Expandable Jacketed Hose Assembly for Kink-Resistant High Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garden hoses are heavy, cumbersome, and prone to kinking, bulging, or failing at connection points due to their fixed longitudinal length and low radial expansion, making them difficult to store and maneuver.
Innovation Solution
A hose assembly with a lightweight, durable design featuring an elastomeric or thermoplastic inner tube surrounded by a non-bonded, two-layer fabric or non-fabric jacket that expands longitudinally and radially when pressurized, and contracts when pressure falls below a minimum, with a weld seam along the outer tube for added stiffness and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional hoses use fixed longitudinal length construction, then structural stability is maintained, but weight increases and maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly employs a dynamic construction where the inner tube can expand and contract longitudinally in response to fluid pressure changes. The outer tube acts as a guide that allows this dynamic movement while maintaining overall structural integrity. This dynamic capability enables the hose to adjust its length automatically during use, improving maneuverability without requiring the user to manually manage a fixed-length heavy hose.
Solution Approach 2:
The hose is divided into two functional segments: an inner tube that is free to expand and contract, and an outer tube that provides guidance and structural support. This segmentation allows the inner tube to change length dynamically while the outer tube maintains a fixed overall length, achieving both lightness and controllability simultaneously.
2Strength
If hose material is increased for durability, then strength improves, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly uses a composite construction with an inner tube made from high-strength, lightweight materials such as thermoplastic elastomers or reinforced polymers. The outer tube is made from a different material that provides structural guidance and protection. This composite approach allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high burst strength without excessive weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube is constructed as a thin-walled flexible structure that can expand under pressure. By using high-strength-to-weight ratio materials and optimizing the wall thickness, the hose achieves sufficient burst strength while maintaining lightweight characteristics. The thin film construction allows for greater flexibility and reduced weight compared to traditional thick-walled hoses.
3Productivity
If hose expands radially under pressure, then flow rate improves, but kinking and bulging increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outer tube serves as an intermediary structure between the inner tube and the external environment. It provides guidance and support to the inner tube during radial expansion, preventing the inner tube from kinking or bulging excessively. The outer tube allows controlled expansion while maintaining structural integrity, enabling improved flow rate without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer tube is designed with specific local properties that provide support where needed while allowing expansion where required. The differential design allows the hose to expand radially for improved flow while the outer tube prevents kinking at critical locations, achieving both high productivity and reliability.
4Ease of operation
If hose is made lightweight for ease of storage, then maneuverability improves, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly transitions from a static fixed-length structure to a dynamic system that adapts its configuration based on operating conditions. The inner tube can expand and contract longitudinally within the outer tube, allowing the hose to be compact for storage yet functional during use. This dynamic behavior maintains structural stability while enabling lightweight construction for ease of storage and maneuverability.
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 assembly achieves improved maneuverability, kink resistance, and ease of storage while maintaining flow rates similar to conventional hoses at half the weight, with enhanced burst strength and flexibility, allowing for compact storage and high-pressure resistance.
Implementation Method 1
the inner tube is expandable to one or more of a) a longer, second longitudinal length and b) a larger, second circumference upon application of fluid pressure on an inner surface of the inner tube at or above the minimum expansion pressure
Implementation Method 2
When the pressure falls below the minimum fluid pressure, the inner tube of the hose assembly will contract both longitudinally and radially
Implementation Method 3
the outer tube having a longitudinal length and a weld seam along the longitudinal length of the outer tube, the weld seam comprising melted outer tube material
Data Source
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AI summary
A hose assembly, preferably a garden hose assembly, including a jacketed tube that is lightweight, durable and versatile. The tube is able to expand longitudinally along the length-wise axis of the hose between hose ends, as well as radially or circumferentially, to an expanded state in response to application of at least a minimum fluid pressure to an inner tube of the hose. Once the fluid pressure falls below the minimum fluid pressure, the hose assembly will contract. The two layer construction of the hose assembly allows for storage in relatively compact spaces, similar flow rates, approximately one-half the weight, and improved maneuverability when compared to conventional hose constructions. In one embodiment the jacket is formed around the tube in a continuous process that welds a material, preferably using hot air, into the jacket.