Flexible, arc-resistant, fluid-resistant, high temperature and abrasion resistant, wrapable textile sleeve and method of construction thereof

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 March 8, 2022, and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 118,611, filed March 7, 2023, the entireties of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0002] 2. Background of the Invention 1.Technical Field The present invention relates generally to a textile sleeve for protecting an elongated member, and more particularly to a flexible, wrappable textile sleeve having arc, abrasion, heat and fluid resistant properties. [Background technology]

[0003] 2.Background technology It is known to house and protect elongated members, such as wires and wire harnesses, in, for example, circumferentially continuous tubular textile sleeves to protect cables, wires, and hoses. However, these sleeves are generally difficult to assemble around the elongated members to be protected, since they have a fixed cavity size and must be slid axially over the elongated members to be protected. Furthermore, to achieve multiple different types of desired protection, such as arc resistance, fluid resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, etc., known protective sleeves typically have multiple layers, each layer specifically provided for a different type of protection. While the above-mentioned multi-layer sleeves can provide 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 space volume, and furthermore, they tend to be relatively heavy and less flexible. Furthermore, having to include multiple layers can be problematic in some applications, especially those that require routing cables, wires, or hoses through dense winding areas, as well as applications with weight restrictions, such as aircraft and aerospace applications. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Summary of the Invention One aspect of the invention provides a wrappable sleeve for routing an elongated member to protect against arcing, exposure to abrasion, thermal conditions including high heat and flame, fluid (water / fuel) ingress, and other environmental conditions such as contamination, and for protection against fluid absorption into the wall of the sleeve. The wrappable sleeve has a wall including an interlaced layer having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface extending widthwise between opposing edges and extending longitudinally between opposing ends. The opposing edges are configured to 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 is secured along one of the opposing edges. The closure member has 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 one another.

[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the yarns may include warp yarns extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis and weft yarns extending generally transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the warp yarns being woven together with the weft yarns.

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

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a weft yarn comprising a heat resistant monofilament and a heat resistant multifilament.

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

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

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

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

[0012] In accordance with 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 embodiment of the invention, the silicone-based coating has a thickness of about 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the closure member may be provided as a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive.

[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the silicone pressure sensitive adhesive is configured to fixedly adhere to the inner surface of the interlacing layer and the outer surface of the silicone-based coating.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, the closure member may include a silicone fusion tape. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the closure member may include a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to a silicone fusing tape.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for constructing a wrappable sleeve for routing an elongated member to protect against thermal conditions including arcing, exposure to abrasion, high heat and flame, fluid (water / fuel) ingress, and other environmental conditions such as contamination, and for protection against fluid absorption into the wall of the wrappable sleeve. The method includes intertwining a heat resistant yarn to form an intertwined layer of a wrappable wall having opposed edges extending longitudinally between opposed ends, the opposed edges being configured to be wrapped around a central longitudinal axis to constrain the elongated member within a sealed cavity. The method further includes adhering a silicone-based coating to an outer surface of the intertwined layer. The method further includes securing a closure member along one of the opposed edges, and providing a closure member having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the wall to maintain the opposed edges of the wall in an overlapping relationship with one another.

[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include intertwining the yarns with one another in a weaving, knitting, or braiding process. If weaving, the method may further include weaving the yarns including warp yarns extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis, the warp yarns all being provided as heat resistant multifilament yarns, and weft yarns extending generally transverse to the warp yarns, the weft yarns comprising heat resistant monofilament yarns.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further include providing a weft yarn that includes 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 a denier of about 100 to 3000; and providing a weft multifilament having a denier of about 50 to 1000.

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

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

[0023] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include weaving the weft monofilaments and multifilaments in alternating relationship to one another along the entire length of the wall.

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

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, the method can further include providing a silicone-based coating that includes at least one of a flame retardant and a thermal stabilizer.

[0026] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include providing a closure member comprising a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive.

[0027] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include providing a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive configured to fixedly adhere to the inner surface of the wall and the outer surface of the wall.

[0028] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include providing a closure member comprising a silicone fusion tape.

[0029] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method may further include providing a silicone fusing tape having a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive adhered thereto that is configured to adhere to an exterior surface of the silicone based coating.

[0030] These and other aspects, features and advantages will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill 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 description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a wrappable sleeve constructed in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the wrappable sleeve being shown wrapped around an elongate member to be protected therein; FIG. [Figure 2A] 2 is an end view taken along the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve of FIG. 1, illustrating different embodiments of a closure member for maintaining opposing edges of the wrappable sleeve in a fixed overlapping relationship with one another. [Figure 2B] 2 is an end view taken along the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve of FIG. 1, illustrating different embodiments of a closure member for maintaining opposing edges of the wrappable sleeve in a fixed overlapping relationship with one another. [Figure 2C] 2 is an end view taken along the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve of FIG. 1, illustrating different embodiments of a closure member for maintaining opposing edges of the wrappable sleeve in a fixed overlapping relationship with one another. [Figure 3A] 2A-2C show different embodiments of the interlacing layer of the wrappable sleeve of FIG. 1. [Figure 3B] 2A-2C show different embodiments of the interlacing layer of the wrappable sleeve of FIG. 1. [Figure 3C] 2A-2C show different embodiments of the interlacing layer of the wrappable sleeve of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring more particularly to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2A-C show schematic diagrams of wrappable (shown wrapped in Figure 1) textile sleeves, hereinafter referred to as sleeves 10a, 10b, 10c, constructed in accordance with different embodiments of the present invention, and sleeves 10a-10c will hereinafter be generally described as sleeve 10 unless otherwise noted. Sleeve 10 has a flexible, wrappable, elongated wall 12 for routing an elongated member 14, such as cables, wires, and pipes, to protect against, for example, arcing (an electrical path through an air gap from a cable or wire to another conductor such that the energy of the cable or wire is contained inside wall 12, thereby preventing the release of energy from sleeve 10), abrasion, thermal conditions including high heat and flame, absorption and ingress of fluids such as water, oil, fuel, and the like, and exposure to other environmental conditions such as pollution. 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 extending widthwise between opposing edges 16, 18 and lengthwise between opposing ends 19, 21. The opposing edges 16, 18 extend generally parallel to a central longitudinal axis 20, and the edges 16, 18 may be "cigarette wrapped" in overlapping relationship to completely enclose the elongated member 14 within a central cavity 22 bounded by the inner surface 15 of the sleeve 10. The wall 12 has an inner interlaced textile layer 23 formed from interlaced yarns 24, either woven (FIG. 3A), knitted (FIG. 3B), or braided (FIG. 3C), at least a portion of which comprises heat resistant multifilaments 24a and heat resistant monofilaments 24b, thereby enabling the sleeve 10 to withstand exposure to high heat and flame for a predetermined period of time, including up to about two hours or more, while protecting the elongated member 14 from heat damage. A silicone-based coating 26 is adhered to the outer surface 17 of the interwoven textile layer 23, which is shown as being adhered to the entire outer surface 17, and the silicone-based coating 26 provides the above-mentioned level of protection to the elongated member 14, particularly with respect to preventing arcing and fluid absorption / ingress.The closure member 28 is secured along one of the opposing edges (outer edge 18) and has an adhesive surface 30 configured to adhere to the outer outwardly facing surface of the silicone-based coating 26 of the wall 12 to maintain the opposing edges 16, 18 of the wall 12 in overlapping relationship with one another. Thus, the wall 12 and the closure member 28 seal the cavity 22 against the ingress of fluids, thereby providing the protection described above for the elongated member 14.

[0033] The silicone-based coating 26 is a fluid impermeable coating, thereby rendering the wall 12 impermeable to water, fuels (e.g., kerosene), oils, and the like, making the wall 12 both fluid impermeable and liquid repellent. Thus, fluids are prevented from being absorbed by the interlacing layer 23, and thus preventing water, fuels, and the like from impairing the ability of the sleeve 10 to provide a desired level of protection. The silicone-based coating 26 may include at least one or both of a flame retardant and a thermal stabilizer, and may be provided to have a thickness of between about 0.1-3.0 mm, thereby enabling the wall 12 to have a narrow profile, thereby enhancing flexibility and ability to be routed into relatively small and confined spaces.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2A, the closure member 28 may be provided as a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) 28a. The silicone PSA 28a is shown configured to be fixedly adhered to the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 and the outer surface of the wall 12, and is shown secured to the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26. As such, the silicone PSA 28a is sandwiched between the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 and the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26. The silicone PSA 28a may be a double-sided PSA, such that it is adhered to the inner surface 15 of the textile layer 23 during manufacture of the sleeve 10, and adhered to the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26 upon assembly of the sleeve 10 around the elongated member 14. A release film (not shown) may be applied to the PSA surface configured to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26, such that the release film may be peeled off and the sleeve 10 may be wrapped and secured around the elongated member 14, if desired.

