Flexible tube, and method for manufacturing same

• US 6,565,507 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Masanori, Kamata, Kouichi, Muraki, Kouichi, Akiba, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schopfer, Kenneth G
• Application Number:
  US09/950,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 600/153, 600/139, 600/140, 600/144, 604/523, 604/524, 428/34.1, 428/34.6, 428/34.7, 428/35.7, 428/35.9, 428/36.9, 428/36.91
• US Class Current: 600/153
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/009 after shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/09 Articles with cross-sections having partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. pipes or channels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/10 flexible, e.g. blown foils
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/151 Coating hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/385 using several sheets to form the circumference
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/50 using internal forming surfaces, e.g. mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/562 spirally
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/68 with rotatable winding feed member
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 61/006 the force created by the liberation of the internal stresses being used for compression moulding or for pressing preformed material
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 23/001 Pipes; Pipe joints pleated hoses B29D23/18
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/12 containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0836 : Knitted fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2305/00 : Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 : Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0049 : Heat shrinkable
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0067 : non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0073 : smooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/007 : Medical tubes other than catheters catheters B29L2031/7542
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/085 : comprising one or more braided layers in combination with layers of a helically wound core or wire F16L11/088

Abstract

A flexible tube having a laminated multi-layer structure including an outer layer composed of a main tube body layer formed of thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness and a reinforcing layer provided on the inner side of the main tube body layer, and an inner layer formed of a thin film sheet of air tight and low friction material. The inner layer is formed by rolling an elongated strip of a thin film sheet into a tubular form such that opposite lateral sides of the thin film sheet are overlapped one on the other to provide a thick wall portion extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of the inner layer.

Claims

1. A flexible tube, comprising:

an outer layer including a main tube body layer formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness, and a reinforcing layer provided integrally on the inner side of said main tube body layer; and

an inner layer formed of a thin film of air tight and low friction material provided on the inner side of said reinforcing layer;

said inner layer being formed by rolling a thin film into a tubular form in such a way that opposite sides of said thin film are overlapped one on the other to a predetermined degree to form a thick wall portion of a predetermined width extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of said inner layer.

2. A flexible tube as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner layer is formed of a thin film substantially of uniform thickness rolled on itself by one turn until one lateral side of said thin film is overlapped on the other lateral side to a predetermined degree to formed a thick wall portion of a predetermined width extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of said inner layer.

3. A flexible tube as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner layer is formed of a thin film substantially of uniform thickness rolled on itself by a plural number turns.

7. A flexible tube as defined in claim 1 or 4, wherein said main tube body layer is formed of at least one member selected from a group consisting of urethane resin, nylon and polyethylene, and said reinforcing layer is formed of metal netting in the form of knit fabric of metallic filaments.

4. A flexible tube fitted in an insertion instrument of an endoscope to serve as a biopsy channel for insertion of biopsy or surgical therapeutic instruments, said flexible tube comprising:

a laminated multi-layer structure including an outer layer including a main tube body layer formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness, and a reinforcing layer provided integrally on the inner side of said main tube body layer, and an inner layer formed of a thin film of air tight and low friction material provided on the inner side of said reinforcing layer;

said inner layer being formed by rolling a thin film into a tubular form in such a way that opposite sides of said thin film are overlapped one on the other over a predetermined width to form a thick wall portion of a predetermined width extending in the longitudinal direction of said inner layer; and

said thick wall portion being located in an angular position of said biopsy channel where said biopsy or surgical instrument are slid against an inner surface of said biopsy channel when an angle section of said endoscopic instrument is flexibly bent into an angular form.

5. A flexible tube as defined in claim 4, wherein said angle section is flexibly bendable at least in two predetermined directions, and said inner layer is formed of a plural number of thin films to provide longitudinal thick wall portions of a predetermined width at such two separate angular positions of said inner layer that each thick wall portion is located on the outer side of a bend when said angle section of said endoscopic insertion instrument is bent in either one of said two directions.

6. A flexible tube as defined in claim 4, wherein said inner layer is formed of a thin film of either non-calcined tetrafluoroethylene resin or non-calcined hexafluoroethylene resin.

8. A method for manufacturing a flexible tube having a laminated multi-layer structure including an outer layer including a main tube body layer formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness, and a reinforcing layer provided integrally on the inner side of said main tube body layer, and an inner layer formed of a thin film of air tight and low friction material provided on the inner side of said reinforcing layer, said method comprising the steps of:

forming said inner layer by wrapping an elongated strip of a thin film sheet around a core rod in such a way that opposite lateral sides of said thin film sheet are overlapped one on the other to a predetermined degree to provide a thick wall portion of a predetermined width extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of said inner layer;

etching outer peripheral surfaces of said inner layer on said core rod;

forming a reinforcing mesh layer on and around said inner layer by knitting metal filaments directly on and around etched outer surfaces of said inner layer; and

forming said main tube body layer by laminating a thermoplastic resin on and around said reinforcing mesh layer.