Patent ID: 7570855
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A conduit bundle comprising: an inner bundle of plural elongated first-type conduits, each of the first-type conduits having first and second ends coinciding with inner-bundle first and second ends, wherein (a) the first-type conduits are mutually and adjacently bonded along coinciding portions of the lengths of the first-type conduits such that at least a region of the length of the inner bundle is rigid, (b) at least the inner-bundle rigid region (i) extends for a length along an inner-bundle axis along which the adjacently bonded portions of the constituent first-type conduits extend and (ii) is defined by at least one inner-bundle side such that, as viewed into a cross-sectional plane oriented orthogonally to the inner-bundle axis, the inner bundle exhibits a cross-sectional geometry defined by an inner-bundle periphery, and (c) each constituent first-type conduit of a selected set of first-type conduits exhibits, at least within the inner-bundle rigid region, a first cross-sectional geometry and a first diameter consistent, to within a predetermined tolerance, with a first set of pre-established dimensional parameters; a rigid separation structure including a structure wall having structure-wall inside and outside surfaces, the structure-wall inside surface being peripherally bonded to at least one of the at least one sides of the inner-bundle rigid region; and a plurality of elongated second-type conduits, each second-type conduit including a rigidly bonded region along at least a portion of the length thereof that is bonded to at least one of (i) the structure-wall outside surface and (ii) the bonded region of another second-type conduit of the plurality of second-type conduits; wherein (i) at least the bonded regions of the second-type conduits are axially aligned with the inner-bundle axis, (ii) each second-type conduit of a selected set of second-type conduits exhibits a second cross-sectional geometry and a second diameter consistent, to within a predetermined tolerance, with a second set of pre-established dimensional parameters, and (iii) the separation structure is interposed between first-type conduits and second-type conduits.