Patent Abstract:
A tubular product has a tubular base layer, a tubular innermost layer made of plastic by continuous extrusion, and a tubular tie layer of foamed plastic between and adhered to the base layer and the innermost layer. The tie layer is made of melt processable adhesion plastic, is extruded simultaneously with the innermost layer against the base layer, and has better adhesions to the base and innermost layers than the base and innermost layers have to each other.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a division of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/981,219, which is International Application PCT/FI 96/00359 filed Jun. 20, 1996. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a tubular product comprising at least three layers, a base layer, an innermost layer made of plastic by continuous extrusion, the base layer and the innermost layer having poor adhesion to each other, and a tie layer between the base layer and the innermost layer. 
   The invention further relates to an extrusion apparatus comprising means for extruding a multilayer parison comprising at least an inner plastic layer and a tie layer. 
   The invention also relates to an extrusion method wherein a multilayer parison comprising at least an inner plastic layer and a tie layer is extruded. 
   In this type of extrusion apparatus, pressures are high and mechanical stresses are great in the nozzle section, i.e. in the area of the central extrusion conduit. The present structures also needlessly prevent some of the possibilities of use of the apparatus. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback. The tubular product according to the invention is mainly characterized in that tie layer is of foamed material at least in one intermediate layer. 
   Further, the extrusion apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the tie layer of foamed material and that the apparatus is arranged inside a tubular base layer and comprises an expanding madrel for forcing the inner layer and the tie layer against the base layer. 
   Also, the extrusion method according to the invention is characterized in that the tie layer of foamed material and that the plastic layer and the tie layer of foamed material are extruded inside a tubular base layer and forced against the base layer by an expanding mandrel. 
   With the nozzle construction according to the invention which expands outwards and in which the feed gap enlarges after it has contracted, the pressure acting on the structures of the extrusion apparatus can be considerably balanced, i.e. the apparatus can be made more durable. 
   Also, especially if the feed gap opens on the outer circumference of the extrusion apparatus or near it, it is highly preferable that an actuator provided for each rotor and the means of the actuator driving the rotor are placed at the back of the extrusion apparatus in such a way that the actuator is positioned in the radial direction of the extrusion apparatus within the outlines determined by the other components of the extrusion apparatus. In such a case, the extrusion apparatus can be easily made such that the nozzle section determines the outer dimensions of the entire extrusion apparatus in the radial direction, whereupon the possibilities of use of the apparatus increase considerably. 
   A new possibility presents itself for example when the extrusion apparatus is connected to operate together with a corrugator used for preparing for example corrugated pipes, and the extrusion apparatus can be placed inside the corrugator altogether. At present, material must be fed into the corrugator with a long nozzle, so that the material travels in the apparatus for a long time and a great amount of stabilizer is needed. When used with a corrugator, the extrusion apparatus can also be formed with a double cone structure in order to manufacture a two-layer corrugated pipe. 
   Placing the actuator(s) at the back of the extrusion apparatus also enables the use of the apparatus at the rear of a hole-making machine for example underground, whereupon the extrusion apparatus is arranged to prepare a plastic pipe in the hole made by the machine. The fact that it is very easy to construct the conical extruder in such a way that there is a considerable hole through the extruder makes the connection to the hole-making machine easy. Another new possibility results from the fact that the extrusion apparatus can also be used for coating e.g. steel pipes from the inside. In such a case, the inner surface of a steel pipe can be simultaneously coated with thermally insulating adhesion plastic and with an inner layer made of for example PEX placed inside the adhesion plastic. Such pipes can be joined for example with a cross-linked plastic sleeve. 
