Circumferentially continuous, fire suppressing, dielectric sleeve

A sleeve for protecting a bus-bar connection between battery packs of an electric vehicle, consisting of:

• a knit wall having a circumferentially continuous outer surface extending along a longitudinal axis between opposite open ends, said knit wall being formed at least in part by multifilament flame-resistant yarn, wherein said multifilament flame-resistant yarn is knit to form one of first ribs R extending lengthwise in generally parallel relation with said longitudinal axis or second ribs R extending circumferentially about said longitudinal axis;
• and
• an impervious coating extending about said outer surface of said knit wall,
• wherein said impervious coating is one of a silicone, silicone-based, liquid silicone rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyurethane layer bonded directly to said circumferentially continuous outer surface of said knit wall.

A method of constructing a sleeve for providing dielectric protection to a bus-bar interconnecting portions of an electric vehicle battery pack to one another, comprising:

• knitting multifilament flame-resistant yarn to form a knit wall having a circumferentially continuous outer surface extending along a longitudinal axis between opposite open ends;
• forming a plurality of first ribs extending lengthwise in generally parallel relation with the longitudinal axis in the knit wall or a plurality of second ribs extending circumferentially about the longitudinal axis in the knit wall;
• bonding an impervious coating to the circumferentially continuous outer surface of the knit wall;
• and
• forming the impervious coating from one of a silicone, silicone-based, liquid silicone rubber, or polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyurethane material.