Bend stiffener

A bend stiffener for locally protecting an elongate flexible member from excessive curvature, the bend stiffener comprising:

• an elongate stiffener body which includes polymer material and which has a root end and a free end,
• a passage extending through the stiffener body from the root end to the free end for receiving and embracing the flexible member,
• a coupling at or toward the root end of the stiffener body for mounting the stiffener body in cantilever fashion,
• the stiffener body being capable of curving somewhat along with the flexible member when the flexible member suffers a bending load but resistant to excessive curvature which could otherwise damage the flexible member, and being resilient such that the stiffener body is able to recover its original shape upon relief of the bending load,
• the stiffener body having at least two stiffener body parts which together define the passage and which are able to be separated from one another to enable the flexible member to be introduced to the passage, and subsequently assembled to one another around the flexible member to ready the bend stiffener for use,
• each of the stiffener body parts being provided with a respective interface member which includes material which is stiffer than the polymer material of the stiffener body,
• each of the stiffener body parts having first and second contact faces, each contact face of one stiffener body part abutting a contact face of another stiffener body part in the assembled bend stiffener,
• each of the interface members extending from the first contact face of its stiffener body part to the second contact face of the same stiffener body part, and each of the interface members having first and second end faces, and
• securing arrangements being provided for securing and abutting one of the end faces of the interface member of one stiffener body part to one of the end faces of the interface member of another stiffener body part, the end faces being in abutment, to secure the stiffener body parts to one another,
• wherein the stiffener body parts are moulded polymer items and the interface members are incorporated into the moulded stiffener body parts.