Flexible hose assembly for diving suits

There is disclosed a flexible hose for supplying air to persons wearing diving suits or the like protecting garments and working in dangerous water or air environments, including data communication lines for transmitting and receiving voice and measurement data. The flexible hose comprises a tube like element in the wall of which there is embedded a metal coil thereon there are wound electric or telephonic cables which are embedded in a rubber layer and encompassed by an antitearing fabric layer and an antiabrasive rubber outer layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an improved structure flexible hose for 
supplying air to persons wearing diving suits or the like protecting 
garments and working in dangerous water or air environment, the hose 
including lines or cables for transmitting and receiving voice and data 
signals, and to a method for making the flexible hose. 
As is known a person working in a water environment, such as a diver, is 
usually protected by a diving suit supplied with air through a rubber 
flexible hose. 
A like protecting garment is also used for persons working in dangerous air 
environments, that is environments of toxic gases and the like. 
Also known is the fact that communication means must be provided for 
allowing for the diver to communicate with a control station, therefrom 
respiration air is also supplied. 
These communication means usually consist of a telephonic apparatus and, 
advantageously, of low voltage supplied data communication apparatus, 
intended for measurement purposes. 
These apparatus, in particular, are usually coupled by means of dedicated 
electric cables which generally extend on a side of the respiration air 
supplying flexible hose and are restrained on its outer wall by means of 
clamping band or the like. 
Thus, these electric cables are susceptible to damages and/or 
interruptions, in addition to hampering the user movements. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the task of the present invention is to overcome the above 
mentioned drawbacks, by providing a flexible hose adapted for supplying 
air and communication data to a person wearing a diving suit or the like 
protecting garment and working in a dangerous water or air environment. 
Within that task, a main object of the present invention is to provide a 
flexible hose in which the data transmission cables are directly embedded 
in the structure of the hose itself. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a flexible hose 
which is very reliable and safe in operation. 
According to one aspect of the present invention the above mentioned task 
and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent 
thereinafter, are achieved by a flexible hose characterized in that it 
essentially comprises a tube-like element in the wall of which there is 
embedded a metal coil thereon there are wound electric or telephonic 
cables, said cables being embedded in a rubber layer and being coated by 
an antitear fabric and an outer antiabrasive rubber layer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the FIGURE of the accompanying drawing, the flexible hose 
according to the invention comprises a tube-like core 1 made of a suitable 
resilient material, in the wall of which there is embedded a metal coil 
(2). 
This metal coil is specifically designed for preventing the tube-like core 
1 from being crushed thereby supplying respiration air to the user in a 
safe manner. 
Inside said tube-like core 1 there is provided a sub-layer 3, made of an 
odourless rubber-like material, which is coated by a suitable reinforcing 
fabric layer 4. 
Moreover, above the tube-like core 1 there is further arranged, through the 
interposition of a further reinforcing textile layer 5, a rubber band 6 in 
which there are embedded a given number of electric or telephonic cables 
7. 
In order to protect the mentioned cables from possible damages, the 
mentioned rubber band encompassing said cables is further coated by an 
antitear fabric 8 and a further antiabrasive rubber layer 9. 
Moreover, in order to prevent possible leaks of the dangerous fluid into 
the inside of the flexible hose, at end of the mentioned reinforcing 
fabric layers, there is applied a respective rubber washer 9' which is 
vulcanized jointly with the hose. 
The method for making the flexible hose according to the present invention 
uses, as is conventional, a rigid mandrel supported by rolling rollers and 
thereon there are helically wound the flexible hose forming layers. 
In such a method, in order to prevent the electric or telephonic cables 
from being damaged because of their rolling on the mentioned rollers, they 
are embedded in a crude rubber band, having a thickness greater than the 
diameter of said cables, and are simultaneously helically wound. 
In this connection it should be pointed out that the mentioned cables have 
their end free portions projecting from the flexible hose, for electrical 
coupling purposes to data communication or measurement units. 
The electric cables, moreover, are suitably spaced from one another and are 
affixed so as to prevent the flexible hose from being torn at the outlet 
or projecting portions thereof. 
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully 
achieves the intended task and objects. 
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and 
illustrated, it should be pointed out that the disclosed embodiment is 
susceptible to many modifications and variations coming within its spirit 
and the scope of the appended claims.