Braided Reflective Textile Sleeve Kinking Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile sleeves, whether woven or braided, face issues with stiffness, kinking, and damage to reflective outer layers when routing around sharp bends, and braided sleeves tend to collapse, compromising protection against heat and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, seamless textile sleeve with a reflective outer layer is constructed by braiding individual multifilament yarns and bundled monofilament yarns in opposite helical directions, with a third set of yarns captured between them to maintain structural integrity and prevent kinking, while a reflective outer layer is bonded to the braided yarns to enhance protection against thermal effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a tight weave construction is used in woven sleeves, then the sleeve maintains a round, tubular configuration, but the sleeve becomes too stiff and difficult to route about sharp bends, and is subject to kinking
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve is constructed with multiple discrete yarns (first plurality and second plurality) that are braided together, allowing each yarn to move independently. This segmentation enables the sleeve to flex and bend without kinking while maintaining its overall tubular shape, resolving the contradiction between shape stability and routing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The braided construction with yarns extending in opposite helical directions creates a dynamic structure where the yarns can shift and adjust during bending. This dynamic arrangement allows the sleeve to maintain its tubular configuration in normal conditions while accommodating sharp bends without kinking, unlike static tight weave constructions.
2Ease of operation
If a loose braided construction is used in braided sleeves, then the sleeve is flexible, but the sleeve wall collapses on itself during construction and the reflective outer layer is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second plurities of yarns extend in opposite helical directions, creating counterbalancing forces that prevent the sleeve wall from collapsing during construction and handling. This counterweight effect maintains the tubular shape and protects the reflective outer layer from damage while preserving the flexibility benefits of braided construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve combines multiple material types in a composite braided structure: the first plurality of yarns, the second plurality of yarns, and the reflective outer layer. This composite construction provides both the flexibility needed for handling and the structural support required to prevent wall collapse and protect the reflective layer.
3Ease of operation
If braided sleeves are routed about sharp bends, then flexibility is utilized, but the sleeves exhibit kinking
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented braided structure with multiple independent yarns allows the sleeve to bend about sharp corners without the entire wall collapsing. Each yarn can follow the bend path independently, preventing kinking while maintaining the tubular shape in non-bent sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic braided construction allows the yarns to shift and reconfigure during bending operations. This dynamic behavior enables the sleeve to route about sharp bends without permanent deformation or kinking, maintaining its tubular shape after bending.
4Ease of manufacture
If the reflective outer layer is applied to collapsed braided sleeves, then the construction process is simplified, but the outer layer is damaged during shipping and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The counterbalancing yarns in opposite helical directions maintain the tubular shape during construction, allowing the reflective outer layer to be applied to a stable, non-collapsed surface. This prevents the layer from folding and becoming damaged during subsequent shipping and handling, while still maintaining construction simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sleeve maintains a stable tubular shape, prevents kinking, and protects against thermal and contamination risks without damaging the reflective layer, offering improved flexibility and protection for elongate members.
Implementation Method 1
The tubular wall further includes a reflective outer layer bonded to an outer surface of the braided yarns to protect members contained within the sleeve against external thermal effects
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A braided textile sleeve having a flexible, seamless, reflective tubular wall arid method of construction thereof are provided. The tubular wail extends along a longitudinal axis between opposite open ends and includes a first set of yarns and a second set of yarns braided with one another. The first and second yarns are provided as different types of yarns from one another and are braided in opposite helical directions with one another. The tubular wall includes a third set of yarns captured between the first and second sets of yarns, with the third set of yarns extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The sleeve includes a reflective outer layer fixed to an outer surface of the braided yarns.