Flexible tubing with embedded helical conductors and method of making

摘要

A smooth-bore plastic tubing with an outer helical support bead is resistant to collapse and incorporates plural conductors disposed outside of the tubing bore and insulated both from ambient and from one another within the sidewall of the tubing. The conductors may have a desired relatively high thermal conductivity to tidal air flow within the tubing, while also having a comparatively high thermal resistance relative to ambient. The conductors may be electrical conductors, or fiber optic conductors.

主权项

1. A thin-walled, flexible and collapse-resistant thermo-plastic tubing having a substantially smooth bore and a helical outer support bead structure, the tubing including at least one conductor helically disposed within said support bead structure, said tubing comprising:
a flexible tubing wall formed of an elongate thermoplastic ribbon while molten being helically wrapped repeatedly on itself to partially overlap successive wraps of said ribbon a certain amount forming a helical lap joint where successive wraps of said ribbon heat-bond integrally to one another so that an elongate tubular body is formed; a second elongate thermoplastic ribbon while molten being helically wrapped about said tubular body at said lap joint and heat-bonding integrally thereto forming a plateau portion, said second elongate thermoplastic ribbon defining at least one elongate fine-dimension groove; at least one elongate conductor set disposed in said elongate fine-dimension groove of said second elongate thermoplastic ribbon to be embedded within said plateau portion and helically around and along said elongate tubular body; an elongate thermoplastic support bead portion disposed helically around and along said elongate tubular body atop of said plateau portion and at least one conductor embedded therein, said support bead portion integrally heat-bonding to said second ribbon and tubular body so that said plateau portion and said support bead portion cooperatively form said bead structure, and said tubing comprises a unitary thin-walled tubing structure with helical outer support bead and embedded conductor extending helically about and along said tubing.