Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a method and system for fluid transmission along significant distances. <CIT> discloses a fire hose system having actively controllable multi-channel fire hose. <CIT> discloses a hot melt adhesive hose assembly having redundant components.

Certain aspects commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are summarized below. These aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather are intended only to provide a brief summary of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a fluid delivery system as set out in appended claim <NUM>. The fluid delivery system includes one or more smart hoses. A smart hose of the one or more smart hoses includes a fluid conduit configured to deliver a fluid. The smart hose further includes one or more electrically conductive elements configured to deliver electricity through a length of the smart hose.

In a second unclaimed aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a flexible smart hose. The method of manufacturing a flexible smart hose includes manufacturing a hollow conduit, wherein the hollow conduit is configured to deliver a fluid. The method further includes manufacturing one or more electrically conductive layers, wherein the conductive layer is configured to deliver electricity through a length of the smart hose. The method additionally includes manufacturing an external jacket, wherein the external jacket comprises the topmost layer of the smart hose.

The techniques described herein incorporate electrically conductive elements into the actual hose construction to eliminate the need for a separate wire harness or a separate wire. The techniques described herein also eliminate intermediate electrical connectors by using, for example, hydraulic fittings for conduction of electrical power and/or signals through any intermediate fluid connections. In some cases, the electrically conductive elements server as both a signal and/or power conductor and a mechanical reinforcement member.

It may be useful to describe a system that may apply the fluid delivery and the electrical deliver techniques described herein. Accordingly and turning now to <FIG>, the figure is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a spray application system <NUM> (e.g., Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) system) that may include one or more liquid pumps <NUM>, <NUM>. The spray application system <NUM> may be suitable for mixing and dispensing a variety of chemicals, such as a chemicals used in applying spray foam insulation. In the depicted embodiment, chemical compounds A and B may be stored in tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. The tanks <NUM> and <NUM> may be fluidly coupled to the pumps <NUM> and <NUM> via conduits or hoses <NUM> and <NUM>. It is to be understood that while the depicted embodiment for the spray application system <NUM> shows two compounds used for mixing and spraying, other embodiments may use a single compound or <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> or more compounds. The pumps <NUM> and <NUM> may be independently controlled.

During operations of the spray application system <NUM>, the pumps <NUM>, <NUM> may be mechanically powered by motors <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the motors may be electric motors. However, internal combustion engines (e.g., diesel engines), pneumatic motors, or a combination thereof. Motor controllers <NUM> and <NUM> may be used to provide for motor start/stop, loading, and control based on signals transmitted, for example, from the processor <NUM>. The motor <NUM> may be of the same type or of a different type from the motor <NUM>. Likewise, the pump <NUM> may be of the same type or of different type from the pump <NUM>. Indeed, the techniques described herein may be used with multiple pumps <NUM>, <NUM>, and multiple motors <NUM>, <NUM>, which may be of different types.

The pumps <NUM>, <NUM> provide for hydrodynamic forces suitable for moving the compounds A, B into a spray gun system <NUM>. More specifically, compound A may traverse the pump <NUM> through conduit <NUM> and then through heated conduits <NUM>, <NUM> into the spray gun system <NUM>. Likewise, compound B may traverse pump <NUM> through conduit <NUM> and then through heated conduits <NUM>, <NUM> into the spray gun system <NUM>. To heat the heated conduits <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, a heating system <NUM> is provided. The heating system <NUM> may provide for thermal energy, such as a heated fluid, suitable for pre-heating the compounds A and B before mixing and spraying and for heating the compounds A and B during mixing and spraying. The conduit <NUM> is connected to the conduit <NUM> via a hose fitting <NUM>. The conduit <NUM> may be connected to the conduit <NUM> via a hose fitting <NUM>.

The spray gun system <NUM> may include a mixing chamber to mix the compounds A and B. For spray foam insulation applications, the compound A may include isocyanates while the compound B may include polyols, flame retardants, blowing agents, amine or metal catalysts, surfactants, and other chemicals. When mixed, an exothermic chemical reaction occurs and a foam <NUM> is sprayed onto a target. The foam then provides for insulative properties at various thermal resistance (i.e., R-values) based on the chemicals found in the compounds A and B.

