U.S. patent application number 10/356181 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-05 for rolled tube fabrication method.
Invention is credited to Huang, Yih Ren.
Application Number | 20040148992 10/356181 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32770733 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040148992 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang, Yih Ren |
August 5, 2004 |
Rolled tube fabrication method
Abstract
A rolled tube fabrication method of making a rolled tube by:
cutting a surface-treated metal sheet material subject to the
desired size, and then bending the two opposite lateral side edges
of the surface-treated metal sheet material into a respective
hooked portion, and then forcing the two hooked portions of the
surface-treated metal sheet material to hook each other, and then
roller-ramming the hooked area of the surface-treated metal sheet
material so as to obtain a finished rolled tube.
Inventors: |
Huang, Yih Ren; (Sanchung,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PRO-TECHTOR INTERNATIONAL
20775 Norada Court
Saratoga
CA
95070-3018
US
|
Family ID: |
32770733 |
Appl. No.: |
10/356181 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21C 37/101
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
072/051 |
International
Class: |
B21D 051/28 |
Claims
What the invention claimed is:
1. A rolled tube fabrication method comprising the steps of a)
selecting a surface-treated metal sheet material and cutting the
selected surface-treated metal sheet material subject to a
predetermined size; b) bending the selected surface-treated metal
sheet material to form two hooked portions at two opposite lateral
sides of the selected surface-treated metal sheet material; c)
forcing the hooked portions of the selected surface-treated metal
sheet material to hook up each other; and d) roller-ramming the
hooked area of the hooked portions of the selected surface-treated
metal sheet material.
2. The rolled tube fabrication method as claimed in claim 1,
further comprising a sub-step of covering said hooked portions with
a layer of glue before forcing said hooked portions to hook up each
other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the fabrication of rolled
tubes and, more particularly, to a simple, economic rolled tube
fabrication method, which eliminates the process of welding.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventionally, a rolled tube is made, as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, by rolling up a metal sheet material A into a tubular shape,
and then sealing the abutted edges of the tubular metal sheet
material with a welding apparatus, and then adhering the surface of
the tube with a layer of covering or spray-painting/electroplating
the surface of the tube with a layer of coating. This rolled tube
fabrication method has numerous drawbacks as follows:
[0005] 1. Due to complicated processing procedure, the
manufacturing cost of this method is high.
[0006] 2. Because the abutted edges of the tubular metal sheet
material are welded together, the welded area must be cleaned or
polished before the covering layer bonding, spray-painting or
electroplating process, and the roundness control of the tube is
difficult to maintain.
[0007] 3. The surface treatment can only be employed to the outer
surface of the tube, and the inner surface of the tube cannot be
well treated with a surface treatment.
[0008] 4. Because a welding process is necessary, the selected
metal sheet material must have a certain wall thickness. If a thin
metal sheet material is used, the flame of the welding apparatus
used may cut through the wall of the metal sheet material during
welding. Further, when a thin metal sheet material is used and
rolled into a tube, the rolled tube can easily be deformed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present
invention to provide a rolled tube fabrication method, which
eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is another object of the
present invention to provide a rolled tube fabrication method,
which is practical and economic for making rolled tubes for use in
blind fabrication. According to one aspect of the present
invention, a surface-treated metal sheet material is used and cut
subject to the desired size, and then the two distal side edges of
the surface-treated metal sheet material are bent into a respective
hooked portion, and then the two hooked portions of the
surface-treated metal sheet material are respectively coated with a
layer of glue and then hooked up, and then the hooked area of the
surface-treated metal sheet material is roller-rammed, and thus a
finished rolled tube is obtained. According to another aspect of
the present invention, a bonding agent is applied to gaps in the
hooked area before roller ramming. According to still another
aspect of the present invention, the roller-rammed area of the
rolled tube forms a rib that enhances the structural strength of
the rolled tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rolled tube made
according to the prior art.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a rolled tube fabrication
flow according to the prior art.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, hooked portions of the
metal sheet material hooked together according to the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a rolled tube fabrication
flow according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a finished rolled tube
made according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 5A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 5A and 5B, a metal sheet material
10 is selected, and then a surface treatment is employed to the
metal sheet material 10. The surface treatment can be any of a
variety of conventional methods. For example, the two sides of the
selected metal sheet material can be respectively bonded with a
respective layer of covering material, spray-painted with a
respective layer of coating, or electroplated. The surface treated
metal sheet material is then cut subject to the desired size, and
then the two distal side edges of the surface treated metal sheet
material are respectively turned downwards and then backwards, or
upwards and then backwards, forming a respective hooked portion,
and then the hooked portions are respectively coated with a layer
of glue, and then the surface treated metal sheet material is
rolled into the shape of a tube for enabling the two hooked
portions to be hooked together. Thus, a semi-finished tube is
obtained (see FIG. 3). Thereafter, the connected hooked portions of
the semi-finished tube are roller-rammed into a flat structure (see
FIGS. 5A and 5B).
[0017] While only one embodiment of the present invention has been
shown and described, it will be understood that various
modifications could be made thereunto without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.
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