Composite Hose Assembly With Variable Flexibility and Fewer Leak Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hose assemblies for fluid transport, particularly in harsh environments like engine assemblies, face issues with metal fatigue, material degradation, and potential leaks due to the need for multiple components and labor-intensive connections, which are costly and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A hose assembly featuring a fluoropolymer inner tube surrounded by a braided jacket made from composite materials like carbon fiber, aramid fibers, and fiberglass, infused with varying resins to provide flexibility and axial strength, reducing the number of joints and potential leak paths, and using sintering to bond the jacket to the inner tube.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tube-to-hose adapters are used with multiple components and connections, then the assembly can transport fluids, but the number of potential leak paths increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tube and hose into a single integrated fluoropolymer tube structure with a braided reinforcement jacket, eliminating the need for separate tube-to-hose adapters and multiple connection points. This single-piece construction reduces the number of potential leak paths while maintaining fluid transport functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluoropolymer tube with braided jacket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides fluid transport, structural reinforcement, flexibility, and leak resistance in a single component, replacing what previously required multiple specialized components working together.
2Reliability
If conventional metal tube-to-hose joints are used, then connections can be made, but the joints are prone to metal fatigue and material degradation in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from conventional metals to fluoropolymer composites with braided reinforcement, altering the fundamental material properties to resist chemical aggression, high temperatures, and pressure cycles without experiencing metal fatigue or degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining fluoropolymer material with a braided reinforcement jacket made of high-strength fibers, creating a material system that leverages the chemical resistance of fluoropolymer and the mechanical strength of the braid to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
3Ease of manufacture
If rigid metal tubes are coupled to flexible stainless steel braided hoses, then the assembly can be made, but the number of components and labor required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rigid tube and flexible hose into a single integrated fluoropolymer tube with embedded braided reinforcement, eliminating the need for separate rigid tube, flexible hose, and adapter components, thereby reducing assembly steps and labor requirements.
4Weight of moving object
If conventional hose assemblies with multiple joints are used, then fluid transport is achieved, but the weight of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs lightweight composite materials - fluoropolymer for the tube and synthetic fiber braid for reinforcement - replacing heavier conventional metals, thereby reducing overall assembly weight while maintaining structural integrity and fluid transport capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the number of potential leak paths, lowers production costs and weight, and enhances durability by providing variable flexibility and axial strength, making it suitable for harsh environments while minimizing the need for labor-intensive connections.
Implementation Method 1
The inner tube can be sintered to the braided jacket
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A composite hose assembly including a fluropolymer inner tube and a jacket circumferentialiy surrounding the fluropolymer tube. The jacket is formed from a plurality of plaits of fiberglass lace or other material. The jacket is then coated or infused with different resins along an axial length of the tube to impart varying degrees of flexibility along its length. A method of making the composite hose assembly includes: providing a fluropolymer inner tube, forming a jacket by circumferentialiy wrapping a plurality of plaits of fiberglass lace or other material around the fluropolymer tube, and infusing the plaits with different resins along its length to vary the flexibility.