Fluid dispensing structures

Claim 2

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube of an organic polymer material which is capable of changing in crosssectional configuration between a substantially flat configuration and a circular configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its length, an elongated flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members having a crosssectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated at all times of said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration between said substantially flat configuration and said circular configuration, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration different than its associated hole so as to permit flow to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube.

Claim 3

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein: there are aligned pairs of said holes located along the length of said tube, each of said flow control members extends through both of the holes of each of said pairs of holes and each of said flow control members includes means for holding it on said tube, said holes and said flow control members being of different cross-sectional configurations.

Claim 4

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein: each of said flow control members includes a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube.

Claim 5

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein; said shanks extend generally perpendicular to said tube when said tube is in said flat configuration.

Claim 6

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said tube has a generally flat configuration when there is no fluid within the interior of said tube, and said flow control members extend generally parallel to said tuBe across the interior of said tube when said tube is in said flat configuration.

Claim 7

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube which is capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of aligned pairs of holes located along the length of said tube, a flow control member associated with each of said aligned pairs of holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to a hole of the pair of holes with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members has a shank which extends through both of said holes of each of said pairs of holes, said shanks having cross-sectional configurations different than said holes, said shanks having grooves which extend along their lengths a distance corresponding to the maximum inflated cross-sectional configuration of said tube when said tube is filled with a fluid under pressure.

Claim 8

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube which is capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of aligned pairs of holes located along the length of said tube, a flow control member associated with each of said aligned pairs of holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to a hole of the pair of holes with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members has a shank which extends through both of said holes of each of said pairs of holes, said shanks having cross-sectional configurations different than said holes, said shanks having grooves which extend along their lengths a distance corresponding to the maximum inflated cross-sectional configuration of said tube when said tube is filled with a fluid under pressure.

Claim 9

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein: said grooves extend in a helical path around said shanks.

Claim 10

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein: each of said flow control members contains a material capable of inhibiting organic growth.

Claim 11

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube which is capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members includes a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, said shanks have grooves which extend along their lengths a distance corresponding to all positions of said shanks with respect to said holes in said tube during the use of said dispensing structure, said shanks fitting closely within said holes, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension so that substantially equal quantities of fluid are emitted at each of said flow control members along the length of said dispensing structure when the pressure of the fluid within said tube differs along the length of said dispensing structure.

Claim 12

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube which is capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members includes a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, said shanks have grooves which extend along their lengths a distance corresponding to all positions of said shanks with respect to said holes in said tube during the use of said dispensing structure, said shanks fitting closely within said holes, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension so that substantially equal quantities of fluid are emitted at each of said flow control members along the length of said dispensing structure when the pressure of the fluid within said tube differs along the length of said dispensing structure.

Claim 13

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 9 wherein: each of said grooves is a helical groove extending along the periphery of the shank upon which it is located, the portions of said tube defining said holes fitting against said shanks so as to cause a wiping action relative to said shanks during changes in the cross-sectional configuration of said tube.

Claim 14

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its Length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members including a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, said tube has a generally flat configuration when there is no fluid within the interior of said tube, and said shanks extending generally perpendicular to said tube when said tube is in said flat configuration, each of said flow control members including means securing one end of each of said shanks to said tube so that the secured ends of said shanks do not move relative to said tube as said tube changes its cross-sectional dimension, said shanks contain grooves which extend along their lengths, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension, said grooves are of larger cross-sectional dimension at the extremities of said shanks adjacent to where said shanks are secured to said tube than at the other extremities of said shanks.

Claim 15

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its Length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectional configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members including a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, said tube has a generally flat configuration when there is no fluid within the interior of said tube, and said shanks extending generally perpendicular to said tube when said tube is in said flat configuration, each of said flow control members including means securing one end of each of said shanks to said tube so that the secured ends of said shanks do not move relative to said tube as said tube changes its cross-sectional dimension, said shanks contain grooves which extend along their lengths, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension, said grooves are of larger cross-sectional dimension at the extremities of said shanks adjacent to where said shanks are secured to said tube than at the other extremities of said shanks.

Claim 16

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein; each of said grooves is a helical groove extending along the periphery of the shank upon which it is located, the portions of said tube defining said holes fitting against said shank so as to cause a wiping action relative to said shanks during changes in the cross-sectional configuration of said tube.

Claim 17

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members being capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectionl configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members including a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, each of said flow control members including means securing one end of each of said shanks to said tube so that the secured ends of said shanks do not move relative to said tube as said tube changes in cross-sectional dimension, said shanks fitting closely within said holes with which they are associated, said shanks having grooves which extend along their lengths, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension, said grooves being of largest cross-sectional dimension at the extremities of said shanks furtherest removed from where said shanks are secured to said tube.

Claim 18

A fluid dispensing structure which includes: an elongated, flexible, fluid impervious tube having a cross-sectional configuration which renders it capable of changing in cross-sectional configuration in accordance with changes in internal pressure within said tube, one end of said tube being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said tube having a plurality of holes located along its length, a flow control member associated with each of said holes, each of said flow control members being capable of moving with respect to the hole with which it is associated as said tube changes in cross-sectionl configuration, said flow control members permitting flow through their associated holes to the exterior of said tube when a fluid is supplied to the interior of said tube, each of said flow control members including a shank extending through the hole with which it is associated and means for holding it against movement away from said tube, each of said flow control members including means securing one end of each of said shanks to said tube so that the secured ends of said shanks do not move relative to said tube as said tube changes in cross-sectional dimension, said shanks fitting closely within said holes with which they are associated, said shanks having grooves which extend along their lengths, said grooves varying in cross-sectional dimension, said grooves being of largest cross-sectional dimension at the extremities of said shanks furtherest removed from where said shanks are secured to said tube.

Claim 19

A fluid dispensing structure as claimed in claim 13 wherein: each of said grooves is a helical groove extending along the periphery of the shank upon which it is located, the portions of said tube defining said holes fitting against said shanks so as to cause a wiping action relative to said shanks during changes in the cross-sectional configuration of said tube.

Claim 22

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein; said flow control member has a shank extending through said hole and said changes in said cross-sectional configuration cause an alteration of the position of said hole relative to said shank.

Claim 23

A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein: said shank has a helical groove extending along its periphery and said changes in cross-sectional configuration result in a wiping action between said hole and said shank adjacent to said groove.

Claim 26

A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein: said grooves in said flow control members and said holes are shaped so that the amount of fluid flowing from the interior of said tube is substantially equal at all points along the length of said tube and is independent of the cross-sectional configuration of said tube at said points.

Claim 29

A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein: said grooves are helical grooves extending around the exteriors of said shanks.