JPH0348603B2 - - Google Patents

Description

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The invention relates to a flexible hose (or tube) consisting of an electromagnetic energy conductor without structural support.
and a conductor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Current tube or hose constructions consist of one or more elongated strips wound helically around an axis and joined between each adjacent turn to form a cylinder. It is completed. Such hoses may incorporate electrical conductors, which are often extruded or otherwise formed from an elongated strip before being helically wound to form a tube. Incorporated into an elongated strip.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the winding operation of the strip as described above generates large tensile and compressive forces in the strip, which are exerted on the conductor. As a result, the conductor may be stretched beyond its elastic limit and break, or conversely compressed into a knot. In addition, if the hose is bent even after the hose is completed, each part of the hose will be compressed or tensed, which will cause stress on the conductor.
Alternatively, the conductor may become fatigued and break.

To prevent breakage of the electrical conductor, it is conventional practice to use wires that are thick enough to withstand breakage due to such tensile and compressive forces. However, if a thick wire is used, the plastic material from which the hose is made may be bent instead of the wire. Alternatively, rather than a single wire, twisted wires may be used. This is because the twisted wires are twisted, so when a tensile load is applied, the twisted wires untwist and elongate, thereby avoiding breakage.

All of these solutions require a minimum wire thickness sufficient to resist or compensate for forces such as the tensile and compressive forces mentioned above. They have a common drawback. Therefore, generally the wire number or number of wires is
The value will be larger than required depending on the power required. As a result, the amount of stripping material and cost of the hose is increased, and the flexibility of the hose is reduced.

To solve this problem, the applicant's own U.S. Pat. Discloses a suction hose for a vacuum cleaner or the like, comprising an electrical conductor housed within the suction hose. Since this hose structure does not utilize the conductor as a support member for the hose, there is no need to make the conductor thicker than necessary, thus eliminating the drawback of reducing the flexibility of the hose. It also has the advantage of protecting the conductor from wear since the conductor is housed within the cavity formed by the strip. However, the cavities for accommodating the electrical conductors are formed by folding the edge flanges of the strips, which complicates the manufacturing process of the hose accordingly. Furthermore, since the cavity only has a cross-sectional area large enough to hold a conductor of a certain thickness, it cannot absorb the radial movement of the conductor when the hose is bent. ,
Therefore, it is not possible to sufficiently prevent the tensile and compressive forces exerted by the hose from acting on the conductor.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and, in particular, to further improve the hose structure disclosed in the applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,946. This is what I did.

In particular, the invention provides that in hoses of this type the electrical conductors incorporated therein are not located precisely on the center of mass of the hose or there is sufficient free space for the electrical conductors to move within the hose. Based on the knowledge that the conductor may be subjected to stress or tension beyond its breaking point when the hose is bent if the hose is not In the case of a hose formed by joining windings together, the center of mass of the hose is displaced due to its structure, which is based on the recognition of the problem that the conductor may break as a result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a space in which an electrical conductor can move when a tensile or compressive force is applied to or by a hose. The above-mentioned problem is solved by using a conductor enclosure that is sufficiently large.

That is, according to the present invention, the hose is configured such that the conductor can move by a distance greater than the displacement distance of the center of mass of the hose. It is necessary to realize an arrangement that allows such a movement of the electrical conductor, while at the same time taking into account the problems of the weight of the hose and the material cost (the amount of material required to manufacture the hose). In other words, considering the cost of manufacturing the hose, maintaining the flexibility of the hose, maximizing protection from breakage and wear of the conductors, and solving the above problems without increasing the overall bulk of the hose. Must. According to the invention, the problem of weight and material cost of the hose is also solved by configuring one of the radial extensions of the strip forming the hose to form an enclosure for the electrical conductor. Ru.