[0035] 2B, the closure member 28 may be provided as a silicone fuse tape 28b. The silicone fuse tape 28b is shown configured to fixedly adhere to an outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26 adjacent the outer edge 18 and an outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26 adjacent the inner edge 16. In this manner, the entire silicone fuse tape 28b is exposed around the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26. A release film (not shown) may be applied to an inner surface of the silicone fuse tape 28b, if desired, and is configured to be peeled off during manufacture of the sleeve 10 and while the sleeve 10 is wrapped and secured around the elongate member 14, if desired.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2C, closure member 28c can be provided similarly as described above for the embodiment of Figure 2B, having a silicone fuse tape 32, but also having an inner silicone PSA 34 adhered to the inner surface of silicone fuse tape 32 and forming an adhesive surface 30, as described above for the embodiment of Figure 2A. Closure member 28c is shown adhered to the outer surface (the surface facing radially outward relative to central longitudinal axis 20) of silicone-based coating 26, as described above for the embodiment of Figure 2B, and can optionally include a release film.

[0037] In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3A, the interlacing yarns 24 are woven to include warp yarns 36 extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 20 and weft yarns 38 extending generally transverse to the central longitudinal axis 20. The warp yarns 36 can be woven with the weft yarns 38 in any desired weave pattern including, for example, a plain weave, a twill weave, a satin weave, or a basket weave, with a plain weave pattern being preferred to provide a smooth, stable, uniform protective pattern and having a smoothness that facilitates bonding of the silicone-based coating 26 to the outer surface 17. The warp yarns 36 can be provided solely from multifilaments 24a, which are heat resistant (high temperature resistant), and the weft yarns include monofilaments 24b, which are also heat resistant (high temperature resistant) and highly abrasion resistant. Furthermore, if it is desired to provide the wall 12 as self-wrapped, the monofilaments 24b can be provided to be heat set, thereby providing a heat-formed bias to the wall 12 to maintain the opposing edges 16, 18 in overlapping relationship with one another in the absence of an externally applied force sufficient to overcome the internal bias. Of course, an external force can be purposely applied to spread the opposing edges 16, 18 away from one another during installation of the sleeve 10 about the elongated member 14, at which time the externally applied force can be released to allow the bias to automatically return the opposing edges 16, 18 to their overlapping relationship. The weft yarn 38 can further include heat resistant multifilaments 24a, with the weft monofilaments 24b and weft multifilaments 24a being provided in any desired ratio, and in one currently preferred embodiment, the weft monofilaments 24b and weft multifilaments 24a can be woven in alternating relationship with one another in a 1:1 ratio.

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

[0039] 3B and 3C, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the textile sleeves 10b, 10c may 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 may be used to form the knitted or braided interlacing yarn 24.

[0040] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a textile sleeve 10a, 10b, 10c is provided. The method includes interlacing a heat resistant yarn 24 to form an interlaced layer 23 of a wall 12 having opposed edges 16, 18 extending longitudinally between opposed ends 19, 21, the opposed edges 16, 18 configured to be wrapped about a central longitudinal axis 20 to constrain an elongated member 14 within an enclosed cavity 22. The method further includes bonding a silicone-based coating 26 to an outer surface 17 of the interlaced layer 23. The method further includes securing a closure member 28a, 28b, 28c along one of the opposed edges 18, and providing a closure member 28a, 28b, 28c having an adhesive surface 30 configured to adhere to the outer surface 17 of the wall 12 to maintain the opposed edges 16, 18 of the wall 12 in overlapping relationship with one another.

[0041] The method may further include intertwining the yarns 24 with one another in a weaving, knitting, or braiding process. If weaving, the method may further include weaving the yarns including warp yarns 36 extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 20, the warp yarns 36 being all provided as heat resistant multifilaments 24a, and weft yarns 38 extending generally transverse to the warp yarns 36, the weft yarns 38 including heat resistant monofilaments 24b.

