Lightweight hoses

Abstract

Hoses including an inner tube defining a central longitudinal axis there through, a cover layer disposed proximate the inner tube, and a first reinforcement layer disposed between the inner tube and the cover layer, where a rubber compound forming one or more of the inner tube or the cover layer comprises glass beads, and the rubber compound has a specific gravity of 2.5 or less, a specific gravity of 1.3 or less, or even a specific gravity of 1.1 or less. The rubber compound may include glass beads in an amount of 100 phr or less, 40 phr or less or even 20 phr or less. In some cases, the hoses further include a second reinforcement layer disposed between the first reinforcement layer and the cover layer, and may even further include a friction layer disposed between the first reinforcement layer and the second reinforcement layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.