Granted Patent B2

US 9,127,791 · App. 14/491,735 · Granted Sep 8, 2015

Inventor: Gary Dean Ragner (Gainesville, FL)

Assignee: Ragner Technology Corporation

F16L11/118D03D3/02D03D3/06

Abstract

Claims (93)

1. An extendable hose having a first end and a second end and configured to extend along its longitudinal axis when an extending force exceeds a retracting force and to retract when the retracting force exceeds the extending force, the extendable hose comprising:

a) a tube-shaped outer cover with an extended length and a retracted length, wherein the outer cover can extend along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the extended length and retract along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the retracted length;

b) an inner elastic hose capable of stretching along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to at least two times its natural length and having a tendency to return to its natural length when stretched, wherein:

i) the inner elastic hose is positioned inside of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

ii) the retracting force is a force provided by the tendency of the inner elastic hose to return to its natural length when stretched;

c) an input connector attached to the first end of the extendable hose and designed to be removably attached to a source of pressurized fluid;

d) an output connector attached to the second end of the extendable hose and designed to removably connect to a flow restricting device for generating the extending force by increasing a pressure differential between fluid within the inner elastic hose and an ambient environment at lower pressure than the fluid within the inner elastic hose; and

e) a lubricant disposed for reducing chafing between the inner elastic hose and the tube-shaped outer cover;

wherein the lubricant is a solid lubricant; and

wherein the lubricant is paraffin wax.

2. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant comprises lubricant coated on one or more surfaces taken from a group of surfaces consisting of:

a) an exterior surface of the inner elastic tube; and

b) an interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover.

3. The extendable hose of claim 2 , wherein the lubricant further comprises a powder disposed between the exterior surface of the inner elastic tube and the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover.

4. The extendable hose of claim 3 , wherein the lubricant comprises:

a) a wax coating on at least the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

b) wax powder disposed between the exterior surface of the inner elastic tube and the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover.

5. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the inner elastic hose has an exterior surface with a natural diameter having a relationship to a natural diameter of an interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover selected from the group of relationships consisting of:

a) greater than 60% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

greater than 70% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

c) greater than 80% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

d) greater than 90% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

e) greater than 95% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

f) greater than 100% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

g) greater than 105% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

h) greater than 110% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover.

6. The extendable hose of claim 5 , wherein

a) the natural diameter of the exterior surface of the inner elastic hose is greater than 100% of the natural diameter of the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover;

b) the inner elastic hose is adapted to fold lengthwise inside the tube-shaped outer cover along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose when the extendable hose is retracted to its natural length.

7. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein

a) the inner elastic hose is disposed inside the outer cover; and

b) the outer cover is adapted to respond to an external force applied when the outer cover is at the extended length by:

i) longitudinally extending to a stretched length beyond the extended length; and

ii) radially contracting to a stretched diameter smaller than an extended diameter, wherein the extended diameter is the outer cover's diameter when the outer cover is at the extended length.

8. The extendable hose of claim 7 , wherein the extendable hose is adapted to, when the inner elastic tube contracts to its natural length, compress the outer cover into a plurality of equally spaced repeating valleys and ridges.

9. The extendable hose of claim 8 , wherein the inner elastic hose has an outer diameter at its natural length about equal to an inner diameter of the valleys from the plurality of repeating valleys and ridges.

10. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the inner elastic hose comprises an outer surface comprising:

a) one or more portions engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the hose; and

b) one or more portions freely movable with respect to the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the hose.

11. The extendable hose of claim 10 , wherein the lubricant is disposed on the portions of the inner elastic hose which are freely movable with respect to the tube-shaped outer cover and not on the portions of the inner elastic hose which are engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover.

12. The extendable hose of claim 10 wherein each of the one or more portions of the outer surface of the inner elastic hose which is engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the extendable hose is bonded to the tube-shaped outer cover.

13. The extendable hose of claim 10 wherein each of the one or more portions of the outer surface of the inner elastic hose which is engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the extendable hose:

a) has a stretched radius when the extendable hose is extended and a natural radius when the extendable hose is retracted, wherein the natural radius is less than the extended radius and wherein the extended radius is about equal to an inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

b) is frictionally engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover when the extendable hose is extended.

14. The extendable hose of claim 13 , wherein:

a) the tube-shaped outer cover has an unrestricted pressurized inner radius, a restricted pressurized inner radius, and an unrestricted pressurized outer radius;

b) for each of the one or more portions of the outer surface of the inner elastic hose which is engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the extendable hose, the inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover which is about equal to the extended radius of that portion of the inner hose is the restricted pressurized inner radius;

c) the unrestricted pressurized inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover is greater than the restricted pressurized inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover, and is less than the unrestricted pressurized outer radius of the tube-shaped outer cover;

d) the extendable hose comprises a plurality of rings, wherein each ring from the plurality of rings:

i) has an inside diameter smaller than the unrestricted pressurized inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose;

ii) has an outside diameter larger than the unrestricted pressurized outer radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose; and

iii) is disposed outside of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose and at a location along the length of the tube-shaped outer cover where one of the one or more portions of the inner hose is engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover.

