SELF-HEALING RUBBER ARTICLE AND METHOD

• Main Authors: BALAJI, MALUR, R, MARONIAN, HOVANESS, H
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 08.04.1992
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DIAGNOSIS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; PROSTHESES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; SURGERY; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

L'invention concerne un article en caoutchouc mince à couches multiples (20) et un procédé pour sa fabrication, ledit article présentant une résistance supérieure à la fuite de liquides, malgré létirage et le relâchement répétés dudit article lors de mouvements divers. Ledit article possède une propriété ''auto-cicatrisante'', la fuite de liquides étant ainsi empêchée, malgré la présence de piqûres ou d'autres petites ouvertures pratiquées dans lesdites couches avant l'usage ou lors de celui-ci. Au cours dudit procédé, la couche de base (17) est d'abord étirée avant que l'on lui applique une surcouche (18) plus mince en matière élastomère adhérée étroitement, de manière à réaliser une interface chargée entre les deux couches adhérées, des couches supplémentaires (19) pouvant être appliquées également. A thin, multilayered rubber article and method of making it, having greater resistance to the leakage of fluids therethrough, despite repeated stretching and relaxing of the article within a wide range of movement. The article exhibits a "self-healing" property to impede fluid leakage despite preexisting, or later formed, pinholes or other small openings through the layers. In the method, the base layer is initially stretched before applying an intimately adhered, thinner overlayer of elastomeric material, thereby to provide a stressed interface between the two adhered layers. Additional overlayers can be applied.