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US 4,369,814 AGranted
Flexible tubular joint
AssigneeUnderwater and Marine Equipment Limited
InventorKenneth M. Humphrey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeUnderwater and Marine Equipment Limited
InventorKenneth M. Humphrey
Estimating the term…
A joint which may be used in a diving suit includes a plurality of annular members each having a piston and cylinder portion which are coupled together whereby the connecting members are connected in series. The piston and cylinder portions define chambers which are filled with oil and each connecting member has valves which enable communication of the oil between adjacent connecting members as the joint is flexed. A slidably anchored gimbal mounting is provided for each valve in order to preserve the flexibility of the joint without impeding valve action and in order to prevent pullout of the adjacent piston and cylinder portions. The piston and cylinder portions each include inner and outer annular walls and the inside surfaces of the annular walls of the cylinder portions are spherically curved. The annular walls terminate in respective circular rims which are oppositely staggered. This facilitates assembly on the annular connecting members. A further arrangement ensures that the oil chambers in the serial chain on connecting members each receive an adequate supply of oil.
In a joint of the type comprising a plurality of annular connecting members, one of said members having an annular piston portion, an adjacent one of said members having an annular cylinder portion, said annular piston portion being coupled to said annular cylinder portion whereby adjacent one of said connecting members are connected in series, said annular piston portion and said annular cylinder portion of said adjacent connecting members defining a chamber, substantially incompressible fluid in said chamber, and at least one valve in each of said connecting members forming means for providing communication of said fluid between adjacent chambers;
A flexible tubular joint comprising at least a pair of annular connecting members, one of said members having an annular piston portion, an adjacent one of said members having an annular cylinder portion, said annular piston portion being coupled to said annular cylinder portion whereby adjacent ones of said connecting members are connected in series, said annular piston portion and said annular cylinder portion of said adjacent connecting members defining a chamber, substantially imcompressible fluid in said chamber, at least one valve being provided in each of said connecting members forming means for providing communication of said fluid between said adjacent chambers, a gimbal mounting for said valve in a respective one of said connecting members, said gimbal mounting being slidably anchored in an adjacent one of said connecting members.
A flexible tubular joint comprising annular end members, a plurality of annular connecting members, said annular connecting members being connected in series with one another and said series connection being connected to said annular end members, each of said connecting members having an annular piston portion and an annular cylinder portion, said annular piston portion of a preceding one of said annular connecting members being coupled to said annular cylinder portion of an adjacent one of said annular connecting members whereby said annular connecting members are connected in series, each of said cylinder portions having first inner and outer annular walls, inside surfaces of said first inner and outer annular walls being spherically curved, said first inner and outer annular walls also terminating in respective circular rims, each of said piston portions having corresponding second inner and outer annular walls, said second inner and outer annular walls terminating in respective circular rims, said second inner and outer annular walls also being provided with means for making slidable and sealing contact with said inside surfaces of said first inner and outer annular walls of said cylinder portion, said circular rims of said first inner and outer annular walls of said cylinder portion being axially stepped or staggered with respect to one another, said circular rims of said second inner and outer annular walls of said piston portion also being axially stepped or staggered with respect to one another, said axial stepping or staggering of said circular rims of said first inner and outer annular walls being opposite to said axial stepping or staggering of said circular rims of said second inner and outer annular walls whereby assembly of said connecting members in series is facilitated with regard to the spherical curvature of said inside surfaces of said first inner and outer walls of said cylinder portion and with regard to the required tolerances of said sliding and sealing contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.