Abstract:
An integrated fluid conduction system or hose assembly comprising a hose, a clamp, and a coupling device wherein the hose includes an external surface and a projection, with an orifice, extending from the external surface. The clamp includes an opening to receive the projection. The coupling device includes a compression section and a leg for coupling, fixing and positioning the projection orifices so that the compression section engages the clamp external surface so as to retain and stabilize the clamp to the hose. The invention is further directed to a coupling device as generally described above as well as to a method for coupling a clamp to a hose with the coupling device including the steps of positioning the clamp on the hose by disposing the projections into the clamp opening and attaching the coupling device to the hose, including placing the legs of the coupling device into the projection orifices, to couple the clamp to the hose.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an integrated fluid conduction system and, more specifically, such a fluid conduction system or assembly belonging to the field of automotive parts and that has received a new construction in order to facilitate the set manufacture and/or assembling strategy. 
     Integrated fluid conduction systems are already known, particularly for use in the automotive industry. For example, one such system includes an elastomeric hose through which the fluid circulates; a clamp that fixes the hose in its use location; and a device that fixes and positions the open clamp in the hose at the hose&#39;s factory standard. The set arrives assembled at the assembly line of the hose&#39;s receiving mechanism and ready to be fixed in the use location. In the currently more spread construction form of this type of system, the device for fixing and positioning the clamp in the hose is essentially comprised by an elastomeric part that has a section placed over a clamp section, as well as section(s) stuck to section(s) of the hose adjacent to the clamp. The hose, clamp and fixing device are commonly incorporated one into the other during the vulcanization operation. 
     The production modes of industries in general, specifically of the motoring industry, have constantly changed with the purpose of being optimized. In light of this, it is not rare that parts of a certain set are manufactured in different plant sites and assembled in one of the sites or in other locations, which are more appropriate, in accordance with a manufacture strategy. 
     Hence, although commercially available integrated fluid conduction systems, as they are usually constructed, serve for the purpose to which they are designed, they may not meet, in a completely proper manner, the needs of certain production modes currently used due to the fact that the hose and the clamp leave the factory necessarily assembled together. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Hence, among the purposes of the present invention is to provide an integrated fluid conduction system in which the hose and the clamp may or not leave the hose manufacturer&#39;s location assembled together so that the system is more flexible in that it may be manufactured and/or assembled under different production strategies. 
     To address these and other purposes that will be apparent to one skilled in the art and as generally discussed below, the present invention is directed to an integrated fluid conduction system or hose assembly comprising a hose, a clamp, and a coupling device. The hose includes an external surface and a projection, with an orifice, extending from the external surface. The clamp includes an opening to receive the projection. The coupling device includes a compression section and a leg for coupling, fixing and positioning the projection orifices so that the compression section engages the clamp external surface so as to retain and stabilize the clamp to the hose. The invention is further directed to a coupling device for positioning and coupling a clamp to a hose with a compression section and projections having orifices. The device includes a compression section and a leg for coupling, fixing, and positioning in the projection orifices so that the compression section engages the clamp external surface to retain and stabilize the clamp to the hose. The invention is further directed to a method for coupling a clamp to a hose with a coupling device. The method includes the steps of positioning the clamp on the hose, including disposing the projections into the clamp opening, and attaching the coupling device to the hose, including placing the legs of the coupling device into the projection orifices, to couple the clamp to the hose. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given here below, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the system with its parts taken in separate; 
     FIG. 2 shows the system with its parts assembled; 
     FIG. 3 shows one of the assembled system sections and the assembled system with a partial cut; 
     FIG. 4 shows a frontal view of a coupling device for retaining the hose, which is part of the system; 
     FIG. 5 shows a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 shows a side view of the device shown in FIGS.  4  and  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In conformity with how the figures listed above illustrate, the integrated fluid conduction system of the present invention is part of circuits for the conduction of several fluids, especially with regards to automotive vehicles including the following: oil, water, air, brake fluid and others. The system or assembly  6  includes a hose  8 , preferably made of elastomeric or similar material, in which the fluid circulates; an originally open clamp(s)  10  for fixing the hose in its use location; as well as by a coupling device(s)  20  for pre-assembling, pre-positioning and pre-fixing the clamp(s) in the hose. By this configuration, the system or assembly  6 , including the hose  8  and open clamp(s)  10 , that is provided to the final user is capable of being directly assembled in the use location without the need for the final user to assemble, position and fix its parts. 
