Protective barrier for electrical, electronic and lighting equipment

Abstract

The protective barrier (1), in particular for the removal of water vapour and the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment, is formed as a multi-layer fabric. The protective barrier (1) includes a microporous layer (2) made of polymer nanofibres and at least one additional layer attached to a microporous layer (2), forming together a sandwich structure. The microporous layer (2) has a pore size of less than 1 µm and a breathability in the range from 3 to 190 l / s / m2. The protective barrier (1) further comprises a hygroscopic layer (5) arranged in a sandwich structure of the multi-layer fabric, wherein the hygroscopic layer (5) has a moisture adsorption of at least 0.10 g of water per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer (5).

Description

[0001] PROTECTIVE BARRIER FOR ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC AND LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to the field of electronic and automotive industry, specifically to a protective barrier which separates the environment of electrical, electronic and lighting equipment from the external environment for the removal of water vapour and the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment with the surrounding environment.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] With the increasing technical demands and the increase in the number of electronic components in the segment of lighting equipment for cars after the change from halogen and xenon lamps to LED technology, the demands on the internal environment of headlights, such as removal of water vapour and equalization of air pressure to prevent damage to the lighting system of a car or electrical and electronic equipment, have also changed. For this purpose, the lighting system of the car has been equipped with an air-to-air heat exchanger, which, however, serves mainly to balance the temperatures outside and inside the lighting system of the car. However, this heat exchanger is costly to purchase, is also difficult to incorporate into the structure of the lighting system of the car, and also fails to cool the structure sufficiently, thus reducing the life of the entire lighting system of the car.

[0006] Therefore, an alternative solution must be found in the form of a protective barrier that provides sufficient removal of water vapour and ventilation to allow the air pressure inside electrical, electronic and lighting equipment to be equalized with the external environment. The document KR 20160020103 describes a filter medium for a protective barrier comprising a polyethylene terephthalate support layer which is covered with a laminated biocomponent layer, and two layers of polypropylene nonwoven fabric, with the first being formed by electrospinning or melt blowing, and the second being formed as a spunbond. Such a protective barrier provides breathability and air circulation for cooling the lighting equipment of the car. The disadvantage is that it uses air circulation for cooling, without solving the problem of dirt entering the car lighting equipment or equalizing the pressures between the inner and outer parts of the car lighting and desiccation of the inner space of the equipment. This disadvantage has been partially removed in the solution described in the document CN 104436858. This document describes a filter membrane in the form of a three-layer composite filter fabric having two layers of composite filter fabric, between which is a microporous layer of the filter membrane made of polytetrafluoroethylene or polyurethane. Such a filter membrane is used to filter particles up to 10 pm in size. The disadvantage is that such a solution includes a layer of fluorinated substances and therefore its use is nowadays very limited. Furthermore, another disadvantage is that it lets through relatively large particles up to 10 pm in size.

[0007] This disadvantage has been partially removed in the document CN 214861836, which describes a protective barrier made of nonwoven material for air filtration. The protective barrier consists of a support layer made of nonwoven fabric, a middle layer made of nanofibrous filter material and a microporous layer made of polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabric and polyethylene spunbond nonwoven fabric. This microporous layer has pore sizes from 15 to 35 pm. While this document addresses the issue of the use of restricted fluorinated substances, it does not address the disadvantage of letting through relatively large particles due to the size of the pores. It also does not address the removal of water vapour or the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a protective barrier which eliminates the above disadvantages, in particular to provide the removal of water vapour and to equalize air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment. Another object of the invention is to create a protective barrier that would provide a sufficient protective barrier for water in the liquid state, other liquids and solids up to 0.1 pm, that would be easy to handle when applied to electronic and lighting equipment, while having a sufficiently long service life.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] The stated object is solved by means of a protective barrier, in particular for the removal of water vapour and the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment. The protective barrier is formed as a multi-layer fabric that includes a microporous layer made of polymer nanofibres and at least two other layers attached to the microporous layer, forming together a sandwich structure. The essence of the invention is that the nanofibrous microporous layer has a pore size of less than 1 pm and a breathability in the range of 3 to 200 l / s / m2. Furthermore, the essence of the invention is that the protective barrier further comprises an inner hygroscopic layer arranged in a sandwich structure of a multi-layer fabric, wherein the hygroscopic layer has a moisture adsorption of at least 0.10 g of water per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer. It is easy to handle and has a long service life, providing sufficient removal of water vapour and equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment with the surrounding environment. The hygroscopic layer permanently adsorbs excessive moisture from the interior of the device. After start-up, the electrical, electronic or lighting equipment is heated up, the adsorbed moisture is released from the hygroscopic layer, and as the internal pressure increases, the released moisture is vented from the hygroscopic layer outside the electrical, electronic or lighting equipment through the protective barrier. In addition, the hygroscopic layer acts as a natural barrier against the entry of moisture from the surrounding environment during reverse ventilation when the device is switched off.

