JP7833297B2 - Adapter and method for converting a sensor-activated faucet into a manual faucet. - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an adapter and a method for converting a sensor-operated faucet into a manual faucet.

Patent Document 1 describes an automatic faucet as a sensor-type faucet equipped with a human body detection sensor.
As shown in Figure 2, the sensor-type faucet 10 includes a faucet body 20 with a built-in manual mixing valve (not shown), a water supply pipe 30 connected to the faucet body 20, a solenoid valve unit 40 connected to the water supply pipe 30, and a hose 50 connected to the solenoid valve unit 40. The sensor-type faucet 10 has a gooseneck-shaped water outlet 21 at the top of the faucet body 20. The water outlet 21 has a sensor part 21a that can detect a human body or the like without contact. The end of the hose 50 opposite to the side connected to the solenoid valve unit 40 extends in the direction of arrow A, that is, towards the faucet body 20, and passes inside the faucet body 20 to be housed in the water outlet 21.

Water supplied from a water source (not shown) and hot water supplied from a hot water source (not shown) are mixed in a desired ratio in a manually operated mixing valve. The mixed water flows through the water supply pipe 30 and passes through a solenoid valve (not shown) in the solenoid valve unit 40. Furthermore, it flows through the hose 50 and is discharged from the discharge unit 21. When a human body or other object is detected by the sensor unit 21a, a signal based on this detection is transmitted to the solenoid valve unit 40. The solenoid valve unit 40 then operates to switch between stopping and starting water flow from the discharge unit 21.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-144324

Incidentally, the sensor-type faucet 10 described in Patent Document 1, etc., may be required by the user to discontinue its use as a sensor-type faucet and continue using it as a manual faucet. To continue using it as a manual faucet, the solenoid valve unit 40 must be removed. However, since the sensor-type faucet 10 is not designed to be used with the solenoid valve unit 40 removed, it is difficult to remove only the solenoid valve unit 40. It was necessary to remove the faucet body 20 and water supply pipe 30 along with the solenoid valve unit 40 and replace them with a manual faucet type. In other words, the entire sensor-type faucet 10 had to be replaced, resulting in a high replacement cost.

Furthermore, for example, by using the manual opening/closing member (not shown) of the solenoid valve unit 40 to keep the solenoid valve unit 40 in a constantly open state, it becomes possible to use the sensor-type faucet 10 as a manual faucet. However, the manual opening/closing member is designed to temporarily open the solenoid valve unit 40 during power outages, etc., and is not intended to be kept in a constantly open state. Therefore, this method could not be recommended for continuously using the sensor-type faucet 10 as a manual faucet.

The adapter for solving the above problem is used in a sensor-type faucet equipped with a solenoid valve unit, and is an adapter for removing the solenoid valve unit to convert it into a manual faucet. The sensor-type faucet comprises a faucet body to which a water supply pipe is connected, a solenoid valve unit connected to the water supply pipe, and a hose connected to the solenoid valve unit, configured such that hot and cold water flowing through the water supply pipe flows through the solenoid valve unit to the hose. The adapter has a first connection part connected to the water supply pipe in place of the solenoid valve unit, and a second connection part connected to the hose in place of the solenoid valve unit.

With this configuration, by using the adapter described above, a sensor-type faucet equipped with a solenoid valve unit can be easily and inexpensively converted into a manual faucet.
With respect to the above-mentioned adapter, it is preferable that the adapter is configured such that when the solenoid valve unit is removed and replaced with the adapter, the distance between the water supply pipe and the hose along the axial direction of the water supply pipe remains unchanged before and after the replacement. With this configuration, the position of the base end of the hose connected to the adapter can be kept unchanged before and after the replacement.

Regarding the above adapter, it is preferable that the hose has a quick-connect joint, and that the second connection part is connected to the quick-connect joint. This configuration allows for easy attachment and detachment of the adapter and hose.

