JPS62236725A - Covering assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an assembly for covering objects, comprising a wraparound sleeve, in particular a sleeve that is dimensionally recoverable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dimension 5 recoverable articles are articles made so that their dimensional structure can change when subjected to appropriate treatments. Although such articles typically recover toward their original shape from a previously deformed shape, the term "recoverable," as used herein, refers to the ,
This can also be applied to items that adopt a new structure upon recovery.

Preference is given to using sleeves that recover under the action of heat. In their most common form, heat-recoverable sleeves are described, for example, in U.S. Pat.
No. 242 and No. 3,597,372, which exhibit elastic or plastic memory properties. The original dimensionally thermally stable form, as e.g. made clear in US Pat.
Although it may be a transitional form of a continuous process in which the extruded tube is expanded hot to a dimensionally thermally unstable form, in other applications the preferred dimensionally thermally unstable article may be dimensionally thermally unstable in a separate step. transformed into a form.

Heat-recoverable articles based on textiles are also known, such as those disclosed in GB Patent Specification No. 2133639.
No. 2133740, No. 2134334, No. 21
No. 35632, No. 2135836 and No. 21391
It is described in No. 42. The assembly of the present invention may use a textile recoverable sleeve.

Wraparound recoverable sleeves are advantageous over tubular sleeves because they can be worn around an object without accessing the edges of the object. Known closures for wraparound sleeves include, for example, the adhesive-coated patch described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,676;
and the so-called [rail and channel closure] described in British Patent No. 1155470.
sure) J is included.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The assembly of the present invention uses an elastic girdle as a closure for a wraparound recoverable sleeve.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a covering assembly for an object comprising a wraparound resilient sleeve and a resilient girdle provided with means for fastening the opposing end portions together. , the girdle allows the sleeve to be held in a wrapped structure during recovery.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of attaching a wraparound recoverable sleeve coated with an activatable adhesive around an object, the method comprising: (a) wrapping the sleeve around the object. ,(b)
applying means removably connected to the sleeve to hold the sleeve in a wrapped configuration; (c) treating the sleeve to recover the sleeve and activate the adhesive; and (c) treating the sleeve to recover the sleeve and activate the adhesive. d) removing the retaining means from the sleeve and retaining the sleeve in the structure in which the activated adhesive wraps around the sleeve.

By "removably connected" is meant connected to the sleeve by means arranged to be removable after the activatable adhesive has been activated. The holding means may be, for example, adhesive tape, Velcro (Velcro), etc.
Cooperative hooks and eyes including cro.TM. tape, rails on channel members and cooperating sleeves and retaining means, press-studs, etc. are included.

It is also contemplated that the retaining means and the sleeve may be formed in one piece, the retaining means being designed such that the retaining means can be removed from the sleeve along a predetermined line of weakness.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for applying a wraparound resilient sleeve around an object, applying an elastic girdle around the sleeve, and while the girdle retains the sleeve in a wrapped configuration, Provided is a method for covering an object, the method comprising the step of restoring.

By using a resilient girdle, when worn around a recovery sleeve, the girdle member is taut and can be positioned to remain taut during recovery, so that the girdle I was able to follow the
Keep the sleeve compressed during recovery. This helps eliminate air gaps between the sleeve and the object and between the wraps (if used) while keeping the sleeve in its wrapped configuration.

In contrast to rail-and-channel closures and other closures that include cooperating structures on a resilient sleeve, girdle closures require one of the structures to
The ability to cut the sleeve to the appropriate length without the risk of tearing the pieces apart allows the resilient sleeve to be used to cover objects of various sizes. Additionally, objects of varying size ranges can be accommodated by varying the degree of overlap of the end portions of the sleeve as the sleeve is wrapped around the object.

A substantial advantage of using a girdle to fasten a wrap-around sleeve is that it can be conveniently used with a sleeve that is wrapped around an object more than once. Multiple wraps have the advantage that a thickened section can be formed around the object, and the sleeve of the thickened section is flexible. The elasticity of the girdle minimizes void formation between the layers of the sleeve. Further, by using a girdle as a closure, the number of wraps of the sleeve around the object can be varied depending on factors such as the size of the object and the desired wall thickness. The wall thickness obtained by wrapping several times allows the assembly of the invention to withstand large pressures for sealing objects, such as gas pipes.

Preferably, a closure member is provided at or adjacent the end portion of the wraparound sleeve for engagement with the girdle. This allows the girdle to be used with a sleeve having a recovery rate of 15% or more without slipping when the sleeve recovers.

If the sleeve recovers less than 15%, it is possible to omit the closure member from the sleeve and rely on the tension of the girdle to hold the sleeve in place.

The closure member may take the form of a bar attached to the sleeve. In this case, the girdle may be provided with fastening means in the form of a buckle. Alternatively, the girdle and sleeve may be fastened together by press studs, hooks and eyes.

It is also conceivable to permanently attach the girdle member to the sleeve, for example by adhesive or stitching. However, it is an advantage of the assembly to provide a reusable closure for the recoverable sleeve. In addition to minimizing costs, the ability to remove the girdle
Advantageously, a sleeve of thin cross section is provided.

