Expandable Garden Hose Structure to Prevent Kinking and Bulk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garden hoses are cumbersome to store and handle due to their length and weight, and they often kink or become entangled when not in use.
Innovation Solution
A hose comprising an elastic inner tube and a non-elastic outer tube, where the outer tube is unattached along its length, allowing the hose to automatically expand when pressurized liquid is introduced and contract when the liquid is released, reducing storage and handling issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional garden hoses are made long to reach distant locations, then the hose can be located wherever liquid is required, but the hose becomes heavy and cumbersome to store and handle
Solution Approach 1:
The hose transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic variable length that can expand and contract. The elastic inner tube allows the hose to automatically extend to the required length during use and then retract to a compact size for storage, eliminating the need to handle and store long heavy hoses.
Solution Approach 2:
The hose utilizes elastic material properties to change its physical parameters (length and volume) in response to pressure changes. When pressurized liquid flows through, the elastic tube expands to the needed length; when pressure is released, it contracts to a manageable size for storage.
2Volume of moving object
If conventional hoses are wrapped or coiled for storage, then the hose can be stored in a compact form, but the hose tends to kink when unwrapped or uncoiled
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic inner tube provides dynamic structural support that adapts to the hose's state. When the hose is expanded and in use, the elastic material maintains its cylindrical shape and resists kinking. When contracted for storage, the hose naturally folds without permanent deformation, ready to return to its proper shape upon re-expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The hose combines an elastic inner tube with an outer protective layer to create a composite structure. The elastic inner tube provides the necessary flexibility and shape memory to prevent kinking during use, while the outer layer protects during storage and handling.
3Ease of operation
If the hose is made from elastic material to enable automatic contraction, then the hose is easy to store and handle in contracted state, but the hose requires pressurized liquid to expand to extended state
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic hose performs self-service by automatically expanding to the required length when pressurized liquid is introduced and automatically contracting back to its compact form when pressure is released. This eliminates the need for manual extension, retraction, winding, or storage operations by the user.
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 expands up to six times its contracted length, making it easier to use and handle, while automatically contracting for efficient storage, preventing kinking and entanglement.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic inner tube... expands to an extended state when a pressurized liquid is introduced into the hose
Implementation Method 2
automatically contracts to a contracted state when there is no pressurized liquid within the hose
Data Source
AI summary
A hose which automatically expands longitudinally and automatically expands laterally upon the application of a pressurized liquid is disclosed. The hose can automatically expand longitudinally up to six times its unexpanded or contracted length. Upon release of the pressurized liquid within the hose, the hose will automatically contract to a contracted condition. The hose includes an inner tube made from an elastic material and an outer tube made from a non-elastic material. The inner tube is positioned concentrically within the outer tube in both a contracted condition and an expanded condition. The outer tube is secured to the inner tube only at a first end of the inner and outer tubes and at a second end of the inner and outer tubes. The outer tube moves laterally and longitudinally with respect to the inner tube when the tubes are transitioning between a contracted condition and an expanded condition.