US 12,228,234 B2
Inflatable sleeve and method of manufacturing same
Ian Roger Bateman, Coromandel East (AU)
Assigned to IBCO PTY LTD, Coromandel East (AU)
Appl. No. 17/911,242
Filed by IBCO PTY LTD, Coromandel East (AU)
PCT Filed Mar. 12, 2021, PCT No. PCT/AU2021/050223
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/179054, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020900773 (AU), filed on Mar. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0094228 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. F16L 55/165 (2006.01); B29C 53/36 (2006.01); B29L 23/00 (2006.01); F16L 55/179 (2006.01); B29K 21/00 (2006.01); E03F 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 55/1654 (2013.01) [B29C 53/36 (2013.01); F16L 55/179 (2013.01); B29K 2021/00 (2013.01); B29L 2023/001 (2013.01); E03F 2003/065 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inflatable sleeve for inflation inside a constrained vessel, the inflatable sleeve including:
a first zone that when inflated forms a first substantially tubular portion of the sleeve; and
at least one further zone that when inflated forms at least one further substantially tubular portion of the sleeve that is substantially coaxial with the first tubular portion,
wherein the first and at least one further zone define an internal cavity of the sleeve into which gas pressure is introduced to inflate the sleeve;
wherein the first and at least one further zone are made from the same blank of material, or from individual blanks of material, each made of rubber compound capable of elastic elongation in a radial direction during inflation;
wherein the first and at least one further zone are configured such that the first zone has a different diameter and/or thickness and/or physical property as compared with the at least one further zone, thereby causing the zones to inflate in a predetermined sequence and/or require a different gas pressure to reach an inner wall of the constrained vessel; and
wherein said different physical property is achieved by causing the different zones to be made of a different rubber compound.