Method of feeding a pipe from level wound coil, package for level wound coil and packaging method for level wound coil
A method of feeding a metal pipe from an LWC has steps of: mounting the one or more LWC on a mount surface of a pallet such that a coil center axis of the LWC is parallel to the mount surface of the pallet, the metal pipe being wound in alignment winding; and feeding the metal pipe from an inside of an end face of the one or more LWC.
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The present application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2005-059286 filed Mar. 3, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of feeding a pipe from a level wound coil (hereinafter called LWC) and, particularly, to a method of feeding a pipe from an LWC that is formed coiling a metal pipe, such as a copper and copper alloy pipe, which is used as a heat transfer pipe of an air-conditioning heat exchanger, a construction water plumbing etc. Furthermore, this invention relates to a package for LWC and a packaging method for LWC.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heat transfer pipe such as an inside-grooved pipe and a smooth pipe is used for the air-conditioning heat exchanger, the construction water plumbing etc. The heat transfer pipe is typically formed of a copper or copper alloy pipe (hereinafter simply called copper pipe). In the manufacturing process thereof, the pipe is coiled and then annealed into a given tempered material. Then, it is stored or transported in the form of LWC. In use, the LWC is uncoiled and cut into a pipe with a desired length.
When the LWC is used, the copper pipe is decoiled from the LWC by using a copper pipe feeding apparatus (uncoiler). For example, JP-A-2002-370869 discloses a copper pipe feeding apparatus, which will be explained below.
As shown in
As shown in
However, the copper pipe feeding apparatuses 10A, 10B as shown in
In order to solve this problem, JP-A-2002-370869 discloses a copper pipe feeding method called “Eye to the sky” (hereinafter called ETTS).
As shown, the LWC 32 has an outside diameter of about 1000 mm and an inside diameter of 500 to 600 mm. The total height of the LWC assembly 30 including the pallet 31 is about 1 to 2 m.
The method of feeding a copper pipe by the ETTS method will be explained below referring to
The copper pipe 35 is fed upward from the inside of the top LWC 32 in the LWC assembly 30. Then, in order to cut the copper pipe 35 horizontally on a pass line about 1 m over the floor, the feeding direction is changed by a guide 34 disposed above the LWC assembly 30. Then, the copper pipe 35 is cut into a desired length by a cutter. The guide 34 is formed a circular arc metal or resin tube and has an inside diameter greater than that of the copper pipe 35. The height from the plane on which to place the pallet 31 to the guide 34 is about 2.5 to 3.5 m.
The ETTS method is advantageous in removing the purchase cost of the bobbin since the bobbin 21 as shown in
A method of coiling the LWC 32 will be explained below referring to
As shown in
After the copper pipe 22 is wound up to the right end to have a cylinder form, the second layer is wound in alignment winding along the center-axis direction of the LWC from the right end to the left end (in the reverse direction). Further, the third layer coil is formed on the second layer coil in alignment winding. This is called traverse winding, where after the first-layer cylindrical coil is formed, the second-layer cylindrical coil is wound in the reverse direction along the center-axis direction of the LWC. Thereby, the LWC can be reduced in volume and, therefore, a space needed in storing and transporting can be reduced.
However, the uncoiling method in LWC as shown in
In this regard, JP-A-2002-370869 discloses an uncoiling method to facilitate the feeding of a copper pipe at lower end in the ETTS method.
One-side section of LWC 40 as shown in
In LWC 40 as shown in
In contrast,
Meanwhile, the above is taught in paragraphs [0009] to [0012], [0014] to [0017], [0039], [0042], [0062], and [0063] and FIGS. 3, 7 and 14 of JP-A-2002-370869.
However, the uncoiling method of JP-A-2002-370869 has the next problem. In the LWC wound as shown in
Further, in the ETTS method, in order to cut the copper pipe horizontally on the pass line about 1 m over the floor, the copper pipe needs to feed downward after it is fed upward 2.5 to3.5 m to be led to the guide disposed above the LWC assembly Thus, it takes a long time to set the copper pipe at the cutter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the invention to provide a method of feeding a pipe from an LWC that needs no bobbin or drive unit, and can prevent the incidence of a bend or kink in feeding the pipe at lower end of the LWC, and can reduce the time needed to set the pipe at a cutter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a package for LWC to be used for the above method.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging method for LWC to offer the above LWC package.
- (1) According to one aspect of the invention, a method of feeding a metal pipe from an LWC comprises:
mounting the one or more LWC on a mount surface of a pallet such that a coil center axis of the LWC is parallel to the mount surface of the pallet, the metal pipe being wound in alignment winding; and
feeding the metal pipe from an inside of an end face of the one or more LWC.
