A hose comprising a tubular body of flexible material arranged between elongate inner and outer gripping members, wherein the tubular body comprises a sealing layer arranged between inner and outer reinforcing layers, and wherein the outer gripping member is made of a flexible non-rigid material capable of being wound around the tubular body.
1. A hose comprising a tubular body of flexible material arranged between elongate inner and outer gripping members, wherein the tubular body comprises a sealing layer and at least one reinforcing layer, and wherein the outer gripping member is flexible and non-rigid, has a sufficiently low bending stiffness such that it is incapable of supporting its own weight in the longitudinal direction thereof and is formed from a flexible and non-rigid material with a flexibility sufficient to enable it to be wound around the tubular body and wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a rigid material that is relatively inflexible compared with the outer gripping member.
2. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is mainly or entirely formed of a polymeric material.
3. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.
4. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is mainly or entirely formed of a metal.
5. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is provided in the form of a flexible non-rigid rope, wire, cable or ribbon.
6. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is in the form of a yarn formed of a plurality of untwisted or twisted polymeric fibres.
7. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the outer gripping member is in the form of a flexible non-rigid monofilament.
8. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a metal.
9. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a steel.
10. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer gripping members comprise helical coils.
11. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular body comprises at least two reinforcing layers, and the sealing layer is disposed between two of the reinforcing layers.
12. A hose according to claim 1 , further comprising an axial strengthening means comprising a generally tubular sheath formed of a sheet of material provided in a tubular shape, such that the tubular sheath can maintain the integrity of its tubular shape when subjected to axial tension.
13. A hose according to claim 1 , wherein the axial strengthening means is provided in the form of a generally tubular braid.
14. A hose according to claim 2 , wherein the outer gripping member is formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.
15. A hose according to claim 4 , wherein the outer gripping member has sufficiently low bending stiffness that it is incapable of supporting its own weight in the longitudinal direction of thereof.
16. A hose according to claim 15 , wherein the outer gripping member is provided in the form of a flexible non-rigid rope, wire, cable or ribbon.
17. A hose according to claim 16 , wherein the outer gripping member is in the form of a yarn formed of a plurality of untwisted or twisted polymeric fibres.
18. A hose according to claim 16 , wherein the outer gripping member is in the form of a flexible non-rigid monofilament.
19. A hose according to claim 18 , wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a rigid material which is relatively inflexible compared with the outer gripping member.
20. A hose according to claim 19 , wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a metal.
21. A hose according to claim 20 , wherein the inner gripping member is formed of a steel.
22. A hose according to claim 21 , wherein the inner and outer gripping members comprise helical coils.
23. A hose according to claim 22 , wherein the tubular body comprises at least two reinforcing layers, and the sealing layer is disposed between two of the reinforcing layers.
24. A hose according to claim 23 , further comprising an axial strengthening means comprising a generally tubular sheath formed of a sheet of material provided in a tubular shape, such that the tubular sheath can maintain the integrity of its tubular shape when subjected to axial tension.
25. A hose according to claim 24 , wherein the axial strengthening means is provided in the form of a generally tubular braid.