NZ502639A

NZ502639A - Device for tracing a line on the ground

Info

Publication number: NZ502639A
Application number: NZ502639A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Jean-Jacques Aucher
Original assignee: Jean Jacques Aucher
Priority date: 1997-08-05
Filing date: 1998-07-31
Publication date: 2001-09-28
Also published as: FR2767148B1; FR2767148A1; WO1999011866A1; AU746619B2; AU1880499A; ATE216449T1; CA2297798A1; ES2172257T3; EP1002160B1; EP1002160A1; BR9811835A; DE69804969T2; DE69804969D1

Abstract

Provided is a device intended for drawing a line on the ground comprises a handle (2) which makes it possible to control a wheel-shaped cylindrical housing (1) which is capable of rotating about its axis and housing (1) comprises two flanges (3a) in the form of coaxial discs parallel to one another and having identical dimensions. The two flanges are connected to one another on their periphery by means of a strip (4) of constant width. The housing (1) is fastened removably to handle (2) by means of a fastening element of the handle, the fastening element penetrates axially into a sleeve (6) which connects central circular orifices of the two flanges (3a). The housing contains paint and a retractable means for shutting off the orifices in the strip before use for the storage of the paint. The housing serves as a wheel for drawing the line during use and constitutes a discardable element after use.

Description

WO 99/11866 - 1 - PCT/FR98/0170 9 DEVICE INTENDED FOR DRAWING A LINE ON THE GROUND The present invention relates to a device intended for drawing a line on the ground, in 5 particular a white line on a sports ground in order to define the contours of the latter, or else for applying paint to the ground or roads, and to the housing used in this device.

These lines can be drawn on many " types of 10 ground, such as natural or artificial turf, asphalt, a dirt surface or the like. They are usually exposed to bad weather and also subjected to wear, and it is necessary for them to be redrawn frequently.

It is known to draw a white line on the ground 15 by means of particulate lime. A device is then used which comprises a hollow wheel provided with orifices or slots on its edge in contact with the ground. These wheels are filled with lime for each use by means of a flap from bags which have to be stored. It is therefore 2 0 necessary to have a wheel which is made of robust material and is therefore costly, to store bags of lime and to fill the hollow wheel from the bag. However, lime has low resistance and the white lines have to be redrawn frequently. On average, these lines do not last 25 for longer than about 10 days.

It is also known to use, for drawing the lines, more resistant paints which are usually paints based on acrylic resin latex in the aqueous phase which contains a white pulverulent filler, for example chalk. Due to 30 their viscosity, these paints axe most often deposited by spraying under pressure. In this case, the paint can be stored in the form of an aerosol can, but packaging is then costly. It is also possible to use equipment compr^p.ng a compressor, but the investment in 35 equipme it is then high. Moreover, this equipment cannot be han [led by an inexperienced worker. Most local council establishments or associations managing sports grounds do not, in financial terms, have the WO 99/11866 - 2 - PCT/FR98/01709 possibility of making such investments or the possibility of employing a specialist.

There was therefore a need to have available, in order to draw the white lines on sports grounds, 5 simple equipment which is easy to handle by an unqualified worker and does not require costly investment.

According to the present invention, the above problem has been solved by storing a paint in 10 cylindrical housings which, by being fixed in terms of rotation to a handle, are subsequently used as wheels for drawing the lines; the cylindrical housings thus serve for storing the paint and serve as a wheel for drawing the line; they are subsequently discarded when 15 they are empty.

Under these conditions, the housing, which serves only for applying one dose of paint, can be manufactured from relatively thin plastic or even from light metal, such as tinplate, and it is consequently 20 inexpensive. On the other hand, the only long-term investment is the handle which may consist for the most part of a simple hollow metallic or plastic tube and which is therefore likewise inexpensive. Moreover, the fastening of the handle to the housing is simple and 25 can be carried out by an unqualified worker.