   In all embodiments where the actuators are situated at the back of the extrusion apparatus, the supply of the plastic material to the apparatus must naturally also be arranged from the rear. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional side view of a simple embodiment of an extrusion apparatus provided with a radially expanding nozzle section, 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of an extrusion apparatus where the rotating mechanisms for the rotors are placed at the back of the extrusion apparatus, 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a third extrusion apparatus placed inside a corrugator, 
       FIG. 4  shows a detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 3 , 
       FIG. 5  shows an extrusion apparatus moving at the rear of an underground hole-making machine and preparing a plastic pipe in the hole made by the machine, 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a pipe coated with the apparatus of  FIG. 5 , 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of a fourth extrusion apparatus according to the invention, 
       FIG. 8  shows a detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 7 , 
       FIG. 9  shows the coating of a pipe from the outside and the inside with two different extrusion apparatuses, and 
       FIG. 10  shows the coating of a pipe positioned in place from the inside with an extrusion apparatus, 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a simple extrusion apparatus for extruding plastic material, in which case the plastic material is fed into the apparatus either in a fixed, preferably powdery or granular, form or either entirely or partly melted. This extrusion apparatus comprises an outer stator  1 , a rotor  2 , an inner stator  6 , an annular feed gap  3  situated between the outer stator  1  and the rotor  2 , and correspondingly another annular feed gap  3  situated between the inner stator  6  and the rotor  2  for the plastic material to be extruded, and an actuator  5  for rotating the rotor  2 . 
   The rotor  2  is conical, and the surfaces of the stators  1  and  6  are conical at least on the side of the rotor  2 , i.e. at least the inner surface of the outer stator  1  and the outer surface of the inner stator  6  are conical. The actuator  5  comprises a motor and for example a pinion system or a gear system. The motor may be for example a hydraulic motor, an electric motor or some other motor that is known per se and that is suitable for the purpose. Hydraulic drive is particularly advantageous for example when the extrusion apparatus is used in connection with an underground hole-making machine, in which case the hole-making machine and the extrusion apparatus may share the power supply. If the actuator  5  comprises a gear system, the speed of rotation of the rotor  2  can be adjusted with the system in a desired manner. On the other hand, for example when an electric motor is used the gear system is not necessary, since the speed of rotation of the rotor  2  can be regulated easily by adjusting the speed of rotation of the motor in a manner known per se. 
   The extruder further comprises a supply conduit  7  along which the material to be extruded can be fed into the feed gap  3 . The material to be fed into the supply conduit  7  is supplied by a feeding device  8 . The feeding device  8  can be for example a feed screw, a pump or some other device known per se. With the feeding device, the flow rate of the material to be fed into the supply conduit can be adjusted. The material to be supplied can be conducted from the supply conduit  7  to the feed gap  3  between the outer stator  1  and the rotor  2 . The rotor  2  further comprises openings  9  via which some of the material situated in the supply conduit  7  can flow into the interior of the rotor  2  into the feed gap  3  between the inner stator  6  and the rotor  2 . It is also possible to use separate supply conduits and feeding devices for separately feeding the material to be supplied into the exterior and interior of the rotor  2  in a manner known per se. When the rotor  2  is rotated, the material to be extruded flows in the direction of flow A in the extrusion apparatus by the action of grooves provided in the rotor  2  and/or in the stators. For the sake of clarity, these grooves are not shown in the figure. 
   The diameter of the annular feed gap  3  decreases at first continuously in the direction of flow A of the plastic material to be extruded, and the feed gap comprises firstly a feed zone  3   a , then a melting zone  3   b  and at the end a compression zone  3   c  in the aforementioned direction of flow A. After the rotor  2 , the feed gaps  3  provided on different sides of the rotor  2  come together as one feed gap  3 . In order to balance the pressures P and the stresses, the diameter of the central feed gap  3  correspondingly increases continuously at a section of the length of the gap in the direction of flow A of the plastic material to be extruded after the feed gaps  3  from the different sides of the rotor  2  have come together as one feed gap  3 . In this exemplary embodiment, the diameter of the feed gap  3  increases linearly immediately after the rotor  2 , and the end section of the gap has a constant diameter, i.e. the gap is parallel with the central axis of the extrusion apparatus. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a second extrusion apparatus according to the invention. The reference numerals in  FIG. 2  correspond to those in  FIG. 1 . The extruder according to  FIG. 2  comprises two conical rotors, an outer rotor  2   a  being placed between an outer stator  1  and an intermediate stator  10  and an inner rotor  2   b  being placed between an inner stator  6  and the intermediate stator  10 . For the sake of clarity, the figure does not show grooves provided in the rotors and/or the stators. An actuator  5  is arranged to rotate the rotors  2   a  and  2   b . The speeds of rotation of the rotors  2   a  and  2   b  can be adjusted differently, if desired, and/or their speeds of rotation can be made adjustable independently of each other. Material is supplied to feed gaps  3  situated on the outside and inside of the outer rotor  2   a  by means of a supply conduit  7  and a feeding device  8 . Correspondingly, material is supplied to the interior of the inner rotor  2   b  and via openings  13  to the exterior of the rotor by means of a second supply conduit  11  and a second feeding device  12 . 
