Adjustable tubular wall structure for connectors and the like

• US 4,927,191 A
• Filed: 02/02/1987
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oatey Company (CRWS, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mikol, Erwin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US07/009,671
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 92/34, 92/42, 92/47, D 9/302, D 9/442, 222/398, 222/527, 222/576, 222/526, 222/566, 239/33, 239/588, 138/121, 206/218, 285/226
• US Class Current: 285/226
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/111 with homogeneous wall
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/11 the sleeve having the form of a bellows with multiple corrugations

Abstract

An adjustable tubular wall structure, which may be cylindrical or tapered, comprises a tubular body of asymmetrical accordion-folded pleats. Each pleat is defined by a thrust cone wall segment and a Belleville washer-like wall segment. The Belleville washer-like wall segments of each pleat are proportioned to be snap shifted through the articulation of the thrust cone of the next adjacent pleat, and thus shorten or lengthen the tubular body. Similar partial snap shifting of the individual Belleville washer-like wall segments provides for angulating the tubular body. The tubular structure is stable in its adjusted position, both at its ends and lengthwise of same. Tapered tubular structures may be integrally molded into a container to serve as a collapsible pouring spout.

Claims

1. A tapered tubular wall structure for tubular conduits and the like, said wall structure comprising:

a tapered tubular body of pleated accordion fold configuration formed from a semi-rigid resiliently flexible material of substantially uniform gauge to define an encompassing wall of tapered tubular configuration that has a longitudinal central axis extending centrally and longitudinally of same;

said wall being formed to define along said central axis alternating thrust cone wall segments and Belleville washer-like wall segments of gradually diminishing inside and outside diameter integrally connected consecutively along the length of said pleated section;

said thrust cone wall segments defining a wide end portion at one end and a narrow end portion at the other end, said wall segments being spherically contoured;

said Belleville washer-like wall segments defining a wide end portion at one end and a narrow end portion at the other end, said wall segments being spherically contoured;

with each of said pleats each comprising a thrust cone wall segment and a Belleville washer-like wall segment integrally connected at their respective narrow end portions to define annular articulations therebetween and form the roots of the pleats;

with the wide end portion of each Belleville washer-like wall segment of each pleat being integral with the wide end portion of the thrust cone wall segment of the next consecutive pleat to form the crowns of the pleats;

said crowns of said pleats each respectively lying in a plane that extends normally of said axis and defining a radially outwardly distensible annular articulation between the Belleville washer-like wall segment and the thrust cone wall segment, said wide ends integrally connected thereat in circumambient relation thereabout for resiliently resisting distension of said crown radially outwardly thereof in the plane of the crown;

said Belleville washer-like wall segment of each pleat being proportioned to be wholly snap shifted through the said plane at the articulation between same and the thrust cone wall segment of the next adjacent pleat for disposing said pleats in contracted, nested relation and extended relation axially of said body;

with the respective pleats in their extended relations each having the said thrust cone wall segment thereof disposed relative to said Belleville washer-like wall segment thereof such that said other end of said thrust cone segment is disposed substantially 90°

of said other end of said Belleville washer-like wall segment thereof annularly about said root of the respective pleats;

said proportioning of said Belleville washer-like wall segment at the respective pleats accommodating snap shifting of one side only of said other end of same through said plane thereof at the said articulation thereof within and in stabilized seating relation against the thrust cone wall segment of the said next adjacent pleat, for disposing said thrust cone wall segment thereof in angled relation to such next adjacent pleat thrust cone wall segment; and

whereby said tubular body is stable in and may be preset, prior to use, in its said extended relation, contracted, nested relation and angled relation.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said crowns of said pleats are asymmetrical in configuration.

3. The wall structure set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the thrust cone wall segments of each pleat are proportioned to extend axially of said central axis approximately twice the corresponding amount that said Belleville washer wall segments extend.

4. The wall structure set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubular body includes a flexing loci at said roots and said crowns of said pleats with said wall segments being in thrust transmitting relation therebetween.

5. The wall structure set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said protuberances are grooved internally of said wall structure;

said protuberances each being of substantially like dimensions in relation to said wall structure.

6. A container having an integral, tapered pouring spout, said container comprising:

a spout adapted to contract into a concentric nesting configuration and adapted to extend to an elongated configuration which may be positioned into selected, stable altituds, said spout comprising;

a tapered tubular body of pleated accordion-fold configuration formed from a semi-rigid resiliently flexible material of substantially uniform gauge to define an encompassing wall of tapered tubular configuration that has a longitudinal central axis extending centrally and longitudinally of same;

said wall being formed to define along said central axis alternating thrust cone wall segments and Belleville washer-like wall segments of gradually diminishing inside and outside diameter integrally connected consecutively along the length of said pleated section;

said thrust cone wall segments defining a wide end portion at one end and a narrow end portion at the other end, said wall segments being spherically contoured;

said Belleville washer-like wall segments defining a wide end portion at one end and a narrow end portion at the other end, said wall segments being spherically contoured;

with each of said pleats each comprising a thrust cone wall segment and a Belleville washer-like wall segment integrally connected at their respective narrow end portions to define annular articulations therebetween and form the roots of the pleats;

with the wide end portion of each Belleville washer-like wall segment of each pleat being integral with the wide end portion of the thrust cone wall segment of the next consecutive pleat to form the crowns of the pleats;

said crowns of said pleats each respectively lying in a plane that extends normally of said axis and defining a radially outwardly distensible annular articulation between the Belleville washer-like wall segment and the thrust cone wall segment, said wide ends integrally connected thereat in cirumambient relation thereabout for resiliently resisting distension of said crown radially outwardly thereof in the plane of the crown;

said Belleville washer-like wall segment of each pleat being proportioned to be wholly snap shifted through the said plane at the articulation between same and the thrust cone wall segment of the next adjacent pleat for disposing said pleats in contracted, nested relation and extended relation axially of said body;

with the respective pleats in their extended relations each having the said thrust cone wall segment thereof disposed relative to said Belleville washer-like wall segment thereof such that said other end of said thrust cone segment is disposed substantially 90°

of said other end of said Belleville washer-like wall segment thereof annularly about said root of the respective pleats;

said proportioning of said Belleville washer-like wall segment at the respective pleats accommodating snap shifting of one side only of said other end of same through said plane thereof at the said articulation thereof within and in stabilized seating relation against the thrust cone wall segment of the said next adjacent pleat, for disposing said thrust cone wall segment thereof in angled relation to such next adjacent pleat thrust cone wall segment; and

whereby said tubular body is stable in and may be preset, prior to use, in its said extended relation, contracted, nested relation and angled relation.