DIRECTABLE, PIVOTING HOSE WITH BEZEL-TYPE CONNECTIONS

FOR ATOMIZER/BLOWER PORTABLE MACHINERY

The present invention relates to a telescopic and combinable hose for portable blower or atomizer machinery or, more generally, to "back-pack" or "shoulder-strap" portable agricultural machinery.

As is well known, the use of so-called blowers (or sprayers/atomizers of various substances in equally varying states of aggregation) is widely spread in modern agricultural and forestry practices, ranging from harvesting fruit or leaves to the spreading of fertilizers or anti-weed agents and so on.

In order to conveniently provide the operators of such portable machines with the necessary freedom of movement and pointing, these devices generally include a motor assembly and a tank mounted on a main frame (which is designed to allow the device to be worn by shoulder straps and/or braces): in addition to these two components there is a directable, pivoting hose, equipped with appropriate ergonomic and/or command interfaces, which is taken up by the operator and directed or pointed where necessary.

Generally, the directable, pivoting hoses have fixed lengths and limited movement capacities, having to maintain an adequate rigidity to resist crushing and having to withstand in any case the static and dynamic pressure generated by the motor assembly and the related flow of (fluid and/or gaseous and/or solid) material flowing inside the hose itself.

The aforementioned structural and movement limits of known hoses are therefore limiting not only in terms of inconvenience for the operator, but also in terms of operational flexibility (for example, forcing the replacement of the whole hose if work of different nature or work requiring a remarkable variation of the overall length of the hose itself is to be performed).

It is thus evident that a strong need in the field of blower/atomizer portable machinery consists in finding solutions allowing to reduce or eliminate the operating limits just listed and at the same time improving the overall functionality, not only of directable, pivoting hoses, but also of the whole atomizer/blower device.

In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is to propose a directable, pivoting hose for atomizers or blowers that overcomes the aforementioned operating limits and, in particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a directable, pivoting hose which has very high adaptability features in different operating contexts, also ensuring an optimal "mechanical" resistance or consistency level to withstand both directing and pivoting efforts and flow pressures generated by the motors of the blowers/atomizers.

The mentioned technical task and the specified aims are substantially achieved by a directable, pivoting hose for atomizers/blowers comprising the technical features set out in one or more of the appended claims.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of an exemplary, but not exclusive, and therefore non-limiting preferred embodiment of a directable, pivoting hose for portable atomizers or blowers as illustrated in the appended figures, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic overall view of a blower or atomizer machinery having the hose according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a local enlarged view of two modular segments constituting the hose of Figure 1 in conditions close to the assembly;

- Figure 3 shows a local enlarged view of two modular segments constituting the hose of Figure 1 in conditions of partial assembly;

- Figure 4 shows a local enlarged view of two modular segments constituting the hose of Figure 1 under final assembly conditions (i.e. in stable and reversible assembly conditions depending on the intentions of the blower and/or atomizer machinery operator);

- Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of a functional component realizing the final assembly shown in Figure 4; 1

- Figure 6 shows a sectional view of a component of the hose along the line VI-VI of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 7 shows a local enlarged view of a junction segment constituting the hose of Figure 1 in conditions close to the assembly;

- Figure 8 shows a local enlarged view of the junction segment of Figure 7 in partial assembly conditions;

- Figure 9 shows a local enlarged view of the junction segment of Figure 7 under final assembly conditions (i.e. in stable and reversible assembly conditions depending on the intentions of the blower and/or atomizer machinery operator);

- Figure 10 shows an axonometric view of a functional component realizing the final assembly shown in Figure 9; and

- Figures 1 1 and 12 show respectively a schematic overall view and a local enlarged view of a blower and/or atomizer machinery having the directable, pivoting hose according to the invention and with an additional accessory component mounted on the directable, pivoting hose itself.

