Abstract: A hollow conduit and process for manufacturing therefore which includes steps of extruding a first polymer conduit; cutting said conduit to a pre-determined length; inserting said length into a split mold having a cavity defined therein; inserting at least one flexible position retaining means into said mold; injection molding at least one overmolded polymer onto said plastic conduit and at least partially onto said position retaining means to form a position retaining tube, wherein a portion of the length of said position retaining means is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer; and opening said mold and removing said position retaining tube.

Abstract: A process is described for injection overmolding a second polymer onto a crosslinked profile of a first polymer comprising the steps of: heating at least a portion of the crosslinked profile (previously crosslinked to at least approximately 65%) to a temperature which raises the temperature of a skin of said portion of the crosslinked profile from a first temperature to a second higher temperature (e.g., 112-269° F.) for a duration sufficient to heat the crosslinked portion to the second temperature, the crosslinked profile having been crosslinked from a method selected from the group consisting of radiation and silane; inserting at least a portion of the heated portion at least partially into a mold which defines an overmolding profile; injection molding the second polymer over at least a portion of the heated portion of the crosslinked profile into the void of the mold; and crosslinking the second polymer.

Abstract: A hollow conduit and process for manufacturing therefor which includes steps of extruding a first polymer conduit; cutting said conduit to a pre-determined length; inserting said length into a split mold having a cavity defined therein; inserting at least one flexible position retaining means into said mold; injection molding at least one overmolded polymer onto said plastic conduit and at least partially onto said position retaining means to form a position retaining tube, wherein a portion of the length of said position retaining means is completely embedded within said overmolded polymer and a portion of the length is not embedded within said overmolded polymer; and opening said mold and removing said position retaining tube.

Abstract: A hollow conduit, being primarily round, or having n sides wherein n is greater than or equal to three, and process for making the conduit is described herein. The hollow conduit is comprised of a polymer inner conduit having a pair of opposed ends and an interior and exterior surface. An overmolded corrugated polymer is bonded between at least a portion of the ends and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the inner conduit. The overmolded polymer has at least one flexible position retaining means at least partially embedded within. The flexible position retaining means within the overmolded polymer may be a metallic wire. The inner conduit may be a thermoset, and the overmolded corrugated plastic may be a thermoplastic.

Abstract: An assembly (110) for joining at least two tubes (12, 14) is provided by a connector (112), a plurality of linear inserts (20) and a plurality of ring members (30). Each of the tubes (12, 14) has a tube end (16) and an internal conduit (18). The connector (112) has a central portion (115) with an internal conduit (118) having a permanently formed feature (119) therein, and a plurality of arms (117). Each arm (117) extends from the central portion (115) and terminates in an arm end (116), such that there is one arm (117) and one arm end (116) paired with each tube end (16). The internal conduit (118) of the connector (112) extends through the arms (117) to the respective arm ends (116). There is one linear insert (20) for each arm end/tube end pair.

Abstract: A mold core is provided for producing an overmolded flexible valve. The mold core comprises a mold body, a piston assembly, a piston retaining means, a collet bit positioning means and at least two collet bits. The mold core has a cylindrical void in a distal end and has a pressure means communicated with the cylindrical void. The piston assembly has a piston head sized and adapted for axial movement in the cylindrical void, with a piston shaft extending axially from the head. The shaft is tapered from a larger first diameter at one end to a smaller second diameter at the other end. The piston retaining means has a bore through it to allow insertion of the piston shaft. Each of the at least two collet bits has an inner cylindrical tapered surface segment, the taper of the surface segment being essentially the same as the taper in the piston shaft, and an outer cylindrical surface segment, sized and adapted to be inserted inside the flexible valve.

Abstract: The process of this invention will involve overmolding a thermoplastic or rubbery polymer composition over a thermoplastic hollow tube and a core insert to form a hollow overmolded coupler after the removal of the core insert, the tube entering the coupler at an angle which is less than 90.degree. so as to minimize any freezing of transported water which may reside in the coupler. The combination of the above polymers must satisfy at least two simultaneous conditions. First, the inserted plastic tube must not soften and begin melt flow to the point where it looses structural integrity during the molding processing and second, the overmolded polymer must be capable of forming an essentially leak-proof interface between the coupler and the plastic tube, preferably through either a chemical and/or physical bond between the plastic tube and the overmolded plastic.

Abstract: The invention encompasses an overmolding process which includes the steps of inserting a flexible one-way valve into a plastic conduit, inserting the conduit with the valve at least partially onto a mold core, radially expanding at least a portion of the mold core from a first radial position to a second extended radial position, molding a polymer over at least a portion of the mold core and the plastic conduit, and radially contracting at least a portion of the mold core from the second extended radial position to essentially the first radial position. The radial expansion and contraction is in response to axial movement of a tapered shaft from a first axial position to a second expanded axial position, the shaft having a first diameter and a second diameter at a terminal end of the shaft, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter. The axial shaft movement is in response to a controllable supply of a compressible gas which overcomes the biasing force of a spring to move the piston shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in gas-assisted injection molding of plastic material so as to form an injection molded product includes a pair of mold members defining, when closed, a sealed cavity. A first opening is provided in one of the mold members for allowing the injection of a plastic material into the mold cavity and a second opening is provided in one of the mold members, and spaced from the first opening. A sleeve extends through the second opening. A probe extends through the sleeve and is adapted to be reciprocated therein from a retracted position to an extended position. The probe includes a first end adapted to selectively extend into the cavity, a second end and a longitudinally extending bore which terminates adjacent the second end. A reciprocating device is provided for reciprocating the probe in the sleeve held in the second opening of the one mold member in relation to the cavity.