CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/684,867, filed June 14, 2018, and U.S. Utility Application Serial No. 16/418,924, filed May 21, 2019, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates generally to protective textile sleeves for providing protection to elongate members contained therein, and more particularly to textile sleeves having an elastomeric coating with indicator markings therein.

2. Related Art

[0003] Protective textile sleeves for providing protection to elongate members extending therethrough are known. Protective textile sleeves having a circumferentially continuous, closed wall or a wrappable wall with opposite lengthwise extending edges configured to be wrapped into overlapping relation with one another are also known. In some cases, the aforementioned known sleeves have elastomeric coatings for added protection to the contents contained within the sleeves. It is further known to include indicia on an outer surface of the sleeves for identification purposes, such as a name and/or product number, wherein the indicia is typically provided with ink, via inkjet technology, pad printing or other ink applications. Although the aforementioned indicia can prove useful initially, problems can arise via degradation of the indicia being worn away, particularly when exposed to heat and/or fluids. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a protective textile sleeve for providing protection to an elongate member contained therein and method of construction thereof is provided. The sleeve has a wall formed of interlaced yam(s) and a coating of elastomeric material bonded to an outer surface of the wall. The coating has an indicia therein to provide a viewer viewing an outer surface of the coating with information, wherein the indicia extends radially inwardly into the outer surface of the coating to provide the indicia with depth so as to avoid being easily worn away. Accordingly, the sleeve can be shipped, stored and used without concern of the indicia being worn away.

[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the indicia does not extend through an entire thickness of the coating so as to avoid exposing the underlying outer surface of the interlaced yam(s).

[0006] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the depth of the indicia is between about 25-75 percent of the thickness of the coating, thereby avoiding the wearing away of the indicia, while at the same time, avoiding unwanted exposure of the underlying yam(s) to prevent abrasion and damage from occurring to the yam(s).

[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the depth of the indicia can be formed being greater than 50 percent of the thickness of the coating, thereby enhancing the ability to prevent the inadvertent wearing away of the indicia, with the depth not extending through the full thickness of the coating to avoid unwanted exposure of the underlying yam(s), thus, preventing abrasion and damage from occurring to the yam(s).

[0008] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the elastomeric material is a silicone-based material.

[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the yam(s) can be interlaced via being woven, braided or knitted. [0010] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method of constructing a textile protective sleeve is provided. The method includes interlacing yam to form a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface extending between opposite ends. Further, bonding a coating of elastomeric material to the outer surface and forming an indicia extending inwardly into an outer surface of the coating to provide the indicia with depth so as to avoid being easily worn away.

[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include forming the indicia so it does not extend through an entire thickness of the coating so as to avoid exposing the underlying outer surface of the interlaced yam(s).

[0012] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include the depth of the indicia to be between about 25-75 percent of the thickness of the coating, thereby avoiding the wearing away of the indicia, while at the same time, avoiding unwanted exposure of the underlying yam(s) to prevent abrasion and damage from occurring to the yam(s).

[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include forming the depth of the indicia being greater than 50 percent of the thickness of the coating, thereby enhancing the ability to prevent the inadvertent wearing away of the indicia, with the depth not extending through the full thickness of the coating to avoid unwanted exposure of the underlying yam(s), thus, preventing abrasion and damage from occurring to the yam(s).

[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include providing the elastomeric material as a silicone-based material.

[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include interlacing the yam(s) via one of a weaving, braiding or knitting process. [0016] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the method can further include forming the indicia with a laser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments and best mode, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective sleeve having a circumferentially continuous, seamless wall in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure shown fixed about an elongate member to be protected;

[0019] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a protective sleeve having a wrappable wall in accordance with another aspect of the disclosure shown fixed about an elongate member to be protected; and

[0020] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Referring in more detail to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate sleeves 10, 10’ having a circumferentially continuous, seamless wall 12 and a wrappable wall 12’, respectively, for routing and protecting an elongate member 14, such as a cable, wire harness, or tube, by way of example and without limitation. The elongate wrappable wall 12’ has opposite inner and outer free sides or side edges, also referred to simply as edges 16, 17, extending generally parallel to a central longitudinal axis 18, while both walls 12, 12’ extend between opposite open ends 19, 20; 19’, 20’, respectively. The opposite edges 16, 17 of the wrappable wall 12’ can be biased into overlapping relation with one another in "cigarette wrapped" fashion, such as via a heat-set formed in yams of the wall 12’, to fully enclose the elongate member(s) 14 within a central cavity C of the sleeve 10’. The walls 12, 12’ have an innermost face or surface, also referred to as inner surface 21, 21’ and an outermost face or surface, also referred to as outer surface 23, 23’, wherein the cavity C is defined and bounded by the innermost surface 21, 2 . The walls 12, 12’ are formed of interlaced yam(s) 25 (shown in separate partially broken away areas of FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the yam(s) 25 can be woven, knit or braided, as shown, wherein it is to be understood that the illustrations shows the different mechanisms for interlacing the yam(s), however, only one is performed for any one sleeve), which can include monofilaments and/or multifilaments, and a coating 27 of elastomeric material bonded to an outer surface 29, 29’ of the walls 12, 12’. The coating 27 has an indicia 28, including any desired symbol(s), number(s), letter(s), and the like, therein to provide a viewer viewing an outer surface 30 of the coating 27 with information, wherein the indicia 28 extends radially inwardly into the outer surface 30 of the coating 27 toward the central longitudinal axis 18 to provide the indicia 28 with depth (d) so as to avoid being easily worn away. Accordingly, the sleeves 10, 10’ can be shipped, stored and used without concern of the indicia 28 being worn away.

[0022] The indicia 28 does not extend through an entire thickness (t) of the coating 27 so as to avoid exposing the underlying outer surface 29, 29’ of the interlaced yam(s) 25. Accordingly, the depth d is less than the thickness t such that the yams 25 remain fully protected by the coating 27 over the entirety of the sleeve 10, 10’, including the region of the indicia 28, thereby avoiding exposure of the yam 25 to environmental elements (debris, thermal conditions. In accordance with one aspect, the depth d of the indicia 28 is between about 25-75 percent of the thickness t of the coating 27, and in accordance with a further aspect, to best ensure the indicia 28 is not worn away, the depth d of the indicia 28 is greater than 50 percent of the thickness t of the coating 27, but less than 75 percent of the thickness t to avoid unwanted exposure of the underlying yam(s) 25. [0023] The elastomeric material of the coating 27 can be provide as a silicone-based material, and the yam(s) 25 can be interlaced via being woven, braided or knited.

[0024] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method of constructing a textile protective sleeve 10, 10’ is provided. The method includes interlacing yam(s) 25 to form a wall 12, 12’ having an inner surface 21, 2 and an outer surface 29, 29’ extending between opposite ends 19, 20; 19’, 20’. Further, bonding a coating 27 of elastomeric material to the entirety of the outer surface 29, 29’ and forming an indicia 28 extending radially inwardly into an outer surface 30 of the coating 27 to provide the indicia 28 with a depth (d) so as to avoid being easily worn away.

[0025] The method can further include forming the indicia 28 so it does not extend through an entire thickness (t) of the coating 27, such that the depth d is less than the thickness t so as to avoid exposing the underlying outer surface 29, 29’ of the interlaced yam(s) 25.

[0026] The method can further include providing the elastomeric material of the coating 27 as silicone or a silicone-based material.

[0027] The method can further include interlacing the yam(s) 25 via one of a weaving, braiding or kniting process.

[0028] The method can further include forming the indicia 28 with a laser.

[0029] Depending on the application needs, the wall 12, 12’ can be constructed having any suitable size, including length and diameter. If the wall 12’ is formed as a self-wrapping wall, at least some of the weft-wise, circumferentially extending yam(s) 25, whether multifilament and/or monofilament, can be provided as any suitable heat-setable polymeric material, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), for example. [0030] Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described, and that the scope of the invention is defined by any ultimately allowed claims. In particular, all features of all claims and of all embodiments can be combined with each other, as long as they do not contradict each other.