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US 6,220,303 B1Granted
Device for limiting the bending radius of a flexible duct
AssigneeCoflexip
InventorsPhilippe Secher, John Smyth, Antoine Felix-Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention concerns a device for limiting the bending radius of a flexible duct comprising at least a bend stiffener arranged around one length of the flexible duct and fixed by a rear part on a fixed end support, characterized in that it further comprises an element for maintaining the bend stiffener arranged between the flexible duct and the bend stiffener and comprising at least a portion capable of flexural bending extending over one length of the flexible duct located at least between the rear part and the end of the bend stiffener.
Claims41
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener;
- and wherein the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting,
- further wherein the end fitting on the pipe comprises a connecting member of the pipe, the connecting member has an outside diameter equal to the maximum diameter of the one end fitting, and the bearing element includes a rear part thereof around a main body of the end fitting.
3 more elements
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end, the build-in support comprises one of the end fittings of the flexible pipe;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener, the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting,
- further wherein the end fitting of the pipe comprises a connecting member, the connecting member having an outside diameter equal to the maximum diameter of the one end fitting;
- and
- an annular member around the main body of the end fitting, the annular member being between the main body of the end fitting and the stiffener and being located at one axial end of the bearing element and the bearing element being secured to the annular member.
4 more elements
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener, the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting, and further comprising heat exchange means at the bend limiter.
1 more element
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener, the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting,
- further wherein the bearing element has a rear part along the flexible pipe, there is an interface between the rear part of the bearing element and the flexible pipe, and the interface is bonded over an area of the interface for retaining the bearing element in the axial direction along the flexible pipe.
2 more elements
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe, the bearing element is also resistant to deformation in bending to cooperate with and provide an additional stiffening element so that the combination of the bearing element and the stiffener combine to reduce bending of the flexible part,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener, the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting,
- further wherein the bearing element includes therein an additional internal armature comprised of elongate elements extending continuously over a length in the bearing element, the bearing element having a rear end and the elongate elements having rear ends which extend beyond the rear end of the bearing element, and the rear ends of the elongate elements being anchored to the attachment support, the attachment support acts as an internal build-in support and is attached to the build-in support.
2 more elements
The bend limiter of claim of 36, wherein the internal build-in support includes an exterior surface which is a cylindrical contact bearing surface and bears upon the build-in support disposed around the exterior surface of the internal build-in support.
A bend limiter for a flexible pipe, wherein the pipe has ends and has end fittings at the ends thereof, the bend limiter comprising:
- at least one stiffener around a length of the flexible pipe, the stiffener having a rear part for fixing to a build-in support and having an opposite front end;
- and
- a bearing element for the stiffener, the bearing element being disposed between the flexible pipe and the stiffener and being wrapped around the flexible pipe, the bearing element comprises rings of metal and the rings are shaped and positioned for limiting the bending of the flexible pipe to a determined maximum value,
- wherein the stiffener includes at least one part which is deformable when the flexible pipe is bent, and which extends over a length of the flexible pipe lying at least between the rear part and the front end of the stiffener, the stiffener has an inside diameter, one of the end fittings of the pipe has an outside diameter, and the stiffener inside diameter is larger than the maximum outside diameter of the one end fitting so that the stiffener can be installed onto the flexible pipe by sliding the stiffener over the one end fitting,
- further wherein each metal ring includes two circular opposite edges comprising radial projections, the rings being oriented so that the radial projections of the rings fit between the radial projections of the axially adjacent rings, so that upon bending, the radial projections of the adjacent rings engage on the outer side of the bend curvature, whereby the assembly comprising the stiffener and the bearing element combine to control and limit the bending of the flexible pipe and function as a stiffener.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.