【０００１】
【産業上の利用分野】本発明は、ガス管や水道管などの主に既設の流体導管の途中部分を補修したり、その途中部に新しく分岐管を接続する際など内部流体を一時的に遮断する必要がある各種の配管工事を行う際に、収縮さ せて、流体導管を穿孔して形成した挿通孔から流体導管の内部に挿脱自在にする収縮状態と、流体の封入によって膨張させるとともに、その周面を全周にわたって前記流体導管の内面に弾性的に密着させる膨張状態とに変更自在な流体導管遮断用バッグに関し、詳しくは、弾性を有する有機高分子材料からなり、膨張状態で円筒形に形成したバッグ本体を設け、そのバッグ本体を、その全長にわたって周方向に多数の襞を形成するように折り畳み、かつ、横断面形状で多数の襞を渦巻状に巻付けた状態に形成し、前記襞の巻付け状態を維持する保形部を、前記バッグ本体の先端部および基端部にそれぞれ設け、前記先端部において前記バッグ本体を密封するとともに、前記基端部において前記バッグ本体内部に対する流体供給管を接続してある流体遮断用バッグに関する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】従来の流体導管遮断用バッグは、一度膨張状態にした後、再び収縮状態にする際に、素材のもつ弾性復元力と予め形成された渦巻状の襞と、前記襞の巻付け形状を維持する保形部によるバッグ本体のくせ付けに頼ってバッグ本体を収縮状態に形成してあり、全体の保形性を保っていた。
【０００３】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】しかし、前記従来の流体遮断用バッグを用いる場合、予め、バッグ本体にわたって周方向に多数の襞を形成するように折り畳み、且つ横断面形状で前記多数の襞を渦巻状に巻付けた状態に形成したことによって流体導管内へのバッグ挿入作業を行う場合には、前記保形部による保形性により前記バッグ本体を棒状に保って前記流体導管内へ挿通するものであるが、この場合、流体遮断用バッグが大型である場合には、前記バッグ本体の保形性が十分ではなく、前記バッグ本体が屈曲変形して流体導管内への挿入が困難であり、また、屈曲変形を避けるために、靴べら状のガイド部材を用いてバッグ本体を棒状に保形して流体導管内へ挿入するなどしてバッグ本体を保形させつつ、挿入作業を行わねばならなかったため、その作業性が悪かった。
【０００４】また、バッグによる流体遮断作業終了後、流体導管から前記バッグを抜き出す際、膨張状態のバッグから充填された流体を排出させてバッグを縮径させて抜き出すが、その際に、バッグ本体の素材の持つ復元性とバッグ本体のくせ付けにのみ頼っていたので、くせ付け通りに復元しない場合が多く、バッグを挿入した時の保形性を完全に維持することが難しく、うまく縮径しないことがあり、その場合、流体導管に穿孔した孔から抜きにくく、無理に引き抜こうとするとバッグを損傷する虞れがあった。
【０００５】本発明の目的は、バッグ本体を流体導管内に挿入する際に、そのバッグ本体が、変形するのを防ぎ、作業性良く挿入作業を行えるようにし、かつ、バッグ内の流体を排出させる際に、膨張前の状態に縮径が良好に行われるようにする点にある。
【０００６】
【課題を解決するための手段】本発明の流体遮断用バッグの特徴構成は、バッグ本体に、保形性を有する弾性部材からなる棒状体を内装してあるとともに、前記先端部 （１ａ）に前記棒状体（８）の先端（８ａ）を内嵌して 受ける凹部（９ａ）を形成し、前記棒状体を、前記バッグ本体の先端部を前記基端部から遠ざけるように、押し操作自在に設けたことにある。好ましくは、前記先端部に前記棒状体の先端を内嵌して受ける凹部を形成してあればよく、さらに前記棒状体の先端が面取りしてあれば尚良く、さらに、前記凹部は、前記棒状体の先端を内嵌して受け止めて抜止自在に形成してあってもよく、もしくは、前記棒状体の先端は前記凹部に固定してあってもよい。また、さらに好ましくは、前記棒状体がバネ材からなり、その両端が球状に成形してあればよい。上記特徴手段および特徴構成による作用効果は次の通りである。
【０００７】
【作用】つまり、バッグ本体内の流体を排出した状態でバッグ本体内に保形性を有する弾性部材からなる棒状体を内装して、前記バッグ本体内に前記バッグ本体を棒状にするから、前記バッグ本体は高い保形性を持ち、前記流体導管に挿入する際に前記バッグ本体が屈曲変形する不都合が起きにくくなった。また、前記棒状体は、バッグ本体内に内装してある訳であるから、別途ガイド部材を用いることなく作業性良く挿入作業を行える。
【０００８】挿入作業を行い、流体遮断用バッグを流体導管中の所定の箇所に位置させ、バッグ本体内部に接続された流体給排管からバッグ本体に流体を充填すると、バッグ本体が、径方向に膨張するのに伴い、バッグ本体が長手方向に縮むから、バッグ本体の両端部が互いに近づく。その結果、膨張したバッグ本体が流体導管に内接することによって流体導管内の流体をバッグ本体の位置で遮断することができる。
【０００９】また、バッグによる管内での流体遮断作業終了後、バッグ本体内の流体を排気させるようにして、前記棒状体を押込んで、前記バッグ本体の先端部を前記基端部から遠ざけるように、押し操作すれば、前記バッグ本体の両端部の保形部はそれぞれ互いに離隔され、バッグ本体の径を縮める作用が発揮されるので、バッグ本体内部の流体は、より積極的に外方に排出され、拡径させたバッグ本体を容易に元通りに縮径させることができるとともに、両保形部の離隔作動に伴って、バッグ本体は、全周にわたって多数の襞を形成するように折り畳まれ、棒状になる。
【００１０】このとき、前記先端部に前記棒状体の先端を内嵌して受ける凹部を形成してあれば前記棒状体を押し込み操作する際の押し込み力が確実に前記先端部に伝達され、前記棒状体の先端が面取りしてあれば、その棒状体が、バッグ本体や流体供給管に突き刺さるなどして流体遮断用バッグを破損して、バッグ本体の気密性を損なうような事態を避ける事が出来る。さらに、前記凹部は、前記棒状体の先端を内嵌して受け止めて抜止自在に形成してあってもよく、もしくは、前記棒状体の先端は前記凹部に固定してあってもよく、このようにしてあれば、前記バッグ本体を流体導管から引き抜き操作する場合など、バッグ本体を再び収縮させるときに、前記棒状体による前記先端部の押し操作が容易となる。また、さらに好ましくは、前記棒状体がバネ材からなり、その両端が球状に成形してあれば上記作用に加えて、前記棒状体をバッグ本体に押し込む押し込み操作が容易になるという利点がある。
【００１１】
【発明の効果】従って、確実かつ簡単に流体導管内の所定の位置にバッグを挿入することができ、しかも、作業後にバッグを流体導管内から抜き出す際に、迅速にバッグ内の排気しながら、バッグを損傷することなく容易に抜き出すことができるので、流体導管遮断、復旧のための作業性を向上することができる。
【００１２】
【実施例】本発明の実施例を図面に基づいて説明する。図１に示すように、本発明の流体遮断方法および流体導管遮断用バッグは、例えばガス導管Ｐなどのガス導管の途中部分のある長さ範囲にわたる工事区間Ａを補修したり、取り替えるなどの補修工事をする場合に用いられるものであり、以下に、その流体遮断用バッグ、流体遮断方法の順に詳述する。
【００１３】＜流体遮断用バッグ＞本発明の流体遮断用バッグは、図３、４に示すように、柔軟性を有するゴム引き布から成ると共に、膨張状態で円筒形の素材で形成されたバッグ本体１を設け、バッグ本体１を、その全長にわたって周方向に多数の襞２を形成するように折り畳み、且つ、横断面形状で多数の襞２を渦巻状に巻付けた状態に形成し、襞２の巻付け形状を維持する第一保形部３を設け、バッグ本体１の先端部１ａにおいてバッグ本体１を密封すると共に、基端部１ｂにおいて前記襞２の巻付け形状を維持する第二保形部４を設けるとともに、その第二保形部４を介してバッグ本体１と可撓管５の一端５ａとで、前記バッグ本体１と可撓管５とを互いに連通接続してある。また、前記可撓管５の他端にはエア給排用のエア供給機７を連設できるようにしてある。そして、前記第一保形部３から前記可撓管５の内部にわたってピアノ線８を内装してある。
【００１４】〔バッグ本体〕前記バッグ本体１は、図７（イ）に示すように、ナイロン製の基布にクロロプレンゴムを引いて成形されるゴム引布を巻き、端部同士を重ねて接着して円筒状に形成してなる。
【００１５】尚、基布の縦糸はバッグ本体１の長手方向に沿わせ、横糸は筒体の周方向に沿うように配置し、更に、縦糸は横糸よりも、伸びが少なく、且つ、引張強さが大きい繊維を使用して、バッグ本体１の耐圧強度を上げてある。このバッグ本体１は、図７（ロ）に示すように、前記筒体をその全長にわたって周方向に多数の襞２を形成するように折り畳み、さらに、図７（ハ）のように、前記各襞２を横断面形状で渦巻き状となるように一方向にまきつけて棒状に形成され、その両端部１ａ、１ｂは保形部３、４をもって前記襞の巻き付け状態を保形してある。
【００１６】〔保形部〕前記保形部は、前記バッグ本体１の先端部１ａを密閉するために、硬質の栓９及び第一金属筒部材１０を設けた第一保形部３と、バッグ本体１の基端部１ｂにおいて、可撓管５とバッグ本体１とを接続するために接続管１２を設け、接続管１２との共働で前記基端部１ｂを気密的に密閉する第二金属部材を設けた第二保形部４とからなる。
【００１７】すなわち、第一保形部３においては、図５に示すように、バッグ本体１の先端部１ａからバッグ本体１の内部に金属の栓９を挿入し、バッグ本体１にゴム筒１１を被せると共に、この外周部を囲繞する第一金属筒部材１０を外嵌し、第一金属筒部材１０を外側から力を加えて加締めることにより、バッグ本体１及びゴム筒１１を前記第一金属筒部材１０の内部と前記栓９とに密接させて気密的に密封されている。
【００１８】前記栓９には、前記第一金属筒部材１０の鍔部１０ａと係合する係止部９ｃを設けるとともに、周面にはリング状の突部９ｄを設けて、前記バッグ本体１および第一金属筒部材１０の抜け止めをするとともに本体の先端部１ａを密閉するように構成し、また、前記栓９のバッグ本体（１）内側端面には凹部９ａを形成してある。
【００１９】一方、第二保形部４の構成を説明すると、図６に示すように、バッグ本体１の基端部１ｂに金属筒から成る接続管１２の先端側筒部１２ａを挿入すると共に、このバッグ本体１の基端部１ｂ外側にゴム筒１３及び第二金属筒部材１４を被せ、この第二金属筒部材１４を外側から力を加えて加締めることにより、第二金属筒部材１４を前記接続管１２の先端側筒部１２ａ側ヘ変形させて、バッグ本体１の基端部１ｂ及びゴム筒を第二金属筒部材１４及び先端側筒部１２ａとの間で弾性的に挟持すると共に、バッグ本体１及びゴム筒を第二金属筒部材１４の内面及び先端側筒部１２ａの外面に密接させて気密的に接続管１２をバッグ本体１に接続してある。
【００２０】この接続管１２の先端側筒部１２ａの外周面には、全周にわたって係止部１２ｃを突設するとともに、リング状の突部１２ｄを形成してあり、前記第二金属筒部材１４の端部より内側ヘ折曲形成された鍔部１４ａを、接続管１２の係止部１２ｃに係止して抜け止めする構成にしてある。
【００２１】さらに、前記接続管１２において、バッグ本体１とは反対側の基端側筒部１２ｂは、前記と同様にして可撓管５の一端５ａ内に挿入すると共に、可撓管５の外側に第一加締め用筒部材１５を外嵌し、その後第一加締め用筒部材１５を加締めることにより、可撓管５の端部を基端側筒部１２ｂと第一加締め用部材１５との間で挟持して可撓管５を接続管１２に気密性良く、且つ強固に接続してある。
【００２２】前記第一金属筒部材１０及び第二金属筒部材１４は、それぞれ設定荷重で塑性変形可能なスチール材で形成されている。
【００２３】また、前記第一保形部３の先端にはポリアセタール、テフロン、ナイロン等の滑りが良好で軽量な樹脂キャップ１６を被せてある。
【００２４】〔可撓管〕前記可撓管５は、ゴム又は柔軟なポリウレタンからなり、上述のように一端５ａを前記接続管１２に連通接続してバッグ本体１に、エア供給、排出自在に構成してある。
【００２５】〔ピアノ線〕前記ピアノ線８は、図３〜６に示すように、前記バッグ本体１の両保形部３、４が互いに離間した状態であっても、互いに近接した状態であっても、先端部８ａを前記凹部９ａに内嵌させた状態で、基端部８ｂが前記可撓管５内に遊嵌した状態になる長さに設定されているとともに、両端部８ａ，８ｂは他の部材を傷付けないように球状に形成してある。尚、前記ピアノ線８は表１に示す化学成分からなるバネ材からなり、２０１０〜２２１０Ｎ／ｍｍ2（２０５〜２２５ｋｇｆ／ｍｍ2）の引張強さを有する。また、前記両端部８ａ，８ｂの球状の部分は、ＪＩＳ Ｇ ３５３９（ＳＷＣＨ １０Ｒ）の冷間圧造用炭素鋼線から加工したもので、強度が２９０Ｎ／ｍｍ2（３０ｋｇｆ／ｍｍ2）以上である。
【００２６】
【表１】
【００２７】また、前記ピアノ線８は、図４に示すように、先端部８ａをバッグ本体１内における栓９の凹部９ａに内嵌するとともに、接続管１２に挿通し、基端部８ｂが前記可撓管５内に位置するように内装される。これにより、両保形部は相対的に位置決めされるので、バッグ本体１は前記ピアノ線８により棒状に保形され、バッグ本体１のみの保形性に比べて大きな保形性を発揮する。その結果、バッグ本体１の棒状の形状を維持できやすい構成となると共に、前記ピアノ線８の基端部８ｂが前記可撓管５内に遊嵌した状態になっているので、前記可撓管５の外部から前記ピアノ線８の基端部８ｂの球状部分をつかみ操作することで、前記バッグ本体１の先端部１ａを基端部１ｂから遠ざけるように押し操作自在になっている。
