Flexible, arc-resistant, fluid-resistant, high-temperature and abrasion-resistant, wrapable textile sleeve and method for constructing the same.

Abstract

The wrappable sleeve has a wall including an interlaced layer providing an inner surface and an opposing outer surface extending widthwise between opposing edges and longitudinally between opposing ends. The opposing edges can be wrapped around a central longitudinal axis to constrain the elongated member within a cavity bounded by the inner surface. The interlaced layer is formed from interlaced yarns, at least a portion of which include heat resistant multifilaments and heat resistant monofilaments. The wall further includes a silicone-based coating adhered to the outer surface of the interlaced layer and a closure member secured along one of the opposing edges. The closure member has an adhesive surface configured to maintain the opposing edges of the wall in overlapping relationship with one another.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 317,891 filed on March 8, 2022, and claims the priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 118,611 filed on March 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Background of the Invention 1. Technical Field The present invention generally relates to a textile sleeve for protecting an elongated member, and more particularly to a flexible wrapable textile sleeve having arc resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance and fluid resistance properties.

Background Art

[0003] 2. Background Art It is known to accommodate and protect elongated members such as wires and wire harnesses for protecting cables, wires and hoses, for example, in a circumferentially continuous tubular textile sleeve. However, these sleeves have a fixed cavity size and must slide axially over the elongated member to be protected, so they are generally difficult to assemble around the elongated member to be protected. Furthermore, in order to achieve a plurality of different types of desired protection such as arc resistance, fluid resistance, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance, known protective sleeves typically have a plurality of layers, each layer being specifically provided for a different type of protection. While the above-described multi-layer sleeves are capable of providing adequate protection against various environmental conditions, unfortunately they are bulky and have thick multi-layer walls with different types of yarns provided in each layer, thereby requiring a large spatial volume, and furthermore they tend to be relatively heavy and less flexible. Furthermore, the requirement to include multiple layers can be problematic in some applications, particularly those requiring routing of cables, wires or hoses through dense winding areas, as well as applications with weight limits such as aircraft and aerospace applications, for example. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Summary of the Invention One aspect of the present invention provides a wrapable sleeve for wrapping an elongated member and protecting it from thermal conditions including arcing, exposure to abrasion, high heat and flame, ingress of fluids (water / fuel), and other environmental conditions such as contamination, and from fluid absorption into the sleeve wall. The wrapable sleeve has a wall comprising an entangled layer having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface that extends widthwise between opposing edges and longitudinally between opposing ends. The opposing edges are configured to wrap around a central longitudinal axis to restrain the elongated member within a cavity bounded by the inner surface. The entangled layer is formed from threads that entangle with each other, at least a portion of which include heat-resistant multifilaments and heat-resistant monofilaments. The wall further comprises a silicone-based coating bonded to the outer surface of the entangled layer, and a closure member is fixed along one of the opposing edges. The closure member has an adhesive surface configured to bond to the outer surface of the wall to maintain the opposing edges of the wall in an overlapping relationship with each other.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present invention, the yarn may include warp threads extending substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis and weft threads extending substantially transversely to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the warp threads are woven together with the weft threads.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, the warp threads may be provided solely from heat-resistant multifilaments, and the weft threads may be provided to include heat-resistant monofilaments.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, a weft yarn comprising heat-resistant monofilaments and heat-resistant multifilaments can be provided.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the heat-resistant multifilament can be provided as a meta-aramid.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, a heat-resistant warp multifilament having about 100 to 3000 denier can be provided, and a heat-resistant weft multifilament having about 50 to 1000 denier can be provided.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a heat-resistant monofilament having a diameter of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm can be provided.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the heat-resistant monofilament can be provided as PEEK.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the silicone-based coating may include at least one or both of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the silicone-based coating has a thickness of about 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the closing member can be provided as a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive is configured to be fixedly bonded to the inner surface of the entangled layer and the outer surface of the silicone-based coating.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, the closing member may include a silicone fusion tape. According to another aspect of the present invention, the closing member may include a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to a silicone fusion tape.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for constructing a wrapable sleeve for wrapping an elongated member to protect it from thermal conditions including arcs, exposure to abrasion, high heat and flames, ingress of fluids (water / fuel), and other environmental conditions such as contamination, and from fluid absorption into the wall of the wrapable sleeve. The method comprises entanglement of heat-resistant yarn to form an entangled layer of a wrapable wall having opposing edges that extend longitudinally between opposing ends, the opposing edges being configured to wrap around a central longitudinal axis to restrain an elongated member within a sealed cavity. The method further comprises bonding a silicone-based coating to the outer surface of the entangled layer. The method further comprises fixing a closure member along one of the opposing edges and providing a closure member having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the wall to maintain the opposing edges of the wall in an overlapping relationship with respect to each other.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include entangling yarns with each other in a weaving, knitting, or braiding process. If woven, the method may further include weaving yarns including warp threads extending substantially parallel to a central longitudinal axis, wherein the warp threads are all provided as heat-resistant multifilaments, and the weft threads extend substantially transversely to the warp threads, wherein the weft threads include heat-resistant monofilaments.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include providing a weft yarn comprising both heat-resistant monofilaments and multifilaments.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include providing a warp multifilament having about 100 to 3000 denier and providing a weft multifilament having about 50 to 1000 denier.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include providing a weft monofilament having a diameter of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise weaving warp and weft in one of a plain weave, twill weave, basket weave, or satin weave pattern.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise weaving weft monofilaments and multifilaments in an alternating relationship with each other along the entire length of a wall.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a silicone-based coating having a thickness of about 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a silicone-based coating comprising at least one of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a closure member comprising a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive configured to adhesively bond to an inner surface of a wall and an outer surface of the wall.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a closure member comprising a silicone fusion tape.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise providing a silicone fusion tape having a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive adhered thereto, the silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive being configured to adhere to an outer surface of a silicone-based coating.