The subject of the present invention is, therefore, a device intended for drawing a line on the ground, this device comprising a handle which makes it possible to control a wheel-shaped cylindrical housing 30 capable of rotating about its axis, the said housing comprising two flanges in the form of coaxial discs parallel to one another and having identical dimensions, the two flanges being connected to one another on their periphery by means of a strip of 3 5 constant width provided with uniformly distributed orifices, characterized in that the housing is fastened removably to the handle by means of a fastening element of the handle, the said fastening element penetrating axially into a sleeve which connects central circular WO 99/11866 - 3 - PCT/FR98/01709 orifices of the two flanges, the said housing containing paint and comprising a retractable means for shutting off the orifices in the strip before use for the storage of the paint, the said housing serving as a 5 wheel for drawing the line during use and constituting a discardable element after use. These discs may have a circular or oval shape.

In a first variant, the strip is covered on its outer face with a peelable adhesive tape which forms 10 the retractable shut-off means for making it possible to store and handle the housing before use.

In another variant, the housing consists of two half-housings fitted one into the other, each half-housing consisting of a flange and of a strip of 15 constant width connected to the inner periphery of the flange and provided with uniformly distributed orifices, one of the strips having smaller dimensions, while the other strip has larger dimensions so as to fit onto the strip of smaller dimensions, the two half-2 0 housings being capable, so as to serve as a retractable shut-off means, of pivoting relative to one another between an operating position, in which the orifices of each strip are superposed so as to allow the paint to pass through for the purpose of drawing a line, and a 25 storage position, in which the orifices of the two strips are offset in order to shut off the passage of the paint towards the outside of the housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handle consists of a straight element which, in the vicinity 30 of one of its ends, carries the fastening element, the said fastening element forming an angle, preferably a right angle, to the straight element. Preferably, the fastening element comprises, at its end opposite the handle, a turn-up finger capable of being turned up 35 against a flange of the housing in order to fasten the housing to the handle.

In another variant, the fastening element comprises, at its end opposite the straight element, a hole for the passage of a fastening pin and, at its end near the straight element, a thrust washer intended for coming to bear against the sleeve of the housing.

Advantageously, the handle comprises a supporting arm fastened to the straight element and 5 provided with a removable scraper which is capable of scraping the strip of the housing during operation.

According to another characteristic, the handle comprises a foot fastened to the straight element and provided at its lower end with at least one castor, so 10 as to serve as a bearing point when the housing is raised in order to draw a broken line.

The subject of the present invention is also the discardable housing used in the device defined above, as sold, as a single-dose or multi-dose filler 15 intended for the said device.

This housing comprises two flanges in the form of coaxial discs parallel to one another, having identical dimensions and each provided with a central circular orifice, the two flanges being connected to 2 0 one another, on the one hand, on their periphery by means of a strip of constant width provided with uniformly distributed orifices and, on the other hand, by means of a sleeve joining the edge of the central circular orifices of the two flanges, the housing 25 comprising a retractable means for shutting off the orifices in the strip before use for the storage of the paint, the said housing containing one dose of paint. Preferably, the strip provided with orifices is lined, on its inner and/or outer face, depending on facility 30 and the type of technique employed for production, with a strip of filtering material, this strip preferably being a nonwoven strip. This strip of filtering material is selected so as to control the paint flow. For some applications, this strip of filtering material 3 5 may be omitted.

Preferably, each flange comprises, on its periphery, a groove which is perpendicular to the plane of the said flange and faces towards the inside of the housing and which has a width equal to the thickness of the strip provided with orifices, so as to make it possible to fit the edge of the strip provided with orifices into the said groove.

According to a preferred embodiment, the sleeve 5 consists of two elements. A first element of the sleeve consists of a tubular part having a length equal to the distance between the outer surfaces of the flanges and of a rim which is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part and which is provided with a central 10 orifice. The second element comprises a tubular part which is shorter than the tubular part of the first element and which has an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the tubular part of the first element, and also a rim which is perpendicular to the 15 axis of the tubular part and comprises a central orifice.

In another embodiment, the second element of the sleeve consists of a tubular part which has an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of 20 the tubular part of the first element and of a rim which is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part and comprises a central orifice.

Advantageously, the housing comprises a perforated reinforcing flange arranged substantially in 25 the mid-plane of the housing and connected, on the one hand, to the inner periphery of the strip and, on the other hand, to the sleeve which passes axially through a central circular orifice of the reinforcing flange.

According to another characteristic, the 30 orifices in the strip are in the form of elongate slots parallel to the axis of the housing. Preferably, each strip comprises two series of slots formed on either side of the mid-plane of the housing, the slots of one series being arranged so as to be staggered relative to 35 the slots of the other series.