In the above invention (1), the following modifications and changes can be made.
(i) The feeding of the metal pipe is conducted such that the metal pipe is passed through a hollow guide after being drawn from the LWC, and an angle θ is 45 degrees or less which is defined between a line to connect a center of the end face of the LWC with a center of an inlet of the guide and the coil center axis of the LWC.
- (2) According to another aspect of the invention, a package for an LWC comprises:
one or more LWC comprising a metal pipe being wound in alignment winding;
a pallet on which the one or more LWC is mounted; and
a fixing means that secures the one or more LWC to the pallet,
wherein the LWC is mounted on the pallet such that a coil center axis of the LWC is parallel to a mount surface of the pallet.
In the above invention (2), the following modifications and changes can be made.
(ii) The fixing means comprises a resin film.
(iii) The pallet comprises a fixing base disposed on the mount surface, and
the fixing base has a curvature equal to or more than an outer curvature of the LWC.
(iv) The package further comprises a cushioning material disposed between the pallet and the LWC.
- (3) According to another aspect of the invention, a packaging method for an LWC comprises:
vertically placing a pallet along an outer surface of one or more LWC; and
securing the one or more LWC to the pallet by a fixing means.
In the above invention (3), the following modifications and changes can be made.
(v) The fixing means comprises a resin film.
(vi) The packaging method further comprising disposing a cushioning material between the pallet and the LWC.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe preferred embodiments according to the invention will be explained below referring to the drawings, wherein:
First Embodiment
Composition of LWC Package
The package 1 comprises: a pallet 51; plural LWC's 52 that are each composed of a metal pipe such as a copper pipe wound in alignment winding, and are in alignment disposed on the pallet 51 to set the center axis of LWC parallel to the mount surface of the pallet 51; a guide 54 into which the copper pipe 53 drawn horizontally from one of the LWS's 52 is inserted; and a strip resin film 55 to secure the LWS's 52 to the pallet 51.
The pallet 51 is formed rectangular and comprises plural wooden square logs 51a and one or more wooden board Sib attached on the square logs 51a. It may be formed of a metal such as iron or plastics.
The LWC's 52 can be applied to all of the LWS's wounded as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10.
The plural LWS's 52 can be, if necessary, provided with a cushioning material 56 such as a cardboard wound on the periphery so as to prevent scratching or to absorb a shock during the transportation or when being mounted on the pallet 51. Alternatively, a cushioning material 60 can be disposed between the pallet 51 and the LWS's 52 (See
The guide 54 serves to guide the copper pipe 53 in a desired direction, and it is operable to change freely the feeding direction of the copper pipe if necessary. It can be formed suitably a straight or curved pipe. The guide 54 can be a metal pipe or resin pipe with an inside diameter to insert the copper pipe 53 therethrough. It is preferable that it has hardness lower than the surface hardness of the copper pipe 53 at least in a part to contact the copper pipe 53 in order not to scratch the copper pipe 53.
The resin film 55 only has to be a material that has strength enough to secure the LWS's 52 to the pallet 51. Alternatively, the other material than the resin film can be used to secure the LWS's 52 to the pallet 51.
Method of Uncoiling the Copper Pipe
As shown in
The copper pipe 53 is released, layer by layer, from the inside layer to the outermost layer as it is drawn from the LWC's 52. After the drawing of the copper pipe 53 from the rightmost LWC 52 in
When the plural LWC's 52 are mounted on one pallet as shown in
With respect to the feeding angle of the copper pipe 53, it is desired that, as shown in
Method of Making the LWC and LWC Package
Referring to
At first, the copper pipe 53 is wound around the inner cylinder 23 of the bobbin 21 as shown in
After winding the copper pipe 53 around the bobbin 21, the LWC 52 is bound at two or more positions by a copper or copper alloy tape 63 as shown in
The plural LWS's 52 after the annealing are, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Then, the LWS's 52 and the pallet 51 disposed as shown in
After the plural LWS's 52 are secured by the resin film 55, the package is 90 degrees-rotated such that the pallet 51 is placed at the bottom of the package as shown in
Effects of the First Embodiment
The effects of the first embodiment are as follows.
(i) The drawn copper pipe 53 is not sandwiched between the neighboring copper pipe 53 and the pallet 51 or cushioning material 56 as in the conventional method, since the copper pipe 53 is fed parallel to the coil center axis while disposing the LWC 52 horizontally. Therefore, the incidence of a pipe trapping (herein, the pipe trapping means that the drawing of a pipe is stuck or stopped because the supply of the pipe is blocked by some reason) at the lower end of LWC in drawing the copper pipe as happened in the conventional feeding method can be completely prevented.
