Expandable Hose Assembly with Welded Jacket for Compact Storage
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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 featuring a lightweight elastomeric or thermoplastic inner tube surrounded by a fabric or non-fabric outer tube, which expands longitudinally and radially under fluid pressure, with a weld seam for added strength and control, allowing for compact storage and improved maneuverability.
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 and maneuverability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly transitions from a static fixed-length construction to a dynamic variable-length construction that automatically adjusts its longitudinal dimension in response to fluid pressure changes, improving weight efficiency and maneuverability while maintaining functional stability
Solution Approach 2:
The hose utilizes pressure-dependent parameter changes where the longitudinal length and radial diameter vary as functions of internal fluid pressure, allowing the hose to contract to a compact form for storage and expand to functional length during operation
2Strength
If hose material is increased for durability, then strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly employs composite construction combining an inner tube made from pressure-resistant materials (e.g., thermoplastic, elastomer) with an outer jacket made from protective materials (e.g., woven fabric, mesh), achieving high burst strength while maintaining lightweight characteristics through material optimization
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the hose assembly utilize materials with locally optimized properties - the inner tube uses materials optimized for pressure containment while the outer jacket uses materials optimized for abrasion and UV resistance, achieving overall durability without excessive weight
3Volume of moving object
If hose is made expandable for compact storage, then ease of storage is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to kinking and bulging
Solution Approach 1:
The outer jacket is constructed from segmented or mesh-like structures that allow controlled radial expansion and contraction while maintaining structural integrity, preventing kinks and bulges that would occur in continuous solid-wall constructions
Solution Approach 2:
The hose utilizes flexible outer jacket constructions (woven fabric, mesh, or thin-walled tubing) that can accommodate radial and longitudinal expansion/contraction movements without developing permanent deformations, kinks, or weak points
4Ease of manufacture
If hose construction is simplified for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges multiple operations into a single continuous assembly line process where the inner tube and outer jacket are assembled simultaneously, achieving both manufacturing simplicity and operational performance through integrated production
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 is lightweight, durable, and resistant to kinking, with a burst strength suitable for water pressures up to 400 psi, while maintaining ease of storage and use, offering a balance of weight and performance.
Implementation Method 1
The outer tube is formed via welding, preferably hot air welding, around the inner tube
Implementation Method 2
heating the material to melt and bond the first side to the second side along a length of the sides thereby forming an outer tube having a weld seam
Implementation Method 3
the inner tube can expand longitudinally along the length-wise axis of the hose between hose ends or couplers, as well as along a radial axis of the tube when pressure at or above a minimum fluid pressure is applied to the inner tube
Implementation Method 4
When the pressure falls below the minimum fluid pressure, the inner tube of the hose assembly will contract both longitudinally and radially
Data Source
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. The welded joint forms a region of jacket that is preferably about twice the thickness of the rest of the jacket. This thicker region results in a stiffer section of jacket that makes the hose more controllable and consistent in use.