve 6 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of hydraulic hoses connecting between a hydraulic source and the control valve 5, or between the control valve 5 and various hydraulic actuators, are bound by the pipe binding device.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to hydraulic hoses connecting hydraulic equipment mounted on a hydraulic excavator 1, but can also be widely applied to bundling multiple hydraulic hoses connecting hydraulic equipment mounted on general vehicles, machine tools, etc.

7 Hydraulic hose (tube body)
11, 24, 26 Tube binding tool 12 Plate-like member 12A One side surface 12B Other side surface 13, 13', 13" Groove 13A, 13A', 13A" Open end 13B, 13B', 13B" Groove bottom 14 Binding member 15 Band 18 Fastening force adjustment mechanism 22 Fixing plate (fixing member )

Claims (4)

A plate-like member formed in a bendable plate shape, the plate-like member having a plurality of linearly extending grooves arranged in parallel on one side surface in a plate thickness direction;
a bundling member that is wrapped around the other side surface of the plate-like member in the plate thickness direction, and that, while holding the plurality of pipe bodies in the plurality of grooves, bends the plate-like member about an axis parallel to an extension direction of the plurality of grooves to narrow open ends of the plurality of grooves and thereby bundling the plurality of pipe bodies,
A tube binding device characterized in that when the binding member is wrapped around the other side surface and the plate-shaped member is bent around the axis while holding the multiple tubes in the multiple grooves, the one side surface of the plate-shaped member is abutted against the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder, and the binding member is wrapped around the other side surface of the plate-shaped member and the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. The tube tie described in claim 1, characterized in that the binding member is in an open state with both ends in the longitudinal direction open before being wrapped around the plate-like member, and is in a closed, annular state when wrapped around the plate-like member. 2. The tube bundle according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like member is fixed to the binding member and is integrated with the binding member. 2. The pipe tie according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pipes are a plurality of hydraulic hoses connected to hydraulic equipment mounted on a construction machine.

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