Patent Application
20210156883
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The disclosure relates to splice devices and more particularly pertains to a new splice device for visually diagnosing fluid flowing through a fluid hose.
The prior art relates to splice devices.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tube that is spliceable into an existing fluid hose such that a fluid flows through the tube. The tube is comprised of a translucent material thereby facilitating the fluid to be visible through the tube for diagnostic observation of the fluid. The tube has a plurality of observation windows that are each integrated into the tube. Each of the observation windows is convexly arcuate with respect to the tube to enhance visibility of the fluid flowing through the tube.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The tube 12 has a plurality of observation windows 18 that are each integrated into the tube 12. Additionally, each of the observation windows 18 is convexly arcuate with respect to the tube 12 to enhance visibility of the fluid 16 flowing through the tube 12. The tube 12 has a first end 20, a second end 22 and an outer wall 24 extending therebetween. The outer wall 24 has a set of first ridges 26 each extending outwardly therefrom and each of the first ridges 26 extends around a full circumference of the outer wall 24. The first ridges 26 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed from the first end 20 of the tube 12 toward the second end 22 of the tube 12. Moreover, the first end 20 of the tube 12 is insertable into an opening in the existing fluid hose 14 thereby facilitating each of the first ridges 26 to frictionally engage the existing fluid hose 14. In this way the first end 20 of the tube 12 is retained in the existing fluid hose 14.
The outer wall 24 has a set of second ridges 28 each extending outwardly therefrom. Each of the second ridges 28 extends around a full circumference of the outer wall 24. The second ridges 28 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed from the second end 22 of the tube 12 toward the first end 20 of the tube 12. Additionally, the second end 22 of the tube 12 is insertable into an opening in the existing fluid hose 14 thereby facilitating each of the second ridges 28 to frictionally engage the existing fluid hose 14. In this way the second end 22 of the tube 12 is retained in the existing fluid hose 14.
The outer wall 24 of the tube 12 has a plurality of openings 30 each extending into an interior of the tube 12. The openings 30 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the first ridges 26 and the second ridges 28. Each of the observation windows 18 is positioned on the outer wall 24 of the tube 12 and each of the observation windows 18 is aligned with a respective one of the openings 30 in the outer wall 24 of the tube 12. A pair of hose clamps, or other type of fastener, can be tightened around the junctions between the existing fluid hose 14 and the tube 12 to inhibit fluid 16 leaking at the junctions.
In use, the existing fluid hose 14 is cut when the flow of fluid 16 through the existing fluid hose 14 needs to be inspected for diagnostic purposes. The tube 12 is spliced into the existing fluid hose 14 and the existing fluid hose 14 is exposed to the flow of fluid 16. Thus, the translucent properties of the tube 12, along with the observation windows 18, facilitate the flow of fluid 16 to be visible during a diagnostic procedure. In this way a fluid flow problem, such as a plugged radiator, a faulty water pump or other similar mechanical problem, can be visually diagnosed. The existing fluid hose 14 can be replaced or repaired upon completion of the diagnostic procedure.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