     In this solution, the coupling device(s)  20  for pre-assembling, pre-positioning and pre-fixing the clamp(s) to the hose is not the type in which the clamp and the hose necessarily leave the factory assembled together by means of vulcanization, as usual. Instead, the device(s)  20  for pre-assembling, pre-positioning and pre-fixing the clamp(s) to the hose makes it possible that the clamp  10  and the hose  8  may be assembled together at the hose factory or in other locations that are more appropriate to a system production strategy. 
     The device(s)  20  for pre-assembling, pre-positioning and pre-fixing the clamp(s) to the hose  8  includes elastomeric projection(s)  21  for positioning the clamp  10  on the hose  8 . The projections project from the hose external surface, are coupled to or incorporated into said surface such as by means of vulcanization or other equivalent mechanisms generally known in the art, and are proper for being applied and remaining crossed in the respective orifice(s)  11  of the clamp, preferably located opposite to its fastener  12 . The elastomeric projection(s)  21  has (have) edges with a passing-through orifice(s)  22  and is (are) positioned within or proximate to a compression region(s)  13  of the external surface of the clamp  10  on the moment of the application of said elastomeric projection(s)  21  in the orifice(s)  11  (FIG.  3 ). 
     The device(s)  20  for pre-assembling, pre-positioning and pre-fixing the clamp(s) to the hose further includes a retention part  25  made of metal or another adequate material for retaining the clamp to the hose. The part  25  includes an edge(s) or a leg(s)  26  for coupling, fixing and positioning in the passing-through orifice(s)  22  of the elastomeric projection(s)  21  and a compression section(s)  27  that aligns against the region(s)  13  of the external surface of the clamp  10  for retaining and stabilizing the clamp to the hose  8 . 
     With the basic description provided herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system and assembly, as well as the components thereof, may include modifications relating to materials, dimensions and construction details without leaving the scope of the claimed invention. 
     In light of this, in a better execution manner known so far, there are two elastomeric projections  21  for positioning the clamp on the hose. The projections  21  are in a substantial tooth form, placed on a same section of the hose  8  and the free edges thereof have their respective passing-through orifice  22  placed parallelly to the hose axle  9  (FIG.  3 ). The projections  21  are disposed through and coupled in adjacent edges of corresponding orifices  11  made in the clamp  10 , aligned in its circumferential direction, and between which is the region  13  of hose compression by the retention part  25 . The retention part is preferably comprised of a clip made of metal, plastic or another material that supports the necessary assembly effort and includes a substantially “U” shaped plan configuration with edges or legs  26  for coupling, fixing and positioning in the passing-through orifice(s)  22  of the elastomeric projection(s)  21 . The edges or legs  26  further preferably include a conic-trunk edge  28  which may be positioned under pressure to cross the respective orifice  22 , an intermediate section  29  which is disposed through the orifices  22  after assembly, and limited between a stop defined by the support of the conic-trunk edge  28  and a flange  30  which together support the retention part  25  in the orifices  22  and positions said part in relation to the clamp. The clip  25  is further provided with the elongated transversal compression section  27  interconnecting the edges or legs  26 . The section  27  includes extreme sections  31  adjacent to the legs  26  and which are compressed against the external compression region  13  of the clamp, and an inverted “V”-like section  32  which provides a spring-like effect to the transversal section  27  in order to maintain the compression of the extreme sections  31  against the clamp. 