Control for the spray application system <NUM> may be provided by a control system <NUM>. The control system <NUM> may include an industrial controller, and thus include a memory <NUM> and a processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may include multiple microprocessors, one or more "general-purpose" microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICS), and/or one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, or some combination thereof. The memory <NUM> may include a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as ROM, a hard drive, a memory card, a memory stick (e.g., USB stick) and so on. The memory <NUM> may include computer programs or instructions executable by the processor <NUM> and suitable for controlling the spray application system <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may further include computer programs or instructions executable by the processor <NUM> and suitable for detecting pump <NUM>, <NUM> slip and for providing ratio control actions to continue providing as desired ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) for compounds A and B in the presence of slip, as further described below.

The control system <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to one or more sensors <NUM> and operatively coupled to one or more actuators <NUM>. The sensors <NUM> may include pressure sensors, flow sensors, temperature sensors, chemical composition sensors, speed (e.g., rotary speed, linear speed) sensors, electric measurement sensors (e.g., voltage, amperage, resistance, capacitance, inductance), level (e.g., fluid level) sensors, limit switches, and so on. The actuators <NUM> may include valves, actuatable switches (e.g., solenoids), positioners, heating elements, and so on.

A user or users may interface with the control system <NUM> via an input/output (I/O) system <NUM>, which may include touchscreens, displays, keyboards, mice, augmented reality/virtual reality systems, as well as tablets, smartphones, notebooks, and so on. A user may input desired pressures, flow rates, temperatures, ratio between compound A and compound B (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>), alarm thresholds (e.g., threshold fluid levels of compound A, B in tanks <NUM>, <NUM>), and so on. The user may then spray via the spray gun system <NUM> and the control system <NUM> may use the processor <NUM> to execute one or more programs stored in the memory <NUM> suitable for sensing system <NUM> conditions via the sensors <NUM> and for adjusting various parameters of the system <NUM> via the actuators <NUM> based on the user inputs. The I/O system <NUM> may then display several of the sensed conditions as well as the adjusted parameters. Certain components of the spray application system <NUM> may be included in or interface with a proportioner system <NUM>. The proportioner system <NUM> may "proportion" or deliver the compounds A, B at a specified ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) to achieve the spray <NUM>. In this manner, the user(s) may mix and spray chemicals, such as compounds A and B, to provide for certain coatings, such as insulative spray foam.

The proportioner system <NUM> controls pressure, flow, and temperature of the fluids based on setting provided by the user. The proportioner system <NUM> is generally located at a distance from the actual foam application work area and spray foam gun <NUM>. In most of these systems, temperature and/or pressure sensing of one or more of the fluids near the spray gun <NUM> is required to provide proper fluid mixing of the materials at the spray gun. In most of these systems, control parameters and status indicators are all located at the proportioning system <NUM>, which can be several hundred feet away from where the spray foam applicator is working. The spray foam applicator has special skills that determine the success of the operation, however this person does not have access to real-time and sometimes critical system information that affect the quality of the spray foam <NUM> process. It is not efficient for the spray foam applicator to return to the proportioner system <NUM> to discover status or diagnostic information about the spray foam application system <NUM>. The spray gun operator wears Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that further burdens his/her ability to return to the proportioner system <NUM> to adjust settings and/or determine status of the equipment and material supplies. The pressurized hoses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or <NUM> operate in a harsh environment and are subject to abuse typical of construction sites.

To date, most systems <NUM> that employ remote sensing and/or control capabilities do so with dedicated wired cables (i.e. a "tethered" system). The use of wireless communication with remote power sources is also an approach to providing electrical sensing, communication, and control signals between portions of a hydraulic system. Both of these approaches may have problems with reliability. In the case of the tethered approach, extra wire bundles and connectors are points of potential failure. In the case of a wireless approach, building materials and the RF environment in the work area may prevent reliable signal transmission. Also, in a wireless approach, any power required in the work area must be provided via storage devices (e.g. batteries) or by a local power source. This may add complexity and additional points of potential failure to the system.

The techniques described herein include novel solutions to the issues outlined above, and present new unanticipated capabilities for fluid delivery systems, and in particular, to SPF systems such as system <NUM>. Other examples include paint spray systems, industrial/chemical mixing and processing, systems, and fuel and hydraulic delivery systems. Any process or system that uses a hose to transport fluids from one location to another and where electronic communication of information is desired, are candidates for the techniques described herein.

The flexible hoses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or <NUM> not only provide for the delivery of fluids, but also for the delivery of electricity (e.g., electrical signals such as data signals, electrical power). Likewise, the hose fittings <NUM>, <NUM> magnet only connect the hoses <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, <NUM> to each other, but also deliver the electricity between the hoses <NUM> and <NUM> and the hoses <NUM> and <NUM>. To deliver electricity, the hoses <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or <NUM> include conductive elements, as described below. The fittings <NUM>, <NUM> may be made of metal and/or include crimping connections to the conductive elements of the hoses, also as further described below.

The information communicated via the smart hoses may include a fluid pressure, a tank level, a remaining quantity of fluid, a fluid flow rate, a fluid temperature, a pump information (e.g., pump workload, pump voltage, and any pump related data), a text, an audio, a video, a multimedia, a virtual reality data, an augmented reality data, or a combination thereof. A second smart hose of the one or more smart hoses may also attach to an end a first smart hose to increase a length of the first smart hose. Each fluid may be delivered via a smart hose. The smart hose may also send information to the proportioner system, such as text, a video, a multimedia, a command to the proportioner system, a request for proportioner system information, or a combination thereof. Indeed, the proportioner system may send and/or receive information via the smart hose(s).

Turning now to <FIG>, the figure is a side view of an embodiment of an electrically conductive "smart" hose <NUM>. The hose <NUM> may be included in the hose <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or <NUM>. In the depicted embodiment, the hose <NUM> may include an outer insulation jacket <NUM>, an outer metal braid (e.g., outer shield) <NUM>, an outer dielectric (e.g., electric insulator) <NUM>, an inner braid <NUM>, and a hollow inner dielectric (e.g., electric insulator) <NUM>. Fluid may flow through the hollow inner dielectric <NUM>, completely traversing the electrically conductive hose <NUM>. The conductive layers or layers <NUM>, <NUM> lie within the hose <NUM> construction as braided layers or as a wound wire or foil layer within the hose <NUM> construction. If a reference layer is required (e.g. neutral, ground, return) then the two layers <NUM> and <NUM> of conductive material are required. If two conductive hoses are used, one can be used for the reference power and/or signal. In this two conductive hose scenario, only one conductive element <NUM> or <NUM> is used per hose. The conductive layers may be made of metals, metal alloys, or a combination thereof. The dielectric layers may be made of plastics (e.g., polymeric materials, both natural polymers as well as artificial polymers), rubber, silicone, and so on, that have dielectric properties or that are low (or no) conductors of electricity.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a smart hose fitting <NUM>. More specifically, the figure illustrates a side sectional view <NUM> and a frontal view <NUM> of an embodiment of the hose fitting <NUM>. In the depicted embodiment, the hose fitting <NUM> includes a coupling nut <NUM>, which may be used to couple with other hose fittings. The hose fitting <NUM> also includes an outer contact <NUM>, and outer insulator <NUM>, an inner contact <NUM>, a hollow conduit <NUM>, and an inner insulator <NUM>. The contacts <NUM>, <NUM> are conductive and may be connected to the conductive elements <NUM>, <NUM> of the smart hose <NUM> of <FIG>. The insulators <NUM>, <NUM> may provide for electrical insulation and may include dielectric properties.

