Apparatus for winding up and unwinding a hose

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for winding a hose, which comprises a hose drum (2) with a drum jacket (4), around which the hose is able to be wound, a spindle (3), on which the hose drum (2) is rotatably mounted, and a connection device, decoupled from the rotation of the hose drum (2), for connecting one end of the hose to a media line (20), wherein: the connection device has a stationary connection part (3) for coupling to the media line (20) and a rotatable connection part (2) for coupling one end of the hose to the connection device, said rotatable connection part (2) being rotatably mounted on the stationary connection part (3); and the connection device additionally has an exchangeable sealing element (14), which seals a gap (13) between the stationary connection part (3) and the rotatable connection part (2). In order to facilitate not only the safe use of such a hose winding apparatus in harsh operating conditions, but also the exchange of the seal element of the connection device with minimum effort, according to the invention the seal element (14) is held in position by a seal flange (16) that is releasably fastened to the stationary connection part (3) or the rotatable connection part (2) of the connection device, and the seal element (14) can be removed from the connection device when the seal flange (16) is released from the connection part (2, 3), while the rotatable connection part (2) remains mounted on the stationary connection part (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for winding and unwinding a hose, comprising a hose reel with a reel casing around which the hose can be wound, and an axle on which the hose reel is rotatably mounted. A connecting device is provided for connecting the hose to be wound onto the hose reel to a fluid-carrying media line, which is decoupled from the rotation of the hose reel and to which one end of the hose can be coupled.

[0002] For this purpose, the connection device is designed in the manner of a pipe swivel joint with a stationary connection part, which is intended for coupling to the media line, and a rotatable connection part, which is intended for coupling the associated end of the hose to the connection device and is rotatably mounted on the stationary connection part. The gap that inevitably exists between the stationary and the rotatable connection part is sealed by a sealing element, which is typically designed as an annular seal, which is either held on the stationary connection part and seals against a peripheral surface of the rotatable connection part, or is held on the rotatable connection part and acts against a peripheral surface of the stationary connection part.

[0003] An example of a hose winding device is described in EP 2 404 858 A2. This device has a stationary axis in which a fluid line is formed. A hub that can rotate about the axis sits on the axis. The hub is part of a hose reel on which a hose can be wound, and has a fluid line. In order to enable fluid to flow from the fluid line of the axis through the fluid line of the hub to the hose connected to it, a device is provided that converts rotation of the hub about the axis into a relative displacement of the hub on the axis in the axial direction. Depending on the axial position of the hub on the axis, the guidance of the fluid from the fluid line of the axis to the fluid line in the hub is interrupted or uninterrupted.The gap between the hub and the axle required for the rotational movement of the hub and the hose reel it supports relative to the stationary axle is sealed by four ring seals located in circumferential grooves in the axle. These seals act against an inner circumferential surface of the hub and a connecting piece formed on one end of the hose reel. This connecting piece defines an opening through which the axle is inserted. To replace one of these seals in the event of wear or damage, the hose reel, including its hub and connecting piece, must be removed from the axle.

[0004] Another example of a hose winding device is described in US 4 487 218 A.

[0005] Hose winding devices of the type described above are used primarily for winding and unwinding heavy hoses with diameters typically ranging from 50 to 150 mm, especially 60 to 90 mm. Hoses of this size, which are generally relatively rigid and difficult to handle, are used, for example, in the refueling of aircraft or ships, sewer cleaning, firefighting, or other applications where large fluid volume flows are discharged or extracted, sometimes at pressures of up to 10 MPa.

[0006] As described in the brochure "EZM TRUCK" published by EZM Gelenk- und Systemtechnik GmbH, Werdohl, Germany (see http: / / www.ezm-rohrdrehgelenke.de / 165 / EZM-TRUCK.htm), hose winding devices for this application are typically mounted on a vehicle to allow the hoses wound on them to be quickly transported to different locations. In conventional hose winding devices, fluid is typically supplied to or removed from the hose via a swivel joint, through which one end of the hose is connected, rotationally decoupled, to the media line that is stationary and non-rotatable relative to the rotatable hose reel and carries the fluid being supplied or removed. This makes it possible to supply or remove fluid via the hose without having to unwind the hose over its entire length.Hose winding devices of this type also allow the length of the hose to be adjusted during use by winding or unwinding it to suit changing requirements without having to interrupt operation.

[0007] In the hose winding devices described above, swivel joints are typically used as the connection device for rotary decoupling. These consist of an inner and an outer part, which are mounted so that they can rotate relative to each other via rolling bearings. The gap between the outer and inner parts is sealed by a gasket.

[0008] As with the prior art known from the aforementioned patent publication, the seal is located between the inner and outer parts of the swivel joint. This means that, in this case, the inner and outer parts must be separated to replace the seal.

[0009] Particularly with vehicle-mounted hose reels, replacing the seal requires lifting the reel from the vehicle to remove the inner and outer parts of the swivel joint, which is usually enclosed by the reel hub. The assembly work required for this is very time-consuming and requires the use of a crane, which is not always available.

[0010] Based on the state of the art explained above, the task was to create a hose winding device that not only ensures safe use under harsh operating conditions, but also allows the sealing element of the connection device provided for connecting the hose to the respective media line to be replaced with minimal time and equipment expenditure.

[0011] The invention has solved this problem by a device which has at least the features specified in claim 1.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and, like the general inventive concept, are explained in detail below.

[0013] A device according to the invention for winding and unwinding a hose accordingly comprises, in accordance with the prior art explained above, a hose reel having a reel casing around which the hose can be wound, an axle on which the hose reel is rotatably mounted, and a connecting device decoupled from the rotation of the hose reel for connecting one end of the hose to a media line, wherein the connecting device comprises a stationary connecting part provided for coupling to the media line, and a rotatable connecting part provided for coupling the associated end of the hose to the connecting device and rotatably mounted on the stationary connecting part, wherein the connecting device additionally has a replaceable sealing element which seals a gap existing between the stationary and the rotatable connecting part.

[0014] According to the invention, in such a device, the sealing element is held in position by a sealing flange which is detachably fastened to the stationary or the rotatable connecting part of the connecting device, wherein the sealing element can be removed from the connecting device when the sealing flange is detached from the respective connecting part, while the rotatable connecting part remains mounted on the stationary connecting part of the connecting device.

[0015] In a hose winding device according to the invention, a connection device designed in the manner of a pipe swivel joint is used, in which the seal between the rotating connection part and the stationary connection part is achieved by means of a sealing element held in position by a sealing flange that can be removed without disassembling the rotating or stationary part. This allows the damaged or worn sealing element, for example, to be freely accessible and easily replaced with a new one. The sealing element can then be just as easily re-secured in its proper position by reinstalling the sealing flange.

[0016] A crucial aspect of the invention is that, in addition to the rotatable and stationary connecting parts, an element is provided that is to be mounted independently of these parts, namely the sealing flange, referred to here as such, which holds the sealing element in its correct position. The sealing flange is designed such that it fixes the sealing element in its prescribed position during operation. For this purpose, it may be sufficient if the sealing flange acts against the sealing element in a suitable area over a specific section of the sealing element and presses it against a suitable counterbearing formed on the rotatable or stationary connecting part. For example, it is also possible to form the sealing flange using two or more flange elements that together hold the sealing element in its position.A particularly secure mounting of the sealing element, ensuring optimal alignment and at the same time uniform loading, can be achieved by forming the sealing flange in one piece, for example in a ring shape, and the contact surface between the sealing element and the sealing flange extending, for example, over an end face of the sealing element.

[0017] A particularly compact design of the device according to the invention results from the fact that the hose reel forms the rotatable connecting part of the connection device, while the stationary connecting part of the connection device is formed by the axis of the hose reel. In this embodiment, the rotatable mounting of the hose reel on the axis is used to decouple the hose from the media line. The gap required for the rotary movement between the axis and the hose reel is sealed by means of the sealing element held in the inventive manner by the separate sealing flange. This is also held by the sealing flange in such a way that, after dismantling the sealing flange, it can be separated from the hose reel and the axis without requiring the axis and hose reel to be separated.

[0018] In the device according to the invention, the hose reel defines an interior space which is connected to the media line via the connection device in such a way that a fluid flowing in via the media line flows into the interior space or a fluid present in the interior space flows out via the media line. With such a configuration, the connection of the end of the hose assigned to the media line can be arranged in a particularly simple manner such that it is, on the one hand, easily accessible and, on the other hand, reliably protected against damage or accidental loosening during operation. For example, a connection flange can be arranged on the drum casing of the hose reel, which defines a connection opening which is connected to the interior of the hose reel and which is provided for connecting the end of the hose assigned to the connection device.