   The feed gap  3  opens on the outer circumference of the extrusion apparatus. The actuator  5  and the feeding devices  8  and  12  are placed at the back of the extrusion apparatus in such a way that they are positioned in the radial direction of the extrusion apparatus within the outlines determined by the outermost point of the feed gap  3  of the extrusion apparatus, this outer circumference being denoted in the accompanying figure by Øu. 
     FIG. 3  shows a third extrusion apparatus according to the invention placed inside a corrugator. The reference numerals in  FIG. 3  correspond to those in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The corrugator comprises chill moulds  14  that move forward and that have a grooved inner surface against which the plastic mass  15  is pressed in order to prepare ribbed pipe. Since the structure of the corrugator is known per se, it will not be discussed in greater detail in this connection. The feeding device  8  and the actuator  5  for rotating the rotor  2  are placed at the back of the extrusion apparatus in such a way that they are positioned in the radial direction inside the outermost part of the feed gap  3 , i.e. inside the outer circumference Øu. The extrusion apparatus can then be placed inside the corrugator, and there is no need for long nozzles where the plastic mass  15  easily cools too much before arriving at the grooves of the chill moulds  14 . The initial section of the rotor  2  has the shape of a tapering cone and the end section of the rotor has the shape of an expanding cone. The rotor  2  thus forms on each side separate feed gaps  3  that extend to the outer circumference Øu of the extrusion apparatus. The rotor  2  comprises grooves  4  that transport the material to be extruded out from the extruder. However, at the end of the rotor  2  there is a smooth area comprising no grooves. The material to be extruded thus forms a smooth flow and comprises substantially no seams produced by the grooves. Further, the groove-free area produces and maintains a helical orientation field. This orientation is frozen into the product when the parison to be extruded meets the chill moulds. 
   At the bottoms of the grooves of the chill moulds  14 , there are suction ducts  16  the suction of which ensures that the plastic mass  15  reaches all the way to the bottom of the grooves of the chill moulds  14 . Further, by suitably conducting the material flows of the plastic mass  15  flowing on different sides of the rotor  2 , it is possible to produce a pipe comprising openings  17  at the grooves of the chill moulds. The extrusion apparatus further comprises a mandrel  18 , and the plastic pipe is formed as the chill moulds  14  and the mandrel  18  press the plastic pipe preform from different sides. 
     FIG. 4  shows a detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 3 . The reference numerals in  FIG. 4  correspond to those in  FIGS. 1 to 3 .  FIG. 4  shows clearly how the apparatus produces an opening  17  in the corrugated pipe. The plastic mass flows  15   a  and  15   b  are conducted in such a way that the plastic pipe to be extruded will comprise two layers. Instead of the suction ducts  16 , the opening  17  could be formed by means of blowing that is arranged to blow air or some other suitable gas through the rotor  2  in order to produce the opening  17 . 
     FIG. 5  shows schematically an extrusion apparatus according to the invention placed in connection with an underground hole-making machine. The hole-making machine  20  is arranged to make a hole in the soil  21 . The extrusion apparatus  19  in turn is arranged to move in connection with the hole-making machine  20  and to simultaneously produce a plastic pipe  22  in the hole made by the hole-making machine  20 . The control and actuator connections  23  of the hole-making machine  20  can be made to pass through the hollow extrusion apparatus  19 . For the sake of capacity,  FIG. 5  does not show the means required for moving the hole-making machine  20  and the extrusion apparatus  19 . 
