Self-heating article with deformable electrodes

Claim 2

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable, continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a plurality of pliable electrically conductive elements and which, when said article is heat-recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article.

Claim 3

An article according to claim 1 wherein said deformable electrode comprises a plurality of electrically conductive fibres which have been united to each other into a pliable, elongate structure which is deformable in the axial direction.

Claim 4

An article according to claim 2 wherein said deformable electrode comprises a plurality of electrically conductive fibres which have been united to each other by braiding.

Claim 5

An article according to claim 3 wherein the fibres have been united to each other by braiding them into a tube at a braid angle relative to the axis of the tube which is greater than 50°.

Claim 6

An article according to claim 4 wherein said braid angle is about 75°.

Claim 7

An article according to claim 4 wherein the braided tube is present in the article in a flattened configuration.

Claim 8

An article according to claim 3 wherein the fibres have been braided into a tube around a core of a thermoplastic polymer.

Claim 9

An article according to claim 2 which on complete recovery changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 100%, based on the fully recovered dimension.

Claim 10

An article according to claim 2 wherein said member is heat-recoverable and which comprises at least two of said deformable electrodes which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member.

Claim 11

An article according to claim 9 wherein at least part of said member exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance so that current is substantially prevented from flowing through said member at a predetermined temperature which is sufficiently high to cause recovery of the member.

Claim 12

An article according to claim 10 wherein part of said member exhibits constant wattage behavior at temperatures below the switching temperature of the part exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient of resistance.

Claim 13

An article according to claim 10 wherein said member comprises a layer exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient of resistance which is sandwiched between two layers, each exhibiting constant wattage behavior at temperatures below the switching temperature of the layer exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient of resistance and each of said constant wattage layers having at least one said deformable electrode embedded therein.

Claim 14

An article according to claim 2 wherein the fibers have been united to each other by weaving.

Claim 15

An article according to claim 2 wherein the fibers have been united to each other by knitting.

Claim 16

An article according to claim 1 wherein each of said electrodes is such a deformable electrode.

Claim 17

An article according to claim 15 wherein said member is selected from heat-shrinkable sheets and heat-shrinkable tubes having at least one open end and which comprises a plurality of elongate deformable electrodes embedded in said member in parallel and spaced-apart configuration such that on heat-shrinkage of said article the electrodes contract axially.

Claim 18

An article according to claim 16 wherein each of said electrodes comprises a plurality of electrically conducting fibres which have been braided together as a tube.

Claim 19

An article according to claim 16 wherein each of said electrodes comprises a plurality of electrically conducting fibres which have been braided into a tube around a core of a thermoplastic polymer at a braid angle relative to the axis of the tube of greater than 50°.

Claim 20

An article according to claim 1 which on complete recovery changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 50%, based on the fully recovered dimension.

Claim 21

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a metallic sheet which has a plurality of apertures therein, the apertures being of elongated cross-section and overlapping one another to permit at least one of the dimensions of the sheet to be changed by a change in the shape of the apertures, wherein when said article is heat-recovered, the deformable electrode undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article.

Claim 22

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a metallic sheet which has a plurality of apertures therein, the apertures being of elongated cross-section and overlapping one another to permit at least one of the dimensions of the sheet to be changed by a change in the shape of the apertures, wherein when said article is heat-recovered, the deformable electrode undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article.

Claim 23

An article according to claim 20 which comprises at least two said deformable electrodes and a said member in the form of a heat-recoverable sheet between said electrodes.

Claim 24

An article according to claim 21 wherein said deformable electrodes have substantially the same planar dimensions as the heat-recoverable member.

Claim 25

An article according to claim 21 which is in the form of a heat-shrinkable tube.

Claim 26

An article according to claim 21 which is in the form of a heat-shrinkable flat sheet.

Claim 27

An article according to claim 24 which is in the form of a tape.

Claim 28

An article according to claim 21 wherein at least part of said heat-recoverable member exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance so that current is substantially prevented from flowing through said member at a predetermined temperature which is sufficiently high to cause recovery of the member.

Claim 29

An article according to claim 26 which comprises at least two of said deformable electrodes, one on each side of said heat-recoverable member.

Claim 30

An article according to claim 27 which comprises a heat-recoverable layer exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient of resistance which is sandwiched between two layers, each exhibiting constant wattage behavior at temperatures below the switching temperature of the layer exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient of resistance and each of said constant wattage layers having at least one said deformable electrode embedded therein.

Claim 31

A heat-shrinkable article which comprises: (a) a heat-shrinkable continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having finely divided, electrically conductive carbon black dispersed therein to render the member electrically conductive; and (b) at least two deformable electrodes which are embedded in said member and spaced from each other, which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and each of which comprises a plurality of metal fibres which have been united to each other, into a pliable elongate structure having a long axis which, when said member is heat-shrunk, contracts axially in the direction of heat-shrinkage without substantially impeding recovery of said member.

