Dimensionally-recoverable article
AssigneeRaychem Corporation
InventorDavid Crofts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dimensionally recoverable polymeric article for enclosing at least part of an elongate object such as a cable or connector has a surface at least part of which has an electrically conductive layer, preferably a metal layer, adhering thereto to provide a screen against electromagnetic interference. The surface of the article carrying the layer is profiled in the form of a number of grooves that extend substantially perpendicularly to the direction of recovery of the article to allow the article to recover with substantially no change in dimension of the surface in the direction of recovery.
Claims18
A dimensionally recoverable polymeric article for enclosing at least part of an object, the article having one surface at least part of which has an electrically conductive layer adhering thereto, said one surface being profiled in the form of a plurality of grooves that are substantially chevron-shaped in cross-section and that extend substantially perpendicularly to the direction of recovery to allow the article to recover with substantially no change in dimension of the surface in the direction of recovery, said grooves accommodating recovery of the article by changing pitch.
A process for the production of a dimensionally recoverable article which comprises the steps of:
- (a) forming an article having a surface at least part of which is profiled in the form of a plurality of grooves that are substantially chevron-shaped in cross-section,
- (b) expanding the article to render it dimensionally recoverable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the grooves and,
- (c) depositing a layer of an electrically conductive material onto the said surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.