【００２８】＜流体遮断方法＞上記構成の流体導管遮断用バッグを、流体導管としてガス導管Ｐ内に挿入してガス導管Ｐをシールする場合について説明する。予め工事区間Ａの両端箇所近くのガス導管Ｐに孔部Ｈを穿設するとともに、その孔部Ｈを開閉容易な蓋体Ｃを取り付けておく。そして、その蓋体Ｃを覆うように図２に示すガス遮断用治具２０を取付けて、そのガス遮断用治具２０を介して前記蓋体Ｃを取外し、前記ガス導管Ｐの孔部Ｈを開口状態にすると、前記ガス遮断用治具２０によって、ガス導管Ｐからガスが洩れない状態で、前記ガス導管Ｐに流体遮断用バッグ挿入用の開口を形成できる（図２参照）。
【００２９】前記ガス遮断用治具２０は、可撓性膜体を主材とする袋２１の一面２２部分にその周囲を気密にした状態でガス導管Ｐの孔部Ｈと前記袋２１内部とを連通可能な開口部２３を設けるとともに、前記袋２１の他面２４部分に操作用孔２５を設け、前記開口部２３は、その周縁部を前記ガス導管Ｐに密着さて、気密状態に密閉可能に構成してあり、前記操作用孔２５は、前記袋２１の外部から内部に流体遮断用バッグを挿通したとしても袋２１内外を気密に保持可能に柔軟な樹脂で密封成形されている。
【００３０】上記の状態で、先ず、バッグ本体１にピアノ線８を内装し、その先端部８ａを前記凹部９ａに内嵌した状態にして流体遮断用バッグを、前記ガス遮断用治具２０を介して前記孔部Ｈから、ガス導管Ｐ内に挿入する。図２、３に示すように、バッグ本体１は通常、収縮状態で棒状になっており、可撓管５の外側からピアノ線８の基端部８ｂを握持して誘導操作することでバッグ本体１の先端側を前記孔部Ｈから前記ガス導管Ｐ内の所定位置に挿入自在となっている。
【００３１】尚、このとき、例えば流体導管遮断用バッグを水平に手で保持したとしても、前記ピアノ線８は、バッグ本体１の栓９の凹部９ａと接続管１２との間で直線性を維持するので、バッグ本体１は棒状に保形され、先端側端部の自重で下方へ折れ曲がることがなく、バッグ本体１を簡単に所定位置にまで誘導することが出来る。
【００３２】また、バッグ本体１のガス導管Ｐ内への進入時には、樹脂キャップ１６が、ガス導管Ｐ内壁面に接当しながら容易にスライド移動するのでバッグ本体１は、ガス導管Ｐとほぼ沿う姿勢になって、ガス導管Ｐの奥深い位置にまで進入しやすい。
【００３３】次に、流体給排用の可撓管５を通して空気などのバッグ充填用ガスを内部に封入することにより、前記襞２は拡がり膨張し、図４に示すように膨張してその周面がガス導管Ｐの内面に弾性密着し、もってガス導管Ｐを気密、水密的に遮断する。このとき、バッグの両端側それぞれの保形部３、４は互いに近付き、前記ピアノ線８の基端部８ｂは、可撓管５内をエア供給機７側にスライド移動するが、このとき、前記ピアノ線８の基端部８ｂは球状に形成してあるので、前記ピアノ線８により、前記可撓管５が破損するような事態が起きにくい。
【００３４】上述の操作を行い、工事区間Ａの両端側で流体が遮断されると、前記工事区間Ａでガス導管Ｐの取り替え等の作業が行われる。
【００３５】ガス導管Ｐの工事区間Ａでの作業の終了後、封入した流体を再び排出させると、前記バッグ本体１はその材質による復元力によって縮む。この時、前記可撓管５の位置を保持した状態で前記可撓管５内に位置する前記ピアノ線８の基端部８ｂを前記可撓管５の外側から握持して押し込み操作すると、その押し込み力がピアノ線８を介して前記栓９の凹部９ａに伝達され、前記バッグ本体１の先端部１ａは前記基端部１ｂから遠ざかるようにガス導管Ｐ内に押し込まれる。すると、前記バッグ本体１は、縮径して前記多数の襞２が折り畳まれて、前記バッグ本体１は流体を封入する前の棒状にになり、さらに、その形状が、前記ピアノ線８により保形された状態になる。このとき、前記ピアノ線８の先端部８ａが、バッグ本体１の収縮時に、凹部９ａから抜け落ちたとしても、前記ピアノ線８の先端部８ａは球状に形成してあるので、ピアノ線８をバッグ本体１内に押し込み操作したとしても、前記ピアノ線８が、バッグ本体１内部に突き刺さることなく、スライド移動して再び前記凹部９ａに嵌入され、バッグ本体１を破損する事態が起きにくい。
【００３６】再び棒状態となったバッグ本体１を、前記ガス導管Ｐに穿設された孔部Ｈを通じてガス導管Ｐ及びガス遮断用治具２０から流体遮断用バッグを引き抜き操作して抜き出す。この際、前記バッグ本体１は、前記ピアノ線８によって、棒状を保っているので、前記孔部Ｈに、バッグ本体１を引っ掛けて損傷する虞れが少なく、引き抜き操作を簡単に行うことが出来る。このようにして作業の終了したガス管は、前記ガス遮断用治具２０の外部から、前記孔部Ｈに蓋体Ｃを取付け操作したのち、前記ガス遮断用治具２０を取り外し、完全に復旧される。
【００３７】〔別実施例〕先の実施例では、栓９には単に凹部９ａを設けてピアノ線８の先端部８ａを内嵌して受け止める構成にしたが、ピアノ線８の先端部８ａを内嵌して受け止めて抜け止め自在に構成してもよく、さらには、ピアノ線８の先端部８ａを前記栓９に固定してあってもよい。このように構成してあれば、バッグ本体１からエアを抜いたときに、ピアノ線８の先端部８ａが前記凹部９ａから抜け落ちて前記バッグ本体１に接当する事がなく、ピアノ線８によりバッグ本体１が破損するような事態が起きない。
【００３８】また、流体導管Ｐはガス導管に限られるものではなく、水道管であってもよく、その流路には、バッグ本体の膨張によってバッグ本体と流体導管が密接したときに、内部に密封可能な流体を通じてあればよく、これらを総称して流体導管Ｐと呼ぶ。
【００３９】また、バッグ本体１に供給する流体についてもエアに限らず、他のガスであってもよいし液体であってもよい。従って、先の実施例においてエア供給機７とあるものは、これらの流体をバッグ本体に供給する流体供給機の一例である。
【００４０】また、可撓管５、接続管１２等、流体供給機から、バッグ本体１に流体を供給する管部分を総称して流体供給管と呼び、前記流体供給管の構成は先の実施例に限られるものではない。
【００４１】また、先の実施例においては鋼製のピアノ線８を用いたが、これに限らず、鋼以外の他の金属、例えばチタン、リン青銅等、あるいは、プラスチック等の高分子材料や炭素繊維などの棒状体であってもよく、要するに、保形性を有する弾性部材からなる素材であれば良く、これらを総称して棒状体８と呼ぶ。
【００４２】また、第一保形部３、第二保形部４を総称して保形部とよぶものとし、それらの構成は、先の実施例の構成に限られるものではない。
【００４３】尚、特許請求の範囲の項に図面との対照を便利にするために符号を記すが、該記入により本発明は添付図面の構成に限定されるものではない。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】ガス導管の補修作業状態を示す図
【図２】ガス遮断用治具のガス導管への取付け状態を示す図
【図３】本発明の流体遮断用バッグを示す全体図
【図４】バッグ本体を膨張させた状態の流体遮断用バッグの部分縦断側面図
【図５】第一保形部の縦断側面図
【図６】第一保形部および継手部材の縦断側面図
【図７】バッグ本体の作成手順を示す図
【符号の説明】
Ｐ 流体導管
１ バッグ本体
１ａ 先端部
１ｂ 基端部
２ 襞
３，４ 保形部
５，１２ 流体供給管
８，８ａ，８ｂ 棒状体[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for repairing an intermediate portion of an existing fluid conduit such as a gas pipe or a water pipe, or connecting an internal fluid temporarily to a new branch pipe at the intermediate portion. When performing various plumbing works that need to be cut off, the contraction state is such that the pipe is contracted so that it can be inserted into and removed from the inside of the fluid conduit from the insertion hole formed by piercing the fluid conduit, and the fluid is expanded by sealing the fluid. In addition, a fluid conduit blocking bag that can be changed into an inflated state in which its peripheral surface is elastically adhered to the inner surface of the fluid conduit over the entire circumference, and more specifically, is made of an organic polymer material having elasticity and is in an inflated state. A bag body formed in a cylindrical shape is provided, and the bag body is folded so as to form a large number of folds in the circumferential direction over its entire length, and formed in a state in which a large number of folds are spirally wound in a cross-sectional shape. And the folds Shape retaining portions for maintaining the wound state are provided at the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the bag main body, respectively. The bag main body is sealed at the distal end portion, and a fluid supply pipe for the inside of the bag main body at the base end portion. And a fluid blocking bag connected to the fluid blocking bag.
[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art A conventional fluid conduit blocking bag is configured such that when it is once inflated and then returned to a contracted state, the elastic restoring force of the material, the previously formed spiral folds, and the winding of the folds. The bag main body is formed in a contracted state by relying on the shape of the bag main body by the shape retaining portion for maintaining the attached shape, and the overall shape preservability is maintained.
[0003]
However, when the conventional fluid blocking bag is used, it is folded in advance so as to form a large number of folds in the circumferential direction over the bag body, and the large number of folds are formed in a cross-sectional shape. When the bag is inserted into the fluid conduit by being formed in a spiral shape, the bag main body is kept in a rod shape and inserted into the fluid conduit by the shape retention by the shape retaining portion. However, in this case, when the fluid blocking bag is large, the shape retention of the bag body is not sufficient, and the bag body is bent and deformed, and it is difficult to insert the bag body into the fluid conduit. Also, in order to avoid bending deformation, it is necessary to carry out the insertion work while keeping the bag body in a shape such as by holding the bag body in a rod shape using a shoehorn-shaped guide member and inserting it into the fluid conduit. Inside It was for, the work was poor.
When the bag is withdrawn from the fluid conduit after the operation of shutting off the fluid by the bag, the filled fluid is discharged from the inflated bag to reduce the diameter of the bag, and the bag body is pulled out. Because it relied only on the resilience of the material and the customization of the bag body, it often does not restore exactly as it is, it is difficult to completely maintain the shape retention when the bag is inserted, and the diameter is reduced well In such a case, it is difficult to remove the bag from the hole formed in the fluid conduit, and there is a possibility that the bag may be damaged if the forcible removal is attempted.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to prevent the bag body from being deformed when the bag body is inserted into the fluid conduit, to perform the insertion operation with good workability, and to discharge the fluid from the bag. In this case, the diameter is preferably reduced before the expansion.
[0006]
A feature of the fluid blocking bag according to the present invention is that a bag body is provided with a rod-shaped body made of an elastic member having a shape-retaining property, and the front end portion (1a) is provided in the bag body. A recess (9a) is formed to receive the distal end (8a) of the rod-shaped body (8) by being fitted thereinto, and the rod-shaped body is freely operable to push the distal end of the bag body away from the base end. It has been provided. Preferably, a concave portion may be formed at the distal end portion to receive the distal end of the rod-like body by fitting the distal end of the rod-like body, and more preferably, the distal end of the rod-like body may be chamfered. The distal end of the body may be formed so as to be fitted inside and received so as to prevent the body from being pulled out, or the distal end of the rod-shaped body may be fixed to the concave portion. More preferably, the rod-shaped body may be made of a spring material, and both ends may be formed into a spherical shape. The operation and effect of the above-mentioned characteristic means and characteristic configuration are as follows.
[0007]
In other words, a rod-shaped body made of an elastic member having shape-retaining properties is provided inside the bag main body while the fluid in the bag main body is discharged, and the bag main body is formed into a rod-like shape in the bag main body. The bag body has high shape retention, and the inconvenience that the bag body bends and deforms when inserted into the fluid conduit is less likely to occur. Further, since the rod-shaped body is provided inside the bag main body, the insertion operation can be performed with good workability without using a separate guide member.
