DUCT AND THE MANUFACTURING METHOD
A duct is provided which there is no need to attach any reinforcing material to. This duct has a hollow 5 formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates 11 to 14 so that the interior surfaces of the wall plates 11 to 14 face each other. The duct is provided with four folded portions including a strip-shaped folded portion 11C, 12C formed by folding each wall plate 11 to 14 on the side of the exterior surface of each wall plate 11 to 14.
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This is a divisional application which claims the benefit of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/028,456, filed Feb. 8, 2008, and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-320346, filed Nov. 4, 2005, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-298767, filed Nov. 2, 2006. The disclosures of the prior applications are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a duct for sending air or the like whose temperature is regulated, and a manufacturing method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plurality of ducts are provided on the inside of a structure, for example, inside of the ceiling of a building, so that an air-flow path can be formed, through which air or the like flows after its temperature is regulated. Such a duct is shaped like a box which is manufactured by cutting or bending an iron plate. When a duct is produced, for example, as shown in
In a similar manner, ducts having various shapes are created, and such ducts are combined to form a passage for sending air or the like.
However, the above described duct 100 has the following disadvantages. When each reinforcing material 110 is attached to the duct 100, as shown in
In the case of spot welding, the reinforcing material 110 is positioned on each iron plate 101 to 104, and in this state, the spot welding is conducted. This can increase the numbers of working processes and component parts when the duct 100 is manufactured. Besides, the reinforcing material 110 is an angle steel, and thus, the duct 100 can be heavier.
In the case of the junction by means of a rivet, as shown in
In order to resolve the above described disadvantages, it is an object of the present invention to provide a duct to which there is no need to attach any reinforcing material, and a manufacturing method for this duct.
In order to resolve those disadvantages, a duct according to a first aspect of the present invention which has a hollow (air flow path) formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates so that the interior surfaces of the wall plates face each other, wherein each of the wall plates includes a strip-shaped folded portion formed by folding each wall plate on the side of the exterior surface thereof.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the folded portion is formed on the side of the exterior surface of each wall plate, so that a reinforcing portion can be provided outside of the duct.
A duct according to a second aspect of the present invention which has a hollow formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates so that the interior surfaces of the wall plates face each other, wherein each of the wall plates includes a strip-shaped folded portion formed by folding each wall plate on the side of the interior surface thereof.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the folded portion is formed on the side of the interior surface of each wall plate, so that a reinforcing portion can be provided inside of the duct.
A duct according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the duct according to the first or second aspect, wherein the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed, or in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed, or in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed.
A duct according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the duct according to the third aspect, wherein: the folded portion in each wall plate is formed in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed; and a connecting metal fitting is provided which connects an end of each folded portion and the end of the folded portion adjacent to this end.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, each folded portion is connected by means of the connecting metal fitting, so that a reinforcing portion can be formed over the whole exterior circumference or the whole interior circumference of the duct.
A duct according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the duct according to the second aspect, wherein in each of the wall plates which face each other, the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed.
A duct according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the duct according to the fifth aspect, wherein a reinforcing member is provided which reinforces the wall plates by connecting each folded portion.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the folded portions are connected by means of the reinforcing member Therefore, the wall plates which face each other are connected so that the wall plates can be reinforced.
A duct according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the duct according to the first or second aspect, wherein a packing is provided so as to be sandwiched in the folded portion.
A duct manufacturing method according to an eighth aspect of the present invention in which a hollow is formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates, comprising the steps of: forming a strip-shaped folded portion by folding each wall plate in the exterior surface thereof; and forming the hollow by joining each wall plate so that the interior surface of each wall plate faces each other.
A duct manufacturing method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention in which a hollow is formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates, comprising the steps of: forming a strip-shaped folded portion by folding each wall plate in the interior surface thereof; and forming the hollow by joining each wall plate so that the interior surface of each wall plate faces each other.
A duct manufacturing method according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the duct manufacturing method according to the ninth aspect, wherein: in each of the wall plates which face each other, the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed; and the wall plates are reinforced by connecting each folded portion using a reinforcing member.
A duct manufacturing method according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the duct manufacturing method according to the eighth or ninth aspect, wherein the folded portion is formed by folding each wall plate after bending each wall plate in a substantially V-shape or in a substantially reverse V-shape so that the base-end parts thereof extend vertically.
According to the first aspect and the eighth aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing portion formed by the folded portion is provided outside of the duct. Therefore, the wall plates are reinforced with this reinforcing portion, so that the duct can be reinforced.
