Expandable Composite Hose Structure for Lightweight Pressure Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hoses, such as fire hoses, are cumbersome to manufacture, heavy, bulky, and difficult to handle, with separate jacket and inner tube components that require complex assembly and are not easily storable or repairable.
Innovation Solution
A flexible hose with a non-corrugated, non-coiled tubular structure comprising an inner and outer polymeric elastic layer with a textile reinforcement layer in between, allowing automatic enlargement and retraction under fluid pressure, made from suitable elastomers or thermoplastic elastomers, and textile yarns like polyester or nylon, which integrates to form a unitary tubular member for enhanced durability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate jacket and inner tube components are used, then the hose can be designed to enlarge under pressure, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the jacket and inner tube into a single integrated hose structure where the knitted textile layer is embedded within a polymeric matrix, eliminating the need for separate components and complex assembly processes while maintaining the pressure-enlargement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The hose uses a composite structure consisting of a knitted textile reinforcement layer embedded in a polymeric matrix, where the textile provides structural integrity and the polymer provides flexibility and pressure-responsive enlargement behavior
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate jacket and inner tube components are used, then the hose can be designed to enlarge under pressure, but the hose becomes heavy and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The composite of knitted textile and polymeric matrix creates a lightweight structure that is both strong and flexible, enabling pressure-induced enlargement without adding excessive weight compared to separate component designs
Solution Approach 2:
The polymeric matrix acts as a flexible shell that allows the hose to enlarge under pressure while maintaining a compact, lightweight form when not in use, avoiding the bulkiness associated with rigid separate components
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate jacket and inner tube components are used, then the hose can be designed to enlarge under pressure, but the hose becomes difficult to handle and store
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated single-layer structure eliminates the complexity of assembling and disassembling separate components, making the hose easier to handle, deploy, and store while retaining the pressure-enlargement functionality
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 is lightweight, easy to manufacture, maintain, and store, with high burst pressure and minimal bulkiness, allowing customizable length and simple repair, while maintaining the advantages of both enlargeable and classic hoses.
Implementation Method 1
The polymeric layers may be tubular shaped and susceptible to automatically enlarge under the pressure imparted by the working fluid that flows internally them
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible hose for transporting a fluid, particularly a flexible garden hose for transporting water, includes an inner layer made of a first elastic polymeric material; an outer layer made of a second elastic polymeric material; and a textile reinforcement layer interposed therebetween. The inner and outer layers are reciprocally coupled to form a unitary tubular member, internally to which the textile reinforcement layer is embedded. The elasticity of the unitary tubular member causes it to automatically enlarge under the working pressure given by the liquid flowing therethrough to increase its original diameter and to automatically recover to assume again its original diameter once the working pressure stops. The textile reinforcement layer is susceptible to move from a rest configuration, when there is no working pressure, to a working configuration, when the unitary tubular member enlarges upon under the working pressure.