Kink-Resistant Flexible Hose with Composite Reinforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible hoses tend to kink easily, which restricts fluid flow and is inconvenient for users, and existing solutions that enhance kink resistance often compromise on crush resistance or flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A flexible hose design featuring a fabric reinforcing layer with specific cord orientations (20° to 50° and 60° to 85° angles) and helically wound reinforcing strips, which increases the ratio of bend stiffness to torsional stiffness, making the hose resistant to kinking while maintaining crush resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a helical wrap is wound about the exterior of the inner tubular conduit to reduce kinking, then kink resistance is improved, but crush resistance deteriorates because the helical wrap permanently deforms when the hose is deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite reinforcement structure combining a knitted or braided wrap made of elastomeric material with a helical reinforcement member having a circular cross-section. The knitted/braided wrap provides elasticity and crush resistance, while the helical member provides kink resistance. This composite approach allows both functions to coexist without one compromising the other, as each component material is selected for its specific functional properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different reinforcement mechanisms at different locations and orientations: the knitted or braided wrap provides circumferential reinforcement for crush resistance, while the helical reinforcement member provides longitudinal reinforcement for kink resistance. This localized application of different reinforcement types allows the hose to exhibit both kink resistance and crush resistance simultaneously.
2Reliability
If the wall thickness of the tubular conduit is increased to improve kink resistance, then kink resistance is improved, but hose flexibility deteriorates making the hose more cumbersome to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite construction with an inner tubular conduit made of flexible elastomeric material that maintains hose flexibility, combined with external reinforcement layers (knitted/braided wrap and helical member) that provide kink resistance. This allows the conduit wall itself to remain thin and flexible while the external reinforcement provides the necessary structural support to prevent kinking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the reinforcement function into separate components: the inner tubular conduit provides flexibility and fluid containment, while the outer knitted/braided wrap and helical reinforcement member provide kink resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If conventional reinforcement structures are used to prevent kinking, then kink resistance is improved, but the hose becomes susceptible to permanent deformation when crushed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite reinforcement system where the knitted or braided wrap made of elastomeric material provides flexibility and resistance to permanent deformation under crush, while the helical reinforcement member provides kink resistance. The elastomeric nature of the knitted/braided wrap allows it to recover from compression, preventing permanent deformation even when the hose is stepped on or driven over.
Data Source
AI summary
The flexible hose of the present invention is crush resistant, burst resistant, and virtually impossible to kink in normal use and is applicable to hoses that are designed for delivering virtually any kind of fluid including water, organic liquids, aqueous based herbicides, aqueous based insecticides, industrial chemicals, beverages, air, industrial gases, vacuum, and the like. The hose design of the present invention is particularly applicable to garden hoses for the delivery of water. In fact, garden hoses having the construction of the present invention are highly resistant to kinking and almost never kink when being used in conventional lawn, garden, and cleaning applications.