15. The extendable hose of claim 10 , wherein the inner elastic hose is a constant radius cylindrical hose.

16. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the inner elastic hose has a shape comprising a plurality of valleys and ridges, wherein the shape is selected from a group of shapes consisting of:

a) a convoluted shape; and

b) a corrugated shape.

17. The extendable hose of claim 16 , wherein:

a) the tube-shaped outer cover has an unrestricted pressurized inner radius, a restricted pressurized inner radius, and an unrestricted pressurized outer radius;

b) the extendable hose comprises a plurality of rings, wherein each ring from the plurality of rings:

i) has an inside diameter smaller than the unrestricted pressurized inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose;

ii) has an outside diameter larger than the unrestricted pressurized outer radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose; and

iii) is disposed over a valley from the plurality of valleys of the inner elastic hose.

18. An extendable hose having a first end and a second end and configured to extend along its longitudinal axis when an extending force exceeds a retracting force and to retract when the retracting force exceeds the extending force, the extendable hose comprising:

a) a tube-shaped outer cover with an extended length and a retracted length, wherein the outer cover can extend along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the extended length and retract along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the retracted length;

b) an inner elastic hose capable of stretching along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to at least two times its natural length and having a tendency to return to its natural length when stretched, wherein:

i) the inner elastic hose is positioned inside of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

ii) the retracting force is a force provided by the tendency of the inner elastic hose to return to its natural length when stretched;

c) an input connector attached to the first end of the extendable hose and designed to be removably attached to a source of pressurized fluid;

d) an output connector attached to the second end of the extendable hose and designed to removably connect to a flow restricting device for generating the extending force by increasing a pressure differential between fluid within the inner elastic hose and an ambient environment at lower pressure than the fluid within the inner elastic hose; and

e) a lubricant disposed for reducing chafing between the inner elastic hose and the tube-shaped outer cover;

wherein the inner elastic hose comprises an outer surface comprising:

A) one or more portions engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the hose; and

B) one or more portions freely movable with respect to the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the hose; and

wherein each of the one or more portions of the outer surface of the inner elastic hose which is engaged with the tube-shaped outer cover and disposed between the first and second ends of the extendable hose is bonded to the tube-shaped outer cover.

19. An extendable hose having a first end and a second end and configured to extend along its longitudinal axis when an extending force exceeds a retracting force and to retract when the retracting force exceeds the extending force, the extendable hose comprising:

a) a tube-shaped outer cover with an extended length and a retracted length, wherein the outer cover can extend along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the extended length and retract along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to the retracted length;

b) an inner elastic hose capable of stretching along the longitudinal axis of the extendable hose to at least two times its natural length and having a tendency to return to its natural length when stretched, wherein:

i) the inner elastic hose is positioned inside of the tube-shaped outer cover; and

ii) the retracting force is a force provided by the tendency of the inner elastic hose to return to its natural length when stretched;

c) an input connector attached to the first end of the extendable hose and designed to be removably attached to a source of pressurized fluid;

d) an output connector attached to the second end of the extendable hose and designed to removably connect to a flow restricting device for generating the extending force by increasing a pressure differential between fluid within the inner elastic hose and an ambient environment at lower pressure than the fluid within the inner elastic hose; and

e) a lubricant disposed for reducing chafing between the inner elastic hose and the tube-shaped outer cover;

wherein the inner elastic hose has a shape comprising a plurality of valleys and ridges, wherein the shape is selected from a group of shapes consisting of:

A) a convoluted shape; and

B) a corrugated shape.

20. The extendable hose of claim 19 , wherein:

a) the tube-shaped outer cover has an unrestricted pressurized inner radius, a restricted pressurized inner radius, and an unrestricted pressurized outer radius;

b) the extendable hose comprises a plurality of rings, wherein each ring from the plurality of rings:

i) has an inside diameter smaller than the unrestricted pressurized inner radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose;

ii) has an outside diameter larger than the unrestricted pressurized outer radius of the tube-shaped outer cover of the extendable hose; and

iii) is disposed over a valley from the plurality of valleys of the inner elastic hose.

21. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant comprises a powder disposed between the exterior surface of the inner elastic tube and the interior surface of the tube-shaped outer cover.

22. The extendable hose of claim 1 , wherein the outer cover has a corrugated shape.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (8)