Wrappable laminated textile sleeve with enhanced flexibility and method of reducing cracking in a foil layer of a wrappable textile sleeve

Abstract

A wrappable textile sleeve and method of reducing cracking in a foil layer of a wrappable textile sleeve are provided. The sleeve includes an elongate wall extending along a longitudinal axis between opposite ends with lengthwise extending edges extending along the longitudinal axis between the opposite ends. The wall includes a textile layer, a polymeric film layer fixed to the inner textile layer and a metal foil layer fixed to the polymeric film layer. The polymeric film layer has a first thickness and the metal foil layer has a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wrappable textile sleeve, comprising:
 an elongate wall extending along a longitudinal axis between opposite ends with lengthwise extending edges extending along said longitudinal axis between said opposite ends;   said wall including a textile layer, a polymeric film layer fixed to said inner textile layer and a metal foil layer fixed to said polymeric film layer; and   said polymeric film layer having a first thickness and said metal foil layer having a second thickness, said second thickness being greater than said first thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said first thickness is between about 0.0001 inches and 0.0004 inches and said second thickness is between about 0.00035 inches and 0.0010 inches. 
     
     
         3 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 2  wherein said first thickness is between about 0.0002 inches and 0.0003 inches and said second thickness is between about 0.0005 inches and 0.0009 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said metal foil layer is soft aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said polymer film is a preshrunk polymer film. 
     
     
         6 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 5  wherein said polymer film is polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         7 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said polymer film layer and said metal foil layer are bonded together by an adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 7  wherein said polymer film layer is bonded to said textile layer by an adhesive. 
     
     
         9 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said textile layer has interlaced filaments. 
     
     
         10 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 9  wherein said textile layer is woven. 
     
     
         11 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 10  wherein said textile layer has a plurality of discrete circumferentially extending annular bands formed from circumferentially extending weft yarns with adjacent bands having weft yarns with different diameters from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 10  wherein said first thickness is between about 0.0001 inches and 0.0003 inches and said second thickness is between about 0.00035 inches and 0.0010 inches. 
     
     
         13 . The wrappable textile sleeve of  claim 1  further including a closure tape, said closure tape having a woven scrim and a metal foil layer bonded to one another, said woven scrim having a side facing away from said metal foil layer of said closure tape, with an adhesive thereon for attachment to said metal foil layer of said wall. 
     
     
         14 . A method of reducing cracking in a foil layer of a wrappable textile sleeve, comprising:
 providing a textile layer;   providing a polymeric film layer having a first thickness;   providing a metal foil layer having a second thickness and a polymeric film layer with one another;   bonding the polymeric film layer to the textile layer;   bonding the metal foil layer to the polymeric film layer; and   providing the second thickness of the metal foil layer with a greater thickness than the first thickness of the polymeric film layer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further including providing the first thickness between about 0.0001 inches and 0.0004 inches and providing the second thickness between about 0.00035 inches and 0.0010 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further including providing the metal foil layer as soft aluminum. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further including providing the polymer film as a preshrunk polymer film. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further including providing the textile layer as a woven layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further including providing the textile layer having a plurality of discrete circumferentially extending annular bands formed from circumferentially extending weft yarns with adjacent bands having weft yarns with different diameters from one another.