[0019] It proves to be particularly advantageous with regard to the compactness of the design and the minimization of the components required for the construction of a device according to the invention if the axis defines a line which, on the one hand, opens into the interior of the hose reel with one end and, on the other hand, is coupled to the media line with its other end during use.

[0020] In order to ensure secure mounting of the hose reel on the axle and, at the same time, to provide easy access to the sealing flange of the connecting device, which according to the invention fixes the sealing element, the hose reel has a hub section that defines a bearing opening that is coaxially aligned with the rotational axis of the hose reel and into which the axle is inserted, wherein the gap sealed by the sealing element is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the axle and an inner circumferential surface of the hub section. Via its hub section designed in this way, the hose reel can be pushed onto the axle from one end face and mounted on the axle in such a way that its other end face remains freely accessible for assembly work on the sealing flange.The sealing element can be held in position by means of the sealing flange on the hub portion of the hose reel and sealingly abut the outer circumferential surface of the axle, or the sealing element can be held in position by means of the sealing flange on the axle of the hose reel and sealingly abut the inner circumferential surface of the hub portion. Easy accessibility of the sealing flange and, consequently, the sealing element is made possible in the device according to the invention in that the sealing element is held by the sealing flange on an end portion of the hub portion of the hose reel arranged in the interior of the hose reel or on an end portion of the axle arranged in the interior of the hose reel.In this case, the sealing flange and the sealing element are located near the end faces of the hub section and axle, which are associated with the interior space defined by the hose reel, so that they can be easily reached once the interior space has been made accessible. This proves to be particularly simple if the hose reel is mounted on the axle from one side, i.e., only from one end face, as explained above, while its other end face is free of the components required for supporting the hose reel and is therefore readily accessible for assembly work.

[0021] The latter embodiment proves to be particularly practical when, in a device according to the invention, the axis is guided out of the interior of the hose reel on one end face of the hose reel and is held on a holding device which is fixedly mounted in relation to the hose reel and carries the device. Such an installation situation arises, for example, when a hose winding device according to the invention is mounted at the rear or elsewhere of a vehicle in such a way that the axis of rotation of its hose reel is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. It is precisely in such an arrangement that the inventive embodiment of a device for winding a hose proves to be particularly advantageous due to the free accessibility of one end face of the hose reel.

[0022] In the event that the hose reel is mounted on the axle only on one side in the area of ​​one of its end faces as explained above, it proves expedient if a cover is detachably attached to the other end face of the hose reel, which cover seals off the interior space on this end face from the environment. Such a cover can not only shield the components arranged in the interior space defined by the hose reel from the environment in which the device according to the invention is used, but can also be used to seal off the interior space on the relevant end face, particularly in the event that the interior space of the hose reel is used to distribute the fluid flowing via the media line to the hose or from the hose to the media line.In this arrangement, the sealing flange provided according to the invention is then advantageously located in the manner already explained above on the side of the hose reel facing away from the media connection within the interior of the hose reel and is accessible by unscrewing the cover.

[0023] With such an inventive arrangement, the sealing element can be replaced by removing the cover flange and then the sealing flange, without having to remove the hose reel from the vehicle and without having to separate the rotating and stationary connecting parts of the connection device. Heavy lifting equipment or other aids, such as a crane, are no longer necessary. Instead, the seal can be replaced on-site within a very short time.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing illustrating an exemplary embodiment. The drawings schematically show: Fig. 1 shows a device for winding a heavy hose, which typically has a diameter of 50 - 150 mm, in a frontal view of one of its end faces; Fig. 2 shows the device according to Fig. 1 in use position in a section along the Fig. 1 drawn section line XX; Fig. 3 the device according to Fig. 1 in an open position for maintenance purposes in one of the Fig. 2 corresponding cut.

[0025] The device 1 shown in the figures for winding a hose (not shown here) is mounted, for example, on the rear of a commercial vehicle (also not shown here), which is used, for example, for sewer cleaning. An example of such a vehicle and the intended installation of a hose winding device is shown in the aforementioned brochure "EZM TRUCK," issue 10 / 2015, from EZM Gelenk- und Systemtechnik GmbH.

[0026] The device 1 comprises a hose reel 2 which is mounted on an axle 3 so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation D which is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in question.

