Patent ID: 7726345

Claim:
A flexible conduit comprising: an elongated shaped metallic strip, said elongated shaped metallic strip including a central portion disposed between a first and a second end portion, said first and said second end portions extending generally outwardly from said central portion on generally opposite sides of said central portion and including first and second planar outer surfaces of said strip, respectively, wherein at least a portion of said central portion includes a cross-sectional thickness T C which is less than a maximum cross-sectional thickness T M of said elongated shaped strip, said elongated shaped strip being helically wound around itself and configured to form a generally tubular body, said central portion including a top and a bottom surface extending from said first and said second planar outer surfaces of said strip, at least a portion of at least one of said top and said bottom surfaces including a generally concaved region, said concaved region including a first and a second section extending from one of said first and said second planar outer surfaces of said strip at a first and a second acute angle α 1 and α 2 , respectively, wherein said first and said second sections converge together at a point between said first and said second planar outer surfaces.