Patent Grant
11315707
This application is a National Stage Patent Application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/035757 (filed on Sep. 11, 2019) under 35 U.S.C. § 371, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2018-170100 (filed on Sep. 11, 2018) and 2018-196737 (filed on Oct. 18, 2018), which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a long body composed of electric wires, tubes, etc. and a production method thereof.
A flat cable in which plural electric wires, tubes, etc. are parallelly arranged in a flat shape or a round cable in which plural electric wires, tubes, etc. are twisted together is used for electrically connecting a movable unit and a fixed unit of a machine tool or the like. This flat cable or round cable is provided with a covering layer on its outer surface(s) to protect it from friction caused by external stress, corrosion, or the like. In general, such a cable is, in many cases, required to be flexible and hence polyvinyl chloride (PVC), urethane, or an olefine-based resin is used as a material of the covering layer. However, since these resins contain additives such as a flame retardant, a plasticizer, and an antioxidant, a problem arises that bleeding out of the additives may cause pollution in the case where the cable is used in, for example, a clean room of a semiconductor or organic EL manufacturing machine.
A fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is used as a material of the covering layer because it is superior in, for example, cleanliness (containing no plasticizer etc.), slipperiness, heat resistance, incombustibility, chemical resistance, or electrical characteristics such as low permittivity. Patent document 1 (JP-A-2006-19125) discloses a flat cable in which a PTFE sheet or a porous PTFE sheet is used as a covering layer as a flat cable that is superior in environmental durability such as heat resistance and chemical resistance as well as in freely bendable property, bendability, flexibility, and slipperiness.
The present invention has been made in view of the above points and has an object of providing a production method of a long body that is superior in slipperiness, bendability, and flexibility and is low in pollution caused in the surroundings.
The above object is attained by a long body produced by a production method according to the invention. That is, the invention provides a method of producing a long body covered with a covering layer, wherein
the long body at least includes a plural covering targets selected from a group consisting of electric wires and tubes,
the covering layer at least includes an intermediate layer and an outermost layer,
the intermediate layer employs a resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.2 g/cm3 or more and 1.8 g/cm3 or less and having a PV1 value, which is a surface peak-to-valley value, of 5 μm or more,
the outermost layer employs a resin film having a density ρ2 of 1.2 g/cm3 or more and 2.5 g/cm3 or less,
the method comprises at least:
the following formulas (1) and (3) are satisfied in the case that a PV2 value, which is a surface peak-to-valley value, of the outermost layer is 5 μm or less, and the following formulas (2) and (3) are satisfied in the case that the PV2 value is larger than 5 μm:
PV1−PV2≥2 μm (1)
PV2−PV1>0 μm (2)
ρ2−ρ1≥0.1 g/cm3 (3).
It is preferable that the intermediate layer have a porous structure. Since the intermediate layer has the porous structure, the pores of the intermediate layer are deformed when the long body is bent, whereby a load is reduced and high flexibility is thus obtained. The term “intermediate layer” as used in the invention means a maximum thickness layer among the layers of the covering layer.
It is also preferable that the covering layer further includes a functional layer. In the case that at least one of the outermost layer and the intermediate layer is made from a fluororesin or the like, in many cases the adhesion to a counterpart material is weak. Providing an adhesive layer increases the durability of the covering layer and hence is useful. The adhesive layer may employ a hot-melt resin or the like that is lower in melting point than the resin film constituting the outermost layer or the resin film constituting the intermediate layer.
The invention can provide a long body that is superior in slipperiness, bendability, and flexibility and is low in pollution caused in the surroundings, and a production method thereof.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments to be described below are not intended to restrict the claimed invention and not every combination of features described in each embodiment is indispensable for the invention.
In the example of long body shown in
As another example of long body that is different from the one shown in
A resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.2 g/cm3 or more and 1.8 g/cm3 or less is used as the intermediate layer 112. The PV1 value of the surface of the resin film constituting the intermediate layer 112 is 5 μm or more. It is preferable that the resin constituting the intermediate layer 112 is a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinyl ether copolymer (PFA), a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE), or the like.