(ii) The copper pipe 53 can be horizontally drawn from the LWC 52 to pass through the guide 54 and can be directly guided to the cutter disposed about 1 m above the floor. Therefore, the time required for guiding the copper pipe 53 to the cutter can be significantly shortened.
Example 1Example 1 of the first embodiment will be described below.
The package 1 of the first embodiment is made, and is evaluated in easiness of feeding (number of a pipe trapping) In the evaluation, an average weight of each LWC 52 is 160 kg and 10 coils are tested. The copper pipe 53 is 7 mm in outside diameter, 0.25 mm in thickness, an inside-grooved pipe of phosphorus deoxidized copper (hereinafter simply called copper pipe). The LWC is wound by the winding method as shown in
Comparative example 1 is an LWC wound by the winding method as shown in
The evaluation results are as shown in Table 1. In Table 1, the incidence number of a pipe trapping in feeding the copper pipe is shown.
As seen in Table 1, Comparative Example 1 has three trappings at the lower end of the LWC. In contrast, Example 1 has no trapping. In general, when a trapping happens during the feeding of copper pipe, the cutter has to be stopped to remove the trapping and then to be restarted. However, in the invention, since no trapping happens, the operation can be conducted efficiently.
In the ETTS method, as shown in
Example 2 of the first embodiment will be described below.
The package 1 of the first embodiment is made by changing an angle θ defined between a line to connect the center of the LWC 52 side face (=feeding surface) with the center of the guide 54 inlet and the center axis of the LWC 52, and is evaluated in easiness of feeding (number of a pipe trapping). In the evaluation, an average weight of each LWC 52 is 160 kg and 1 coil each is tested. The copper pipe evaluated is the same as use in Example 1.
The evaluation results are as shown in Table 2.
As seen in Table 2, when the angle θ is 15 and 30 degrees, no trapping happens. When the angle θ is 45 degrees, only one trapping happens. When the angle θ is 55 degrees, three trappings happen. Accordingly, the angle θ is preferably 45 degrees or less, more preferably 30 degrees or less.
Second Embodiment
The package 1 of the second embodiment is different from that of the embodiment in that a pallet 80 with a slope is used instead of the pallet 51.
When the pass line of the cutter is above the feeding line, the pallet 80 with a slope allows the feeding of the copper pipe 53 to be more smoothly conducted.
Other Embodiment
Although the pallet 80 in
Although the invention has been described with respect to the specific embodiments for complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
Claims
1. A method of feeding a metal pipe from an LWC,
- comprising:
- mounting the one or more LWC on a mount surface of a pallet such that a coil center axis of the LWC is parallel to the mount surface of the pallet, the metal pipe being wound in alignment winding; and
- feeding the metal pipe from an inside of an end face of the one or more LWC.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
- the feeding of the metal pipe is conducted such that the metal pipe is passed through a hollow guide after being drawn from the LWC, and
- an angle θ is 45 degrees or less which is defined between a line to connect a center of the end face of the LWC with a center of an inlet of the guide and the coil center axis of the LWC.
3. A package for an LWC, comprising:
- one or more LWC comprising a metal pipe being wound in alignment winding;
- a pallet on which the one or more LWC is mounted; and
- a fixing means that secures the one or more LWC to the pallet,
- wherein the LWC is mounted on the pallet such that a coil center axis of the LWC is parallel to a mount surface of the pallet.
4. The package according to claim 3, wherein:
- the fixing means comprises a resin film.
5. The package according to claim 3, wherein:
- the pallet comprises a fixing base disposed on the mount surface, and
- the fixing base has a curvature equal to or more than an outer curvature of the LWC.
6. The package according to claim 3, further comprising:
- a cushioning material disposed between the pallet and the LWC.
7. A packaging method for an LWC, comprising:
- vertically placing a pallet along an outer surface of one or more LWC; and
- securing the one or more LWC to the pallet by a fixing means.
8. The packaging method according to claim 7, wherein:
- the fixing means comprises a resin film.
9. The packaging method according to claim 7, further comprising:
- disposing a cushioning material between the pallet and the LWC.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2006
Publication Date: Sep 21, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Mamoru Hofuku (Inashiki-gun), Yusuke Takenaga (Inashiki-gun), Tomo Kawano (Ishioka), Katsumi Nomura (Tsuchiura), Kenichi Inui (Tsuchiura), Ken Horiguchi (Tsuchiura)
Application Number: 11/366,019
International Classification: B21C 47/22 (20060101);