According to the second aspect and the ninth aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing portion formed by the folded portion is provided inside of the duct. Therefore, the wall plates are reinforced with this reinforcing portion, so that the duct can be reinforced.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the folded portion is formed in the directions (i.e., the longitudinal directions of the duct) where the hollow is formed, or in the directions (i.e., the lateral directions of the duct) which intersect such directions. Therefore, the wall plate can be easily wrought to form the folded portion, and simultaneously, the duct can be reinforced in the longitudinal and lateral directions.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, each folded portion is connected by means of the connecting metal fitting, and the reinforcing portion is provided over the duct's full exterior circumference or full interior circumference. This helps make the duct stronger.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in each of the wall plates which face each other, the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed. Therefore, the duct's strength and rigidity becomes greater against a force (i.e., a bending moment) in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed.
According to the sixth aspect and the tenth aspect of the present invention, the folded portions are connected by means of the reinforcing member. Therefore, the wall plates which face each other are connected so that the wall plates can be reinforced. In other words, the entire duct can be reinforced.
In addition, according to these aspects of the present invention, there is no need to attach a reinforcing material such as an angle steel.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a packing is provided so as to be sandwiched in the folded portion. Therefore, even if a bolt insertion hole or the like is formed in the folded portion, the air or the like inside of the hollow can be prevented from leaking outside.
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the wall plate is bent in a substantially V-shape or in a substantially reverse V-shape so that its base-end parts extend vertically. Therefore, when it is folded, the base-end parts can be hindered from spreading. This makes it possible to form the folded portion whose base-end parts touch closely (or stick together).
Next, a duct according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
First EmbodimentAs shown in
The wall plate 11 is wrought in this way. In this embodiment, the folded portion 11C of the wall plate 11 is formed, thereafter, the junction portions 11A are formed, and lastly, the bent portions 11B are formed. The wall plate 13 is the same as the wall plate 11.
The wall plate 12 is wrought as follows. As shown in
The wall plate 12 is wrought in this way. In this embodiment, similarly to the wall plate 11, the folded portion 12C of the wall plate 12 is formed, thereafter, the double folds 12A are formed, and lastly, the bent portions 12B are formed. The wall plate 14 is the same as the wall plate 12.
The wall plates 11 to 14 wrought in the above described manner are disposed so that the wall plate 12's interior surface and the wall plate 14's interior surface are disposed so as to separate from and face each other. Then, the junction portions of the wall plate 11 and the wall plate 13 are fitted into their corresponding junction portions of the wall plate 12 and the wall plate 14 (see
As shown in
Each of the folded portions which include the folded portions 11C and 12C of the wall plates 11 to 14 is equivalent to a conventional reinforcing material (see
As described above, according to this embodiment, because of the reinforcing portion 4 formed by bending the wall plates 11 to 14, there is no need for a conventional L-shaped reinforcing material. This makes it possible to drastically reduce the numbers of working processes and component parts in producing the duct, compared with those of any conventional one, as well as diminish the duct's weight. Furthermore, a conventional L-shaped reinforcing material is not required, so that a loud noise can be prevented from being produced by driving a rivet in a working process. Moreover, air can be kept from leaking due to a rivet, thus maintaining the airtightness of the duct securely.
Second EmbodimentIn this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, each of the folded portions which include the folded portion 13D and the folded portion 14D provided in the wall plates 11 to 14 and in the hollow 5 is equivalent to a conventional reinforcing material. Specifically, the folded portions of the wall plates 11 to 14 are provided so as to protrude at a right angle inside of the hollow 5 from the wall plates 11 to 14. This helps reinforce the flat wall plates 11 to 14. Besides, the corner parts of each folded portion which includes the folded portions 13D and 14D of the wall plates 11 to 14 are connected using the connecting metal fitting 17. Thereby, the reinforcing portion 6 is formed. This makes it possible to reinforce the flat wall plates 11 to 14 more significantly than any conventional one. In addition, the connecting metal fittings 17 close the notch in each corner, so that the duct can be kept airtight.
Third EmbodimentIn a third embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing portions according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment are as follows. For example, in the folded portion 11C of the wall plate 11 (see
In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a folded portion (i.e., a reinforcing portion) is formed in the air flow directions (i.e., the longitudinal directions or axial-line directions of the duct) where the hollow 5 is formed. Specifically, as shown in
In this embodiment, the hollow 5 of the duct body 1 is shaped, as shown in
The folded portions 11F and 13F are each formed, as follows, in the middle part of the wall plates 11 and 13. Herein, the folded portion 13F will be described as an example thereof.
