CURLY STRESS-TIGHT STRUCTURE FOR FORMING A HOLLOW TUBE

Abstract

A stress-tight structure for forming a hollow tube includes a thin slice body having a first side edge and a second side edge. A deformation segment is formed on the second side edge and a tight engagement segment is extended outward from the deformation segment by a length. A first sharp projection is formed on an inside surface of the first side edge, and a second sharp projection formed on an outside surface of the second side edge and located between the deformation segment and the tight engagement segment. The second side edge is curled in a curling direction toward the first side edge to have the outside surface located at the second sharp projection of the second side edge correspond to the inside surface of the first side edge, and the first sharp projection is set in hooking engagement with the second sharp projection, thereby forming the hollow tube.

Claims

1. A stress-tight structure for forming a hollow tube, comprising: a thin slice body, having a first side edge and a second side edge opposite to the first side edge; a deformation segment formed on the second side edge; a tight engagement segment extended outward from the deformation segment by a length; a first sharp projection formed on an inside surface of the first side edge; and a second sharp projection formed on an outside surface of the second side edge and located between the deformation segment and the tight engagement segment; wherein the second side edge is curled in a curling direction toward the first side edge to have the outside surface located at the second sharp projection of the second side edge correspond to the inside surface of the first side edge, and the first sharp projection is set in hooking engagement with the second sharp projection, so that an outward-directed stress is induced and accumulated in the thin slice body through the curling to make the outside surface of the tight engagement segment of the second side edge in tight contact with the inside surface of the first side edge, thereby forming the hollow tube.

2. The stress-tight hollow tube according to claim 1, wherein the thin slice body is made of one of a degradable material, silicone rubber, plastics, and Teflon.

3. The stress-tight hollow tube according to claim 1, wherein the first sharp projection comprises a barb structure including a locking surface protruding from the inside surface of the first side edge by a height, and a slope surface connecting the locking surface and an outer end portion of the first side edge, and the locking surface and the slope surface define therebetween an acute angle.

4. The stress-tight hollow tube according to claim 1, wherein the deformation segment comprises an increased thickness greater than an intrinsic thickness of the thin slice body.

5. The stress-tight hollow tube according to claim 4, wherein the deformation segment is gradually decreasing with respect to the increased thickness at a portion adjacent to the tight engagement segment to connect to the tight engagement segment, so as to define the second sharp projection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hollow tube according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a thin slice body shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a circled region A of FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the hollow tube according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a state of being used; and

[0020] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a circled region B of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a thin slice body 100 in the form of a plate and having a first side edge 11 and a second side edge 21 opposite to the first side edge 11. The thin slice body 100 is made of a curveable material with an appropriate outward-directed stress in curled state and can be made of a proper material, such as degradable materials, silicone rubbers, plastics, or Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene). The second side edge 21 of the thin slice body 100 is curveable or windable in a curling direction M1 toward the first side edge 11. The thin slice body 100 includes a suitable extension length in an axial direction M2 in order to allow the thin slice body 100 to be conveniently used by a user.

[0022] Further referring to FIG. 2, which is a top plan view of the thin slice body 100 shown in FIG. 1, an inside surface 12 of the thin slice body 100 is provided with a first sharp projection 13 formed at a location corresponding to the first side edge 11, and the first sharp projection 13 protrudes from the inside surface 12 by a suitable height.

[0023] The second side edge 21 of the thin slice body 100 comprises a deformation segment S1 and a tight engagement segment S2. The tight engagement segment S2 is extended outward from the deformation segment S1 by a suitable length and forms a free end at an outer end portion of the second side edge 21. A second sharp projection 23 is formed on an outside surface 22 of the second side edge 21 and is located on the deformation segment S1.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, which shows an enlarged view of a circled region A of FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first sharp projection 13 comprises a barb structure, and the barb structure has a locking surface 131 protruding from the inside surface 12 of the first side edge 11 by a height, and a slope surface 132 connects, at an angle, the locking surface 131 and an outer end portion of the first side edge 11. The locking surface 131 and the slope surface 132 define therebetween an acute angle.

[0025] Regarding the second side edge 21 of the thin slice body 100, the deformation segment S1 has an increased thickness d1, meaning the increased thickness d1 of the deformation segment S1 is larger than an intrinsic thickness d2 of the thin slice body 100 and is gradually decreasing, with respect to the increased thickness d1, at a portion adjacent to the tight engagement segment S2 to connect to the tight engagement segment S2 in order to form a second sharp projection 23. In other words, the second sharp projection 23 is located between the deformation segment S1 and the tight engagement segment S2.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, to use, a user curls the second side edge 21 in the curling direction M1 toward the first side edge 11 to set the outside surface 22 of the second side edge 21 corresponding to the inside surface 12 at the first side edge 11 so as to allow the first sharp projection 13 to get engagement with the second sharp projection 23 for hooking with each other. Under this condition, the curling operation induces an accumulated outward-directed stress in the thin slice body 100, thereby making the outside surface 22 of the tight engagement segment S2 of the second side edge 21 in tight contact engagement with the inside surface 12 of the first side edge 11, thereby forming a hollow tube. As such, the user may use the hollow tube to smoothly suck and drink beverage.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, which shows an enlarged view of a circled region B of FIG. 4, as the second side edge 21 of the thin slice body 100 comprises a deformation segment S1, and the deformation segment S1 comprises an increased thickness d1, the outward-directed stress that is accumulated in the thin slice body 100 through curling is increased, making the contact engagement between the outside surface 22 of the tight engagement segment S2 of the second side edge 21 of the thin slice body 100 and the inside surface 12 of the first side edge 11 tighter.

[0028] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deformation segment S1 is constructed to have an increased thickness d1, and the purpose is to provide the thin slice body 100 with an outward-directed stress accumulated therein through curling. Structures of equivalent modifications or substitutes (such as changing the curvature of the deformation segment S1) are obviously falling in the spirit of creation of the present invention and the scope of the claims.

[0029] The above-described embodiments are provided only for describing the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent modifications and substitutes that are achieved without departing from the disclosed spirit of the present invention are embraced is the scope defined by the appended claims.