Method of making tubing have drainage holes

摘要

A method for manufacturing a kink-resistant tube having drainage holes is provided. A wire is coated with plastic material and wound around a mandrel forming a plurality of windings. The wound coated wire is heated until the plastic coating material melts and bonds the wire windings to form a wire-reinforced sheath having wire-containing sections and non-wire containing sections. Alternatively, a coated or non-coated wire is wound around a mandrel together with separate polymer filament material and then heated. A filament having an elongated cross-section may be employed with the major axis of the elongated cross-section substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sheath. At least one non-wire containing section is identified by passing light through at least one wall of the wire-reinforced sheath. Image capture and analysis via an optical system and microprocessor automatically identify regions to target a drill for forming holes in the non-wire containing sections.

主权项

1. A method for manufacturing a kink-resistant tube having holes, comprising:
coating a wire with a plastic material; winding the coated wire into a single coil around a mandrel forming a plurality of windings; heating the wound coated wire until the plastic material of the wire melts and bonds the windings forming a wire-reinforced sheath having wire-containing sections and polymer-filled non-wire containing sections; removing the sheath from the mandrel; placing the wire-reinforced sheath between a source of light and a camera after removing the sheath from the mandrel; directing light through the sheath from the exterior source of light; identifying at least one non-wire containing section; detecting with the camera adjacent darker wire-containing sections relative to the lighter non-wire containing sections using light transmission through the coated wire; drilling through the detected lighter sections; and forming at least one hole in the non-wire containing section.