     FIG. 6  shows a steel pipe which is coated with plastic from the inside and in which the layer situated against the steel  24  is thermally insulating adhesion plastic  25  and the second layer is cross-linked polyethylene, i.e. meltingly extruded PEX  26 . The adhesion plastic  25  can be for example grafted polyethylene. The adhesion plastic  25  is preferably foamed. When the steel pipe is coated from the inside, the coating plastic is hot in the beginning so that its diameter remains large, whereas when the plastic cools the diameter of the plastic layer tends to decrease. The foamed adhesion plastic  25  sticks to the surface of the steel pipe but allows the inside to shrink. In such a case, the foam bubbles stretch in the radial direction, i.e. the foam bubbles are oriented radially, which increases the strength of the pipe. The foamed adhesion plastic  25  comprises preferably at least 10%, most preferably about 25%, of fine filling agent, such as calcium carbonate. The elastic modulus of the foam can thus be made high, i.e. the structure will be strong. Further, the foamed adhesion plastic  25  is very good heat insulator against the PEX  25 . On the other hand, when a steel pipe is coated from the inside, the orientation of the plastic pressed inside can be frozen efficiently, since the steel pipe cools the pipe effectively from the outside. When steel pipes coated in this manner are to be joined together, for example a cross-linked plastic sleeve  27  that is compressed and warmed in place can be used. The cross-lined plastic sleeve  27  tends to return to the size of the diameter preceding the compression, and the expansion is provided by means of heating. The joint will then be extremely tight. It is also possible to use for the joint a sleeve  28  that is provided in the outside with mastic or some other adhesive with which the sleeve  28  can be made to stick to the pipe. Electrofusion can also be used. At the outside of the joint, it is possible to place a clamping collar  29  that is made of a strong material and that can be positioned to rest on a metal casing, such as steel  24 . The clamping collar  29  receives axial tensile forces. The joint can also be implemented by welding, so that the adhesion plastic  25  acts as a good heat insulator against the innermost layer. The coating of steel pipes can be realized by applying the principle shown in  FIG. 5 . Other metal pipes and concrete pipes can also be coated in a similar manner. 
     FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an extrusion apparatus according to the invention. The reference numerals in  FIG. 7  correspond to those of  FIGS. 1 to 6 . The extrusion apparatus of  FIG. 7  comprises one fixed stator, an intermediate stator  10 . At the outside of the stator there is a rotatable outer rotor  2   a  and at the inside there is a rotatable inner rotor  2   b . The surface of the intermediate stator  10  on the side of the outer rotor  2   a  is conical and correspondingly the surface of the outer rotor  2   a  on the side of the intermediate stator  10  is conical. The intermediate stator  10  comprises grooves  4  that transport the material to be extruded between the intermediate stator  10  and the outer rotor  2   a  out of the extrusion apparatus as the outer rotor  2   a  rotates. According to a corresponding principle, the inner rotor  2   b  comprises grooves that transport the plastic material to be extruded out of the extrusion apparatus as the inner rotor  2   b  rotates. For the sake of clarity, the accompanying figure only shows an actuator  5  rotating the outer rotor  2   a . For the inner rotor  2   b  there may be one or several actuators. It is also possible to place one common actuator to rotate both the outer rotor  2   a  and the inner rotor  2   b , whereupon each rotor is rotated by the same pinion so that the rotors naturally rotate in opposite directions. If each rotor has its own actuator, the directions of rotation of the rotors can naturally be selected to be the same or opposite. The inner rotor  2   b  is followed by a rotatable expansion cone  30 . The expansion cone  30  is rotated with a rotating means  31 . With the rotating means  31  the expansion cone  30  can be rotated either at the same or a different speed with the inner rotor  2   b  in the same or different direction according to the desired orientation. The extrusion apparatus according to the invention is arranged to prepare the innermost pipe of a multilayer pipe and the apparatus comprises means for producing the outer layer of the pipe, the means preparing the outer layer by winding a strip  32  spirally into a pipe. These means are not shown in the figure for the sake of clarity. The extrusion apparatus of  FIG. 7  makes the plastic mass  15  of the inner pipe move in a rotating manner so that the layers can be caused to stick together very well. The mandrel  18  may also be cooled, so that as the strip  32  and the mandrel  18  cool the plastic mass  15 , the orientation of the mass can be frozen very efficiently. The strip  32  may be made of for example glass fibre or it may be a polypropylene strip oriented in one direction. 
