Swellable material and method

Abstract

An element includes a swellable material; and a fibrous material embedded in the swellable material and method.

1 . An element comprising:
 a swellable material; and   a fibrous material embedded in the swellable material.   
   
   
       2 . The element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fibrous material is randomly dispersed in the swellable material. 
   
   
       3 . The element as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the fibrous material comprises at least one short strand. 
   
   
       4 . The element as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the fibrous material comprises at least one long strand. 
   
   
       5 . The element as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the fibrous material comprises both long and short strands. 
   
   
       6 . The element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fibrous material is arranged as at least one individual fiber extending axially of the element. 
   
   
       7 . The element as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the at least one individual fiber is grouped with at least one other individual fiber and at least one of the groups is positioned at a radial distance from an inside dimension of the element from at least one other group. 
   
   
       8 . The element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the fibrous material is a fabric. 
   
   
       9 . The element as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the fabric is woven. 
   
   
       10 . The element as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the fabric is non woven. 
   
   
       11 . The element as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the fabric is configured as at least one pad having an area of about 0.25 in 2  or more. 
   
   
       12 . The element as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the at least one individual pad is a plurality of pads embedded in the swellable material and arranged as a pattern. 
   
   
       13 . The element as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the fabric is arranged as at least one frustocone. 
   
   
       14 . The element as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the fabric is the at least one frustocone angles outwardly as radial dimension from an axis of the element grows. 
   
   
       15 . The element of as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the at least one frustocone angles inwardly as radial dimension from an axis of the element grows. 
   
   
       16 . The element of as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the at least one frustocone angles outwardly as radial dimension from an axis of the element grows. 
   
   
       17 . The element as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the fabric is configured with corrugations and embedded in the swellable material. 
   
   
       18 . A material for improving a swellable material for use as an element comprising:
 embedding into the swellable material a fibrous material at a time when the swellable material is mixable; and   forming an element of the swellable material with embedded fibrous material.   
   
   
       19 . The material as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the embedding is mixing. 
   
   
       20 . The material as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the embedding is laying.