Braided textile sleeve with self-sustaining expanded and contracted states and method of construction thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167581-B2
Application number	US-201514928107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A textile sleeve and method of construction thereof is provided. The sleeve includes a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends. The wall has a decreased length, increased cross-sectional area first state and an increased length, decreased cross-sectional area second state. Heat-set, yarns within the wall impart a bias on the wall, wherein the bias causes the wall to remain in each of the first and second states absent an externally applied force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends; and
said wall having a first state with a decreased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, increased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and a second state with an increased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, decreased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and further including braided, heat-set yarns imparting a bias on said wall, said bias causing said wall to remain in each of said first and second states absent some externally applied force.

2. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein at least some of said heat-set yarns are braided in bundles, said bundles including a plurality of yarns twisted with one another.

3. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein at least some said bundles have loops interlinked with loops of another bundle.

4. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein each of said bundles have loops interlinked with loops of another bundle.

5. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein at least some of said bundles are formed entirely of said heat-set yarns.

6. The protective sleeve of claim 5 wherein each of said bundles is formed entirely of said heat-set yarns.

7. The protective sleeve of claim 5 wherein said wall includes non-heat-settable yarns.

8. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends; and
said wall having a first state with a decreased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, increased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and a second state with an increased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, decreased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and further including braided, heat-set yarns imparting a bias on said wall, said bias causing said wall to remain in each of said first and second states absent some externally applied force, wherein said wall includes non-heat-settable yarns, and wherein at least some of said non-heat-settable yarns extend in opposite helical directions.

9. The protective sleeve of claim 7 wherein at least some of said non-heat-settable yarns extend through at least some of said loops.

10. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends; and
said wall having a first state with a decreased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, increased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and a second state with an increased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, decreased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and further including braided, heat-set yarns imparting a bias on said wall, said bias causing said wall to remain in each of said first and second states absent some externally applied force, wherein said wall includes non-heat-settable yarns, wherein at least some of said non-heat-settable yarns extend through at least some of said loops, and wherein at least some of said non-heat-settable yarns extend co-helically between a pair of said bundles.

11. The protective sleeve of claim 7 wherein at least some of said bundles are formed entirely of said non-heat-settable yarns.

12. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein at least some of said bundles include non-heat-settable yarn.

13. The protective sleeve of claim 12 wherein at least some of said bundles include said non-heat-settable yarn twisted with said heat-set yarn.

14. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein said heat-set yarn is a multifilament yarn.

15. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein said heat-set yarn is a monofilament yarn.

16. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein said wall springs between said first and second states upon overcoming said bias.

17. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein said wall includes non-heat-settable yarns.

18. The protective sleeve of claim 17 wherein said non-heat-settable yarns are multifilament yarns.

19. The protective sleeve of claim 17 wherein said non-heat-settable yarns are monofilament yarns.

20. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein said bundles have loops and wherein said wall further includes non-heat-settable yarn extending through at least some of said loops.

21. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends; and
said wall having a first state with a decreased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, increased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and a second state with an increased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, decreased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and further including braided, heat-set yarns imparting a bias on said wall, said bias causing said wall to remain in each of said first and second states absent some externally applied force, wherein at least some of said heat-set yarns are braided in bundles, said bundles including a plurality of yarns twisted with one another, wherein said bundles have loops and wherein said wall further includes non-heat-settable yarn extending through at least some of said loops, and wherein said bundles extend solely in one of an S or Z helical direction.

22. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis between opposite ends; and
said wall having a first state with a decreased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, increased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and a second state with an increased length, extending from one of said opposite ends to the other of said opposite ends, decreased cross-sectional area, as viewed in cross-section taken generally transversely to said central longitudinal axis, and further including braided, heat-set yarns imparting a bias on said wall, said bias causing said wall to remain in each of said first and second states absent some externally applied force, wherein at least some of said heat-set yarns are braided in bundles, said bundles including a plurality of yarns twisted with one another, wherein said bundles have loops and wherein said wall further includes non-heat-settable yarn extending through at least some of said loops, and wherein said bundles extend in opposite S and Z helical directions.

23. A protective textile sleeve, comprising:
a braided, tubular wall extending lengthwise along a central lon

Assignees

• Fed Mogul Powertrain Inc
• Fed Mogul Powertrain Llc

Inventors

• Fathallah Amel
• Panea Ana Maria
• Zhang Zhong Huai
• Teal Jimmy E
• Gao Tianqi
• Krauser Leigh

Classifications

• D04C1/02 Primary

  made from particular materials · CPC title

• B29K2105/258

  Tubular · CPC title

• B29L2023/001

  Tubular films, sleeves · CPC title

• B29C35/02

  Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing {during moulding, e.g. in a mould}(cold vulcanisation B29C35/18 {; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601}) · CPC title

• B29K2101/10

  Thermosetting resins · CPC title