In the accompanying figures, the directable, pivoting hose for portable atomizers or blowers is generally indicated by number 1 and essentially comprises a body 2, whose construction details will be detailed later and which can however consist of a single piece or a combination of more parts according to the current requirements, having a first end suitable to hook a propulsion apparatus (or more generally an injection and flow apparatus for fluid and/or a material typical of blower and/or atomizer machinery) and a second end opposed to the first end along an axis of development 3 of the hose 1 itself (this second end is conveniently suitable to expel the aforesaid fluid and/or material flow).

Structurally, the body (2) comprises, along the axis of development 3, a head portion 4a able to define a first interpenetration seat arranged along the axis of development 3, an elongated portion 4b protruding from the head portion 4a along an ideal axis, for example (but not necessarily) straight and generally contributing to define the axis of development 3 in the assembly condition of the hose 1 and finally a tail portion 4c connected to the elongated portion 4b and opposite to the head portion 4a along the just mentioned ideal axis (such tail portion 4c in turn is suitable to define a second interpenetration seat).

Advantageously, selective locking means 5 are integrally obtained at least in the head portion 4a and/or the tail portion 4c: such selective locking means 5 are arranged around the axis of development 3 and are reversibly configurable between an unlocked condition (in which they lie substantially undeformed with respect to the head portion 4a and therefore allow approaching or distancing movements of components that can be hooked to the head portion 4a and/or the tail portion 4c) at least at the first and/or second interpenetration seat and between a locked condition (in which, instead, they are deformed so as to bind any hookable components in the first and/or second interpenetration seat).

In more detail, in order to be able to select qualitatively and more specifically in order to ensure a well-defined level of stability of the grade/level of interpenetration between adjacent modular segments, the selective locking means 5 comprise a predetermined number of crown segments 5a defined by two slots 6: such slots 6 are integrally obtained in the head portion 4a and/or the tail portion 4c along ideal sectional planes normal to the axis of development 3 and define at least from the geometric point of view two integral connection areas 7, which lie on the head portion 4a (and/or on the tail portion 4c) and are perimetrically alternating with the slots 6 themselves.

The shape and arrangement of the crown segments 5a makes them suitable to take a predetermined projected curvature arrow projected internally to the head portion 4a (and/or projected internally to the tail portion 4c) at the locked condition: note in particular that the presence of the two integral connection areas 7 allows a type of deformation more suitable for the technical purpose of the invention, ensuring the absence of "cantilevered edges" of the deformable portions while ensuring a sufficient degree of mechanical pressure (resulting from the "arrow" elastic deformation of the crown segments 5a) on the part of that possible object which is combinable or assemblage to the hose 1 which receives, by "pressure", the crown segments 5a themselves.

In order to ensure a uniformly distributed mechanical pressure action on the tail portion 4c, the crown segments 5a are radially equally spaced on the head portion 4a, and/or even on the tail portion 4c, with respect to the axis of development 3 (depending on the current requirements, for example depending on the diameter of the head or tail portion to be interpenetrated, these crown segments may be in a number varying from 3 to 6, preferably 4).

From a geometric point of view, the crown segments 5a have a variable thickness in the radial direction with respect to the axis of development 3 (see Figure 6 in this regard): this thickness is preferably monotonously variable from an integral connection area 7 towards the other integral connection area 7, thus creating a "ramp" profile which, as will be discussed later, will help to determine the most appropriate deformation mode of the crown segments 5a.

Returning to the selective locking means 5, it may be noted that they also comprise at least one bezel 5b circumscribed to the head portion 4a (and/or circumscribed also to the tail portion 4c) and preferably circumscribed to one or more crown segments 5a at least at a partial interpenetration between two modular segments 4.

From the functional point of view, the bezel 5b is suitable to impose on the crown segments 5a the "curvature arrow" already mentioned above: such function is achieved by means of one or more pushing elements 5c which project towards the crown segments 5a and are reversibly configurable, by means of rotation of the bezel 5b around the head portion 4a (and/or around the tail portion 4c), thus making a transition between the unlocked condition, in which they do not act by deforming the crown segments 5a, and between the locked condition in which they act by deformation of the crown segments 5a.

Always in order to achieve the above-introduced function, the bezel 5b is reversibly configurable between the unlocked condition and the locked condition according to rotations of the bezel 5b itself (and consequently, according to the rotation of the pushing elements 5c solidly to the bezel 5b) about the axis of development 3 comprised between 20° and 30° and, for example, according to rotations by 25°: in this way it is possible to achieve a high assembly and interpenetration adjustment speed between two adjacent modular segments 4 with an extremely contained "rotation stroke" and therefore with great ergonomic ease by the operator that assembles the hose 1 .

According to a possible but non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the tubular body 2 comprises - and therefore consists of - a predetermined number of modular segments 4 mutually interconnected along said axis of development 3 and includes selective adjustment means of an interpenetration distance between two modular segments 4 adjacent along the axis of development 3 (these structural features therefore, in simultaneous and synergistic terms, result in the so-called "telescopicity" of the hose, that is, its ability to expand or to contract through relative interpenetrations selectable between its modular segments, and its "combinability" or "modularity", i.e. its ability to act with an arbitrary number of modular segments hooked sequentially to each other along the axis of development).

With particular reference to the modularity of the present invention, it can be seen that the modular segments 4 (with the exception of the junction segment, which will be detailed below and still has at least one part or end suitable to structurally and/or geometrically interface with at least one modular segment) are repeated identically among each other along the axis of development 3 and at least one of these modular segments (but preferably all the modular segments 4) defining the hose 1 includes in turn these structural components: - a head portion 4a suitable to define a preferably partial interpenetration seat with a subsequent modular segment 4 located along the axis of development 3;

- an elongated portion 4b protruding from the head portion 4a along a typically ideal (but not limited to) rectilinear axis contributing to define the axis of development 3 under assembly conditions of the hose 1 ; and

- a tail portion 4c connected to the elongated portion 4b and opposite to the head portion 4a along the just-mentioned ideal axis - and therefore, along the axis of development 3 under assembly conditions of the hose 1 and suitable to interpenetrate with a head portion 4a of a preceding modular segment located along the axis of development 3.

By explaining in further detail and referring to the accompanying figures, it can be seen that if the body 2 is combinable according to a predetermined number of modular segments 4, the head portion 4a of one or each of these modular segments 4 (and/or possibly also the tail portion 4c, depending on the current technical requirements) includes selective locking means 5 integrally made in the head portion 4a itself around the axis of development 3 and reversibly configurable between an unlocked condition in which they lie substantially undeformed with respect to the head portion 4a (and wherein they allow movement of a tail portion 4c of a modular segment 4 at least partially interpenetrated in the head portion 4a), and between a locked condition in which they are deformed so as to prevent the aforementioned movements of the tail portion 4c of the same modular segment 4 at least partially interpenetrated into the head portion 4a.

In order to ensure an adequate safety during assembly and even during the "operational" phase (i.e. when the blower/atomizer is producing a flow of material and/or fluid to be pushed through the hose 1 ) into at least one head portion 4a and/or tail portion 4c, an enlarged-diameter shoulder is provided, designed to prevent the hose 1 from slipping out (or, in the presence of two or more mutually interpenetrated modular segments 4) at least in a direction of travel along the axis of development 3: such shoulder actually operates by generating mechanical interference along a path of travel which is typically a movement (or flow) direction of the first mentioned flow of fluid and/or material (all of which obviously occurs under operating conditions of the hose 1 ).

The selective determination of the interpenetration (and hence of the resulting overall length of the hose 1 ) between two adjacent modular segments 4 is also guaranteed by suitable selective determination means of an interpenetration distance 5 between two modular segments 4 (which, as just mentioned above, will have to be at least partially interpenetrated); such selective determination means of an interpenetration distance are cooperatively active with the crown segments 5a and bezel 5b and, in the embodiment illustrated in the appended figures, they comprise a plurality of pairs of circumferential engravings obtained in the elongated portion 4b. Conveniently, the pairs of circumferential engravings described above define a centre line along the axis of development 3, substantially corresponding to a distance defined between the slots between their "free" edges (i.e., the edges defined along the slots 6) and circumferential engravings, making the distance of interpenetration stable: in other words, the geometric coincidence between the centre line of the pairs of circumferential engravings and the slots of the crown portions, when the crown portions undergo "arrow" deformation, allows two modular segments not to axially move with respect to each other when the bezel 5b is rotated, bringing it in the locked condition.