[0011] For the purposes of the description of the present invention, the term “multi-layer fabric” refers to a sandwich arrangement of at least three layers arranged planarly on top of each other, wherein they form an interface between the interior of electrical, electronic and lighting equipment and the external environment.

[0012] For the purposes of the description of the present invention, the term “microporous layer” refers to a layer consisting of nanofibres that form a structure with pores smaller than 1 pm.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the hygroscopic layer comprises a material selected from the group: a cellulose-based polymer, a polymeric derivative of cellulose, cotton, wool, an organic polymer, or a combination thereof. The selected materials have moisture adsorption properties of at least 0.10 g of water per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer. The hygroscopic layer adsorbs free water molecules from the interior of the device by physisorption. During physisorption, there is no electron transfer or electron sharing, no dissociation of molecules of adsorbed substance and adsorption takes place in multiple layers.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the microporous layer is PA 66 or nylon 66, or PES or polyester, or PP spunbond or polypropylene spunbond, or other organic polymers. This microporous layer is bonded by lamination to a nanomembrane made of Pll polyurethane or PA polyamide with a weight of 0,3 to 10 g / m2advantageously with a weight of 2 to 10 g / m2. Polyurethane provides the necessary mechanical properties of the protective barrier, chemical resistance, mechanical resistance and process workability, while having a good ability for spinning. The use of polyamide provides chemical resistance, good fibre properties and mechanical resistance of the protective barrier. A nano-membrane is a successively layered structure of individual nanofibres and formed by electrospinning from a carrier polymer solution of polypropylene or polyamide, where the fibres are by means of an electric field deposited onto a carrier material with a lamination substrate that moves. The slower the carrier material moves, the thicker the nanofibre layer is deposited. Subsequently, the nanomembrane is thermally and pressure laminated to the carrier material.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the microporous layer is a microporous drawn polyprolypene membrane. This membrane is made of polypropylene film by 2x perpendicular transverse drawing. In this way, the polypropylene film is stretched in the longitudinal direction and then in the transverse direction perpendicularly, which results in the formation of a large number of size-limited cracks forming a microporous structure.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the protective barrier further comprises an inner support layer and an outer support layer. The inner support layer and the outer support layer are made of polyamide or nylon 66, or PES or polyester, or PP polypropylene, or other organic polymers or a combination thereof. The inner support layer is preferably arranged in a sandwich structure of a multi-layer fabric between the hygroscopic layer and the microporous layer. The outer support layer is preferably arranged in a sandwich structure on the reverse side from the microporous layer, and serves to provide mechanical resistance to the protective barrier as well as protection from operational weather and external influences. The outer support layer and the inner support layer preferably have a weight between 20 and 100 g / m2.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the protective barrier further comprises an outer protective layer arranged in a sandwich structure with an outer support layer on the reverse side from the microporous layer. The outer protective layer is preferably hydrophobic and / or oleophobic, made of nylon 66 or polyester and / or spunbond polypropylene with a weight of 20 to 120 g / m2, preferably treated with nano-composites based on silicones, silica, zinc, carbon or a combination thereof. This outer protective layer serves to protect the inner layers from the effects of the external environment on the principle of a repellent barrier protecting against the penetration of water or other contaminated liquids containing, among other things, solid particles from the external operating environment, thus ensuring the long-term effectiveness of the protective barrier. With its mechanical resistance and hydrophobic and / or oleophobic treatment, the outer protective layer also helps to ensure the full functionality of the protective barrier in the long term.