When an insertion operation is performed to position the fluid blocking bag at a predetermined position in the fluid conduit and the bag body is filled with fluid from a fluid supply / discharge pipe connected inside the bag body, the bag body is moved in the radial direction. As the bag body expands, the bag body contracts in the longitudinal direction, so that both ends of the bag body approach each other. As a result, the fluid in the fluid conduit can be blocked at the position of the bag body by the inflated bag body being inscribed in the fluid conduit.
After the fluid shutoff operation in the tube by the bag is completed, the rod-shaped body is pushed in so as to exhaust the fluid in the bag body, and the tip of the bag body is moved away from the base end. When the push operation is performed, the shape-retaining portions at both ends of the bag body are separated from each other, and the effect of reducing the diameter of the bag body is exhibited, so that the fluid inside the bag body is more actively discharged outward. It is possible to easily reduce the diameter of the bag body whose diameter has been enlarged, and together with the separation operation of the two retaining portions, the bag body is folded so as to form a large number of folds over the entire circumference. , Become rod-shaped.
At this time, if a concave portion is formed in the distal end portion for receiving the distal end of the rod-shaped member, the pushing force at the time of pushing the rod-shaped member is reliably transmitted to the distal end portion. If the tip of the rod is chamfered, it is possible to prevent the rod from penetrating the bag body or the fluid supply pipe, thereby damaging the fluid blocking bag and impairing the airtightness of the bag body. I can do it. Further, the recess may be formed so that the tip of the rod-shaped body is fitted inside to receive and receive the bar-shaped body, or the tip of the rod-shaped body may be fixed to the recess. In this case, when the bag body is contracted again, for example, when the bag body is pulled out from the fluid conduit, the pushing operation of the tip portion by the rod-shaped body becomes easy. More preferably, if the rod-shaped body is made of a spring material and both ends are formed into a spherical shape, in addition to the above-described operation, there is an advantage that the pushing operation of pushing the rod-shaped body into the bag body becomes easy.
[0011]
As described above, the bag can be reliably and easily inserted into the predetermined position in the fluid conduit, and when the bag is removed from the fluid conduit after the operation, the bag is quickly evacuated while being evacuated. Since the bag can be easily extracted without damaging it, workability for shutting off and restoring the fluid conduit can be improved.
[0012]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid shut-off method and the fluid duct shut-off bag of the present invention repair or replace a work section A over a certain length range of a middle portion of a gas duct such as a gas duct P. It is used in the case of construction work, and the fluid blocking bag and the fluid blocking method will be described below in this order.
<Fluid Blocking Bag> As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fluid blocking bag of the present invention is made of a rubberized cloth having flexibility and formed of a cylindrical material in an inflated state. A main body 1 is provided, and the bag main body 1 is folded so as to form a large number of folds 2 in the circumferential direction over its entire length, and is formed in a state in which a large number of folds 2 are spirally wound in a cross-sectional shape. A first shape retaining portion 3 for maintaining the wound shape of the second fold 2 and sealing the bag body 1 at the distal end 1a of the bag body 1 and maintaining the wound shape of the fold 2 at the proximal end 1b. The shape retaining portion 4 is provided, and the bag body 1 and the flexible tube 5 are connected to each other via the second shape retaining portion 4 at the one end 5a of the bag body 1 and the flexible tube 5. Further, an air supply device 7 for supplying and discharging air can be connected to the other end of the flexible tube 5. A piano wire 8 is provided from the first shape retaining portion 3 to the inside of the flexible tube 5.
[Bag Body] As shown in FIG. 7 (a), the bag body 1 is formed by winding a rubber cloth formed by pulling chloroprene rubber on a nylon base cloth, and bonding the ends together. And formed into a cylindrical shape.
The warp of the base fabric is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the bag body 1, the weft is arranged along the circumferential direction of the cylinder, and the warp has less elongation and tensile strength than the weft. The pressure resistance of the bag body 1 is increased by using fibers having a large size. As shown in FIG. 7 (b), the bag body 1 folds the cylindrical body so as to form a large number of folds 2 in the circumferential direction over the entire length thereof, and further, as shown in FIG. The fold 2 is formed in a bar shape by being spirally wound in one direction so as to form a spiral cross section, and both ends 1a and 1b of the fold 2 are retained by the shape-retaining portions 3 and 4 to keep the wrapped state of the fold.
[Shape-Retaining Portion] The shape-retaining portion comprises a first shape-retaining portion 3 provided with a hard plug 9 and a first metal tubular member 10 for sealing the front end portion 1a of the bag body 1. At the base end 1b of the bag body 1, a connecting tube 12 is provided for connecting the flexible tube 5 and the bag body 1, and the base end 1b is hermetically sealed in cooperation with the connecting tube 12. A second shape retaining portion 4 provided with a bimetallic member.
That is, in the first shape retaining part 3, as shown in FIG. 5, a metal stopper 9 is inserted into the bag body 1 from the tip part 1a of the bag body 1, and the rubber cylinder 11 is inserted into the bag body 1. The first metal cylinder member 10 surrounding the outer peripheral portion is externally fitted, and the first metal cylinder member 10 is crimped by applying a force from the outside, so that the bag body 1 and the rubber cylinder 11 are fixed to the first metal cylinder member 10. The inside of the metal cylinder member 10 and the stopper 9 are closely contacted and hermetically sealed.
The stopper 9 is provided with a locking portion 9c which engages with the flange portion 10a of the first metal cylinder member 10, and a ring-shaped projection 9d is provided on the peripheral surface thereof. Further, the first metal tubular member 10 is prevented from coming off, and the distal end portion 1a of the main body is sealed, and a recess 9a is formed on the inner end face of the plug 9 inside the bag main body (1).
