Expandable water hose

Abstract

Expandable water hose, comprehensive an inner tube (10) which expands and contracts radially and has an axially stretchable elasticity; a protective tube (20) which expands and contracts radially and has an axially expandable elasticity, wherein the protective tube (20) completely encloses the outer wall of the inner tube (10); and an outer tube (30) which encloses the outer wall of the protective tube (20), wherein the outer tube (30) is a tubular fabric woven from a plurality of elastic warp threads (31) and a plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d), wherein the plurality of elastic warp threads (31) extend parallel to the axial direction of the protective tube (20), wherein the weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) run in the circumferential direction of the woven tubular fabric, wherein the plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) are successively guided and wound around each elastic warp thread (31) in a right-handed S-spiral shape or a left-handed S-spiral shape, whereby in this way the plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) are crossed obliquely with one another and closely interwoven with all elastic warp threads (31).

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a water hose that can expand according to water pressure. State of the art

[0002] A water hose that can axially expand according to water pressure consists of an elastic, expandable inner tube, the outer surface of which is covered with an inelastic braided outer tube. The braided outer tube can expand along with the elastic inner tube. After compression, it has a folded shape. The disadvantage of the folded outer hose is that the outer diameter of the water hose increases significantly during compression, and the folds impair winding and the appearance is unsightly. The fold point is deformed by repeated stretching and can easily become a weak point, which then leads to cracks. With stretching, the cracks continue to expand, so that the inner tube can no longer be contained, resulting in uneven pressure on the inner hose.Due to the internal water pressure, it can easily happen that the wall of the inner tube corresponding to the tear point of the outer tube tears open.

[0003] The document DE 10 2016 100 106 A1 describes a conventional axially stretchable water hose with an inner hose, a protective film and an outer hose, wherein the protective film surrounds the outer wall of the inner hose, wherein the outer hose surrounds the outer wall of the protective film and is an axially stretchable tubular fabric woven from several warp threads and several weft threads, in which the warp threads and weft threads form a V-shape.

[0004] US 2006 / 0162 954 A1 further discloses a cylindrical hose cover for fire hoses, shape-retaining hoses, oil supply hoses, and the like, wherein the hose cover is produced by weaving warp and weft threads in a cylindrical shape. The warp threads are fibers, e.g., polyester fibers, and the weft threads are fibers, a linear metal material, a linear synthetic resin, or a combination of these materials, e.g., hard steel wire. In the woven hose fabric, the warp threads run, for example, parallel to the axial direction of the cover body, and the weft threads run spirally along the circumference of the hose fabric, wherein the plurality of warp threads are wound around the weft threads in an S-shape, thus tightly interwoven with the weft threads.Such hoses with a cylindrical hose jacket are flexible to a certain extent and can be folded and rolled up when empty, but they do not exhibit any extensibility, neither axially nor radially.

[0005] US Pat. No. 5,843,542 A discloses another cylindrical tubular cover fabric with increased flexibility and conformability for use as a protective or insulating covering for hoses, wires, tubes, and the like (e.g., for insulating electrical lines, for insulating hot pipes, for example, in automobile exhaust manifolds or power plant steam lines). Warp and weft threads are interwoven in the tubular cover fabric.

[0006] The application is aimed at a tubular fabric which is flexible to a certain extent in the sense of a certain bendability in order to adapt to curved hose or pipe bodies, but which has no extensibility, neither axially nor radially.

[0007] Furthermore, from the document DE 28 35 238 A1 a woven filter element is known which is designed as a seamless tube, wherein a thicker weft thread runs spirally in the circumferential direction of the tube fabric with spaced spiral turns and is wrapped by closely spaced thinner warp threads.

[0008] As is known from the documents US 2006 / 0 162 954 A1 and US 5 843 542 A, the document DE 28 35 238 A1 also only discloses a tubular fabric in which the warp threads extend parallel to the axial direction of the fabric and the weft threads extend in the circumferential direction of the fabric, the warp threads being guided in an S-shape around the weft threads, the warp threads thus being crossed with one another and interwoven with all the weft threads.

[0009] Document CN 2 06 678 484 U describes a wear-resistant water hose with good tensile strength and high structural strength, in which a mesh layer is provided between an inner and an outer rubber layer to ensure mechanical stability. Object of the invention

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a novel expandable water hose which is both axially and radially expandable and in which the inner hose and the outer hose are prevented from easily tearing due to folds on the outer hose when the expandable water hose is compressed. Technical solution

[0011] The above object is achieved by an expandable water hose having the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0012] The expandable water hose according to the invention comprises: an inner tube that expands and contracts radially and has axially stretchable elasticity; a protective tube which expands and contracts radially and has an axially extensible elasticity, the protective tube completely enclosing the outer wall of the inner tube; and an outer tube covering the outer wall of the protective tube, the outer tube being a tubular fabric woven from a plurality of elastic warp threads and a plurality of inelastic weft threads, the plurality of elastic warp threads being parallel to the axial direction of the protective tube, the plurality of inelastic weft threads extending along the outer wall of the protective tube, i.e., in the circumferential direction, and being successively guided and wound around each elastic warp thread in a right-handed S-spiral shape and a left-handed S-spiral shape, respectively. In this way, the plurality of inelastic weft threads are obliquely crossed with each other and tightly interwoven with all the elastic warp threads. Advantageous effects of the present invention:

[0013] The inner tube and the protective tube can respond to the presence or absence of water pressure with axial expansion. The elastic warp threads allow the outer tube to be used together with the inner tube and the protective tube for axial expansion. With the inelastic weft threads, the outer tube exerts a radial limiting force on the inner tube and the protective tube.

[0014] The outer hose may be a tubular fabric woven by a braiding machine to maintain the roundness of the water hose's appearance.

[0015] When the outer hose is stretched axially, the axial distance between the inelastic weft threads increases. When it is compressed, all the inelastic weft threads lie tightly against each other, making the water hose wrinkle-free.

[0016] Due to the special weft insertion of the aforementioned inelastic weft threads, the inelastic weft threads cross diagonally around the outer wall of the protective sleeve, so that the radial limiting force exerted on the inner sleeve and the protective sleeve is evenly distributed. Furthermore, the axial stretching of the outer sleeve causes a series of movements in the inelastic weft threads, increasing the axial distance between the inelastic weft threads. Thus, the elastic stretching of the elastic warp threads is not hindered by the increasing distance between the inelastic weft threads, so that the warp threads exhibit a high elastic extensibility.

[0017] The inelastic weft threads adapt to the stretching or compression of the outer tube by cumulatively increasing or decreasing the axial distance, respectively. This ensures that a single increase in axial distance is not large, and thus, when the outer tube is stretched, no holes are formed that are too large. The outer tube continues to exert a radial limiting effect on the inner tube and the protective tube, and the protective tube barely protrudes.

[0018] The protective tube can form an additional protective layer for the inner tube, thereby reducing the risk of the inner tube breaking. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] The drawings used to explain a preferred embodiment show: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the expandable water hose and the woven outer hose according to the present invention, Fig. 2 a schematic partial side view of the expandable water hose according to the invention in the compressed state, Fig. 3 a schematic partial side view of the expandable water hose according to the invention in the stretched state, Fig. 4 an enlarged view of the circular area in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 a schematic cross-sectional view along the section line VV according to Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the weft thread insertion according to the present invention, Fig. 7 a schematic side view according to Fig. 6, Fig. 8 a schematic cross-sectional view along the section line VIII-VIII according to Fig. 6, Fig. 9 a schematic cross-sectional view along the section line IX-IX according to Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the weaving process of the outer tube according to the present invention and Fig. 11 is a schematic side view of the weaving process of the outer tube according to the present invention. Detailed description of the embodiment

[0020] It is based on the Fig. 1 to 5. The expandable water hose comprises an inner tube 10, a protective tube 20 covering the outside of the inner tube 10, and an outer tube 30 covering the outside of the protective tube 20, wherein the outer tube 30 is a tubular fabric.

[0021] The material of the inner tube 10 has elastic properties that provide for radial expansion and contraction and axial extension, and includes, but is not limited to, latex and / or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

[0022] The material of the protective tube 20 has elastic properties that allow for radial expansion and contraction, as well as axial expansion, and includes, but is not limited to, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). The protective tube 20 completely encloses the outer wall of the inner tube 10, with the wall thickness of the protective tube 20 being thinner than that of the inner tube 10.

[0023] The outer tube 30 is a tubular fabric woven along the protective tube 20 by means of a braiding machine (high-speed braiding machine) and covering the outer wall of the protective tube 20. The outer tube 30 is woven from a plurality of elastic warp threads 31 and a plurality of inelastic weft threads 32, wherein the plurality of elastic warp threads 31 are parallel to the axial direction of the protective tube 20. The plurality of inelastic weft threads 32 are obliquely crossed with each other along the outer wall of the protective tube 20 with a weft insertion in which a right-handed S-spiral winding is performed for all elastic warp threads 31 and a left-handed S-spiral winding is performed for all elastic warp threads 31. Each elastic warp thread 31 comprises one or more yarns. Fig. 1 to 5, the elastic warp thread 31 comprises two yarns 311, 312. Depending on the elasticity requirements placed on the axial stretching of the water hose, the number of yarns may be larger, and they may be arranged parallel to one another, stacked in a row, or braided into strands.