[0018] For the purposes of the description of the present invention, the term “hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment” refers to a breathable porous treatment of the outer protective layer by applying nano-composite compounds based on silicones, silica, zinc, carbon or a combination thereof with high surface tension to the carrier material or to individual fibres, thereby providing inert behaviour against the ingress and removal of liquids from the surface of the protective barrier.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment, the lamination layer is further arranged between the hygroscopic layer, the inner support layer, the microporous layer, the outer support layer and the outer protective layer for interconnecting the layers of the multi-layer fabric. The lamination layer is preferably a film, powder or mesh with a weight from 4 to 20 g / m2based on a thermoplastic adhesive binder.

[0020] In the preferred embodiment, the protective barrier has a size from 1 to 15 cm2. This size allows for sufficient removal of water vapour and equalization of air pressure due to the large surface area ratio of the protective barrier and the lighting device.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, the protective barrier is provided with an adhesive layer on its periphery on the inner support layer that extends beyond the edges of the multi-layer fabric. Such an arrangement allows for easy placement of the protective barrier into the hole in the lighting device in a dedicated location, where it is sufficient to simply glue the protective barrier to the location using an adhesive layer. Alternatives to gluing can also be application by thermal or ultrasonic welding.

[0022] The advantages of the protective barrier according to the present invention are, in particular, that it provides the removal of water vapour and equalizes air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment and the surrounding environment; the protective barrier is manufacturable as well as easy to handle when applied to electrical, electronic and lighting equipment, while having a sufficiently long service life. Explanation of drawings

[0023] The present invention will be explained in detail by means of the following figures where:

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a bottom view of the protective barrier,

[0025] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the protective barrier,

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the protective barrier.

[0027] Examples of the invention embodiments

[0028] Example 1 - composition of the protective barrier

[0029] The protective barrier 1_ is formed as a multi-layer fabric consisting of several layers, which are connected to each other by a lamination layer 7. In another non-illustrated example, the layers are connected to each other by adhesive forces. The first functional layer is a microporous layer 2, which forms a sandwich structure with an outer support layer 4 and an inner support layer 3. Attached to the inner support layer 3 on the side facing away from the microporous layer 2 is a hygroscopic layer 5, which has a free second side for the function of adsorption and removal of water vapour and equalization of air pressure in electronic, electrical and lighting equipment. An outer protective layer 6 is attached to the outer support layer 4 on the side facing away from the microporous layer 2, which is provided with an adhesive layer 8 such that the adhesive layer 8 extends beyond the edges of the multi-layer fabric, thereby simplifying the handling of the protective barrier 1_ when it is placed into the hole in the electronic, electrical and lighting equipment at the location intended for filtration. In another non-illustrated example, the protective barrier 1. is not provided with an adhesive layer 8, and is placed into the hole in the electronic, electrical and lighting equipment at the location intended for ventilation by means of a close arrangement, wherein the hole is provided with an adhesive means around the perimeter. The protective barrier prepared in this way has a size of 10 cm2. In another non-illustrated example, the protective barrier 1. has a size from 1 to 15 cm2.

[0030] The hygroscopic layer 5 is a contact layer with the environment inside the electronic, electrical or lighting equipment and is made of 100% cotton-based material without any further treatment with a surface weight of 250 g / m2, which has a moisture adsorption of 0.30 g per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer 5. Such a hygroscopic layer 5 shows a reduction in relative humidity from 98% to 55% in a 66-hour operational test, i.e. a 10% greater reduction than using the protective barrier without the hygroscopic layer, as shown in Table 2 and Table 3. In another non-illustrated example, the hygroscopic layer 5 comprises a polymeric layer having a surface weight of 50-100 g / m2and a moisture adsorption of 0.8 g per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer 5, or a 100% lyocell or semi-synthetic material of beech tree and bamboo cellulose having a surface weight of 150 g / m2and a moisture adsorption of 0.20 g per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer 5. In another non-illustrated example, the hygroscopic layer 5 is made of cellulose-based polymer, cellulose derivative, organic polymer, or a combination thereof.