   The strip  32  preferably consists of an outer electrode layer  32   a , an insulating layer  32   b  and an inner electrode layer  32   c . The outer electrode layer  32   a  can be made of for example electrically conductive plastic or aluminium foil. The insulating layer  32   b  can be for example sintered or normal foamed plastic the cells of which comprise for example a filler. The foamed plastic is preferably contains holes so that for example air passes through it. The inner electrode layer  32   c  can have a similar structure as the outer electrode layer  32   a . The above-described manner provides a pipe that can be used for example in such a way that as a nail passes through the pipe, a short circuit occurs between the electrode layers and the pipe warns the user of a serious breakdown. The pipe can be used for example as a gas pipe inside a building. On the other hand, a potential difference can be created between the electrode layers, whereupon as the surface of the pipe is pressed in some place for example by a stone, the change in the potential difference of the insulating layers can be detected by a voltmeter. The application, of the pipe is useful for example when laying the pipe in the ground, and for example problems caused by an excessive traffic load can be taken into account in such a situation. In the same way, it is possible to detect an excessive increase of the pressure inside the pipe. The alarm levels of the pipe can be determined easily by adjusting the outside ring stiffness of the pipe with respect to the inside stiffness and to the hardness of the foam. On the other hand, when the pipe is used as a ventilation or a soil and waste pipe inside a building, noise of the sewer in the pipe can be detected and a counter-wave can be correspondingly produced in the outside to muffle the noise occurring in the pipe. Further, it is possible to use the outer surface to produce a sound, for example a warning signal. The potential difference between the electrode layers can also be used as a moisture barrier, so that water molecules cannot corrode the surface of the pipe. Correspondingly, when the insulating layer becomes damp, it affects the potential difference, wherefore the pipe can be used as a sensor for locating leakages for example in district heating pipes. The strength of the pipe is also excellent for example when aluminium is used for the electrode layer. The electrode layers can naturally be used for example for electrically heating or for locating the pipe, since for example aluminium can be easily detected from the ground by means of e.g. a metal detector. On the other hand, sound signals can also be supplied to the electrodes and the audible sound can be used to facilitate the location. The insulating or insulation foam layer situated between the electrodes can also be modified for example with carbon black so that it is partially conductive, whereupon the compression of the insulator directly affects for example the potential difference. The application for use in sprinklers is also possible since the fast warming of the metal foil affects the electric connection between the films. Due to its great strength originating from the combination of metal and oriented plastic and the possibilities of using alarm signals, the pipe is also applicable for offshore gas and oil pipes and for large trunk lines, for instance. It seems possible that by feeding high-frequency oscillation into a pair of electrodes, bacterial growth on the outer and/or inner surface of the pipe can be prevented. 
   The electrode layers can be positioned in such a way that the outer electrode layer  32   a  is more rigid, whereupon the pipe reacts mainly to signals arriving from the inside, or in such a way that the inner electrode layer is more rigid, whereupon the pipe reacts mostly to signals from the outside. 
   The apparatus of  FIG. 7  can also be arranged to rotate as a whole by mounting the extrusion apparatus in bearings from the end so that it rotates, whereupon for example the accumulation of tolerances can be avoided in the manufacture of films. In this case, the material of the tubular product comes out from the extruder rotating, and naturally the haul-off must be of rotating type too. There may be wedges  43  outside the apparatus, the outer rotor  2   a  being moved in the radial direction by means of the wedges. In this way, the thickness of the outer layer of the plastic material  15  produced by the apparatus can be adjusted. The rotating cone  30  can be made axially movable, whereupon by changing the place of the rotating cone  30  it is possible to adjust the thickness of the inner layer of the material  15  to be extruded. By feeding the material to be extruded with separate supply conduits to different sides of the intermediate stator  10 , the material flow can be adjusted by means of the feeding devices so that the material flows to be supplied to each side determine the thicknesses of the different layers. The outer rotor  2   a , the inner rotor  2   b  and the expansion cone  30  preferably rotate in the same direction, whereupon the plastic material to be extruded is wound tightly together with the strip  32  to be supplied and the pipe to be extruded will form an even construction. The intermediate stator  10  comprises electric resistors  44 , whereupon the material to be extruded can be heated mainly from the middle of the material through the intermediate stator  10 , so that the heating can be realized effectively. 
