A DEVICE FOR SECURING A BRAKE HOSE AT AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF TO AN APPROPRIATE POINT IN A VEHICLE BODY

Abstract: A device for securing a brake hose (200) at an inter­ mediate portion thereof to an appropriate point in a vehicle body comprises an outer body (100) provided on the circum­ ference of the brake hose, and a nipple (300) positioned beneath the inner surface of the brake hose. The outer body is provided with a collar (110), a groove (120) and a sleeve portion (130) on which compressing force is applied while the nipple is provided with a main groove (350) at a point corresponding to the compressing force applying point (140, 150) and auxiliary grooves (360, 370) adjacent to the main groove.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for securing a brake hose, and more particularly to a device for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof wherein the displacement between an outer body provided over the hose and a nipple inserted into the hose is prevented from occuring thereby results in higher reliability. In Figs. 1A and 1B, there are shown conventional devices for securing a brake hose for vehicle at intermediate portion thereof which are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No.59-22382 (22382/1984). The device for securing a brake hose comprises an outer body 100 provided over the circumference of the brake hose 200 and a nipple 300 positioned beneath the inner surface of the brake hose 200. The outer body 100 comprises a collar 110 and a groove 120 (Fig. 1A) or grooves 120 and 130 (Fig. 1B) respectively which engage members (not shown) for securing the brake hose 200 at an intermediate portion thereof to an attaching point in a vehicle. The nipple 300 is shaped to be concaved at two points 310 and 320 (Fig. 1A) or to be convexed at two points 330 and 340 (Fig. 1B). In a practical use, the outer body 100 is subject to compressing force at the grooves 120 and 130 against the nipple 300 which is prevented from moving by the concave portions 310 and 320 or the convex portions 330 and 340 whereby the brake hose 200 is compressed between the outer body 100 and the nipple 300 to be fixed each other so that the brake hose 200 is secured at an intermediate portion thereof to an attaching point in a vehicle. On the other hand, the brake hose 200 is connected at one end to the vehicle body and at another end to the wheel brake assembly. In the device for securing a brake hose as illustrated in Figs. 1A and 1B, however, there is a disadvantage that the displacement between the outer body 100 and the nipple 300 can not be prevented completely under the vibrating condition for a long time. This is due to the fact that the compressing force must be less than a predetermined value to prevent the outer body 100 from being deformed thereby to enhance the reliability in securing of the brake hose 200 through the outer body 100. The document US-A-3 345 090 discloses a hose end fitting having an outer body which is adapted to be thrust onto an end portion of the hose. A nipple is adapted to be inserted into the end portion of the hose and has a radially projecting end flange which is engagingly held between the end face of the hose and an internal shoulder of the outer body. In order to prevent the hose from being drawn out of the end fitting, the nipple is provided with barbs having a saw-tooth cross section, and a compressive force is applied to the outer body at a position opposing the barbs of the nipple. Since the nipple is secured against displacement by the radially projecting flange, this end fitting is not useable for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof wherein the displacement between the outer body and the nipple is decreased to a minimum rate. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof wherein the device is very easy to be assembled and to be secured to an attaching point in a vehicle. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a device for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof which provides higher reliability resulting from higher durability. According to the present invention, these objects are achieved by a device having the features indicated in the appended claims. The invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B are partial crosssectional view illustrating prior art devices for securing a brake hose at an intermediate portion thereof, Fig. 2 shows upper half crosssectional view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 shows upper half crosssectional view illustrating a nipple in the present invention, and Fig. 4 shows partial crosssectional view illustrating the main groove of the nipple of the present invention. In Figs. 2 to 4, reference numeral 100 indicates an outer body which comprises a collar 110 being larger in outer diameter than the remaining portion of the outer body, a groove 120 into which an engaging member (not shown) is inserted and a sleeve portion 130 on which compressing force is applied at points 140 and 150 thereof, reference numeral 200 indicates a brake hose which comprises an inner rubber layer 210, a first brading layer 220, an intermediate rubber layer 230, a second brading layer 240 and an outer rubber layer 250, and reference numeral 300 indicates a nipple 300 which is formed to have main grooves 350 at points corresponding to compressing force applying points 140 and 150 and auxiliary grooves 360 and 370 adjacent to the respective main grooves 350. As shown in Fig. 4, the main groove 350 is shaped to have chamfered corners 380 at both sides thereof. The auxiliary grooves 360 and 370 may be provided with such chamfered corner as well. In Fig. 2, it is understood that the outer body 100 and the-nipple 300 are the same in length and aligned to each other. The main grooves 350 are positioned at the points corresponding to the compressing force applying points 140 and 150 so that the inner rubber layer 210 of the brake hose 200 is forced effectively into the main grooves 350 and the auxiliary grooves 360 and 370. Further, the sleeve 130 is also forced to compress the brake hose 200 at the compressing force applying points. For this reason, the displacement between the outer body 100 and the nipple 300 is prevented from occuring under the vibrating condition for a long time. In other words, such displacement can be avoided effectively in accordance with the elasticity of the rubber hose 200 and the compressing force applied thereon. In Fig. 3, the main grooves 350 and the auxiliary grooves 360 and 370 are of the same shape, size and pitch while they may be different in shape, size and pitch from each other in the spirit of the invention defined in the attached claims. The nipple 300 is easier to be inserted into the brake hose 200 in that the main grooves 350 and the auxiliary grooves 360 and 370 have the chamfered corners 380 respectively. The brake hose 200 is prevented from being damaged in the existence of the chamfered corner 380. As described above, the reason why a main groove is provided at a point on the outer surface of a nipple corresponding to a compressing force applying point is that an inner rubber layer of a brake hose is forced into the main groove when a sleeve portion of a main body is compressed. Next, the reason why auxiliary grooves are provided at both sides of the main grooves is that the inner rubber layer is forced into the main or auxiliary grooves even if the compressing force is applied at a wrong point to a sleeve portion of the main body and that the nipple is prevented from moving along the axial direction when the compressing force is applied to the sleeve portion of the main body. Further, the reason why the depth of the main groove is set as 3 to 12% of the inner diameter of the brake hose is that the inner rubber layer is not sufficient to be forced into the main groove of the nipple if such depth is less than 3% while the compressing force can not be applied to the sleeve portion of the main body because the bending strength of the nipple is lowered if such depth is more than 12%. Although the width of the groove is not limited, the groove is appropriate in width in the range of 1.5 to 5 times the depth thereof in view that the inner rubber layer is adequately forced thereinto. The groove may be chamfered at corner thereof in the range of 0.05 to 0.30. Although the outer diameter of the nipple is decided depending upon the inner diameter of the brake hose, it is appropriate to be in the range of 1.001 to 1.005 times the inner diameter of the brake hose. That is to say, the displacement of the nipple tends to occur if the outer diameter thereof is less than 1.001 times the inner diameter of the brake hose while the nipple is very difficult to be inserted into the brake hose if the outer diameter thereof is more than 1.005 times the inner diameter of the brake hose.

