Patent ID: 8870229

Claim:
A connector assembly for connecting a first hose line to a second hose line so as to permit a fluid to flow therethrough, the connector assembly comprising: a first connector connected to said first hose line; a second connector connected to said second hose line; a tube interconnecting said first and second connectors to pass said fluid from said first hose line to said second hose line and said tube having a predetermined length; a C-shaped clamp ring defining a longitudinal axis and defining a gap extending in the direction of said axis; said C-shaped clamp ring being elastically deformable to facilitate pushing said tube laterally through said gap and to assume its original shape after being pushed onto said tube so as to engage around said tube and be seated thereon coaxially and in contact engagement therewith; said C-shaped clamp ring having a length measured along said longitudinal axis thereof to correspond to said predetermined length of said tube ensuring that said C-shaped clamp ring reaches around said tube over said predetermined length thereof; an electric heating resistor electrically connected into said C-shaped clamp ring to enable said C-shaped clamp ring to be heated both over substantially the entire circumference thereof and over substantially the entire length thereof so as to permit heat to be transferred from said C-shaped clamp ring to said tube over said predetermined length thereof and via said tube to said fluid thereby preventing said fluid from freezing at low ambient temperatures; said C-shaped clamp ring being electrically conductive and configured to define an electric circuit for supplying electrical power to said electric heating resistor; said tube having an outer surface and a diameter (D) and said clamp ring having an inner surface and a clear diameter (d) corresponding approximately to said diameter (D) so as to permit said inner surface of said clamp ring to bear tightly against said outer surface of said tube to facilitate the transfer of said heat from said C-shaped clamp ring to said tube while said C-shaped clamp ring simultaneously holds said clamp ring on said tube and supplies said electric power to said electric heating resistor; said electric circuit containing a first electrically conductive track having a first electric connection and a second electrically conductive track having a second electric connection; said first and second electrically conductive tracks extend at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction said clamp ring; and, said electric heating resistor connects said first and second electrically conductive tracks to each other; said first and second electrically conductive tracks being configured as stampings; and, said electrically conductive tracks having respective receptacles for accommodating said electric heating resistor.