Heat shrink component with heat spreading layer, and method of assembly a heat shrink component
AssigneeTyco Electronics Raychem GmbH
InventorsThilo Simonsohn, Christian Heindl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat shrink component includes a heat shrink layer and a heating unit in thermal contact with at least a part of the heat shrink layer and heating the heat shrink layer to a heat shrink temperature. The heat shrink component has a first dimension in an expanded state and a second dimension in a shrunk state after heating, the first dimension is larger than the second dimension. The heating unit includes an electrically conductive lead heated by an electrical current flowing through the electrically conductive lead and a heat spreading layer arranged in thermal contact with the electrically conductive lead and distributing a heat generated by the electrically conductive lead.
Claims20
A heat shrink component, comprising:
- a heat shrink layer;
- and
- a heating unit in thermal contact with at least a part of the heat shrink layer and heating the heat shrink layer to a heat shrink temperature, the heat shrink component having a first dimension in an expanded state and a second dimension in a shrunk state after heating, the first dimension is larger than the second dimension, the heating unit including an electrically conductive lead heated by an electrical current flowing through the electrically conductive lead and a heat spreading layer arranged in thermal contact with the electrically conductive lead and distributing a heat generated by the electrically conductive lead, the heat spreading layer is a thermally conductive material that is disposed over an outer surface of the heat shrink layer, the heat spreading layer is arranged at least partly between the electrically conductive lead and the heat shrink layer in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the heat shrink layer.
A method of assembling a heat shrink component, comprising:
- providing a heat shrink component in an expanded state, the heat shrink component including a heat shrink layer and a heating unit in thermal contact with at least a part of the heat shrink layer, the heating unit including an electrically conductive lead and a heat spreading layer arranged in thermal contact with the electrically conductive lead and distributing a heat generated by the electrically conductive lead, the heat spreading layer is a thermally conductive material that is disposed over an outer surface of the heat shrink layer, the heat spreading layer is arranged at least partly between the electrically conductive lead and the heat shrink layer in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the heat shrink layer;
- connecting an electrical power source to the heating unit;
- and
- heating the heat shrink layer to a heat shrink temperature with the heating unit, the heat shrink component shrinking from a first dimension in the expanded state to a second dimension in a shrunk state, the first dimension is larger than the second dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.