US4805595A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flexible tube assembly for endoscope
Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1988-04-21
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Granted: 1989-02-21
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Expires: 2008-04-21
Abstract
Abstract A flexible tube assembly for an endoscope has outer diameter D and includes a helical tube constituted by a helically wound belt-like member having width l and thickness t. The helical tube has inner diameter d, and gaps s are formed between adjacent coils of the belt-like member of the helical tube. Gap s satisfies the following inequalty: 3≧s≧l (d/2+t)/(30+D/2-d/2-t) (mm) A net tube covers the outer surface of the helical tube. An outer sheath covers the outer surface of the net tube.
Inventors
- 👤 Koji Kanbara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:30
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00071; A61B1/005; A61B1/0051; A61B1/0055; A61B1/273; A61B1/31; G; G02; G02B; G02B23/00; G02B23/24; G02B23/2476
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A flexible tube assembly for an endoscope, which has outer diameter D, comprising: a helical tube constituted by a helically wound belt-like member having width l and thickness t, said helical tube having inner diameter d, and gap s being formed between adjacent coils of said belt-like member of said helical tube so as to satisfy the following inequality: 3≧s≧l(d/2+t)/(30+D/2-d/2-t) (mm); a net tube covering an outer surface of said helical tube; and an outer sheath covering an outer surface of said net tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
84 words
A flexible tube assembly for an endoscope, which has outer diameter D, comprising: a helical tube constituted by a helically wound belt-like member having width l and thickness t, said helical tube having inner diameter d, and gap s being formed between adjacent coils of said belt-like member of said helical tube so as to satisfy the following inequality: 3≧s≧l(d/2+t)/(30+D/2-d/2-t) (mm); a net tube covering an outer surface of said helical tube; and an outer sheath covering an outer surface of said net tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said helical tube comprises a multilayer structure having a plurality of layers, each of which has thickness t1, and the sum of thicknesses t1 substantially coincides with thickness t.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of layers has gap s, and gaps s of the radially adjacent layers do not overlap each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the widths of the coils of said belt-like member are constant throughout a length thereof, and gaps s between the coils are constant throughout a length of said helical tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coils of said belt-like member have widths li which vary at a predetermined rate throughout a length thereof, width l in said inequality is the mean value of widths li of the coils, said helical tube has gaps Si which also vary along the axial direction thereof, and gap s in said inequality is the mean value of gaps si.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the widths of the coils of said belt-like member are constant throughout a length thereof, said helical tube has gaps Si which vary along the axial direction thereof, and gap s in said inequality is the mean value of gaps si.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-02-21 | 1992-08-22 | 1993-02-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-02-21 | 1996-08-22 | 1997-02-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-02-21 | 2000-08-22 | 2001-02-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |