US 12,680,632 B2Granted

Flexible tube assembly

AssigneeTofle Co., Inc.

InventorsKatsutoshi Nakano, Toshikuni Ishii, Takeo Nozaki

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Abstract

A flexible tube assembly includes a metal tube having large diameter portions and small diameter portions positioned alternately along a longitudinal axis of the metal tube; a wire braiding mounted around the metal tube; a first ring fitted in one of the small diameter portions of the metal tube; a second ring positioned to secure the wire braiding around the first ring; a first annular member and a second annular member positioned on opposite sides of the first ring and the second ring, the first annular member and the second annular member being configured to be assembled by approaching toward each other along the longitudinal axis and, in an assembled condition, at least one of the first annular member and the second annular member surrounds cut wire ends of the wire braiding unexposed.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A flexible tube assembly, comprising:

a metal tube comprising large diameter portions and small diameter portions positioned alternately along a longitudinal axis of the metal tube;
a wire braiding mounted around the metal tube;
a mechanism mounted on one end of the meal tube and associated one end of the wire braiding to connect the one end of the metal tube with the associated one end of the wire braiding;
wherein the mechanism comprises
a first ring positioned between the metal tube and the wire braiding and fitted in one of the small diameter portions of the metal tube;
a second ring positioned around the first ring and the wire braiding to secure the wire braiding around the first ring;
a first annular member and a second annular member positioned on opposite sides of the first ring and the second ring with respect to a direction along a longitudinal axis of the metal tube, the first annular member and the second annular member being configured to be assembled with each other by approaching toward each other along the longitudinal axis and, in an assembled condition, at least one of the first annular member and the second annular member surrounds cut wire ends of the wire braiding unexposed;
wherein
the first annular member comprises a first engagement portion and the second annular member comprises a second engagement portion,
the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion being configured such that, in the assembled condition, the first engagement portion engages the second engagement portion and the at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion surrounds the cut wire ends of the wire braiding unexposed;
and
the second annular member comprises
an annular recess extending around the longitudinal axis, and
an annular projection defined in a surface defining the annular recess, the annular projection defining the second engagement portion;
and
the first annular member comprises
an annular portion extending around the longitudinal axis, and
a plurality of elastically deformable portions configured to elastically engage with the annular projection in the assembled condition, the elastically deformable portion defining the first engagement portion.

15 more elements

A flexible tube assembly, comprising:

a metal tube comprising
a first end and a second end,
a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end, and
large diameter portions and small diameter portions positioned alternately along the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end;
a first ring fitted in one of the small diameter portions adjacent the first end of the metal tube;
a wire braiding mounted around substantially an entire length of the metal tube and around the first ring;
a second ring mounted on a first end portion of the wire braiding mounted around the first ring to secure the first end portion of the wire braiding on the first ring;
and
a first annular member and a second annular member positioned on opposite sides of the first ring and the second ring with respect to a direction along the longitudinal axis, the first annular member and the second annular member being configured to be assembled with each other by approaching toward each other along the longitudinal axis and, in an assembled condition, at least one of the first annular member and the second annular member surrounds the first end portion of the wire braiding such that cut ends of wires of the first end portion of the wire braiding are unexposed;
wherein
the first annular member is disposed on a first side of the first ring and the second ring, close to the first end of the metal tube, with respect to a direction along the longitudinal axis;
the second annular member is disposed on a second side of the first ring and the second ring, away from the first end of the metal tube than the first side;
and
in the assembled condition, the first annular member surrounds the first end of the wire braiding;
and
the second ring comprises portions configured to press the one end portion of the wire braiding on a peripheral surface portion and a radial surface portion of the first ring to hold the one end of the wire braiding between the first ring and the second ring.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/511,561Filed 16 Nov 2023
Published: US 2025/0164043 A122 May 2025
Granted: 14 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

F16L 11/15
Made of rigid material, e.g. metal or hard plastics: corrugated
F16L 27/1012
Comprising a flexible connection only: flanged joints
F16L 27/1085
The sleeve having the form of a bellows with only one corrugation: the bellows being externally or internally reinforced
F16L 23/0286
The flanges being held against a shoulder: the shoulder not being formed from the pipe