Closeable Sealant Wrap With Releasable Closure for Wire Moisture Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealants are inadequate for effectively wrapping and protecting wires, lines, or fibers from moisture and corrosion, as they lack a reliable mechanism for secure enclosure and durable protection.
Innovation Solution
A sealant comprising a skin with a porous or non-porous perimeter, an outer surface, and an inner surface, combined with a non-hardening, tacky polymer body and closure means such as zippers, snaps, or pressure-sensitive adhesives, which allow for releasable engagement of the skin's perimeter to securely wrap and enclose wires or fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealants are used to protect wires from moisture and corrosion, then protection is provided, but the sealants lack a reliable mechanism for secure enclosure and durable protection
Solution Approach 1:
The sealant is divided into distinct functional components: a skin layer providing the outer barrier, a body providing the sealing material, and closure means providing the securing mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve reliable enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealant combines multiple materials with different properties: a skin material providing structural integrity and moisture barrier, a body material providing tackiness and sealing, and closure materials providing secure engagement. This composite structure achieves both secure enclosure and durability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a durable and flexible skin is used to wrap wires, then protection from moisture ingress is improved, but the complexity of the sealant structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The skin is designed as a flexible yet durable thin film that can wrap around wires and conform to their shape while providing a moisture barrier. This flexible shell approach protects against moisture ingress without requiring complex rigid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The moisture barrier function is extracted and assigned to the skin layer, separating it from the sealing and closure functions. This functional extraction allows the skin to be optimized specifically for moisture protection while simplifying the overall design by assigning other functions to dedicated components.
3Reliability
If closure means are added to securely engage the perimeter, then reliable and adjustable enclosure is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure means are designed to be self-engaging and self-locking, requiring no additional tools or complex mechanisms. The closure means perform the securing function autonomously when the wrap is applied, achieving reliable enclosure without adding excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure means provide adjustable and releasable engagement, allowing the sealant to be dynamically opened and closed as needed. This dynamic capability enables reliable enclosure while maintaining simplicity through straightforward engagement mechanisms.
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 proposed sealant effectively prevents moisture ingress by securely wrapping wires or fibers with a durable, flexible skin and tacky polymer body, while the closure means ensure a reliable and adjustable enclosure.
Implementation Method 1
The body is typically a non-hardening, typically tacky polymer and engages at least part of the inner surface of the skin
Data Source
AI summary
A closeable sealant wrap for placement about a workpiece includes a skin with a surface having a body dimensioned similar to the skin but narrower in width. Various closure means are deployed at one or more perimeter portions of the skin. The closure means may for example be a zipper which allows the sealant wrap to be enclosed around a wire, a fiber or a bundle of wires or fibers. The skin may be porous or non-porous. The body is a non-hardening, tacky polymer.