Tubes and their manufacture
AssigneeSmiths Group PLC
InventorsSimon Neame, louis Woo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An end fitting (31) is formed at the patient end of an inner cannula (3) for a tracheostomy tube (1) by punching small holes (33) close to one end (34) of an ePTFE shaft (30). The end is then swaged to form an expanded region (30′) and a preformed tubular insert (40) of a thermoplastic material is inserted to cover the holes (33) on the inside. An outer part (46) of the same thermoplastic material is then overmoulded on the outside of the shaft 30 so that its material (47) flows through the holes (33) and bonds with the inner insert (40), thereby securing the inner and outer parts together around the end of the shaft.
Claims17
1-13. (canceled)
A tube having a shaft and an end fitting attached with the shaft at one end, characterized in that the shaft has an opening formed through the wall of the shaft close to the one end, that a cylindrical inner component extends over the inside of the opening within the one end, that a separate outer component extends over the outside of the opening on the outside of the shaft, and that material extends between the outer and inner components through the opening so that the outer component is bonded to the inner component via the opening.
A method of manufacture of a tube including the steps of providing a tubular shaft, forming an opening through the wall of the shaft close to one end, providing separate inner and outer tubular components extending over the opening respectively on the inside and outside of the shaft, and causing material to extend through the opening between the inner and outer tubular components to bond them with one another.
A method of manufacture of a tube including the steps of providing a tubular shaft, forming an opening through the wall of the shaft close to one end, inserting an tubular inner component in the one end of the shaft to cover the inner end of the opening, and molding over the outside of the one end of the shaft a tubular outer component so that the material of the outer part flows through the opening and bonds with the inner component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.