Articles comprising shaped woven fabrics

• US 4,668,545 A
• Filed: 09/13/1985
• Issued: 05/26/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Lowe, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kittle, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US06/775,843
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35, 428/162, 428/192, 428/212, 428/913, 428/36, 428/188, 428/257, 428/365, 139/387 R
• US Class Current: 428/35.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 61/0658 consisting of fibrous plastics material, e.g. woven
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0043 for elongated members, i.e. sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/587 adhesive; fusible
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 3/02 Tubular fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/021 polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/02 polyamides D10B2331/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/04 Heat-responsive characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/062 stiff, shape retention
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 47/22 using shrink-down material
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 58/10 by rubber or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/1806 Heat shrinkable sleeves insulation of electrical connections using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve H01R4/72
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/00 Screening of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic fields devices for absorbing radiation from an antenna H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1331 Single layer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24744 Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2915 including textile, cloth or fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3179 : Woven fabric is characterized by a particular or differential weave other than fabric in which the strand denier or warp/weft pick count is specified

Abstract

A dimensionally-recoverable fabric having an angled or branched hollow region woven therein. The fabric may have conductive fibres by means of which it exhibits electromagnetic screening. Alternatively, or additionally it may have heat-softenable or hot-melt fibres such that it becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating.

Claims

1. A heat-activatable article comprising a fabric having an angled or branched hollow region woven therein.

2. An article according to claim 1, in which the fabric comprises heat-recoverable fibres.

3. An article according to claim 1, in which the fabric comprises conductive fibres by means of which the fabric exhibits electromagnetic screening.

4. An article according to claim 3, in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibres such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

12. An article according to claim 2 in which the fabric comprises conductive fibers by means of which the fabric exhibits electromagnetic screening.

13. An article according to claim 1 in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibers such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

14. An article according to claim 2 in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibers such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

5. A method of making a heat-activatable article comprising a fabric having a hollow region woven therein from fibres comprising heat-activatable fibre, which comprises;

at least notionally splitting a zone of warp fibres into at least a first group of fibres and a second group of fibres, such that the fibres of the first group alternate regularly or irregularly with those of the second group;

inserting weft fibres (a) to interlace warp fibres of the first group but not of the second group, and inserting weft fibres (b) to interlace warp fibres of the second group but not of the first group, thus causing two layers of fabric to be woven; and

either (i) inserting said weft fibres (a) and (b) into warp fibres which border said zone, thus providing a join between the two layers or (ii) providing weft fibres (a) and weft fibres (b) as a continuous running weft, or (iii) providing a knitted stitch joining said two layers;

the number of said groups of fibres, or the number of fibres within at least one of the groups varying in the warp direction such that an angled or branched hollow fabric is produced.

6. A heat-activatable article comprising a woven fabric having recovery localized along or different extents of recovery along, the warp direction.

7. A method of making an article according to claim 6, which method employs a first group of warp fibres of lower or zero recovery and a second group of warp fibres of higher recovery, such that fibres of the first group alternate regularly or irregularly with those of the second group, the warp fibres with which the weft interlaces changing along the warp direction from one of said groups to the other.

15. An article according to claim 6 in which the fabric comprises heat-recoverable fibers.

16. An article according to claim 6 in which the fabric comprises conductive fibers by means of which the fabric exhibits electromagnetic screening.

17. An article according to claim 6 in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibers such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

18. An article according to claim 15 in which the fabric comprises conductive fibers by means of which the fabric exhibits electromagnetic screening.

19. An article according to claim 15 in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibers such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

20. An article according to claim 16 in which the fabric comprises heat-activatable fibers such that the fabric becomes impermeable or is capable of bonding to a substrate on heating or becomes substantially rigid.

8. A method of protecting or holding a substrate comprising a cable or cable splice which comprises surrounding the substrate by a heat activatable article comprising a fabric having a hollow region woven therein which hollow region corresponds to the configuration of the substrate.

9. A method according to claim 8, in which the fabric has an electrically conductive component by means of which the fabric provides electromagnetic screening.

10. A method according to claim 8, in which the fabric is recoverable and the method additionally comprises recovering the fabric into engagement with the substrate.

11. A method according to claim 10, in which the substrate is branched or angular.