AU2008100420A4 - Improvements to hose fittings - Google Patents

Description

09/05/2008 22:32 +613-9599-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 03/17 00 o

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IMPROVEMENTS TO HOSE FITTINGS 00 FIELD OF THE INNOVATION 0 This innovation relates to improvements in fittings that are to be secured to ends of hoses, such as domestic garden hoses, and plastic pipes 0 such as are used for garden irrigation systems.

BACKGROUND

oHoses and pipes used for garden watering and irrigation are normally 0 provided by users with fittings that enable them to be connected to faucets O(taps), other hoses or pipes, spray nozzles and the like. With waste of water a critical issue in Australia today, it is essential that such fittings not allow excessive leakage of water.

Leakage can occur at fittings if there is unsatisfactory sealing between the hose or pipe and the fitting, and even when slow can over time become significant.

A further problem can arise due to the hardening over time of some plastics materials widely used for hoses. This can cause deterioration of the seal between a hose and a fitting and even separation of the fitting from the hose. Mechanical stresses on hoses and pipes in use can also lead to both leakage and separation.

The quantity of leakage due to poor sealing or actual separation of fittings from hoses or pipes is exacerbated by the pressures used in mains domestic water supplies, which at about 6.8 bar are higher than in some other countries. High water pressure can itself also increase the chance of separation of fittings from hoses and pipes.

The problem of achieving satisfactory connections of fittings to hoses and pipes may be greater where fittings are made of plastics materials (as opposed to traditional metal fittings). Plastics fittings have become very popular over recent decades owing to their lower costs.

The present innovation addresses and may at least alleviate these problems.

COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 08/05/2008 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 04/17 2 00 The term "pipe" as used in this specification refers not to the essentially rigid pipe used in plumbing applications in buildings, but to semi-flexible Cplastics pipe used for drip irrigation systems and the like in sizes similar to those of garden hose. Such pipe is typically made of polyethylene or 00 5 polyethylene-containing material.

SUMMARY OF THE INNOVATION h The invention provides a hose fitting for mounting to an end of a water hose, the hose fitting including a body with a stub-shaped tubular formation therefrom that in use is received close-fittingly in an end of a hose 10 and through an internal passage of which tubular formation fluid in the hose

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00 o can flow and wherein: 0 the tubular formation has an external groove around its periphery with spaced apart body-end and outer-end walls; a peripheral shoulder extending around the tubular portion is defined by intersection of the outer-end wall and an outer surface of an end section of the tubular formation; an O-ring is retained in the groove adjacent the body-end wall; and in use of the fitting the O-ring sealingly abuts an inner surface of the hose and the peripheral shoulder lies against the inner surface of the hose.

The hose fitting may further include gripping means for gripping an outer surface of the hose and in use said means grip the outer surface of the hose at approximately a longitudinal position of the groove.

The gripping means may comprise a plurality of longitudinally and inwardly extending fingers and a nut threadably engageable with the body and that is shaped to force the fingers inwardly against the outer surface of the hose.

Preferably the tubular formation is an interference fit in the end of the hose. It is believed that this increases the tendency of the peripheral shoulder to act as a barb in helping prevent both water leakage past the shoulder and separation of the hose from the fitting.

The fitting may comprise one of: a snap-on female fitting adapted to mate with a co-operating male fitting on a faucet or hose end; and a male fitting adapted to mate with such a snap-on female fitting.

COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 09/05/2006 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 05/17 3 00 o' Note that throughout this specification, the word "comprise" and words Cderived therefrom such as "comprising" and "comprised", when used in trelation to a set of integers elements or steps are to be taken as indicating that the elements integers or steps are present but not to be taken as 00 5 precluding the possible presence of other elements integers or steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hose end with a click-on female end fitting and a faucet (tap) fitted with a male fitting for use with theclick-on female fitting all being prior art; 10 Figure 2 is a side elevation of a hose end with a male fitting for use wih

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00 o the click-on female fitting shown in Figure 1, being prior art; 0 Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (taken on a diameter) of part of the click-on female fitting shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of a stub part of the female fitting as shown in Figure 3 together with retaining fingers and a length of hose, shown partially sectioned, fitted to the stub; Figure 5 is a side view of a stub part of a hose fitting embodying the present innovation; Figure 6 is a side view of the stub part shown in Figure 5, including an O-ring thereof shown sectioned, together with retaining fingers and a length of hose partially sectioned.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The description below refers to hose for convenience, but it is to be understood that the innovation is also applicable to semi-flexible pipe as described above provided that pipe has a suitable degree of flexibility..

Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of prior art first and second hose fittings 10 and 30 which are examples of the types of hose or pipe fittings to which the present innovation is directed.

Fitting 10 is shown secured to a hose 12 and is a quick-connect female fitting of known type that allows rapid and easy connection of the hose 12 to a faucet 14, spray nozzle (not shown) or the like fitted with a suitable mating male fitting 16. Fitting 10 has an internal arrangement of spring loaded retaining barbs and seals (not shown) that enable it to be connected to fitting 16 by simply being pushed onto fitting 16, the barbs then hold fitting 10 on a COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 08/05/2008 22:32 +61 3-9699-88-RTrQ 08/0 /20 8 2 1~-nr~ M UU~PAGE 06/17 4 00 portion 26 of fittingl16- Movement of a sleeve 18 can disengage the barbs and allow separation of fittings 10 and 16. A portion 22 of fitting 10 is adapted to secure fitting 10 to hose 12 and includes a nut'24. The present innovation is directed to improvements in portion 22. Portion 22 desirably resists pulling of 00 5 hose 12 from fitting 10 and leakage of water where hose 12 and fitting 10 are secured to each other.

Fitting 30 has a portion 34 whereby it is secured to a hose 32 and a portion 31 that is the same as portion 26 of male fitting 16. Thus, hose 12 can o be connected to hose 32 by pushing the quick connect fitting 10 onto portion 010 31 of fitting 30. Portion.34 of fitting 30 is the same as portion 22 of fitting o0 and is also an example of the present innovation. Other fittings than fittings 0 and 30 that it may be desired to secure to a hose such as-hose 12 can also be provided with 'a securing portion like portions 22 and 34.

The following description of a prior art fitting will be given by reference to portion 22 of fitting Figure 3 is a sectional view of the portion 22 of fitting 10. Hose 12 is force fitted (iLe an interference fit) over a short stub-shaped tubular formation which extends from an end of a larger diameter cylindrical section 52 comprised in a main body 29. Section 52 has thereon an external thread 54.

An axial water passage 56 passes through fitting 10. The nut 24 has an internal thread 58 which engages with thread 54 when nut 24 is screwed on to cylindrical section 52.

Positioned against an end face 60 of cylindrical section 52 is a ring, 62, which has arrayed around its circumference a set of longitudinally and inwardly extending fingers 64, which are formed integrally with ring 62 from a flexible material. Fingers 64 are serrated where their free ends 66 contact the outer surface 68 of hose 12.

Nut 24 has an inwardly facing conical surface 70, coaxial with thread 58, which bears on outer sloping surfaces 72 of fingers 64, so that as nut 24 is screwed into engagement with thread 64, the fingers are forced inwards, their serrated ends gripping the outer surface 68 of hose 12, thus helping secure hose 12 on tubular formation Tubular formation 50 has near its end a cylindrical surface 74 and adjacent thereto a conical surface 76. Surface 74 therefore has a barb-like COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time (I-tm) 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 09/05/2008 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 07/17 00 shdUlder 78. With hose 12 being force fitted on tubular formation 50 and gripped externally by fingers 64, the shoulder 78 tends to dig slightly into inner Csurface 80 of hose 12, further sealing against leakage and also helping secure hose 12 against separation from tubular formation 00 5 Ring 62 with its integral fingers 64 is typically made of a suitable plastics material. In some alternative fittings, not shown, fingers like 64 would be integrally formed with section 52, there being no separate ring like ring 62.

The present innovation is equally applicable to these designs as well as the Stype shown in Figure 3.

Fitting 10 would. usually be made of a suitable plastics material, 00 O although equivalent fittings in brass are also known.

0 The arrangement shown in Figure 3 is well known and generally performs satisfactorily in use for a time. However, over time, hose materials can harden, so that the securing arrangement described above may cease to prevent leakage of water between tubular formation 50 and hose internal surface 80. The security with which hose 12 is held on tubular formation can similarly be reduced with time so that there is a risk of hose 12 parting from tubular formation 50. High water pressure and, often, a tubular formation that is too short, can exacerbate this risk.

According to the innovation, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a tubular formation 100 is provided that is a modified form of tubular formation 50, as part of a fitting 101 that is otherwise conventional (like fittings 10 and Tubular formation 100 extends from a main body 99 of fitting 101. Figure 4 shows for direct comparison only tubular formation 50 of fitting 10, hose 12 fitted thereto and the free ends of two of fingers 64, in a view that is otherwise the same as that of Figure 3.

Figure 6 shows the relevant part of fitting 101, including tubular formation 100, in a view intended to be directly comparable to Figure 4.

