Pressure-expandable conduit liner
AssigneeBay Mills Limited
InventorsMark Kittson, Steve Kulawic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Conduit liners and methods for their construction and use are provided. The liners include a first flexible layer mechanically bonded to at least one glass-containing layer and folded to form a tubular laminate. The laminate can be penetrable by resinous liquid capable of setting the form of substantially continuous matrix within the laminate following the expansion of the laminate within a conduit. In preferred versions of the liner, multiple glass layers are provided on the inner and outer diameter of the construction with a polyester core so as to meet minimum thickness requirements for vibration resistance under American in situ pipe vibration resistance codes.
Claims10
A pressure-expandable conduit liner, comprising:
- a first flexible fabric layer mechanically bonded to a glass-containing layer and folded to form a tubular laminate;
- said laminate being penetrable by a resinous liquid capable of setting to form a substantially continuous matrix within said laminate following expansion of said laminate within a conduit,
- wherein the fabric layer includes an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer, the inner and outer fabric layers being laterally offset from one another in a step configuration, so that, when the liner is folded to form a tubular laminate, the tubular laminate has first and second longitudinal seam portions which are not in radial alignment along said tubular laminate.
A pressure-expandable conduit liner, comprising:
- a first flexible fabric layer mechanically bonded to a glass-containing layer and folded to form a tubular laminate;
- said laminate being penetrable by a resinous liquid capable of setting to form a substantially continuous matrix within said laminate following expansion of said laminate within a conduit,
- wherein said fabric layer comprises a woven polyester web.
A pressure-expandable conduit liner, comprising:
- a first flexible fabric layer mechanically bonded to a glass-containing layer and folded to form a tubular laminate, said laminate being penetrable by a resinous liquid capable of setting to form a substantially continuous matrix within said laminate following expansion of said laminate within a conduit,
- wherein said glass-containing layer comprises a plurality of chopped glass fibers, and said chopped glass fibers are retained by stitch yarns introduced into said fabric layer.
A pressure-expandable conduit liner, comprising:
- a first flexible fabric layer mechanically bonded to a glass-containing layer and folded to form a tubular laminate;
- and
- a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin impregnating said tubular laminate, to form a substantially continuous matrix within said laminate following expansion of said laminate within a conduit,
- wherein said glass-containing layer is located radially outward from said fabric layer, and is relatively thinner in cross-sectional thickness.
A method of installing a pressure-expandable conduit liner within a damaged conduit, comprising:
- providing a conduit liner comprising a first flexible fabric layer and a glass-containing layer mechanically bonded thereto and formed into a tubular laminate, wherein said glass-containing layer is substantially thinner in cross-section than said fabric layer;
- impregnating said tubular laminate with a resinous liquid to form a filled tubular laminate;
- inserting said filled tubular laminate coaxially within a conduit having a defect therein;
- expanding the diameter of said filled tubular laminate to approximately match an inner diameter of said conduit;
- and
- permitting said resinous liquid to set to substantially repair said conduit .
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.