The object of the present invention, even structurally and/or functionally independent of that of the other structural components described hereinabove, is also a junction segment 8, which is located at one end of the hose 1 connectable to an atomizer and/or blower machinery: such junction segment 8 can be connected to at least one modular segment 4 at its head end 8a and also includes a tail end 8b (opposite to the head end 8a) which allows rotations without crushing or collapse of an inner section of the hose 1 around the axis of development 3.

Conveniently, the just mentioned function is made possible by the following presence and combination of the following structural features:

- deformation engagement means 9, integrally formed (e.g., by means of slots and/or programmed elastic yielding portions) in the tail portion 8b of the junction segment or even in the tail portion 4c of a modular segment 4); and

- at least one clamping collar 10 which can be circumscribed to the deformation engagement means 9 under conditions of connection of the junction segment 8 to the atomizer and/or blower machinery.

Nevertheless, an object of the present invention is also a portable atomizer and/or blower machinery, which essentially comprises a support frame 100 suitable to be worn as a "back-pack" or "shoulder-strap" by an operator, a motor assembly 200 connected to the support frame 100 and an outlet junction 300 connected to the motor assembly 200 and suitable to define a fluid and/or material flow: advantageously, such a portable machinery also comprises at least one directable, pivoting hose 1 as described hereinabove and/or according to what is claimed below.

Instead, returning to the basic structure of the present invention, and more particularly focusing on the ability of the modular segments 4 to reciprocally interpenetrate and connect, it can be seen in the appended figures the presence of complementary engagement means 1 1 , which in turn include protrusions and/or mutually complementarily shaped cavities and respectively belonging to head portions 4a and/or tail portions 4c of adjacent modular segments: such complementary engagement means 1 1 can achieve a degree of hooking between two adjacent modular segments so as to maximize the total length of the hose 1 constituted by two or more of these same adjacent modular segments 4.

Finally, with reference to Figures 1 1 and 12 hereinbelow, it is possible to note the technical possibility of providing the directable, pivoting hose 1 with a suitable head section 1 in order to optimize the performance in terms of flow or aspiration: such head segment 1 1 can be positioned (for example, removable) on a modular segment 4 at one opposite end, along the axis 3a of the hose 1 , to the junction segment 8, and is conveniently characterized by having an axial variation of the flow section suitable to determine a venturi effect.

Focusing on the structural details of the head segment (see Figure 12 in particular), it is possible to notice the following components:

- a hooking portion 1 1 a suitable to engage on a modular segment 4 and defining a first sectional radius on an ideal plane normal to the axis of development 3a;

- a mouth portion 1 1 b axially engaged on the aforementioned hooking portion 1 1 a and having a second sectional radius on an ideal plane normal to the axis of development 3a equal to or greater than the first sectional radius; as well as

- a clamping portion 1 1 c interposed between the hooking portion 1 1 a and the mouth portion 1 1 b, and defining a third sectional radius on an ideal plane normal to the axis of development 3a shorter than the first and/or the second sectional radius.

The just-described invention allows to obtain several advantages over the known art.

First, the peculiar structural architecture described above (and subsequently claimed) allows to determine, fully according to the atomizer/blower operator's will, and in full compliance with the current requirements, hoses having variable lengths and which may also reach remarkable sizes (e.g. where high or distant areas must be reached): the length variability and the possibility of integrating an arbitrary number of modular segments into a single hose structure is not to the detriment of the structural consistency and also the possibility of fine-tuning the length by means of the operating interpenetration means between two adjacent modular segments.

However, it should be noted that this construction simultaneously provides telescopicity, modularity and correct structural strength together with an optimum degree of pneumatic efficiency (or, in other words, a substantial absence of unwanted flow patterns between a modular segment and the other) and at a greatly advantageous manufacturing cost in terms of economies of scale.