Fluid conduit

0001The invention relates to a fluid line with a Tube having a casing made of a woven or braided fabric comprising, for its part, has at least one conductor.

0002Such fluid line is often to heat a fluid used in motor vehicles, in which low temperatures freezes or becomes viscous.

0003For example, from DE 199 15 228 A1 a generic heatable Fluid conduit for a motor vehicle braking device is known in which on an inner tube rubber is provided a middle rubber layer in which embedded a sheath forming reinforcing fabric and is surrounded by a radially outer rubber layer is. In the reinforcing fabric is an electrical woven or braided heat conductor. The production these multilayer fluid conduit is expensive.

0004The invention is based on the object, a fluid line specify the type mentioned above, which Structure is simpler.

0005According to the invention, a first solution is that the shell in the finished state of the fluid conduit tube and immediately surrounding each conductor loose in the shell is arranged.

0006This solution eliminates a middle rubber layer, in which the envelope is embedded, and embedding the the shell-forming fabric or mesh in the middle Layer. The pipe must not, as in the known Case made of rubber, but may also consist of rubber consist or another material, eg of thermoplastic Plastic or metal. The shell can therefore after completion of the pipe around it on easily be produced. simultaneously the conductor is woven or braided into the sheath will. Optionally, the sleeve and the conductor be retrofitted. With sufficient strength Cases can also be to strengthen or serve protection of the pipe. When an end of the conductor after the formation of the shell with one end of the sheath flush, but the other conductor end sufficiently wide projects from the other end of the sleeve, the conductor may be because he loosely arranged in the casing is detected in a simple manner to the protruding end and a bit shifted out of the sleeve to to provide both ends of the conductor with connections or outstanding in two conductors from the sheath to connect or withdrawn conductor ends so that results in a forward and return conductors.

0007Further, the casing, the pipe exposed to the outside surround. Optionally eliminates an outer rubber layer.

0008Another achievement of the object is inventively that each conductor forming the sheath.

0009This solution eliminates the separate training Shell and head, as the head of even the shell or the textile or fabric forms.

0010Preferably, each conductor is a heating or light guide. By means of the heating, the fluid in the tube are heated. When forming the conductor as a light guide can serve as a carrier of the head tube, the For example in a motor vehicle, so that a separate Installation or assembly of the optical fiber is eliminated.

0011The heat conductor, an electric heating wire or a be fluid conductor for a warm heating fluid. Although would a wire as heat conductors applicable, a single However filament is more easily in the production record of the fabric or braid in this. On Fluid conductor, such as a thin tube made of an elastomer, may with advantage be used when a is warm heating fluid available, eg heated cooling water in a motor vehicle. Also heated air or a hot exhaust gas would be suitable. In other applications, steam also could be used.

0012In cases where the fluid to be cooled within the tube would have, the circuit can be a coolant conductor.

0013Furthermore, it be taken that each heating conductor or coolant conductor by the material of the envelope therethrough applied locally on the tube. This results in a better heat transfer between pipe and heat conductor or coolant conductor.

0014As a light guide is a glass or plastic fiber particularly suitable. Both can designed to be flexible be to the light guide on curved paths to embarrassed.

0015Further, the entire shell of glass, plastic, Natural, carbon, mineral or metal fibers. For such fibers, the mesh or fabric leaves easy to produce.

0016Then, each manager in the textile or fabric be arranged in a straight line or wound. Especially can each conductor helically around the tube herumgewikkelt be.

0017Furthermore, each filament may be disposed in insulating be. Preferably, it is then in elongate Insulating helically arranged. Here, the Insulating a glass fiber bundle to everyone Heating wire is wound, and a heating wire and the glass fiber bundle surrounding flexible plastic layer exhibit. Such a heating element is total very flexible and can therefore during installation or Braiding or weaving are bent almost at will.

0018The tube may be smooth or corrugated, said sheath may be arranged loosely on the pipe. You can then, even with a corrugated tube, easy on the Tube move to the desired position, in particular, when it is upgraded.

0019Further, each conductor in the sheath in the longitudinal direction thereof be displaced. He then co-Diving the shell easily accessible at its ends, around him with a current, or fluid or light source connect to. Further, the tube can by combining diving the sleeve at its ends to temporarily Clamping the tube during insertion of a plug connector are exposed in the pipe end.

0020As an alternative to a completely random arrangement of the envelope on the pipe it can at at least one point be attached to the pipe. It is then subsequently no longer be moved.

0021Instead of allowing the shell externally exposed, it may also be of a protective sheath being surrounded, the thermoplastic comprises plastic and the former shell around arranged around sprayed or extruded onto it becomes. Here too, initially a part of the conductor laterally withdrawn from the first-mentioned sleeve and cut the first-mentioned sheath to the desired length be before the protective sheath applied is, so that the conductor after the application of the protective sheath are provided is exposed and with connections can, or two conductors, the ends of which are connected can to form a forward and return conductors.

0022Alternatively, in a fluid line with a tube of flexible material, in which is arranged a conductor is, through which a current for changing the temperature the fluid in the fluid conduit can be passed, the conductor disposed in a groove in the outside of the tube be. Here, you can do without the case.

