Insulation product with inward curling closure flap

Abstract

A pipe insulation product including a core of insulating material and a laminate surrounding the core and bonded to the core. The core may include an outer surface; an inner surface; and a wall extending between the outer and inner surfaces. The laminate may include a foil or metallized polymeric film sheet, a scrim, a porous media sheet, and a polymeric film sheet bonded together via an adhesive. The laminate may include a closure flap that is configured to adhesively seal opposite ends of the laminate together to form a cylindrical tube with the core enclosed therein. The closure flap may be configured to include a curl that provides a greater closure flap adhesive seal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to the following Non-Provisional U.S. patent applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7983) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate, entitled “Systems and Methods for Insulating a Pipe;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7981) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate et al., entitled “Pipe Insulation Product with Charge Dissipater;” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7984) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate et al., entitled “Pipe Insulation Products and Methods.”[0002]The entire disclosures of all of the aforementioned Non-Provisional U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The subject invention relates generally to pipe insulation products and more specifically to pipe insulation products comprising an insulating material core enclo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The laminate may also include a closure flap that is configured to adhesively seal opposite sides of the laminate in a closed position so that the laminate forms a substantially cylindrical tube with at least a portion of the tubular core enclosed therein. The closure flap may be configured to include a curl that provides a greater closure flap adhesive seal bond. The porous media sheet may include a kraft paper between the range of 25 and 35 pounds per 3000 square feet to provide a greater closure flap adhesive seal bond by increasing the flexibility of the laminate.

[0013]Configuring the closure flap to include a curl may comprise either reducing an amount of curl already present in the closure flap, where the present curl is a curling of the closure flap away from the closed position (i.e., reverse curl); or may include configuring the closure flap to curl toward the closed position. Configuring the closure flap to include a curl may also comprise controlling an amount of tension in the polymeric sheet material and an amount of tension in one or more of the other layers during lamination of the layers so that, after lamination, the tension in the polymeric sheet material is less than the tension in the one or more of the other layers. Configuring the closure flap to include a curl may further comprise securing the closure flap in the closed position, heat treating the laminate to soften the polymeric sheet material, and cooling the polymeric sheet material so that the polymeric sheet material hardens with the closure flap curled toward the closed position.

[0014]Configuring the closure flap to include a curl may additionally comprise arranging at least one laminate so that the closure flap is positioned in the closed position and maintaining or holding the laminate with the closure flap in the closed position for a period of time so that, after the period of time, shape memory is induced in the closure flap. Configuring the closure flap to include a curl may additionally comprise positioning the scrim between the porous media material and the polymeric sheet material to either provide improved control over the tensioning of one or more of the polymeric sheet material, the porous medial material, and the foil or metallized polymeric sheet material; or to provide increased stability to the polymeric sheet material.

[0016]Another embodiment of the present invention may include a method for producing a roughly rectangular laminate that provides a greater laminate seal. The method may include providing a foil or metallized polymeric sheet material that forms an inner layer of the laminate and that provides a fluid vapor barrier to minimize fluid vapor transmission through the laminate. The method may also include providing a polymeric sheet material that is coextensive with the foil or metallized polymeric sheet material and that forms an outer exposed layer of the laminate. The method may further include providing a scrim comprising a mesh of a plurality of fibers where the scrim is coextensive with the foil or metallized polymeric sheet material. The method may additionally include providing a porous media sheet material.

[0020]The foil or metallized polymeric film sheet may form an inner layer of the laminate and the porous media sheet may be positioned immediately adjacent to the foil or metallized polymeric film sheet so that the foil or metallized polymeric film sheet lies substantially flat against the porous media sheet. The configuration of the substantially flat foil or metallized polymeric film sheet may provide an improved perm rating for the laminate.

Problems solved by technology

The addition or removal of heat may result in the decreased efficiency of a system and / or increased time and / or expense in operating the system.

For example, in HVAC systems, the addition of heat to cooled fluids may result in loss of efficiency for a cooling unit and may also result in increased expense because of increased operating time and energy needed to achieve a desired cooling level.

If the pipe insulation product is not able to seal and / or remain sealed over the life of the product, the layer that functions as a water vapor barrier or retarder may be compromised or circumvented because water vapor and / or other contaminants may freely flow through the unsealed portion of the pipe insulation product.

Leakage of water vapor and / or other contaminants into the pipe insulation product's interior may cause a variety of problems for the insulated pipe and / or surrounding objects including: condensation of water on the pipes; mold, mildew, or fungal growth; pipe corrosion or degradation; staining of the pipe insulation product and / or surrounding objects; water drip damage; loss of the pipe insulation product's insulating value, etc.

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