IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0457759
(2003-06-09)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Goldstein Law Offices, P.C.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
10 |
초록
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A hose assembly for directing conditioned air from an air outlet vent of a vehicle's air conditioning system to various locations within the vehicle. The hose assembly comprises a boot which is selectively attachable to the vent, and a length of hose selectively attachable to the boot. The length of
A hose assembly for directing conditioned air from an air outlet vent of a vehicle's air conditioning system to various locations within the vehicle. The hose assembly comprises a boot which is selectively attachable to the vent, and a length of hose selectively attachable to the boot. The length of hose is divided into interconnecting segments which are selectively attachable to one another, thereby allowing a user to vary the overall length of the hose as desired. The terminal segment of the hose has a louver having a plurality of slats, and a handle in mechanical contact with the slats. Rotation of the handle changes the direction in which the slats point, and thereby allows the user to direct the conditioned air in any desired direction. The terminal segment has a mounting clamp for selectively attaching the hose to a projecting surface on the inside of the vehicle, in order to immobilize the hose at an optimal position.
대표청구항
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1. A hose assembly, for use in conjunction with a vehicle having a dashboard having an air outlet vent, comprising:a substantially hollow boot, having a first end and a second end, each end of the boot having an opening, wherein the first end of the boot is selectively attachable to the air outlet v
1. A hose assembly, for use in conjunction with a vehicle having a dashboard having an air outlet vent, comprising:a substantially hollow boot, having a first end and a second end, each end of the boot having an opening, wherein the first end of the boot is selectively attachable to the air outlet vent on the dashboard; a flexible, hollow length of hose, having a first end and a second end, each end of the hose having an opening, wherein the first end of the hose is selectively attachable to the second end of the boot, and wherein air which exits the air outlet vent is conducted through the hose, and exits the second end of the hose through the opening at the second end of the hose, wherein the vehicle air vent has a louver having slats, wherein the boot has a pair of opposed gripper hooks extending longitudinally through the boot and selectively protruding through the first end of the boot for selectively engaging the slats of the air vent, in order to secure the hose assembly to the air vent, wherein the length of hose comprises a first segment of hose and a terminal segment of hose, each segment having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first segment is selectively attachable to the second end of the boot, wherein the second end of the first segment is selectively attachable to the first end of the second segment, thereby providing a longer hose, capable of reaching areas within the vehicle that are further from the air outlet vent; a Y-shaped splitter for directing the conditioned air which exits the vent into two different pathways, in order to more precisely direct the air to particular locations within the vehicle, said Y-shaped splitter having two arms and a neck, wherein each of the arms has a first end closer to the neck and also a second end, wherein the neck is selectively attachable to the second end of the terminal segment of hose; an intermediate segment of hose having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the intermediate segment is selectively attachable to the second end of the first segment, and wherein the second end of the intermediate segment is selectively attachable to the first end of the terminal segment, thereby providing a longer hose, capable of reaching areas within the vehicle that are further from the air outlet vent; and two branching segments of hose, wherein the second end of each of the arms of the Y-shaped splitter is selectively attachable to one of the branching segments of hose, in order that the conditioned air exiting the vent is more efficiently directed to particular locations within the vehicle, wherein the boot has at least one finger hold, so that the boot may be easily maneuvered during selective attachment to and detachment from the air vent of the vehicle, wherein the boot has a flexible flange at its first end for preventing air which exits the air outlet vent from leaking at the point of contact between the boot and the air outlet vent, wherein the first end of each of the segments of hose has a twist-lock connector, wherein the second end of the boot and the second end of the first segment and the intermediate segment each have a twist lock ridge, wherein the twist-lock connector on the first segment of hose selectively engages the twist lock ridge on the second end of the boot, and thereby selectively attaches the first segment of hose to the boot, and wherein the twist-lock connector on the remaining segments of hose are each used for selectively engaging the twist-lock ridge on the adjoining segment of hose, thereby selectively attaching each of said segments to each other. 