Safety hose and fitting assembly

Claim 2

A flexible elastomeric hose and rigid end fitting joined together to form a fluid-tight connection comprising, in combination, a plastic sleeve surrounding a portion of the hose and extending longitudinally over a portion of the fitting protectively encasing the end fitting portion and elastically resisting expansion of said hose portion from its initial outer diameter when subjected to a fluid pressure from within, said plastic sleeve having an elastic recovery diameter less than the outer diameter of the hose when subjected to a predetermined temperature and being initially in a dilated state sufficiently large to freely encircle said hose and end fitted portions and thereafter being heat shrunk while circumjacent thereto causing the sleeve to assume a lesser diameter in relationship to said portions thereby elastically deforming the plastic sleeve over said portions and tending to place said elastomeric hose portion in a state of resilient compression in opposition to the fluid pressure acting therein for a substantial distance axially of said fluid-tight connection whereby said elastically constricting plastic sleeve renders said hose and end fitting portions more secure without inhibiting the relative flexibility of the connection.

Claim 3

A flexible hose and end fitting according to claim 1 wherein the plastic sleeve is a polymeric material having a tendency to returN to its elastic recovery diameter upon heating to a temperature below that which would damage the hose.

Claim 4

A flexible hose and end fitting according to claim 2 wherein the plastic sleeve has a circumferential elasticity sufficiently high so as to slightly compress the hose.

Claim 5

A flexible hose and end fitting according to claim 3 wherein the plastic sleeve is partially transparent.

Claim 6

A flexible hose and end fitting according to claim 1 in which the plastic sleeve is made of a polyethylene material having heat shrinkable properties in at least the radial direction.

Claim 7

A tube and fitting assembly comprising: a. an elongated tubular section having walls defining longitudinally extending fluid passage, said tubular section having an end portion; b. a fitting section having a portion in telescopic relationship with said tubular section end portion and providing means to connect the assembly to a coacting fitting or the like; c. said portions being cooperatively interconnected to form a fluid-tight connection with at least one of said portions being in a circumferentially stressed condition to participate in the maintenance of said fluid-tight connection; and d. a tubular plastic sleeve around a part of said fitting section and stressed therearound, the sleeve and fitting being in tight, circumferential, interfitting, relationship with the sleeve being contoured in at least one plane of cross section to the peripheral configuration of said fitting section in such plane and being elastically constricted about the end portion of said tubular section tending to place it in resilient compression, said sleeve having an elastic recovery diameter less than the outer diameter of the tubular section and being initially dilated to have an inner diameter sufficiently large to permit assembly on the circumjacent tubular section end and fitting section portions whereby the fluid-tight connection between said portions is made more secure without inhibiting the relative flexibility thereof.

Claim 8

A tube and fitting assembly comprising: a. an elongated tubular section having walls defining longitudinally extending fluid passage, said tubular section having an end portion; b. a fitting section having a portion in telescopic relationship with said tubular section end portion and providing means to connect the assembly to a coacting fitting or the like; c. said portions being cooperatively interconnected to form a fluid-tight connection with at least one of said portions being in a circumferentially stressed condition to participate in the maintenance of said fluid-tight connection; and d. a tubular plastic sleeve around a part of said fitting section and stressed therearound, the sleeve and fitting being in tight, circumferential, interfitting, relationship with the sleeve being contoured in at least one plane of cross section to the peripheral configuration of said fitting section in such plane and being elastically constricted about the end portion of said tubular section tending to place it in resilient compression, said sleeve having an elastic recovery diameter less than the outer diameter of the tubular section and being initially dilated to have an inner diameter sufficiently large to permit assembly on the circumjacent tubular section end and fitting section portions whereby the fluid-tight connection between said portions is made more secure without inhibiting the relative flexibility thereof.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said sleeve extends over a part of said tubular section adjacent said fitting section and is in tight, circumferential, interfitting relationship with said tubular section for a substantial distance axially along said tubular section in the direction away from said fitting section.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 6 wherein an inner surface of the sleeve is coated with an adhesive and an adhesive bond is formed between the sleeve and tubular section.