The recoverable sleeve is generally coated with a layer of a sealing material such as an adhesive or sealant, such as a hot melt adhesive, a curable adhesive or a mastic. The use of adhesives is particularly preferred since once the adhesive has formed the bond, the girdle can be removed with minimal risk to fixation of the sleeve.

Preferably, the sleeve is heat recoverable, although other forms of recovery are contemplated. If the sleeve is heat recoverable,
Generally, the girdle is made from a material that is resistant to the heat generated during recovery of the sleeve.

The girdle may be provided with a layer of elastically compressible material or a layer of insulating material or both on its inner surface. A layer of foam material can satisfy both of these functions. Incorporating a layer of elastically compressible material on the inner surface of the girdle is advantageous as it promotes uniform distribution of compressive forces around the sleeve, particularly at uneven points such as steps.

A layer of insulating material can ensure that the girdle is not adversely affected when restoring the sleeve. This is particularly advantageous if the girdle is to be reused.

If the sleeve is thermally resilient, heat may be applied by a torch, hot air gun or electric heater.

Preferably, the sleeve is provided with an integrated heater.

The heater may be in the form of a wire in a generally zigzag path across the width of the sleeve. Such a sleeve is described in European Patent Publication No. 158,519. Another heater that may be used may be formed from a mesh having openings that allow the dimensions of the mesh to be varied by changing the shape of the openings. Also, built-in heaters can be provided in the sleeve by using electrically conductive materials. The provision of a built-in heater strengthens the sleeve and allows it to withstand high pressures.

When the sleeve is wrapped around an object more than once, the use of built-in heaters allows the sleeve to be staggered so that the heat is conducted evenly through what is actually a thick walled area, thus It has been found that it has the particular advantage of ensuring uniform recovery without scorching.

Preferably, the girdle is long enough to completely go around the installed sleeve. Preferably, the girdle is of a circumferential construction and means for fastening the girdle are provided at the opposite end. The required strength of the fastening means depends on the forces acting as a result of the resilience of the sleeve. Suitable fastening means include press studs, hooks and eyes, buttons and buttonholes, and the like.

When the sleeve is wrapped around the object more than once, the first wrap of the sleeve is preferably provided by a sheet of sealing material, such as an adhesive or sealant. The sheet of sealing material is adjacent to the sheet of recoverable material prior to application of the sleeve. Preferably, the encapsulant material of the sheet is the same as the encapsulant material provided as a coating on the sheet of recoverable material.

By providing a sealing material in the inner layer, it is possible to ensure that a suitable amount of sealing material is present between the sleeve and the object. This is advantageous because the inner end of the recoverable sleeve is not restrained by the girdle from moving during recovery of the sleeve. If sufficient adhesive is not present, the inner edge of the sleeve will shift and this will lead to the formation of undesired voids extending perpendicular to the direction of recovery of the sleeve; can be supplied.

The sheet of sealing material is preferably reinforced; preferred reinforcing materials include open woven meshes of fibrous materials, particularly glass fibers, although powdered reinforcing materials may also be used.

In addition to ensuring that the voids created as a result of creepback in a resilient wraparound sleeve are filled, the sheet of sealing material is wrapped multiple times as the inner layer of the sleeve, thus reducing the degree of creepback. can be done.

Where the sleeve comprises a sheet of recoverable material and an adjacent sheet of sealing material, the sheet of sealing material preferably provides the inner layer of the wrap-around sleeve;
It is preferred to provide one or more further layers, preferably two, to the sleeve fitted by a sheet of recoverable material (with a coating of sealing material if present).

Among the commercially available sealing materials, it is particularly preferred to use hot melt adhesives for the sheet material of the sealing material. A suitable hot melt adhesive is described in GB 1588721.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a recoverable wraparound sleeve for enclosing an object comprising a sheet of recoverable material and an adjacent sheet of sealing material, the sleeve being When wrapped around,
A sleeve is provided in which the adhesive sort is arranged to form at least a portion of the inner layer of the attached sleeve and the sheet of recoverable material forms an outer layer of the attached sleeve.

The assemblies, methods and sleeves of the present invention can be advantageously used to seal ties between gas pipes, water pipes, pre-insulated pipes and the like. The material of the pipe may be metal or polymer, and the sealing material on the resilient sleeve is selected accordingly.

A particular application of the invention is in the sealing of joints between metallic substrates, where there is a dielectric breakdown at each joint. The application filed on the same day by the same applicant as the present application (title of the invention "Assembly and connection method for connecting base materials") is included as a reference.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a heat-recoverable wraparound sleeve and girdle as it is installed around a joint between two pipes, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve of FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wrap-around sleeve for use in the present invention as fitted around a joint between two pipes; FIG. Figure 5 shows the sleeve of Figure 4 wrapped around a pipe.

In FIG. 1, a pair of straps 11 are attached by stitching to one end of a heat-recoverable textile wraparound sleeve I2 coated with hot melt adhesive. The strap carries a bar 13 which acts as a closure member. The elastic girdle 14 comprises a metal buckle 15 and an elastic silicone rubber band 16.

