BEND STIFFENER

摘要

The invention concerns a bend stiffener (50) for locally protecting an elongate flexible member (60) from excessive curvature under bending loads. The bend stiffener comprises an elongate stiffener body (52) which comprises polymer material and which has a root end (54) and a free end (56). A passage (58) extends through the stiffener body from the root end to the free end for receiving and embracing the flexible member. A coupling (66) is provided at or toward the root end of the stiffener body for mounting the stiffener body in cantilever fashion. The stiffener body is sufficiently flexible to curve somewhat along with the flexible member when the flexible member suffers a bending load but is sufficiently stiff to resist excessive curvature which could otherwise damage the flexible member, and sufficiently resilient to recover its original shape upon relief of the bending load. The stiffener body comprises at least two stiffener body parts (64a, 64b) which together define the passage and which are able to be separated from one another to enable the flexible member to be introduced to the passage, and subsequently assembled to one another around the elongate flexible member to ready the bend stiffener for use. Each of the stiffener body parts is provided with a respective interface member (68,70) which comprises material which is stiffer than the polymer of the stiffener body. The bend stiffener further comprises a securing arrangement (80, 83) for securing the interface member of one stiffener body part to the interface member of another stiffener body part to secure the stiffener body parts to one another.