     FIG. 8  shows a detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 7 . The reference numerals in  FIG. 8  correspond to those in  FIGS. 1 to 7 . In the case of  FIG. 8 , instead of the strip  32 , an aluminium strip  33  is supplied to form the outer layer. The aluminium strip  33  can be attached to the adjacent aluminium profile in the spiral formed by the strip for example by means of a continuous weld, spot welding or gluing or in some other manner known per se. The aluminium strip  33  may also comprise grooves as shown in  FIG. 8 . In such a case, the diameter Ør of the outermost supply flow of the mass  15  to be supplied is made preferably greater than the smallest inner diameter ØAl of the aluminium profile  33 , whereupon the compression of the plastic mass  15  to the bottom of the grooves can be ensured and a very strong aluminium-coated plastic pipe can be manufactured. Instead of a flat aluminium profile, the profile can be of plastic material having e.g. a hollow square cross-section which will greatly enhance the ring stiffness of the pipe. This type of stiff pipe with an inside liner oriented with tensile strength can be used for example in pressure sewage applications. 
     FIG. 9  shows yet another application of an extrusion apparatus according to the invention. The reference numerals in  FIG. 9  correspond to those in  FIGS. 1 to 8 . A plastic layer is supplied by the extrusion apparatus  19  to the interior of the pipe to be made of the aluminium strip  33 . A plastic layer  35  is then supplied on the aluminium pipe with a second extrusion apparatus that is conical. The pipe to be prepared is pulled with a pulling device  36  in such a way that the plastic layer supplied with the extrusion apparatus  34  sticks to the surface of the pipe at a distance from the extrusion apparatus  34 . The pulling device  36  can be rotatably connected. The pulling of the pipe to be prepared succeeds, since due to the layer made of aluminium or some other metal, the pipe stands stretching well. Axial orientation is thus produced in the plastic layer  35 . The extrusion apparatus  19  provides inside the aluminium pipe a plastic layer comprising a circumferential orientation. A pipe is thus obtained that comprises an aluminium layer and inside the aluminium layer there is a circumferentially and/or axially oriented plastic layer and outside there is an axially oriented plastic layer, wherefore the resulting pipe is very strong. 
     FIG. 10  schematically shows the use of an extrusion apparatus according to the invention for coating sewage pipes from the inside. The devices required can be installed underground for the interior coating of a sewage pipe  38  via a first drain pit  37   a  and a second drain pit  37   b . The extrusion apparatus  19  is moved in the sewage pipe  38  by pulling it with a cable wire  39 . The cable wire  39  is wound on a reel  40 . The cable wire  39  is guided by means of control rolls  41 . In the case of  FIG. 10 , the extrusion apparatus  19  is first pulled by the cable wire  39  near the first drain pit  37   a . The extrusion apparatus is then set into action to produce a plastic pipe  22  and it is pulled with the cable wire  39  towards the second drain pit  37   b . The supply of the material and energy to the extrusion apparatus  19  can be realized along a duct  42  from a unit situated on the ground. The extrusion apparatus  19  can naturally also be placed in such a way that it prepares the plastic pipe  22  in the opposite direction as viewed in  FIG. 10 . 
   The invention is described above by means of only a few preferred embodiments. It is clear for a person skilled in the art, however, that the invention is not restricted to the above examples, but the different embodiments of the invention may vary within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the simplest form of the extrusion apparatus comprises only one fixed stator and one rotatable rotor between which there is a conical feed gap. The method and the apparatus according to the invention can naturally also be used for preparing for example oriented films or high-pressure pipes or hoses.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1