Alternative Subprocess for Taping Wrapped Silicon Hoses and Hose Manufactured Thereby

Abstract

A hose includes an outer cover layer and at least one ply disposed inward from the outer cover layer, characterized in that the outer cover layer is a shrink sleeve, and where the at least one ply is formed from a reinforced silicone rubber sheet which includes a reinforcement. The hose may further include an inner layer disposed within the at least one ply, and which defines a lumen. The shrink sleeve may be a polyolefin shrink sleeve. The layers are tensioned together with the shrink sleeve. The hose may be prepared by a shrink tension method without the use of a tape wrap. A method of preparing the above hose may include wrapping the inner layer around a mandrel, wrapping the at least one at least one ply around the inner layer, pulling the shrink sleeve over the at least one at least one ply, and vulcanizing the hose.

Claims

1. A hose comprising an outer cover layer and at least one ply disposed inward from the outer cover layer, wherein the outer cover layer is a shrink sleeve, and wherein the at least one ply is formed from a reinforced silicone rubber sheet which comprises a reinforcement.

2. The hose according to claim 1 further comprising an inner layer disposed within the at least one ply, and wherein the inner layer defines a lumen of the hose.

3. The hose according to claim 2, wherein the inner layer comprises one or more of unblended ethylene-acrylate rubber (AEM), an AEM blend, unblended acrylate rubber (ACM), an ACM blend, fluororubber, and silicone rubber.

4. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the shrink sleeve is a polyolefin shrink sleeve.

5. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the hose is a linear hose.

6. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the hose is a shaped hose.

7. The hose according to claim 1, wherein layers of the hose are tensioned together with the shrink sleeve.

8. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the shrink sleeve of the outer cover layer is directly bonded to an outer surface of the at least one ply.

9. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the shrink sleeve is a polyolefin shrink sleeve.

10. The hose according to claim 1 having an inner diameter of from 30 mm to 100 mm.

11. The hose according to claim 10, wherein the inner diameter is from 30 mm to 70 mm.

12. The hose according to claim 1 having a wall thickness of from 2 mm to 12 mm.

13. The hose according to claim 12, wherein the wall thickness is from 3 mm to 10 mm.

14. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement layer is composed of a knit.

15. The hose according to claim 14, wherein the knit is a textile material.

16. The hose according to claim 15, wherein the knit is a textile material is composed of yarns.

17. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement layer comprises one or more member from the group consisting of a polyamide (PA), a polyimide (PI), an aramid, a para-aramid, a meta-aramid, a polyvinyl acetal (PVA), a polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), cotton (CO), modal (CMD), rayon (CV), a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a polyester, a polyethylene therephthalate (PET), a polyethylene 2,6-naphthalate (PEN), a polysulfone (PSU), a polyoxadiazole (POD), a polybenzoxazole (PBO), a polyphenylene, a polyphenylene derivative, steel, and brass.

18. The hose according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced silicone sheet comprises one or more silicone rubber(s) selected from the group consisting of a high temperature vulcanizable type (HTV), a room temperature vulcanizable type (RTV) and liquid silicone rubbers of low temperature vulcanizable type (LTV).

19. The hose according to claim 1 as prepared by a shrink tension method and without the use of a tape wrap.

20. A method of preparing a hose, the method comprising: wrapping the inner layer around a mandrel; wrapping the at least one at least one ply around the inner layer; pulling the shrink sleeve over the at least one at least one ply; vulcanizing the hose; and, removing the mandrel from the lumen; wherein layers of the hose are tensioned together with the shrink sleeve, and without the use of a tape wrap.

Description

[0013] The present disclosure may be better understood, and its numerous features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings, where

[0014] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view generally illustrating the formation of a hose by application of the layers onto a mandrel, where

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view illustrating an example of a wall structure of linear silicone rubber hose according to an embodiment of the invention, and where

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a shaped, or otherwise non-linear, silicone rubber hose according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0017] Now referring to FIG. 1, a sheet 10, may be employed in making the hose. The sheet 10 may include reinforcement layer 12, such as a textile material, embedded between a first silicone rubber layer and a second silicone rubber layer in the sheet 10. The textile material 12, may be suitably formed from any of the conventionally known types of fabric material, the fabric being employed in the production of these types of hose generally being of a square woven, slit or bias-cut form. The sheet 10 is formed for application on mandrel 14 by dividing the fabric into the strips of the desired width, the width of the strip being dimensioned so as to encircle the mandrel 14 the desired number of times to form the desired number of plies 16. For example, sheet 10 may be sufficiently sized to wrap around the mandrel 14 so as to form, two, three, four, five, etc. plies 16 of reinforced silicone sheet 10 about the mandrel 14. Where used, an inner layer 18 may be applied to mandrel 14, prior to application of reinforced silicone sheet 10 there upon.

[0018] After building the desired number of plies 16 on mandrel 14, a shrink sleeve 20 is then pulled in direction L to cover the outer surface of plies 16. The hose 22 is then cured, typically in a vulcanization oven.

[0019] With reference to FIG. 2, hose 24 is half of a liner hose with a wall structure 26 shown. In this view, the centerline of the hose is indicated as ‘CL’. The wall structure 26 includes cover layer 28 formed from a shrink sleeve, such as polyolefin shrink sleeve or the like, and inner layer 30, which defined hose lumen 32. Between cover layer 28 and inner layer 30 is at least one layer/ply of reinforced silicone sheet 34. While one ply of reinforced silicone sheet is shown, it is within the scope of this embodiment that a plurality of reinforced silicone sheet plies is used. Reinforced silicone sheet 34 includes reinforcement layer 36 embedded between a first silicone rubber layer 38 and a second silicone rubber layer 40.

[0020] Now referring to FIG. 3, which depicts a shaped, or otherwise non-linear, silicone rubber hose 42. Hose 42 includes outer cover layer 44 formed from a shrink sleeve, such as polyolefin shrink sleeve or the like, and inner layer 46. Between cover layer 44 and inner layer 46 is a plurality of plies 48 formed of a reinforced silicone sheet. Which each ply is a reinforcement 50 sandwiched between a first silicone rubber layer and a second silicone rubber layer. Three plies 52, 54, 56 of a reinforced silicone sheet are shown, and while three plies of the reinforced silicone sheet are shown, it is within the scope of this embodiment that any number of reinforced silicone sheet plies may be used. Shaped hoses according the disclosure are also formed on a shaped mandrel.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS (PART OF THE DESCRIPTION)

[0021] 10 Reinforced silicone rubber sheet [0022] 12 Reinforcement layer [0023] 14 Mandrel [0024] 16 Plies [0025] 18 Inner layer [0026] 20 Polyolefin shrink sleeve [0027] 22 Hose [0028] 24 Hose [0029] 26 Hose wall structure [0030] 28 Cover layer (shrink sleeve) [0031] 30 Inner layer [0032] 32 Hose lumen [0033] 34 Reinforced silicone sheet/ply [0034] 36 Reinforcement layer [0035] 38 First silicone rubber layer [0036] 40 Second silicone rubber layer [0037] 42 Hose [0038] 44 Cover layer (polyolefin shrink sleeve) [0039] 46 Inner layer [0040] 48 Reinforced silicone sheet plies [0041] 50 Reinforcement [0042] 52 First reinforced silicone sheet ply [0043] 54 Second reinforced silicone sheet ply [0044] 56 Third reinforced silicone sheet ply