Free-Floating Anti-Kink Hose Structure for Maintained Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Kinking in hoses and tubings, which restricts fluid flow and is exacerbated by external reinforcements intended to prevent kinking, making hoses stiffer and less maneuverable.
Innovation Solution
A hose design featuring a free-floating anti-kinking member coextruded within the tubing, with a restraint mechanism at each end to prevent longitudinal movement, creating propped open flow channels that maintain fluid flow even when kinks occur without compromising hose flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external reinforcements are added to the hose to prevent kinking, then kink resistance is improved, but the hose becomes stiffer and less maneuverable
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-kinking member is nested inside the tubing, with the inner member having a smaller outer diameter than the tubing's inner diameter. This nested configuration allows the anti-kinking member to prevent kinks from the inside without adding external reinforcements that would stiffen the hose and reduce maneuverability.
2Strength
If external stiffening elements are applied to resist torsional forces, then kink formation is resisted, but the hose becomes less pliable and harder to manipulate
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-kinking member provides localized torsional resistance only where needed to prevent kink formation, while the rest of the hose maintains its natural flexibility. The inner member's cross-sectional shape (such as oval, triangular, or star-shaped) is specifically designed to resist twisting forces without making the entire hose rigid.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the anti-kinking member is free-floating within the tubing, then hose flexibility is maintained, but the member may move longitudinally
Solution Approach 1:
Restraint mechanisms are incorporated at the ends of the tubing to prevent longitudinal movement of the anti-kinking member before it can cause problems. These restraint elements secure the inner member in place while still allowing the hose to flex and bend naturally during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A kink-resistant hose comprises a tubing and at least one anti-kinking member disposed within an interior volume of the tubing. The outer diameter of the anti-kinking member is less than the inner diameter of the tubing, wherein the anti-kinking member and the tubing are coextruded such that the anti-kinking member is free-floating within the interior volume of the tubing. A cross-sectional area of the anti-kinking member is less than the area of a circle with diameter equal to the maximal diameter of the anti-kinking member. The anti-kinking member thereby defines propped open flow channels, extending radially between an outer surface of the anti-kinking member and an inner surface of the tubing at a kink point, for conveying fluid through a kink in the tubing. A restraint mechanism located in at least the first distal end of the tubing restrains longitudinal movement of the anti-kinking member through the tubing.