US 2014/0331458 A1Published application

Hose clamp and method of manufacturing the same

AssigneeTogo Seisakusyo Corporation

InventorTakehiko Ozawa

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Abstract

The pinching operation is facilitated. A hose clamp (H1) is formed by bending a strip-like plate material (1) into a ring-like configuration, and includes a first end portion (5) having a first pinching operation surface (9), and a second end portion (6) having a second pinching operation surface (15). A through-hole (7) is open near the center in the longitudinal direction of the first pinching operation surface (9). At the time of bending into ring-like configuration, expansion regions (19) arranged at both side portions in the width direction of the second pinching operation surface (15) are folded at folding edges (20) with respect to a proximal region (18), whereby the second pinching operation surface (15) is narrowed in the width direction and can enter the through-hole (7). After bending into ring-like configuration, the expansion regions (19) are unfolded at the folding edges (20) and regain a widened state.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A hose clamp which is formed into a ring-like shape by bending a strip-like plate material so as to cause it to cross itself in a peripheral plane to thereby form a tightening portion and which can tighten a connection portion between a hose and a mating member thereof by means of this tightening portion, the hose clamp comprising:

a first end portion arranged at one longitudinal end side and having a first pinching operation surface at an end portion thereof;
and
a second end portion arranged at the other longitudinal end side and having at an end portion thereof a second pinching operation surface opposite the first pinching operation surface,
wherein at least one of the first pinching operation surface and the second pinching operation surface is formed by:
a proximal region not including a portion interfering with the first end portion or the second end portion constituting a mating side when the plate material is bent into a ring-like shape along an X-axis constituting a center axis extending along the longitudinal direction thereof, and
an expansion region including a portion interfering with the first end portion or the second end portion constituting the mating side when the plate material is bent along the X-axis into the ring-like shape;
and,
there is formed, between the proximal region and the expansion region, at least one of a folding edge allowing folding of the expansion region to a non-interference position where it does not interfere with the first end portion or the second end portion constituting the mating side when the plate material is bent along the X-axis, and a connection edge for connecting the expansion region formed separately from the proximal region.

5 more elements

A hose clamp manufacturing method in which a strip-like plate material is bent into a ring-like configuration so as to cross itself in a peripheral plane to tighten a connection portion between a hose and a mating member thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

an outer width adjustment step in which both end portion sides of the plate material are formed as a first end portion and a second end portion;
a first pinching operation surface and a second pinching operation surface are formed at respective distal end portions of the first end portion and the second end portion, and a passed portion is formed nearer to the center in the longitudinal direction than the pinching operation surface of at least one of the two pinching operation surfaces;
and, prior to the bending of the plate material along an X-axis that is a center axis along the longitudinal direction thereof into an annular configuration, at least the other of the two pinching operation surfaces is shaped in an interference avoiding form exhibiting an outer width dimension not involving interference with a portion around the passed portion;
a tightening portion forming step in which the plate material is bent into an annular configuration along the X-axis, with the center in the longitudinal direction thereof being at the lowermost point, and at least the other of the two pinching operation surfaces is caused to pass the passed portion, whereby the first end portion and the second end portion are caused to cross each other in the peripheral plane to form a tightening portion capable of deformation so as to be reduced and increased in diameter;
and
a width enlarging step in which, after the tightening portion forming step, at least the other of the two pinching operation surfaces is worked into an enlarged-width form in which it is expanded in the width direction.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.