Patent Application
20220356042
The present invention relates to a hose reel and, more specifically, to a hose reel with a simplified spool construction, unobtrusive hose connector, longer-lasting plumbing, and improved torque transfer from handle to spool.
It is generally recognized that in many instances it is desirable to provide a means for storing a hose, such as a garden hose. It may not be necessary to use a hose at a considerable distance from a water source. In many applications, it is only necessary to use a hose a short distance from the water source and then in another instance, use the hose a different distance from the water source. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a means for storing the hose with a free end which may have a nozzle attached thereto or may be adapted to be connected to another piece of equipment, such as a lawn sprinkler. The inlet to the hose should be connected to a source of fluid, such as, water, so that a selected length of hose may be removed from the storage device and the hose may be utilized.
A device which is well-known for providing a means for storing a hose and being capable of connecting the hose to a source of water is a garden hose reel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,312, issued Jun. 16, 1953, to Thomas Shine. The Shine patent teaches a hose reel wherein the inlet end of the hose may be secured to a source of water on the reel and the hose then may be wound onto the reel. This arrangement is perfectly advantageous for those arrangements wherein the hose may remain at a fixed location. However, when it is desirable to move the hose from one location to another, the Shine device does not lend itself to easy movement. Furthermore, it is to be noted that in the Shine device the weight of the hose and water is supported by the pipe which delivers the water.
An apparatus which provides a means for not only storing the hose, but also provides a means for transporting the hose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,626 to William E. Cowley, which patent issued on Jun. 28, 1971, and is entitled “Transportable Hose Reel.” The Cowley patent discloses a reel for storing hose which reel also provides a support for the entire device. The reel is mounted in a handle which may be positioned on a supporting surface in a manner which allows the reel to rotate on the handle. The reel is connected to a water supply through a hose section which delivers water to the reel and then to the hose mounted on the reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,939 to Ho Chow, issued Feb. 6, 1979, entitled “Hose Reel Cart,” teaches a construction for a hose reel cart wherein a handle also provides a frame for supporting a hose reel. The hose reel receives a hose, and the frame has a pair of wheels for movably supporting the cart during transfer from one location to another. Both the Chow and Cowley devices have their supports provide a double function in that the support for the reel also provides a conduit for the water. It has been found in practice that when a reel is supported by a conduit, gasket material in the reel tends to wear quickly and thereby allow leaks to develop. It has also been found that the heretofore known reels are made of metal which has a tendency to rust when a protective surface becomes damaged or is worn away through usage. The reel tends to become rusty and not rotate freely. Also, other parts tend to become inoperative due to rusting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,361, entitled “Hose Storage Apparatus” and issued on Apr. 23, 1985 to Cosmo N. Tisbo et al., asserts to be an improvement on the Shine, Chow, and Crowley devices in that the Tisbo device minimizes the space necessary for storage and does not require removal. However, the hose connector and placement distance between the flanges and frame of Tisbo interferes with the winding of the hose onto the reel. Additionally, the cranking mechanism of Tisbo concentrates torque on one side of the reel.
Another detriment of prior art hose reels is the rotary union. Rotary unions are typically made of plastic, which wear quickly and are not optimum for usual outdoor environments where extreme temperatures and sunlight can further degrade those parts. Additionally, prior art rotary unions have relied upon double O-rings as the only seal between the moving parts. U.S. Pat. No. 9,574,689 to William J. Phillips et al., entitled “Composite Rotary Union for Hose Reel,” purports to address some of the disadvantages of prior art rotary union assemblies. However, the Phillips device is predominantly plastic and relied upon deficient seal means.
There is a need in the art for an improved hose reel constructed of more durable but smaller numbers of components that improves winding and unwinding of a hose, eases strain on the hose, and increases the longevity of the wear parts of the rotary union.
In various embodiments, a hose reel is disclosed. Specifically, a portable hose reel for storing and transporting a garden hose is disclosed. The spool portion of the hose reel comprises two blow-molded flanged connected by a single core to streamline manufacturing and increase strength and durability over prior art hose reels. The hose reel further includes a novel design for the hose connector that is unobtrusive and enhances alignment of the hose while being reeled onto the spool in combination with a strain relief feature. The bow tie shape of the spool and frame geometry increases stability while winding or unwinding a garden hose on the hose reel and prevents the hose from wrapping around the frame while winding. The plumbing of the hose reel is constructed of metal and includes double O-rings each with a polytetrafluoroethylene backer with to increase durability and prevent leaking over time. The disclosed hose reel provides improved torque transmission from the hose reel crank to the spool via the hose connector being embedded in one of the spool flanges with a tabbed spacer block connected to the spool axel by a set bolt.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments.
Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:
While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.
The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings in which similar elements in different drawings are numbered the same. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict illustrative embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions as claimed. It is understood that the various components disclosed in the drawings may be substituted with equivalent components and are not considered limiting. Any references to front and back, right and left, top and bottom, upper and lower, and horizontal and vertical are intended for convenience of description, not to limit the present invention or its components to any one positional or spatial orientation.
Referring now generally to the figures, a hose reel according to an embodiment of the invention is depicted in
The hose reel 100 comprises a spool 200 including a left flange 210 and right flange 211 joined by a core 220 as illustrated in
The spool 200 of the hose real 100 is supported by a frame 600 that allows transport of the hose reel 100 and allows the spool 200 to rotate. The spool 200 is supported by an axle comprising three parts (main axle 230, rotating coupler axle 333, and t-coupler 320) connects to the frame 600 via leg hubs 680. The main axle 230 is preferably constructed of aluminum to provide strength with lower weight and to prevent rust, but may be made of any material for specific purposes. Leg hubs 680 may be constructed of metal, plastic, or a combination of materials to address specific environments and performance goals. Bushings 270 are preferably used to mount the axle into the leg hubs 680.
The frame 600 of the hose reel 100 may be of any geometry that supports and allows the spool 200 to rotate while allowing ease of moving the hose reel 100. Front legs 630 and rear legs 640 support and connect to the leg hubs 680. The front legs 630 are connected by a front crossbar 610 and the rear legs 640 are connected by a rear crossbar 620 via crossbar joints 690. The preferred embodiment of the hose reel 100 includes wheels 700 on the crossbar joints 690 for the rear crossbar 620 that allow the hose reel 100 to be rolled, but wheels 700 are not required. Each of the crossbar joints 690 for the front crossbar 610 has a foot 710 to support the front of the hose reel 100 and to prevent movement while winding/unwinding a hose.
The frame 600 may also include a handle 645 to facilitate transport of the hose reel 100. The handle 645 may be a unibody construction or made of individual parts. In a preferred embodiment, the handle 645 comprises handle uprights 650 that connect with leg hubs 680. A handle crossbar 660 connects to the handle uprights 650 via handle connectors 670. Preferably the handle uprights 950 and handle crossbar 660 are made of aluminum and the handle connectors are made of durable plastic. In the embodiment of the hose reel 100 depicted in
Another embodiment (not shown) of the handle 645 comprises the handle 645 extending at the same angle as the front legs 630 to a point approximately over the wheels 700 of the hose reel 100. Another embodiment includes a hose guide (not shown) mounted toward the front of the hose reel 100 to direct placement of a hose being wound onto the hose reel 100. A further embodiment may include a tray (not shown) mounted between the front crossbar 610 and rear crossbar 620 for storage of accessories such as connectors, spray nozzles, or sprinklers.
Another novel feature of the present invention is the use of a spacer block 240 that provides improved torque transfer from the axle to the spool 200. As shown in
The novel plumbing of the hose reel 100 provides for extended wear life, strength against breakage, smoother rotation of the spool 200, and resists leaks longer than prior art hose reels. One novel aspect of the plumbing system is the use of double O-rings 340 with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) backers 350 on either side of the hydraulic connection between the rotary coupler axle 333 and rotary coupler housing 337, which together comprise the rotary coupler 330 (see
A further novel feature of the disclosed hose reel 100 is the configuration of the male hose connector 300. As shown in
As shown in
Another novel feature of the configuration of the male hose connector 300 is the alignment of the male hose connector 300 with respect to the hose reel 100. The male hose connector comprises a male hose connector upright 303 and a male hose connector elbow 305 as illustrated in
The operation of the hose reel 100 is further improved by the alignment of the male hose connector 300 with the strain relief 400. The strain relief 400 comprises Angle γ is the angle between the male hose connector upright and the location of the strain relief 400 on the left flange 210. Angle γ is preferably between 140-160 degrees, and ideally 150 degrees.
Another novel improvement of the disclosed hose reel 100 is the use of a hose indent 219 in the left flange 210 as best seen in
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.
Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.
