WO2001023801A1

WO2001023801A1 - Wonderhose

Info

Publication number: WO2001023801A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/022381
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ester A. Brackshaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-24
Filing date: 2000-08-15
Publication date: 2001-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2002-03-24
Also published as: WO2001023801A8

Abstract

The present invention is an innovative garden hose with a unique, strategic, distinct new physical feature that makes the process of connection or disconnection of a hose to a faucet easy, fast, tight, effective and leak-proof. The physical feature consists of either four metal pins (Model A) or four metal rings (Model B) welded to the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector and becoming a single functional element.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION: WonderHose

I, Helio Zapata, a U.S. citizen residing at 4142 W. Cleveland Avenue, Skokie, Illinois, 60076, am the inventor of The WonderHose, an innovative garden hose that makes the process of connecting or disconnecting a hose to a faucet easy, fast, effective and leak- proof.

I, Ester Brackshaw, a U.S. citizen residing at 8549 Lawndale Avenue, Skokie, Illinois, 60076, am the co-inventor of The WonderHose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ever since garden hoses are manufactured, they have a basic configuration consisting of a rubber tube having a rotating metallic connector on one end and a grooved metallic outlet. The rotating metallic connector of a standard garden hose is either round or hexagonal, making the process of connection and disconnection to a faucet very difficult or, for some, nearly impossible. The rounded configuration of the metallic connector does not allow the hand to have a firm grip and frequently it slips over the connector. Most people who use the standard hose have this problem because it is inherent to the shape and configuration of the standard garden hose's metallic connector. In addition to this already annoying problem, the connection frequently leaks because it cannot be tightened enough, compounding the above- mentioned problem. This vexing inconvenience of not being able to easily connect and disconnect a garden hose to a faucet is a constant problem for anyone: when the hands are wet, which is frequently the case; when they are soapy while washing the car; when the users have unsteady hands, like those of elderly people who commonly indulge in gardening as a solace.

Children have problems using garden hoses as well. They have weak hands that cannot accomplish a task that is already difficult for adults to do. Other factors that contribute to the difficulty of connecting or disconnecting hoses are sub-optimal lighting conditions and faucets that are not easily accessible.

The inability to easily connect or disconnect a garden hoses is, clearly, a common and frequent problem. The alternatives which users have are either to call another person with stronger hands or to resort to using a wrench.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Garden hoses currently available on the market have a basic structure: a rubber tube, a rotating metallic connector at one end, and a metallic grooved outlet at the other end. The hose's rotating metallic connector comes in 2 shapes: round or hexagonal. The connection is made by placing the hose's metallic connector against the grooved end of the faucet, aligning their axes and rotating it over the faucet.

The circular shape in the case of the round metallic connector of the hose, and the semicircular shape in the case of its hexagonal head, due to their inherent structural configuration, fail to provide a means for anchoring the operating hand to the connector to prevent it from slipping over it. The discreet grooves around the outer surface of both connectors alone do not provide enough of a grip to prevent the hands from slipping.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The WonderHose is an innovative garden hose, that has a unique, strategic and distinct physical feature not present in prior arts, that solves, with new and unexpected results, the long felt need of making the process of connecting and disconnecting a garden hose to a faucet easy, tight, fast, leak-proof, and effective. The WonderHose's innovative physical feature comes in two versions: Model A and Model B. In Model A, the WonderHose has four pins made of the same metal as that of the rotating connector, equally distributed over its outer surface. These pins are welded to the metallic connector, becoming a single element with it. The pins have a ground surface to enhance the user's grasp. In Model B, the WonderHose, instead of the four pins, the metallic connector has four quadrangular, equally distributed rings around its outer surface and made of the same metal material as the connector. These rings are welded to the hose's metallic connector, becoming a single element with it. To connect the WonderHose, in Model A, all the user has to do is to hold the entire connector with the fingers and rotate it on to the faucet pressing firmly on the pins welded to the connector. In Model B, the user inserts the fingers inside the rings and rotates the entire connector on the receiving faucet.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide the field of garden hoses with an innovative hose not present in prior arts that has a unique, strategic and distinct physical feature that solves, with new and unexpected results, the long felt need of connecting and disconnecting a garden hose to a faucet easy, fast, tight, leak-proof and effective.

It is further the object of the present invention to provide a standard garden hose with innovative physical feature that makes the process of connecting and disconnecting a hose easy, fast, tight, leak-proof and effective in spite of wet or soapy hands.

It is further the object of the present invention to provide a standard garden hose with innovative physical feature that makes the process of connecting and disconnecting a hose easy, fast, tight, leak-proof and effective in spite of weak or unsteady hands.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a new garden hose that can be easily, quickly, tightly, and effectively connected and disconnected by children.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a new garden hose that can be easily, quickly, tightly and effectively connected and disconnected in spite of poor lighting conditions. It is also the object of this invention to provide a new garden hose that can be tightened firmly enough to prevent leakage at the connecting site.

