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US 6,854,768 B2Granted
Fluid conduits and method of manufacturing same
AssigneeInnatech, LLC
InventorJack E. Elder
Life of this patent
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AssigneeInnatech, LLC
InventorJack E. Elder
Estimating the term…
A continuous flexible conduit is formed from like-configured components, each having a male joint member and a female joint member with a passageway extending therethrough. The female joint member is over-molded about a corresponding male joint member to form a substantially fluid-tight articulating joint. In a method of producing the flexible conduit, a single-shot molding process is used to form each like-configured component, with each newly formed component indexed within the single-shot mold so that the male joint member is within the female mold cavity for the formation of the next component. In an alternative embodiment, a continuous conduit is formed of two different sets of like configured components—one set having only female joint members and the other set having only male joint members. A two-shot molding process is described for continuous production of the flexible conduit using these two sets of components.
A flexible conduit comprising a plurality of like-configured components, each of said components including a male member, a female member overmoldingly secured to a male member of an immediately adjacent one of said plurality of components, and a passageway extending between said male member and said female member.
A flexible conduit comprising:
A flexible conduit comprising a plurality of like-configured components, each of said components including a male member having a maximum outer diameter, a female member pivotally secured to a male member of an immediately adjacent one of said plurality of components, wheerin said female member is overmoldingly secured to said male member to define a close running fit therebetween, the female member having an end opening having an aperture diameter, the male member disposed in part within the end opening, wherein the maximum diameter exceeds the aperture diameter by an amount such that moving the maximum diameter through the aperture causes plastic deformation of at least one of the female member and the male member, the flexible conduit further comprising a passageway extending between said male member and said female member.
A flexible conduit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.