A flexible heated wire hose, for use in warming of a wall of the hose to keep its temperature above a dew point of air transported between a CPAP humidifier and a mask to prevent condensation from forming therein, said flexible heated wire hose comprising:
- a hose, said hose having a first end and a second end, said hose comprising a reinforcement member being formed generally into a series of flexible turns with each turn being spaced from an adjacent one of said turns to create an interstitial area;
- said reinforcement member comprising an electrically energizable heating element;
- said hose comprising one or more layers of a flexible material, said one or more flexible layers of material being formed to overlay at least a portion of said series of turns of said reinforcement member and corresponding interstitial area between said turns;
- and
- a first end fitting, said first end fitting for use in attaching said hose to the CPAP humidifier, said first end fitting comprising:
- a support ring, said support ring comprising:
- a hollow cylindrical member, and a receptacle joined to said cylindrical member;
- an inside surface of said hollow cylindrical member comprising one or more internal threads configured to threadably engage a corresponding one or more of said series of turns of said reinforcement member, proximate to a first end of said hose, to threadably secure said support ring to said hose;
- a first end of said receptacle comprising an opening into a cavity therein, said joining of said receptacle to said cylindrical member configured for said opening at said first end of said receptacle to face in a substantially opposite direction with respect to an opening of said hose at said first end of said hose, a second end of said receptacle comprising a first opening and a second opening each configured to interconnect with said cavity;
- an electrical jack, said electrical jack comprising an electrical connector at a first end of said jack, and a first prong and a second prong at a second end of said jack, said electrical jack configured to be received into said receptacle cavity through said first opening at said first end of said receptacle, with said first prong and said second prong configured to respectively protrude out from said first and second openings at said second end of said receptacle, and with said connector configured to be exposed at said opening of said first end of said receptacle, said energizable heating element being electrically coupled to said first and second prongs of said electrical jack;
- over-molded plastic, said over-molded plastic configured to encapsulate:
- said support ring, said electrical coupling of said heating element with said electrical jack, and said receptacle, except for said exposed connector of said electrical jack;
- said over-molded plastic configured to extend beyond said reinforcement member at said first end of said hose, and to neck down thereat to form a soft cuff with an opening therein;
- and
- wherein said opening in said soft cuff is configured be open in said substantially opposite direction with respect to an opening of said connector, said connector thereby configured to receive a mating connector of a power supply in an umbilical arrangement;
- wherein said internal threads of said cylindrical member of said support ring comprise a pitch being less than a pitch of said turns of said reinforcing member when in an undeflected condition, thereby requiring compression of said corresponding one or more of said series of turns of said reinforcement member for said threaded engagement therewith.