Abstract
A method of assembling a clamp to a flexible hose for a vehicle. The method comprises providing the hose with a magnetic strip such that the magnetic strip has its main direction of extension in a circumferential direction of the hose; providing a clamp to the hose, at least a part of the clamp being magnetically attracted by the magnetic strip so that the part of the clamp becomes aligned with the magnetic strip along the circumferential direction of the hose; and tightening the clamp to the hose when the clamp has become aligned with the magnetic strip. The disclosure also relates to a clamping arrangement.
Claims
1. A method of assembling a clamp to a flexible hose for a vehicle, comprising: providing the hose with a magnetic strip such that the magnetic strip has its main direction of extension in a circumferential direction of the hose, providing a clamp to the hose, at least a part of the clamp being magnetically attracted by the magnetic strip so that the part of the clamp becomes aligned with the magnetic strip along the circumferential direction of the hose, and tightening the clamp to the hose when the clamp has become aligned with the magnetic strip.
2. The method of assembling of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the hose with the magnetic strip comprises sandwiching the magnetic strip between two material layers of the hose.
3. The method of assembling of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the hose with the magnetic strip comprises attaching the magnetic strip to an outer surface of the hose.
4. The method of assembling of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the hose with the magnetic strip comprises attaching the magnetic strip to an inner surface of the hose.
5. The method of assembling of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the hose with the magnetic strip comprises embedding the magnetic strip within a material layer of the hose.
6. The method of assembling of claim 1, wherein the magnetic strip is a first magnetic strip, the method further comprising: providing the hose with at least a second magnetic strip such that the second magnetic strip has its main direction of extension in the circumferential direction of the hose and such that the first and the second magnetic strips are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the hose, wherein the step of providing the clamp to the hose comprises the at least a part of the clamp being magnetically attracted by the first and the second magnetic strips so that the part of the clamp becomes aligned with the first and the second magnetic strips along the circumferential direction of the hose.
7. A clamping arrangement, comprising: a flexible hose for a vehicle, and a clamp, wherein the clamp comprises a part which is magnetically attractable, wherein the hose is provided with a magnetic strip which has its main direction of extension in a circumferential direction of the hose, wherein the part of the clamp is aligned with the magnetic strip along the circumferential direction of the hose, wherein the clamp is tightened to the hose.
8. The clamping arrangement of claim 7, wherein the magnetic strip is sandwiched between two material layers of the hose.
9. The clamping arrangement of claim 7, wherein the magnetic strip is attached to an outer surface of the hose.
10. The clamping arrangement of claim 7, wherein the magnetic strip is attached to an inner surface of the hose.
11. The clamping arrangement of claim 7, wherein the magnetic strip is embedded within a material layer of the hose.
12. The clamping arrangement of claim 7, wherein the magnetic strip is a first magnetic strip, the clamping arrangement further comprising: at least a second magnetic strip which has its main direction of extension in the circumferential direction of the hose, wherein the first and the second magnetic strips are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the hose, and wherein the clamp is aligned with the first and the second magnetic strips along the circumferential direction of the hose.
13. A vehicle comprising the clamping arrangement of claim 7.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.
[0042] In the drawings:
[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0044] FIG. 2 illustrates a fluid conducting arrangement for a vehicle, such as for a coolant system, in which a clamping arrangement according to at least one exemplary embodiment may be implemented.
[0045] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a clamping arrangement applied in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates how a clamping arrangement may be applied in accordance with at least another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates a detail of FIG. 3A.
[0048] FIG. 6 illustrates how a clamping arrangement may be applied in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0049] The general inventive concept will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain aspects are shown. The general inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments and aspects set forth herein; rather, the embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present general inventive concept is not limited to the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the description.
[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 1 according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The exemplary illustration in FIG. 1 shows a heavy-duty vehicle 1. More specifically FIG. 1 shows a vehicle in the form of a tractor unit for towing a trailer unit (not shown), which together may make up a semitrailer vehicle. However, the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to other types of vehicles as well. For instance, the vehicle may be a different type of vehicle for cargo transport, such as a truck, or a truck with a dolly unit arranged to tow a trailer unit, etc. Other exemplary vehicles include buses, construction equipment, and even passenger cars. The vehicle 1 may be operated by a driver or it may be an autonomous vehicle.
[0051] The vehicle 1 may comprise a clamping arrangement of the general inventive concept, some examples of which will be discussed in relation to the other drawing figures.
[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates a fluid conducting arrangement 10 for a vehicle, such as for a coolant system, in which a clamping arrangement 20 according to at least one exemplary embodiment may be implemented. Furthermore, clamps of the clamping arrangements 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be applied in accordance with the method of the present disclosure. The fluid conducting arrangement 10 may, for instance, be present in the vehicle 1 exemplified in FIG. 1.
[0053] As mentioned above, the fluid conducting arrangement 10 may form part of a coolant system. However, it should be understood that the general inventive concept may also be implemented for other subsystems of a vehicle which have fluid conducting arrangements in which there may be a desire to clamp a flexible hose.
[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fluid conducting arrangement 10 may at several locations be formed by a hose 12 interconnecting pipe sections 14 on either side of the hose 12. Near each end of the hose 12 a clamp of the clamping arrangement 20 has been tightened to form a firm connection between the hose 12 and the respective pipe section 14. The hoses 12 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be provided in accordance with any one of the exemplary embodiments of a clamping arrangement and/or assembling method discussed in connection with the rest of the drawing figures.
[0055] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a clamping arrangement 20 applied in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A illustrates two flexible hoses, namely a first hose 12a and a second hose 12b. The first hose 12a may, for instance, represent a feed line, while the second hose 12b may represent a return line, or vice versa. The first hose 12a has already been provided with two clamps 22. The second hose 12b, however, has not yet received any clamps. FIG. 3A illustrates with solid lines that two magnetic strips 24 have been applied to an external surface of the second hose. With dashed lines it is indicated that a conceivable alternative would be to provide the magnetic strips internally of the hoses 12a, 12b (e.g., on an inner surface, embedded in a material layer, or sandwiched between two material layers). Each magnetic strip 24 may suitably form a full circle around the hose 12b, however, it is also conceivable to have shorter circumferential extensions for one or both of the magnetic strips 24. Thus, it should be understood that one or both of the magnetic strips 24 may define an arc of a circle. In either case, each magnetic strip 24 should have its main direction of extension along the circumferential direction of the hose 12b. In other words, for each magnetic strip 24, the circumferential extension is longer than the extension in the axial direction of the hose 12b. Thus, each magnetic strip 24, when having been applied to the hose 12b, may be considered to have a length (extending in the circumferential direction of the hose 12b), a width (being smaller than the length and extending in an axial direction of the hose 12b), and a thickness (being suitably smaller than the width and extending in the radial direction of the hose 12b). The magnetic strips 24 may suitably be attached to the hose 12b by means of adhesive.
[0056] FIG. 3B illustrates that clamps 22 have now also been applied to the second hose 12b. More specifically, after the second hose 12b has been provided with the magnetic strips 24 as in FIG. 3A, clamps 22 are provided to the second hose 12b. It should be understood that the corresponding procedure may suitably have been performed for the first hose 12a, i.e., first applying magnetic strips to the first hose 12a, and then providing the clamps 22 to the first hose 12a. At least a part of each clamp 22 is magnetically attracted by the respective magnetic strip 24 so that that part of the clamp 22 becomes aligned with the magnetic strip along the circumferential direction of the respective hose 12a, 12b. When the clamps 22 have become aligned with the magnetic strips 24, the clamps 22 are tightened to the hoses 12a, 12b, whereby the state illustrated in FIG. 3B is obtained. As will be understood in connection with FIG. 4, said magnetically attracted part of the clamp may suitably be a circumferentially extending part of the clamp 22.
[0057] FIG. 4 illustrates how a clamping arrangement 20a may be applied in accordance with at least another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, each magnetic strip 24 has been attached to an inner surface of a hose 12. The clamps 22 will still be magnetically attracted by the magnetic strips 24 and become correctly aligned. As can be seen in FIG. 4, each clamp 22 may suitably comprise a band part 26 configured to extend around the hose 12, and a screw part 28 with which the band part 26 may be tightened around the hose 12. Suitably, the band part 26 of each clamp 22 is magnetically attracted by the respective magnetic strip 24. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the width of the band part 26 may substantially correspond to the width of the magnetic strip 24. This may be the case, irrespective of if the magnetic strip 24 is provide on an inner or outer surface of the hose 12 (thus, the corresponding teachings may be applied to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 3A and 3B). In addition to the alternatives of providing the magnetic strips 24 on an inner or outer surface of the hose 12, other alternatives are to provide one or more magnetic strips embedded within a material layer of the hose 12 or to sandwich one or more magnetic strips between two material layers of the hose 12.
[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates a detail of FIG. 3A. For reasons of clarity, the dashed indications have been removed. The various parts discussed in connection with FIG. 4 are clearly visible in FIG. 5 as well. Thus, the magnetic strips 24 have been provided to the hoses 12a, 12b (on their respective outer surface), wherein the magnetic strips 24 on the second hose 12b are clearly visible. Clamps 22 has already been applied to the magnetic strips around the first hose 12a. The clamps 22 comprise a band part 26 aligned with the magnetic strips around the first hose 12a and a screw part 28 which has been turned to tighten the band part 26.
[0059] In the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, the two magnetic strips have been illustrated spaced apart from each other, in particular near a respective end of the hose. Nevertheless, it should be understood that the general inventive concept is not limited to the use of two clamps. The method of assembling may also be implemented for just one clamp (for example if some other clamping means is used at another end of the hose or if no additional clamping means is needed).
[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates how a clamping arrangement 20b may be applied in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 illustrates that rather than having one magnetic strip for each clamp, a conceivable alternative may be to provide two or more magnetic strips 24a, 24b for each clamp. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the assembling of each clamp 22 involves, providing a hose 12 with a first magnetic strip 24a and at least a second magnet strip 24b (illustrated in dashed lines). Both the first magnetic strip 24a and the second magnetic strip 24b have their respective main direction of extension in the circumferential direction of the hose 12. The first magnetic strip 24a and the second magnetic strip 24b are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the hose 12. At least a part of each clamp 22, such as a band part 26 as previously discussed, is magnetically attracted by the associated first and second magnetic strips 24a, 24b so that said part of the clamp 22 becomes aligned with the first and the second magnetic strips 24a, 24b along the circumferential direction of the hose 12. By splitting the magnetic strip into several shorter magnetic strips 24a, 24, a higher flexibility is achieved for the hose 12, which may facilitate when mounting the hose 12 to other pipes or any casted parts. This idea of having several shorter magnetic strips may be implemented irrespectively of if the magnetic strips are mounted on the outside of the hose, on the inside of the hose, embedded in a material layer of the hose, or sandwiched between two material layers of the hose.
