A drainage device for an above-ground pool, and an above-ground pool including the drainage device are provided. The drainage device includes a drainage pipe, with inlet and outlet ends, and a drainage valve connected to the inlet end of the drainage pipe. The drainage valve includes a water inlet periphery, defining a water inlet in fluid communication with the inlet end of the drainage pipe, and a connecting member disposed circumferentially around the water inlet periphery. The connecting member is radially spaced apart from the water inlet periphery. The connecting member may be formed by injection molding around the water inlet periphery.

An object of the invention is to prevent differences in the flow rate and the specific gravity of a gypsum slurry from being caused between slurry discharge ports, to divide a current of the slurry into streams without a factor of stagnation of the slurry provided at a branch part, and also, to ensure a sufficient distance between the discharge ports. The slurry delivery conduit (10) has a rectilinear tube segment (14), a branch part (15) and branch tube segments (16). A tube-wall joint portion (20) of the branch tube segments configures a counter-flow splitting element (22) in a form of V-letter at the branch part. The slurry is introduced from a mixing area (51) into the rectilinear tube segment, which configures a straight rectilinear fluid passage. The rectilinear tube segment rectifies a flow of the slurry to be an axial or rectilinear current (S), and the axial or rectilinear current is split into branch streams (S1, S2) by the counter-flow splitting element.

A bearing capacity reinforcing device. The bearing capacity reinforcing device comprises: a reinforcing mechanism having a reinforcing body and a reinforcing disc connected to a lower portion of the reinforcing body, a plurality of reinforcing rib plates being spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the reinforcing body and connected to the reinforcing disc; wherein the reinforcing disc is provided with a plurality of accommodating spaces which are spaced apart in a circumferential direction thereof and provided therein with a movable sector plate, respectively, and the reinforcing disc at each of the accommodating spaces is provided with a perforated portion which can be blocked by the sector plate; and a connecting portion having a male buckle end connected to a lower end of the reinforcing body, and a female buckle end connected to an upper end of the reinforcing body. The present disclosure can increase the area of action between the riser or the surface conduit and the seabed soil, thereby increasing the bearing capacity of the conduit to ensure the safety and high efficiency of on-site exploration and development operations.

Provided herein is a fluid duct 2 comprising a tubular base wall 11 surrounding a duct channel and at least one bellows 10 formed along a section of the tubular base wall 11. The bellows 10 comprises a plurality of convolutes 12 having a profile 14 projecting radially from the base wall 11. At least one convolute 12 wraps around the duct channel at a wrap-around angle Ω of between 180° and 720° from a first end 22a to a second end 22b of the convolute 12, said second end 22b being offset in a flow direction F parallel to a centerline C of the duct channel by a non-zero offset distance D from the first end 22a.

In certain embodiments, a hose includes an inner tube, a filler material, and an outer cover. The inner tube has a cross-sectional shape and includes a cavity for transporting a substance. The filler material is provided around an outer periphery of the inner tube. The filler material includes a self-sealing material or a self-healing material. The outer cover is provided around an outer periphery of the filler material such that the filler material is between the outer cover and the inner tube. The outer cover has a D-shaped cross-sectional shape.

At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature a convective device, comprising: a pneumatic structure formed by one or more layers, a partially detachable access duct, and a separation device disposed on a side of the partially detachable access duct. The partially detachable access duct in fluid connection with the pneumatic structure.

A robot has a body, a hydraulic control system physically coupled to the body, and a hydraulically-actuated component physically coupled to the body. The hydraulically-actuated component is hydraulically coupled to the hydraulic control system by a hydraulic hose. The hydraulic hose has a length, at least a portion of which extends from a first end to a second end, and a diameter, wherein the diameter of the hydraulic hose at both the first end and the second end is a first diameter, and wherein the at least a portion of the length includes a tapered section in which the diameter of the hydraulic hose decreases, continuously and monotonically, to a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter. The body includes a restricted region through which the hydraulic hose passes in traversing a path between the hydraulic control system and the hydraulically-actuated component.

A hose (200) is described, the hose comprising a first section (210) comprising a cross sectional area A.sub.χ and a second section (220) comprising a cross section area kj. The first section is in fluid communication with the second section and, in use, the first section is located upstream of the second section. Additionally, Axis at least twice the size of A2. Use of the hose and a method of dispensing slurry are also described.

The invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10) having a corrugated duct segment (12) interposed between two elbowed segments (14, 18), wherein at least one of the elbowed segments (18) is made of thermoplastic elastomeric and connected to an end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) by overmolding the elbowed segment (18) over the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12), and wherein the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) includes a guiding and sealing arrangement (50) pointing away from the corrugated duct segment (12) in a radial direction (32). The invention further relates to an air duct (80) having such a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10).

A personal hydration system is disclosed that includes a reservoir and a drinking hose (drinking straw). The drinking hose is in fluid communication with the reservoir and includes a textured (irregular) inner surface configuration to facilitate cleaning of the drinking hose. In certain embodiments of the disclosure, the drinking hose is configured and provided as a standalone component (product).