Back to results
US 6,602,574 B1Granted
Extendable, rollable member
AssigneeRolatube Technology Limited
InventorAndrew J. Daton-Lovett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An extendible, coilable member is reversibly configurable between a coiled form and an extended form. At least one surface of the member, typically an inner surface, is provided with resilient protrusions. Upon extension of the member to the extended form, the protrusions adopt a first state in which they protrude from the surface of the member. Upon rolling of the member to the coiled form, the protrusions flex so as to lie between the turns of the coiled member.
Claims14
An extendible, rollable member comprising:
- an elongated sheet member which is reversibly configurable between a rolled form and an un-rolled, longitudinally extended form, in said extended form said sheet member assuming a curled form and having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one resilient protrusion provided on at least one of said surfaces of said sheet member, each said protrusion being fixed along a length thereof to the respective surface of the sheet member along a length direction of the sheet member such that upon extension of the sheet member to the extended form, each protrusion adopts a first state in which it protrudes from the respective surface of the sheet member so as to project from a plane of the respective surface and such that upon rolling of the sheet member to the rolled form each protrusion flexes so as to lie between the turns of the rolled sheet member.
An extendible member comprising:
- an elongated sheet member which is reversibly configurable between a rolled form and an un-rolled, longitudinally extended form, in said extended form said sheet member assuming a curled form and having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one resilient sheet element, each said sheet element being fixed along a length thereof to said inner surface along a length direction thereof, and said sheet elements being resilient, whereby upon extension of the sheet member the sheet elements protrude inwards from the inner surface of the sheet member, but upon rolling of the sheet member the sheet elements flex so as to lie within the interstices of the rolled sheet member.
An extendible member comprising:
- an elongated sheet member which is reversibly configurable between a rolled form and an un-rolled, longitudinally extended form, in said extended form said sheet member assuming a curled form and having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one resilient sheet element, each said sheet element being fixed along a length thereof to said outer surface along a length direction thereof, said sheet elements being resilient, whereby upon extension of the sheet member the sheet elements protrude outwards from the outer surface of the sheet member, but upon rolling of the sheet member the sheet elements flex so as to lie within the interstices of the rolled sheet member.
An extendible member comprising:
- an elongated sheet member which is reversibly configurable between a rolled form and an un-rolled, longitudinally extended form, in said extended form said sheet member assuming a curled form and having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one resilient sheet element provided on each of said inner and outer surfaces, each said sheet element being fixed along a length thereof to said respective surface along a length direction thereof, said sheet elements being resilient, whereby upon extension of the sheet member the sheet elements protrude inwards and outwards from the surfaces of the sheet member, but upon rolling of the sheet member the sheet elements flex so as to lie within the interstices of the rolled sheet member.
An extendible member comprising:
- a first, elongated sheet member which is reversibly configurable between a rolled form and an un-rolled, longitudinally extended form, in said extended form said first sheet member assuming a curled form and having inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- at least one resilient sheet element provided on at least one of said surfaces of said first sheet member, a first longitudinal edge of at least one said sheet element being fixed to said respective surface along a length direction thereof and said sheet element extending from a plane of the respective surface upon extension of the first sheet member, a second longitudinal edge of said sheet element being attached to a second member, whereby said second member lies in the interstices of the rolled first sheet member when the first sheet member is in the rolled form, and when the first sheet member is extended to the extended form, said second member is separated from the respective surface of the first sheet member and spaced from the respective surface by the at least one resilient sheet element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.