In summary, the present invention solves this problem by providing hoses that are helically wound around the axis in the form of a tube and extending approximately perpendicular to the axis of the hose and close to each other. A flexible hose comprising at least one elongated strip having at least two radial extensions and an electrical conductor constituting at least one electromagnetic energy conductor having a length approximately equal to the length of the strip. In a flexible hose and electrical conductor combination, said radial extension so as to prevent substantially all tensile and compressive forces exerted on or by said hose from being exerted on said electrical conductor. an enclosure for the electrical conductor attached to one of the sections and extending along the entire length of the helical strip, the enclosure being arranged such that when the hose is unbent; accommodates the electrical conductor approximately in the center when viewed in the radial direction, and allows the electrical conductor to move radially inwardly or outwardly from the radially central position by bending the hose. defining a radial movement space for the body, the dimension of the enclosure in a direction generally parallel to the hose axis being approximately equal to the axial width of the electrical conductor; The dimension substantially perpendicular to the hose axis is greater than the amount of radial inward and outward movement of the electrical conductor caused by the hose, thereby preventing deleterious effects on the electrical conductor. To provide a combination of a flexible hose and a conductor, characterized in that the flexible hose and the conductor are not affected.

The present invention also provides at least two hoses which are wound helically in the form of a tube around the axis of the hose and extend substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the hose and close to each other.
a flexible hose comprising at least one elongated strip having two radial extensions; and an electrical conductor constituting at least one electromagnetic energy conductor having a length approximately equal to the length of the strip. and an electrical conductor, wherein said radially extending portion is configured to prevent substantially all tensile and compressive forces exerted on or by said hose from being exerted on said electrical conductor. an enclosure for the electrical conductor attached thereto and extending along the entire length of the helical strip, the enclosure being such that when the hose is in an unbent state, The conductor is housed approximately in the center when viewed in the radial direction, and bending of the hose allows the conductor to move radially inwardly or outwardly from the radially central position. the enclosure defines a radial movement space for the hose axis, a dimension of the enclosure in a direction substantially parallel to the hose axis is substantially equal to the axial width of the electrical conductor; a dimension substantially perpendicular to the radial inward and outward movement of the electrical conductor caused by the hose;
The two radial extensions are connected to each other by a crown to form a cover, and the end of one of the two radial extensions includes:
The cover is connected to one end of an axially extending base flange, the enclosure is connected to the other end of the base flange, and the cover is connected to the base flange when the strip is wound into a cylinder. To provide a combination of a flexible hose and a conductor, characterized in that the combination is configured to overlap so as to cover the surroundings of adjacent turns of the strip.

Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, a combination body 10 of a flexible hose or tube (hereinafter, both are collectively referred to as "hose" for convenience) and a conductor of the present invention is a combination body 10 of the present invention. It consists of a pair of adjacent strips 12, 14 spirally wound about an axis. The flexible hose and conductor combination 10 is
For convenience, it is also referred to as a "flexible hose with a conductor" or simply a "flexible hose" or a "hose."
One, two, or more strips may be used. each strip 1
2,14 includes a U-shaped central portion 16 having a pair of radially extending portions or legs 18,20 and an axial connecting crown 22 connecting them. The legs 20, 18 extending in the radial direction, that is, perpendicular to the axis of the hose, are connected with edge flanges (hereinafter also simply referred to as "flanges") 24, 26, respectively, and are axially opposed to each other. protrudes in the direction. When these strips 12, 14 are helically wound into a cylinder, the cylindrical edge flange 24 of one strip overlaps the edge flange 26 of the strip of the adjacent turn and is joined to each other. Overlapping surfaces 28, 30 (see FIG. 1) are formed. Such overlapping double wall construction provides strength to resist radial and/or axial deformation forces exerted on the hose. Generally speaking, the radial extensions or legs 18, 20 resist crushing forces exerted radially on the hose and the flange 2
The double walls 4, 26 resist crushing forces exerted in the axial direction by exhibiting greater stiffness than the U-shaped central portion 16.

