Small diameter fiber braid with central core member

Abstract

A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A cord, comprising:
 a tubular braided sheath comprising:   strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume; and   a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath;   wherein:   the strands each have a tensile strength of about 8 cN/dtex or more;   when the cord is in a relaxed state, the tubular braided sheath has a substantially cylindrical shape having an outer diameter of from about 20 μm to about 5 mm and a volume of the central hollow portion, wherein the core does not completely fill the volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath in the relaxed state; and   when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under longitudinal tension such that a volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath in the longitudinal tensioned state is less than the volume in the relaxed state;   in the longitudinal tensioned state, the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath contacts and cinches a surface of the core such that slippage between the core and the tubular braided sheath is reduced; and   the strands of the tubular braided sheath comprise ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene filaments.   
     
     
         22 . The cord of  claim 21 , wherein the core comprises one or more filaments selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystalline polyester filament and an aramid filament. 
     
     
         23 . The cord of  claim 21 , wherein the outer diameter of the tubular braided sheath in the relaxed state is from about 40 μm to about 700 μm. 
     
     
         24 . The cord of  claim 21 , wherein the strands of the tubular braided sheath have a strand diameter of 110 μm to 150 μm. 
     
     
         25 . The cord of  claim 21 , wherein the core has a diameter of 160 μm to 500 μm. 
     
     
         26 . The cord of  claim 21 , wherein the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene filaments have a weight average molecular weight of from about 700,000 to about 8,000,000.