Tubing product having a helical support bead with lumen and method

Abstract

A helically wound and helically ribbed plastic tubing incorporating one or plural support beads with at least one of the support beads defining one or plural helical lumens. The support bead is free of joints or bonding lines extending between the lumen(s) and ambient so that the lumen is free of unintended fluid communication between the lumen and ambient, and the lumen is capable of transporting or containing gaseous or fluid materials without leakage. The support bead may encapsulate an electrical conductor, which may be a heating wire for the purpose of providing a heat source to fluid flow in the central passage of the tubing product. Alternatively, the electrical conductor may be an energy or signal conducting element suited for sensing purposes or data transmission along a length of the tubing, for example. A lumen termination fitting may connect to the tubing. Apparatus and methods for making the tubing product are also disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.