The method for converting a sensor-type faucet to a manual faucet to solve the above problem is a method for converting a sensor-type faucet to a manual faucet, wherein the sensor-type faucet has a faucet body to which a water supply pipe is connected, a solenoid valve unit connected to the water supply pipe, and a hose connected to the solenoid valve unit, and the hot and cold water flowing through the water supply pipe is configured to flow through the solenoid valve unit to the hose via the solenoid valve unit, and the gist of the method is to use an adapter having a first connection part and a second connection part, in which the first connection part of the adapter is connected to the water supply pipe and the second connection part of the adapter is connected to the hose, in place of the solenoid valve unit.

According to this configuration, by connecting the above adapter in place of the solenoid valve unit, a sensor-type faucet equipped with a solenoid valve unit can be easily and inexpensively converted into a manual faucet.

According to the adapter and method for converting a sensor-type faucet to a manual faucet of the present invention, a sensor-type faucet equipped with a solenoid valve unit can be easily and inexpensively converted to a manual faucet.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sensor-activated faucet. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a sensor-type faucet. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the solenoid valve unit, water supply pipe, and hose before connection. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the adapter. Figure 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the adapter, water supply pipe, and hose before connection. Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the adapter, water supply pipe, and hose after connection.

An embodiment of the adapter will be described.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sensor-type faucet 10 is installed on the wall portion 11, which is the counter of the kitchen cabinet. The sensor-type faucet 10 has a cylindrical faucet body 20, a gooseneck-shaped spout 21 attached to the top of the faucet body 20, and a lever handle 22 attached to the side of the faucet body 20. By operating the lever handle 22, the valve member described later can be activated. This makes it possible to adjust the temperature and flow rate of hot and cold water, and to turn the supply to the solenoid valve unit 40 on and off.

The water outlet section 21 has a sensor section 21a capable of detecting human bodies and other objects without contact. The sensor section 21a is connected to the solenoid valve unit 40 by wiring (not shown). Wiring is provided separately for the sensor section 21a and the solenoid valve unit 40, and these wires are connected by connectors (not shown). The sensor section 21a and the solenoid valve unit 40 are connected by this connection of the wires. Furthermore, the sensor-type faucet 10 has a fixing member 23 for fixing the faucet body 20 to the wall section 11.

As shown in Figure 2, the faucet body 20 has a valve member (not shown) inside that functions as a mixing valve. The valve member is connected to a water supply pipe 24 connected to a water source (not shown) and a hot water supply pipe 25 connected to a hot water source (not shown). These pipes 24 and 25 extend downward from the faucet body 20 through a through-hole 11a provided in the wall portion 11, and are connected to the water supply source and the hot water source.

Furthermore, a water supply pipe 30 is connected to the faucet body 20. Specifically, the water supply pipe 30 is connected to a valve member built into the faucet body 20. The water supply pipe 30 extends linearly downward from the faucet body 20 through a through-hole 11a provided in the wall portion 11. A solenoid valve unit 40 is connected to the end of the water supply pipe 30 opposite to the end connected to the valve member. A water discharge hose 50 is connected to the end of the solenoid valve unit 40 opposite to the end connected to the water supply pipe 30. The end of the hose 50 opposite to the end connected to the solenoid valve unit 40 extends in the direction of arrow A, i.e., towards the faucet body 20. It then passes through the through-hole 11a provided in the wall portion 11, through the inside of the faucet body 20, and is housed in the water discharge portion 21. Note that in Figure 2, the configuration of the solenoid valve unit 40 is shown in a simplified manner (the same applies to Figure 3).

The hot and cold water supplied from the water source and hot water source are mixed in a desired ratio by the valve component and then flow into the water supply pipe 30. From there, it flows through the solenoid valve unit 40 to the hose 50 and is discharged from the discharge section 21. Although both hot and cold water flow through the water supply pipe 30 as described above, for convenience, it will be referred to simply as the water supply pipe 30.

Furthermore, since the hose 50 is housed in the water outlet section 21, the user can grasp the water outlet head 21b located at the tip of the water outlet section 21 and pull it out together with the hose 50 for use.

When a human body or other object is detected by the sensor unit 21a of the water discharge unit 21, a signal based on that detection is transmitted to the solenoid valve unit 40 via the wiring. The solenoid valve unit 40 then operates to switch the water discharge from the water discharge unit 21 to stop or start.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, when converting a sensor-type faucet 10 to a manual faucet, an adapter 60 is installed in place of the solenoid valve unit 40. This allows the user to manually switch the water flow from the spout 21 by operating the lever handle 22 attached to the faucet body 20. By installing the adapter 60 in place of the solenoid valve unit 40, a sensor-type faucet 10 equipped with the solenoid valve unit 40 can be easily and inexpensively converted to a manual faucet.

The following describes the connection mechanism of the solenoid valve unit 40 in the sensor-type faucet 10.
<Connection mechanism of solenoid valve unit 40>
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the sensor-type faucet 10, the solenoid valve unit 40 is connected to a joint 31 of the water supply pipe 30. The solenoid valve unit 40 is also connected to a hose 50.

The joint 31, solenoid valve unit 40, and hose 50 will be described below.
(Joint 31)
As shown in Figure 3, the joint 31 is cylindrical and connected to the lower end of the water supply pipe 30. Specifically, the joint 31 is brazed to the water supply pipe 30 with its upper end covering the outer circumference of the lower end of the water supply pipe 30. In this brazed state, the joint 31 constitutes a part of the water supply pipe 30. In other words, the joint 31 is considered to be included in the water supply pipe 30.

In the axial direction of the joint 31, if the brazed side is considered the base end and the opposite side the tip end, the joint 31 has a flange portion 31a that protrudes radially outward along its entire circumference, beyond the central part in the axial direction. The outer diameter of the flange portion 31a is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the flange portion 41a in the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40, which will be described later.

Further towards the tip of the flange portion 31a of the joint 31, there is an insertion portion 31b that is inserted into the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40. Two O-rings 31c are arranged on the outer circumference of the insertion portion 31b at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the joint 31.

(Solenoid valve unit 40)
As shown in Figure 3, the solenoid valve unit 40 has a water supply pipe connection portion 41 at the upper end of Figure 3, which is the end on the water supply pipe 30 side. It also has a hose connection portion 42 at the lower end of Figure 3, which is the end on the hose 50 side. The water supply pipe connection portion 41 is cylindrical in shape. The tip of the water supply pipe connection portion 41 has a flange portion 41a that protrudes radially outward around its entire circumference.

The hose connector 42 is cylindrical in shape. The hose connector 42 is configured to be detachably attached to the one-touch joint 51 of the hose 50, which will be described later. In other words, the hose connector 42 is configured to be detachably attached to the one-touch joint 51 of the hose 50 with a single touch.

The solenoid valve unit 40 has a flow path (not shown) that connects the water supply pipe connection part 41 and the hose connection part 42. The solenoid valve unit 40 also has wiring (not shown) connected via a connector to the wiring from the sensor part 21a (see Figure 2). Furthermore, the solenoid valve unit 40 has a solenoid valve (not shown) capable of switching the open/closed state of the flow path based on signals transmitted from the sensor part through the aforementioned wiring. The solenoid valve unit 40 also has a manual opening/closing member (not shown) for temporarily opening the flow path when it becomes closed due to a power outage or other reasons.

The length M of the solenoid valve unit 40 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 will be described below.
As shown in Figure 2, the reference direction is along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 when the solenoid valve unit 40 is connected to the water supply pipe 30.

As shown in Figure 3, the distance between the end E1 closest to the water supply pipe at the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40 and the end E2 closest to the hose 50 at the hose connection portion 42 is defined as the length M of the solenoid valve unit 40 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30.

(Hose 50)
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hose 50 has a quick-connect joint 51 at the end connected to the solenoid valve unit 40. The quick-connect joint 51 constitutes part of the hose 50. In other words, the quick-connect joint 51 is included in the hose 50. The quick-connect joint 51 is also called a quick-connect fitting.

