US6446673B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel hose of low fuel permeability
Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Co Ltd
•
Filing: 2002-01-09
•
Granted: 2002-09-10
•
Expires: 2022-01-09
Abstract
Abstract A hose of low fuel permeability has a fuel permeability in a bent state with R50 not more than three times a fuel permeability in a straight state, R50 being a bent state where the hose has its longitudinal axis bent to form an arc having a diameter of 100 mm. Its low fuel permeability is achieved if the resin forming its inner wall layer has a melt viscosity falling within a certain range, which can be obtained by, for example, increasing the degree of polymerization of the resin, or grafting a specific side chain to the main chain in each molecule of the resin, or if the resin has a volume swelling degree falling within a certain range, which can be obtained by copolymerizing a monomer having fuel resistance, or blending a polymer having fuel resistance. The hose maintains its low fuel permeability even if it may be subjected to a large load of bending stress as when it is used to form a fluid conveying line.
Inventors
- 👤 Shinji Iio
- 👤 Hiroaki Ito
- 👤 Yoshimitsu Ishida
- 👤 Katsutoshi Mizuno
- 👤 Tomohide Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:48
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L11/00; F16L11/04; B; B32; B32B; B32B1/00; B32B1/08; F16L2011/047; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S138/00; Y10S138/07; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/139
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
A hose of low fuel permeability having a wall including an inner layer of a resin, wherein the hose has a fuel permeability in a bent state with R50 not more than three times a fuel permeability in its straight state, R50 being defined as a bent state where the hose has its longitudinal axis bent to form an arc having a diameter of 100 mm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
A hose of low fuel permeability having a wall including an inner layer of a resin, wherein the hose has a fuel permeability in a bent state with R50 not more than three times a fuel permeability in its straight state, R50 being defined as a bent state where the hose has its longitudinal axis bent to form an arc having a diameter of 100 mm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the hose in its bent state is permeable to at most 0.3 mg of fuel per square centimeter of its inner wall surface per day, as tested under specific conditions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the resin is selected from the group consisting of an ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride terpolymer (THV), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybutylene naphthalate (PBN) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the resin is selected from the group consisting of an ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride terpolymer (THV), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybutylene naphthalate (PBN) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the resin has a volume specific resistance of at most 10 9 ohms cm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the resin has a volume specific resistance of at most 10 9 ohms cm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the hose has a corrugated portion along at least a part of its length.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the hose has a corrugated portion along at least a part of its length.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The hose according to claim 3 , wherein each of ETFE, THV, PPS and PBN has a melt viscosity of 500 to 3000 Pa·s at 300° C. (ETFE), at 280° C. (THV), at 310° C. (PPS) and at 270° C. (PBN), and PVDF has a melt viscosity of 1000 to 3000 Pa·s at 210° C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The hose according to claim 4 , wherein each of ETFE, THV, PPS and PBN has a melt viscosity of 500 to 3000 Pa·s at 300° C. (ETFE), at 280° C. (THV), at 310° C. (PPS) and at 270° C. (PBN), and PVDF has a melt viscosity of 1000 to 3000 Pa·s at 210° C.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the resin has its melt viscosity obtained by at least one of (1) and (2): (1) adjusting the degree of polymerization of the resin; and (2) grafting or copolymerizing a relatively long side chain to the main chain in each molecule of the resin, or crosslinking the resin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the resin has its melt viscosity obtained by at least one of (1) and (2): (1) the adjustment of its degree of polymerization; and (2) grafting or copolymerizing a relatively long side chain to the main chain in each molecule of the resin, or crosslinking the resin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The hose according to claim 3 , wherein each of ETFE and THV has a volume swelling degree of at most 3.0%, PPS has a volume swelling degree of at most 20.0% and each of PBN and PVDF has a volume swelling degree of at most 7.0%.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The hose according to claim 4 , wherein each of ETFE and THV has a volume swelling degree of at most 3.0%, PPS has a volume swelling degree of at most 20.0% and each of PBN and PVDF has a volume swelling degree of at most 7.0%.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
61 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the hose has its low fuel permeability or the resin has its volume swelling degree, each obtained by at least one of (3) and (4): (3) the copolymerization of a monomer having fuel resistance as a component of the resin; and (4) the blending of a polymer having fuel resistance with the resin.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the resin has its volume swelling degree obtained by at least one of (3) and (4): (3) the copolymerization of a monomer having fuel resistance as a component of the resin; and (4) the blending of a polymer having fuel resistance with the resin.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
90 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the low fuel permeability of the wall in its bent state is obtained by at least one of (5) to (7): (5) forming an outer wall layer about the inner layer from a resin having a flexural modulus of at most 600 MPa; (6) reducing the residual oligomer and monomer in the resin forming the inner layer to a total of at most 2.0% by weight; and (7) raising the crystallinity of the resin forming the inner layer to at least 25%.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
90 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the low fuel permeability of the wall in its bent state is obtained by at least one of (5) to (7): (5) forming an outer wall layer about the inner layer from a resin having a flexural modulus of at most 600 MPa; (6) reducing the residual oligomer and monomer in the resin forming the inner layer to a total of at most 2.0% by weight; and (7) raising the crystallinity of the resin forming the inner layer to at least 25%.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
144 words
The hose according to claim 1 , wherein the low fuel permeability of the wall is obtained by at least two of the following: (1) adjusting the degree of polymerization of the resin forming the inner layer; (2) grafting or copolymerizing a relatively long side chain to the main chain in each molecule of the resin, or crosslinking the resin; (3) copolymerizing a monomer having fuel resistance as a component of the resin; (4) blending a polymer having fuel resistance with the resin; (5) forming an outer wall layer about the inner layer from a resin having a flexural modulus of at most 600 MPa; (6) reducing the residual oligomer and monomer in the resin forming the inner layer to a total of at most 2.0% by weight; and (7) raising the crystallinity of the resin forming the inner layer to at least 25%.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
144 words
The hose according to claim 2 , wherein the low fuel permeability of the wall is obtained by at least two of the following: (1) adjusting the degree of polymerization of the resin forming the inner layer; (2) grafting or copolymerizing a relatively long side chain to the main chain in each molecule of the resin, or crosslinking the resin; (3) copolymerizing a monomer having fuel resistance as a component of the resin; (4) blending a polymer having fuel resistance with the resin; (5) forming an outer wall layer about the inner layer from a resin having a flexural modulus of at most 600 MPa; (6) reducing the residual oligomer and monomer in the resin forming the inner layer to a total of at most 2.0% by weight; and (7) raising the crystallinity of the resin forming the inner layer to at least 25%.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5380385A
Cited
US5373870A
Cited
US5937911A
Cited
US5884672A
Cited
US5884671A
Cited
US5474109A
Cited
US6054537A
Cited
US5750626A
Cited
US6037062A
Cited
US5566720A
Cited
US6039084A
Cited
US6321794B1
Cited
US6276400B1
Cited
US6230749B1
Cited
US6293312B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-09 | 2006-03-11 | 2006-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-09 | 2010-03-11 | 2010-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-09 | 2014-03-11 | 2014-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |