Device for holding a bend area of an elongated, flexible element

Abstract

A device for holding a bend area of an elongated flexible element, such as an electric cable, a rope, a plastic tube or the like has two through-holes placed side by side in a shaped body. At least one of the two holes has a side opening extending to the corresponding peripheral edge of the shaped body, thereby making the hole accessible from the outside.

Claims

1. A device for holding a bend area of an elongated flexible element, the device comprising two through-holes placed side by side in a shaped body, wherein at least one of the two through-holes has a side opening extending to a corresponding peripheral edge of the shaped body, thereby making the one of the two through-holes accessible from outside.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein both of the two through-holes have the respective side opening extending to the corresponding peripheral edge of the shaped body making said through-hole accessible from the outside, so as to have two respective side openings, and wherein said side openings are provided either on a same side or on opposite sides of the device.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one or both of the two through-holes has a circular shape with a predetermined diameter.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one or both of the two through-holes has an elliptical shape or a shape flattened according to a direction with at least one component parallel to a direction of alignment of the two through-holes with each other.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the two through-holes is circular and the other one of the two through-holes has an elliptical shape or a shape flattened according to a direction with at least one component parallel to a direction of alignment of the two holes with each other.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the through-hole having an elliptical shape or a shape flattened according to the direction with at least one component parallel to the direction of alignment of the two holes with each other is made to be open to a side, and wherein the circular hole is also open to a side or is completely closed.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the shaped body is made of two bushings or two rings, which are joined together at a tangential area of a wall of said two bushings or two rings.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the two rings or bushings are oriented to have longitudinal axes perpendicular parallel to each other.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein an outer wall of at least one of the bushings or the two rings or both of the two bushings or the two rings has at least one stiffening rib extending over an amount of length of said outer wall, with a same or a different extent for the two bushings or the two rings.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the side opening of one of the two through-holes is delimited by two opposing walls delimiting said side opening on two opposite sides and forming leading walls.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the two opposing walls delimiting the side opening are spaced from each other and oriented each according to a secant of said one of the two through-holes, the secants of the two through-holes diverging from each other in a radial outwards direction.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is provided in combination with a flexible elongated element, the two through-holes having sizes matching a diameter of the flexible elongated element in a non-deformed state defining a circular section or in a flattened condition causing an elliptical or out-of-round cross-section, a first length of the flexible elongated element upstream of a bend zone having one end inserted into one of the two through-holes and a second length of the flexible elongated element downstream of the bend zone being folded back against said first length, so as to make said second length engageable in another one of the two though-holes by rotating said device around the first length of the flexible elongated element and through the side opening of said other one of the two though-holes.

13. A method of closing a hose, in particular for drip irrigation, at an end thereof, using a device according to claim 1, the device comprising the two through-holes that include a first hole fully peripherally closed and a second hole that is open at a side over a predetermined angular amplitude, the method comprising the following steps: inserting the end of the hose into the first hole that has completely closed sides, sliding the device along the first hole for a predetermined amount; folding a terminal length of the hose against a length of hose preceding the terminal length, thereby generating a bottleneck in the hose which, at a bend, seals the hose upstream of the terminal length, said terminal length being bent around a bending axis which is substantially parallel to a direction of alignment of the two through-holes with each other; and engaging the folded terminal length of the hose inside the second hole by rotating the device with the side opening towards said terminal length up to introducing said terminal length inside the second hole.

14. A method of closing a hose, in particular for drip irrigation, at an end thereof, using a device according to claim 1, the device comprising the two though-holes that include a first hole fully peripherally closed and a second hole that is open to a side over a predetermined angular amplitude, the method comprising the following steps: inserting the end of the hose into the first hole that is completely closed, sliding the device along the first hole for a predetermined amount so that the device is positioned on a terminal length of the hose between the end thereof and a bending line around which the terminal length is intended to be bent along a preceding length of hose; folding the terminal length of the hose against the preceding length of the hose, thereby generating a bottleneck in the hose which, at a bend, seals the hose upstream of the terminal length, said terminal length being bent around a bending axis which is substantially parallel to a direction of alignment of the two through-holes with each other; and hooking the folded terminal length to the hose upstream of the bottleneck by engaging a hose length upstream of the bottleneck inside the second hole by rotating the device with the side opening towards said hose length upstream of the bottleneck up to introducing the hose length upstream of the bottleneck inside the second hole.

15. A method of closing a hose, in particular a drip irrigation hose, at an end thereof, using a device according to claim 1, the device comprising the two through-holes that include a first hole and a second hole both open to side over a predetermined angular amplitude on a same side, the method comprising the following steps: folding a terminal length of the hose against a preceding length of the hose, thereby generating a bottleneck in the hose which, at a bend, seals the hose upstream of the terminal length, said terminal length being bent around a bending axis which is substantially parallel to a direction of alignment of the two through-holes with each other; and engaging the folded terminal length of the hose and the hose length upstream of the bend respectively inside one of the two through-holes that are open to the side by translating the device against said terminal length and said preceding length according to a direction radial with respect to said terminal length and said preceding length and with the side openings oriented towards said terminal length and said preceding length up to introducing through the corresponding side opening of the terminal length of the hose and the preceding length respectively inside one of the two through-holes.

Description

[0046] These and further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in the following description of some exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] FIGS. 1 to 3 show different views of a first embodiment of the invention.

[0048] FIGS. 4 to 6 show three views of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] FIGS. 7 to 9 show different views of a third embodiment of the invention.

[0050] FIGS. 10 to 12 show different views of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] FIGS. 13 to 15 show three steps of the method for closing a hose with a terminal device according to one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3, or 4 to 6 or 7 to 9.

[0052] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 respectively show a plan view and a perspective view of a further embodiment of the device according to the previous invention, wherein it has an “S” shape or an overturned “S” shape.

[0053] FIGS. 18 to 20 show three steps of the method for closing a hose with a device according to the variant of FIGS. 16 and 17.

[0054] Despite the exemplary embodiment described in the following description is intended to be applied to an irrigation hose, for closing it, such application must not be considered limiting the possible applications of the device according to the present invention as already more extensively highlighted above.

[0055] With reference to the FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the terminal device 1 for closing a hose, in particular, but not limited to, a hose for a drip irrigation system, is constituted by a first couple of rings placed side by side and joined together at a peripheral tangential area, which rings delimit circular holes 101 and 201. A ring 101 is made open on the side.

[0056] According to a first embodiment, the opening 301 is provided in an area which is laterally placed side by side of the connecting axis of the centers of the two rings or in alternative to the direction of alignment of the two holes with each other.

[0057] The opening 301 has given angular amplitude which is less than 180°, preferably less than 90°.

[0058] With reference to the embodiment shown, said opening 301 further extends from the area connecting the wall of the open ring 101 to the wall of the closed ring 201 and by an angle of less than 90°.

[0059] The opening is delimited sideways by two opposing side walls 401 and 501 extending inclined in a divergent way in radial outwards direction with respect to the center of the ring.

[0060] The inclined surface 501 is made substantially in the thickness of the wall of the ring, whereas the inclined surface 401 extends outwardly beyond the outer surface of the ring delimiting the hole 101, thanks to an extension 601 forming a sort of tooth on the outer side of the opening.

[0061] The two walls 401, 501 form a pilot surface for engaging a hose inside the hole 101, which occurs by inserting the hose with a relative movement transverse to the axis of the hose itself.

[0062] In particular, as shown in the figures, the two surfaces 501, 401 have different and asymmetrical inclinations with respect to the central axis of the opening and are oriented according to two secants of the edge of the hole 101.

[0063] The surface 401 is slightly inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the connecting axis of the centers of the holes 101 and 201 or to the direction of alignment of the two rings with each other.

[0064] Instead, the side surface 501 delimiting the opening 301 and the pilot surface has a slightly inclined orientation, i.e. convergent towards the connecting axis of the centers of the two holes 101, 201 or of alignment of the rings with each other, in direction of the inside of the hole 101.

[0065] The particular arrangement and orientation of the surfaces 401, 501 delimiting the opening 301 favor the engaging action by elastic interlocking a hose in the open hole 101 with a movement transverse to the axis of the hose.

[0066] A stiffening rib 701 extends on the side opposed to the peripheral opening 301, along the wall of the two rings and also along the angle area at the length of mutual connection. This rib has the function of calibrating the elastic resistance of the free branch of the wall of the open ring, on the side opposed to the closed ring such as to ensure a sufficient resistance for holding the hose and to simultaneously allow an elastic bending when coupling with the hose.

[0067] As is clear in the figures, the stiffening rib 701 extends to a greater extent along the outer surface of the open ring delimiting the hole 101 with respect to the extension along the outer surface of the ring delimiting the hole 201.

[0068] FIGS. 4 to 6 show an embodiment variant wherein one of the two rings and the corresponding hole are of non-circular shape, especially flattened in direction of the connecting axis of the centers of the two holes 104, 204.

[0069] The term flattened also means an oval or elliptical, regular or irregular, shape.

[0070] The device 2 according to this embodiment variant has characteristics substantially identical to those of the variant according to FIGS. 1 to 3. The ring delimiting the flattened hole 104 has an opening 304 which is also delimited by inclined side surfaces 404, 504 forming a pilot surface and which substantially have the same inclinations as those described with respect to the previous exemplary embodiment. The surface 404 is in part constituted by an extension 604 forming a tooth. The stiffening rib 704 is present on the side opposed to the opening 304.

[0071] As will become clear in the following description, the flattened shape of the hole 104 and the ring delimiting it is more similar to the section of a terminal hose length, which, having been bent against a previous length, flattened at the bend area, thus flattening and forming a narrowing. Such flattening in the narrowing area progressively becomes wider with the distance from said area until the hose finds its circular section again. Between this point and the narrowing, the section of the hose progressively passes from the flattened shape to the circular shape and assumes flattened-shaped sections in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bending line. Thus, the flattened hole 104 is better installed with the shape of the hose in a length adjacent to the narrowing.

[0072] The flattened shape of the hole 104 also has the advantage of not forcing the hose to assume a circular shape, as it would have when using, for example, the variant of FIGS. 1 to 3, but of letting the hose substantially assume its natural shape caused by the backwards bending. Forcing to assume the cylindrical shape could involve the drawback that the deformation could spread towards the narrowing, thus involving a weakening of the narrowing and leakages.

[0073] With regard to the exemplary embodiment, it is possible to provide a variant wherein the flattened shape is given to the hole 204 delimited by the closed ring, whereas the open hole 104 remains circular.

[0074] FIGS. 7 to 9 show a further embodiment variant which is different than the one in FIGS. 4 to 6 in that both the rings, and thus the holes 107 and 207 delimited by them, are flattened in direction of the connecting axis of their centers or in direction of the alignment of the rings with each other.

[0075] Also in this variant, one of the two rings is open 307 and the opening is delimited by pilot side surfaces 407, 507, one of which is made from an extension 607.

[0076] In the same way, the stiffening rib 707 is provided on the side opposed to the opening 307.

[0077] FIGS. 10 to 12 show a further embodiment which is different from the previous ones in that the terminal device 10 has both rings and thus holes 110, 210 open. Both the openings 310 are delimited by diverging pilot walls 410, 510 similarly to that which has already been described in other variants. One of these is provided on an extension 610.

[0078] In this variant, also the surfaces 510 are provided on an extension which connects the ends of the walls of the two rings closer to each other to one another, forming a sort of laid down V element 810. This element 810 generates a terminal of substantially rhomboidal shape together with the wall lengths of the rings to which it connects.

[0079] Also in this case, the stiffening rib 710, which however extends of an equal extent on two rings, is provided on the outer surfaces of the rings.

[0080] This embodiment can have rings and thus holes 110 and 210 both of circular shape or both of regular or irregular flattened, oval or elliptical shape or only one of the two holes is flattened, oval or elliptical, whereas the other is circular.

[0081] From a functional point of view, the advantage of this variant consists in the method of application, which will be clear hereinafter and also in the fact that the device 10 does not require to be inserted on the hose and slid along it. Thanks to this embodiment, it is possible to use the terminal device also as a narrowing device to apply in an intermediate point of the length of a hose so that to temporarily block the flow, for example for maintenance operations and/or changes to a system.

[0082] FIGS. 13 to 15 show different assembling steps of the terminal device on a flexible hose. It should be noted that FIGS. 13 to 15 show the use of the variant according to FIGS. 3 to 6, but the same functionality and operative method is provided for the variant of FIGS. 1 to 3 or FIGS. 7 to 9. Generally, what is shown and described with reference to the FIGS. 13 to 15 is applied to any variant which provides for a device with one closed and one open rings.

[0083] As initial step, a hose 130 is inserted in the hole 204 delimited by the closed ring and the device 4 is made to slide for a given length on the hose 130, putting itself in an intermediate position of a terminal hose length 131 and of a length 132 preceding said terminal length. The terminal length 131 of the hose is folded back against the length preceding it 132, forming a narrowing substantially in the area of the bending axis, as denoted by 133. During this operation, the device 4 is rotated sideways with respect to a plane containing the axes of the two lengths 131, 132 and, when the terminal length 131 is brought against the length 132 preceding it, said terminal length 131 is locked in this position, engaging it inside the other open ring. In particular, this occurs thanks to a rotation of the device 4 around the hose length 132 upstream of the narrowing 133. With this rotation, the opening 304 is brought to match the terminal hose length 131 and thus said terminal length 131 is elastically engaged inside the open hole 104.

[0084] With regard to that which is described above, it should be noted that an alternative form of installation which provides for the terminal length 131 to be inserted into the closed ring for a given length, so that the device 4 remains upstream of the bending line when said terminal length is folded against the hose length 132 preceding it, is possible. Once the terminal length is brought against the length 132 preceding it, forming the narrowing, said terminal length is hooked with the length 132 upstream of the narrowing 133 by a rotation with which the length 132 upstream of the narrowing 133 is engaged inside the open ring.

[0085] In particular, this operative method offers the advantage of being able to bend the two lengths 131 and 132 one against the other and to thus insert the terminal end 131 into the closed ring after the narrowing has been generated.

[0086] With reference to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 12, wherein both the rings are open, the coupling of the terminal device 10 occurs by a coupling movement along a plane transverse, preferably perpendicular to the axis of the two lengths 131, 132 after they were brought in the folded one-against-the-other condition.

[0087] It is clear that in this case the hose does not have to be inserted into the device 10 before the bending and it is thus also clear that the device 10 can also be used to generate narrowings in intermediate points of a hose.

[0088] With reference to the exemplary embodiments shown, they refer to a preferred embodiment which provides for the use of two rings fastened to each other in an “8” shape. However, other forms of the device such as for example a plate having a width greater than the diameter of the holes and a length greater than twice the diameter of the holes, which plate has two holes in a similar position as the one obtained in the embodiments shown, are also possible. One or both of the holes can be open and one or both of the holes can be flattened or oval or elliptical similarly to that which was previously described. In the same way, the openings with the relative pilot surfaces can be provided. The perimeter can be of any shape. The material can also be of any kind.

[0089] The embodiment in FIGS. 16 to 20 has an S-shaped section or in alternative an overturned S section.

[0090] As shown, the device 20 is formed by two holes 120 and 220 peripherally delimited by two rings which are adjacent to one another and joined in one piece to one another.

[0091] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 12, each ring has an opening 320, but unlike this embodiment, the two openings are arranged on two opposite sides of the device 20. In the embodiment, the two openings are arranged symmetrically with respect to a central axis connecting the centers of the two holes 120, 220, i.e. symmetrical at rotations of 180° with reference to rotational symmetry axis passing through the median point of said axis which connects the centers of the two holes 120 and 220.

[0092] Similarly to the previous embodiments, at the opening, the branch interrupted has a pilot surface 420 delimiting the opening 320 and which pilot surface is outwardly prolonged such as to form a grasping fin 620 for a widening of the opening by the manual bending of the branch of the ring.

[0093] Always similarly to the preceding embodiments. The embodiment of FIGS. 16 to 20 has a central reinforcing rib 720 extending along the entire length. Considering the particular embodiment, it is clear that the rib 720 is outside of a ring delimiting one of the two holes 120 and 220 and then passes inside the adjacent hole, respectively 220 and 120, thus this length inside the adjacent hole is flattened as shown in FIG. 17 with the length denoted by 721.