Pull throughs
AssigneeGalantai (Plastics) Group Limited
InventorRoderick Francis Galantai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pull through such as might be used for an endoscope where a thermoplastics monofilament substantially free of spool or coil memory has moulded thereon a desirable thermoplastic mass profile in a material of lower melting point than at least part of the filament, such melting point differential with preferably pre-heating of the filament ensuring an appropriate keying of the profile on the filament.
Claims33
A pull through comprising or including
- a filament having at least a thermoplastics surface, and
- a moulded thermoplastic mass about said filament defining a pull through profile adapted for the purpose of the pull through,
- wherein the filament is a monofilament (whether of the one material or otherwise) sufficiently stiff at ambient temperature(s) to enable its threading through a conduit, passageway or the like of a member for which it is adapted or intended for use,
- and wherein said moulded thermoplastic mass is of a material of lower melting point than at least part of said filament.
A pull through useably as endoscope cleaning apparatus said apparatus comprising or including
- an elongate member capable of being inserted in part through a conduit (e.g. an endoscope and thereafter to be pulled fully therethrough, said elongate member being at least in part of a first plastics material or first plastics materials (hereafter “first plastics material”), and
- an injection moulded form carried at and/or adjacent one end of said elongate member, said form being of a second plastics material or second plastics materials (hereafter “second plastics material”) and being such as to provide a smoothing and/or cleaning effect upon its pull through of the conduit (e.g. an endoscope) of appropriate configuration and/or dimension,
- wherein the form of said second plastics material has been injection moulded onto said first plastics material of said elongate member, the melting point of said second plastics material being less than that of said first plastics material.
A method of manufacturing a pull through, said pull through comprising or including
- a filament having at least a thermoplastics surface, and
- a moulded thermoplastic mass about said filament defining a pull through profile adapted for the purpose of the pull through,
- said method comprising or including
- providing a coil or spool feeding of a monofilament filament having at least a thermoplastic surface,
- conditioning the coil or spool feed filament at an elevated temperature whilst under axial tension so as to reduce coil or spool memory in the filament, and
- injection moulding a thermoplastic pull through profile about at least one axial zone of said filament, said injection moulding being with a molten thermoplastic capable of “keying” to the surface of the monofilament at a temperature below the melting point of the filament.
A method of claim 31 wherein the injection moulding is onto the filament whilst its surface is at an elevated temperature.
Endoscope cleaning apparatus prepared by a method in accordance with claim 31 or 32.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.