| 摘要 |
An apparatus and a method for sealing a conduit. The apparatus includes a housing, a tube for reciprocably extending through the housing bore, a rod reciprocably extending through the tube, a seal assembly associated with the tube and the rod, wherein the seal assembly includes at least one seal element which expands radially in response to an axial setting force, a proximal collar associated with the tube for engaging with a proximal end of the seal assembly, and a distal collar associated with the rod for engaging with a distal end of the seal assembly, wherein moving the rod axially relative to the tube in a proximal direction results in the axial setting force being applied to the seal assembly. The method includes using the apparatus to perform maintenance or repair on the conduit or its associated fittings. |
| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus for sealing a conduit comprising:
(a) a housing, the housing defining a housing bore and having a housing proximal end and a housing distal end, wherein the housing distal end is adapted to be connectable with a fitting associated with the conduit; (b) a tube for reciprocably extending through the housing bore, the tube defining a tube bore and having a tube proximal end and a tube distal end; (c) a rod reciprocably extending through the tube bore, the rod having a rod outer surface, a rod proximal end, and a rod distal end, wherein the housing bore, the tube and the rod define an axis of the apparatus, wherein the rod distal end protrudes from the tube distal end; (d) a seal assembly slidably surrounding the rod outer surface between the tube distal end and the rod distal end, wherein the seal assembly is comprised of at least one seal element which expands radially in response to an axial setting force being applied thereto, the seal assembly having a seal assembly proximal end and a seal assembly distal end; (e) a proximal collar associated with the tube distal end, for engaging with the seal assembly proximal end, wherein the proximal collar has a proximal collar outer surface, a proximal collar proximal end, and a proximal collar distal end, wherein at least a portion of the proximal collar outer surface is textured, wherein the proximal collar is comprised of a proximal collar flange which extends radially from the proximal collar outer surface, and wherein the proximal collar flange is positioned between the proximal collar proximal end and the proximal collar distal end; (f) a distal collar associated with the rod distal end, for engaging with the seal assembly distal end, wherein the distal collar has a distal collar outer surface, a distal collar proximal end, and a distal collar distal end, wherein at least a portion of the distal collar outer surface is textured, wherein the distal collar is comprised of a distal collar flange which extends radially from the distal collar outer surface, and wherein the distal collar flange is positioned between the distal collar proximal end and the distal collar distal end;wherein moving the rod axially relative to the tube in a proximal direction results in the axial setting force being applied to the seal assembly by the proximal collar and the distal collar as the seal assembly is compressed between the proximal collar and the distal collar. |
