Heated respiratory hose assembly

A hose assembly comprising:

• a hose comprising a support helix on an external surface of a wall of the hose that defines an interior of the hose to structurally support the wall;
• a first hose fitting coupled to a first end of the hose, wherein the first end of the hose is received within a hose interface within an interior of the first hose fitting to put the interior of the hose in communication with the interior of the first hose fitting;
• and
• a first undermold coupling to couple the first end of the hose to the first hose fitting, the first undermold coupling comprising:
• a tubular portion that defines a cylindrical external surface that is sized to be inserted into the hose interface of the first hose fitting, and having a passage formed through the tubular portion between a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end;
• threads formed on an inner surface defined within the first open end of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling to engage the support helix on the external surface of the first end of the hose as a set of threads to retain the first end of the hose within the tubular portion;
• and
• a first grating coupled to a portion of the cylindrical external surface of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling, and comprising a first plurality of elongate portions that are shaped and sized to intermesh with a corresponding second plurality of elongate portions of a second grating of the hose interface of the first hose fitting to retain the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling within the hose interface of the first hose fitting in a position that puts the interior of the hose in communication with the interior of the first hose fitting through the passage, wherein:
• each of the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions is curved to follow a curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the undermold coupling;
• the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define a first plurality of slots;
• each of the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions is curved to parallel a curvature of the hose interface that follows the curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the undermold coupling;
• the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define a second plurality of slots;
• and
• when the first grating is intermeshed with the second grating, the first plurality of elongate portions of the first grating extend into the second plurality of slots defined by the second plurality of elongate portions of the second grating, and the second plurality of elongate portions extend into the first plurality of slots defined by the first plurality of elongate portions.

A method of forming a hose assembly comprising:

• pulling a first grating of a first undermold coupling of the hose assembly from a tubular portion of the first undermold coupling, wherein:
• the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling defines a cylindrical external surface of the first undermold coupling that is sized to be inserted into a hose interface of a first hose fitting of the hose assembly, and having a passage formed through the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling between a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end;
• threads are formed on an inner surface defined within the first open end of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling to engage a support helix on an external surface of a first end of a hose of the hose assembly as a set of threads to retain the first end of the hose within the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• the first grating is coupled to a portion of the cylindrical external surface of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling by an elongate grating support formed from flexible plastics material that enables the grating support to flex sufficiently to allow the first grating to be pulled away from a resting position adjacent the cylindrical external surface of the tubular portion;
• the first grating comprises a first plurality of elongate portions that are shaped and sized to intermesh with a corresponding second plurality of elongate portions of a second grating of the hose interface of the first hose fitting to retain the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling within the hose interface of the first hose fitting in a position that puts the interior of the hose in communication with an interior of the first hose fitting through the passage;
• each of the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions is curved to follow a curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define a first plurality of slots;
• each of the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions is curved to parallel a curvature of the hose interface of the first hose fitting that follows the curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define a second plurality of slots;
• and
• each of the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions of the first grating comprises an inwardly facing surface that faces toward the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling and comes into contact with a portion of the cylindrical external surface while the first grating is in the resting position;
• and
• allowing the first grating to return to the resting position, thereby causing the first grating and the second grating to become intermeshed, wherein, when the first grating is intermeshed with the second grating, the first plurality of elongate portions of the first grating extend into the second plurality of slots defined by the second plurality of elongate portions of the second grating, and the second plurality of elongate portions extend into the first plurality of slots defined by the first plurality of elongate portions.

A method of forming a hose assembly comprising:

• positioning a first end of a hose within a hose interface of a first hose fitting;
• and
• injecting molten plastics material of the undermold coupling through at least one slot of a second plurality of slots of the hose interface to fill space between an external surface of the first end of the hose and an inner surface of the hose interface of the first hose fitting, and to fill each of the slots of the second plurality of slots to form a first undermold coupling within the space, wherein:
• the first undermold coupling comprises:
• a tubular portion that defines a cylindrical external surface of the first undermold coupling that is sized to fit within the hose interface of the first hose fitting, and having a passage formed through the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling between a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end;
• and
• threads formed on an inner surface defined within the first open end of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling to engage a support helix on the external surface of a first end of a hose of the hose assembly as a set of threads to retain the first end of the hose within the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• and
• a first grating coupled to a portion of the cylindrical external surface of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• the first grating comprises a first plurality of elongate portions that are shaped and sized to intermesh with a corresponding second plurality of elongate portions of a second grating of the hose interface of the first hose fitting to retain the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling within the hose interface of the first hose fitting in a position that puts the interior of the hose in communication with an interior of the first hose fitting through the passage;
• each of the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions is curved to follow a curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• the elongate portions of the first plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define a first plurality of slots;
• each of the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions is curved to parallel a curvature of the hose interface of the first hose fitting that follows the curvature of the cylindrical shape of the tubular portion of the first undermold coupling;
• and
• the elongate portions of the second plurality of elongate portions extend in parallel with each other and define the second plurality of slots.