Flexible sectioned arm with internal overbending-prevention sleeves

Claim 2

A flexible arm, comprising: a series or chain of interconnected sections, each of said sections having opposite ends, said series of interconnected sections forming a plurality of pairs of such interconnected sections, each adjacent pair of interconnected sections being bendable at the interconnection of such pair, each of said interconnected sections having a through hole or lumen, said interconnected sections being arranged so that the through holes of said sections communicate to provide a continuous passageway through said series of interconnected sections, a series or chain of sleeves positioned in said lumen of said series of interconnected sections, each sleeve having a pair of opposite ends and a wall portion between said pair of opposite ends of each sleeve, one end of each of a plurality of said sleeves being adjacent the other end of an adjacent sleeve, said series of sleeves being positioned so that at least one end of each of at least a plurality of said interconnected sections is adjacent and surrounds said wall portion of a respective sleeve between said opposite ends thereof, so that when said arm is bent, said one end of at least one section will contact and press against said wall portion of its respective sleeve between said opposite ends thereof, whereby said sleeves will prevent bending of at least a portion of said arm beyond a given amount and thus will prevent separation of any of said pairs of said interconnected sections.

Claim 3

The flexible arm of claim 1 wherein said series of sleeves is sufficient in number so that at least one end of ear of said interconnected sections is adjacent a respective sleeve.

Claim 4

The flexible arm of claim 1 , further including resilient means for allowing said series of sleeves to expand when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from substantially shifting in position in relation to said interconnected sections.

Claim 5

The flexible arm of claim 3 wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of cushions at the respective ends of said series of sleeves and holding means for holding said pair of cushions in said arm.

Claim 6

The flexible arm of claim 3 wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of springs at the respective ends of said series of sleeves and holding means for holding said pair of springs in said arm.

Claim 7

The flexible arm of claim 1 , further including a resilient spacer for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting in position in relation to said interconnected sections.

Claim 8

The flexible arm of claim 1 wherein said interconnected sections each comprises a ball at one end and a socket at the opposite end, the ball of each section being mated with the socket of an adjacent section.

Claim 9

The flexible arm of claim 7 wherein said interconnected sections are made of plastic and said sleeves are made of metal.

Claim 10

The flexible arm of claim 7 wherein an end one of said interconnected sections contains means for positioning or holding an outer shroud for surrounding said interconnected sections.

Claim 11

The flexible arm of claim 1 , further including a flexible tube within said series of sleeves for conveying a fluid in said flexible arm.

Claim 12

The flexible arm of claim 1 , further including a pair of end sections at the respective opposite ends of said series of interconnected sections, each of said end sections being bendably connected to an adjacent interconnected section, one of said end sections having a ball-shaped end which is mated to an adjacent section, the other end section having a socket which is mated to an adjacent section, each of said end sections containing a stop for preventing said series of sleeves from translating out of said arm.

Claim 13

The flexible arm of claim 11 , further including resilient means for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting out of a functional position.

Claim 14

The flexible arm of claim 11 , further including a resilient spacer for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting out of a functional position.

Claim 15

The flexible arm of claim 1 wherein said sleeves of said series each comprises a metal cylinder.

Claim 16

The flexible arm of claim 1 wherein said sleeves of said series each comprises a cylinder with a pair of flanged ends having a greater diameter than the portion of said cylinder intermediate said flanged ends.

Claim 17

The flexible arm of claim 15 wherein said sleeves of said series are separated so that a gap exists between adjacent sleeves.

Claim 18

The flexible arm of claim 15 wherein each of said interconnected sections has a constricted portion, each of said sleeves of said series being positioned so that its wall portion intermediate said flanged ends mates with said constricted portion of a respective one of said sections.