An enclosure 32 in the form of an enclosure wall is formed in the leg 20 and defines a pocket 34 for receiving electrical conductors 36, 36a for transmitting electromagnetic energy. The enclosure 32 defining the pocket 34 is
In the illustrated embodiment, it is attached to a radially extending portion 20 of the helical strip along its entire length. The pocket 34 defined by the enclosure 32 accommodates the electrical conductor approximately centrally in the radial direction when the hose is not bent, and when the hose is bent, the electrical conductor is located within the pocket 34. A radial movement space for the electrical conductor that allows it to move radially inward or outward from a radially central position as described below. Pocket 34 can therefore be referred to as a "moving space." The dimension of the enclosure 32 in a direction substantially parallel to the hose axis is approximately equal to the axial width of the conductor, and the dimension of the enclosure 32 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the hose axis is approximately equal to the axial width of the conductor. The amount of radial inward and outward movement of the conductor caused by the conductor is greater than the amount of radial inward and outward movement of the conductor, thereby allowing the conductor to move freely in the radial direction. Substantially all tensile and compressive forces exerted on or by the hose are thereby prevented from being exerted on the electrical conductor. Thus, one or more electrical conductors 36, 36 are incorporated into the strips 12, 14, respectively, to transmit electromagnetic energy.
a is arranged so that each enclosure 3 can be easily moved between the outer and outer extremes in the radial direction within the pocket 34.
2. If desired, one or more electrical conductors may be inserted within a single enclosure 32.
In the embodiment shown in FIG.
It is located between the legs 18 and 20 inside the central portion 16 of the glyph. Additionally, the radially innermost surface 38 of the enclosure 32 is located at the edge flange 26.
It is arranged so that it is located in the same plane as the innermost surface 40 when viewed in the radial direction. Surrounding body 32
may be provided on the leg portion 18 instead of on the leg portion 20.

The radial dimension of the pocket 34 is
6, 36a is inserted into the pocket 34 of the strip 12 or 14 at any point in the middle manufacturing process, i.e. whether the conductor is inserted when the strip is extruded. Regardless of whether it is inserted after being molded;
This is an important feature of the invention, especially before the strip is helically wound into the shape of a hose. This important feature will be explained with reference to Figures 2a and 2b. FIG. 2a shows the strip 112
Shows that the wire is in a straight state, not spirally wound. The strip incorporates a pair of wires 136, 136' disposed on opposite sides of the strip's center of mass 142 and slidably held in place. The center of mass is defined as the part of the strip that lies on the axis perpendicular to the length of the strip and is neither compressed nor stretched when bent. The center of mass is not necessarily the geometric center of the strip. Each end 1 of wires 136 and 136'
The lengths between 37 and 137 and between 137' and 137' are the same in both FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b. Also, both ends 113, 113 of the strip 112
The length between them is also the same in both FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b. In FIG. 2a, the wire 13
6,136' respective ends 137,137'
are shown extending an equal length from end 113 of strip 112. However, if the strip 112 is bent as shown in FIG. 2b as it is wound into a spiral,
The portion of the strip above center of mass 142 is stretched so that end 137 of wire 136 is pulled inwardly relative to end 113 of the strip,
The portion of the strip below 42 is compressed and end 137' of wire 136' is forced outwardly from strip end 113. Both ends 13 of each wire
7,137' were held fixed against the ends 113 of the strip 112, the wire 136 would be subjected to a large tensile force and would probably break, and the wire 136' would be subjected to a compressive force and would form a knob. It is clear that this would result in a bulge.

In addition to the need to compensate for wire expansion and contraction problems, if the wire is not placed on the center of mass of the strip, winding and curving the strip in a helical fashion to form the hose shape will reduce the mass. Displacement of the center was also observed. This phenomenon is illustrated in FIG. In Figure 3,
Strips that are not helically wound (ie, not curved) are shown by solid lines only, and rolled and joined strips are shown by solid and dashed lines. After the strip has been wound into a cylinder and spliced, the center of mass has been displaced to the position indicated by line 144'. This amount of displacement is
It depends on two factors. The first factor is strip elongation. In that case, the crown 22 is somewhat stretched and its legs 24, 26 are somewhat compressed. The center of mass will therefore be displaced depending on the degree to which the material of the strip is stretched and compressed. The second factor is that when the flanges 24 and 26 are joined, the wall thickness increases between the double flanges and the joining material. Since the joint portion is thus thick, it is difficult to bend when the hose is bent. These two conditions, i.e., stretching and compression of each section of the strip and thickening due to joining of other strip sections, cause the center of mass to move from the original position indicated by line 144 to the final position indicated by line 144'. be moved to. This moving distance (displacement amount) is indicated by dimension 44. The radial dimension of the pocket 34 should be at least equal to the dimension 44 between the original and final positions of the center of mass. However, to account for the possibility of miscalculation, the radial length 46 of the pocket 34 is made longer than the dimension 44. Generally speaking, the dimension 46 of the pocket 34 will span a substantial portion of the length of the leg 18 or 20, preferably greater than one-half the length of the leg;
It should not be so long as to obstruct the bending of the hose at the crown 22 or other parts of the strip.