[0031] The inner support layer 3 and the outer support layer 4 are made of the same material, namely polypropylene spunbond or spun melt of polypropylene with a weight of 40 g / m2. Spunbond is a method of making fleece by blasting a polymer melt of polypropylene with the repeating formula (CsH6)n into the fleece, which is then thermally bonded with calender. In another nonillustrated example, the inner support layer 3 and the outer support layer 4 are made of a woven nylon 66-based material or a combination of a nylon 66-based material and a polypropylene spunbond with a weight from 20 to 100 g / m2. The outer support layer 4 and the inner support layer 3 are stabilization layers to ensure the mechanical resistance of the protective barrier for production handling and to ensure workability, as well as protection against operational weather and external influences.

[0032] The microporous layer 2 is placed between the inner support layer 3 and the outer support layer 4 in a sandwich structure, and is formed by nanofibres of spun polypropylene or polyamide solution and has a pore size of less than 1 pm with a breathability of 150 l / s / m2. In another non-illustrated example, the microporous layer 2 has a breathability of 3 to 200 l / s / m2. In another non-illustrated example, the microporous layer 2 comprises a spun solution of polyurethane, polyamide, nylon 66 or a combination thereof or a transversely longitudinally drawn polypropylene film, wherein the polypropylene film is stretched in a longitudinal direction, then in a transverse perpendicular direction to form a large amount of size-limited cracks forming the microporous structure.

[0033] The outer protective layer 6 is in a sandwich structure on one side with the outer support layer 4 and the surroundings of the electrical, electronic or lighting equipment. The outer protective layer 6 is hydrophobic, provided with a breathable porous treatment with a deposit of compounds with high surface tension on the carrier material or on the individual fibres, thereby providing inert behaviour against the ingress and removal of fluids in the protective barrier 1 In another non-illustrated example, the outer protective layer 6 is oleophobic, or both hydrophobic and oleophobic. The outer protective layer 6 has a weight of 90 g / m2and is treated with a nano composite oleophobic hydrophobic treatment. In another non-illustrated example, the outer protective layer 6 has a weight from 20 to 120 g / m2and is treated with a hydro oleophobic treatment based on nano composites, silicones, silicon, zinc, carbon, graphene, or a combination thereof.

[0034] The individual layers are connected in a sandwich structure by means of a lamination layer 7, which is made of a material based on thermoplastic adhesive layer with a weight of 15 g / m2. In another non-illustrated example, the lamination layer 7 has a weight from 4 to 20 g / m2.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] Three protective barriers were prepared according to Example 1 , with a total surface weight of 1.3 g / m2, 4 g / m2and 10 g / m2, and the total weight of the support membrane was the same in all protective barriers. Subsequently, the prepared protective barriers were tested for breathability measurements at a gradient of 200 Pa. The results show that the protective barrier with the lowest surface weight has the highest breathability, as shown in Table 1.

[0037] Table 1: Examples of measured breathability with different surface weight of the protective barrier on the carrier layer.

[0038] Example 3

[0039] Three samples of the protective barriers according to Example 1 were prepared with the composition shown in Table 2, with the same total surface weight of 8 g / m2. These samples were used to compare the properties of the protective barriers containing a hygroscopic layer and those without a hygroscopic layer. Sample A included an outer protective layer made of polypropylene spunbond with a surface weight of 80 HFB, a support layer made of polypropylene spunbond with a surface weight of 50 g / m2, and no hygroscopic layer. Sample B included included an outer protective layer made of polypropylene spunbond with a surface weight of 80 HFB, a support layer made of polypropylene spunbond with a surface weight of 50 g / m2, with a hygroscopic layer of 250 g / m2. Sample C included an outer protective layer made of nylon 66 with a surface weight of 65 HFB, a support layer made of nylon 66 with a surface weight of 30 g / m2, and no hygroscopic layer. Subsequently, the selected samples A, B, C were tested for breathability at 200 Pa, evaporation resistance and an operational test of desiccation after 60 h was performed to reduce the relative humidity. The results show that sample B, which is provided with hygroscopic layer shows the lowest breathability with the highest evaporation resistance but with a reduction in relative humidity from 98% to 54.56%, thus showing the highest efficiency among the compared samples mainly due to the hygroscopic layer applied in comparison to sample A as shown in Table 3.