Fingers 64 help secure hose 12 on tubular formation 100 in exactly the same way as they help secure hose 12 on tubular formation 50 of fitting 10. Figure shows tubular formation 100, alone, i.e. not fitted into hose 12.

Tubular formation 100 has a nose portion 102 with a cylindrical surface 104 and a cylindrical section 106 that is of similar diameter to that of nose portion 102. Between nose portion 102 and cylindrical section 106 there is a COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 08/05/2008 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 08/17 6 00 0 o peripheral groove 108 extending all the way around tubular formation 100. A shoulder 110 is defined at the boundary between an outer-end wall 109 of t groove 108 and surface 104. At an opposite end of groove 108 from shoulder 110, adjacent to a body-end wall 111 of groove 108, tubular formation 100 is

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0 5 fitted with an O-ring 112.

When tubular formation 100 is not in use, O-ring 112 protrudes radially oslightly beyond the cylindrical section 106 and when tubular formation 100 is in use, as shown in Figure 6 (where O-ring 112 is shown in section) it is compressed so as to act as a seal against the internal surface 80 of hose 12.

10 The serrated ends of fingers 64 are arranged to in use grip external surface 00 o 68 of hose 12 at approximately the longitudinal position of groove 108.

N To accommodate and locate O-ring 112, groove 108 has a deepened portion, that is to say a further groove 114, adjacent to body-end wall 111 of groove 108, i.e. at the end of groove 108 opposite shoulder 110. Groove 114 is shaped to accommodate the circular cross-section of O-ring 112.

It is preferred to make nose portion 102 of tubular formation 100 longer than the corresponding part of tubular formation 50, but this appears not to be essential to obtain enhanced sealing from tubular formation 100 by comparison with tubular formation Satisfactory performance has been obtained with the O-ring 112 and its receiving groove 114 having a width dimension measured axially) of about half the width of groove 108 (where the width of groove 108 is here taken to include the width of groove 114).

Tubular formation 100 has been found to work well, with good resistance to water leakage and to pulling off of hose 12. This appears to be the case both with garden hose and the less deformable semi-flexible polyethylene pipe used in drip watering systems for gardens. This is highly surprising given the unconventional way in which the O-ring 112 is supported in a non-symmetrical groove 114. Having the O-ring 112 within the groove 108 that ends at shoulder 110 and fingers 64 at about the longitudinal location of groove 108 appears to allow the benefits of both O-ring sealing and the barb-like action of shoulder 110 to be obtained in a compact manner.

Figure 7 shows a main part 200 for a fitting (not shown) that is the same in its function as fitting 30, but with a tubular formation 201 having a COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 08/05/2008 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 09/17 7 00 O peripheral groove 202 that contains within part of its width an O-ring 203, C according to the innovation.

CFigure 8 shows a main part 300 for a fitting (not shown) that is the same in its function as fitting 10, but with a tubular formation 301 having a 00 5 peripheral groove 302 that contains within part of its width an 0-ring 303, according to the innovation.

SFittings made according to the innovation, like equivalent conventional Sfittings, lend themselves to production in injected moulded plastics (eg Nylon) O or metals (eg Brass).

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COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08

Claims (5)

1. A hose fitting for mounting to an end of a water hose, the hose fitting including a body with a stub-shaped tubular formation extending 00 5 therefrom that in use is received close-fittingly in an end of a hose and through an internal passage of which tubular formation fluid in the hose can flow and wherein: O the tubular formation has an external groove around its periphery with spaced apart body-end and outer-end walls; 00 a peripheral shoulder extending around the tubular-portion is defined by intersection of the outer-end wall and an outer surface of an end section of the tubular formation; an O-ring is retained in the groove adjacent the body-end wall; and in use of the fitting the O-ring sealingly abuts an inner surface of the hose and the peripheral shoulder lies against the inner surface of the hose.

2. A hose fitting according to claim 1 further including gripping means for gripping an outer surface of the hose and wherein in use said means grip the outer surface of the hose at approximately a longitudinal position of the groove.

3. A hose fitting according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the gripping means comprises a plurality of longitudinally and inwardly extending fingers and a nut threadably engageable with the body and that is shaped to force the fingers inwardly against the outer surface of the hose.

4. A hose fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the tubular formation is an interference fit in the end of the hose. COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08 08/05/2008 22:32 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 11/17 9 00 O

5: A hose fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 4 that comprises one of: a snap-on female fitting adapted to mate with a co-operating male o 0 5 fitting on a faucet or hose end; and o a male fitting adapted to mate with such a snap-on female fitting. 0 0 0 (N COMS ID No: ARCS-189871 Received by IP Australia: Time 21:36 Date 2008-05-08