In hose 50, the side with the one-touch joint 51 is designated as the base end, and the opposite side as the tip end. The tip end of hose 50 extends upward through the through-hole 11a provided in the wall portion 11, while bending appropriately in the direction of arrow A. The tip of hose 50 is then housed in the water outlet portion 21.

The following describes the procedure for connecting the joint 31, the solenoid valve unit 40, and the hose 50.
<Connection procedure for joint 31, solenoid valve unit 40, and hose 50>
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when connecting the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40 to the joint 31 of the water supply pipe 30, the insertion portion 31b of the joint 31 is inserted into the water supply pipe connection portion 41. The O-ring 31c positioned on the outer circumference of the insertion portion 31b of the joint 31 abuts against the inner circumference of the water supply pipe connection portion 41, creating a watertight seal between the joint 31 and the water supply pipe connection portion 41. In addition, the flange portion 41a of the water supply pipe connection portion 41 and the flange portion 31a of the joint 31 are in contact. In this state, by attaching the quick fastener 12 to both flange portions 31a, 41a, the solenoid valve unit 40 and the joint 31 are connected in a way that prevents them from coming loose.

Furthermore, by attaching the one-touch joint 51 of the hose 50 to the hose connection part 42 of the solenoid valve unit 40, the solenoid valve unit 40 and the hose 50 are connected in a way that prevents them from coming loose. Through this connection procedure, the joint 31, the solenoid valve unit 40, and the hose 50 are connected in the sensor-type faucet 10. The above connection procedure can be performed in any order as appropriate.

Here, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, with each component connected, the distance between the tip end E3 of the joint 31 (which runs axially along the water supply pipe 30) and the joint 31 end E4 of the one-touch joint 51 is defined as the separation distance D. The separation distance D is also referred to as the separation distance between the water supply pipe 30 and the hose 50, which runs axially along the water supply pipe 30.

Next, the adapter 60 of this embodiment will be described.
<Adapter 60>
As shown in Figure 4, the adapter 60 is configured as a cylindrical shape that extends in a straight line.

The adapter 60 has a first connecting portion 61 at one end in the axial direction, which is connected to the joint 31. It also has a second connecting portion 62 at the other end in the axial direction, which is connected to the hose 50. A flow path 63 is located between the first connecting portion 61 and the second connecting portion 62.

The shape of the first connection portion 61 is the same as that of the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40. That is, the first connection portion 61 has a flange portion 61a that protrudes radially outward around its entire circumference. Therefore, the first connection portion 61 is configured to be connected to the joint 31 using a quick fastener 12, similar to the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40.

The shape of the second connection part 62 is configured to be the same as the shape of the hose connection part 42 of the solenoid valve unit 40. Therefore, the second connection part 62 is configured to allow the one-touch joint 51 of the hose 50 to be attached and detached with a single touch.

Furthermore, the length L of the adapter 60 along the axial direction is equal to the length M of the solenoid valve unit 40 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 (see Figure 3).
Next, we will explain how to convert the sensor-type faucet 10 into a manual faucet.

<How to convert a sensor-activated faucet 10 into a manual faucet>
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when converting the sensor-type faucet 10 to a manual faucet, first disconnect the connector connecting the wiring of the sensor unit 21a and the wiring of the solenoid valve unit 40 to release the connection between the wiring of the sensor unit 21a and the solenoid valve unit 40. Next, release the connection between the hose connection part 42 of the solenoid valve unit 40 and the quick-connect joint 51 of the hose 50. Then, remove the quick fastener 12 to release the connection between the water supply pipe connection part 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40 and the joint 31, and remove the solenoid valve unit 40. The order of the above releases is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to release the connection between the hose connection part 42 and the quick-connect joint 51 before releasing the connection between the water supply pipe connection part 41 and the joint 31 of the solenoid valve unit 40. This makes it easier to remove the solenoid valve unit 40 because the load of the hose 50 is not applied to it.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the insertion portion 31b of the joint 31 is then inserted into the first connection portion 61 of the adapter 60. The O-ring 31c, positioned on the outer circumference of the insertion portion 31b of the joint 31, contacts the inner circumference of the first connection portion 61 of the adapter 60, creating a watertight seal between the joint 31 and the first connection portion 61. Furthermore, the flange portion 61a of the first connection portion 61 and the flange portion 31a of the joint 31 come into contact. In this state, the quick fasteners 12 are attached to both flange portions 31a, 61a, thereby securing the adapter 60 and the joint 31 in a way that prevents them from coming loose.