It is preferable that as mentioned above, the resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.2 g/cm3 or more and 1.8 g/cm3 or less is used as the intermediate layer 112, more preferably a resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.3 g/cm3 or more and 1.3 g/cm3 or less and particularly preferably a resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.4 g/cm3 or more and 1.0 g/cm3 or less. For example, the density of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin or a polyethylene (PE) resin can be controlled by processing conditions performed thereon. These resins can be worked into a porous structure by stretching. Thus, to lower the density, a porous structure composed of plural fibrils and pores formed between the fibrils can be obtained by, after the resin is molded into a sheet form, stretching the molded sheet while heating. Basically, the density is lowered by increasing the stretching ratio. In the case that stretching is performed by a single-axis stretching method in which stretching is performed from one direction, a resin film that has plural consecutive nodes and is high in physical strength can be formed. In the case that stretching is performed by a two-axis stretching method in which stretching is performed from two directions, a resin film that is lower in density can be formed, and the flexibility is increased further. The density can be also controlled by adjusting the firing temperature and time of the firing of a molded sheet and adjusting a fired state as a completely fired state, a half-fired state, or an unfired state. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to use a resin film that is worked into a porous structure through foaming at the time of extrusion molding or a resin film that is worked into a porous structure by mixing a resin and a solvent at a high temperature and then separating the mixture into two layers by lowering the temperature.
A resin film having a density ρ2 of 1.2 g/cm3 or more and 2.5 g/cm3 or less can be used in the outermost layer 113.
It is preferable that the resin constituting the outermost layer 113 is a fluororesin such as PTFE, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinyl ether copolymer (PFA), a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE), or polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) or a resin that does not contain a plasticizer such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyimide (PI). In general, a resin film having a thickness of 5 to 100 μm is used in the outermost layer 113.
In the case that the PV2 value of the surface of the resin film constituting the outermost layer 113 is 5 μm or less, resin films are used so that the PV1 value of the surface of the resin film constituting the intermediate layer 112 and the PV2 value of the surface of the resin film constituting the outermost layer 113 satisfy a relationship of PV1−PV2≥2 μm and that the density ρ2 of the resin film constituting the outermost layer 113 and the density ρ1 of the resin film constituting the intermediate layer 112 satisfy a relationship of ρ2−ρ1≥0.1 g/cm3. In the case that the PV2 value of the surface of the resin film constituting the outermost layer 113 is larger than 5 μm, resin films are used that the PV1 value and the PV2 value satisfy a relationship of PV2−PV1>0 μm and that the density ρ2 of the resin film constituting the outermost layer 113 and the density ρ1 of the resin film constituting the intermediate layer 112 satisfy a relationship of ρ2−ρ1≥0.1 g/cm3. The PV1-PV2 relationship suitable for the invention is switched at a point where the PV2 of the surface of the long body produced by the production method according to the invention is just equal to 5 μm. It is preferable that a relationship of ρ2−ρ1≥0.3 g/cm3 be satisfied, and more preferable that a relationship of ρ2−ρ1≥1.0 g/cm3 be satisfied.
The long body produced by the production method according to the invention can attain the object of the invention by the above-described constitution. While being high in flexibility, the long body can lower the degree of adhesion of foreign matters remaining on the surface of the covering layer. That is, foreign matters such as a very small amount of oil, surrounding particles, chemicals, and water in surrounding air are hard to adhere during, for example, cable handling, a process of attachment to an assembly or a machine, and operation of a machine, and can be removed easily. As a result, the long body is hard to pollute the surroundings when placed in a clean environment, and hardly generates out gas, dust particles due to wear of the long body itself, and the likes. As such, the long body as not polluting the surroundings can be obtained.
The invention will be described in more detail using Examples described below. The Examples described below are not intended to restrict the claimed invention.
<Measurement of Peak-to-Valley (PV) Value>
A measurement was performed using a white light interference microscope New View 6300 manufactured by Zygo Corporation. A white LED was used as a light source and a Gaussian filter was used for surface filtering processing. A measurement resolution in the height direction was 0.1 nm. The observation magnification was set at fifty times and a high-frequency-side cutoff frequency (filter high wavelength) and a low-frequency-side cutoff frequency (filter low wavelength) were set at 0.00250 mm and 0.80000 mm, respectively. A surface shape was measured and a peak-to-valley (PV) value was calculated. Measurement data was analyzed using analysis software: MetroPro.
<Measurement of Density ρ>
A specific weight that was measured by DENSIMETER H manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisaku-sho, Ltd. according to a collecting gas over water prescribed in JIS K 6301 was employed as a density.