2. The hose assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the terminal segment of the hose has an extension louver having extension louver slats for directing air which exits the terminal segment in a particular direction.3. The hose assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the extension louver has an extension louver handle in mechanical contact with the extension louver slats, wherein rotation of the extension louver changes the direction in which the extension louver slats are oriented, so that conditioned air may be directed as desired by the user.4. The hose assembly as recited in claim 3, further comprising a mounting clip attached to the terminal segment of the hose, for selectively attaching the length of hose to any projecting portion inside of the automobile.5. The hose assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the boot comprises a plurality of concentric segments, each constructed from malleable rubber, wherein the segments closer to the first end of the boot have a wider inner and outer diameter, said boot having a compressed conformation wherein the concentric segments are partially telescopically compressed with respect to one another, said boot also having a relaxed conformation wherein the concentric segments are partially telescopically expanded with respect to one another, wherein the boot assumes the compressed conformation when the grippers of the boot engage the slats of the air vent, and wherein the boot assumes the relaxed conformation when the grippers are detached from the slats of the air vent.6. A method of using a hose assembly in conjunction with a vehicle having an air conditioning system having an air outlet vent, for directing conditioned air from the air outlet vent to various locations within the vehicle, said hose assembly having a boot having a first end and a second end, said hose assembly also having a length of hose having a first end and a second end, said method comprising the steps of:a) attaching the first end of the length of hose to the second end of the boot; b) attaching the first end of the boot to the air outlet vent; c) positioning the length of hose within the vehicle so that the second end of the hose is directed toward the area within the vehicle that is to receive the conditioned air; d) turning on the air conditioning system of the vehicle; e) conduiting air from the air vent to the second end of the hose; and f) expelling air from the second end of the hose into the area in the vehicle in proximity to said second end of the hose, wherein the length of hose comprises a first segment of hose, an intermediate segment of hose, and a terminal segment of hose, each having a first end and a second end, wherein the method further comprises the step of attaching the second end of the first segment to the first end of the intermediate segment, and selectively attaching the second end of the intermediate segment to the first end of the terminal segment, thereby providing a hose which is capable of reaching locations within the vehicle that are further away from the air outlet vent, wherein the air outlet vent of the vehicle has a louver having a plurality of slats, wherein the boot further has a pair of gripper hooks extending longitudinally through the boot, and wherein the step of attaching the first end of the boot to the air outlet vent comprises attaching the first end of the boot to the vent by selectively engaging the slats of the air outlet vent with the gripper hooks, wherein the hose assembly further comprises a substantially hollow Y-shaped splitter and two additional lengths of branching hose, said Y-shaped splitter having two arms and a neck, wherein each of the arms has a first end closer to the neck, and also a second end, said method further comprising the steps of: a) attaching the neck to the second end of the terminal segment of hose; and b) attaching one of the branching hoses to the second end of each of the arms, wherein the step of expelling air from the second end of the hose further comprises thereby directing said air in two different pathways, each from the Y-shaped splitter arms, wherein the first end of each of the segments of hose has a twist-lock connector, wherein the second end of the first segment, the intermediate segment, and the boot each have a twist lock ridge, wherein the step of selectively attaching the first segment of hose to the second end of the boot comprises attaching the twist-lock connector on the first segment of hose to the twist lock ridge on the second end of the boot, and wherein the step of selectively attaching each of the remaining segments of hose to the adjoining segment of hose comprises attaching the twist-lock connector on the segments of hose to the twist lock ridge on the adjoining segment of hose. 7. The method of using a hose assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the terminal segment of the hose has an extension louver having extension louver slats, and wherein the extension louver has an extension louver handle in mechanical contact with the extension louver slats, said method further comprising the step of manipulating the extension louver handle to change the direction in which the extension louver slats are directed, in order to direct the air which exits the terminal segment towards a particular location within the vehicle.8. The method of using a hose assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the hose assembly further comprises a mounting clip attached to the terminal segment of the length of the hose, wherein the step of positioning the second end of the hose within the vehicle comprises attaching the mounting clip to a projecting portion of the inside of the automobile, in order to immobilize the hose at a particular position within the vehicle.
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