Claims: A device for securing a brake hose (200) at an intermediate portion thereof to an appropriate point in a vehicle body, comprising: an outer body (100) adapted to be provided on the circumference of the brake hose and provided with a collar (110) having a larger diameter than the remaining portion of the outer body and at least one groove (120) formed on the outer surface thereof, a nipple (300) which is separate from said outer body and has, on its entire length, an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer body and is adapted to be positioned beneath the inner surface of the brake hose to be aligned in axial direction with said outer body, and means (130,350,360,370) for securing the brake hose against displacement in either direction, characterized in that said means for securing the brake hose comprise a sleeve portion (130) of said outer body, a compressing force being applied to said sleeve portion, at least one main groove (350) formed in said nipple at a point (140,150) corresponding to the compressing force applying point on said sleeve portion, and auxiliary grooves (360,370) formed in said nipple on opposite sides of said main groove. A device according to claim 1 in which the depth of said main groove (350) of the nipple is in the range of 3 to 12% of the inner diameter of said brake hose (200). A device according to claim 1 in which said main groove (350) and said auxiliary grooves (360,370) of said nipple are shaped to have chamfered corners (380), respectively. A device according to claim 1 in which the nipple (300) has the same length as the outer body (100).

Inventors: KIMURA, HISAYOSHI, SUZUKI, ISAMU, TANIOKA, NORIO
Applicants: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: F16L33
IPC codes: F16L3, F16L33