Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube comprising the steps of: placing said plastic tube inside an electrically insulating tube, so that the difference between the inner diameter of said electrically insulating tube and the outer diameter of said plastic tube is equal to or less than 2 mm, flowing a gas into said electrically insulating tube and said plastic tube, maintaining the inner pressure of both of said tubes at a reduced pressure, and applying a high voltage across electrodes disposed outside said electrically insulating tube so as to initiate and sustain discharge only inside said plastic tube and thereby plasma-treating the inner surface of said plastic tube.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube comprising the steps of: placing said plastic tube inside an electrically insulating tube, so that the difference between the inner diameter of said electrically insulating tube and the outer diameter of said plastic tube is equal to or less than 2 mm, flowing a gas into said electrically insulating tube and said plastic tube, maintaining the inner pressure of both of said tubes at a reduced pressure, and applying a high voltage across electrodes disposed outside said electrically insulating tube so as to initiate and sustain discharge only inside said plastic tube and thereby plasma-treating the inner surface of said plastic tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein the difference between the inner diameter of said electrically insulating tube and the outer diameter of said plastic tube is less than 1 mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein the frequency of said high voltage to be applied across said electrodes is from 50 KHz to 1 MHz.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein the degree of said reduced pressure is from 0.5 Torr to 30 Torr.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrically insulating tube is made of an inorganic dielectric material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrically insulating tube is a glass tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrically insulating tube is a ceramic tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein said plastic tube is a plasticized polyvinyl chloride tube.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of plasma-treating the inner surface of a plastic tube as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas is carbon monoxide gas.