0023The groove may be undercut so that the conductor in the groove can be engaged. Then does not dissolve without Another saying of the tube.

0024Also in this case the conductor may be an electrical its director, a fluid conductor or a light guide, such as they have been previously described.

0025The invention and its developments are below more preferably with reference to the accompanying drawings described exemplary embodiments. Ask Darin represents:<dl tsize="6"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a side view of a first embodiment a fluid line according to the invention,</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>the section II-II of FIG. 1,</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a side view of a second embodiment a fluid line according to the invention, </dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>the section IV-IV of FIG. 3 and</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>a side view of a third embodiment a fluid line according to the invention.</dd></dl>

0026The embodiment of the fluid conduit according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a tube 1, a surrounding the tube 1 Case 2 in the form of a braid and interwoven into the fabric heat conductor . 3

0027The tube 1 is made of plastic, preferably thermoplastic Plastic, such as nylon, but can also made of rubber or metal. but it can also be multilayer pipe. In any case, it is with respect to Hydrocarbons, such as oil, impermeable. shown is a smooth tube. However, it may also be corrugated. Preferably it is flexible.

0028The casing 2 is a fiber web of synthetic fibers, but they can also consist of glass, natural, mineral or Metal fibers. It is loosely based on the pipe 2 arranged and is in the finished state of the fluid line exposed to the outside. Furthermore, it is on the tube 2 displaced. You can therefore subsequently on the tube arranged and shifted to the desired location will. The casing 2 has a high strength, so that they the pipe 1 against excessive expansion at high Internal pressure protects. In addition, the shell is 2 abrasion. It therefore protects the pipe 1 against Abrasion. For repair purposes, they can be easily replaced. The tube 1 and the casing 2 are also recyclable.

0029The heat conductor 3 is woven into the fabric of the sheath. 2 The casing 2 may also embodied as tissue be, in which the heating conductor 3 is woven. He contains a heating wire 4, which an elongated insulating material helically surrounds. The insulating material is a fiber optic bundle, wound around the heating wire 4 is. The heating wire 4 and the glass fiber bundle surrounds a transparent, flexible plastic film, which in turn is electrically insulating. Further, the heating conductor 3 slidably in the casing. 2

0030The helical shape of the filament 4 allows the use a resistance wire having a low resistance per unit length. By helical shape of the heat conductor 3, the heating capacity per unit area of ​​the tube 1 compared with a rectilinear arrangement of the heating conductor elevated. The displacement of the heating conductor 3 in the Case 2 possible by axially compressing the Braid of the sheath 2, the pushing out end portions of the heating conductor 3 from the casing 2 when the Ends of the heating conductor 3 while cutting a sheath 2 forming portion of a longer ( "endless") Shell with the ends of the cut off sheath 2 are flush. The following compression of the sheath 2 outstanding at the ends portions of the heating conductor 3 can then stripped and the heating wire 4 with one terminal, such as the connector shown schematically 5 or a terminal provided are to the heating conductor 3 with a power source to connect. Conversely, the heating conductor 3 when his an end to one end of the sheath 2 is flush and its other end is sufficiently far removed from the other end of the sheath 2 protrudes into the shell 2 so are shifted far to one end also from the sheath 2 protrudes to a terminal provided with be able to.

0031The embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the first embodiment only characterized in that the heating conductor 3 is not helical, but rectilinear incorporated in the casing 2 and instead of a heat conductor, as in the first embodiment, two diametrically opposite provided heating element 3, either in series or can be connected in parallel, so that the heated fluid flow in the pipe 1 from both sides becomes.

0032The illustrated embodiments can in many Ways to adapt: ​​The head may alternatively be a light or fluid conductor. In a light guide can serve as the tube carrier to the optical fiber Do not mount isolated and embarrassed to have when the light guide at least substantially on the same Way as the pipe would have to be postponed. As fluid conductor it may be formed as a tube or hose, by led to a hot heating fluid or a cooling fluid becomes.

0033The shell may at least one location on the pipe, after it has been slid onto the tube, attached have been to inadvertent displacement of To prevent shell.

0034Further, the entire casing can be formed as a conductor be, either as heating, fluid or optical fiber. in this connection it comes with the same material for shell and Ladder.

0035The casing 1 may also surrounded with a protective sleeve be. These may include thermoplastic and arranged around the casing 1 around douse his or extruded onto it.

0036Then, the conductor in a groove in the outside be arranged in the pipe, wherein a sheath is omitted. The groove may be undercut so that the conductor in the groove can be engaged. In this way, the circuit be arranged in a defined position in the tube, without having the readily by itself Groove triggers. Here, the groove may be helical or straight be. Further, the head in this case also be a heating, light or fluid conductor.

0037While the conductor 3 in the embodiments according to Figs. 1 to 4 almost only point-like to those Ask can rest on the pipe 1, where a few threads the mesh of the shell 2 close together about him are carried away, as schematically illustrated in the drawings is indicated, the head 3 is in the embodiment large area on the tube 1 in FIG. 5, where among a plurality of juxtaposed he fiber bundles the shell 2 is carried away. This results better heat transfer between the pipe 1 and conductor 3, if it is this is a heat conductor or a coolant conductor is.