초록 ▼

A linearly self-actuated hose for use in transporting fluids (liquids, gases, solid particles, and combinations of these three). Hose (30) has a biasing spring (36) that extends along its full length, and can comprise single or multiple springs and/or multiple diameter spring coils. Spring (36) is c

A linearly self-actuated hose for use in transporting fluids (liquids, gases, solid particles, and combinations of these three). Hose (30) has a biasing spring (36) that extends along its full length, and can comprise single or multiple springs and/or multiple diameter spring coils. Spring (36) is covered with hose cover material (32) on the outside and hose cover material (34) on the inside to form a sealed hose and are bowed inward or outward radially between the individual spring coils depending on the intended use of hose (30) to give the cover materials room to move out of the way when the hose retracts and the coils of spring (36) are forced close together. The Linearly Retractable Hose is operated by changing internal pressure within the hose relative to the ambient pressure on the exterior of the hose. Control of fluid pressure within hose (30) is what allows the hose to operate as an automatically extendable and retractable hose. The biasing of spring (36) depends on the type of use for the hose. For hose (30b), which will be used as a vacuum hose then the biasing spring (30b) must exert an extending force on the cover material (opposite that for a pressure hose). If the hose is to be used as a pressure hose (garden hose, etc.), spring (36) will need to have a bias that exerts a retracting force on cover materials (32) and (34).

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A hose, comprising: a) a flexible elongated body having a first end, a second end, and an interior channel defined along its length for transporting a pressurized fluid material between the first end and the second end upon introduction of the pressurized fluid material into the first e