It is also the object of this invention to provide a new garden hose that can be more easily, quickly, tightly, and effectively connected and disconnected to faucets in places of difficult access.

For the WonderHose to meet all these objectives, it has been provided with a unique, strategic and distinct physical feature, that makes the process of connection and disconnection of a hose to a faucet easy, quick, tight, effective and leak-proof. It comes in two versions: Model A and B.

In Model A, the WonderHose has four metal pins that are welded at equidistant points around the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector, and in Model B, four metal rings are welded at equidistant points around the rotating metallic connector.

In Model A, the user holds the metallic connector by its four pins and rotates it around the faucet. The anchoring mechanism provided by the four pins makes it impossible for the hand to slip over the metallic connector. Likewise, in Model B, the user inserts the fingers inside the four rings and makes the connection by rotating the entire connector over the faucet, as tight as possible. In the latter model, slipping of the hand over the hose's head is also impossible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

Fig. 1 is an oblique-anterior view of Model A of the WonderHose, showing the four metal pins welded in equidistant points to the rotating metallic connector of the hose. It also shows the exact location of the pins at the middle section of the metallic connector. The relative size of the pins to the rotating connector can be easily seen. This picture also shows the ground surface of the pins.

Fig. 2 is an oblique-posterior view of Model A of the WonderHose.

Fig. 3 is an oblique-anterior view of Model B of the WonderHose showing the four metal rings welded to the rotating connector of the hose at equidistant points on the mid portion of its outer surface. The relative size of the rings to the metallic connector can be seen. The holes of the rings are big enough to accommodate the fingers. The ground inner and outer sides of the quadrangular rings are also shown.

Fig. 4 is an oblique-posterior view of Model B of the WonderHose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The WonderHose is an innovative garden hose that has been provided with a strategic, unique and distinct physical feature not present in prior arts that makes the process of connection and disconnection easy, fast, tight, leak-proof and effective.

The WonderHose's innovative physical feature consists of two models: A and B. In Model A, the standard garden hose has four metal pins welded at equidistant points to the middle section of the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector. These pins, measuring 2.5 cm. long and 13 mm. in diameter, are made of the same metal as the connector and become a single functional unit with it. The pins have ground texture by the presence of small intersecting grooves on their surfaces. In Model B, instead of the four pins, the middle section of the rotating connector has four quadrangular metal rings welded at equidistant points to its outer surface. These rings are 9 mm. thick and 38 mm. in their outer diameters. The ring's hole has a diameter of 30 mm. These rings have ground inner and outer surfaces.

To operate Model A of the WonderHose, all the user has to do is to hold the metallic connector by its four pins and proceed to connect or disconnect the garden hose, rotating the entire connector onto the faucet by pressing on the four pins. To operate Model B of the WonderHose, the user inserts the fingers inside the rings of the metallic connector and rotates the entire connector onto the faucet by pressing on the rings.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim as our invention:

1. An innovative garden hose, comprised of two models (A and B), each with a distinct, strategic and unique physical feature that solves, with new and unexpected results, the long felt need of making the process of connection and disconnection of a hose to a faucet easy, quick, tight, effective and leak-proof.

said Model A has four metal pins, measuring 2.5 cm. Long and 13 mm. in diameter, welded at equidistant points to the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector and becoming a single functional element with it.

said Model B has four quadrangular metal rings, measuring 38 mm. in their outer diameter, 30 mm. in their hole's diameter, and 9 mm. thick, welded at equidistant points to the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector and becoming a single element with it.

2. An innovative garden hose that makes the process of connection and disconnection easy, fast, tight, effective and leak-proof in spite of wet or soapy hands.

3. An innovative garden hose that makes the process of connection and disconnection easy, fast tight, effective and leak-proof in spite of weak or unsteady hands.

4. An innovative garden hose that can be connected and disconnected easily, quickly, tightly, effectively and leak-proof in spite of poor lighting conditions.

5. An innovative garden hose that can be tightened firmly enough to prevent leakage at the connecting site.

6. An innovative garden hose that can be more easily connected and disconnected to faucets in places of difficult access.

7. An innovative garden hose that can be connected and disconnected by children easily, quickly, tightly, effectively and leak-proof.

To meet all these objectives, the present invention, the WonderHose, is an innovative garden hose that has a unique, strategic and distinct physical feature that makes the process of connecting and disconnecting a hose to a faucet easy, fast, tight, effective and leak-proof. It consists of two models, A and B. In Model A, the WonderHose has four metal pins welded at equidistant points to the outer surface of the rotating metallic connector, becoming a single functional element. Model B has four metal rings welded at equidistant points to the outer surface of the metallic connector so that it functions as a single element.