Inflatable sleeve with controlled expansion
First Claim
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1. An inflatable sleeve, the sleeve comprising:
- a mandrel extending in a longitudinal direction;
an inflatable casing placed around the mandrel;
a tubular sheath slid around the casing, the tubular sheath having a central segment and first and second longitudinal ends situated on either side of the central segment, the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath being fixed to the mandrel, the tubular sheath being extensible from a rest state to an expanded state;
whereinthe tubular sheath is free with respect to the casing and is not embedded in the casing;
the tubular sheath has a predetermined circumferential elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath; and
the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath have a longitudinal elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath comprised between 1.05 and 2.5, chosen to limit the diametric expansion of the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath and define the shape of the first and/or second ends, the longitudinal elongation capacity from the rest state being the ratio between the developed longitudinal length of the sheath segment when the latter is expanded as much as possible, and the longitudinal length of the same segment when the sheath is in the rest state of the tubular sheath.
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Abstract
The inflatable sleeve (13) comprises:
- a mandrel (15) extending in a longitudinal direction;
- an inflatable casing (17) placed around the mandrel (15);
- a tubular sheath (19) slid around the casing (17), the tubular sheath (19) having a central segment (27) and first and second longitudinal ends (23, 25) situated on either side of the central segment (27), the first and/or second ends (23, 25) of the tubular sheath (19) being fixed to the mandrel (15), the tubular sheath (19) being extensible from a rest state to an expanded state.
The tubular sheath (19) has a predetermined circumferential elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath (19); and
- the first and/or second ends (23, 25) of the tubular sheath (19) have a longitudinal elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath (19) comprised between 1.05 and 2.5, chosen to limit the diametric expansion of the first and/or second ends (23, 25) of the tubular sheath and give the first and/or second ends their shape (23, 25).
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An inflatable sleeve, the sleeve comprising:
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a mandrel extending in a longitudinal direction; an inflatable casing placed around the mandrel; a tubular sheath slid around the casing, the tubular sheath having a central segment and first and second longitudinal ends situated on either side of the central segment, the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath being fixed to the mandrel, the tubular sheath being extensible from a rest state to an expanded state; wherein the tubular sheath is free with respect to the casing and is not embedded in the casing; the tubular sheath has a predetermined circumferential elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath; and the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath have a longitudinal elongation capacity from the rest state of the tubular sheath comprised between 1.05 and 2.5, chosen to limit the diametric expansion of the first and/or second ends of the tubular sheath and define the shape of the first and/or second ends, the longitudinal elongation capacity from the rest state being the ratio between the developed longitudinal length of the sheath segment when the latter is expanded as much as possible, and the longitudinal length of the same segment when the sheath is in the rest state of the tubular sheath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification