Fabricating formed hose with different fiber-reinforced regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746109-B2
Application number	US-201414538178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Fabrication of formed hoses is provided which include an innermost elastomer layer, a first fiber-reinforcement region, and multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions. The first fiber-reinforcement region has a first fiber-reinforcement density, and is disposed, at least in part, at a bend region of the formed hose, and the multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions have a second fiber-reinforcement density, and are disposed at least at the first and second end regions of the formed hose. The second fiber-reinforcement density is greater than the first fiber-reinforcement density, and results in the first and second ends of the formed hose being less radially-deformable than the bend region of the hose. This facilitates providing a mechanical fluid-tight connection with a hose barb fitting when the formed hose is slid over the hose barb fitting, absent any clamp over the formed hose and hose barb fitting connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing an electronic system comprising at least one liquid-cooled component;
fabricating a liquid-cooling apparatus for facilitating liquid coolant flow through the at least one liquid-cooled component of the electronic system, the fabricating comprising:
providing a coolant loop with a mechanical, fluid-tight connection comprising a hose barb fitting and a formed hose slid over the hose barb fitting at one end thereof, the formed hose facilitating carrying liquid coolant towards or away from the at least one liquid-cooled component of the electronic system, and the formed hose being a permanently-shaped, partially-deformable, reinforced hose formed with at least one bend intermediate a first end region and a second end region thereof, and comprising:
an innermost elastomer layer;
a first fiber-reinforcement region of a first fiber-reinforcement density over the innermost elastomer layer and disposed, at least at the at least one bend of the formed hose;
multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions of a second fiber-reinforcement density over, at least in part, the innermost elastomer layer, with second fiber-reinforcement regions of the multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions being disposed at least at the first and second end regions of the formed hose, wherein the second fiber-reinforcement density is greater than the first fiber-reinforcement density; and
wherein the first and second end regions of the formed hose are less radially-deformable than the at least one bend thereof due, at least in part, to the second fiber-reinforcement density of the second fiber-reinforcement regions at the first and second end regions of the formed hose being greater than the first fiber-reinforcement density of the first fiber-reinforcement region at the at least one bend thereof, the second fiber-reinforcement density facilitating providing the mechanical, fluid-tight connection, absent any clamp over the formed hose and hose barb fitting connection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber-reinforcement region of the first fiber-reinforcement density of the formed hose comprises a first fiber-reinforcement layer which extends between a first end and a second end of the formed hose, and the multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions are defined in a second fiber-reinforcement layer overlaying the first fiber-reinforcement layer, including at the first and second end regions of the formed hose.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first fiber-reinforcement layer comprises a knit reinforcement pattern, and the second fiber-reinforcement layer is a different reinforcement pattern than the knit reinforcement pattern of the first fiber-reinforcement layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second fiber-reinforcement layer comprises one of a spiral reinforcement pattern or a braided reinforcement pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber-reinforcement region of the formed hose comprises a knit reinforcement pattern, and the multiple second fiber-reinforcement regions of the formed hose comprise a different reinforcement pattern than the knit reinforcement pattern of the first fiber-reinforcement region.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second fiber-reinforcement regions of the formed hose comprise one of a spiral reinforcement pattern or a braided reinforcement pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second fiber-reinforcement region overlying the hose barb fitting at one of the first end region or the second end region of the formed hose extends for a length greater than a length of the hose barb fitting over which the formed hose resides.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ellsworth Jr Michael J
• Singh Prabjit

Classifications

• F16L35/00

  Special arrangements used in connection with end fittings of hoses, e.g. safety or protecting devices · CPC title

• F16L11/04 Primary

  made of rubber or flexible plastics · CPC title

• F16L11/122

  Hoses provided with integrated fixing means, e.g. hooks · CPC title

• F16L33/30

  comprising parts inside the hoses only (F16L33/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20272

  Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title