On the other hand, the structure of the second shape retaining portion 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the distal end side cylindrical portion 12a of the connecting tube 12 made of a metal tube is inserted into the base end portion 1b of the bag body 1. The rubber tube 13 and the second metal tube member 14 are put on the outside of the base end portion 1b of the bag main body 1, and the second metal tube member 14 is crimped by applying a force from the outside, so that the second metal tube member 14 is formed. Is deformed toward the distal end cylinder portion 12a of the connection pipe 12, and the base end portion 1b and the rubber cylinder of the bag body 1 are elastically held between the second metal cylinder member 14 and the distal end cylinder portion 12a. At the same time, the bag main body 1 and the rubber cylinder are brought into close contact with the inner surface of the second metal cylinder member 14 and the outer surface of the distal-end-side cylindrical portion 12a, so that the connection pipe 12 is air-tightly connected to the bag main body 1.
The connecting pipe 12 has an outer peripheral surface formed on the distal end side cylindrical portion 12a. The engaging portion 12c is formed to protrude over the entire circumference, and a ring-shaped protruding portion 12d is formed. A flange 14a bent to the inside from the end of 14 is locked to a locking portion 12c of the connection pipe 12 to prevent it from falling off.
Further, in the connection tube 12, the base-side cylindrical portion 12b opposite to the bag body 1 is inserted into one end 5a of the flexible tube 5 in the same manner as described above, and The first caulking tubular member 15 is externally fitted to the outside, and then the first caulking tubular member 15 is caulked, so that the end of the flexible tube 5 is brought into contact with the proximal-side tubular portion 12b for the first caulking. The flexible tube 5 is tightly connected to the connection tube 12 with good airtightness by being sandwiched between the members 15.
The first metal cylinder member 10 and the second metal cylinder member 14 are each formed of a steel material that can be plastically deformed under a set load.
The tip of the first shape retaining portion 3 is covered with a lightly slidable and lightweight resin cap 16 made of polyacetal, Teflon, nylon or the like.
[Flexible Tube] The flexible tube 5 is made of rubber or flexible polyurethane, and one end 5a thereof is connected to the connection tube 12 so that air can be freely supplied to and discharged from the bag body 1 as described above. It is composed.
[Piano Wire] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the piano wire 8 is in a state of being close to each other even if both the retaining portions 3, 4 of the bag body 1 are separated from each other. However, the length is set such that the base end portion 8b is loosely fitted in the flexible tube 5 with the distal end portion 8a being fitted inside the concave portion 9a, and both end portions 8a, 8b are provided. Is formed in a spherical shape so as not to damage other members. The piano wire 8 is made of a spring material having the chemical components shown in Table 1, and has a tensile strength of 2010 to 2210 N / mm 2 (205 to 225 kgf / mm 2 ). The spherical portions of both ends 8a and 8b are processed from a carbon steel wire for cold heading of JIS G 3539 (SWCH 10R) and have a strength of 290 N / mm 2 (30 kgf / mm 2 ) or more. .
[0026]
[Table 1]
As shown in FIG. 4, the piano wire 8 has a distal end 8a fitted in a concave portion 9a of the plug 9 in the bag body 1 and is inserted into the connecting pipe 12, and a proximal end 8b is formed. It is installed so as to be located inside the flexible tube 5. As a result, the shape-retaining portions are relatively positioned, so that the bag body 1 is shaped like a rod by the piano wire 8 and exhibits a large shape-retaining property compared to the shape-retaining property of the bag body 1 alone. As a result, the configuration is such that the rod-like shape of the bag body 1 can be easily maintained, and the base end portion 8b of the piano wire 8 is loosely fitted in the flexible tube 5, so that the flexible tube By grasping and operating the spherical portion of the base end portion 8b of the piano wire 8 from the outside of the wire 5, the distal end portion 1a of the bag body 1 can be pushed and pushed away from the base end portion 1b.
<Fluid Blocking Method> A case in which the fluid conduit blocking bag having the above-described structure is inserted as a fluid conduit into the gas conduit P to seal the gas conduit P will be described. A hole H is formed in the gas conduit P near both ends of the construction section A in advance, and a cover C that can easily open and close the hole H is attached. Then, a gas shutoff jig 20 shown in FIG. 2 is attached so as to cover the lid C, the lid C is removed via the gas shutoff jig 20, and the hole H of the gas conduit P is removed. When the gas blocking jig 20 is in the open state, an opening for inserting a fluid blocking bag can be formed in the gas conduit P without gas leaking from the gas conduit P (see FIG. 2).
The gas shutoff jig 20 is provided with a hole H of a gas conduit P and the inside of the bag 21 in a state where the periphery thereof is airtightly provided on one surface 22 of the bag 21 mainly made of a flexible film. And an operation hole 25 is provided on the other surface 24 of the bag 21. The opening 23 can be hermetically sealed by tightly contacting a peripheral portion of the opening 23 with the gas conduit P. The operation hole 25 is sealed and formed of a flexible resin so that the inside and outside of the bag 21 can be kept airtight even if a fluid blocking bag is inserted from the outside to the inside of the bag 21.
In the above state, first, the piano wire 8 is housed in the bag body 1, the tip 8a is fitted in the recess 9a, and the fluid blocking bag and the gas blocking jig 20 are mounted. Through the hole H, the gas is inserted into the gas conduit P. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bag body 1 is usually in a bar shape in a contracted state, and the bag body 1 is guided by grasping the base end 8 b of the piano wire 8 from the outside of the flexible tube 5. The tip side of the main body 1 can be freely inserted from the hole H into a predetermined position in the gas conduit P.
