Heated respiratory hose connection

A hose comprising:

• a wall defining an interior of the hose;
• and
• a support helix formed together with the wall of the hose to structurally support the wall, and that incorporates a first heating wire and a second heating wire to cooperate to heat the interior of the hose, wherein:
• the support helix surrounds the interior of the hose in a helical path;
• a portion of the support helix at a first end of the hose is unwound from the wall and the helical path;
• a sheath surrounds at least a part of the unwound portion of the support helix;
• the sheath comprises a length of heatshrink tubing that is sleeved at least partially onto the unwound portion of the support helix, and is heated to shrink onto at least part of the unwound portion of the support helix;
• at an end of the unwound portion, the first heating wire is directly connected to a first electrical contact of an electrical connector, and the second heating wire is directly connected to a second electrical contact of the electrical connector;
• at a second end of the hose opposite the first end of the hose, the first heating wire is electrically connected to the second heating wire to form an electrical loop that extends from the first electrical contact of the electrical connector, through the first heating wire to the second end of the hose, through the second heating wire from the second end of the hose, and to the second electrical contact of the electrical connector;
• and
• the electrical loop is operable with a flow of electric current therethrough to heat the interior of the hose.

A method of making hose assembly comprising:

• unwinding a portion of a support helix from a wall of a hose at a first end of the hose, wherein:
• the support helix is formed together with the wall of the hose to structurally support the wall
• the support helix surrounds the interior of the hose in a helical path;
• and
• the support helix incorporates a first heating wire and a second heating wire to cooperate to heat an interior of the hose;
• sleeving a length of heatshrink tubing onto at least part of the unwound portion of the support helix;
• heating the heatshrink tubing to shrink onto at least part of the unwound portion of the support helix;
• at an end of the unwound portion, directly connecting the first heating wire to a first electrical contact of an electrical connector, and directly connecting the second heating wire to a second electrical contact of the electrical connector;
• at a second end of the hose opposite the first end of the hose, electrically connecting the first heating wire to the second heating wire to form an electrical loop that extends from the first electrical contact of the electrical connector, through the first heating wire to the second end of the hose, through the second heating wire from the second end of the hose, and to the second electrical contact of the electrical connector, wherein the electrical loop is operable with a flow of electric current therethrough to heat the interior of the hose.

A hose assembly comprising:

• a first hose comprising a first support helix to structurally support a wall of the first hose that defines an interior of the first hose, and that incorporates at least a first heating wire to heat the interior of the first hose;
• a first hose fitting coupled to a first end of the first hose, wherein:
• the first hose fitting comprises three connections;
• and
• the first end of the first hose is received within a portion of an interior of the first hose fitting at a first connection of the three connection to put the interior of the first hose in communication with the interior of the first hose fitting;
• and
• a plug that carries a first electrical connector and occupies a second connection of the three connections, wherein:
• a portion of the first support helix is unwound from the first hose at the first end of the first hose, and extends beyond the first end of the first hose and further into the interior of the first hose fitting;
• the unwound portion of the support helix extends beyond the first end of the hose and further into the interior of the first hose fitting toward the second connection;
• the first heating wire is directly connected to a first electrical contact of the first electrical connector to convey electric current from the first electrical connector to enable the first heating wire to receive electric power from the first electrical connector to heat the interior of the first hose;
• and
• a portion of the plug that extends into the interior of the first hose fitting from the second connection has a concave shape to provide a smooth surface that cooperates with at least one surface of the interior of the first hose fitting to provide a smooth path for the flow of a gas between the hose at the first connection and a third connection of the three connections.