Flexible conduit

A building component for forming a wall of a flexible conduit, comprising:

• an elongated band of material having a substantially asymmetrical Z;
• shaped cross-sectional profile, said profile having a leading edge and a trailing edge whereby said band may be helically wound in a plurality of successive winding turns to form a wall of said conduit, with said trailing edge of one winding turn adapted to overlie and lock to said leading edge of a previous adjacent winding turn, said Z-shaped profile including a hook on said leading edge and a hook on said trailing edge;
• a main body interposed between said leading edge hook and said trailing edge hook;
• a leading edge valley interposed between said leading edge hook and said main body;
• a trailing edge valley interposed between said trailing edge hook and said main body;
• an inner surface adapted to form a radially inner part of said conduit wall;
• and
• an outer surface adapted to form a radially outer surface of said conduit wall;
• said profile being thicker between said inner surface and said leading edge valley than between said outer surface and said trailing edge valley.

A flexible conduit, comprising:

• at least one elongate, helically wound band of material wound in a plurality of winding turns to form a tubular body, each of said bands of material having an asymmetrical Z-shaped cross-sectional profile, wherein said Z-shaped profile has a leading edge and a trailing edge and said band is helically wound with said trailing edge of one winding turn overlying and locking to said leading edge of a previous adjacent winding turn, said Z-shaped profile including a hook on said leading edge and a hook on said trailing edge;
• a main body interposed between said leading edge hook and said trailing edge hook;
• a leading edge valley interposed between said leading edge hook and said main body;
• a trailing edge valley interposed between said trailing edge hook and said main body;
• an inner surface adapted to form a radially inner part of said conduit wall;
• and
• said profile being thicker between said inner surface and skid leading edge valley than between said outer surface and said trailing edge valley.