GB2260380A

GB2260380A - Corrugated tube with integral connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2260380A
Application number: GB9116399A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Stephen Kirk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-30
Filing date: 1991-07-30
Publication date: 1993-04-14
Also published as: GB9116399D0

Abstract

A tubing module in the form of bellows (2) is provided with means such as (10) enabling the tubing to be joined with other modules thereby to provide a gaiter the length of which is variable in relation to the number of modules used. The gaiter is used as a seal to protect items of machinery from dust etc. Alternatively the tubing can be used as a constructional toy. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to bellows made up of modular units for use as protective gaiters for machilsery or as constructional toys.

Cylindrical bellows, usually moulded from a plastics material, are used as gaiters giving protection from dirt etc in a variety of applications to mechanical joints, moving mechanisms, etc.

Such bellows can be made quite cheaply when they are made in quantity but for small production or pre-production runs or replacements in relation to obsolete equipment, the cost i prohibitive. It would therefore be of great value to be able to provide bellows of universal application in a wide va iet.y f situations. The present invention provides a solution to thl prohlem.

Accordingly the present invention is for a plastics tube component in a bellows, concertina or other bendable formation at least one end thereof being provided with integral meane enabling the plastics tulle to be connected, preferably directly, to similar tube provided with complenentary or similar means.

The present invention is also for a gaiter desiyned t(J enclose and protect from dust and the like a piece of machinery, said gaiter comprising two or more of the above identified components joined together, preferably detachably.

By plastics tube in the form of a bellows, I mean tubing having a circular, elliptical, rectangular or square cross section and having a skin comprising one or more corrugations wherein the corrugation(s) are in the form of rounded or pointed ridges or ribs extending circumferentially around the periphery of the tubing. Each ridge may extend around the tubing in one plane.

Alternatively one continuous ridge may extend along the slain in screw or spiral fashion. One ridge may share a common valley with the next ridge or one ridge may be separated from the next ridge by a non-ridged or cylindrical portion. The cross section of the tubing may be constant along the length of the tubing or may vary in area (ignoring the effect of the ridges) along the length of the tubing as for instance if the tubing tapers.

The means for connecting one tube to another is peferably laterally extending portion on one tube which, due to the latic nature of the plastics material, resiliently engages with a complementary shaped portion on the other tube. Alternatively, threads provided on the ends of the tubes may be used to allow tubes in b screwed together. A further possibility is a socket and bayonet arrangement, two or more bayonets on one tube being engageable with an equal number of sockets on another tube Also possible is a simple adhesive bond between two overlapping tubes.

Each plastics tube component may be coloured. A gaiter may include plastics tube components which are of different colours.

The present invention is also for a machine part when enclosed in plastics tubing as hereinbefore described.

The present invention is furthermore directed to a constructional toy comprising modular units as described above.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure I shows three individual bellows modules in section Figure II shows the bellows modules of Figure I joined together.

Figure III shows an enlarged view of A of figure I Referring to figure I, a bellows unit 1 is depicted wherein the ridges 2 of the bellows share a common valley 3. One end of the bellows is provided with an outwardly extending circumferential collar 4.

Referring to figure III, it will be seen that collar 4 is located on a cylindrical portion 5 of the bellows. Side 6 of collar 4 forms with the surface 7 of portion 5 an acute intrverted angle 8.

Referring again to figure I, the end of bellows unit 1 opposite to that provided with collar 4 has an irlwardly extending circumferential collar 10 which is complementary to collar 4.

End units or fittings 11 and 12 are adapted to push fit over components which mark the boundaries of the machinery being protected and may be used in the form of cuffs, collars, f? nge;, reducers or enlarging pieces. A choice of different gaiter diameters enables these bellows to be fully universal. These end units are provided witli collars 13 and 14 which are complementary to the collars 4 and 10 on the bellows. Thus collar 13 slideably fits over collar 4 and interlocks as shown at 15 in figure II.

Similarly collar 10 interlocks with collar 14 as shown at 16 of figure II. Naturally, 11 or 12 could represent further sets of tubing similar to tubing 1 so enabling any length of tubing to be built up.

By increasing or decreasing the diameter 'd' either stepwise or continuously, a component can be made which can act as a reducing or enlarging piece.

In use the tubing would envelope some device or article of machinery protecting it from dust or other injurious materials This would normally be achieved by using the bellows in a compressed state relative to its moulded length. For instance the moulded length:compressed length might be of the order 3:1.

The plastics material from which the bellows are made is desirably chosen so that it has the necessary resilience for a collar 4 to slide over a collar such as 10 and regain its original shape. It should also have that degree of friction which onablos the two parts to slide over each ,tEler but nevertheless to retain some grip when the connection is subject to bending forces. Plastics materials may include elastomeric materials such as natural and synthetic rubbers, and therlttoplastics. One suitable plastics material is high density polyurethane say of 85 deg. shore hardness.

Claims

1. A plastics tube component in a bellows, concertina or ther bendable formation at least one end thereof being provided with integral means enabling the plastics tube to be connected to a similar tube provided with complementary or similar means 2. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein one plastics tube i connected directly to a similar tube.

3. A plastics tube component as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 having a circular, elliptical, rectangular or square cross section and having a skin comprising one or more corrugations wherein the corrugation(s) are in the form of rounded or pointed ridges or ribs extending circumrerentially around tEze periphery of the tubing 4. A plastics tube component as claimed in claim 3 wherein each ridge extends around the tubing in one plane A plastics tube component as claimed in claim 3 where continuous ridge extends along the so in in screw or spiral fashion.

6. A plastics tube component as claimed in any of the precediar.

claims wherein the cross section of the tubing varies in area along the length of the tubing.

7. A plastics tube component as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the means for connecting one tube to another is a laterally extending portion on one tube which, due to the elastic nature of the plastics material, resiliently engages with a complementary shaped portion on the other tube.

8. A plastics tube component as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 6 wherein threads are provided on the ends of the tubes to allow tubes to be screwed together.

9. A plastics tube component as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 6 wherein the means for connecting one tube to another is a socket and bayonet arrangement, two or more bayonets on one tube being engageable with an equal number of sockets on another tube.

10. A plastics tube component as claimed in any of the preceding claim; wherein each plastic: tube component is coloured.

11. A gaiter designed to enclose and protect from dust and the like a piece of machinery, said gaiter comprising two or more components as claimed in any of the preceding claims joined together.

12. A gaiter as claimed in claim 11 wherein the components are detachably joined together 13. A machine part when enclosed in a gaiter as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12.

1 4. A cnstruct ional toy comprising modular unIts as claimed in any of claims 1 toll.

15. A plastics tube component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.