Pipe insulation product with charge dissipater

Abstract

A pipe insulation product including a core of insulating material and a roughly rectangular laminate. The core may include an outer surface; an inner surface; and a wall extending between the outer and inner surfaces. The laminate may include a foil or metallized polymeric film sheet layer, a scrim, a porous media sheet layer, and a polymeric film sheet layer bonded together via an adhesive. The polymeric film sheet layer may also include a closure flap that adhesively couples opposite ends of the laminate together to form a cylindrical tube with the core enclosed therein. A charge dissipator may be applied to the polymeric film sheet layer in an amount sufficient to reduce generation of a static charge on the laminate's exterior surface without affecting the closure flap's ability to adhesively couple the opposite ends of the laminate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to the following Non-Provisional U.S. patent applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7983) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate, entitled “Systems and Methods for Insulating a Pipe;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7982) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate et al., entitled “Insulation Product with Inward Curling Closure Flap;” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney Docket No. 7984) filed on Aug. 13, 2010 by Shumate et al., entitled “Pipe Insulation Products and Methods.”[0002]The entire disclosures of all of the aforementioned Non-Provisional U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The subject invention relates generally to pipe insulation products and more specifically to pipe insulation products comprising an insulating material core ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to a pipe insulation product that includes a tubular core of insulating material and a laminate bonded to the core. The laminate includes a foil or metallized polymeric film sheet layer that provides a fluid vapor barrier and a scrim that reinforces the laminate. The laminate also includes a porous media sheet layer that provides reinforcement and a charge dissipator to reduce static charge. The laminate can be flexible so that it can be opened, placed about a pipe, and closed without degrading the laminate. The invention also includes a method for producing the laminate and the pipe insulation product. The technical effects of the invention include increased resistance to shipping damage, reduced static charge, and increased resistance to fluid vapor transmission.

Problems solved by technology

The addition or removal of heat may result in the decreased efficiency of a system and / or increased time and / or expense in operating the system.

For example, in HVAC systems, the addition of heat to cooled fluids may result in loss of efficiency for a cooling unit and may also result in increased expense because of increased operating time and energy needed to achieve a desired cooling level.

The outer surface of the pipe insulation product, however, may be susceptible to damage which may degrade the visual quality of the pipe insulation product and / or piping system in which it is used.

During shipping, the vibrational forces imparted to the individual segments and / or the jostling that occurs between the segments and / or the packaging may result in scuff marks and / or creases forming on the outer surface of the pipe insulation product.

In addition, a static charge may build up on the pipe insulation product's outer surface, which may cause pieces of dust (e.g., fiberglass dust) to accumulate on the pipe insulation product's outer surface and / or cause a static discharge between the outer surface and a surrounding object.

The static discharge may be a source of discomfort for handlers of the pipe insulation product or, in extreme cases, may be the source for a fire.

These visible marks may degrade the overall appearance of the building or structure in which they are used and / or may leave a negative impression on the viewer as to the quality of the pipe insulation product.

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