Thermal protection sleeve with knit thermal protection features and method of construction thereof

1. A sleeve for protecting elongate members and for inhibiting heat radiation outwardly from at least a portion of the sleeve, comprising:

an elongate body having a wall extending along a longitudinal axis of said sleeve between opposite ends of said sleeve, said body being constructed from one or more yarns interlinked with one another by a plurality of knit stitches; and

at least one opening integrally knit in said body between said opposite ends and diametrically opposite said wall, said wall providing a thermal barrier to heat radiation radially outwardly from said wall and said opening providing a path promoting heat radiation radially outwardly from said opening, wherein said body has a plurality of strap portions extending substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis and said wall has opposite free edges extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, said at least one opening being bounded peripherally by said strap portions and said opposite free edges.

2. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein said sleeve has a plurality of said openings diametrically opposite said wall.

3. The sleeve of claim 2 wherein said openings are bounded peripherally by said strap portions and said opposite free edges.

4. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein a pair of said strap portions extend to said opposite ends.

5. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein said at least one opening is bounded by uncut ones of said one or more yarns.

6. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein said ends are circumferentially finish knit.

7. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein said opening extends axially at least 25 percent of a length between said ends.

8. The sleeve of claim 7 wherein said opening extends axially at least 50 percent of a length between said ends.

9. The sleeve of claim 1 further comprising at least one elongate flap knit from at least some of said one or more yarns, said at least one flap being foldable to abut at least a portion of said wall to provide said wall as a multilayered wall.

10. The sleeve of claim 9 wherein said at least one flap is knit to extend from at least one of said opposite ends.

11. The sleeve of claim 9 wherein said wall is knit having a first knit stitch pattern and said flap is knit having a second knit stitch pattern, said first knit stitch pattern being different from said second knit stitch pattern.

12. The sleeve of claim 11 wherein said first knit stitch pattern is more dense than said second knit stitch pattern.

13. A sleeve for protecting elongate members and for inhibiting heat radiation outwardly from at least a portion of the sleeve, comprising:

an elongate body having a wall extending along a longitudinal axis of said sleeve between opposite ends of said sleeve, said body being constructed from one or more yarns interlinked with one another by a plurality of knit stitches;

at least one opening integrally knit in said body between said opposite ends and diametrically opposite said wall, said wall providing a thermal barrier to heat radiation radially outwardly from said wall and said opening providing a path promoting heat radiation radially outwardly from said opening; and

at least one elongate flap knit from at least some of said one or more yarns, said at least one flap being foldable to abut at least a portion of said wall to provide said wall as a multilayered wall, wherein said at least one elongate flap includes a flap extending from each of said opposite ends.

14. The sleeve of claim 13 wherein one flap is folded to abut said wall and the other flap is folded to abut said one flap to form said wall as having at least three separate layers.

15. A method of constructing a sleeve for protecting an elongate member received therein and for inhibiting heat radiation outwardly from at least a portion of the sleeve, comprising:

providing knitting machine;

knitting one or more yarns with one another to form an elongate body having a insulating wall extending between opposite ends of the sleeve with the insulating wall being configured to prevent heat from radiating through the wall;

knitting at least one opening concurrently with the wall with the opening being configured diametrically opposite the wall and being sized to promote heat radiation through the opening; and

knitting the wall having a pair of free edges extending along a longitudinal axis of the sleeve and knitting a plurality of strap portions with at least some of the one or more yarns concurrently with the wall and bounding the at least one opening peripherally by the strap portions and the opposite free edges.

16. The method of claim 15 further including weft knitting the body on a flat bed knitting machine.

17. The method of claim 15 further including knitting said at least one opening extending substantially between the opposite ends.

18. The method of claim 15 further including knitting at least one elongate flap knit with the one or more yarns, with the flap being foldable to abut at least a portion of the wall to provide the wall as a multilayered wall.

19. The method of claim 18 further including knitting the at least one flap to extend from at least one of the opposite ends of the wall.

20. The method of claim 18 further including knitting the wall using a first knit stitch pattern and knitting the flap with a second knit stitch pattern that is different from the first knit stitch pattern.

21. The method of claim 20 further including knitting the first knit stitch pattern as a more dense knit stitch pattern than the second knit stitch pattern.