Partially adhered tube and methods and apparatus for manufacturing same

A method for forming a tube, comprising:

• wrapping one or more plies around an axis so that an outer surface of a structural ply of the one or more plies confronts an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is:
• part of the structural ply, or
• part of a second ply of the one or more plies;
• and
• adhering the outer surface and the inner surface to one another while the outer surface and the inner surface confront another and extend around the axis, with the adhering including arranging the adhesive in a predetermined pattern so that:
• only a predetermined percentage of the outer surface is substantially adhered to the inner surface, with the predetermined percentage being substantially less than 100% and large enough so that the outer surface is substantially securely attached to the inner surface,
• the predetermined pattern includes a plurality of stripes of the adhesive, and
• the plurality of stripes of the adhesive includes at least three stripes of the adhesive, wherein the arranging of the plurality of stripes of the adhesive includes forming at least one of the stripes of the adhesive, and the forming of the one of the stripes of the adhesive includes forming a plurality of initial adhesive stripes and then spreading the plurality of initial adhesive stripes so that the initial adhesive stripes merge together and form the one of the stripes of the adhesive.

A tube, comprising:

• a plurality of plies helically wrapped around an axis of the tube and adhered together with adhesive, the plies including at least a structural ply, a second structural ply, a third ply, and a fourth ply, the adhesive adhering an outer surface of the structural ply to an inner surface of the second structural ply, adhering an outer surface of the third ply to an inner surface of the structural ply, and adhering an inner surface of the fourth ply to an outer surface of the second structural ply, wherein:
• the adhesive between the structural ply and the second structural ply is arranged in a predetermined pattern so that only a predetermined percentage of the outer surface of the structural ply is substantially adhered to the inner surface of the second structural ply,
• the predetermined percentage is substantially less than 100% and large enough so that the outer surface of the structural ply is substantially securely attached to the inner surface of the second structural ply, and
• the predetermined pattern includes at least three stripes of the adhesive.

A method for forming a tube, comprising:

• wrapping a plurality of plies helically around an axis one upon another, the plies including at least a structural ply, a second structural ply, a third ply, and a fourth ply;
• adhering an outer surface of the structural ply to an inner surface of the second structural ply with an adhesive, adhering the third ply to an inner surface of the structural ply with an adhesive, and adhering the fourth ply to an outer surface of the second structural ply with an adhesive;
• the adhering including arranging the adhesive between the structural ply and the second structural ply in a predetermined pattern so that:
• only a predetermined percentage of the outer surface of the structural ply is substantially adhered to the inner surface of the second structural ply, with the predetermined percentage being substantially less than 100% and large enough so that the outer surface of the structural ply is substantially securely attached to the inner surface of the second structural ply,
• the predetermined pattern includes a plurality of stripes of the adhesive, and
• the plurality of stripes of the adhesive includes at least three stripes of the adhesive.

A tube, comprising:

• a plurality of plies wrapped around an axis of the tube and adhered together with adhesive, the plies including at least a first ply, a second ply, and a third ply, the adhesive adhering an outer surface of the first ply to an inner surface of the second ply, the adhesive adhering an outer surface of the third ply to an inner surface of the first ply, wherein:
• the adhesive between the first ply and the second ply is arranged in a predetermined pattern so that only a predetermined percentage of the outer surface of the first ply is substantially adhered to the inner surface of the second ply, and the predetermined percentage is substantially less than 100% and large enough so that the outer surface of the first ply is substantially securely attached to the inner surface of the second ply;
• and
• the adhesive between the first ply and the third ply is arranged in a predetermined pattern so that only a predetermined percentage of the inner surface of the first ply is substantially adhered to the outer surface of the third ply, and the predetermined percentage is substantially less than 100% and large enough so that the inner surface of the first ply is substantially securely attached to the outer surface of the third ply.