Claim 19

A flexible arm, comprising: a series or chain of interconnected and mutually pivotable sections, each of said sections having a ball-shaped first end and a socket-shaped second and opposite end, the end of each ball section comprising an edge, each interconnected and mutually pivotable section having a through hole, said interconnected and mutually pivotable sections being arranged so that the through holes of said sections communicate to provide a continuous passageway or lumen through said series of sections, each interconnected and mutually pivotable section being mated with an adjacent section so that said ball end of each section is mated with the socket end of each adjacent section, a series of sleeves positioned in said lumen of said series of interconnected and mutually pivotable sections, each of said sleeves having a pair of opposite ends and a wall portion between said opposite ends, said sleeves being positioned and dimensioned so that said edge of each of said ball ends is adjacent said wall portion of a respective sleeve, and such that when said arm is bent, at least one of said edges will contact and press against said wall portion of a respective sleeve, and said sleeve will prevent bending of at least a portion of said arm beyond a given amount and thus will prevent separation of any of said balls from its socket.

Claim 20

A flexible arm, comprising: a series or chain of interconnected and mutually pivotable sections, each of said sections having a ball-shaped first end and a socket-shaped second and opposite end, the end of each ball section comprising an edge, each interconnected and mutually pivotable section having a through hole, said interconnected and mutually pivotable sections being arranged so that the through holes of said sections communicate to provide a continuous passageway or lumen through said series of sections, each interconnected and mutually pivotable section being mated with an adjacent section so that said ball end of each section is mated with the socket end of each adjacent section, a series of sleeves positioned in said lumen of said series of interconnected and mutually pivotable sections, each of said sleeves having a pair of opposite ends and a wall portion between said opposite ends, said sleeves being positioned and dimensioned so that said edge of each of said ball ends is adjacent said wall portion of a respective sleeve, and such that when said arm is bent, at least one of said edges will contact and press against said wall portion of a respective sleeve, and said sleeve will prevent bending of at least a portion of said arm beyond a given amount and thus will prevent separation of any of said balls from its socket.

Claim 21

The flexible arm of claim 18 , further including resilient means for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting in position in relation to said interconnected and mutually pivotable sections.

Claim 22

The flexible arm of claim 19 wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of cushions at the respective ends of said series of sleeves' and means for holding said pair of cushions in said arm.

Claim 23

The flexible arm of claim 19 wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of springs at the respective ends of said series of sleeves and means for holding said pair of springs in said arm.

Claim 24

The flexible arm of claim 18 , further including a resilient spacer for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent, while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting in position in relation to said interconnected sections.

Claim 25

The flexible arm of claim 18 , further including a flexible tube within said chain of sleeves for containing a fluid in said arm, and also further including a pair of end sections at the respective opposite ends of said series of interconnected pivotable sections, each of said end sections being pivotably connected to an adjacent pivotable section, one of said end sections having a ball-shaped end which is mated to an adjacent pivotable section, the other end section having a socket which is mated to an adjacent pivotable section, each of said end sections containing a stop for preventing said series of sleeves from translating out of said arm.

Claim 26

The flexible arm of claim 23 wherein an end one of said interconnected pivotable sections contains means for positioning or holding an outer shroud.

Claim 27

The flexible arm of claim 18 wherein said sleeves of said series each comprises a metal cylinder.

Claim 28

The flexible arm of claim 18 wherein said sleeves of said series each comprises a cylinder with a pair of flanged ends having a greater diameter than said wall portion of said cylinder intermediate said flanged ends.

Claim 29

The flexible arm of claim 26 wherein said sleeves of said series are separated so that a gap exists between adjacent sleeves.

Claim 30

The flexible arm of claim 26 wherein each of said interconnected and mutually pivotable sections bas a constricted portion, each of said sleeves of said series being positioned so that its wall portion intermediate said flanged ends mates with said constricted portion of a respective one of said sections.