Next, connect the quick-connect joint 51 of the hose 50 to the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60. While the order of connection is not particularly restricted, it is preferable to connect the joint 31 to the first connection part 61 of the adapter 60 before connecting the quick-connect joint 51 of the hose 50 to the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60. This allows the quick-fastener 12 to be attached without the load of the hose 50 being applied to the adapter 60, making it easier to connect the adapter 60.

<Mechanism of Action and Effects>
The operation of this embodiment will now be described.
In the sensor-type faucet 10 shown in Figure 2, a quick fastener 12 is used to connect the joint 31 and the water supply pipe connection part 41. In addition, a one-touch joint 51 is used to connect the hose 50 and the hose connection part 42. Because the connection mechanisms are different, when the solenoid valve unit 40 is removed, the joint 31 and the one-touch joint 51 cannot be directly connected. Therefore, in addition to removing the solenoid valve unit 40, it becomes necessary to remove the faucet body 20 and the water supply pipe 30 and replace them with a manual faucet type. In other words, it becomes necessary to replace the entire sensor-type faucet 10.

As shown in Figure 4, the adapter 60 of this embodiment has a first connection portion 61 connected to the joint 31 and a second connection portion 62 connected to the one-touch joint 51. Since it can be connected to both the joint 31 and the one-touch joint 51, by installing the adapter 60, it becomes possible to remove only the solenoid valve unit 40.

This allows hot and cold water to flow without passing through the solenoid valve unit 40 by manually operating the lever handle 22 and activating a valve component (not shown). In other words, just like a manually operated faucet, the water flow from the spout head 21b can be stopped simply by manually operating the lever handle 22.

Furthermore, the axial length L of the adapter 60 is equal to the length M of the solenoid valve unit 40. This ensures that when the solenoid valve unit 40 is removed and replaced with the adapter 60, the distance D between the water supply pipe 30 and the hose 50 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 remains unchanged before and after the replacement.

The effects of this embodiment will now be explained.
(1) The adapter 60 has a first connection part 61 that is connected to the water supply pipe 30 in place of the solenoid valve unit 40, and a second connection part 62 that is connected to the hose 50 in place of the solenoid valve unit 40.

By simply replacing the solenoid valve unit 40 with the adapter 60, the sensor-type faucet 10 can be converted into a manual faucet. Therefore, a sensor-type faucet 10 equipped with a solenoid valve unit 40 can be easily and inexpensively converted into a manual faucet.

(2) The adapter 60 is configured such that when the solenoid valve unit 40 is removed and replaced with the adapter 60, the distance D between the water supply pipe 30 and the hose 50 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 remains unchanged before and after the replacement. The position of the base end of the hose 50 connected to the adapter 60, that is, the position of the end E4 of the one-touch joint 51, remains unchanged before and after the replacement. Therefore, when the user pulls out the water outlet head 21b together with the hose 50, the length of the hose 50 that can be pulled out remains constant before and after the replacement. Consequently, even if the sensor-type faucet 10 is converted to a manual faucet, the user can use it without any discomfort.

(3) The hose 50 has a quick-connect joint 51, and the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60 is connected to the quick-connect joint 51. Therefore, the hose 50 can be easily attached to and detached from the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60.

(4) A method for converting the sensor-type faucet 10 into a manual faucet involves using an adapter 60 having a first connection part 61 and a second connection part 62. Instead of the solenoid valve unit 40, the first connection part 61 of the adapter 60 is connected to the water supply pipe 30, and the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60 is connected to the hose 50. Therefore, a sensor-type faucet 10 equipped with a solenoid valve unit 40 can be easily and inexpensively converted into a manual faucet.

