Patent ID: 7850209

Claim:
A tube assembly for connecting a first tube having a first connection end to a second tube having a second connection end, the tube assembly comprising: the first tube having a first tube axis and the second tube having a second tube axis; a swivel joint formed by the first connection end of the first tube and the second connection end of the second tube, the first connection end rotated within a rotational plane with respect to the second connection end, and the first connection end and the second connection end expanded in a first spherical shape and a second spherical shape, respectively, such that the first spherical shape lies within the second spherical shape, wherein the swivel joint has a rotational axis about which the first tube axis is rotatable, the rotational axis being perpendicular to the rotational plane, wherein the swivel joint is adjustable such that the rotational axis and the first tube axis, and the rotational axis and the second tube axis each form an angle α greater than 0°, and the swivel joint is adjustable such that the first tube is rotatable relative to the second tube from a minimal first angle β to a maximum second angle β, wherein the first connection end of the first tube comprises a sleeve which comprises a first outwardly extending closed ring-shaped annular surface and a second outwardly extending closed ring-shaped surface extending annularly and parallel to the first ring-shaped surface, the first ring-shaped surface and the second ring-shaped surface defining an annular groove between the first ring-shaped surface and the second ring-shaped surface, wherein the second connection end of the second tube comprises a cylindrical sleeve whose inside diameter is set to be an outside diamater of the annular groove to rotatably secure the first tube with the second tube, and further comprising a retaining ring in two connectable halves positioned parallel to the rotational plane and configured to axially secure the tube assembly by enclosing at least partially the sleeve of the first tube and the cylindrical sleeve of the second tube so as to prevent the sleeve of the second tube from being pulled out of the sleeve of the first tube.