[0030] These and other aspects, features and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and best mode, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a wrapable sleeve configured according to one aspect of the present invention, which is shown wrapped around an elongated member protected therein. [Figure 2A] Figure 1 is an end view of the sleeve as seen along its central longitudinal axis, illustrating different embodiments of a closing member for maintaining the opposing edges of a wrapable sleeve in a fixed, overlapping relationship. [Figure 2B] Figure 1 is an end view of the sleeve as seen along its central longitudinal axis, illustrating different embodiments of a closing member for maintaining the opposing edges of a wrapable sleeve in a fixed, overlapping relationship. [Figure 2C] Figure 1 is an end view of the sleeve as seen along its central longitudinal axis, illustrating different embodiments of a closing member for maintaining the opposing edges of a wrapable sleeve in a fixed, overlapping relationship. [Figure 3A] Figure 1 shows different embodiments of the entangled layer of the wrapable sleeve. [Figure 3B] Figure 1 shows different embodiments of the entangled layer of the wrapable sleeve. [Figure 3C] Figure 1 shows different embodiments of the entangled layer of the wrapable sleeve. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] Detailed description of preferred embodiments Referring more closely to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2A to 2C show schematic diagrams of wrapable (shown wrapped in Figure 1) textile sleeves, hereafter referred to as sleeves 10a, 10b, and 10c, configured according to different embodiments of the present invention, where sleeves 10a to 10c will generally be described hereafter as sleeve 10 unless otherwise specified. Sleeve 10 has a flexible, wrapable, elongated wall 12 for routing elongated members 14 such as cables, wires, and pipes, and protecting them from thermal conditions including, for example, arcs (electrical pathways through an air gap from the cable or wire to another conductor so that the energy of the cable or wire is contained inside the wall 12, thereby preventing the release of energy from sleeve 10), abrasion, high heat and flame, absorption and intrusion of fluids such as water, oil, and fuel, and exposure to other environmental conditions such as contamination. The wall 12 can be configured to have any suitable size, including length and diameter. The wall 12 has an inner surface 15 and an opposing outer surface 17 that extend in the width direction between opposing edges 16, 18 and in the longitudinal direction between opposing ends 19, 21. The opposing edges 16, 18 extend substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis 20, and the edges 16, 18 can be wound in a "cigarette winding" manner so as to overlap each other to completely enclose the elongated member 14 within the central cavity 22 bounded by the inner surface 15 of the sleeve 10. The wall 12 has an inner entangled textile layer 23 formed from yarns 24 that are entangled with each other by either weaving (Figure 3A), knitting (Figure 3B), or braiding (Figure 3C), and at least a portion of the yarns 24 include heat-resistant multifilaments 24a and heat-resistant monofilaments 24b, thereby allowing the sleeve 10 to withstand exposure to high heat and flames for a predetermined time, including up to about 2 hours or more, while protecting the elongated member 14 from thermal damage. The silicone coating 26 is bonded to the outer surface 17 of the entangled textile layer 23, as shown, and the silicone coating 26 enhances the level of protection to the elongated member 14, particularly with respect to preventing arc and fluid absorption / intrusion.The closing member 28 is fixed along one of the opposing edges (outer edge 18) and has an adhesive surface 30 configured to adhere to the outer, outward-facing surface of the silicone coating 26 of the wall 12 in order to maintain the opposing edges 16, 18 of the wall 12 in an overlapping relationship. Thus, the wall 12 and the closing member 28 seal the cavity 22 against the ingress of fluid, thereby providing the aforementioned protection to the elongated member 14.

[0033] The silicone-based coating 26 is a fluid-impermeable coating, thereby making the wall 12 fluid-impermeable and liquid-repellent by making it impermeable to water, fuel (e.g., kerosene), oil, etc. Therefore, it is prevented that fluids are absorbed by the entanglement layer 23, and thus, it is prevented that water, fuel, etc. impairs the ability of the sleeve 10 to provide the desired level of protection. The silicone-based coating 26 may contain at least one or both of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer, and may be provided to have a thickness between approximately 0.1 and 3.0 mm, thereby allowing the wall 12 to have a narrow profile, thereby increasing its flexibility and ability to route into relatively small and narrow spaces.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2A, the closing member 28 can be provided as a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) 28a. The silicone PSA 28a is shown configured to adhere to the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 and the outer surface of the wall 12, and is shown to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone coating 26. Thus, the silicone PSA 28a is sandwiched between the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 and the outer surface of the silicone coating 26. The silicone PSA 28a can be a double-sided PSA so that it adheres to the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 during the manufacture of the sleeve 10 and adheres to the outer surface of the silicone coating 26 when assembling the sleeve 10 around the elongated member 14. A release film (not shown) can be applied to the PSA surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone coating 26, so that the release film can be peeled off, and if desired, the sleeve 10 can be wrapped around the elongated member 14 and secured.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2B, the closing member 28 can be provided as a silicone fusion tape 28b. The silicone fusion tape 28b is shown configured to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone coating 26 adjacent to the outer edge 18 and the outer surface of the silicone coating 26 adjacent to the inner edge 16. In this way, the entire silicone fusion tape 28b is exposed around the outer surface of the silicone coating 26. A release film (not shown) can optionally be applied to the inner surface of the silicone fusion tape 28b, and the release film is optionally configured to be peeled off during the manufacture of the sleeve 10 and while the sleeve 10 is wrapped around and secured to the elongated member 14.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2C, the closing member 28c can be provided in the same manner as described above for the embodiment in Figure 2B, and has a silicone fusion tape 32, but also has an inner silicone PSA 34 that is adhered to the inner surface of the silicone fusion tape 32 and forms the adhesive surface 30, as described above for the embodiment in Figure 2A. The closing member 28c is shown adhered to the outer surface of the silicone coating 26 (the surface facing radially outward with respect to the central longitudinal axis 20), as described above for the embodiment in Figure 2B, and may include a release film if necessary.

[0037] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the entangled yarn 24 is woven to include warp threads 36 extending substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis 20 and weft threads 38 extending substantially transversely to the central longitudinal axis 20. The warp threads 36 can be woven with the weft threads 38 in any desired weave pattern, including, for example, plain weave, twill weave, satin weave or basket weave. A plain weave pattern is preferred to provide a smooth, stable, and uniform protective pattern and has a smoothness that facilitates bonding to the outer surface 17 of the silicone-based coating 26. The warp threads 36 can be made from multifilaments 24a only, which are heat resistant (high temperature resistant), and the weft threads include monofilaments 24b, which are also heat resistant (high temperature resistant) and have high abrasion resistance. Furthermore, if it is desired that the wall 12 be provided as self-wrapping, the monofilament 24b can be provided as heat-set, thereby allowing it to heat-set to impart a thermoforming bias to the wall 12 in order to maintain the opposing edges 16, 18 in an overlapping relationship, in the absence of sufficient external force to overcome the internal bias. Naturally, external force can be intentionally applied to spread the opposing edges 16, 18 apart from each other while installing the sleeve 10 around the elongated member 14, in which case the externally applied force can be released, allowing the bias to automatically return the opposing edges 16, 18 to their overlapping relationship. The weft 38 may further include heat-resistant multifilament 24a, and the weft monofilament 24b and weft multifilament 24a are provided in any desired ratio, and in one currently preferred embodiment, the weft monofilament 24b and weft multifilament 24a may be woven in an alternating relationship with each other in a 1:1 ratio.

[0038] The warp multifilaments 36 and 24a can be provided as meta-aramid having a denier of approximately 100 to 3000 tex, and the weft multifilaments 38 and 24a can be provided to have a denier of approximately 50 to 1000 tex. The weft monofilaments 38 and 24b can be provided as PEEK having a diameter of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 mm. By using weft multifilaments 38 and 24a having a smaller effective diameter than the warp multifilaments 36 and 24a, increased weave tightness and density can be achieved, thereby enhancing the protection of the elongated member 14.

[0039] According to another aspect of this disclosure, referring to Figures 3B and 3C, the textile sleeves 10b and 10c can be knitted or braided with the multifilaments 24a and monofilaments 24b described above, respectively. It should be understood that any desired combination of multifilaments 24a and / or monofilaments 24b can be used to form the knitted or braided entangled yarn 24.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for constructing textile sleeves 10a, 10b, 10c is provided. The method comprises entanglement of heat-resistant yarn 24 to form an entangled layer 23 of a wall 12 having opposing edges 16, 18 extending longitudinally between opposing ends 19, 21, the opposing edges 16, 18 being configured to wrap around a central longitudinal axis 20 to restrain an elongated member 14 within a sealed cavity 22. The method further comprises bonding a silicone-based coating 26 to the outer surface 17 of the entangled layer 23. The method further comprises fixing closure members 28a, 28b, 28c along one of the opposing edges 18 and providing closure members 28a, 28b, 28c having adhesive surfaces 30 configured to adhere to the outer surface 17 of the wall 12 to maintain the opposing edges 16, 18 of the wall 12 in an overlapping relationship.

[0041] The method may further include entangling the yarns 24 with each other in a weaving, knitting, or braiding process. If woven, the method may further include weaving yarns including warp threads 36 extending substantially parallel to a central longitudinal axis 20, wherein the warp threads 36 are all provided as heat-resistant multifilaments 24a, and the weft threads 38 extend substantially transversely to the warp threads 36, wherein the weft threads 38 include heat-resistant monofilaments 24b.

[0042] In another embodiment, the weft yarn 38 may further include both heat-resistant monofilament 24b and multifilament 24a.

[0043] The method may further include providing warp multifilaments 36 and 24a having a denier of approximately 100 to 3000 tex, and providing weft multifilaments 38 and 24a having a denier of approximately 50 to 1000 tex.

[0044] The method may further include providing a weft monofilament 24b having a diameter of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

[0045] Furthermore, the method may include weaving the warp threads 36 and weft threads 38 in one of the following patterns: plain weave, twill weave, basket weave, or satin weave.

[0046] The method may further include weaving the weft monofilaments 24b and weft multifilaments 24a in an alternating relationship with each other along the entire length of the wall 12, such that the monofilaments 24b and weft multifilaments 24a are provided in a 1:1 ratio.

[0047] The method may further include providing a silicone-based coating 26 having a thickness of approximately 0.1 to 3.0 mm, and in one exemplary embodiment, approximately 0.1 to 1.00 mm.

[0048] The method may further include providing a silicone-based coating 26 comprising at least one of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer, thereby protecting the elongated components within it from damage while enabling the sleeve to withstand exposure to high heat and flame for a predetermined amount of time, including up to about two hours.

[0049] The method may further include providing a closing member 28 containing a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive 30.

[0050] The method may further include providing a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive 30 configured to be fixedly bonded to the inner surface 15 and the outer surface 17 of the wall 12.

[0051] The method may further include providing a closing member 28 that includes a silicone fusion tape 32.

[0052] The method may further include providing a silicone fusion tape 32 to which a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive 34 configured to adhere to the outer surface of a silicone-based coating 26 is bonded.

[0053] Clearly, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. All features of all claims and all embodiments are considered to be combinatorial, insofar as such combinations do not contradict each other. Therefore, it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be carried out in ways other than those specifically described.

Claims

1. A textile sleeve for protecting a long, slender component, A wall extending in the width direction between opposing edges, comprising an entangled textile layer having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface extending longitudinally between opposing ends, wherein the opposing edges are configured to wrap around the central longitudinal axis of the elongated member to restrain the elongated member within a cavity bounded by the inner surface, and the entangled textile layer is formed of entangled threads, at least a portion of which include heat-resistant multifilaments and heat-resistant monofilaments, the wall and A silicone-based coating bonded to the outer surface of the entangled textile layer, A closing member fixed along one of the opposing edges, having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the wall in order to maintain the opposing edges of the wall in an overlapping relationship, Equipped with, The yarn includes warp threads extending substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis and weft threads extending substantially transversely to the central longitudinal axis. The aforementioned entangled textile layer is a woven fabric composed of the warp threads and the weft threads, The warp threads consist solely of heat-resistant warp multifilaments, and the weft threads include heat-resistant weft monofilaments and heat-resistant weft multifilaments. The closing member includes a silicone fusion tape. Textile sleeves.

2. The textile sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heat-resistant warp multifilament and the heat-resistant weft multifilament are made of meta-aramid.

3. The textile sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heat-resistant warp multifilament has a denier of 100 to 3000, and the heat-resistant weft multifilament has a denier of 50 to 1000.

4. The textile sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the silicone-based coating comprises at least one of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer.

5. The textile sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the silicone-based coating has a thickness of 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

6. A textile sleeve for protecting a long, slender component, A wall extending in the width direction between opposing edges, comprising an entangled textile layer having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface extending longitudinally between opposing ends, wherein the opposing edges are configured to wrap around the central longitudinal axis of the elongated member to restrain the elongated member within a cavity bounded by the inner surface, and the entangled textile layer is formed of entangled threads, at least a portion of which include heat-resistant multifilaments and heat-resistant monofilaments, the wall and A silicone-based coating bonded to the outer surface of the entangled textile layer, A closing member fixed along one of the opposing edges, having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the wall in order to maintain the opposing edges of the wall in an overlapping relationship, Equipped with, The closing member is a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to a silicone fusion tape, and the textile sleeve is also a textile sleeve.

7. The textile sleeve according to claim 6, wherein the silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive is configured to be fixedly bonded to the inner and outer surfaces of the wall.

8. The textile sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the closing member includes a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to the silicone fusion tape.

9. A method for constructing a textile sleeve to protect an elongated member from exposure to arcs, high temperatures and flames, abrasion, and fluid ingress, A wall extending longitudinally between opposing ends, wherein heat-resistant yarn is intertwined to form an intertwined textile layer of the wall having opposing edges, A silicone-based coating is bonded to the outer surface of the entangled textile layer, The opposing edges are configured to be wrapped around the central longitudinal axis of the elongated member in order to restrain the elongated member within a sealed cavity, The method of fixing a closing member along one of the opposing edges, wherein the closing member has an adhesive surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone coating in order to maintain the opposing edges in an overlapping relationship, The aforementioned entanglement involves entangling the heat-resistant yarns with each other during the weaving process. The heat-resistant yarn comprises warp threads consisting only of heat-resistant warp multifilaments extending substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis, and weft threads extending substantially transversely to the warp threads, including heat-resistant weft monofilaments and heat-resistant weft multifilaments. The warp multifilament is 100 to 3000 denier, and the heat-resistant weft multifilament is 50 to 1000 denier. The closing member includes a silicone fusion tape. method.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising heat-setting the heat-resistant weft monofilament to impart a thermoforming bias to the wall in order to maintain the opposing edges in an overlapping relationship.

Images