Referring to the modified embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the hose 210 of this embodiment has advantages in strip and hose configuration, ease of manufacture, economy of materials, and A pair of strips 212, 214 whose configuration provides superior advantages over those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 in terms of resistance to radial crushing and deformation.
(although the number of strips may be one or three or more).

Each strip 212, 214 has a pair of radially extending legs 218, 220 and a crown 222.
a U-shaped or hook-shaped end portion or cover 21 consisting of
It is equipped with 6. Leg 220 terminates at one end 224 . The other leg 220 is connected to a radially extending enclosure 232 via an axially extending base flange 226 . The enclosure 232 has a radially moving space or pocket 23 for accommodating one or more electrical conductors.
radially extending side walls 23 defining both sides of 4;
2a and 232b. In the illustrated example, each strip 212, 214 is provided with a single conductor 236, 236a, respectively. Each pocket 234 is connected to line 1 shown in FIG. 3 for the same reasons discussed in connection with FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 3.
A radial dimension 246 greater than the displacement of the center of mass extending along a line similar to 44 or 144'
have. For economy of material usage, the axial dimensions of pocket 234, and pocket 34 of FIGS. 1 and 3, are smaller than their radial dimensions, which may, for example, This is not necessarily an essential constraint when the number of conductors in the pocket is large and the axial dimension of the pocket must be increased. Preferably, the cover or end portion 216 defines an interior space having substantially the same size and shape as the exterior shape of the enclosure 232.

Hose 210 with one or more strips
When wound in the shape of , the enclosure 232 and the cover 216
The dimensions and shapes of the strips are the same in the preferred embodiment so that the surround 232 of one turn of the strip fits snugly within the cover 216 of the adjacent turn. Strip 2 in a manner similar to that described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,255,780.
A bonding material 2 is applied between the mutually facing radial surfaces of the leg 220 and the sidewall 232b of the enclosure 232 to bond the adjacent turns 12, 214 together.
48 is interposed.

Effects of the Invention Combinations of flexible hoses and conductors according to the two embodiments of the present invention described above ("flexible hoses with conductors")
Several advantages result from this configuration. That is, according to the present invention, the conductor is placed in an environment in which it can move relatively freely beyond the area defining the space for locking it in the hose, so that the conductor is not attached to the hose. The tensile and compressive forces exerted or exerted by the hose are not transmitted in a harmful manner to the electrical conductor. Therefore, according to the invention, the conductor does not need to be increased in size to increase its physical strength, but can be sized to closely match the size required by the required transmission power. or configure it. Therefore, the smallest wire number wire or smallest size conductor can be used. Also, a single wire can be used rather than twisted wires. Incidentally, stranded wire is more flexible than comparable solid current-carrying wire;
It is considerably more expensive than solid wire, making it a difficult sell in a cost-conscious industry.

Further, according to the present invention, the conductor is housed within the space defined by the enclosure provided in the strip, which not only protects the conductor from wear but also allows the hose to In the unbent state, the conductor is housed approximately in the radial center of the movement space for the conductor, and as the hose is bent, the conductor moves radially inward or outward from the radially central position. The configuration allows for outward movement so that no harmful effects (such as tensile and compressive forces) are exerted on the electrical conductor by the hose. Furthermore, this enclosure does not require any extra steps in its manufacture, such as folding the edge flanges of the strip, as in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,946, and thus does not complicate the hose manufacturing process. ,
The entire hose can be manufactured essentially solely by extrusion.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 has all the advantages of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3, and has additional advantages. For example, the dual thickness of the joined axial flanges 24, 26 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3 increases the resistance to crushing forces exerted axially on the hose 10, with similar results. is also obtained in the hose 210 of the embodiment shown in FIG. All that is then required is to increase the thickness of the base flange 226. However, if it is desired to obtain resistance to axial forces similar to that of the first embodiment without reducing flexibility due to increased thickness of the base flange, flange 226 may be used. shorten and reduce its axial length;
Radial legs 218 and 2 of adjacent turns
20 may be in contact with each other or may be closer together than shown in FIG. In this regard, the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 are somewhat limited. This is because flanges 24 and 26 require minimal contact between their overlapping surfaces 28 and 30 to establish a sufficient bond between them. Such a requirement is not required in the embodiment of FIG. More importantly, the embodiment of FIG. 4 allows for more complete utilization of the proven principles of structure and flexibility of the invention disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,255,780. That is,
Base flange 2 of strips 212, 214
A portion 226 connecting 26 and the crown portion 222
a, 218 provides flexibility and support to the hose. Therefore, portions 226a, 218 and crown 22
2 and the hinged corner connecting them (eg, the corner between leg 220 and crown 222) may be referred to as a flexible portion. In addition, the leg portions 218,2
20, and a radial sidewall 232 of the enclosure 232.
a, 232b may be referred to as a support portion in that it resists radial crushing forces acting on the hose 210. Moreover, the enclosure 232 is the cover 21
6, the enclosure 232 and cover 216 also cooperate to increase the hose's resistance to radial collapse.

