Self-positioning, dielectric, impact-resistant textile sleeve and method of construction thereofCitation of related application
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/323,975, filed 3/25/2022, and priority of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/126,154, filed 3/24/2023, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to textile sleeves for protecting elongate members, and more particularly to flexible, dielectric, impact resistant textile sleeves.
Background
It is known to circumferentially continuous and wrappable textile sleeves to contain and protect elongate members (e.g., wires and harnesses) to provide protection for cables, wires and hoses contained therein. It is desirable to improve upon known circumferentially continuous and wrappable textile sleeves to provide greater protection, including dielectric and impact resistance, while also allowing flexible threading of cables, wires or hoses through the winding area while also having a low, non-cumbersome radially extending profile suitable for applications with catwalk and weight limitations, such as aircraft and aerospace applications, while being economical to manufacture.
Disclosure of Invention
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a textile sleeve for deploying and protecting an elongated member. The textile sleeve has a wall including a textile layer having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends. The inner surface configuration defines a cavity sized to receive the elongate member therein. The textile layer is formed of yarns interwoven with each other, wherein at least some of the yarns comprise heat resistant multifilament and/or heat resistant monofilament, thereby rendering the sleeve heat resistant. The silicone-based coating adheres to the outer surface to provide enhanced heat resistance, dielectric protection, and impact resistance.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least some of the yarns are formed from polyester.
According to another aspect of the invention, the polyester is provided as a high toughness polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
According to another aspect of the invention, at least some of the PET yarns are provided as monofilaments and/or multifilaments.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least some of the yarns are provided to be heat resistant.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least some of the yarns may be configured to be cut resistant.
According to another aspect of the invention, a yarn includes 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 with the weft yarns.
According to another aspect of the invention, the wall may be configured to extend widthwise between opposite edges configured to wrap around the central longitudinal axis to define the elongate member within the cavity.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least some of the weft yarns may be heat-set to bias the walls to assume a tubular configuration with opposite edges biased into overlapping relation with one another.
According to another aspect of the invention, the yarns may be woven with one another.
According to another aspect of the invention, the wall may be configured to be circumferentially continuous.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of construction of a textile sleeve for deploying and protecting an elongated member is provided. The method includes interlacing yarn to form a textile layer having an inner surface and an outer surface extending along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends. The inner surface is configured to define a cavity sized to receive the elongated member. The method further includes bonding the silicone-based coating to the outer surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise interlacing the yarns with each other during the weaving process.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise: a woven yarn comprising warp yarns extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis and weft yarns extending generally transverse to the warp yarns, and monofilaments and/or multifilaments providing at least some of the warp and/or weft yarns as cut resistant material and/or high tenacity PET.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise weaving the wall circumferentially continuous.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise weaving the wall to have opposite edges configured to wrap around the central longitudinal axis to define the elongate member within the cavity.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise heat setting at least some of the weft yarns to bias the opposite edges into overlapping relation with each other.
Drawings
The foregoing and other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled 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, in which:
FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a wrappable sleeve constructed according to one aspect of the invention wherein the wrappable sleeve is shown wrapped about an elongate member to be protected therein;
FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of a circumferentially continuous sleeve constructed in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, wherein the circumferentially continuous sleeve is shown disposed about an elongate member to be protected therein;
FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a woven cross-section of a portion of the interwoven layers of the sleeves of FIGS. 1A and 1B; and
Fig. 2B schematically illustrates a woven cross-section of a portion of the interwoven layers of the sleeves of fig. 1A and 1B.
Detailed Description
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, fig. 1A and 1B illustrate schematic views of a wrappable textile sleeve 10a and a circumferentially continuous textile sleeve 10B, respectively, constructed in accordance with various aspects of the invention, wherein the textile sleeves 10a, 10B are hereinafter collectively referred to as the sleeve 10, and common reference numerals are used to identify like features of the sleeves 10a, 10B unless otherwise noted. The sleeve 10 has flexible elongated walls 12 for routing and protecting one or more elongated members 14, such as cables, wires and tubing, to provide various types of protection, including dielectric protection, wear protection, thermal protection including high temperature and fire, protection from the absorption and ingress of fluids (e.g., water, oil, fuel, etc.), and protection from other environmental conditions (e.g., contamination). The wall 12 may be configured to have any suitable dimensions, including length and diameter. The wall 12 has an inner surface 15 and an opposite outer surface 17, the inner surface 15 and the opposite outer surface 17 extending lengthwise about a longitudinal central axis 20 between opposite ends 19, 21, wherein the inner surface 15 defines a cavity 22, the cavity 22 being sized to receive the elongate member 14 therein. The wrappable sleeve 10a has opposite edges 16, 18 extending parallel or substantially parallel to a longitudinal central axis 20 (intended to indicate that such relationship would be considered by one of ordinary skill in the art (POSA) to be parallel, though it may not be truly parallel, as seen by the naked eye), wherein the opposite edges 16, 18 may be wrapped in overlapping relation to one another in a "cigarette wrapping" manner to fully enclose the elongate member 14 within the central cavity 22. The wall 12 has an inner interwoven textile layer 23 formed of yarns 24, with at least some of the yarns 24 comprising heat resistant multifilament 24a (multifilament is a term known to those of ordinary skill in the art as a single yarn comprising a plurality of filaments interwoven with each other) and/or heat resistant monofilament 24B (monofilament is a term known to those of ordinary skill in the art as a single solid filament of material) interwoven with one another in one of a woven (a portion of the overall woven textile layer 23 is shown in fig. 2A, with the remaining woven portion not shown being the same) or a woven (a portion of the overall woven textile layer 23 is shown in fig. 2B, with the remaining woven portion not shown being the same). A silicone-based coating 26 is adhered to the outer surface 17 of the interwoven textile layer 23, shown adhered to the entire outer surface 17, wherein the silicone-based coating 26 provides dielectric protection while enhancing heat and abrasion resistance of the elongated member 14 and protection from fluid absorption/ingress.
The silicone-based coating 26 is a continuous, fluid-tight coating that is thus impermeable to water, fuel (e.g., kerosene), oil, etc., thereby rendering the wall 12 fluid-tight and fluid-repellent. In this way, fluid is prevented from being absorbed by the textile layer 23, thereby preventing water, fuel, etc. from compromising the ability of the sleeve 10 to provide the desired level of protection described above. The silicone-based coating 26 may include at least one or both of a flame retardant and a heat stabilizer, and may be provided with a thickness of between about 0.1-3.0mm (as illustrated and not limited thereto), thereby facilitating the wall 12 having a radially narrow and low profile, thereby enhancing flexibility and ability to be deployed in relatively small, confined spaces.
The interwoven yarns 24 may be woven, including 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. Warp yarns 36 may be woven with weft yarns 38 in any desired weave pattern, including, for example, a plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, or basket weave, wherein the plain weave pattern preferably provides a smooth, stable, and uniform protective pattern with smoothness facilitating bonding of silicone-based coating 26 to outer surface 17. Warp yarn 36 may be provided entirely by multifilament yarn 24a, wherein multifilament yarn 24a is heat resistant (high temperature resistant); may be provided entirely by monofilaments 24b, wherein monofilaments 24b are heat resistant (high temperature resistant), or made of a mixture of both. Similarly, weft yarn 38 may be provided entirely by multifilament yarn 24a, wherein multifilament yarn 24a is heat resistant; may be provided entirely by monofilaments 24b, wherein monofilaments 24b are heat resistant, or a mixture of both. Warp yarns 36 and/or weft yarns 38 may be formed from polyester, particularly high tenacity polyethylene terephthalate (polyethylene terephthalate, PET), wherein warp yarns 36 and weft yarns 38 may be provided as exactly the same type of yarn or as different types of yarn, depending on the needs of the intended application.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 2A and 2B, the sleeves 10a, 10B may be woven (fig. 2A) or braided (fig. 2B) with the multifilament 24a and/or the monofilament 24B described above, respectively.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of constructing a textile sleeve 10a, 10b is provided. The method includes interlacing yarn 24 to form a textile layer 23, the textile layer 23 having an inner surface 15 and an outer surface 17, the inner surface 15 and the outer surface 17 extending along a central longitudinal axis 20 between opposite ends 19, 21. In addition, the inner surface 15 is configured to define a cavity 22, the cavity 22 being sized to receive the elongate member 14. In addition, a silicone-based coating 26 is bonded to the outer surface 17.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further include interweaving the yarns 24 with one another during the weaving process.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further include weaving yarns 24, the yarns 24 including warp yarns 36 extending generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 20 and weft yarns 38 extending generally transverse to the warp yarns 36, and providing at least some of the warp yarns 36 and/or weft yarns 38 as monofilaments 24b and/or multifilaments 24a of a cut-resistant material and/or high toughness PET.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise weaving the wall 12 circumferentially continuous (fig. 2B).
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further include weaving the wall 12 to have opposite edges 16, 18 (fig. 2A), the opposite edges 16, 18 configured to wrap around the central longitudinal axis 20 to confine the elongate member 14 within the cavity 22.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method can further include heat setting at least some of the weft yarns 38 to bias the opposite edges 16, 18 into overlapping relation with one another.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further include interweaving the yarns 24a, 24b with one another during the braiding process.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method may further comprise braiding the wall 12 circumferentially continuous.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is contemplated that all of the features of all of the claims and all of the embodiments may be combined with each other so long as such combinations are not 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.