FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT HAVING AN ANNULAR FLEXIBLE BOOT THERMALLY OR CHEMICALLY INSULATING AN ANNULAR ELASTOMERIC FLEXIBLE ELEMENT

摘要

A flexible pipe joint has a body and an annular elastomeric flexible element flexibly coupling an extension pipe to the body for pivoting of the extension pipe with respect to the body. The flexible pipe joint also has an annular flexible boot for thermally or chemically insulating the annular elastomeric flexible element from the fluid flowing through a lumen of the flexible pipe joint. The annular flexible boot encircles the lumen, and the annular flexible boot has a first annular end attached to the extension pipe and a second annular end mounted so that pivoting of the extension pipe with respect to the body causes a flexing of the annular flexible boot, and a majority of the annular flexible boot has a shape conforming to shape of neighboring components of the flexible pipe joint.

主权项

1. A flexible pipe joint comprising:
a body; an attachment member mechanically coupled to the body for attaching the body to a first segment of a pipeline; an extension pipe extending from the body for attaching the body to a second segment of the pipeline, and at least one annular elastomeric flexible element flexibly coupling the extension pipe to the body to permit articulation of the flexible pipe joint by a pivoting of the extension pipe with respect to the body; wherein the attachment member and the extension pipe define a lumen through the flexible pipe joint for fluid from the pipeline to flow through the flexible pipe joint, and the at least one annular elastomeric flexible element encircles the lumen; and further comprising an annular flexible boot for thermally or chemically insulating the at least one annular elastomeric flexible element from the fluid flowing through the flexible pipe joint, wherein the annular flexible boot encircles the lumen, and the annular flexible boot has a first annular end attached to the extension pipe and a second annular end mounted so that pivoting of the extension pipe with respect to the body causes a flexing of the annular flexible boot and a majority of the annular flexible boot has a shape conforming to shape of neighboring components of the flexible pipe joint.