The following description of several embodiments according to the invention, which are given as a non-limiting illustration, will make it possible PCT/FR9 8/01709 to understand the invention more clearly by reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the device according to the invention; - Figure 2 is an exploded view of the device of Figure 1 in axial section, the housing not comprising its dose of paint; Figure 3 is a partial view of this same device in axial section, the dose of paint being introduced; - Figure 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention; Figure 5 is a partial view of the device of Figure 4, partially in axial section, according to a first variant; and - Figure 6 is an exploded view of the device of Figure 4 in partial axial section, according to another alternative embodiment.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the device consists of a discardable housing 1 and of a handle 2, the 2 0 housing 1 being mounted rotatably relative to the handle 2. The housing 1 is in the form of a wheel. It consists of two flanges of identical dimensions 3a and 3b connected to one another by means of a strip 4 provided with uniformly distributed orifices 5 and by 2 5 means of a sleeve 6. The two flanges 3a and 3b are in the form of discs and are each provided with a central orifice 7a, 7b of the same dimension.

Located on the periphery of each of the flanges is a rim 8a, 8b arranged perpendicularly to the plane 3 0 of the flanges 3a, 3b. In this rim 8 is made a groove 9a, 9b which is perpendicular to the plane of the flange and faces towards the inside of the housing 1 and which has a thickness such that the strip 4 can be inserted into it.

One of the flanges 3a comprises an orifice 10 closed by means of a plug 11 which serves solely for introducing paint into the housing in the workshop. The plug 11 will therefore not be handled by the user of the device according to the invention. The two WO 99/11866 - 7 - PCT/FR98/01709 flanges 3a, 3b are arranged in parallel and coaxially, in such a way that the orifices of the grooves 9a, 9b of the rims 8a, 8b face one another; the strip 4 is inserted with its longitudinal edges into the 5 grooves 9a and 9b. The strip 4 may be fastened in the grooves 9a, 9b simply by interlocking, but it is usually fastened by adhesive bonding or thermal bonding. The entire assembly can be produced nowadays in one operation by means of a laser.

The sleeve 6 passes through the two orifices 7a and 7b of the flanges 3a and 3b. The sleeve 6 consists of two elements 6a and 6b. The first element 6b consists of a tubular part 12 having an outside diameter which, apart from the necessary play, is equal to the diameter of the orifices 7a, 7b of the flanges 3a, 3b, and of a rim 13 comprising an orifice 14 with a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the tubular part 12. The tubular part 12 has a length equal to the distance between the two 2 0 flanges 3a, 3b. The second element 6a comprises a tubular part 15 with a length smaller than that of the tubular part 12 of the element 6b and comprises [sic] an outside diameter which, apart from the necessary play, is equal to the inside diameter of the tubular part 12 of the element 6b, so as to be capable of being fitted into the latter; a rim 16 is fastened to one of the ends of the tubular part 15. The rim 16 is provided with an orifice 17 having the same diameter as the orifice 14 of the rim 13.

When the housing is being assembled, the element 6b is introduced via the orifice 7b in the flanges 3a and 3b, until the rim 13 is in contact with the flange 3b. The element 6a is then introduced into the element 6b, until the rim 16 comes into contact 3 5 with the flange 3a. The element 6a and the element 6b can be fastened to one another by adhesive bonding, heat sealing or snap-fitting. The rims 13 and 16 may be respectively adhesively bonded or thermally bonded to the flanges 3b and 3a, so as to ensure that the housing 1 has good leaktightness.

The housing 1 therefore consists of only 5 components: the flanges 3a, 3b, the strip 4 provided 5 with orifices 5 and the two elements 6a, 6b of the sleeve 6. These components of simple shape can easily be obtained by the moulding of a plastic, such as poly(vinyl chloride), which is inexpensive. Furthermore, the flanges may be thin, for example have 10 a thickness of 2.5 mm, since the assembly obtained is made rigid by the sleeve 6 and by the strip 4.

However, other embodiments may be considered. For example, the two flanges could be moulded together with one element of the sleeve, the sleeve as a whole 15 could be moulded together with one of the flanges or the perforated strip could be moulded together with one of the flanges. The current technique makes it possible even to carry out the entire operation by laser without a mould.

