Composite flexible conduit assembly
AssigneeBundy Corporation
InventorDelbert L. Adkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible conduit having a flexible inner tube of a polymer material, a flexible coil of wire received over said inner tube, a flexible outer jacket shrunk onto the coil, and couplings inserted into the ends of both the outer jacket and inner tube. Preferably, the outer jacket is attached to both the coil and the couplings by an adhesive. Preferably, the conduit is made by extruding the inner tube, wrapping the coil of wire around the tube as it is being extruded, telescoping the outer jacket over the coil and tube, inserting the couplings, and heating the outer jacket to shrink it into firm engagement with the coil and to initiate curing of the adhesive on the interior of the outer jacket.
Claims37
A flexible conduit comprising a flexible and elongate inner tube of a polymer material, a flexible and elongate coil of wire having a plurality of loops telescopically received over said inner tube, a flexible and elongate tubular outer jacket of a polymer material telescoped over said coil, a pair of couplings each received in one end of said outer jacket and inner tube, each of said couplings and said inner tube having a fluid tight seal therebetween so that a fluid under pressure may be retained in said inner tube and couplings, a seal between each coupling and said outer jacket, said outer jacket is a heat shrinkable polymer material and is shrunk into firm engagement with said coil of wire throughout the length of said coil, and said outer jacket and inner tube cooperate to define a dead air space between them in which said coil is received and encapsulated between them, and said coil adjacent each end overlapping in part one of said couplings and being isolated from direct contact therewith by said inner tube.
A flexible conduit comprising a flexible and elongate inner tube of a polymer material, a flexible and elongate coil of wire having a plurality of loops telescopically received over said inner tube, a flexible and elongate tubular outer jacket of a polymer material telescoped over said coil, a pair of couplings each having a barrel received in one end of said outer jacket and said inner tube with an end portion of said inner tube and said coil overlapping a first portion of said barrel and an end portion of said outer jacket overlapping both said first portion and a second portion of said barrel adjacent to said first portion of said barrel, said first portion of said barrel of at least one of said couplings has a plurality of annular rings axially spaced apart thereon and each having a tapered cross section constructed and arranged to firmly engage said inner tube to resist removal of said barrel therefrom, each of said coupling and said inner tube having a fluid tight seal therebetween so that a fluid under pressure may be retained in said inner tube and couplings, a seal between each coupling and said outer jacket, and said outer jacket and inner tube cooperating to define a dead air space between them in which said coil is received, and said coil adjacent each end overlapping in part one of said couplings and being isolated from direct contact therewith by said inner tube.
A flexible conduit comprising a flexible and elongate inner tube of a polymer material, a flexible and elongate coil of wire having a plurality of loops telescopically received over said inner tube, a flexible and elongate tubular outer jacket of a polymer material telescoped over said coil, a pair of couplings having a barrel received in one end of said outer jacket and said inner tube with an end portion of said inner tube and said coil overlapping a first portion of said barrel and an end portion of said outer jacket overlapping both said first portion and a second portion of said barrel adjacent to said first portion of said barrel, said barrel of at least one of said couplings has a bulbous ring thereon having a maximum diameter greater than the inside diameter of said inner tube and is received in said inner tube to resist removal of said barrel therefrom, an end of said coil is immediately adjacent said bulbous ring and said coil does not extend over and beyond said bulbous ring, each of said couplings and said inner tube having a fluid tight seal therebetween so that a fluid under pressure may be retained in said inner tube and couplings, a seal between each coupling and said outer jacket, and said outer jacket and inner tube cooperating to define a dead air space between them in which said coil is received, and said coil adjacent each end overlapping in part one of said couplings and being isolated from direct contact therewith by said inner tube.
A flexible conduit comprising a flexible and elongate inner tube of a polymer material, a flexible and elongate coil of wire having a plurality of loops telescopically received over said inner tube, a flexible and elongate tubular outer jacket of a polymer material telescoped over said coil, a pair of couplings having a barrel received in one end of said outer jacket and said inner tube with an end portion of said inner tube and said coil overlapping a first portion of said barrel and an end portion of said outer jacket overlapping both said first portion and a second portion of said barrel adjacent to said first portion of said barrel, said first portion of said barrel of at least one of said couplings has at least one bulbous annulus with a maximum outside diameter greater than the inside diameter of said inner tube, said bulbous annulus having a pitch which corresponds substantially to the pitch of said loops of wire of said coil, and said bulbous annulus is substantially in line with the space between two adjacent loops of wire of said coil to restrain removal of its associated barrel from said inner tube, each of said couplings and said inner tube having a fluid tight seal therebetween so that a fluid under pressure may be retained in said inner tube and couplings, a seal between each coupling and said outer jacket, and said outer jacket and inner tube cooperating to define a dead air space between them in which said coil is received, and said coil adjacent each end overlapping in part one of said couplings and being isolated from direct contact therewith by said inner tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.