Heat shrinkable covering and method for applying same
First Claim
1. A method of applying a close fitting protective covering to an article to be covered, which method comprises:
- providing a dimensionally heat unstable material in sheet form having longitudinally spaced end portions, the material having been stretched in the longitudinal direction from an original heat stable form to a dimensionally heat unstable form capable of moving in the direction of its original form by the application of heat alone,applying a hold-down adhesive to one side of the sheet across a transverse zone adjacent one of its ends, said zone being spaced from the other end by a distance greater than the girth of the article to be covered,wrapping the sheet around the article by laying the sheet against the article and overlapping said end portions, and bonding the adhesive-covered zone against the opposite side of the other end portion while leaving an adhesive-free zone at the interface between said overlapping end portions,applying heat externally to said overlapping end portions sufficient to effect a fusion bond therebetween at the adhesive-free interface, andfurther heating the material to shrink the sheet into close fitting relation with the article.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A heat shrinkable covering for an article, such as a pipe, comprises a heat shrinkable material in the form of a flexible sheet which is wrapped around the article so that its ends overlap. The overlapping end portions are bonded together by means of a hold-down adhesive, preferably a shear-resistant adhesive, leaving an adhesive-free region at the interface. Heat is applied externally to the overlapping end portions so as to effect a fusion bond at the adhesive-free region of the interface, and the sheet is heat-shrunk onto the article in known manner. The covering offers the advantages and convenience of application common to conventional wrap-around sleeves, while having the intrinsic strength properties of a seamless tubular sleeve.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A method of applying a close fitting protective covering to an article to be covered, which method comprises:
-
providing a dimensionally heat unstable material in sheet form having longitudinally spaced end portions, the material having been stretched in the longitudinal direction from an original heat stable form to a dimensionally heat unstable form capable of moving in the direction of its original form by the application of heat alone, applying a hold-down adhesive to one side of the sheet across a transverse zone adjacent one of its ends, said zone being spaced from the other end by a distance greater than the girth of the article to be covered, wrapping the sheet around the article by laying the sheet against the article and overlapping said end portions, and bonding the adhesive-covered zone against the opposite side of the other end portion while leaving an adhesive-free zone at the interface between said overlapping end portions, applying heat externally to said overlapping end portions sufficient to effect a fusion bond therebetween at the adhesive-free interface, and further heating the material to shrink the sheet into close fitting relation with the article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of applying a close fitting covering to an article to be covered, which method comprises:
-
providing a plurality of sheets of dimensionally heat unstable material each having longitudinally spaced end portions, the material of each sheet having been stretched in the longitudinal direction from an original heat stable form to a dimensionally heat unstable form capable of moving in the direction of its original form by the application of heat alone, applying a hold-down adhesive to one side of each sheet across a transverse zone adjacent one of its ends, wrapping the sheets around the article in consecutive overlapping relation and adhesively bonding the overlapping end portions thereof in pairs while leaving an adhesive-free region at each interface therebetween, applying heat externally to the pairs of overlapping end portions sufficient to effect a fusion bond at the adhesive-free region of each said interface, and further heating the material to shrink the covering so formed into close fitting relation with the article. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
- 31. A heat shrinkable protective covering adapted to be applied to an article in wrapping relation thereto, comprising a dimensionally heat unstable material in flexible sheet form having longitudinally spaced end portions capable of being brought into overlapping relation when the sheet is applied to the article, the material having been stretched in the longitudinal direction from an original heat stable form to a dimensionally heat unstable form capable of moving in the direction of its original form by the application of heat alone, one side of the sheet having a covering of hold-down adhesive across a transverse zone adjacent one of its ends leaving an adhesive-free adjacent zone which is capable of being fusion bonded to the other side of the sheet when brought into overlapping relation with the other end portion, further comprising a layer of a functional coating covering one side of the sheet except at the region at which the fusion bond is to be effected.
Specification