Claim 32

A heat-shrinkable article which comprises: (a) a heat-shrinkable continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having finely divided, electrically conductive carbon black dispersed therein to render the member electrically conductive; and (b) at least two deformable electrodes which are embedded in said member and spaced from each other, which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and each of which comprises a plurality of metal fibres which have been united to each other, into a pliable elongate structure having a long axis which, when said member is heat-shrunk, contracts axially in the direction of heat-shrinkage without substantially impeding recovery of said member.

Claim 33

An article according to claim 29 wherein at least part of said member exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance so that current is substantially prevented from flowing through said member at a predetermined temperature which is sufficiently high to cause shrinkage of said member.

Claim 34

An article according to claim 30 in the form of a sheet.

Claim 35

An article according to claim 29 which is in the form of a tube having at least one open end.

Claim 36

An article according to claim 29 wherein the metal fibers have been united to each other by knitting.

Claim 37

An article according to claim 29 wherein the metal fibers have been united to each other by braiding.

Claim 38

An article which is capable of being rendered heat-recoverable and which comprises: (a) a continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member electrically conductive and which is capable of being rendered heat-recoverable; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other, which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and each of which comprises a plurality of electrically conductive fibres which have been united to each other, into a pliable elongate structure having a long axis which is deformable in the axial direction.

Claim 39

An article which is capable of being rendered heat-recoverable and which comprises: (a) a continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member electrically conductive and which is capable of being rendered heat-recoverable; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other, which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and each of which comprises a plurality of electrically conductive fibres which have been united to each other, into a pliable elongate structure having a long axis which is deformable in the axial direction.

Claim 40

An article according to claim 35 wherein said deformable electrodes can be deformed in the axial direction by at least 50%.

Claim 41

An article according to claim 35 wherein said deformable electrodes can be deformed in the axial direction by at least 100%.

Claim 42

An article according to claim 31 wherein the fibres have been braided into a tube around a core of a thermoplastic polymer.

Claim 43

An article according to claim 35 wherein said deformable electrodes can be deformed in the axial direction by at least 300%.

Claim 44

An article according to claim 35 wherein the electrically conductive fibres have been united to each other by braiding.

Claim 45

An article according to claim 35 wherein the fibres have been united to each other by braiding them into a tube at a braid angle relative to the axis of the tube which is greater than 50°.

Claim 46

An article according to claim 35 wherein the fibers have been united to each other by weaving.

Claim 47

An article according to claim 35 wherein the fibers have been united to each other by knitting.

Claim 48

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable, continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced apart from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which, when said article is heat-recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article, wherein said article on complete recovery changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 50%, based on the fully-recovered dimension.

Claim 49

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable, continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced apart from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which, when said article is heat-recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article, wherein said article on complete recovery changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 50%, based on the fully-recovered dimension.

Claim 50

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a continuous, heat-shrinkable member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive, wherein at least part of said member exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance so that current is substantially prevented from flowing through said member at a predetermined temperature which is sufficiently high to cause recovery of the member; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced apart from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a plurality of pliable electrically conductive elements and which, when said article is heat recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article, wherein on complete recovery the article changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 50%, based on the fully-recovered dimension.

Claim 51

A heat-recoverable article which comprises: (a) a continuous, heat-shrinkable member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive, wherein at least part of said member exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance so that current is substantially prevented from flowing through said member at a predetermined temperature which is sufficiently high to cause recovery of the member; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced apart from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a plurality of pliable electrically conductive elements and which, when said article is heat recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article, wherein on complete recovery the article changes at least one of its dimensions by at least 50%, based on the fully-recovered dimension.

Claim 52

A process for providing a substrate with a covering which comprises: (1) placing adjacent to the substrate a heat-recoverable article which on recovery will cover said substrate and which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable, continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a plurality of pliable electrically conductive elements and which, when said article is heat-recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article; and (2) connecting said electrodes to a source of electrical power, thereby causing said article to recover.

Claim 53

A process for providing a substrate with a covering which comprises: (1) placing adjacent to the substrate a heat-recoverable article which on recovery will cover said substrate and which comprises: (a) a heat-recoverable, continuous member which comprises an organic polymer having sufficient finely divided electrically conductive particles dispersed therein to render the member conductive; and (b) at least two electrodes which are in contact with said member and spaced from each other and which when connected to a source of electrical power cause current to flow through said member, and at least one of which electrodes is a deformable electrode which comprises a plurality of pliable electrically conductive elements and which, when said article is heat-recovered, undergoes a dimensional change in the direction of heat-recovery of said article without substantially impeding recovery of said article; and (2) connecting said electrodes to a source of electrical power, thereby causing said article to recover.