Patent Application
20080011933
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification in which like numerals designate like parts, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a hose assembly, such as hose assembly 100 illustrated in
Hose assembly 100 also comprises bracket 102. The bracket includes rigid insert 103 and resilient overmold 105, encapsulating at least a portion of the insert and at least a portion of the hose associated with the insert. Preferably, as shown in cross sectional
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention the rigid insert is formed from a durable, rigid metal such as steel or aluminum. Various embodiments of the present invention employ various arrangements of orifices, holes, slots slotted holes, or the like (110) defined in the insert for securing the bracket to a structure using a fastener, or the like. For example, bolts 301 and 302 are shown in
Where the insert is formed from a material subject to corrosion or the assembly is deployed in a situation where the unovermolded portion of the insert it is particularly susceptible to corrosion the metal of the insert may be may be protected. For example, a steel insert may be galvanized or an aluminum insert, or at least the unovermolded portion, may be clear-coated.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention the bracket may impart a curve to the hose in a hose assembly, as illustrated in
Alternatively, a curve may be imparted in a hose in accordance with the present invention by overmolding a hose and an associated straight insert, such as inserts 501 or 601, with a curved overmold. This may be accomplished through injection molding the overmold using a die or insert having the desired curved shape and disposing the hose in the injection molding apparatus with the desired curve. In this embodiment, the amount of overmold extending beyond the lateral limits of the insert may be greater (relatively significantly greater) than the amount of overmold shown extending beyond the lateral limits of the insert in
Attention is now directed to flow chart 1000 of
The rigid insert, and section of hose associated with the rigid insert, is overmolded at 1003 with a resilient material. Thereby, at 1005 a portion of the insert is encapsulated and the resilient material is at least partially fused or mechanically bonded with the exterior of the segment of hose, or bonded to the exterior of a tube used in place of the hose, such as through contraction of the overmold. The overmolding at 1005 may be accomplished by injection molding plastic in a shape encapsulating a portion of the rigid insert. During thermoplastic injection hose melted low viscosity thermoplastic material may flow (under pressure) into intimate contact with the hose or tube and upon setting contract and mechanically bond to the hose or tube.
Use of the resulting assembly as a system to secure the hose to a structure might call for securing the rigid insert to a structure using fasteners or the like at 1005. Preferably, fasteners securing the rigid insert to the structure bear on an unovermolded surface of the insert as discussed above.
The hose may be curved through use of a curved rigid insert, with the length of hose and conforming the length of hose the curve of the rigid insert. At 1001 the curved rigid insert is associated with the length of hose and the length of the hose is curved by conforming the length of hose to the curve of the rigid insert. When at 1003 the hose and insert are overmolded, at least the portion of the hose with the curved portion of the rigid insert is encapsulated and the curve is fixed in the hose.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