[0027] The hose reel 2 has a cylindrically shaped reel casing 4 running around its circumference, around which the respective hose is wound during use. The reel casing 4 is carried by a hub section 5 of the hose reel 2, which on the one hand closes off the hose reel 2 at one of its end faces 6 and on the other hand has a tube-like flange 8 extending into the interior space 7 defined by the hose reel 2. With the flange 8 of its hub section 5, the hose reel 2 is pushed from the end face 6 assigned to the hub section 5 onto the axle 3, which also extends into the interior space 7, and is mounted on the axle 3 so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation D via two ball bearings 9, 10 arranged axially spaced within the hose reel 2.

[0028] The gap 13 inevitably present between the inner circumferential surface 11 of the flange 8 of the hub section 5 and the outer circumferential surface 12 of the axle 3 is sealed from the interior 7 of the hose reel 2 by a sealing element 14 positioned on the end face 15 of the flange 8 associated with the interior 7. For this purpose, an annular sealing flange 16 is provided, which holds the sealing element 14 in position during use by being placed on the end face 15 and precisely fixed there by means of screw connections 17 arranged at regular intervals around the rotation axis D. In the example shown here, the sealing element 14, designed as a conventional ring seal, sits in a circumferential shoulder formed into the inner circumferential surface of the sealing flange 16 and acts with its sealing lip against the outer circumferential surface 12 of the axle 3.

[0029] The pin-like axis extending into the interior 7 of the hose reel 2 is also tubular and encloses a line 18 that opens into the interior 7 at the end face 19 of the axis 3 associated with the interior 7, while a media line 20 is connected to its other end, which is only symbolically indicated here by a dashed line. The axis 3 is attached to a holding device 21 formed by a heavy-duty plate or the like, which has an opening through which the media line 20 is guided for connection to the line 18 of the axis 3. The holding device 21 is mounted on the vehicle in a fixed position relative to the hose reel 2 of the device.

[0030] In this way, a one-sided pivot bearing of the hose reel 2 on the axle 3 is created from the front side 6, by means of which the other front side 22 of the hose reel 2 on the rear side of the vehicle, opposite the front side 6, is free of components required for supporting the hose reel 2. Instead, the interior space 7 on this front side 22 is tightly closed by a cover 23, which for this purpose is placed and screwed from the front side 22 onto an annular flange 25 carried by the drum casing 4 on the front side 22 and bordering the opening 24 closed for use by the cover 23.

[0031] By means of the annular flange 25 on the end face 22, as well as by means of the hub section 5 on the end face 6, guide rods 26, 27 are held, which are distributed at equal angular intervals around the axis of rotation D and project radially from the hose reel 2, by means of which the hose reel (not shown here) formed on the circumferential surface of the reel casing 4 is guided and held.

[0032] A connecting flange 28 is screwed to the peripheral surface of the drum shell 4, defining a connection opening 29, which is connected to the interior 7 of the hose reel 2 via a through-opening 30 formed in the drum shell 4. The connecting flange 28 is provided for connecting the hose assigned to the hose reel 2 and to be wound onto the hose reel 2.

[0033] In this way, during use, a flow connection is established between the media line 20 and the hose (not shown here) connected to the connecting flange 28, via the line 18 of the axle 3, the interior space 7 of the hose reel 2, the through-opening 30 of the reel casing 4 and the connecting flange 28 with its connecting opening 29. This connection allows a fluid supplied through the media line 20 to flow from the media line 20 into the hose, or conversely, a fluid sucked through the hose to flow out via the media line 20. The sealing element 14 ensures that no fluid can escape into the environment via the gap 13 between the flange 8 of the hub section 5 and the axle 3 ( Figures 1 and 2 ).

[0034] If the sealing element 14 needs to be replaced after a certain period of use due to wear, the cover 23 is loosened and removed from the hose reel 2 after the hose reel 2 has been completely emptied. The front end of the axle 3 and the flange 8 of the hub section 5, which is associated with the interior space 7, with the sealing flange 16 attached thereto, are now freely accessible, so that the screw connections 17 holding the sealing flange 16 to the flange 8 can be easily loosened and then the sealing flange 16, with the sealing element 14 held by it, can be just as easily removed from the flange 8 and the axle 3 and replaced with a new sealing element 14 ( Fig. 3 ).