I claim: 1. A hose, comprising: a) a flexible elongated body having a first end, a second end, and an interior channel defined along its length for transporting a pressurized fluid material between the first end and the second end upon introduction of the pressurized fluid material into the first end; b) a biasing means interconnected with said flexible elongated body for generating a first force tending to retract said flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length; c) a means for inputting pressurized fluid material into the first end of the flexible elongated body; and d) a means for restricting the flow of the pressurized fluid material flowing through said interior channel, wherein restricting the flow results in higher pressure of the pressurized fluid material flowing through said interior channel, wherein the higher pressure of the pressurized fluid material flowing through said interior channel generates a second force tending to extend said flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length, and wherein when said second force is sufficient to overcome said first force the flexible elongated body extends. 2. The hose in claim 1, wherein said flexible elongated body is sufficiently flexible to extend and retract longitudinally along its length in response to the net force on the hose, wherein said net force is generated by the sum of the first and second forces, and whereby said flexible elongated body has a substantially retracted position and a substantially extended position. 3. The hose in claim 2, wherein said means for restricting the flow provides sufficient flow restriction to increase said second force to a value large enough in magnitude to extend said flexible elongated body to said substantially extended position when said means for restricting the flow is active. 4. The hose in claim 2, wherein said first force is of sufficient strength to retract said flexible elongated body to said substantially retracted position when said second force is substantially zero. 5. The hose in claim 4, wherein said means for restricting the flow provides sufficient fluid flow restriction to increase said second force to a value greater in magnitude than said first force when said flexible elongated body is in said substantially retracted position. 6. The hose in claim 5, wherein said means for restricting the flow is mounted substantially to said second end. 7. The hose in claim 5, wherein said means for restricting the flow is a nozzle. 8. The hose in claim 5, wherein said flexible elongated body defines a source connector at said first end and a nozzle connector at said second end, wherein both said source connector and said nozzle connector have standard garden hose connector dimensions. 9. The hose in claim 5, wherein said substantially extended position has a longitudinal length greater than one and one-half times the longitudinal length of said substantially retracted position. 10. The hose in claim 5, wherein said substantially extended position has a longitudinal length greater than two times the longitudinal length of said substantially retracted position. 11. The hose in claim 5, wherein said substantially extended position has a longitudinal length greater than three times the longitudinal length of said substantially retracted position. 12. The hose in claim 5, wherein said substantially extended position has a longitudinal length greater than four times the longitudinal length of said substantially retracted position. 13. A method of transporting a pressurized fluid material, comprising: a) inputting a pressurized fluid material into a hose, wherein said hose comprises: 1) a flexible elongated body having a first end, a second end, and an interior channel defined along its length for transporting the pressurized fluid material from the first end to the second end; and 2) a biasing means interconnected with said flexible elongated body for generating a first force tending to retract said flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length, wherein inputting the pressurized fluid material into the hose comprises, inputting the pressurized fluid material into the first end such that a flow of pressurized fluid material is created in said interior channel, and b) restricting the flow of pressurized fluid material out of said interior channel, wherein the restriction of the flow causes a pressure increase of the pressurized fluid flowing through said interior channel above the ambient pressure outside said interior channel, wherein said pressure increase of the pressurized fluid flowing through said interior channel causes a second force directed longitudinally along said flexible elongated body, wherein said second force is opposed to said first force and tends to extend said flexible elongated body longitudinally, wherein said second force magnitude is adjustable between a force greater than said first force and a force less than said first force by adjusting said pressure increase of the pressurized fluid material and/or causing said flexible elongated body to longitudinally change length. 14. The method of transporting a pressurized fluid material according to claim 13, wherein said flexible elongated body is sufficiently flexible to extend and retract longitudinally along its length in response to a net force; wherein said net force is the sum of the first and second forces, whereby said flexible elongated body has a substantially retracted position and a substantially extended position. 15. The method of transporting a pressurized fluid material according to claim 13, wherein said flexible elongated body extends when said second force is greater than said first force. 16. The method of transporting a pressurized fluid material according to claim 13, further including the step of retracting said flexible elongated body into a support structure for storage, wherein said support structure includes a holding means for preventing said flexible elongated body from substantially extending when said second force is greater than said first force. 17. The method of transporting a pressurized fluid material in claim 16, wherein said support structure defines a tube designed for transporting said pressurized fluid material therethrough. 18. The method of transporting a pressurized fluid material in claim 13, wherein said flexible elongated body retracts when said second force is less than said first force. 19. A hose, comprising: a) a flexible elongated body having a first end, a second end, and an interior channel defined along its length for transporting a pressurized fluid material from the first end to the second end; b) a first biasing means interconnected with said flexible elongated body for generating a first force tending to retract said flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length; c) a means for inputting pressurized fluid material into the first end of the flexible elongated body; and d) a second biasing means attached to said flexible elongated body at said second end for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid material through said interior channel, wherein said second biasing means generates a pressure differential between the pressurized fluid flowing through said interior channel and the ambient environment outside of said interior channel, wherein said pressure differential between the pressurized fluid flowing through said interior channel and the ambient environment outside of said interior channel causes a second force directed longitudinally along said flexible elongated body, wherein said second force is opposed to said first force and tends to extend said flexible elongated body, wherein said second force magnitude is adjustable between a force greater than said first force and a force less than said first force, and wherein said flexible elongated body is sufficiently flexible to extend and retract longitudinally along its length in response to a net force; wherein said net force is the sum of the first and second forces. 20. A hose, comprising: a) a flexible elongated body having a first end, a second end, and an interior channel defined along its length for transporting a pressurized fluid material from the first end to the second end upon introduction of the pressurized fluid material into the first end; b) a biasing means interconnected with said flexible elongated body for generating a first force tending to retract the flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length; and c) a source of pressurized fluid material, wherein the first end is adapted to attach to the source of pressurized fluid material; wherein the second end is adapted to attach to a means for restricting the flow of the pressurized fluid material flowing out of the interior channel, wherein the means for restricting the flow results in a higher pressure of the pressurized fluid flowing through the interior channel, wherein the higher pressure of the pressurized fluid flowing through the interior channel generates a second force tending to extend the flexible elongated body longitudinally along its length, and wherein the second force is sufficient to overcome the first force and cause the flexible elongated body to extend longitudinally. 21. The hose according to claim 20, wherein the hose extends when the pressurized fluid source is introduced into the first end and the hose retracts longitudinally when the pressurized fluid source is removed. 22. The hose according to claim 20, wherein the flexible elongated body comprises a mesh of fibers integral with the flexible elongated body to help withstand higher pressures. 23. The hose according to claim 20, wherein the pressurized fluid material is a gas. 24. The hose according to claim 20, wherein the pressurized fluid material is a liquid. 25. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the hose is a garden hose. 26. The method according to claim 13, wherein the hose is a garden hose. 27. The hose according to claim 19, wherein the hose is a garden hose. 28. The hose according to claim 20, wherein the hose is a garden hose. 29. The hose according to claim 2, wherein the biasing means generates the first force when the flexible elongated body is in the substantially retracted position.