[0040] Table 2: Composition of samples A, B and C.

[0041] Table 3: Test results of samples A, B, C.

[0042] Industrial applicability

[0043] The protective barrier according to the present invention can be used in particular for protection against external influences, in particular against the entry of dirt and water, the removal of water vapour and the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment and the surrounding environment. List of index reference numerals

[0044] 1 protective barrier

[0045] 2 microporous layer

[0046] 3 inner support layer

[0047] 4 outer support layer

[0048] 5 hygroscopic layer

[0049] 6 outer protective layer

[0050] 7 lamination layer

[0051] 8 adhesive layer

Claims

CLAIMS1. A protective barrier (1) in particular for the removal of water vapour and the equalization of air pressure in electrical, electronic and lighting equipment, formed as a multi-layer fabric comprising a microporous layer (2) and at least one additional layer attached to the microporous layer (2) and forming together a sandwich structure, characterized in that the microporous layer (2) has a pore size of less than 1 pm and a breathability in the range of 3 to 200 l / s / m2, and the protective barrier (1) further comprises a hygroscopic layer (5) arranged in a sandwich structure of the multi-layer fabric, wherein the hygroscopic layer (5) has a moisture adsorption of at least 0.10 g of water per 1 g of dry weight of the hygroscopic layer (5).

2. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the hygroscopic layer (5) is made of a material selected from the group: a cellulose-based polymer, a cellulose derivative, cotton, wool, an organic polymer based on polypropylene, polyester, polyurethane, or vinyl, or a combination thereof.

3. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the microporous layer (2) is a nanomembrane made of a spun solution of polypropylene, polyurethane, polyamide, nylon 66 or a combination thereof, with a surface weight in the range of 0,3 to 10 g / m2.

4. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the microporous layer (2) is a nanomembrane made of a spun solution of polypropylene, polyurethane, polyamide, nylon 66 or a combination thereof, with a surface weight in the range of 2 to 10 g / m2.

5. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the microporous layer (2) comprises a transversely and longitudinally drawn polypropylene film with a surface weight in the range of 5 to 25 g / m2.

6. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises an inner support layer (3) and an outer support layer (4), wherein the inner support layer (3) is arranged in a sandwich structure of a multi-layer fabric between thehygroscopic layer (5) and the microporous layer (2), and the outer support layer (4) is arranged in a sandwich structure on the reverse side from the microporous layer (2).

7. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the inner support layer (3) and the outer support layer (4) have a weight in the range of 20 to 100 g / m2.

8. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the inner support layer (3) and the outer support layer (4) are made of a material based on nylon 66 or polyester or polypropylene spunbond or other organic polymers or a combination thereof.

9. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises an outer protective layer (6) arranged in a sandwich structure with an outer support layer (4) on the side facing away from the microporous layer (2).

10. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer protective layer (6) is hydrophobic and / or oleophobic.

11. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the outer protective layer (6) has a weight in the range of 20 to 120 g / m2.

12. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the outer protective layer (6) is based on nano-composites of silicones, silica, zinc, carbon or a combination thereof.

13. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that between the hygroscopic layer (5), the inner support layer (3), the microporous layer (2), the outer support layer (4) and the outer protective layer (6) there is a lamination layer (7) for interconnecting the layers of the multi-layer fabric.

14. The protective barrier (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the lamination layer (7) has a weight from 4 to 20 g / m2and is based on a thermoplastic adhesive mesh, film or powder.

15. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it has a size from 1 to 15 cm2.

16. The protective barrier (1) according to any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it is provided with an adhesive layer (8) on its perimeter, which extends beyond the edges of the multi-layer fabric.

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