Hydraulic Hose Guide Apparatus for Sewer Line Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hydraulic hose cleaning method for sewer lines lacks rigidity, making it difficult for operators to accurately guide the hose head into clogged pipelines, and the design of manholes and junction boxes complicates the process, posing safety risks due to the hose's limber nature and potential backflow of sewer water.
Innovation Solution
A hose guide apparatus that locks the hydraulic hose near the head with a clamp, providing rigidity, allowing operators to navigate the hose more effectively, and includes a mechanism to release the hose once positioned, enabling safer and quicker cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a hydraulic hose is used to clean sewer lines, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but control over the hose head direction is lost due to the hose being limber
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two functional segments: a rigid guide rod that provides directional control and a flexible hydraulic hose that performs cleaning. The guide rod and hose are connected at the hose head, allowing the rigid portion to steer while the flexible portion delivers water pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide rod acts as an intermediary element between the operator and the hydraulic hose. The rod transmits directional control from the operator to the hose head, while the hose itself remains flexible for efficient water delivery and blockage removal.
2Ease of operation
If the hose is made flexible for easy navigation, then ease of operation is improved, but rigidity is lost making it difficult to direct the hose head
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the rigidity function (guide rod) from the flexibility function (hydraulic hose). The guide rod provides the necessary stiffness for directional control, while the hose maintains its flexibility for easy navigation through the sewer line.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the system have different mechanical properties: the guide rod is rigid locally to provide directional control, while the hydraulic hose is flexible locally to enable easy navigation. Each component's local quality is optimized for its specific function.
3Device complexity
If operators manually guide the hose without a guide mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but safety is compromised due to hose deflection and potential backflow
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rod serves as a protective intermediary that keeps the hydraulic hose properly positioned and prevents dangerous deflection. It acts as a physical barrier that maintains control over the hose head, reducing the risk of backflow and improving operator safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rod is deployed beforehand to establish a safe pathway and control mechanism before the hydraulic hose is pressurized. This preliminary positioning ensures that the hose remains under control during pressurization, preventing dangerous deflection and backflow.
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 guide apparatus enhances operator control and safety by providing rigidity to the hose, facilitating easier placement of the hose head into clogged sewer lines, reducing the risk of accidents and improving cleaning efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The compression spring provides the force to close the hose clamp and keep it in the locked position.
Implementation Method 2
A torsion spring rotably mounted on the shaft in a cut-out portion in the middle of the hinge provides the force to open the hose clamp.
Implementation Method 3
The hose clamp is two complementary arcuate members welded to the wings of a hinge rotably mounted on a shaft that runs through the center of the pipe.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for guiding hydraulic hoses for use in cleaning sewer lines. The claimed hose guide locks the hydraulic hose, near the head of the hose, in a clamp, providing rigidity for an operator trying to locate the opening of a clogged pipeline. Once the hose has been placed at the pipeline opening, the operator releases the hose from the hose guide, pressurizes the hose so as to separate the hose from the hose guide, removes the hose guide from the sewer line, and cleans the pipeline with the hydraulic hose.