EXPANSION COMPENSATOR WITH CONNECTORS

• US 20150260323A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 9,927,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/11 the sleeve having the form of a bellows with multiple corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 51/024 non-metallic flexible pipe connections F16L27/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 51/025 with several corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 51/028 with the expansion or contraction of each corrugation being limited

Abstract

An expansion compensator having an elongate metal conduit with first and second spaced apart ends and an expansion/contraction section, an inner plastic liner positioned interior of the elongate metal conduit and having an expansion/contraction section and an interior volume extending from the first end to the second end, and first and second connectors provided at the first and second ends, respectively, of the elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner, each connector having a first portion secured to the outer surface of the elongate metal conduit, a second portion secured to the inner surface of the inner plastic liner, and an opening in fluid communication with the interior volume of the inner plastic liner.

Claims

1. An expansion compensator comprising:

a) an elongate metal conduit having first and second spaced apart ends, an inner surface, an outer surface, and an expansion/contraction section;

b) an inner plastic liner positioned interior of the elongate metal conduit and having first and second spaced apart ends, an inner surface, an outer surface, an expansion/contraction section, and an interior volume extending from the first end to the second end;

c) a first connector provided at the first ends of the elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner, the first connector having a first portion secured to the outer surface of the elongate metal conduit, a second portion secured to the inner surface of the inner plastic liner, and an opening in fluid communication with the interior volume of the inner plastic liner; and

,

d) a second connector provided at the second ends of the elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner, the second connector having a first portion secured to the outer surface of the elongate metal conduit, a second portion secured to the inner surface of the inner plastic liner, and an opening in fluid communication with the interior volume of the inner plastic liner.

2. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second ends of the elongate metal conduit has a plurality of openings therethrough and each of the first and second connectors further comprise a connecting portion that extends between the first portion of the respective connector and the outer surface of the inner plastic liner and passes through the plurality of openings.

3. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the elongate metal conduit comprises at least an inner and an outer elongate metal conduit, the inner elongate metal conduit is positioned intermediate the outer elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner, and each of the inner and outer elongate metal conduits has first and second spaced apart ends, an inner surface, an outer surface, and an expansion/contraction section.

4. The expansion compensator of claim 3 wherein the first and second ends of each of the inner and outer elongate metal conduits have a plurality of openings therethrough and each of the first and second connectors further comprises a connecting portion that extends between the first portion of the respective connector and the outer surface of the inner plastic liner and passes through the plurality of openings of the inner and outer elongate metal conduits.

5. The expansion compensator of claim 3 further comprising a protective layer intermediate the inner surface of the inner elongate metal conduit and the outer surface of the inner plastic liner.

6. The expansion compensator of claim 5 wherein the protective layer is provided on the outer surface of the inner plastic liner.

7. The expansion compensator of claim 5 wherein the protective layer is provided on the inner surface of the elongate metal conduit.

8. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the expansion/contraction sections comprise a bellows.

9. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the expansion/contraction sections abut each other.

10. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the expansion/contraction sections have a similar profile and are aligned.

11. The expansion compensator of claim 1 further comprising a protective layer provided intermediate the inner surface of the elongate metal conduit and the outer surface of the inner plastic liner.

12. The expansion compensator of claim 11 wherein the protective layer comprises:

a) a coating or a film applied to at least one of the inner surface of the elongate metal conduit and the outer surface of the inner plastic liner;

or

b) the inner plastic liner comprises a co-extruded body having the protective layer formed as an outer co-extruded layer.

13. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the inner plastic liner has a generally uniform thickness.

14. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the expansion/contraction section of the inner plastic liner comprises a bellows comprising in sequence a plurality of radially inner valleys and a plurality of radially outer peaks, a portion of the inner plastic liner defining the radial inner valleys having a greater radial thickness then a portion of the inner plastic liner defining the radial outer peaks.

15. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the first connector defines a generally U-shaped cavity in which the first ends of the elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner are located.

16. The expansion compensator of claim 1 further comprising a gasket provided on the elongate metal conduit and extending between the outer surface of the elongate metal conduit and an inner surface of first portion of the first connector.

17. The expansion compensator of claim 1 wherein each of the elongate metal conduit and the inner plastic liner have an axial stiffness and the axial stiffness of the elongate metal conduit is greater than the axial stiffness of the inner plastic liner.

18. The expansion compensator of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional elongate metal conduit and the elongate metal conduits have a combined axial stiffness and the inner plastic liner has an axial stiffness and the combined axial stiffness of the elongate metal conduits is greater than the axial stiffness of the inner plastic liner.

19. The expansion compensator of claim 1 further comprising a longitudinally extending recess provided in the inner surface of the elongate metal conduit.

20. The expansion compensator of claim 3 wherein a lubricant is provided between the inner and outer elongate metal conduits.

21. The expansion compensator of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve, the sleeve having a generally longitudinally extending outer surface and the elongate metal conduit is provided interior of the sleeve.

22. The expansion compensator of claim 21 wherein a lubricant is provided between the sleeve and the elongate metal conduit.

23. The expansion compensator of claim 21 wherein the sleeve further comprises engagement members positioned to maintain the sleeve in a predetermined axial position along the expansion compensator and to permit the expansion/contraction sections to expand to a full design expansion length.