Spiral advancing and retreating operation device, belt member for tubular telescopic body, and method for manufacturing belt member for tubular telescopic body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379019-B2
Application number	US-202318500117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2023
Priority date	Dec 7, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

The spiral advancing and retreating operation device forms a tubular telescopic body by spirally wrapping a first belt member and a second belt member disposed inside the first belt member around a common axis line in an overlapping manner in a state in which the first belt member and the second belt member are displaced from each other in a direction of the axis line, in which the first belt member includes a first row of engagement protrusions and a second row of engagement protrusions, the second belt member includes a first row of engagement parts and a second row of engagement parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spiral advancing and retreating operation device, comprising:
a tubular telescopic body formed by spirally wrapping a first belt member and a second belt member disposed inside the first belt member around a common axis line in an overlapping manner in a state in which the first belt member and the second belt member are displaced from each other in a direction of the common axis line, wherein
the first belt member comprises a first row of engagement protrusions and a second row of engagement protrusions formed of a plurality of engagement protrusions that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the first belt member and are convex toward the common axis line,
the second belt member comprises a first row of engagement parts and a second row of engagement parts formed of a plurality of engagement parts disposed in a longitudinal direction of the second belt member,
the plurality of engagement parts is configured in such a way that the plurality of engagement protrusions can be detachably engaged therewith in a state in which the first belt member and the second belt member are spirally wrapped in the overlapping manner, and
a part of the first belt member whose rigidity is higher than another surrounding part of the first belt member is curved into a cylindrical shape that corresponds to the tubular telescopic body.

2. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first belt member comprises a flat belt part and a belt part with engagement protrusions alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the first belt member,
the belt part with engagement protrusions comprises
one of the engagement protrusions in the first row of engagement protrusions, and
one of the engagement protrusions in the second row of engagement protrusions, and

the part of the first belt member whose rigidity is higher than the another surrounding part of the first belt member is the belt part with engagement protrusions.

3. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 2 , wherein
the belt part with engagement protrusions is tilted by a predetermined angle with respect to a short-length direction of the first belt member.

4. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 2 , wherein
the part of the first belt member whose rigidity is higher than the another surrounding part of the first belt member includes
a first part including one of the engagement protrusions in the first row of engagement protrusions of the belt part with engagement protrusions, and
a second part including one of the engagement protrusions in the second row of engagement protrusions of the belt part with engagement protrusions.

5. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 1 , wherein
a radius of the cylindrical shape is equal to or larger than a radius of the tubular telescopic body.

6. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 5 , wherein
the radius of the cylindrical shape becomes larger as a distance from the plurality of engagement protrusions increases in the longitudinal direction of the first belt member.

7. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of engagement protrusions includes hollow protrusion parts that are integrally formed in the first belt member.

8. The spiral advancing and retreating operation device according to claim 7 , wherein
the hollow protrusion parts are hollow conical trapezoidal protrusion parts.

9. A belt member being a first belt member or a second belt member of a spiral advancing and retreating operation device, the spiral advancing and retreating operation device having a tubular telescopic body formed by spirally wrapping the first belt member and the second belt member disposed inside the first belt member around a common axis line in an overlapping manner in a state in which the first belt member and the second belt member are displaced from each other in a direction of the common axis line, the belt member comprising:
a first row of protrusions and a second row of protrusions formed of a plurality of protrusions that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the belt member and are convex toward the common axis line, wherein
a part of the belt member whose rigidity is higher than another surrounding part of the belt member is curved into a cylindrical shape that corresponds to the tubular telescopic body.

10. A method of manufacturing a belt member,
the belt member being a first belt member or a second belt member of a spiral advancing and retreating operation device,
the spiral advancing and retreating operation device having a tubular telescopic body formed by spirally wrapping the first belt member and the second belt member disposed inside the first belt member around a common axis line in an overlapping manner in a state in which the first belt member and the second belt member are displaced from each other in a direction of the common axis line,
the belt member including a first row of protrusions and a second row of protrusions formed of a plurality of protrusions that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the belt member and are convex toward the common axis line, and
a part of the belt member whose rigidity is higher than another surrounding part of the belt member being curved into a cylindrical shape that corresponds to the tubular telescopic body,
the method comprising:
performing press forming on the belt member using
a first mold including a first protruding mold part that corresponds to the plurality of protrusions and a second protruding mold part that corresponds to the cylindrical shape, and
a second mold including a first recessed mold part that corresponds to the first protruding mold part and a second recessed mold part that corresponds to the second protruding mold part, whereby the plurality of protrusions and the cylindrical shape are concurrently formed.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inoshita Hirofumi
• Kojima Satoshi

Classifications

• B21D22/02

  Stamping using rigid devices or tools · CPC title

• B21D35/002

  Processes combined with methods covered by groups B21D1/00 - B21D31/00 · CPC title

• B21D19/088

  for flanging holes · CPC title

• B21D11/07

  Making serpentine-shaped articles by bending essentially in one plane · CPC title

• F16H19/0663 Primary

  with telescopic means, e.g. for supporting or shielding the reciprocating member · CPC title