Overmolded and bendable position-retaining tubing

• US 7,891,382 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Plastics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mercury Plastics, Inc.
• Inventors: Seman, Richard T., Rushlander, Grandin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hook; James F
• Application Number:
  US11/379,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20070137718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 138/121, 138/122, 138/119, 138/120, 138/DIG.8
• US Class Current: 138/121
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/08 with reinforcements embedded in the wall F16L11/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/112 having reinforcements embedded in the wall
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/115 having reinforcements not embedded in the wall

Abstract

A hollow conduit, being primarily round, or having n sides wherein n is greater than or equal to three, and process for making the conduit is described herein. The hollow conduit is comprised of a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and exterior surface. An overmolded corrugated polymer is bonded between at least a portion of the ends and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the inner conduit. The overmolded polymer has at least one flexible position retaining means at least partially embedded within. The flexible position retaining means within the overmolded polymer may be a metallic wire. The inner conduit may be a thermoset, and the overmolded corrugated plastic may be a thermoplastic.

Claims

1. A hollow conduit which comprises:

a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and an exterior surface;

an overmolded corrugated polymer between at least a portion of said ends bonded to said inner conduit about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said inner conduit; and

said overmolded polymer having at least one flexible position retaining means having a length, wherein a portion of the length is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer;

said at least one flexible position retaining means extending at least partially along a length of said overmolded polymer.

2. The hollow conduit of claim 1 wherein

said flexible position retaining means is a metallic wire.

3. The hollow conduit of claim 2 wherein

said inner conduit is a thermoset;

and

said overmolded polymer is a thermoplastic.

4. The hollow conduit of claim 1 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced oppositely around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

5. The hollow conduit of claim 1 which further comprises

at least three flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least three flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

6. The hollow conduit of claim 1 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced non-equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

7. A hollow n-sided conduit wherein n is greater than or equal to three which comprises:

a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and exterior surface;

an overmolded corrugated polymer between at least a portion of said ends bonded to said inner conduit about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said inner conduit; and

said overmolded polymer having at least one flexible position retaining means having a length, wherein a portion of the length is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer;

said at least one flexible position retaining means extending at least partially along a length of said overmolded polymer.

8. The hollow conduit of claim 7 wherein

said position retaining means is a metallic wire.

9. The hollow conduit of claim 8 wherein

said inner conduit is a thermoset;

and

said overmolded polymer is a thermoplastic.

10. The hollow conduit of claim 7 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced oppositely around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

11. The hollow conduit of claim 7 which further comprises

at least four flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least four flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

12. The hollow conduit of claim 7 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced non-equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

13. A hollow plastic conduit which comprises:

a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and exterior surface;

an overmolded corrugated polymer between at least a portion of said ends mechanically bonded to said inner conduit about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said inner conduit; and

said overmolded polymer having at least one flexible position retaining means having a length, wherein a portion of the length is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer;

said at least one flexible position retaining means extending at least partially along a length of said overmolded polymer.

14. The hollow conduit of claim 13 wherein

said flexible position retaining means is a metallic wire.

15. The hollow conduit of claim 14 wherein

said inner conduit is a thermoset;

and

said overmolded polymer is a thermoplastic.

16. The hollow conduit of claim 13 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced oppositely around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

17. The hollow conduit of claim 13 which further comprises

at least three flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least three flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

18. The hollow conduit of claim 13 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced non-equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

19. A hollow n-sided conduit wherein n is greater than or equal to three which comprises:

a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and exterior surface;

an overmolded corrugated polymer between at least a portion of said ends mechanically bonded to said inner conduit about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said inner conduit; and

said overmolded polymer having at least one flexible position retaining means having a length, wherein a portion of the length is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer;

said at least one flexible position retaining means extending at least partially along a length of said overmolded polymer.

20. The hollow conduit of claim 19 wherein

said position retaining means is a metallic wire.

21. The hollow conduit of claim 20 wherein

said inner conduit is a thermoset;

and

said overmolded polymer is a thermoplastic.

22. The hollow conduit of claim 19 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced oppositely around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

23. The hollow conduit of claim 19 which further comprises

at least four flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least four flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

24. The hollow conduit of claim 19 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means, each having a length, spaced non-equidistantly around the periphery of said hollow tube, each of said at least two flexible position retaining means having a portion of its length completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of its length not embedded within said overmolded polymer.

25. A hollow conduit which comprises:

a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and an exterior surface;

an overmolded corrugated polymer between at least a portion of said ends bonded to said inner conduit about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said inner conduit;

said overmolded polymer having at least one flexible position retaining means having a length, wherein a portion of the length is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer; and

said at least one flexible position retaining means being embedded in said overmolded polymer and not removable therefrom;

said at least one flexible position retaining means extending at least partially along a length of said overmolded polymer.

26. The hollow conduit of claim 25 wherein

said flexible position retaining means is a metallic wire.

27. The hollow conduit of claim 26 wherein

said inner conduit is a thermoset;

and

said overmolded polymer is a thermoplastic.

28. The hollow conduit of claim 25 which further comprises

at least two flexible position retaining means spaced oppositely around the periphery of said hollow tube, said at least two flexible position retaining means at least partially embedded within said overmolded polymer and at least partially not embedded within said overmolded polymer.