[0024] The inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20 can respond to the presence or absence of water pressure with axial expansion. With the inelastic weft threads 32, the outer tube 30 exerts a radial limiting force on the inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20, ensuring that the expansion and contraction of the inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20 remain within a reasonable range. The elastic warp threads 31 allow the outer tube 30 to be used together with the inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20 for axial expansion and compression. Fig. 2 shows a compressed state of the outer tube 30, in which the inelastic weft threads 32 lie closely together (cf. Fig. 2). The Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show the outer tube 30 in the stretched state, in which the axial distance between the inelastic weft threads 32 is increased. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the increased axial distance between the inelastic weft threads 32 does not appear large, since only a portion of the outer tube 30 can be shown in the figures. However, if each of the increased axial distances is cumulatively increased or cumulatively decreased, a significant lengthening or shortening of the overall length of the outer tube 30 is achieved.

[0025] It is based on the Fig. 6 to 9. To illustrate the above-mentioned weft thread insertion, the inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20 are omitted from the figures. A small number of elastic warp threads 31 and a small number of inelastic weft threads 32 are shown here. To clearly illustrate the weft thread insertion, the inelastic weft threads 32 are only passed through and wound around the elastic warp threads 31 in an S-shape and are not interwoven with them. In the figures, the number of inelastic weft threads 32 is eight, which are equally divided into a first group 33 and a second group 34, each group comprising four threads. The reference numerals of the four inelastic weft threads of the first group 33 are 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d, respectively. The reference numerals of the four inelastic weft threads of the second group 34 are 34a, 34b, 34c and 34d, respectively.The inelastic weft threads 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d of the first group 33 are successively passed through and wound around each elastic warp thread 31 in a right-handed S-spiral shape, the right-handed spiral shape being indicated by the arrow A in . Fig. 9. The inelastic weft threads 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d of the second group 34 are successively guided in a left-handed S-spiral shape through each elastic warp thread 31 and wound around it, the left-handed spiral shape being indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 9. In the figures, arrows C and D represent the above-mentioned S-shaped winding.

[0026] When performing a weft thread insertion, the elastic warp threads 31 must be closely interwoven with the inelastic weft threads 32. Preferably, the plurality of elastic warp threads 31 lie closely together and the plurality of inelastic weft threads 32 also lie closely together, as shown in the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. In order to illustrate the close contact of the warp and weft threads, the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 the inner tube 10 and the protective tube 20 are omitted. List of reference symbols 10 inner tube 20 protective hose 30 outer hose 31 elastic warp thread 311 yarn 312 yarn 32 inelastic weft thread 33 first group 33a inelastic weft thread 33b inelastic weft thread 33c inelastic weft thread 33d inelastic weft thread 34 second group 34a inelastic weft thread 34b inelastic weft thread 34c inelastic weft thread 34d inelastic weft thread D axial distance between two adjacent inelastic weft threads

Claims

[1] Expandable water hose, comprising an inner tube (10) which expands and contracts radially and has an axially stretchable elasticity; a protective tube (20) which expands and contracts radially and has an axially expandable elasticity, wherein the protective tube (20) completely encloses the outer wall of the inner tube (10); and an outer tube (30) which encloses the outer wall of the protective tube (20), wherein the outer tube (30) is a tubular fabric woven from a plurality of elastic warp threads (31) and a plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d), wherein the plurality of elastic warp threads (31) extend parallel to the axial direction of the protective tube (20), wherein the weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) run in the circumferential direction of the woven tubular fabric, wherein the plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) are successively guided and wound around each elastic warp thread (31) in a right-handed S-spiral shape or a left-handed S-spiral shape, whereby in this way the plurality of inelastic weft threads (32, 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) are crossed obliquely with one another and closely interwoven with all elastic warp threads (31). [2] Expandable water hose according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the protective hose (20) is thinner than that of the inner hose (10). [3] An expandable water hose according to claim 1, wherein each elastic warp thread (31) comprises an elastic yarn (311, 312). [4] An expandable water hose according to claim 1, wherein each elastic warp thread (31) comprises a plurality of elastic yarns (311, 312).

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