Flexible hose construction

Claim 2

A light, flexible hose construction resistant to blocking by bending, for use with respiration apparatus, comprising: a thin-walled tube of resilient, flexible material having a smooth generally cylindrical inner wall surface; and a plurality of external annular reinforcing rings of the same material integrally formed on the outer wall of the tube; the rings being concentric with the tube and arranged in axially spaced relation along the major portion of the length of the tube; the axial length of the unsupported portion of the tube wall between successive rings being from about 50 percent to about 75 percent of the diameter of said inner wall surface of the tube; and the radial thickness of the unsupported portion of the tube wall between successive reinforcing rings being from about 5 percent to about 9 percent of said diameter; whereby the rings are spaced and sized to prevent substantial blocking of the tube due to bending, without impairing flexibility.

Claim 3

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the radial thickness of each reinforcing ring outward of the tube wall is from about 30 percent to about 60 percent of the diameter of said inner wall surface of the tube.

Claim 4

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the radial thickness of each reinforcing ring outward of the tube wall is approximately 50 percent of the diameter of said inner wall surface of the tube.

Claim 5

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the axial thickness of each reinforCing ring is from about 30 percent to about 60 percent of the diameter of said inner wall surface of the tube.

Claim 6

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the radial thickness of the unsupported portion of the tube wall between successive reinforcing rings being between 6 and 7 percent of the diameter of said inner wall surface of the tube.

Claim 7

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the inside diameter of the tube is approximately 0.187 inch; the wall thickness of the tube is in the range of 0.011 to 0.013 inch; and the radial thickness of said reinforcing rings is in the range of 0.050 to 0.100 inch.

Claim 8

A hose construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the axial thickness of each of said reinforcing ring progressively decreases from its hose radially outward toward its extremity.

Claim 9

A base construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the material of the tube is silicone rubber.

Claim 10

A flexible hose construction resistant to blocking by bending, and adapted for use with respiration apparatus, comprising: a thin-walled basic tube composed of resilient flexible material and having a generally smooth inner wall surface which normally is of generally circular cross-section and has a preselected inside diameter; and a series of axially spaced and separated external reinforcing rings integrally formed of the same material on the outer side of said basic tube at preselected intervals along the tube and having a preselected outside diameter substantially greater than the outside diameter of said basic tube; said basic tube and said reinforcing rings cooperating to form a series of thin-walled and unreinforced generally cylindrical portions of preselected length, substantially uniform thickness, relatively high flexibility, and relatively low resistance to collapse, joined together by reinforcing rings of substantially increased thickness, reduced flexibility, and relatively high resistance to collapse; the outside diameter and axial spacing of said rings being selected to cause adjacent rings to abut against each other and resist further flexing of the intervening thin-walled portion before the intervening thin-walled portion can collapse sufficiently to cause substantial blocking of said hose construction, and the length of said thin-walled portions being correlated with said preselected inside diameter and said outside diameter of said reinforcing rings to prevent the application of collapsing forces to said reinforcing rings sufficient to substantially collapse the latter during any bending of said hose construction; whereby said hose construction is virtually incapable of being collapsed during bending into any configuration, while at the same time being light in weight and low in resistance to bending.

Claim 11

A flexible hose construction resistant to blocking by bending, and adapted for use with respiration apparatus, comprising: a thin-walled basic tube composed of resilient flexible material and having a generally smooth inner wall surface which normally is of generally circular cross-section and has a preselected inside diameter; and a series of axially spaced and separated external reinforcing rings integrally formed of the same material on the outer side of said basic tube at preselected intervals along the tube and having a preselected outside diameter substantially greater than the outside diameter of said basic tube; said basic tube and said reinforcing rings cooperating to form a series of thin-walled and unreinforced generally cylindrical portions of preselected length, substantially uniform thickness, relatively high flexibility, and relatively low resistance to collapse, joined together by reinforcing rings of substantially increased thickness, reduced flexibility, and relatively high resistance to collapse; the outside diameter and axial spacing of said rings being selected to cause adjacent rings to abut against each other and resist further flexing of the intervening thin-walled portion before the intervening thin-walled portion can collapse sufficiently to cause substantial blocking of said hose construction, and the length of said thin-walled portions being correlated with said preselected inside diameter and said outside diameter of said reinforcing rings to prevent the application of collapsing forces to said reinforcing rings sufficient to substantially collapse the latter during any bending of said hose construction; whereby said hose construction is virtually incapable of being collapsed during bending into any configuration, while at the same time being light in weight and low in resistance to bending.

Claim 12

A hose construction as defined in claim 9 wherein said length of said cylindrical portions is in the range of about 50 percent to about 75 percent of said inside diameter.

Claim 13

A hose construction as defined in claim 9 wherein the radial thickness of said rings is in the range of about 30 percent to about 60 percent of said inside diameter.

Claim 14

A hose construction as defined in claim 9 wherein the radial thickness of said reinforcing rings is approximately 50 percent of said inside diameter.

Claim 15

A hose construction as defined in claim 9 wherein the radial thickness of said reinforcing rings approximates the length of said cylindrical portions.

Claim 16

A hose construction as defined in claim 9 wherein: the length of said unsupported cylindrical portions is less than said inside diameter, whereby inward buckling of one said cylindrical portions will block less than one-half of said hose construction, and is at least about fifty percent of said inside diameter; the radial thickness of said rings is approximately fifty percent of said inside diameter; and the axial thickness of said rings is about the same as their radial thickness, and approximates the length of said unsupported portions.