Air compressors typically include a driver and a compression mechanism, which ingests, pressurizes, and discharges the air into a tank for subsequent use. In some applications, a hose is attached to the tank and draws the compressed air therefrom. The compressed air may then be used to power a tool that is connected to an opposite end of the hose.
The hoses that attach to compressors can be rigid pipes, flexible coiled hoses, or low- or high-pressure tubing. The tubing type hoses are often stored wound around a reel. A variety of hose reels are available and are capable of storing varying lengths and gauges of hoses. Reels may facilitate winding and compact, ordered storage of the high-pressure and low-pressure hose used, and may range from simple spools to units that are hard-piped to the compressor and provided on a separate base, and/or suspended from a post or ceiling (e.g., in industrial settings).
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds