Hose Holder and Method

Abstract

hose holder for a boat, or for another object upon which contact with a hose is undesirable, is a shaped rigid rod provided with a means for suspending the rod close to its midpoint, the shape created by bending each end of the rod into a helix. The rod is smaller in diameter than a common garden hose. The helices have a common, horizontal axis with an inner diameter larger than such a hose. The means for suspending the rod is above the outer diameter of the helices. Other embodiments utilize non-helical rod shapes to support the hose.

1 . A hose holder, comprising:
 an elongate, shaped rod having
 a straight middle portion having a horizontal middle axis, a right end, and a left end;
 the right end comprising a right means for slidably holding a hose and the left end comprising a left means for slidably holding the same hose so that the section of the hose between the right end and the left end is substantially parallel to the straight middle portion; and 
 
 a means for suspending the rod positioned above the middle axis and substantially at the midpoint of the straight middle portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hose holder of  claim 1 , in which:
 said right means for slidably holding the hose comprises
 a right eye having a periphery extending below said middle axis and in a vertical plane substantially coincident with said middle axis; 
 a right snap hook suspended below the eye; 
   said left means for slidably holding the hose comprises
 a left eye having a periphery extending below said middle axis and in a vertical plane substantially coincident with said middle axis; and 
 a left snap hook suspended below the left eye. 
   
     
     
         3 . The hose holder of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a means for suspending said shaped rod above a substantially vertical cavity in an object.   
     
     
         4 . The hose holder of  claim 3 , in which:
 said means for suspending said shaped rod is an elongate substantially vertical staff;
 the vertical staff having an upper end and a lower end;
 the upper end comprising a means for flexibly attaching said means for suspending said shaped rod; and 
 the lower end fitting into said vertical cavity. 
 
   
     
     
         5 . The hose holder of  claim 4 , in which:
 said means for flexibly attaching said means for suspending said shaped rod comprises a hook depending from an eye bolt.   
     
     
         6 . The hose holder of  claim 4 , in which:
 said staff comprises at least a portion of a fishing rod.   
     
     
         7 . The hose holder of  claim 4 , in which
 said substantially vertical cavity is a fishing rod holder.   
     
     
         8 . The hose holder of  claim 4 , in which:
 said means for suspending said shaped rod is a  360 -degree loop in said shaped rod.   
     
     
         9 . The hose holder of  claim 1 , in which:
 said right means for slidably holding the hose is formed into a first helix;
 the first helix having a first helix axis, a first direction of rotation, a first number of rotations, a first pitch, and a first inner diameter; 
   said left means for slidably holding the hose is formed into a second helix;
 the second helix having a second helix axis, a second direction of rotation, a second number of rotations, a second pitch, and a second inner diameter;
 the first helix axis and the second helix axis being substantially parallel to and below said horizontal middle axis. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The hose holder of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a means for suspending said shaped rod above a substantially vertical cavity in an object.   
     
     
         11 . The hose holder of  claim 10 , in which:
 said means for suspending said shaped rod is an elongate substantially vertical staff;
 the vertical staff having an upper end and a lower end;
 the upper end comprising a means for flexibly attaching said means for suspending said shaped rod; and 
 the lower end fitting into said vertical cavity. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The hose holder of  claim 11 , in which:
 said means for flexibly attaching said means for suspending said shaped rod comprises a hook depending from an eye bolt.   
     
     
         13 . The hose holder of  claim 11 , in which:
 said staff comprises at least a portion of a fishing rod.   
     
     
         14 . The hose holder of  claim 11 , in which:
 said substantially vertical cavity is a fishing rod holder.   
     
     
         15 . The hose holder of  claim 11 , in which:
 said means for suspending said shaped rod is a 360-degree loop in said shaped rod.