At this time, even if the bag for shutting off the fluid conduit is held horizontally by hand, for example, the piano wire 8 maintains linearity between the recess 9a of the plug 9 of the bag body 1 and the connection pipe 12. Since the bag body 1 is maintained, the bag body 1 is kept in a rod shape, and can be easily guided to a predetermined position without being bent downward by its own weight at the tip end side.
When the bag body 1 enters the gas conduit P, the resin cap 16 slides easily while abutting on the inner wall surface of the gas conduit P, so that the bag body 1 substantially follows the gas conduit P. It is easy to enter the position and go deep into the gas conduit P.
Next, by filling a bag filling gas such as air into the inside through a flexible tube 5 for supplying and discharging fluid, the fold 2 expands and inflates, as shown in FIG. The surface elastically adheres to the inner surface of the gas conduit P, thereby shutting off the gas conduit P in an airtight and watertight manner. At this time, the shape retaining portions 3 and 4 at both ends of the bag approach each other, and the base end portion 8b of the piano wire 8 slides inside the flexible tube 5 toward the air supply device 7; Since the base end portion 8b of the piano wire 8 is formed in a spherical shape, the piano wire 8 is less likely to damage the flexible tube 5.
When the above operation is performed and the fluid is shut off at both ends of the construction section A, work such as replacement of the gas pipe P is performed in the construction section A.
After the work in the construction section A of the gas conduit P is completed, when the enclosed fluid is discharged again, the bag body 1 contracts due to the restoring force of the material. At this time, when the base end 8b of the piano wire 8 positioned in the flexible tube 5 is gripped from the outside of the flexible tube 5 and pushed in while holding the position of the flexible tube 5, The pushing force is transmitted to the recess 9a of the plug 9 via the piano wire 8, and the distal end portion 1a of the bag body 1 is pushed into the gas conduit P so as to move away from the base end portion 1b. Then, the bag body 1 is reduced in diameter and the large number of folds 2 are folded, so that the bag body 1 becomes a rod shape before the fluid is sealed, and the shape is maintained by the piano wire 8. It will be shaped. At this time, even if the distal end portion 8a of the piano wire 8 falls out of the concave portion 9a when the bag body 1 contracts, the distal end portion 8a of the piano wire 8 is formed in a spherical shape. Even when the piano wire 8 is pushed into the main body 1, the piano wire 8 slides without being pierced into the inside of the bag main body 1 and is re-inserted into the concave portion 9 a, so that the bag main body 1 is unlikely to be damaged.
The bag body 1 again in the rod state is pulled out of the gas conduit P and the gas blocking jig 20 through the hole H formed in the gas conduit P by pulling out the fluid blocking bag. At this time, since the bag main body 1 is kept in a rod shape by the piano wire 8, there is little possibility that the bag main body 1 is hooked and damaged in the hole H, and the pull-out operation can be easily performed. . After the operation of the gas pipe is completed, the lid C is attached to the hole H from the outside of the gas shutoff jig 20, and then the gas shutoff jig 20 is removed and completely restored. Is done.
[Alternative Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the stopper 9 is simply provided with the concave portion 9a so that the distal end portion 8a of the piano wire 8 is fitted and received. It may be configured such that it can be fitted inside and received so as to prevent it from falling off. Further, the distal end portion 8a of the piano wire 8 may be fixed to the stopper 9. With this configuration, when air is extracted from the bag body 1, the front end 8a of the piano wire 8 does not fall out of the recess 9a and come into contact with the bag body 1; A situation in which the bag body 1 is damaged does not occur.
Further, the fluid conduit P is not limited to a gas conduit, but may be a water pipe. When the bag main body and the fluid conduit come into close contact with each other due to the expansion of the bag main body, the fluid conduit P is provided inside. It is only necessary to pass through a sealable fluid, and these are collectively referred to as a fluid conduit P.
The fluid supplied to the bag body 1 is not limited to air, but may be another gas or liquid. Therefore, what is referred to as the air supply device 7 in the above embodiment is an example of a fluid supply device that supplies these fluids to the bag body.
Further, pipe sections for supplying a fluid from the fluid supply device to the bag body 1, such as the flexible pipe 5 and the connection pipe 12, are collectively called a fluid supply pipe. It is not limited to the example.
In the above embodiment, the piano wire 8 made of steel was used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a metal other than steel, such as titanium, phosphor bronze, or a polymer material such as plastic, A rod-shaped body such as carbon fiber may be used. In short, any material made of an elastic member having shape-retaining properties may be used, and these are collectively referred to as a rod-shaped body 8.
Further, the first shape retaining portion 3 and the second shape retaining portion 4 are collectively referred to as a shape retaining portion, and the configuration thereof is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment.
Note that, in the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the attached drawings by the entry.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a view showing a repairing state of a gas conduit. FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where a gas blocking jig is attached to a gas conduit. FIG. 3 is an overall view showing a fluid blocking bag of the present invention. Partial longitudinal side view of the fluid blocking bag with the bag body inflated. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side view of the first shape retaining portion. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal side view of the first shape retaining portion and the joint member. ] Diagram showing the procedure for making the bag body [Explanation of reference numerals]
P Fluid conduit 1 Bag body 1a Tip 1b Base end 2 Folds 3,4 Shape-retaining portion 5,12 Fluid supply pipe 8,8a, 8b Rod
