Inflatable seals
AssigneeCompagnie Francaise des Petroles, Societe Anonyme
InventorsBruno J. M. de Sivry, Daniel Josien
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable seal comprises a flexible active part and a rigid part which together define a chamber to be pressurized to place the active part in its operative position and to be evacuated to place the active part in its inoperative position, the active part being made from a composite material comprising an elastic material in which a wide deformable mesh of fibers of low extensibility is incorporated such that the active part has anisotropic elasticity and mechanical strength sufficient to withstand the differential pressures extend thereon in its operative and inoperative positions without the need for external reinforcements.
Claims15
An inflatable seal, comprising:
- an active member inflatable under pressure to an operative position in which it sealingly bears against a rigid wall, and which may be retracted by vacuum to an inoperative position away from the wall, said active member comprising a flexible composite material including at least one elastic layer within which at least one wide and deformable mesh made of fibres of low extensibility is incorporated, said mesh fibres comprising two sets of cords oriented in a net-like pattern having a plurality of intersection points, and said cord sets being firmly joined together at each intersection point, said mesh being oriented to impart to said active member anisotropic properties of elasticity and mechanical strength such that said active member possesses an elasticity enabling it to take up said retracted inoperative position and a mechanical strength enabling it to withstand differential external pressures in said operative position, and such that reinforcement outside said seal, which would limit the space remaining free between said seal and the wall when said seal is in said retracted position, can be eliminated, and a rigid member sealingly joined to said active member to close said active member in a region opposite said wall and define therewith a hermetically sealed enclosure.
An inflatable seal, comprising:
- an active member inflatable under pressure to an operative position in which it sealingly bears against a rigid wall, and which may be retracted by vacuum to an inoperative position away from the wall, said active member comprising a flexible composite material including at least one elastic layer within which at least one wide and deformable mesh made of fibres of low extensibility is incorporated, said mesh being oriented to impart to said active member anisotropic properties of elasticity and mechanical strength such that said active member possesses an elasticity enabling it to take up said retracted inoperative position and a mechanical strength enabling it to withstand differential external pressures in said operative position, and such that reinforcement outside said seal, which would limit the space remaining free between said seal and the wall when said seal is in said retracted position, can be eliminated, and a rigid member sealingly joined to said active member to close said active member in a region opposite said wall and define therewith a hermetically sealed enclosure, wherein said active member forms a seal against a cylindrical wall having a generally annular shape, said rigid member is substantially cylindrical and is provided with two flanges, and said active member has the form of a reel including a cylindrical portion and two lateral cheeks, said cheeks being joined to said flanges of said rigid member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.