US5561453A — Custom profiled flexible conduit system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 182 words

An inkjet printing mechanism for printing a selected image with ink on a print medium, comprising: a chassis; a print medium handling system housed in the chassis for supplying the print medium to a printing zone; a printhead carriage system which propels a printhead across the printing zone to selectively deposit ink on the print medium in response to a control signal; a reservoir for storing a supply of ink; and a flexible conduit coupled to convey the ink from the reservoir to the printhead, the conduit comprising a body having a wall, with the wall defining a main elongate chamber in communication with the reservoir and the printhead when the body is in an uncompressed state, the wall having a first section of a substantially uniform thickness and a second section of a thickness other than the uniform thickness, and with the body also defining an auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 182 words

An inkjet printing mechanism for printing a selected image with ink on a print medium, comprising: a chassis; a print medium handling system housed in the chassis for supplying the print medium to a printing zone; a printhead carriage system which propels a printhead across the printing zone to selectively deposit ink on the print medium in response to a control signal; a reservoir for storing a supply of ink; and a flexible conduit coupled to convey the ink from the reservoir to the printhead, the conduit comprising a body having a wall, with the wall defining a main elongate chamber in communication with the reservoir and the printhead when the body is in an uncompressed state, the wall having a first section of a substantially uniform thickness and a second section of a thickness other than the uniform thickness, and with the body also defining an auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 43 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the body wall has an outer surface and an inner surface that defines the main elongate chamber, with at least one of the inner and outer surfaces having a non-circular radial cross sectional profile.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 22 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the second section is substantially constant through the body.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness comprises a thin section of a first thickness and a thick section of a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the body has two of said thin sections and two of said thick sections, with the thin sections separated from one another by the thick sections.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first sections each span an arc of substantially the same distance.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 51 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the body also defines a second auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the second auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 24 words

An inkjet printing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the wall has a single second section with a thickness greater than the uniform thickness.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of conveying a fluid between two locations, comprising the steps of: coupling a flexible conduit having a body, which in an uncompressed state, defines a main elongate chamber and an auxiliary chamber for communicating fluid between the two locations, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state; transporting the fluid between the two locations through the main elongate chamber of the conduit at varying intervals; selecting the conduit to have a wall with a nonuniform thickness selected to control a diffusion rate of the fluid during the transporting step and between occurrences of the transporting step; occasionally collapsing at least a portion of the main elongate chamber during said transporting step; and wherein the transporting step further comprises transporting the fluid through the auxiliary chamber during occurrences the collapsing step.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of conveying a fluid between two locations, comprising the steps of: coupling a flexible conduit having a body, which in an uncompressed state, defines a main elongate chamber and an auxiliary chamber for communicating fluid between the two locations, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state; transporting the fluid between the two locations through the main elongate chamber of the conduit at varying intervals; selecting the conduit to have a wall with a nonuniform thickness selected to control a diffusion rate of the fluid during the transporting step and between occurrences of the transporting step; occasionally collapsing at least a portion of the main elongate chamber during said transporting step; and wherein the transporting step further comprises transporting the fluid through the auxiliary chamber during occurrences the collapsing step.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method according to claim 9, wherein the two locations comprise a first location and a second location, and wherein the method further includes the steps of: moving the first location relative to the second location; and bending the conduit during the moving step.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method according to claim 10, further including the steps: generating a bending stress in the conduit during the bending step; and distributing the bending stress in a substantially even concentration over a portion of the conduit which is undergoing bending.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method according to claim 11, further including the step of controlling the collapsing step to continue transporting the fluid through the main elongate chamber of the conduit during the collapsing step.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method according to claim 10 wherein the selecting step comprises selecting the conduit wall thickness nonuniformity to control a bend radius of the conduit during the bending step.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 73 words

A method according to claim 9, wherein: the selecting step comprises selecting the conduit to have a body of a resilient material, the body having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, with at least one of the inner and outer surfaces having a non-circular radial cross sectional profile; and the transporting step further comprises transporting the fluid through the main elongate chamber of the conduit during the collapsing step.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 57 words

A method according to claim 9, wherein: the two locations comprise a reservoir and a printhead of an inkjet printing mechanism; the fluid comprises an ink; the transporting step comprises, transporting the ink between the reservoir and the printhead through the conduit; and the method further includes the step of moving the printhead relative to the reservoir.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 137 words

A flexible conduit for conducting a fluid therethrough, comprising a body of a resilient material having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface formed to define a main elongate chamber when the body is in an uncompressed state, the body defining first and second portals in communication with the main elongate chamber for transporting the fluid through the main elongate chamber, with the body also defining an auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state, with at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface having a non-circular sectional profile and a first portion of the wall having a substantially uniform thickness.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 137 words

A flexible conduit for conducting a fluid therethrough, comprising a body of a resilient material having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface formed to define a main elongate chamber when the body is in an uncompressed state, the body defining first and second portals in communication with the main elongate chamber for transporting the fluid through the main elongate chamber, with the body also defining an auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state, with at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface having a non-circular sectional profile and a first portion of the wall having a substantially uniform thickness.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 18 words

A flexible conduit according to claim 16, wherein the wall has a second portion with a nonuniform thickness.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 23 words

A tube according to claim 17, wherein the nonuniform wall thickness is substantially constant through the body between the first and second portals.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

A flexible conduit according to claim 16, wherein the wall thickness comprises a thin section of a first thickness and a thick section of a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 26 words

A flexible conduit according to claim 19, wherein the nonuniform wall thickness comprises two opposing thin sections separated from one another by two opposing thick sections.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 21 words

A tube according to claim 20, wherein the two opposing thin sections each span an arc of substantially the same distance.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 81 words

A tube according to claim 16, wherein: the body also defines a second auxiliary elongate chamber extending through the body when the body is in the uncompressed state, with the second auxiliary elongate chamber being isolated from the main elongate chamber when the body is in the uncompressed state; and the body defines third and fourth portals in communication with the first auxiliary chamber, and fifth and sixth portals in communication with the second auxiliary chamber for transporting a fluid therethrough.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-10-01	2000-04-01	2000-10-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-10-01	2004-04-01	2004-10-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-10-01	2008-04-01	2008-10-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Custom profiled flexible conduit system

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