[0042] According to another embodiment, the weft yarns 38 may further include both heat resistant monofilaments 24b and multifilaments 24a.

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

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

[0045] Additionally, the method may include weaving the warp yarns 36 and weft yarns 38 in one of a plain weave, a twill weave, a basket weave, or a satin weave pattern.

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

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

[0048] The method may further include providing a silicone-based coating 26 including at least one of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer, thereby protecting the elongated member therein 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 closure member 28 including a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive 30 .

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

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

[0052] The method may further include providing a silicone fusing tape 32 having a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive 34 adhered thereto that is configured to adhere to the outer surface of the silicone-based coating 26 .

[0053] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is contemplated that all features of all claims and all embodiments may be combined with each other unless such combinations are mutually inconsistent. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A textile sleeve for routing and protecting an elongated member, a wall including an interlaced textile layer having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface extending widthwise between opposed edges and extending longitudinally between opposed ends, the opposed edges being configured to be wrapped about a central longitudinal axis to constrain the elongated member within a cavity bounded by the inner surface, the interlaced textile layer being formed of yarns interlaced with one another, at least a portion of the yarns including heat resistant multifilaments and heat resistant monofilaments; a silicone-based coating adhered to the outer surface of the textile layer; a closure member secured along one of the opposing edges, the closure member having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to an outer surface of the wall to maintain the opposing edges of the walls in overlapping relationship with one another; A textile sleeve.

2. 2. The textile sleeve of claim 1, wherein the yarns include warp yarns extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis and weft yarns extending generally transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the warp yarns being woven together with the weft yarns.

3. 3. The textile sleeve of claim 2, wherein the warp yarns are provided solely from the heat resistant multifilaments and the weft yarns are provided comprising the heat resistant monofilaments.

4. The textile sleeve of claim 3 , wherein the weft yarn is provided comprising the heat resistant multifilament.

5. 5. The textile sleeve of claim 4, wherein the heat resistant multifilament is provided as a meta-aramid.

6. 5. The textile sleeve of claim 4, wherein the heat resistant warp multifilaments are provided with a denier of about 100 to 3000 dtex and the heat resistant weft multifilaments are provided with a denier of about 50 to 1000 dtex.

7. 7. The textile sleeve of claim 6, wherein the heat resistant monofilament is provided with a diameter of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

8. 6. The textile sleeve of claim 5, wherein the heat resistant monofilament is provided as PEEK.

9. The textile sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the silicone-based coating includes at least one of a flame retardant and a thermal stabilizer.

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

11. The textile sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the closure member is a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive.

12. The textile sleeve of claim 11 , wherein the silicone pressure sensitive adhesive is configured to fixedly adhere to the inner and outer surfaces of the wall.

13. The textile sleeve of claim 1 , wherein the closure member comprises a silicone fusion tape.

14. The textile sleeve of claim 13 , wherein the closure member comprises a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to the silicone fusing tape.

15. 1. A method for constructing a textile sleeve for routing an elongated member to protect against arc, high temperature and flame exposure, abrasion, and fluid ingress, comprising: interlacing heat resistant yarns to form an interlaced textile layer of a wall having opposed edges extending longitudinally between opposed ends, the opposed edges being configured to be wrapped about a central longitudinal axis to constrain the elongated member within a sealed cavity; bonding a silicone based coating to an outer surface of the interwoven textile layer; securing a closure member along one of the opposing edges, the closure member having an adhesive surface configured to adhere to an outer surface of the silicone-based coating to maintain the opposing edges in overlapping relationship with one another; A method comprising:

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising entangling the yarns with one another in a weaving process.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising weaving the yarn comprising warp yarns extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis consisting solely of heat resistant multifilaments, and weft yarns extending generally transverse to the warp yarns comprising monofilaments.

18. 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising heat setting the monofilament to impart a heat-formed bias to the walls to maintain the opposing edges in overlapping relationship with one another.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising weaving the weft yarn comprising heat resistant multifilaments.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing said heat resistant warp multifilaments having a denier of about 100 to 3000 dtex; and providing said heat resistant weft multifilaments having a denier of about 50 to 1000 dtex.

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