In order to make it possible to store and handle the housing 1 before use, a peelable adhesive tape 18 is fastened to the strip 4 provided with orifices 5. This peelable tape 18 is removed before use. A nonwoven strip 19 may likewise be arranged on 25 the inner face of the strip 4 provided with orifices. This nonwoven strip 19 is selected so as to control the flow rate of the paint used. It is fastened, for example, by means of glue spots.

During use, a handle 2 is fastened to the 30 housing 1. This handle 2 consists of a straight bar 20 consisting, for example, of a hollow tube made of metal or plastic. According to the embodiment illustrated, it is provided, at one of its ends, with a grip 21 and, at the other end, with a perpendicular fastening 35 element 22. This fastening element 22 is assembled on the bar 20, but it could simply be a bent element integral with the said bar 20. The perpendicular element 21 comprises, at its end, an articulated turnup finger 23 making it possible to retain the housing WO 99/11866 - 9 - PCT/FR98/01709 on its axis of rotation in the region of the flange 3b. A fastening means other than a turn-up finger could be considered, such as, for example, fastening by keying.

The housings 1 containing the paint are stored.

When the user wishes to draw a line, he fastens the handle 2 to a housing 1 by introducing the fastening element 22 into the sleeve 6 and by turning up the finger 23. He then removes the peelable adhesive tape 18 arranged on the strip 4 provided with orifices, 10 and he rolls the housing 1 along the ground. The paint emerges through the nonwoven strip 19 via the orifices 5 and is deposited on the ground so as to draw the line. When the housing 1 is empty, the handle 2 can be demounted and the housing 1 can be discarded. 15 The handle 2 is subsequently mounted on a new housing 1 provided with paint, in order to continue drawing the line on the ground.

In Figures 4 to 6, the elements identical or similar to the elements of the embodiment of Figures 1 2 0 to 3 will bear the same reference numerals increased by one hundred.

As can be seen in Figure 4, the device according to a second embodiment of the invention consists of a discardable housing 101 and of a 25 handle 102. The housing 101 is in the form of a wheel. It consists of two flanges of identical dimensions 103a and 103b connected to one another by means of a strip 104 provided with orifices in the form of elongate slots 105. The strip 104 comprises two series 30 of slots 105 on either side of the mid-plane P of the housing 101, the slots of one series being arranged so as to be staggered relative to the slots of the other series.

Referring more particularly to Figure 5, it 35 will be seen that the two flanges 103a and 103b are connected to one another by means of a sleeve 106 which passes axially through central orifices 107a and 107b formed in each flange (see also the variant in Figure 6). Preferably, the sleeve 106 consists of two PCT/FR9 8/01709 tubular elements 106a and 106b. The first element 106a comprises a rim 116 which is intended to come to bear against the outer face of the flange 103a. The second element 106b comprises a tubular part 112, the outside 5 diameter of which, apart from the necessary play, is equal to the inside diameter of the tubular part 115 of the element 106a, so as to be capable of being fitted into the latter, and the second element 106b likewise comprises a rim 113 which comes to bear against the 10 outer face of the flange 103b. The sleeve 106 serves as a hub for the housing 101 used as a wheel.

The housing 101 comprises a perforated reinforcing flange 130 which is arranged substantially in the mid-plane P of the housing 101 between the two 15 flanges 103a and 103b. The reinforcing flange 130 is connected, on its periphery, to the strip 104 and, at its centre, comprises a circular orifice for connecting it to the sleeve 106.

In the variant of Figure 6, the housing 101 20 consists of two half-housings 101a and 101b which are fitted one into the other. The half-housing 101a comprises the flange 103a and a so-called inner strip 104a which is provided with slots 105a similar to the abovementioned slots 105. The sleeve element 106a 25 passes through the orifice 107a of the flange 103a. The reinforcing flange 13 0 extends between the sleeve element 106a and the inner surface of the inner strip 104a.