<Example of changes>
This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

In this embodiment, the water supply pipe 30 has a joint 31, to which the first connection portion 61 of the adapter 60 and the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40 are connected. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. The water supply pipe 30 does not need to have a joint 31. That is, the first connection portion 61 of the adapter 60 and the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40 may be connected to a water supply pipe 30 that does not have a joint 31. For example, by making the shape of the lower end of the water supply pipe 30 have a flange portion or insertion portion similar to that of the joint 31, it becomes possible to connect it to the first connection portion 61 of the adapter 60 and the water supply pipe connection portion 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40.

In this embodiment, the adapter 60 was configured as a cylindrical shape extending in a straight line, but it is not limited to this configuration. The adapter 60 may be curved in at least a portion of it. Furthermore, the cross-section of the adapter 60 is not limited to a circular shape; it may be configured as a rectangular tube with a polygonal cross-section.

In this embodiment, the axial length L of the adapter 60 was configured to be equal to the length M of the solenoid valve unit 40 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. The axial length L of the adapter 60 may be longer or shorter than the length M of the solenoid valve unit 40 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30.

In other words, when the solenoid valve unit 40 is removed and replaced with the adapter 60, the distance D between the water supply pipe 30 and the hose 50 along the axial direction of the water supply pipe 30 may change before and after the replacement.

* The hose 50 does not necessarily have a quick-connect joint 51. That is, the connection between the hose 50 and the hose connection part 42 of the solenoid valve unit 40, and the connection between the hose 50 and the second connection part 62 of the adapter 60, may be made by a mechanism other than the quick-connect joint 51. Similarly, the connection between the water supply pipe 30 and the water supply pipe connection part 41 of the solenoid valve unit 40, and the connection between the water supply pipe 30 and the first connection part 61 of the adapter 60, may be made by a mechanism other than the quick-fastener 12.

10...Sensor-activated faucet, 20...Faucet body, 30...Water supply pipe, 40...Solenoid valve unit, 50...Hose, 60...Adapter, 61...First connection part, 62...Second connection part.

Claims (3)

An adapter used in a sensor-type faucet equipped with a solenoid valve unit, for removing the solenoid valve unit to convert it into a manual faucet,
The sensor-type faucet comprises a faucet body to which a water supply pipe is connected, a solenoid valve unit connected to the water supply pipe, a hose connected to the solenoid valve unit, and a water outlet attached to the faucet body. The end of the hose opposite to the side connected to the solenoid valve unit passes through the inside of the faucet body and is housed in the water outlet. When hot or cold water flows through the water supply pipe , it is discharged from the water outlet, and the water outlet head located at the tip of the water outlet can be pulled out together with the hose for use .
The adapter has a first connection part that is connected to the water supply pipe in place of the solenoid valve unit, and a second connection part that is connected to the hose in place of the solenoid valve unit .
The adapter is characterized in that, when the solenoid valve unit is removed and replaced with the adapter, the distance between the water supply pipe and the hose along the axial direction of the water supply pipe remains unchanged before and after the replacement . The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the hose has a quick-connect joint, and the second connection part is connected to the quick-connect joint. A method for converting a sensor-activated faucet into a manual faucet,
The sensor-type faucet comprises a faucet body to which a water supply pipe is connected, a solenoid valve unit connected to the water supply pipe, a hose connected to the solenoid valve unit, and a lever handle attached to the faucet body . By operating the lever handle, the supply of hot and cold water to the solenoid valve unit can be turned on or off, and the hot and cold water flowing through the water supply pipe is configured to flow through the solenoid valve unit to the hose.
A method for converting a sensor-type faucet into a manual faucet, characterized by using an adapter having a first connection part and a second connection part, and replacing the solenoid valve unit by connecting the first connection part of the adapter to the water supply pipe and the second connection part of the adapter to the hose.