Collapsible hose for a painting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829126-B2
Application number	US-201414561485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A flexible paint hose has a first end, a second end, and a continuous conduit wall extending from the first end to the second end. The continuous conduit wall has a cross-section absent of an edge, and a non-circular cross-sectional shape in a first state and a substantially circular cross-sectional shape in a second state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible paint hose, the paint hose comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a continuous conduit wall extending from the first end to the second end, having a cross-section absent of an edge and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape in a first state and a substantially circular cross-sectional shape in a second state, wherein the conduit wall is configured to retain the first state when a first pressure of liquid is applied, and retain the second state when a second pressure of liquid is applied, and wherein both of the first and second pressures of fluid are greater than atmospheric pressure;
a first feature having an opening configured to receive a power cord and a diameter configured to hold the power cord, wherein the first feature comprises a partial conduit; and
a second feature configured to hold an air supplying cord, wherein the second feature comprises a circular conduit.

2. The flexible paint hose of claim 1 , wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

3. The flexible paint hose of claim 1 , wherein the absence of the edge alleviates stress on a material of the flexible paint hose.

4. The flexible paint hose of claim 1 , wherein a radius of the partial conduit is greater than a radius of the circular conduit.

5. A flexible paint hose, the paint hose comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a conduit wall extending from the first end to the second end and having a first cross-sectional shape with at least two inflection points in a collapsed state, wherein the conduit wall is configured to maintain the collapsed state at a first fluid pressure and expand to an open state at a second fluid pressure;
a partial conduit having an opening configured to receive a power cord and a diameter configured to hold the power cord, wherein the partial conduit extends such that the power cord extends parallel to the conduit wall; and
a circular conduit, configured to hold an air supplying cord, wherein the circular conduit extends such that the air supplying cord extends parallel to the conduit wall.

6. The flexible paint hose of claim 5 , wherein the first cross-sectional shape has at least two additional inflection points in a collapsed state.

7. The flexible paint hose of claim 6 , wherein the conduit wall has a second cross-sectional shape with no inflection points in the open state.

8. The flexible paint hose of claim 5 , wherein the conduit wall has a second cross-sectional shape with no inflection points in the open state.

9. The flexible paint hose of claim 5 , wherein the flexible paint hose is formed of a polymer using an extrusion process.

10. The flexible paint hose of claim 5 , wherein the first cross-sectional shape is continuous, absent of an edge.

11. A paint hose, the paint hose comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a conduit wall extending from the first end to the second end and having a cross-section, in a collapsed state, shaped like a peanut, wherein the conduit wall is configured to maintain the collapsed state below a first pressure, and wherein the conduit wall is configured to convert to an open state above a second pressure;
a first feature having an opening configured to receive a power cord and a diameter configured to hold the power cord, wherein the first feature comprises a C-shaped, open conduit; and
a second feature configured to hold an air supplying cord, wherein the second feature comprises a closed circular conduit, wherein the closed circular conduit has a first radius that is smaller than a second radius of the open conduit.

12. The paint hose of claim 10 , wherein the cross-section of the conduit wall has a substantially circular shape in the open state.

13. The paint hose of claim 11 , wherein the cross-section of the conduit wall has a set of shapes corresponding to a set of intermediate states in between the collapsed state and the open state, each intermediate state having at least one shape from the set of shapes.

14. The paint hose of claim 11 , wherein the paint hose is formed of a polymer using an extrusion process.

15. The paint hose of claim 10 ,
wherein the closed conduit is substantially opposite the open conduit with respect to the paint hose.

16. A method of using a flexible paint hose having a conduit wall, the method comprising:
connecting the flexible paint hose to a paint system having a paint source containing paint, wherein connecting the flexible paint hose to a paint system also comprises coupling a power cord to a power cord receiving feature, coupling an air supplying cord to an air supplying cord feature, wherein the power cord receiving feature comprises a partial conduit, and the air supply cord comprises a closed conduit, and wherein the power cord and air supplying cord are coupled such that they extend substantially parallel to the flexible paint hose;
conveying the paint through the flexible hose at a first liquid pressure sufficient to expand the conduit wall radially to a substantially circular shape;
connecting the flexible paint hose to a solvent system having a solvent source containing solvent;
conveying the solvent through the flexible hose at a second liquid pressure sufficient such that the conduit wall reverts to, and maintains, a collapsed state, wherein the collapsed state has a smaller cross-sectional area than the substantially circular shape; and
removing a remaining portion of the paint from the flexible paint hose in response to the pumping of the solvent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the paint system is the same as the solvent system.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein an inlet hose is placed in the solvent source and the paint system pumps the solvent through the flexible paint hose.

19. The method of claim 16 , and further comprising:
disconnecting the flexible paint hose from the paint system.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the paint system uses a peristaltic pump to pump the paint through the flexible paint hose.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the conduit wall is continuous, absent of an edge.

Assignees

• Wagner Spray Tech Corp

Inventors

• Jeltsch Thomas Rainer

Classifications

• F16L11/122

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

• B44D3/00

  Accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing, not otherwise provided for (hand tools for applying liquids, e.g. paints, to surfaces B05C17/00, implements for finishing work on buildings, other than painting, E04F21/00); Methods or devices for colour determination, selection, or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables (colorimetry G01J3/00) · CPC title

• Y10T137/0424

  Liquid cleaning or flushing · CPC title

• B08B9/032

  by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing (B08B9/04 takes precedence {; by fluid jets mounted on cleaning devices B08B9/0433}) · CPC title

• F16L11/12

  with arrangements for particular purposes, e.g. specially profiled, with protecting layer, heated, electrically conducting (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title