[0035] In this way, in the device 1 according to the invention, the hose reel 2 and the axle 3 form a connection device designed in the manner of a pipe swivel joint, in which the hose reel 2 forms the rotatable connection part and the axle 3 forms the stationary connection part and in which the gap 13 between the rotating connection part (hose reel 2) and the stationary connection part (axle 3) is sealed by means of the sealing element 14, which is held in its correct position by the sealing flange 16 during use, so that after simply loosening the screw connections 17, the sealing flange 16 can be removed and the sealing element 14, which may need to be replaced, is freely accessible without any other assembly work having to be carried out on the rotatable connection part (hose reel 2) or the stationary connection part (axle 3). REFERENCE SYMBOL

[0036] 1Device for winding a hose used for sewer cleaning 2Hose reel (rotating connection part) 3Axle (stationary connection part) 4Drum casing of the hose reel 2 5Hub section of the hose reel 2 6First end face of the hose reel 2 7Interior of the hose reel 2 8Flange of the hub section 5 9, 10Ball bearing 11Inner circumferential surface of the flange 8 of the hub section 5 12Outer circumferential surface of the axle 3 13Gap 14Sealing element 15End face of the flange 8 associated with the interior 7 16Sealing flange 17Screw connections 18Line in the axle 3 19End face of the axle 3 associated with the interior 7 20Media line 21Holding device 22Second end face of the hose reel 2 opposite end face 6 23Cover of the hose reel 2 24Opening on the end face 22 of the hose reel 2 25Ring flange of the hose reel 2 26,27Guide rods 28Connection flange of the hose reel 2 29Connection opening of the connection flange 28 30Through opening of the reel casing 4 , DRotation axis of the hose reel 2

Claims

1. Apparatus for winding and unwinding a hose, comprising - a hose reel (2) having a reel casing (4), around which the hose can be wound, - an axle (3) on which the hose reel (2) is rotatably mounted, and - a connecting device, uncoupled from the rotation of the hose reel (2), for connecting one end of the hose to a media line (20), wherein the connecting device comprises a stationary connecting part (3) which is provided for coupling to the media line (20), and a rotatable connecting part (2) which is provided for coupling the corresponding end of the hose to the connecting device and is rotatably mounted on the stationary connecting part (3), wherein the connecting device additionally has a replaceable sealing element (14) which seals a gap (13) between the stationary connecting part (3) and the rotatable connecting part (2), wherein the hose reel (2) forms the rotatable connecting part of the connecting device, and the stationary connecting part of the connecting device is formed by the axle (3) of the hose reel (2), wherein the hose reel (2) has a hub portion (5) which defines a bearing opening which is coaxially aligned with respect to the rotational axis (D) of the hose reel (2) into which the axle (3) is inserted, and wherein the gap (13) sealed by the sealing element (14) is formed between an outer circumferential surface (12) of the axle (3) and an inner circumferential surface (11) of the hub portion (5), characterized in that the sealing element (14) is held in position by a sealing flange (16) which is detachably fastened to the stationary connecting part (3) or the rotatable connecting part (2) of the connecting device, wherein the sealing element (14) can be removed from the connecting device when the sealing flange (16) is detached from the relevant connecting part (2, 3) while the rotatable connecting part (2) remains mounted on the stationary connecting part (3) of the connecting device, and in that the hose reel (2) defines an interior (7) which is connected to the media line (20) via the connecting device such that a fluid flowing in via the media line (20) flows into the interior (7), or a fluid present in the interior (7) flows out via the media line (20), wherein the sealing element (14) is held by the sealing flange (16) on an end portion of the hub portion (5), which is arranged in the interior (7) of the hose reel (2), or on an end portion of the axle (3), which is arranged in the interior (7) of the hose reel (2).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the axle (3) defines a line (18) which opens with one end into the interior (7) of the hose reel (2) and which can be coupled to the media line (20) at its other end.

3. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a connecting flange (28) is arranged on the reel casing (4) of the hose reel (2), which flange defines a connecting opening (29) which is connected to the interior (7) of the hose reel (2) and is provided for connecting the end of the hose corresponding with the connecting device.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sealing element (14) is held in position on the hub portion (5) of the hose reel (2) by means of the sealing flange (16) and sealingly abuts the outer circumferential surface (12) of the axle (3).

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sealing element (14) is held in position on the axle (3) of the hose reel (2) by means of the sealing flange (16) and sealingly abuts the inner circumferential surface (11) of the hub section (5).

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the axle (3) is guided out of the interior (7) of the hose reel (2) on an end face (6) of the hose reel (2) and is held on a holding device (21) which is fixedly mounted with respect to the hose reel (2) and which carries the apparatus (1).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the hose reel (2) has, at one of its end faces (22), a cover (23) which is detachably fastened to the hose reel (2), which seals its interior (7) from the environment at this end face (22).

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