Device for expanding a tubular elastic body
AssigneeABB Technology AG
InventorRadim Lichy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for expanding a tubular elastic body, the device comprises a rigid tube to be introduced into at least a part of the elastic body and keep the elastic body in an expanded state, and an expansion means adapted to expand the elastic body and arranged to be introduced into a first end of the rigid tube. The expansion means is adapted to be movable inside the rigid tube and when the expansion means is fully introduced in the rigid tube, the expansion means protrudes at a second end of the rigid tube and thereby forms a transition between the rigid tube and the expansion element. One end of the expansion means is provided with a radially resilient expansion element with a width decreasing in the introduction direction of the expansion means into the first end of the rigid tube.
Claims15
A device for expanding a tubular elastic body, the device comprises a rigid tube to be introduced into at least a part of the elastic body and keep the elastic body in an expanded state, and an expansion means adapted to expand the elastic body and arranged to be introduced into a first end of the rigid tube, wherein one end of the expansion means is provided with an expansion element with a width decreasing in the introduction direction of the expansion means at introduction into the first end of the rigid tube, the expansion means is adapted to be movable inside the rigid tube and when the expansion means is fully introduced in the rigid tube, the expansion means protrudes at a second end of the rigid tube and thereby forms a transition between the rigid tube and the expansion element, characterized in that the expansion element is radially resilient between a first and second state over at least part of the expansion elements length, and the outer diameter of the expansion element at the transition is essentially the same as, or larger than, the outer diameter of the rigid tube at the transition when the expansion means is in the first state, and the outer diameter of the expansion element is smaller than the inner diameter of the rigid tube when the expansion means is in the second state, wherein the expansion means comprises a handle to which the expansion element is aligned in an axial direction and attached in a loose connection, the handle is adapted to cooperate with the expansion element during introduction and withdrawal of the expansion means through the rigid tube,
- wherein the expansion means has a play in axial direction at the loose connection between the expansion element and the handle facilitating moving the expansion means from the first state to the second state and wherein the loose connection comprises a first and a second contact surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.