     As noted above, the present invention permits the hose and clamp to be assembled together either at the hose manufacturer&#39;s location or under different production strategies, such as separate shipment of the hose  8 , clamp  10 , and/or retention part  25  with assembly occurring later in the process. In either instance, the preferred method of assembling the clamp to the hose includes the steps of disposing the clamp  10  about the hose  8  such that the projections  21  are received within the clamp orifices  11  and the projection orifices  22  being accessible above the external surface of the clamp. The edges or legs  26  of the coupling device, e.g., retention part  25 , may then be aligned with the projection orifices  21  and the coupling device axially displaced relative to the hose  8  and clamp  10  such that the conical trunks  28  of the edges  26  are displaced through the corresponding projection orifices  21 . In this condition, the intermediate section  29  is disposed in the projection orifices  21  with movement of the coupling device  25  limited by the edge of the conical truck  28  and flange  30 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling device  25  is configured to displace the projections  21  inwardly toward one another during assembly thereby providing first areas  33  of clamp retention (FIG. 3) as well as to compress the clamp  10  downwardly against the compression region  13  of the clamp thereby providing a second area  34  of clamp retention (FIG.  2 ). As to the first areas  33 , the displacement of the projections  21  toward one another is preferably provided by forming the coupling device  25  such that the lateral spacing  35  (FIG. 5) of the edges or legs  26  is less than the lateral spacing  36  (FIG. 1) between the projection orifices  22  when the projections  21  are in their preassembled condition. To further facilitate retention provided in this first area, the facing surfaces  37  of the projections  21  (FIG. 2) and the corresponding faces adjacent the clamp orifices  11  preferably, though not necessarily, have an arcuate or semi-circular configuration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cooperating arcuate configurations effectively restrain the clamp against movement relative to the projections, and therefore relative to the hose, both circumferentially and axially. 
     As to the second areas  34  of retention, the extreme sections  31  of the connecting device  25  are preferably angled upwardly relative to the edges  26  (FIG. 4) so as to match or approximate the circular contour of the hose  8 . The insertion of the edges  26  into the more widely laterally spaced projection orifices  22  not only causes the projections  21  to move inwardly to engage the arcuate ends of the clamp orifices, but also tend to cause an increase in the angle  38  (FIG. 4) of the inverted “V” section  32  thereby creating a spring-like force within the coupling device  25 . This spring-like force urges the extreme sections  31  against the clamp and compress the clamp  10  within the region of compression  13  against the hose. 
     Notwithstanding the above description of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of modifications may be made. These modifications may include changes to the retention part as well as other components. By way of example rather than limitation, the retention part  25 , instead of being comprised by a molded rod or clip according to the description above, may have a substantially flat form (not illustrated). The edges or legs  26  may be cut in a form that is substantially equal to that of the clip mentioned above for retention in the projections  21  and maintenance of the position in relation to the clamp. Further, the intermediate section  27  preferably has the form of a rectangular plate that is overlapped to the clamp external region  13  so as to provide a better stabilization of the clamp in relation to the hose. 
     The clamp  10  may be of any adequate type among those usually used, such as the spring-like type according to the attached illustrations, or screw-like and rack-like types, or even other types. 
     While the hose  8  preferably is elastomeric, it may of any material or structural type among those usually used, such as the type with simple wall or having support comprised of a single hose body with any proper configurations, or comprised of a body with derivation(s), or even other types. 
     Hence, the system, including the hose  8 , clamp  10  and device  20 , according to this invention, may be completely assembled at the hose  8 , the clamp  10  or the device  20  manufacturing factories. Optionally, all of the parts may be sent disassembled to a certain assembly location. Further, some of the parts, for instance, the hose  8  and the device  20 , may be sent to the manufacture location, for example, of the clamp  10 , and in said location, the set assembling shall be performed or other manufacture and/or assembly strategies shall be provided, in accordance with the system manufacturer&#39;s and/or final user&#39;s interests. 
     The present invention makes the means for obtaining the system significantly more flexible than those of the similar usual systems, without putting the final objective at risk, which is to facilitate the assembly of the system in the receiving mechanism. 
     The foregoing discussion discloses and describes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.