Molded hose joint assembly
AssigneeThe Gates Corporation
InventorsKeith M. Krause, Melvin L. Marriott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Molded hose joint assemblies, e.g., connections, branched hoses and bleeding devices for fluid circuits, and especially such assemblies for use in automotive and industrial coolant circuit assemblies, which assemblies comprise a reduced amount of molded outer covering element over prior art designs, said covering element substantially encapsulating the connection points of generally flexible hose ends to generally rigid inner connection members. The outer covering element forms a unitary mass or interconnecting rings about at least two such hose connection points. Flexible manufacturing techniques for producing such assemblies are provided.
Claims14
A molded hose joint assembly comprising a substantially rigid inner connection member having at least two hose connection ports and a trunk portion;
- at least two flexible hose members, each said hose member being positioned on said inner connection member at one of said hose connection ports to define respective hose connection points;
- an outer covering element engaging at least an outer circumferential portion of each of said at least two hose members at said hose connection points, and substantially sealing said hose members to said inner connection member;
- and characterized in that;
- said outer covering element is in the form of at least two bands, each said band forming a circumferential ring about one of said hose members at at least two of said hose connection points, and interconnecting with at least one other said band to form a unitary mass about said at least two hose connection points to define a hose connection point intersecting region, and wherein the portion of said trunk portion of said inner connection member outside said intersecting region remains substantially free of said covering element, to define a non-intersecting region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.