Inflatable lip seal for pipes
AssigneesCompagnie Francaise des Petroles, Etudes Petrolieres Marines, Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises, Compagnie Generale Pour Les Developpements Operationnels, Entreprise de Recherches et d'Activites Petrolieres
InventorMichel G. Lecordier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lip-seal for sealing the junction between two parts includes a body for mounting on one part, a sealing lip extending therefrom for application against the other part, and an inflatable chamber defined between the body, the lip and a diaphragm extending between, and connected to, the lip and the body, the arrangement being such that on inflation of the chamber the profile of the lip is modified so that it is moved away from the other part to permit the other part to be assembled with the one part without damage to the lip seal and without premature application of the lip to the other part.
Claims13
A lip-seal for sealing the junction between a pipe or the like projecting through an opening of larger diameter than the pipe within a flange or the like, said lip-seal comprising:
- a flange with an opening;
- an annular body mounted to said flange and coaxial of said flange opening;
- a flexible sealing lip carried by said annular body and projecting radially inwardly of said annular body inner periphery at an angle to the plane normal to the seal axis;
- means interposed between said annular body and said lip, defining an inflatable chamber, said means for defining said inflatable chamber comprising a diaphragm more flexible than the sealing lip, fixed at one edge to the inner peripheral edge of said lip and at an angle lesser than the lip angle, and at the other edge to said annular body, said inflatable chamber being defined between said diaphragm, said lip and said body;
- passageway means for fluid communication with said chamber;
- and which said chamber when inflated modifies the profile of said sealing lip and moves the peripheral edge of said sealing lip radially outward.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.