Patent ID: 8882006

Claim:
An irrigation system having a liquid conduit for the delivery of liquid, the system comprising: a movable cart having a plurality of wheels; a flexible hose assembly secured to the movable cart and operable to provide a portion of the liquid conduit, the flexible hose assembly including: a first hose defining a transition region; and a second hose that is more rigid than the first hose; and an internal link (i) secured to the movable cart, (ii) housed in the liquid conduit, and (iii) operable to partially restrict at least a portion of the flexible hose assembly, the internal link including a cable or chain and a bend-restrictive connection assembly, the bend-restrictive connection assembly being positioned within the transition region of the first hose and having a minimum bend diameter that is greater than a minimum bend diameter of the first hose so that the first hose adopts the minimum bend diameter of the bend-restrictive connection assembly in the transition region, wherein “minimum bend diameter” is defined as the bend diameter at which a given assembly or hose will not bend further without breaking, kinking, or blocking fluid, the bend-restrictive connection assembly having a plurality of bend restrictors connected to each other in series, the bend restrictors including a plurality of connectors, a plurality of spacers disposed between the connectors, and a plurality of ligaments extending through the spacers and terminating within the connectors.