Expandable Air Hose Collapsible Design for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air hoses used with air compressors and pneumatic tools are bulky, cumbersome, and prone to tangling, requiring significant storage space and lacking a compact design suitable for efficient use with compressed air.
Innovation Solution
An expandable air hose with a flat upper and lower portion connected by rounded shoulders, featuring radial plies that bias the hose into a collapsed state, which expands to a rounded shape when pressurized by compressed air, and returns to a flat state when not pressurized, along with couplers for easy attachment to air compressors and tools, and a reel for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional elongated air hose is used, then it can connect the air compressor to pneumatic tools, but it becomes bulky and cumbersome to work with, easily tangled, and requires significant storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The hose transitions from a static elongated form to a dynamic collapsible form. The tube portion collapses into a compact configuration when not in use and expands to a functional configuration when pressurized, allowing it to be easily stored and handled while maintaining its connecting function
Solution Approach 2:
The hose changes its physical parameters (volume, shape, cross-sectional area) in response to pressure changes. Under normal conditions, the hose has a collapsed state with reduced volume; when pressurized by compressed air, it expands to its functional state, enabling parameter-based adaptation to different operational requirements
2Reliability
If a traditional elongated air hose is used, then it can transmit compressed air to pneumatic tools, but it is easily tangled and frustrating to unwind and rewind neatly
Solution Approach 1:
The hose's dynamic collapsible structure allows it to be neatly compacted when not in use, preventing tangling. The hose can be easily wound or folded into a compact form and will maintain its air transmission capability when deployed and pressurized
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible tube portion allows the hose to nest within itself or around a storage reel when collapsed, creating a compact organized storage configuration that prevents tangling while maintaining full functionality when expanded
3Volume of moving object
If the hose is designed to be compact and collapsible, then it reduces storage space requirements, but it must maintain durability and prevent bursting under compressed air pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The hose employs composite construction with the tube portion made from materials that combine flexibility for collapsing with strength for pressure resistance. The layered structure of the tube (including inner tube, outer tube, and reinforcing elements) provides both the collapsible characteristic and the durability needed to withstand compressed air pressure without bursting
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the hose have different structural properties optimized for their specific functions. The tube portion is designed to be collapsible for storage, while the couplers and reinforcing layers provide localized strength and pressure resistance where needed, creating a heterogeneous structure with spatially varying properties
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 hose provides a compact, easy-to-store, and untangle-free solution that efficiently adapts to pneumatic tool requirements, maintaining durability and economy while preventing bursting under pressure.
Implementation Method 1
The radial plies bias the upper and lower portions into a collapsed state under normal conditions
Implementation Method 2
When pressurized by compressed air, the hose expands into an expanded state, wherein the cross section is substantially rounded as the compressed air is forced therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provided an air hose that is configured to be used in conjunction with an air compressor. The air hose includes a tube portion having open proximal and distal ends. The tube portion includes a flat upper portion and lower portion connected at their ends to a pair of rounded shoulders that give the tube portion a substantially rectangular cross section in a collapsed state. The hose further includes radial plies that extend within the cross section across the upper, lower portions, and around the rounded shoulders. The radial plies bias the upper and lower portions together into a collapsed state, wherein the upper and lower portions are parallel and substantially in contact with one another. The upper and lower portions expand from a collapsed state to an expanded state when compressed air is forced therethrough giving the tube portion a substantially rounded cross section.