To connect the hose fitting <NUM> to the smart hose <NUM>, crimping may be used. For example, insulating material may stripped away from the smart hose <NUM> to expose the conductive layer(s) <NUM>, <NUM>. A modified hose fitting (e.g., fitting <NUM>) may be in direct contact with the conductive materials and held in place against mechanical loads. A typical approach may use crimped hydraulic fittings. The fitting <NUM> now serves as both a hydraulic connection at an electrical buss potential. The mating hose or mating element (e.g. manifold) may or may not have electrical properties. Nonelectrical property hoses (e.g., hoses that do not carry electricity) would serve as isolation elements so that serial groups of different buss voltages or signaling can be fashioned into a linear hose. This could also prevent undesirable shunting of busses. The manifold housing can also serve as an insulator. Examples of external wire crimping methods are shown in <FIG>. More specifically <FIG> illustrates twinaxial cables that may be crimped via shield crimps. The shield crimps may be inserted over smart cables and then crimped, e.g. with a crimping tool.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate a picture and a screenshot, respectively, of an example reduction to practice for the hose <NUM>. The reduction to practice was created to demonstrate electrical power transfer and communications over stainless steel reinforcement braid of a common plumbing hose, creating a smart hose <NUM>. An oscilloscope trace depicted in <FIG> show Power Line Communication (PLC) using amplitude shift keying. Frequency Modulation over power can also be used for data transmission via the hose <NUM>, <NUM>. Power line modems may be used to communicate over the hose <NUM>, <NUM>. Now turning back to <FIG>, a master PLC modem <NUM> on left commanded changes to the LEDs associated with a slave PLC modem <NUM> on right. The PLC protocol is not critical. There are several PLC standards used in Smart Grid applications. The techniques described herein may use a PLC standard or a proprietary variant.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example application of power line modems <NUM>, <NUM> over, for example, hose <NUM>, <NUM>. <FIG> depicts an example communications (e.g., PLC communications) of binary signals through the smart hose <NUM>, <NUM> via, for example, modems <NUM>, <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a process <NUM> that may be used to manufacture the smart hose <NUM>. The process <NUM> may manufacture (block <NUM>) a hollow conduit, such as the conduit <NUM>. The hollow conduit may be used to deliver fluid, and may be made of insulative material. The process <NUM> may then add (block <NUM>) a conductive layer on top of the hollow conduit, for example braided material, foil, wire, and so on, made of conductive material such as metal. The process <NUM> may then add (block <NUM>) a non-conductive layer on top of the conductive layer. If more than one conductive layer is used, the process <NUM> may iterate through blocks <NUM> and <NUM> to build up any number of conductive layers, such as <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or more layers. The process <NUM> may then add (block <NUM>) an external protective jacket, such as the jacket <NUM>.

If a fitting is desired, such as fitting <NUM>, the process <NUM> may then first manufacture (block <NUM>) the fitting <NUM> to include the desired contact and insulation layers. The process <NUM> may then crimp (block <NUM>) the fitting onto the manufactured hose. Examples of external wire crimping methods are shown in <FIG>. In this manner, the smart hose <NUM> may be manufactured, suitable for use in a variety of fluid distribution systems but additionally providing for electrical distribution throughout. The hose <NUM> may then be used to connect devices at or near the spray gun <NUM> with, for example, the proportioner system <NUM>, to communicate data and/or electric power between the proportioner system <NUM> and locations at or near the spray gun <NUM>.

It is to be noted that a current path to/from the distal end of the smart hoses may be desired. This can be accomplished on a single hose with two conductive layers. We are choosing to use two hoses each with a conductive layer to provide the <NUM>-24V differential voltage to create the circuit to the slave modem(s) down the length of the hose (there can be more than one slave). So single hose may have <NUM> or more layers, and multiple hoses may also have <NUM> or more layers for electrical signals and power. Sensors may also be placed along the length of the smart hoses described herein to get intermediate data, not just out at the ends of the hoses. The sensors may include pressure sensors sensing fluid pressure of the fluid in the hose, temperature sensors sensing fluid temperatures of the fluid in the hose, fluid flow sensors sending fluid flows of the fluid in the hose, ambient sensors (e.g., ambient conditions such as temperature, light, humidity), and so on.

Claim 1:
A fluid delivery system (<NUM>), comprising:
a proportioner system (<NUM>) having one or more smart hoses and a heating system configured to heat the one or more smart hoses, wherein the proportioner system is configured to proportion fluids at a specified ratio to provide an insulative spray foam, and wherein a first smart hose of the one or more smart hoses comprises:
a fluid conduit configured to deliver a fluid; and
a first electrically conductive element (<NUM>; <NUM>) configured to deliver electricity through a length of the first smart hose (<NUM>); and
a smart hose fitting (<NUM>) configured to fluidly couple the first smart hose to a second smart hose of the one or more smart hoses and to deliver electricity between the first smart hose and the second smart hose, wherein the first electrically conductive element is configured to deliver the electricity as a data signal or a combination of electrical power and a data signal, wherein the data signal comprises information incoming from the proportioner system, and wherein the proportioner system is configured to deliver a first fluid from one or more storage tanks through the first smart hose.