Abrasion-resistant sleeve for wiring and the like

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve formed from a crocheted fabric cloth which is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve. The fabric cloth is formed with a first monofilament weft and a second textured multifilament weft. A set of warps including a plurality of textured multifilament yarns forming a chain stitch lap is crocheted into the fabric cloth. Optionally, a textured multifilament yarn may be utilized as a placed or a lay-in warp in the fabric to provide further continuity on the face of the fabric cloth.

1 . An abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 a monofilament yarn forming a first weft in a fabric cloth;    a first multifilament yarn forming a second weft in said fabric cloth; and    a set of knitted warps including a plurality of second multifilament yarns forming a chain stitch lap in said fabric cloth;    wherein said fabric cloth is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve.    
     
     
         2 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said monofilament yarn is selected from the group consisting of a polyester yarn, a polyamide yarn, a polyethylene terephalate yarn, a polyphenylene sulfide yarn, a polyphenylene sulfide with Teflon yarn and a polyester over polyamide yarn.  
     
     
         3 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 2  wherein said monofilament yarn comprises a Nylon 6/6 yarn having a diameter in the range of 7 to 15 mils.  
     
     
         4 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said first multifilament yarn comprises a textured multifilament yarn.  
     
     
         5 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 4  wherein said textured multifilament is selected from the group consisting of a polyamide yarn, a polyester yearn, a Nomex®/Basofil® blend yarn and a stainless steel/polyester blend yarn.  
     
     
         6 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 5  wherein said first multifilament yarn comprises a Nylon 6/6 yarn having a denier in the range of about 1000 D-2000 D.  
     
     
         7 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said second multifilament yarn comprises a textured multifilament yarn.  
     
     
         8 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 7  wherein said second multifilament yarn is selected from the group consisting of a polyamide yarn, a polyester yarn, a Nomex®/Basofil® blend yarn and a stainless steel/polyester blend yarn.  
     
     
         9 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 8  wherein said second multifilament yarn comprises a Nylon 6/6 yarn having a denier of in the range of about 100 D-400 D.  
     
     
         10 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of third multifilament yarns forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         11 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 10  wherein said third multifilament yarn comprises a textured multifilament yarn.  
     
     
         12 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 11  wherein said third multifilament yarn is selected from the group consisting of a polyamide yarn, a polyester yarn, and a Nomex®/Basofil® blend yarn.  
     
     
         13 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 12  wherein said third multifilament yarn comprises a Nylon 6/6 yarn having a denier in the range of about 50 D-400 D.  
     
     
         14 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of third yarns forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric, wherein said third yarn is a polyester over polyethylene terephalate monofilament yarn.  
     
     
         15 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said monofilament yarn, said first multifilament yarn and said second multifilament yarn are treated with a flame-retardant composition to provide a self-extinguishing, no-burn-rate tubular sleeve.  
     
     
         16 . An abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 a Nylon 6/6 monofilament yarn having a diameter of about 10 mils forming a first weft in a fabric cloth;    a first Nylon 6/6 textured multifilament yarn having a denier of about 2000 D forming a second weft in said fabric cloth; and    a set of knitted warps including a plurality of second Nylon 6/6 textured multifilament yarns having a denier of about 400 D forming a chain stitch lap in said fabric cloth;    wherein said fabric cloth is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve.    
     
     
         17 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 16  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of third Nylon 6/6 textured multifilament yarns having a denier of about 100 D forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         18 . The abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 16  wherein said Nylon 6/6 monofilament yarn includes a inner core of Nylon 6/6 and an outer shell of a polyester.  
     
     
         20 . A flame-retardant, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 a flame-retardant polyethylene terephalate monofilament yarn having a diameter of about 10 mils forming a first weft in a fabric cloth;    a flame-retardant polyester textured multifilament yarn having a denier of about 2000 D forming a second weft in said fabric cloth; and    a set of knitted warps including a plurality of second flame-retardant polyester textured multifilament yarns having a denier of about 400 D forming a chain stitch lap in said fabric cloth;    wherein said fabric cloth is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve.    
     
     
         21 . The flame-retardant, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 20  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of third flame-retardant polyester textured multifilament yarns having a denier of about 100 D forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         22 . A high-temperature, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 a polyphenylene sulfide monofilament yarn having a diameter of about  10  mils forming a first weft in a fabric cloth;    a first Nomex®/Basofil® textured blend multifilament yarn having a denier of about 2000 D forming a second weft in said fabric cloth; and    a set of knitted warps including a plurality of second Nomex®/Basofil® textured blend multifilament yarns having a denier of about 400 D forming a chain stitch lap in said fabric cloth;    wherein said fabric cloth is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve.    
     
     
         23 . The high-temperature, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 22  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of third Nomex®/Basofil® textured multifilament blend yarns having a denier of about 100 D forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         24 . The high-temperature, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 22  wherein said polyphenylene sulfide monofilament yarn is a polyphenylene sulfide with Teflon monofilament yarn.  
     
     
         25 . A shielded, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 a Nylon 6/6 monofilament yarn having a diameter of about 10 mils forming a first weft in a fabric cloth;    a first stainless steel/polyester blend multifilament yarn having a denier of about 2000 D forming a second weft in said fabric cloth; and    a set of knitted warps including a plurality of stainless steel polyester blend multifilament yarns having a denier of about 400 D forming a chain stitch lap in said fabric cloth;    wherein said fabric cloth is heat set into a resilient tubular sleeve.    
     
     
         26 . The shielded, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 25  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of second polyester textured multifilament yarns having a denier of about 100 D forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         27 . The shielded, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 25  further comprising a set of placed warps including a plurality of polyester over polyethylene terephalate monofilament yarns having a diameter of about 10 mils forming a lay-in stitch lap in said fabric cloth.  
     
     
         28 . The shielded, abrasion-resistant tubular sleeve of  claim 25  wherein said Nylon 6/6 monofilament yarn includes a inner core of Nylon 6/6 and an outer shell of polyester.  
     
     
         29 . A method of forming an abrasion resistant tubular sleeve comprising: 
 preparing a fabric cloth by chain-stitching a first set of multifilament warps on a set of wefts including a monofilament weft and a multifilament weft;    positioning said fabric onto over a mandrel to form a tubular fabric sleeve; and    resiliently setting said tubular fabric sleeve on said mandrel.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein resiliently setting said tubular fabric sleeve comprises heating and subsequently cooling said tubular fabric sleeve on said mandrel.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising preparing said fabric cloth by lay-in stitching a second set of multifilament warps on said set of wefts.