Controlled bending device and pipe junction sealing packer incorporating same

A pipe liner installation apparatus for installing a flexible liner into an internal connecting region between a main pipe and a target branch pipe, the apparatus deployable from within the main pipe and including:

• an elongate body;
• a lateral arm including:
• a proximal end connected to the body,
• a distal free end, and
• a bending device including:
• an elongate member extending between the proximal and distal ends, the elongate member being flexible in its axial direction to enable the distal free end of the lateral arm to navigate a bend into the target branch pipe during pushing or pulling of the body lengthwise with respect to the main pipe which causes the distal free end of the lateral arm to encounter the target branch pipe, and
• a plurality of blocks that are spaced lengthwise along the elongate member and configured such that adjacent blocks, during bending of the elongate member which is caused when the target branch pipe is encountered, interact to control a degree and/or direction of bending of the lateral arm,
• wherein one or more of the blocks includes a tapered surface configured to allow the elongate member to bend in a direction that causes the tapered surface to substantially rotate towards an adjacent block;
• and
• an inflatable sleeve assembly extending at least partially over the body and the lateral arm.

A packer assembly for repairing a connection joint between two pipes, said packer assembly adapted to be inserted into said joint and adjacent portions of said pipes, said packer assembly including:

• a flexible elongate main body portion having a first end and a second end;
• a flexible lateral arm portion with a proximal end connected to the main body portion intermediate the ends of the main body portion and a distal free end extending outwardly from said main body portion intermediate the ends of the main body portion, the lateral arm further including:
• a bending device including:
• an elongate member extending between the proximal and distal ends, the elongate member being flexible in its axial direction and biased to enable the distal free end of the lateral arm to navigate a bend into the target branch pipe during pushing or pulling of the body lengthwise with respect to the main pipe which causes the distal free end of the lateral arm to encounter the target branch pipe, and
• a plurality of blocks that are spaced lengthwise along the elongate member and configured such that adjacent blocks, during bending of the elongate member which is caused when the target branch pipe is encountered, interact to control a degree and/or direction of bending of the lateral arm,
• wherein one or more of the blocks includes a tapered surface configured to allow the elongate member to bend in a direction that causes the tapered surface to substantially rotate towards an adjacent block, and
• a biasing means that cause the elongate member and hence the lateral arm to be biased in a direction that causes a distal end of the lateral arm to provide a lead-in for the distal end of the lateral arm into the target branch pipe during pushing or pulling of the body lengthwise with respect to the main pipe;
• and
• an inflatable sleeve means extending at least partially over the main body portion and the lateral arm portion, said packer assembly being adapted to have a pipe liner fitted over said inflatable sleeve means, said pipe liner being adapted to be applied to interior surfaces of said pipes and said connection joint when said sleeve means is inflated after the packer assembly is inserted into position, and after said pipe liner has been applied to the interior surfaces, said packer assembly is adapted to be removed, wherein said packer assembly is inserted into one of the pipes with the lateral arm portion being substantially side by side with the main body portion, the packer assembly being pushed or pulled towards said connection joint whereby the lateral arm portion is guided into the other pipe by the biased lateral arm to thereby change its orientation to that of the orientation of the pipe when the lateral arm portion is in position, the inflatable sleeve means is inflated such that the pipe liner abuts against the interior surfaces of the connection joint and pipes.

An elongate navigation member configured to be moved through a vessel having one or more bends and/or branches, the elongate navigation member including:

• a bar having a planar upper and lower surface and that is flexible in its axial direction to enable a distal free end thereof to navigate into a bend and/or branch as the elongate navigation member is moved through the vessel which causes the distal free end to encounter the bend and/or branch;
• and
• a plurality of blocks each having a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from a side perspective, the plurality of blocks connected to one or both of the upper and lower surfaces of the bar and that are spaced lengthwise along the bar such that adjacent blocks, during bending of the bar which is caused when the bend and/or branch of the vessel is encountered, interact to control a degree and/or direction of bending of the bar;
• wherein each adjacent block includes a tapered surface and thereby allows the bar to bend, from a starting position, in a direction that causes adjacent tapered surface to rotate towards one another until the tapered surfaces of the adjacent blocks abut, at which point a maximum degree of bending is achieved, wherein said maximum degree of bending is achieved at a radius of curvature that is defined by an angle of the interacting tapered surfaces when in said starting position, and wherein a force is required to bend the bar up to the radius of curvature, at which point the force is infinite such that no further bending or buckling of the bar is possible;
• wherein:
• the bar includes blocks along the upper or lower surface only, and the angle of tapered surfaces associated with adjacent blocks is equal, such that when a bending force is applied the bar will bend in a single direction to a single radius of curvature defined by the angle of the tapered surfaces, or
• the bar includes a leading section having a first set of blocks and a trailing section having a second set of blocks, such that when a bending force is applied the leading section will bend to a first radius of curvature defined by an angle of the tapered surfaces associated with the leading set of blocks, and the trailing section will bend to a second radius of curvature defined by an angle of the tapered surfaces associated with the trailing set of blocks, wherein the first radius of curvature is different to the second radius of curvature, or
• the bar includes a leading section having a first set of blocks connected to the upper surface, and a trailing section having a second set of blocks connected to the lower surface, such that when a bending force is applied the leading section will bend to a radius of curvature defined by an angle of the tapered surfaces associated with the leading set of blocks, and subsequently, the trailing section will bend in an opposite direction to a radius of curvature defined by an angle of the tapered surfaces associated with the trailing set of blocks.