The other half-housing 101b comprises the 30 flange 103b and a so-called outer strip 104b with an inside diameter which, apart from the necessary play, is equal to the outside diameter of the strip 104a of the half-housing 101a, so that the strip 104b can be fitted onto the strip 104a by virtue of the presence of 35 the reinforcing flange 130 within the volume defined by the strip 104a. The strip 104b is likewise provided with slots 105b identical to the slots 105a. However, alternatively, a different arrangement of the slots 105b and 105a could be provided. The sleeve element 106b is fastened to the f-lange 103b of the half-housing 101b and is fitted into the abovementioned sleeve element 106a. The arrow F in Figure 6 indicates the direction in which the two half-housings are fitted 5 together. The free end of the strip 104a is intended for fitting into a channel 131 formed on the inner face of the flange 103b. The inner 104a and outer 104b strips together form the abovementioned strip 104.

The two half-housings 101a and 101b are capable 10 of pivoting axially relative to one another, so as to align or misalign the slots 105a and 105b, in order to place the housing respectively into an opening/closing position for the delivery of the paint. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, it is sufficient 15 for the housings to be pivoted relative to one another over a distance corresponding to half the spacing between two slots. However, if the distributions of the slots 105a and 105b are not identical, an arrangement could be provided which makes it possible progressively 20 to adjust the number of slots serving for distributing the paint outwards in order to draw a line.

It will thus be appreciated that, in the variant of Figure 6, it is no longer necessary to use a peelable adhesive tape in order to shut off the 25 orifices in the housing. By contrast, in the variant of Figure 5, a peelable adhesive tape of the same type as the tape 18 in Figure 1 may be used.

The handle 102 consists of a substantially straight bar 120 which is formed, for example, from a 3 0 hollow tube made of metal or plastic. The straight bar 120 is extended at one end by a portion curved substantially at a right angle 122 which is intended to be inserted through the orifices 117 and 114 of the elements 106a and 106b of the abovementioned 35 sleeve 106. The bent part 122 of the handle 102 comprises, at its free end, a hole 123 for the passage of a fastening pin and, at its end near the straight part 120, a thrust washer 132 welded to the bar. When the handle 102 is fastened to the housing 101, the thrust washer 132 comes to bear against the rim 116 of the sleeve 106 and the pin comes to bear against the rim 113 at the other end of the sleeve 106.

The straight bar 12 0 is extended, at its other 5 end, by a part 121 bent in the opposite direction to the bent part 122. The bent part 121 serves as a grip for a right-handed user. For a left-handed user, it is sufficient to mount the handle 102 on the other side of the housing 101.

The handle 102 comprises a projecting arm 133 which is fastened to the straight bar 12 0 so as to extend substantially horizontally. Slipped onto the arm 133 is a removable scraper 134 which is intended to come to bear against the strip 104 during operation, in 15 order to detach any plant waste which has been deposited on the said strip and could be detrimental to the uniform drawing of a line. A clamping wheel 135 is provided on the arm 133 in order to fix the relative angular position of the scraper 134 in relation to the 20 strip 104.

In another variant, the handle 102 may comprise a substantially vertical foot 140 which is fastened to the straight bar 120 and which comprises, at its lower end, a support curved at a right angle, for connection 25 to two castors 141. The foot 140 together with the castors 141 serves as a bearing point for the handle 102 when it is desirable to raise the housing 101 in order to draw a broken line on the ground.

A protective storage box may also be provided for the housing 101 and may serve as a dustbin for the wheel soiled as a result of the drawing operation, after use. This dustbin consists preferably of very light and biodegradable material.

When a drawing gel of higher density is used as paint, it is no longer necessary to employ spongy material or nonwoven fibre material on the circumference of the strip 104, as can be seen in Figures 4 to 6.

Although the invention has been described with regard to particular embodiments, it is quite clear that it is in no way limited to these and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and also their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS v} i& it fc. 0 j

1. Device intended for drawing a line on the ground, this device comprising a handle which makes it possible to control a wheel-shaped cylindrical housing capable of rotating about its axis, the said housing comprising two flanges in the form of coaxial discs parallel to one another and having identical dimensions, the two flanges being connected to one another on their periphery by means of a strip of constant width provided with uniformly distributed orifices wherein the housing is fastened removably to the handle by means of a fastening element of the handle, the said fastening element penetrating axially into a sleeve which connects central circular orifices of the two flanges the said housing containing paint and comprising a retractable means for shutting off the orifices in the strip before use for the storage of the paint, the said housing serving as a wheel for drawing the line during use and constituting a discardable element after use.

2. Device according to Claim 1, wherein the strip is covered on its outer face with a peelable adhesive tape which forms the retractable shut-off means for making it possible to store and handle the housing before use.

