Coextruded Hose With Internal Anti-Kinking Member for Flow Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Kinking in hoses restricts fluid flow, and existing solutions that add external reinforcements make hoses stiffer and less maneuverable.
Innovation Solution
An anti-kinking member, such as a rib or filament, is coextruded or inserted within the hose tubing to prevent kinking by creating open channels at kink points, allowing fluid flow without compromising hose flexibility or maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external reinforcements are added to the hose outer layer to resist kinking, then kink resistance is improved, but the hose becomes stiffer and less maneuverable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places an anti-kinking member inside the hose tubing, nesting the kink-prevention element within the hose structure itself rather than adding external reinforcements. This internal placement prevents kinking while preserving the hose's external flexibility and maneuverability, as the anti-kinking member operates independently within the tubing's interior volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the anti-kinking function from the hose's external structure and relocates it to an internal component. By separating the kink-resistance function from the hose's outer layer, the patent allows the hose to maintain its original flexible characteristics while the internal anti-kinking member provides the necessary structural support to prevent kinking.
2Reliability
If external stiffening elements are applied to prevent kinking, then kink formation resistance is improved, but it becomes more difficult to manually unkink the hose when kinks form
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-kinking member is nested within the hose tubing, allowing it to provide continuous kink resistance without interfering with the user's ability to manually manipulate and unkink the hose. When a kink forms, the internal anti-kinking member maintains structural integrity while the user can still access and resolve the kink through normal handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-kinking member acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the opposing forces that cause kinking. It provides internal support to prevent severe kink formation while remaining unobtrusive enough to allow users to manually resolve minor kinks when they occur, serving as a buffer that reduces kink severity without completely eliminating user intervention capability.
3Strength
If the hose is made stiffer through external reinforcements, then resistance to torsional and bending forces is improved, but the hose becomes less pliable and more difficult to maneuver around obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the anti-kinking member inside the hose tubing, allowing the reinforcement function to be provided internally without affecting the hose's external pliability. The anti-kinking member resists torsional and bending forces that would cause kinking, while the hose's outer layer maintains its natural flexibility for easy maneuvering around obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-kinking member provides localized reinforcement specifically at regions where kinking is most likely to occur, rather than uniformly stiffening the entire hose. This localized approach maintains the hose's overall pliability and ease of maneuvering while providing targeted resistance to torsional and bending forces that would cause kinks.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
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.