Patent ID: 6265039
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: B29C,D03D,F16L,G02B,Y10T

Abstract:
A circumferentially-heat-shrinkable sheath of woven fabric, capable of use on a non-linear shaped conduit to provide impact cushioning and/or abrasion resistance, wherein the sheath provides a substantially unobscured outer fabric surface and comprises:hoop filaments extending substantially circumferentially around the sheath, at least some of which hoop filaments are heat-shrinkable, andlength filaments extending substantially along the sheath,and wherein the length filaments are selected to be sufficiently flexible, at least at temperatures to which they are subjected during heat-shrinking of the sheath in use, for the heat shrinkage of the hoop filaments to crimp the length filaments to an extent of at least one of the following:(a) producing at least 1% longitudinal shrinkage of the sheath in addition to any longitudinal heat shrinkage thereof; and(b) causing portions of the length filaments:(i) to project outwardly from the shrunk fabric sheath to a maximum distance in excess of the maximum projection distance of the thus-shrunken hoop filaments, or(ii) to increase such excess projection distance if already existing before the heat shrinkage.