Flexible cable

• US 4,396,797 A
• Filed: 12/21/1981
• Issued: 08/02/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Original Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Inventors: Sakuragi, Shiro, Imagawa, Kyoshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thronson, Mark John
• Application Number:
  US06/333,184
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 138/108, 138/120, 138/155, 138/110, 174/86, 174/111, 174/68 C, 285/163, 191/12 C
• US Class Current: 174/68.3
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/18 Articulated hoses, e.g. composed of a series of rings
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 57/00 Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear protection under water F16L1/123; supporting of pipes inside other pipes or sleeves F16L7/00; used in connection with end fittings of hoses F16L35/00; protection thereof during transport B65D59/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4461 Articulated
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0475 formed by a succession of articulated units
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/06 in underground tubes or conduits; Tubes or conduits therefor

Abstract

A flexible cable suitably used as a jacket or cover for an inner conduit member such as a gas conduit or a liquid conduit, a signal transmission line, or an energy transmission line, or the like, which can provide safe use of the conduit inserted thereinto by limiting the bending radius thereof. The cable includes a plurality of axially symmetrical pipe members having large and small diameter ends which are assembled with the small ends of each pipe member fitted into the large end of an adjacent pipe member and loosely fitting flexible ring members fitted over the small ends of the pipe members.

Claims

1. A flexible cable device, comprising:

a. a flexible cable, including

(1) a plurality of longitudinally axially symmetrical pipe members, each having a cylindrical large diameter end and a cylindrical small diameter end, each of said large diameter and small diameter ends having uniform internal and external diameters, the large diameter end of each of said plurality of pipe members terminating at a first and a second vertical end face at opposite axial ends thereof, the internal diameter of said large diameter end exceeding the external diameter of said small diameter end by a clearance amount P, said plurality of pipe members being assembled together along their longitudinal axes with said small diameter end of each of said plurality of pipe members being inserted into said large diameter end of an adjacent one of said plurality of pipe members so that said first and second end faces of adjacent ones of said plurality of pipe members are in confronting relation to each other, and

(2) a plurality of flexible resilient ring members, each of said pipe members having one of said plurality of ring members loosely fitted over the small diameter end thereof interposed between confronting ones of said first and second end faces so as to be engaged on opposite sides by said first and second end faces; and

b. an inner conduit member extending in said cable along its longitudinal axis;

said clearance amount P being selected such that if the cable is bent to its maximum bending curvature said inner conduit member will not be damaged.

2. A flexible cable device as in claim 1, wherein said inner conduit member comprises a signal transmission line.

3. A flexible cable device as in claim 1, wherein said inner conduit member comprises a power transmission line.

4. A flexible cable device as in claim 1, wherein said ring members have internal diameters equal to the internal diameters of said large diameter ends.

5. A flexible cable device as in claim 1, wherein the lengths of said large diameter ends and said small diameter ends are approximately equal to one half the lengths of said pipe members.