Hose anti-collapse ribs, systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890879-B2
Application number	US-38021209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2009
Priority date	Feb 26, 2008
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

An integral hose anti-collapse rib comprises a unitary body having a first cantilevered portion curved in a first direction. This first cantilevered portion defines a first end. A second cantilevered portion is curved in a direction opposite the direction of the first cantilevered portion, in a direction facing the first cantilevered portion. The second cantilevered portion also defines a second end disposed at an opposite extent of the rib from the first end. The hose anti-collapse rib also comprises a locking mechanism that locks the first end of the rib to the second end of the rib, such that the first and second cantilevered portions together form a generally circular shape. Embodiments of locking mechanisms may include a button and orifice locking mechanism and/or a tab and channel locking mechanism. In a relaxed state in which the locking mechanism is not engaged, the rib preferably defines a non-circular, generally spiral shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hose anti-collapse rib comprising:
a first cantilevered portion curved in a first direction and defining a first end;
a second cantilevered portion curved with a different curvature than said first cantilevered portion and in a direction facing said first direction and defining a second end disposed at an opposite extent of said rib from said first end;
interlockable complementary tabs defined by said ends with a raised locking button defined by one of said tabs and a complementary button receptive orifice defined in the other of said tabs, said button received in said orifice, locking said first end to said second end such that said first and second cantilevered portions together form a generally circular shape; and
an interference ridge defined in an exterior surface of said cantilevered portions, said interference ridge is adapted to deform a hose in which said rib is disposed to provide an interference interlock that prevents movement between said rib and said hose when said rib is expanded within said hose;
wherein in a relaxed state in which said tabs are not interlocked, said first cantilevered portion has less curvature than said second cantilevered portion and said rib defines a non-circular spiral.

2. The rib of claim 1 , further comprising a slot defined in a surface of said other of said tabs, adapted to receive and guide said button into said orifice during expansion.

3. The rib of claim 1 , wherein each of said tabs is an end portion of said respective cantilevered portion and each of said tabs has a thickness approximately one-half the thickness of said respective cantilevered portion and said tab defined by said first cantilevered portion is generally aligned with an outer portion of said first cantilevered portion and said tab defined by said second cantilevered portion is generally aligned with an inner portion of said second cantilevered portion.

4. The rib of claim 1 , wherein one of said tabs comprise a leading edge and another of said tabs comprises a complementary leading edge receptive notch.

5. A method comprising:
disposing a hose anti-collapse rib within a generally flexible hose subject to vacuum;
expanding opposite curved cantilevered portions of said rib to form said rib into a generally circular shape in contact with an inner surface of said hose, with complementary tabs defined by the opposite ends of said cantilevered portions;
indexing a raised button defined by one of said tabs in a button receptive orifice defined in the other of said tabs to lock said hose anti-collapse rib in said generally circular shape; and
preventing movement of said rib within said hose by engaging an interior surface of said hose with an interference ridge defined in an outer surface of said rib
wherein in a relaxed state in which said button is not indexed in said orifice, said first cantilevered portion has less curvature than said second cantilevered portion and said rib defines a non-circular spiral.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said expanding further comprises sliding said raised button in a slot defined in a surface of the other of said cantilevered portions, guiding said button into said orifice defined in said other tab.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
preventing movement of said rib within said hose by adhering an exterior surface of said rib to an interior surface of said hose.

8. A hose anti-collapse rib comprising:
a first cantilevered portion curved in a first direction and defining a first end;
a second cantilevered portion curved with a different curvature than said first cantilevered portion and in a direction facing said first direction and defining a second end disposed at an opposite extent of said rib from said first end;
interlockable complementary tabs defined by said ends with a raised edge defined along each outside edge of one of said tabs, defining a channel between said raised edges, and the other of said tabs having a complementary width fitting into said channel when said first end is locked to said second end such that said first and second cantilevered portions together form a generally circular shape, and
an interference ridge defined in an exterior surface of said cantilevered portions, said interference ridge is adapted to deform a hose in which said rib is disposed to provide an interference interlock that prevents movement between said rib and said hose when said rib is expanded within said hose
wherein in a relaxed state in which said tabs are not interlocked, said first cantilevered portion has less curvature than said second cantilevered portion and said rib defines a non-circular spiral.

9. The rib of claim 8 , wherein said raised edges extend beyond the tab by which they are defined further onto the respective cantilevered portion.

10. The rib of claim 8 , wherein each of said tabs is an end portion of said respective cantilevered portion and each of said tabs has a thickness approximately one-half the thickness of said respective cantilevered portion and said tab defined by said first cantilevered portion is generally aligned with an outer portion of said first cantilevered portion and said tab defined by said second cantilevered portion is generally aligned with an inner portion of said second cantilevered portion.

11. The rib of claim 8 , wherein one of said tabs comprise a leading edge and another of said tabs comprises a complementary leading edge receptive notch.

12. A method comprising:
disposing a hose anti-collapse rib within a generally flexible hose subject to vacuum;
expanding opposite curved cantilevered portions of said rib to form said rib into a generally circular shape in contact with an inner surface of said hose with complementary tabs defined by the opposite ends of said curved cantilevered portions;
indexing raised edges defined along outside edges of one of said tabs with the other of said tabs, locking said hose anti-collapse rib in said generally circular shape; and
preventing movement of said rib within said hose by engaging an interior surface of said hose with an interference ridge defined in an outer surface of said rib
wherein in a relaxed state in which said tabs are not locked, said first cantilevered portion has less curvature than said second cantilevered portion and said rib defines a non-circular spiral.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said expanding further comprises sliding said other of said tabs between said raised edges, guiding said other tab into a channel defined in said one tab, between said raised edges.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said locking comprises:
engaging a leading edge on one of said tabs with a complementary leading-edge-receptive notch on another of said tabs.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
preventing movement of said rib within said hose by adhering an exterior surface of said rib to an interior surface of said hose.

Assignees

• Schelhaas Douglas D
• Gilbreath Donald R
• Saupe Tim
• Gates Corp

Inventors

• Schelhaas Douglas D
• Gilbreath Donald R
• Saupe Tim

Classifications

• Y10T29/49

  Method of mechanical manufacture · CPC title

• F16L33/213

  only a sleeve being expanded inside the hose · CPC title

• F02M35/1277

  Reinforcement of walls, e.g. with ribs or laminates; Walls having air gaps or additional sound damping layers · CPC title

• F16L11/10 Primary

  with reinforcements not embedded in the wall (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M35/10091

  characterised by details of intake ducts: shapes; connections; arrangements (ducts within or on the plenum chamber F02M35/10039) · CPC title