Patent Application
20200072396
The present disclosure relates generally to fluid hoses, such as hydraulic hoses, and methods of manufacturing the same.
Fluid hoses, such as hydraulic hoses, typically include an inner liner, wire reinforcement layers with alternating cushion layers, and an exterior layer or cover. U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,992 A (“the '992 patent”) to Grawey discloses a process of manufacturing a hydraulic hose that includes sequentially wrapping a mandrel with a fabric layer, an uncured elastomer layer, a bond stock layer, and a plurality of reinforcement wires. The plurality of reinforcement wires are applied in a side-by-side series of convolutions on the surface of a bond stock layer by means of a winding deck that rotates about the mandrel. Reinforcement layers are formed by winding separate reinforcement wires at the same time from spools of reinforcement wires onto the formed layers of the hydraulic hose (i.e., a built-up core structure). The number of reinforcement wires could, for example, range from fifty (50) to one-hundred and fifty (150), depending on the diameter of the layer and the winding angle of the reinforcement wire.
During this hydraulic hose manufacturing process, control of the reinforcement wires may lead to tension differences as the wires are wound about the hose. Such tension differences can cause the reinforcement wires to have radial variations that can cause a rubbing friction between adjacent hose layers, and eventual failure of the hose. Also, tension differences in applying the reinforcement wires can create gaps between adjacent reinforcement wires that can lead to a rupture failure of the hose when conveying highly pressurized fluid. Finally, the different reinforcement wire tensions may cause the wires to overlap and become twisted, which may also cause rubbing friction between the hose layers, and possibly cause premature failure of the hose.
The systems and methods of the present disclosure may solve one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art. The scope of the current disclosure, however, is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability to solve any specific problem.
According to one aspect, the present disclosure includes a fluid hose. The fluid hose may include an inner liner, a reinforcement layer located radially outside of the inner liner, and a cover. The reinforcement layer including one or more preformed ribbons having a plurality of wires formed in a strip of cushioning material.
According to another aspect, the present disclosure includes a ribbon for use in forming a hydraulic hose. The ribbon may include a plurality of wires and a strip of cushioning material, the plurality of wires being formed in the strip of cushioning material.
According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure includes a method of making a fluid hose. The method may include forming an inner liner, forming a reinforcement layer radially outside the inner liner, and forming a cover radially outside the reinforcement layer. The forming of the reinforcement layer includes helically winding one or more ribbons radially outside the inner liner, the ribbons including a plurality of wires arranged in a strip of cushioning material.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the features, as claimed. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “having,” “including,” or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, or includes a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.
In this disclosure, relative terms, such as, for example, “about,” substantially,” “generally,” and “approximately” are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% in the stated value. The term “exemplary” is used in the sense of “example” rather than “ideal.” As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context dictates otherwise.
The inner liner 11 of hydraulic hose 1 may be a barrier between a pressurized fluid in lumen 10 and the exterior layers (i.e., cushion layer 12, ribbon reinforcement layer 13, and cover 14) so that the exterior layers do not come into contact with the pressurized fluids. The inner liner 11 may be formed of materials providing the desired flexibility and appropriate compatibility with the conveyed fluid to protect against any corrosive effects of the conveyed fluid. The inner liner 11 may also be formed of a material that includes a flow-facilitating surface to reduce friction and material build-up. For example, inner liner 11 may be formed of a synthetic rubber, thermoplastic, or PTFE (Teflon), and may include any appropriate coating.
The cushion layer 12 of hydraulic hose 1 may be a barrier between the inner liner 11 and the ribbon reinforcement layer 13, to help ensure that the inner liner 11 does get detrimentally worn due to rubbing friction from the ribbon reinforcement layer 13. The cushion layer 12 may be formed of, for example, a synthetic rubber and/or fabric. Cushion layer 12 may be omitted entirely in hose 1, or additional cushion layers 12 may be included in hose 1.
Cover 14 of hydraulic hose 1 may be a barrier between the external environment and the inner layers (i.e., ribbon reinforcement layer 13, cushion layer 12, and inner liner 11). Cover 14 may be formed of a material that is abrasion resistant and flexible across a wide range of temperatures. For example, cover 14 may be a synthetic rubber such as neoprene, or a plastic such as polyurethane.
Ribbon reinforcement layer 13 may include one or more preformed ribbons 20. Referring to
Referring back to
Also as shown in
The present disclosure may find application in the production and use of hoses for fluid systems, such as hydraulic hoses for use in hydraulic systems.
The present disclosure may help to ensure that the wires 15 of the hose 1 are uniformly distributed about the hose 1, and of the appropriate tension on the hose 1. By combining the cushioning material 16 and the wires 15 to form a ribbon 20 prior to forming the hose, the wires 15 can be accurately positioned and set before they are applied to the hose 1. This can help avoid wire alignment problems (i.e., high wires, low wires, twisted wires, and gaps between wires). This may increase the life and safety of the hose 1, as the likelihood of failure of the hydraulic hose due to high wires, low wires, twisted wires, and gaps between wires, may be reduced. This may also reduce costs associated with hoses that fail prematurely (e.g., warranty costs, replacement costs, and down time of the machine/system using the hydraulic hose).
Another aspect of the above disclosure is that the hydraulic hose 1 may be more simple to manufacture by reducing the complexity of wrapping numerous wires about the hydraulic hose. For instance, by using ribbons 20 to create the ribbon reinforcement layer 13, instead of individually positioning hundreds of individual wires 15, manufacturing parts, set-ups, and system coordination may be reduced. This may reduce cost in maintenance and down time of the manufacturing facility.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed system without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the system will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the method disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
