Apparatus and method for installing a liner in a pipe
AssigneeRepiper AB
InventorsGöran NILSSON, Sam HEDBERG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for installing a liner in a pipe, including a flexible tube assembly (2) with a proximal and a distal end, where the proximal end is attached to a proximal collar fitting (3) and the distal end is attached to a distal collar fitting (4). An inflatable bladder (110) is disposed over the tube (2) and the ends of the bladder (110) are secured to the collar fittings (3,4) forming sealed connections with the collar fittings. The proximal collar fitting (3) has connection means to connect to a guide hose (5), and includes at least one conduit for a fluid to inflate the inflatable and deflate bladder.
Claims19
An apparatus for installing a liner (120) in a pipe (101) for domestic piping including pipe bends (102a,102b), said apparatus so flexible and slim that it easily passes said bends in said pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a tube assembly (1) comprising:
- a proximal collar fitting (3) and a distal collar fitting (4) interconnected by a small cross-sectional area flexible rubber tube or rod (2) reinforced with a steel or other high strength material mesh, and
- an inflatable bladder, one end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the proximal collar fitting (3) and the other end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the distal collar fitting (4), with the small diameter flexible tube or rod (2) disposed inside the interior of the inflatable bladder (110), said bladder (100) being made of a suitable elastic and substantially non-permeable elastomeric material and comprising a layer of fiber based fabric;
- and
- a push-pull-turn hose (5) with a proximal end and a distal end, said push-pull-turn hose (5) being a reinforced rubber hose with one or more layers of steel or carbon fiber mesh, wherein said distal end of said push-pull-turn hose (5) is connected in a releasable way to the proximal collar fitting (3) and said push-pull-turn hose (5) is in fluid communication with the interior of the inflatable bladder.
An apparatus for installing a liner (120) in a pipe (101) for domestic piping including pipe bends (102a,102b), said apparatus so flexible and slim that it easily passes said bends in said pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a tube assembly (1) comprising:
- a proximal collar fitting (3) and a distal collar fitting (4) interconnected by a small cross-sectional area flexible tube or rod (2), and
- an inflatable bladder, one end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the proximal collar fitting (3) and the other end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the distal collar fitting (4), with the small diameter flexible tube or rod (2) disposed inside the interior of the inflatable bladder (110), and
- a push-pull-turn hose (5) for positioning said tube assembly (1) in a desired longitudinal and desired rotational position inside said domestic piping by an operator manipulating said push-pull-turn hose (5), said push-pull-turn hose (5) having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said push-pull-turn hose (5) being connected in a releasable way to the proximal collar fitting (3) and a lumen in said push-pull-turn hose (5) being in fluid communication with the interior of the inflatable bladder,
- wherein said push-pull-turn hose (5) and said tube assembly (1) are flexible enough to pass easily through said pipes and said pipe bends (102a,102b),
- wherein said push-pull-turn hose (5) is stable enough to transmit substantial push force from said operator to said tube assembly (1) for pushing said tube assembly (1) to said desired longitudinal position by said operator pushing a section of push-pull-turn hose (5) that is not inserted into said domestic piping, and,
- wherein said push-pull-turn hose (5) is stable enough to transmit substantial rotational force from said operator to the tube assembly (1) for turning said tube assembly (1) in said desired rotational orientation by said operator rotating said section of push-pull-turn hose (5) that is not inserted into said domestic piping.
An apparatus for installing a liner (120) in a pipe (101) for domestic piping including pipe bends (102a,102b), said apparatus so flexible and slim that it easily passes said bends in said pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a tube assembly (1) comprising:
- a proximal collar fitting (3) and a distal collar fitting (4) interconnected by a small cross-sectional area flexible solid tube or rod (2), wherein the proximal collar fitting (3) comprises a proximal threaded coupling for engaging a distal threaded coupling member of a push-pull-turn hose (5), and a distal threaded coupling member for engaging a proximal threaded coupling member of said flexible solid rod, and wherein the distal collar fitting (4) comprises a proximate threaded coupling member for engaging a distal threaded coupling member of said flexible solid rod and a distal threaded coupling member for engaging a threaded plug (39), and
- an inflatable bladder, one end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the proximal collar fitting (3) and the other end of the inflatable bladder being secured to the distal collar fitting (4), with the small diameter flexible solid tube or rod (2) disposed inside the interior of the inflatable bladder (110),
- wherein said push-pull-turn hose (5) has a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said push-pull-turn hose (5) is connected in a via threaded engagement to the proximal collar fitting (3), and a lumen in said push-pull-turn hose (5) is in fluidic connection with the interior of the inflatable bladder (110) via a conduit (25) in the proximal collar fitting (3).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.