Claim 31

A flexible arm, comprising: a series of adjacent mutually pivotable sections, each mutually pivotable section having a ball-shaped first end and a socket-shaped second end, said first end of each section being inserted and pivotable in said second end of an adjacent section, each of said pivotable sections having a through hole therethrough, said through hole of each of said pivotable sections terminating in an opening at an end of said ball-shaped first end, said opening having an edge, the through holes of said pivotable sections being aligned so as to form a continuous through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections, first and second end sections at the respective ends of said series of adjacent pivotable sections, said first end section having a first end with a socket, said ball-shaped first end of one of said pivotable sections at one end of said series of adjacent pivotable sections being inserted into said socket, said second of end sections having a first end with a ball which is inserted in said socket-shaped second end of one of said pivotable sections at the opposite end of said series of pivotable sections, said first and second end sections having a through hole therethrough which is aligned with said through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections so as to form a through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections and said first and second end sections, and thereby said flexible arm, a series of rigid sleeves positioned in said lumen in said arm so that one of said sleeves is adjacent an edge of a respective one of said pivotable sections so that if said arm is bent, an edge of at least one pivotable section will contact a respective sleeve and said sleeve will thereby be prevent said arm from overbending at said pivotable section, said through hole in said first and second end sections having a relatively wide part at the end of each end section facing said series of adjacent pivotable sections and a relatively narrow part at the opposite end of each end section, said relatively wide part being joined to said relatively narrow part by a ledge facing said series of adjacent pivotable sections, said sleeves having an outside dimension which is equal to or less than the dimension of said relatively wide part of said first and second end sections and larger than the dimension of said relatively narrow part of said first and second end sections, one of said sleeves at one end of said series of rigid sleeves being inserted into said relatively wide part of said first end section, one of said sleeves at said opposite end of said series of rigid sleeves being inserted into said relatively wide part of said second end section, whereby said series of rigid sleeves will be retained in said arm and will prevent said arm from overbending and thus will prevent separation of any of said balls from its socket.

Claim 32

A flexible arm, comprising: a series of adjacent mutually pivotable sections, each mutually pivotable section having a ball-shaped first end and a socket-shaped second end, said first end of each section being inserted and pivotable in said second end of an adjacent section, each of said pivotable sections having a through hole therethrough, said through hole of each of said pivotable sections terminating in an opening at an end of said ball-shaped first end, said opening having an edge, the through holes of said pivotable sections being aligned so as to form a continuous through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections, first and second end sections at the respective ends of said series of adjacent pivotable sections, said first end section having a first end with a socket, said ball-shaped first end of one of said pivotable sections at one end of said series of adjacent pivotable sections being inserted into said socket, said second of end sections having a first end with a ball which is inserted in said socket-shaped second end of one of said pivotable sections at the opposite end of said series of pivotable sections, said first and second end sections having a through hole therethrough which is aligned with said through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections so as to form a through hole or lumen through said series of adjacent pivotable sections and said first and second end sections, and thereby said flexible arm, a series of rigid sleeves positioned in said lumen in said arm so that one of said sleeves is adjacent an edge of a respective one of said pivotable sections so that if said arm is bent, an edge of at least one pivotable section will contact a respective sleeve and said sleeve will thereby be prevent said arm from overbending at said pivotable section, said through hole in said first and second end sections having a relatively wide part at the end of each end section facing said series of adjacent pivotable sections and a relatively narrow part at the opposite end of each end section, said relatively wide part being joined to said relatively narrow part by a ledge facing said series of adjacent pivotable sections, said sleeves having an outside dimension which is equal to or less than the dimension of said relatively wide part of said first and second end sections and larger than the dimension of said relatively narrow part of said first and second end sections, one of said sleeves at one end of said series of rigid sleeves being inserted into said relatively wide part of said first end section, one of said sleeves at said opposite end of said series of rigid sleeves being inserted into said relatively wide part of said second end section, whereby said series of rigid sleeves will be retained in said arm and will prevent said arm from overbending and thus will prevent separation of any of said balls from its socket.

Claim 33

The flexible arm of claim 29 , further including at least one resilient spacer in at least one of said first and second end sections between said one of said sleeves at one of said ends of said series of rigid sleeves for allowing said series of sleeves to expand in length when said arm is bent while keeping said series of sleeves from shifting out of a functional position.