Curved heat shrink tubing and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034079-B2
Application number	US-202016815858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Curved heat shrink tubing and methods of making the same are described herein. An example method includes inserting heat shrink tubing into a tube, curving the tube, and deforming the heat shrink tubing, inside of the tube, to have a curved shape along a length of the heat shrink tubing where a first length of the heat shrink tubing along an outer radius of the curved shape is longer than a second length of the heat shrink tubing along an inner radius of the curved shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
heat shrink tubing having a curved shape along a length of the heat shrink tubing such that a first length of the heat shrink tubing along an outer radius of the curved shape is longer than a second length of the heat shrink tubing along an inner radius of the curved shape, the heat shrink tubing configured to shrink, upon application of heat, circumferentially to conform to a curved shape of an object at least partially covered by the heat shrink tubing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, upon application of heat to the heat shrink tubing, the heat shrink tubing is to shrink longitudinally.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat shrink tubing is constructed at least partially of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP).

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat shrink tubing is constructed of at least one of polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, and polypropylene.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the curved shape is a first curved shape along a first portion of the heat shrink tubing, the heat shrinking tubing having a second curved shape along a second portion of the heat shrink tubing, the second curved shape curving in a different direction than the first curved shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first curved shape has a first radius of curvature and the second curved shape has a second radius of curvature.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second radius of curvature is different than the first radius of curvature.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat shrink tubing has a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat shrink tubing has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the first end is open and the second end is closed.

10. A method comprising:
placing heat shrink tubing on a curved tool, the heat shrink tubing having a curved shape along a length of the heat shrink tubing such that a first length of the heat shrink tubing along an outer radius of the curved shape is longer than a second length of the heat shrink tubing along an inner radius of the curved shape; and
heating the heat shrink tubing to conform the heat shrink tubing to the curved tool.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a radius of curvature of the heat shrink tubing is substantially the same as a radius of curvature of the curved tool.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat shrink tubing has a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat shrink tubing has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the first end is open and the second end is closed.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein heating the heat shrink tubing includes using a heat gun to direct heated air onto the heat shrink tubing.

15. The method of claim 10 , further including using the curved tool, with the heat shrink tubing, as an internal tool for molding a part.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the part is for an aircraft.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat shrink tubing is constructed at least partially of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP).

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curved shape is a first curved shape along a first portion of the heat shrink tubing, the heat shrinking tubing having a second curved shape along a second portion of the heat shrink tubing, the second curved shape curving in a different direction than the first curved shape.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first curved shape has a first radius of curvature and the second curved shape has a second radius of curvature.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second radius of curvature is different than the first radius of curvature.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sinclair James R

Classifications

• B29C67/0014 Primary

  for shaping tubes or blown tubular films · CPC title

• B29C57/04

  using mechanical means {(B29C57/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C2791/003

  Making articles of indefinite length (B29C53/48 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C53/083

  bending longitudinally, i.e. modifying the curvature of the tube axis · CPC title

• B29K2105/02

  heat shrinkable {(B29K2995/0049 takes precedence)} · CPC title