Adaptable Heat Shrink Tubing

Abstract

Adaptable heat shrink tubing is able to be applied over existing in service wires or where tubing would not normally be able to be passed over the end of a connector.

Claims

1. Adaptable Heat Shrink Tubing: consisting of a hollow flexible split tubing made of various wall thickness compromised of materials such as Polyolefin, Irradiated PVC, Irradiated Kynar, Teflon FEP, Teflon TFE, Irradiated elastomer, Irradiated Viton, or Irradiated silicon rubber with heat activated adhesive on the inside walls. Heat activated adhesive: strips of various widths and positions which line the inside of the adaptable heat shrink tubing formulated to cure and adhere at specific temperatures depending on the material of the shrink tubing used. Curl: The tubing is curled which will allow overlapping and adhesion of one layer of the tubing onto the other surface of the tubing and to the wiring being applied to; therefore, not exposing any insulation of the wire that is having the adaptable heat shrink tubing applied to.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For an understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the drawings in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 is an outside view of the adaptable heat shrink tubing which would be available in various diameters and colors. The tubing is curled and overlaps the other end of the tubing, but separate as displayed in (1). The lengthwise separation allows for easy application around a wire.

[0013] FIG. 2 is the inside laid down view of the adaptable heat shrink tubing in a spread opened position where the heat activated adhesive strips labeled as (2) runs lengthwise on the upper and lower ends of the tubing in various widths depending on the diameter of the tubing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] This invention is an improvement upon existing heat shrink tubing which is only found in hollow cylindrical one piece forms of various colors.

[0015] The invention of adaptable heat shrink tubing expands upon the curling of the tubing to allow it to curl over the wire to be insulated and itself, but is split open lengthwise so there is no need to slide it as a sleeve over the end of the wiring.

[0016] Heat activated adhesive strips run lengthwise inside the tubing on the inner extremities of the tubing are of various widths depending on the diameter of the tubing. The heat activated adhesive would be formulated to be activated and cured at the appropriate temperature and activation time depending on the material of the shrink tubing. The recommended shrink temperature of heat shrink tubing is around 90 C. with other materials as high as 250 C. such as Teflon and is achieved with a heat gun.

[0017] The adaptable heat shrink tubing would be wrapped around the wire, while the other end would overlap over the other end of the heat shrink as viewed in FIG. 1. Once heat is applied, the adhesive would activate causing adherence to the wire and also adherence to the outer shrink tubing while also shrinking the tubing material over the wire.

[0018] The embodiment may have positional or width variations of the heat activated adhesive strips which does not depart from the scope or intention of the invention.