<Evaluation of Cleanliness>
Foreign matter hardly adhesive property and foreign matter easily removable property were evaluated for adhesion of foreign matter to a long body. To evaluate the hardly adhesive property and easily removable property, ink was applied to the surface, and then an adhering state of ink and an amount of ink component that remained after the ink was wiped out by a cotton cloth, were checked. The ink component adhering state and an ink residual amount were evaluated in five levels. A case that no ink component adhered was evaluated to be “5”, a case that an ink component adhered slightly but was able to be removed completely by wiping-out was evaluated to be “4”, a case that an ink component adhered slightly and a trace of ink was slightly found after wiping-out was evaluated to be “3”, a case that ink adhered and a trace of ink was found after wiping-out was evaluated to be “2”, and a case that ink adhered and almost ink was not removed by wiping-out was evaluated to be “1”.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer and another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the two resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer, a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located inside the outermost layer, another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located further inside, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located still further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the four resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer, a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located inside the outermost layer, another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located further inside, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located still further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the four resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
An FEP resin film was used as an outermost layer, a PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer inside the outermost layer, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the three resin films. Covering target was prepared by twisting one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together and four FEP electric wires together. A long body was produced by winding the covering layer around the outside of the twisted covering target so as to doubly overlap, and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
A PEEK resin film was used as an outermost layer, a PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the three resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer and a PE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 1.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the two resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 1.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer and another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the two resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 2.
An FEP resin film was used as an outermost layer, a PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, each covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the three resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. Along body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 2.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer, another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the three resin films. Covering target was prepared by twisting one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together and four FEP electric wires together. A long body was produced by winding the covering layer around the outside of the twisted covering target so as to doubly overlap, and fixing the positions of the respective covering target by heating.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 2.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer, a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located inside the outermost layer, another PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer further inside, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located still further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the four resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 2.
A PEEK resin film was used as an outermost layer, a PTFE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer, and a 0.02-μm-thick FEP resin film was used as an adhesive layer located further inside. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the three resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
An evaluation result of cleanliness is shown in Table 2.
A PTFE resin film was used as an outermost layer and a PE resin film was used as an intermediate layer located inside the outermost layer. Resin films that had been cut so as to have a prescribed width were prepared. A thickness, a PV value, and a density of the resin film of each of the outermost layer or the intermediate layer were measured. Results are shown in Table 2.
Next, a covering layer was produced by laminating and heating the two resin films. Covering targets were prepared in such a manner that one FEP electric wire, one FEP electric wire, one cable obtained by twisting four PFA electric wires together, one cable obtained by twisting two PFA electric wires together, and one FEP tube were arranged horizontally. A long body was produced by disposing the covering layers over and under the arranged covering targets and fixing the positions of the respective covering targets by heating web portions.
Each Example exhibited good results, that is, was superior in bendability, flexibility, and cleanliness and the covering layer themselves of long body produced less amounts of pollutants, which means a low degree of pollution caused in the surroundings.
The long body according to the invention is superior in slipperiness, bendability, and flexibility and is low in pollution caused in the surroundings, and thus, can be used in semiconductor manufacturing machines and measurement instruments that a cleanliness is required.
100: Long body (flat shape), 110: Covering layer, 112: Intermediate layer, 113: Outermost layer, 200: Long body (round shape), 210: Covering layer.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2018-170100 | Sep 2018 | JP | national |
| JP2018-196737 | Oct 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2019/035757 | 9/11/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/054778 | 3/19/2020 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030196828 | Schilson | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20070175652 | Narumi | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20160225487 | Koeppendoerfer et al. | Aug 2016 | A1 |
| 20170103828 | Sugita | Apr 2017 | A1 |
| 20170157891 | Soda et al. | Jun 2017 | A1 |
| 20170271044 | Kondo | Sep 2017 | A1 |
| 20180053583 | Koliatene | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-019125 | Jan 2006 | JP |
| 2015-127142 | Jul 2015 | JP |
| 2016-534516 | Nov 2016 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| Jan. 13, 2021, Japanese Decision to Grant Patent issued for related JP Application No. 2018-196737. |
| Nov. 26, 2019, International Search Report issued for related PCT application No. PCT/JP2019/035757. |
| Nov. 26, 2019, International Search Opinion issued for related PCT application No. PCT/JP2019/035757. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220044846 A1 | Feb 2022 | US |