3. Device according to Claim 1, wherein the housing consists of two half-housings fitted one into the other, each half-housing consisting of a flange and of a strip of constant width connected to the inner periphery of the flange and provided with uniformly distributed orifices, one of the strips having smaller dimensions, while the other strip has larger dimensions so as to fit onto the strip of smaller dimensions, the two half-housings being capable, so as to serve as a retractable shut-off means, of pivoting relative to one another between an operating position, in which the orifices of each strip are superposed so as to allow the paint to pass through for the purpose of drawing a line, and a storage position, in which the orifices of the two strips are offset in order to, shut off the passage of the paint towards the outside of the housing. 2 4 MM 2001 RECEIVER

4. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the handle consists of a straight element which, in the vicinity of its end, carries the fastening element, the said fastening element forming a right angle to the straight element.

5. Device according to Claim 4, wherein the fastening element comprises, at its end opposite the handle a turn-up finger capable of being turned up against a flange in order to fasten the housing to the handle.

6. Device according to Claim 4, wherein the fastening element comprises, at its end opposite the straight element, a hole for the passage of a fastening pin and, at its end near the straight element, a thrust washer intended for coming to bear against the sleeve of the housing.

7. Device according to one of the Claims 4 to 6, wherein the handle comprises a supporting arm fastened to the straight element and provided with a removable scraper which is capable of scraping the strip of the housing during operation.

8. Device according to one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein the handle comprises a foot fastened to the straight element and provided at its lower end with at least one castor so as to serve as a bearing point when the housing is raised in order to draw a broken line.

9. Housing intended to be used in a device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein it comprises two flanges in the form of coaxial discs parallel to one another, having* identical dimensions and each provided with a central circular orifice the two flanges being connected to one another, on the one hand, on their periphery by means of a strip of constant width provided with uniformly distributed orifices and, on the other hand, by means of a sleeve joining the edge of the central circular orifices of the two flanges, the housing comprising a retractable means for shutting off the orifices in the strip before use for storage of the paint, the said housing containing one dose of paint.

10. Housing according to Claim 9, wherein the strip provided with orifices i@ lined, on its inner and/or outer face, with a strip of filtering material. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 4 may 2001

11. Housing according to Claims 10, wherein the strip provided with orifices is lined on the inner and/or outer face with a nonwoven strip.

12. Housing according to one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein each flange comprises, on its periphery, a groove which is perpendicular to the plane of the said flange and faces towards the inside of the housing and which has a width equal to the thickness of the strip provided with orifices.

13. Housing according to one of Claims 9 to 12, wherein one of the flanges comprises and eccentric orifice closed by means of a plug.

14. Housing according to one of Claims 9 to 13, wherein the sleeve consists of two elements fitting one into the other.

15. Housing according to Claim 14, wherein a first element of the sleeve consists of a tubular part having a length equal to the distance between the outer surfaces of the flanges and of a rim which is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part and is provided with a central orifice.

16. Housing according to Claim 15, wherein the second element of the sleeve comprises a tubular part which is shorter than the tubular part of the first element and which has an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the tubular part of the first element, and also a rim which is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part and comprises a central orifice. - '

17. Housing according to Claim 15, wherein the second element of the sleeve consists of a tubular part which has an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the tubular part of the first element and of a rim which is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part and comprises a central orifice.

18. Housing according to one of Claims 9 to 17, wherein it comprises a perforated reinforcing flange arranged substantially in the mid-plane of the housing and connected, one the one hand, to the inner periphery of the strip and, on the other hand, to the s.leeve which passes axially through a central circular orifice of the reinforcing flange. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NZ 2 4 may 2001 received

19. Housing according to one of Claims 9 to 18, wherein the orifices in the strip are in the form of elongate slots parallel to the axis of the housing.

20. Housing according to Claim 19, wherein each strip comprises two series of slots formed on either side of the mid-plane of the housing, the slots of one series being arranged so as to be staggered relative to the slots of the other series.

21. A device according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

22. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

23. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, substantially as herein described.

24. Housing according to claim 9, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

25. Housing according to any one of claims 9 to 20, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

26. Housing according to any one of claims 9 to 20, substantially as herein described. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NZ. 2 4 may 2001 received