Additionally, the placement of the surround 232 at the ends of the strip facilitates extrusion of the strip. The interposition of bonding material 248 between the side wall 232b of the enclosure and the legs 220 facilitates the manufacture of the hose. For example, the hook-shaped latching of the cover 216 to the enclosure 232 may cause the bonding material to tangle when the strip is helically wound to form a hose.
48 cures and holds the cover 216 and the enclosure 232 together for a sufficient period of time to firmly bond the surfaces of the cover 216 and the enclosure 232 without slipping or relative movement between them. Set up a mechanical connection. Additionally, the abutment between opposing edges 226b and 226c of base flange 226 resists axial crushing action on the hose, and the radially innermost surface 238 of base flange 226 resists axial crushing action on the hose. It functions to keep the inner wall surface of the hose defined by the hose smooth.

The present invention has been described above in connection with embodiments, but
The present invention is not limited to the structure and form of the embodiments illustrated herein, and various embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made. I hope you understand that you can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a flexible hose with electrical conductor formed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Figures 2a and 2b show unbent strips of the same length with wires of the same length shown to illustrate the contraction and expansion movements of the conductor that occur with respect to the strip when the strip is bent. FIG. 2 is a side view when the device is bent and a side view when it is bent. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 embodiment of the conductor and strip incorporated to compensate for contraction and expansion of the conductor; the non-helically wound strip is shown in solid lines only; The helically wound and joined strips are shown as solid and dotted lines. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention formed from two strips having a different configuration than that shown in FIG. 1, each carrying a conductor; FIG. .

