Expandable seal arrangement

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve, adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being weakened, such as by perforations, at selected locations so as to allow the sleeve to stretch, break or otherwise deform at said locations as the sleeve is expanded from a relaxed position into an expanded position;
• a compression sleeve formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening;
• and
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position.

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve, adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position;
• a compression sleeve formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening;
• and
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position;
• wherein said sliding sleeve is segmented into portions which break apart when the sliding sleeve is expanded into the second expanded position.

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve, adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position;
• a compression sleeve formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening;
• and
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position;
• wherein said means for locking the compression sleeve is molded into, or otherwise attached to, the inner surface of the gasket.

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve and a compression sleeve, said sliding sleeve being formed of a material which has a lower coefficient of sliding friction when in contact with the compression sleeve than does the tubular gasket, said sliding sleeve being adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, and said sliding sleeve being formed so as to be plastically deformable as it is expanded into the second expanded position;
• said compression sleeve being formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material capable of transmitting an outwardly directed force to the inner surface of the tubular gasket and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening, wherein said sliding sleeve is plastically deformed so as to create and maintain a low friction slip plate between the compression sleeve and the inner surface of the tubular gasket as the gasket is expanded into sealing engagement with the wall of the opening;
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position;
• and
• means on said compression sleeve for engaging said means for expanding the compression sleeve;
• and
• wherein said means for engaging the means for expanding the compression sleeve is designed to fail when a predetermined amount of force is applied thereto by the means for expanding the compression sleeve.

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve, adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position;
• a compression sleeve formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening;
• and
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position;
• wherein said compression sleeve comprises a C-shaped structure, and wherein said means for locking the compression sleeve comprises an arc-shaped structure which engages the C-shaped compression sleeve so as to form a relatively smooth and continuous profile around the outer circumference of the compression sleeve/locking means assembly;
• and
• wherein said arc-shaped structure is molded into, or otherwise attached to, the inner surface of the gasket.

An arrangement for radially expanding a tubular gasket into compressive sealing engagement with the wall of an opening, comprising:

• a sliding sleeve, adapted for positioning adjacent an inner surface of that portion of the tubular gasket to be expanded, said sliding sleeve being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position;
• a compression sleeve formed of a relatively stiff but resiliently flexible material and being expandable from a first relaxed position into a second expanded position, said compression sleeve being adapted for disposition immediately adjacent said sliding sleeve such that said sliding sleeve serves as a slip plate for the compression sleeve when the sleeves are expanded into the second expanded position;
• means for expanding the tubular gasket, the sliding sleeve, and the compression sleeve from the first relaxed position into the second expanded position such that an outer surface of the tubular gasket engages the wall of the opening;
• and
• means for locking the compression sleeve in the second expanded position;
• and
• wherein said compression sleeve comprises a C-shaped strip of material having teeth-like structures on opposing ends thereof, and wherein said means for locking the compression sleeve comprises an arc-shaped structure adapted to engage the teeth-like structures on the opposing ends of the compression sleeve to secure the C-shaped compression sleeve into a locked position.