Pipes and tubular conduits – Combined – With hose protector
Patent
1999-04-12
2000-10-17
Hook, James
Pipes and tubular conduits
Combined
With hose protector
138121, 138122, 138137, 138143, 138146, F16L 1111
Patent
active
061316148
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention is concerned with convoluted flexible protective sleeves which are suitable for use for protecting wires or pipes, eg in the engine compartment of a vehicle. The invention is also concerned with methods of manufacturing such sleeves.
By the term "convoluted flexible protective sleeve", we mean a tube which is adapted to receive flexible wires or pipes and which has a wall of substantially uniform thickness along the length of the tube, the wall being formed into convolutions to make the tube more conformable to bends. The convolutions in such a sleeve can take various forms, eg a cross-section taken through the wall longitudinally of the tube may have the appearance of approximations to sine waves or square waves. Bends in the sleeve are accommodated by opening of the convolutions on the outer side of the bend and closing of the convolutions on the inner side of the bend. Such a sleeve may have a longitudinal slit in its wall to enable the sleeve to be installed over a pipe or wire which is already in situ. Such sleeves are made of heat-resistant plastics material such as nylon 6 or polythene. Such sleeves are used in engine compartments to protect, eg the wiring loom or fuel pipes.
Convoluted flexible protective sleeves act to protect wires and pipes from heat by providing a barrier between the wire or pipe and heat sources and also by creating an insulating layer of air around the wire or pipe. However, it is found that, in many cases, undesirable amounts of heat still reach the wire or pipe.
It is known to reduce the heat which reaches a wire or a pipe protected by a convoluted flexible protective sleeve by wrapping an aluminised tape around the sleeve, the tape forming a spiral extending along the sleeve. Such a tape reflects away infra-red radiation. However, such a tape is time-consuming to install and seriously reduces the flexibility of the sleeve. Furthermore, the tape cannot always be made to conform to the outer surface of the wall of the sleeve, this being particularly difficult in the case of a square wave form.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved convoluted flexible protective sleeve which reduces the heat reaching a wire or pipe protected by the sleeve without having the above-described disadvantages of the use of tape.
The invention provides a convoluted flexible protective sleeve comprising a wall made of heat-resistant plastics material, characterised in that the sleeve also comprises a layer of infra-red radiation-reflecting metal vacuum deposited on the outer surface of said wall, the layer of metal being between 0.05 and 5 micrometres in thickness.
In the sleeve according to the invention, the layer of metal reflects away infra-red radiation, thereby reducing the heat reaching the wire or pipe. Furthermore, the thin metal layer does not significantly reduce the flexibility of the sleeve and conforms to the outer surface of the wall of the sleeve.
The vacuum deposition may be a flash evaporation process which results in a substantially continuous and uniform in thickness layer of metal. Sputtering is also a possibility. The layer of metal may be 0.1 to 5 micrometers in thickness.
Since the layer of metal should be as thin as possible, consistent with the layer being durable and continuous, in order to maintain the maximum flexibility, the layer of metal is, preferably, less than 3 micrometres in thickness, more preferably less than 1 micrometre.
The wall may be made of any suitable plastics material such as nylon 6 or polythene. The wall may be made by any of the usual methods.
The sleeve may also comprise a coating comprising an adhesion-promoting material, positioned between the wall and the layer of metal, which coating fills small holes in the surface so that the layer of metal deposited thereon has a smoother outer surface which gives improved reflection. The coating also assists adhesion of the metal. This coating may be applied by spraying, dipping or by vacuum deposition. In the case of vacuum deposition, this coating is suitably applie
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Eastham David Raymond
Laskey Anthony Salvatore
Poole Mark Andrew
Hook James
T&N Technology Limited
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