10: Combination of flexible hose and conductor (flexible hose with conductor), 12, 14: Strip, 1
6: Center part of U-shape, 18, 20: Radial extension part (leg part), 22: Crown part, 24, 26: Edge flange, 32: Surrounding body, 34: Pocket (movement space), 36, 36a : Electrical conductor, 38: Innermost surface as seen in the radial direction, 40: Innermost surface as seen in the radial direction, 210: Combination of flexible hose and electrical conductor (flexible hose with electrical conductor), 212, 214: Strip, 216: U-shaped or hook-shaped central part,
218, 220: Radial extension portion (leg), 2
22: Crown part, 226: Base flange, 232:
Enclosing body, 232a, 232b: side wall, 234: pocket (movement space), 236, 236a: conductor,
238: Innermost surface in the radial direction, 240:
The innermost surface in the radial direction.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. at least two radially extending portions 18 which are spirally wound in the form of a cylinder around an axis and extend substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the hose and close to each other; at least one elongated strip 12, 14; 21 with 20; 218, 220;
a flexible hose 10 consisting of 2,214; 210;
210; and a conductor 36, 36:236, 236a constituting at least one electromagnetic energy conductor having a length approximately equal to the length of the strip. Substantially all the tensile and compressive forces exerted on or by said electrical conductor 36, 36; 236, 2
36a, attached to one of said radial extensions 20; 218, said helical strip 12, 14;
2,214 is provided with an enclosure 32; 232 for the electrical conductor extending along the entire length of the hose, which, when the hose is not bent along its axis, The conductor is housed approximately in the center when viewed in the radial direction, and bending of the hose allows the conductor to move radially inwardly or outwardly from the radially central position. the enclosure defines a radial movement space for the hose axis, a dimension of the enclosure in a direction substantially parallel to the hose axis is substantially equal to the axial width of the electrical conductor; is greater than the amount of radial inward and outward movement of the electrical conductor caused by the hose; A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor, characterized in that the conductor is not adversely affected by movement. 2. The flexible hose and conductor combination of claim 1, wherein the strip is extruded so that the conductor is enclosed within the enclosure during extrusion. 3. Said strip, viewed in cross-section, comprises a U-shaped central portion and a pair of oppositely extending axially extending edge flanges connected to respective legs of said U-shaped central portion; one of the pair of edge flanges is joined overlying the other of the pair of edge flanges between adjacent turns of the strip to form the hose; A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor according to claim 1. 4. The flexible hose and electrical conductor combination according to claim 3, wherein the enclosure is disposed between the legs of the U-shaped portion. 5. The enclosure includes one of the pair of edge flanges.
the radially innermost surface of the enclosure is located in the same plane as the radially innermost surface of the one edge flange. A combination of the flexible hose and the conductor according to item 4. 6. The strip has a center of mass at different positions before and after it is spirally wound into a tube shape, and the dimension of the enclosure in the vertical direction is , before the strip is wound in order to enable the electrical conductor to move within the movement space in response to tension and compression forces exerted on or by the hose. 2. A flexible hose and electrical conductor combination according to claim 1, having a length at least equal to the distance between the center of mass of the strip and the center of mass of the strip after it has been wound. 7. The hose comprises a plurality of strips spirally wound around an axis in the form of a cylinder, each strip containing one of the electrical conductors. A combination of flexible hose and conductor. 8. The flexible hose and electrical conductor combination of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor is dimensioned solely according to the amount of electromagnetic energy it is intended to transmit. 9. The strip is adapted to move its center of mass when bent, and the dimensions of the enclosure are at least as large as the distance of movement of the center of mass of the strip. A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor as described in . 10. The two radial extensions of the strip are disposed relative to each other so as to be movable relative to each other when the hose is bent, imparting flexibility to the hose.
A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor as described in . 11. at least one elongate strip wound helically in the form of a tube around the axis and having at least two radial extensions extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of the hose and close to each other; a flexible hose and an electrical conductor comprising at least one electromagnetic energy conductor having a length approximately equal to the length of the strip; or the entire length of the helical strip attached to one of the radial extensions to prevent substantially all the tensile and compressive forces exerted by the hose from being exerted on the electrical conductor. an enclosure for the electrical conductor extending along the axis of the hose, the enclosure extending along the axis of the electrical conductor, the enclosure extending along the a radial movement space for the electrical conductor which is housed approximately centrally and which allows the electrical conductor to move radially inwardly or outwardly from a radially central position by bending the hose; defining a dimension of the enclosure in a direction substantially parallel to the hose axis that is substantially equal to an axial width of the conductor; The dimensions are greater than the amount of radial inward and outward movement of the electrical conductor caused by the hose, and the two
The two radial extensions are connected to each other by a crown to form a cover, and the end of one of the two radial extensions includes:
The cover is connected to one end of an axially extending base flange, the enclosure is connected to the other end of the base flange, and the cover is connected to the base flange when the strip is wound into a cylinder. What is claimed is: 1. A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor, characterized in that the flexible hose and electrical conductor are configured to overlap so as to cover the enclosures of adjacent turns of the strip. 12. The base flange has a substantially flat surface that defines a flat, substantially smooth interior surface of the hose when the strip is wound into a hose. 12. A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor according to item 11. 13. The enclosure has radially extending side walls which cooperate with the two radially extending portions of the cover to provide resistance to forces exerted radially on the hose. Claim 11 is adapted to increase the resistance of the hose.
A combination of a flexible hose and a conductor as described in Section 1. 14. The base flange may be arranged in close proximity to the side wall of the enclosure and the radial extension of the strip to increase the resistance of the hose to crushing forces exerted on the hose in an axial direction. 14. A flexible hose and electrical conductor combination according to claim 13, wherein the flexible hose and electrical conductor combination is shortened so as to be shortened so as to be shortened. 15. The cover defines an interior space having specific dimensions and shape, and the enclosure has substantially the same exterior dimensions and shape as the interior space. A combination of flexible hose and conductor.