Article for protection of a substrate

• US 4,865,905 A
• Filed: 12/09/1988
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dow, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Uken, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Balen, William J.
• Application Number:
  US07/283,020
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 156/48, 156/49, 174/76, 174/84 R, 428/220, 428/268, 428/269, 428/304.4, 428/307.3, 428/308.4, 428/309.9, 428/320.2, 428/322.7, 428/447
• US Class Current: 428/220
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 17/60 Composite insulating bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/22 End caps, i.e. of insulating or conductive material for covering or maintaining connections between wires entering the cap from the same end
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/72 using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/10 protected by boxes, e.g. by distribution, connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249956 Void-containing component is inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24996 With internal element bridging layers, nonplanar interface between layers, or intermediate layer of commingled adjacent foam layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249994 Composite having a component wherein a constituent is liquid or is contained within preformed walls [e.g., impregnant-filled, previously void containing component, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249999 Differentially filled foam, filled plural layers, or filled layer with coat of filling material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2213 Coating or impregnation is specified as weather proof, water vapor resistant, or moisture resistant

Abstract

An article that may be employed to protect a substrate by wrapping the article around the substrate. The article comprises a flexible matrix which is composed of a first material and comprises a plurality of open interstices, the interstices having an average volume of less than 0.01 inch³ ; and an impregnant which is composed of a second material which has a cone penetration value of 100 to 350 (10^-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 200%, and comprises a plurality of interconnected segments which lie within the interstices of the matrix. The matrix and the impregnant are such that, when the article is stretched, the matrix reaches its ultimate elongation before the impregnant reaches its ultimate elongation.

Claims

1. An article for protecting a substrate from moisture, comprising:

(1) a flexible, extensible matrix which

(a) is composed of a first material and

(b) comprises a plurality of open interstices, the interstices having an average volume of less than 0.01 inch³, and

(2) a moisture-insensitive impregnant which

(a) is composed of a second material which when cured has a cone penetration value of 100 to 350 (10^-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 200%, and

(b) comprises a plurality of interconnected segments which lie within the interstices of the matrix, the impregnant being cured prior to coming into contact with any part of the substrate to be protected;

the matrix and the impregnant being such that, when the article is stretched, the matrix reaches its ultimate elongation before the impregnant reaches its ultimate elongation so as to provide a continuous moisture protection coating over the substrate.

2. An article according to claim 1, wherein the first material comprises an organic polymer.

3. An article according to claim 2, wherein the matrix is an open cell foam.

4. An article according to claim 3, wherein the average cell size is 5 to 30 mils.

5. An article according to claim 4, wherein the average cell size is 10 to 20 mils.

6. An article according to claim 3, wherein the matrix is in the form of a tape which is 10 to 300 mils thick.

7. An article according to claim 6, wherein the tape is 15 to 80 mils thick.

8. An article according to claim 1, wherein the matrix is a fabric.

9. An article according to claim 8, wherein the matrix comprises metal fibers.

10. An article according to claim 8, wherein the fabric is a woven fabric and is 5 to 60 mils thick.

11. An article according to claim 1 which is in the form of a tape.

12. An article according to claim 11 which is 10 to 300 mils thick and whose principal surfaces consist essentially of the impregnant.

13. An article according to claim 1, wherein the ratio by volume of the impregnant to the matrix is at least 7.0.

14. An article according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 9.0.

15. An article according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 9.5.

16. An article according to claim 1, wherein the second material has a cone penetration value of 200 to 350.

17. An article according to claim 1, wherein the second material has an ultimate elongation of at least 500%.