First, in
The reinforcing bar 7 is a long (and narrow) metal plate, and its width, thickness and material are designed to have a strength necessary for reinforcing the duct body 1. As shown in
According to the above described configuration, in each of the wall plate 11 and the wall plate 13 which face each other, the folded portions 11F and 13F are formed in the hollow 5's formation directions. Therefore, the duct body 1's strength and rigidity become greater against a force F1 (i.e., a bending moment) in the directions which intersect the hollow 5's formation directions. Besides, the folded portions 11F and 13F are linked together by means of the reinforcing bar 7, and thereby, the wall plates 11 and 13 are connected and reinforced. This helps reinforce the whole duct.
In this way, the entire duct is reinforced, so that each plate of the duct body 1 can be thinned. In other words, in the case where the duct body 1's plate thickness is prescribed in accordance with the width W of the duct body 1, even if the width W is great, the wall plates 11 to 14 which are thin can be used.
For example, let's assume that the plate thickness may be 0.5 mm if the width W is 450 mm or below, and the plate thickness has to be more than 0.5 mm if the width W exceeds 450 mm. At this time, if the width W is beyond 450 mm and is equal to, or less than, 900 mm, then a pair of such folded portions 11F and 13F is formed in the width's middle. Then, they are connected using the reinforcing bar 7. Thereby, a width W1 (see
Similarly, if the duct body 1's width W is beyond 900 mm and is equal to, or less than, 1350 mm, then as shown in
Such a packing 20 is provided in the folded portion 13F, as follows. First, as shown in
In this way, the packing 20 is sandwiched in the folded portion 13F. Therefore, even if the bolt insertion holes 13F3 are formed in the folded portion 13F, the air or the like inside of the hollow 5 can be prevented from leaking out through the bolt insertion holes 13F3 from a crevice (i.e., a gap between the plates put together) in the folded portion 13F. Hence, in order to prevent a leak of the air or the like, there is no need to seal up the vicinity of the bolt insertion holes 13F3, or take another such measure. In addition, when the folded portion 13F is formed, the wall plate 13 is bent in a substantially reverse V-shape so that its base-end parts extend vertically. Therefore, when it is folded, the base-end parts can be hindered from spreading, thereby keeping the folded portion 13F touching closely (or sticking fast) to the packing 20.
Herein, the folded portion 13F is described, but in the same way, the folded portion 11F is also provided with the packing 20. In this case, the wall plate 11 is bent in a substantially V-shape so that its base-end parts extend vertically. Thereafter, it is folded so that the packing 20 is sandwiched therein, and thus, the folded portion 11F is formed.
Hereinbefore, the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. However, concrete configurations thereof are not limited to each embodiment. Therefore, unless changes and modifications in design depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as being included therein. For example, in the first to third embodiments, such a connecting metal fitting is designed to cover such a folded portion. However, as shown in
Moreover, in each embodiment, the duct has a rectangular sectional shape. However, the duct's sectional shape is not limited to this. Besides, the place where such a reinforcing portion is formed in a single such duct is not limited to one place, either.
In addition, in each embodiment, such a straight duct is provided whose axial line extends straight, but another type of duct may also be used. For example, as shown in
Claims
1. A duct which has a hollow formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates so that the interior surfaces of the wall plates face each other,
- wherein each of the wall plates includes a strip-shaped folded portion formed by folding each wall plate on the side of the exterior surface thereof and
- wherein the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed, or in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed.
2. A duct which has a hollow formed by joining a plurality of flat wall plates so that the interior surfaces of the wall plates face each other,
- wherein each of the wall plates includes a strip-shaped folded portion formed by folding each wall plate on the side of the interior surface thereof, and
- wherein the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed, or in the directions which intersect the directions where the hollow is formed.
3. The image formation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in each of the wall plates which face each other, the folded portion is formed in the directions where the hollow is formed.
4. The image formation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a reinforcing member is provided which reinforces the wall plates by connecting each folded portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 9, 2011
Publication Date: Jun 30, 2011
Applicant: SHINFUJI KUUCHOU CO., LTD. (Saitama)
Inventors: Toshikazu HASEGAWA (Saitama), Isamu KAJINO (Saitama)
Application Number: 13/044,269