The girdle has fastening means 17 comprising press studs that hold the girdle I4 together when placed around the heat-recoverable sleeve I2, as shown in FIG. The sleeve is supplied with an internal electric heating element 18.

To install the sleeve, first wrap the sleeve around the joint with the end of the sleeve with the closure member overlapping the opposing flat sleeve end. The metal buckle 15 of the girdle 14 is then engaged with the bar 13 and the girdle is pulled tightly around the sleeve. Press studs 17 are then engaged to hold the girdle stretched around the sleeve. The electrically applied Sl element is then energized to heat the sleeve to the recovery temperature. During recovery, girdle 14 is stretched, so
It can follow the recovery of the sleeve and can be tightly held by the sleeve wrapped structure.

After recovery, remove the press stud and remove the girdle.

The sleeve is held in place by hot melt adhesive.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative structure in which the sleeve and girdle are connected by strip fasteners 21 and 22. The girdle is held around the sleeve in use by further snap fasteners 23 and 24. In this embodiment, the girdle extends across the width of the sleeve, but has a cutout 25 to make it easier to stretch the girdle around the sleeve.

FIG. 4 shows a wraparound recoverable sleeve comprising a sheet 30 of recoverable material covered with a layer of hot melt adhesive. Adjacent thereto is a sheet 34 of hot melt adhesive reinforced with an open weave of glass fibers to provide an inner layer when the sleeve is wrapped around an object. The sleeve is supplied with a heating element 36 in the form of a wire with connection points 38 .

The heating element is sandwiched between a recoverable material and a hot melt adhesive coated with the recoverable material.

The sleeve may be provided with a closure member for engagement with the girdle.

FIG. 5 shows the sleeve of FIG. 4 placed around a pipe 50, with the inner layer of the wrapped sleeve being provided with a sheet 34 of reinforced adhesive. The outer layer is
It is provided by a laminate 30 of recoverable material and hot melt adhesive. The sheet of recoverable material is long enough to overlap either end portion 58 or end portion 60. In many applications, it is preferable to provide an additional layer of recoverable material to the wrapped sleeve. A girdle or other closure may be used to hold the sleeve in a wrap-around configuration.

When power is applied to heating element 36 (not shown in FIG. 5),
The sleeve is recovered and the hot melt adhesive is activated to bond the pipe and sleeve layers.

During recovery, the end portion 60 of the sea 1-30 tends to creep back counterclockwise as shown in FIG.

The adhesive sheet 34 ensures that no voids occur due to such leapback.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat-recoverable wraparound sleeve and girdle; FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the sleeve of FIG. 3 after recovery; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the sleeve of the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a recoverable wrap-around sleeve provided with sealing material, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve of FIG. 4 when installed. l...Strap, 12...Sleeve, 13...
Bar, 14...Girdle, +5...Buckle, 16
... Rubber band, 17 ... Fastening means, 18 ... Heating element, 2 +, 22, 23.24 ... Snap fastener,
25...Removed part, 30...+15 object, 34...
hot melt adhesive sheet, 36... heating element, 38
...Connection point, 50...Pipe, 58.60...End portion. Patent Applicant: N Tsuko Raychem Sonete Anonymous

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A covering assembly for an object comprising a wrap-around recoverable sleeve and a resilient girdle provided with means for fastening opposing ends together, the girdle providing recovery protection. An assembly that can be held in place with a sleeve wrapped around it. 2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the closure member is provided at or facing the end of the sleeve and the girdle is provided with means for engaging the closure member. 3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sleeve is heat recoverable and the girdle is made of a heat resistant material. 4. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sleeve has an integrated electric heater. 5. attaching a wrap-around recoverable sleeve around the object; attaching an elastic girdle around the sleeve; and recovering the sleeve while the girdle retains the sleeve in the wrapped structure. How to cover objects. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the girdle is connected to the sleeve before recovery of the sleeve. 7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the sleeve is wrapped around the object one or more times. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the first wrap of the sleeve is provided by a sheet of sealing material. 9. A wraparound recoverable sleeve for enclosing an object comprising a sheet of recoverable material and an adjacent sheet of sealing material, wherein when the sleeve is wrapped around the object, the sheet of sealing material A sleeve configured to form at least a portion of an inner layer of the loaded sleeve and a sheet of recoverable material forming an outer layer of the loaded sleeve. 10. The sleeve of claim 9, wherein the sheet of sealing material is reinforced. 11. A sleeve according to claim 10, wherein the sealing material is reinforced with fibers. 12. A sleeve according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the sealing material is an adhesive, preferably a hot melt adhesive. 13. A sleeve according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the sheet of recoverable material is covered with a layer of sealing material. 14. A method of applying a wraparound recoverable sleeve coated with an activatable adhesive around an object, comprising: (a) wrapping the sleeve around the object; (b)
applying means removably connected to the sleeve to hold the sleeve in a wrapped configuration; (c) treating the sleeve to recover the sleeve and activate the adhesive; and (c) treating the sleeve to recover the sleeve and activate the adhesive. d) removing the retaining means from the sleeve and retaining the sleeve in a structure in which the activated adhesive wraps around the sleeve. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the retaining means is a girdle made of elastic material.