Expandable Hose Assembly with Welded Jacket for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garden hoses are heavy, cumbersome, and prone to kinking, bulging, or leakage 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 when fluid pressure is applied, and contracts when pressure falls below a minimum, with a weld seam along the outer tube for added strength and control, manufactured using a hot air welding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional hoses use fixed longitudinal length construction, then structural stability is maintained, but weight increases and maneuverability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The hose construction transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic expandable design. The inner tube can expand longitudinally up to multiple times its contracted length when fluid pressure is applied, and the outer tube expands radially, allowing the hose to adapt its dimensions based on operational needs while maintaining lightweight construction
Solution Approach 2:
The hose is divided into two independent functional layers: an inner expandable tube that handles longitudinal expansion and fluid containment, and an outer tube that provides radial expansion control and protection. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its function independently, achieving both light weight and maneuverability
2Weight of moving object
If hose material is reduced to decrease weight, then weight decreases, but burst strength and durability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The hose employs a composite construction with an inner tube made from lightweight elastomeric or thermoplastic material and an outer tube made from fabric or non-fabric material. This composite structure achieves both weight reduction and high burst strength (up to 400 psi) by combining materials with complementary properties
Solution Approach 2:
The outer tube features a weld seam that creates a locally thickened region with enhanced strength properties. This localized reinforcement provides additional burst strength and durability at critical areas without increasing the weight of the entire hose
3Volume of moving object
If expandable hose construction is used to improve storage, then compact storage is achieved, but kinking and bulging increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hose utilizes dynamic expansion and contraction behavior where the inner tube can expand longitudinally and the outer tube expands radially in response to fluid pressure. This dynamic behavior allows the hose to transition between compact stored state and expanded operational state without permanent deformation, preventing kinking and bulging
Solution Approach 2:
The hose construction allows parameters such as longitudinal length and radial diameter to change dynamically based on fluid pressure conditions. The inner tube expands longitudinally when pressurized while the outer tube provides radial expansion control, maintaining structural integrity during expansion cycles and preventing kink formation
4Strength
If outer tube is welded to inner tube for strength, then burst strength increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges the outer tube formation and welding operations into a single continuous hot air welding process. The outer tube is formed around the inner tube and welded in one continuous operation, creating a strong joint while simplifying the manufacturing process and avoiding separate assembly steps
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, kink-resistant, and easy to store, maintaining flow rates similar to conventional hoses while reducing weight by half, with improved maneuverability and burst strength suitable for water pressures up to 400 psi.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining a material having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side; wrapping the material around the inner tube and abutting the first side and the second side of the material, and 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 along a longitudinal length of the hose assembly
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.