Envelope for a laminar structure providing adaptive thermal insulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10085500-B2
Application number	US-201214415289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2012
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an envelope (20) for a laminar structure (100) providing adaptive thermal insulation, the envelope (20) enclosing at least one cavity (16) having included therein a gas generating agent (18) having an unactivated configuration and an activated configuration, the gas generating agent (18) being adapted to change from the unactivated configuration to the activated configuration, such as to increase a gas pressure inside the cavity (16), in response to an increase in temperature in the cavity (16), the envelope (20) having, in the unactivated configuration of the gas generating agent (18), a flat shape with a thickness (d) of the envelope (20) being smaller than a lateral extension (A) of the envelope (20), the envelope (20) being configured such that the thickness (d) of the envelope (20) increases in response to the increase in gas pressure inside the cavity (16), the cavity including at least a first sub-cavity (16a) and a second sub-cavity (16b) at least partially stacked above each other in the thickness direction of the envelope (20), the first sub-cavity (16a) and the second sub-cavity (16b) being in communication with each other to allow transfer of the gas generating agent (18), at least in its activated configuration, between the first and second sub-cavities (16a, 16b).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Envelope for a laminar structure providing adaptive thermal insulation, the envelope enclosing at least one cavity having included therein a gas generating agent having an unactivated configuration and an activated configuration,
the gas generating agent being adapted to change from the unactivated configuration to the activated configuration, such as to increase a gas pressure inside the cavity, in response to an increase in temperature in the cavity,
the envelope having, in a condition with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof, a flat shape with a thickness (d=d0) of the envelope being smaller than a lateral extension (Ax=Ax0, Ay=Ay0) of the envelope ( 20 ),
the envelope being configured such that the thickness (d) of the envelope increases in response to the increase in gas pressure inside the cavity,
the cavity including at least a first sub-cavity and a second sub-cavity at least partially stacked above each other in thickness direction of the envelope, the first sub-cavity and the second sub-cavity being in communication with each other to allow transfer of the gas generating agent, at least in the activated configuration thereof, between the first and second sub-cavities,
wherein the envelope is made up of at least a first sub-envelope and a second sub-envelope, the first sub-envelope enclosing the first sub-cavity and the second sub-envelope enclosing the second sub-cavity.

2. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope defines, in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof, two lateral dimensions (Ax=Ax0, Ay=Ay0) measured along two lateral directions spanning a lateral plane (E) of the envelope, and one thickness dimension (d=d0) measured substantially perpendicular to the lateral plane (E), the thickness dimension (d=d0), in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof, being smaller than any of the two lateral dimensions (Ax=Ax0, Ay=Ay0).

3. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope is configured such that the first and second sub-cavities are at least partially stacked above each other in direction towards a heat source when the envelope is applied to the laminar structure.

4. Envelope according to claim 1 , including at least one fluid passage connecting the first and second cub-cavities with each other, the fluid passage being adapted to allow transfer of gas generating agent, at least in the activated configuration thereof.

5. Envelope according to claim 4 , wherein the first sub-cavity and the second sub-cavity are each enclosed by a respective sub-cavity wall, the sub-cavity walls of the first and second sub-cavities being connected such as to allow for movement of the first sub-cavity with respect to the second sub-cavity in response to change of configuration of the gas generating agent.

6. Envelope according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one fluid passage is adapted to reversibly change between a first configuration in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof and a second configuration in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof.

7. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness dimension (d=d1) of the envelope, in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent being in the activated configuration thereof, is larger than the thickness dimension (d=d0) of the envelope, in a condition of the envelope with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof, by 6 mm or more.

8. Envelope according to claim 1 being configured to reversibly change such that the thickness (d) of the envelope increases in response to the increase in gas pressure inside the cavity and/or the thickness (d) of the envelope decreases in response to a decrease in pressure inside the cavity.

9. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope is fluid tight.

10. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second sub-cavities are connected in such a way as to allow the first and second sub-cavities to move relative to each other essentially in thickness direction.

11. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid passage is located at a portion with maximum increase in thickness (d) of the envelope in a condition with the gas generating agent in the activated configuration thereof.

12. Envelope according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one fluid passage is located essentially centrally with respect to the lateral extension of the envelope in a condition with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof.

13. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second sub-envelopes are bonded together such as to form a fluid communication between the first and second sub-cavities at least with respect to the gas generating agent in the activated configuration thereof.

14. Envelope according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second sub-envelopes is made of at least one envelope piece of fluid tight material, preferably made of at least two envelope pieces of fluid tight material, the envelope pieces being bonded together in a fluid tight manner, respectively, such as to form the first and second sub-envelopes.

15. Envelope according to claim 14 , wherein an envelope piece of the first sub-envelope located on a side of the first sub-envelope facing an adjacent envelope piece of the second sub-envelope, and the adjacent envelope piece of the second sub-envelope are configured to provide for the fluid communication between the first and second sub-cavities.

16. Envelope according to claim 15 , wherein the envelope piece of the first sub-envelope is provided with at least one first fluid passage, and the adjacent envelope piece of the second sub-envelope is provided with at least one corresponding second fluid passage, the first and said second fluid passages forming the fluid communication.

17. Envelope according to claim 16 , wherein the envelope piece of the first sub-envelope is bonded to the adjacent envelope piece of the second sub-envelope such as to provide for a fluid tight connection between the first passage formed in the envelope piece of the first sub-envelope and the corresponding second passage formed in the adjacent envelope piece of the second sub-envelope.

18. Envelope for a laminar structure providing adaptive thermal insulation, the envelope enclosing at least one cavity having included therein a gas generating agent having an unactivated configuration and an activated configuration,
the gas generating agent being adapted to change from the unactivated configuration to the activated configuration, such as to increase a gas pressure inside the cavity, in response to an increase in temperature in the cavity,
the envelope having, in a condition with the gas generating agent in the unactivated configuration thereof, a flat shape with a thickness (d=d0) of the envelope being smaller than a lateral extension (Ax=Ax0, Ay=Ay0) of the envelope ( 20 ),
the envelope being configured such that the thickness (d) of the envelope increases in response to the increase in gas pressure inside the cavity,
the cavity including at least a first sub-cavity and a second sub-cavity at least partially stacked above each other in thickness direction of the envelope, the first sub-cavity and the second sub-cavity being in communication with each other to allow transfer of the gas generating agen

Assignees

• Kiederle Guenter
• Baumgaertler Helga
• Didelot Christophe
• Gore W L & Ass Gmbh
• W L Gore & Ass Sarl

Inventors

• Kiederle Guenter
• Baumgaertler Helga
• Didelot Christophe

Classifications

• Y10T428/239

  Complete cover or casing · CPC title

• A41D31/0027 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A62B17/003 Primary

  Fire-resistant or fire-fighters' clothes · CPC title

• Y10T428/1334

  Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.] · CPC title

• A41D31/085 Primary

  using layered materials · CPC title