Inflatable plug

Claim 2

An inflatable plug for interrupting fluid flow in a pipe, comprising (a) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body; (b) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them; (c) said walls being formed from a flexible, impermeable material, (d) said plug body having a closed surface; (e) a plurality of thread-like, flexible, generally inelastic connector elements, each secured at one end to said first wall and at the other end to said second wall and extending generally perpendicular to said walls through the cavity of the chamber formed between said walls; (f) said ends of said connector elements being secured to said walls in a finely distributed pattern over substantially the entire surfaces of the walls; (g) whereby said connector elements prevent the walls of the plug body, when inflated, from separating from each other a distance greater than the length of said connector elements; (h) an inflatable annular ring seal of flexible, impermeable material being affixed to and extending circumferencially around said hollow, inflatable plug body; (i) said ring seal, when inflated, being arranged and configured to be in a leak tight sealing contact with the interior wall of the pipe, and (j) an inflation system connected to each of said hollow, inflatable plug body and said inflatable ring seal; (k) said inflation system being operable to selectively, individually inflate and deflate each of said plug body and said ring seal.

Claim 3

An inflatable plug according to claim 1, wherein said connector elements are generally of the same length.

Claim 4

An inflatable plug according to claim 1, wherein (a) said connector elements are short relative to the dimensions of said opposed walls in a direction transverse to said connector elements, (b) whereby said plug body, when inflated, will have a minimal separation between said opposed walls.

Claim 5

An inflatable plug according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable plug body is of ellipsoidal shape.

Claim 6

An inflatable plug according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable plug body is toroidal.

Claim 7

An inflatable plug assembly, comprising (a) at least two inflatable plugs according to claim 1 arranged in an axially spaced relation, and (b) a rigid support skeleton arranged to support said inflatable plugs.

Claim 8

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a plurality of inflatable plug bodies arranged in an axially spaced relation, (b) each of said plug bodies comprising: (i) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body; (ii) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them; (iii) said walls being formed from a flexible; impermeable material; (iv) said plug body having a closed surface; (v) a plurality of thread-like, flexible, generally inelastic connector elements, each secured at one end to said first wall and at the other end to said second wall and extending generally perpendicular to said walls through the cavity of the chamber formed between said walls; (vi) said ends of said connector elements being secured to said walls in a finely distributed pattern over substantially the entire surfaces of the walls; (vii) whereby said connector elements prevent the walls of the plug body, when inflated, from separating from each other a distance greater than the length of said connector elements, (c) a rigid circular support platform arranged and configured to support at least one of said plug bodies, (d) said platform being divided into a plurality of sections along axes parallel to a diameter of said platform, (e) said sections being hinged together along said axes, (f) said platform having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planer and form a complete circle, and (g) said platform having a plurality of configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to each other about said axes.

Claim 9

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a plurality of inflatable plug bodies arranged in an axially spaced relation, (b) each of said plug bodies comprising: (i) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body; (ii) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them; (iii) said walls being formed from a flexible; impermeable material; (iv) said plug body having a closed surface; (v) a plurality of thread-like, flexible, generally inelastic connector elements, each secured at one end to said first wall and at the other end to said second wall and extending generally perpendicular to said walls through the cavity of the chamber formed between said walls; (vi) said ends of said connector elements being secured to said walls in a finely distributed pattern over substantially the entire surfaces of the walls; (vii) whereby said connector elements prevent the walls of the plug body, when inflated, from separating from each other a distance greater than the length of said connector elements, (c) a rigid circular support platform arranged and configured to support at least one of said plug bodies, (d) said platform being divided into a plurality of sections along axes parallel to a diameter of said platform, (e) said sections being hinged together along said axes, (f) said platform having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planer and form a complete circle, and (g) said platform having a plurality of configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to each other about said axes.

Claim 10

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body, (b) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them and having a closed surface, (c) said walls being formed from a flexible, impermeable material, (d) a rigid support platform arranged and configured to provide a co-planar, flat support surface for said inflatable plug body, (e) said support platform comprising a plurality of sections rotatably hinged to one another by hinged connections, (f) said plurality of hinged sections having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planar, to provide said co-planar, flat support surface, and (g) said plurality of hinged sections having a plurality of additional configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to one another about said hinged connections whereby said support platform is selectively collapsible to a non-co-planar configuration to minimize the dimensions of the plug assembly.

Claim 11

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body, (b) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them and having a closed surface, (c) said walls being formed from a flexible, impermeable material, (d) a rigid support platform arranged and configured to provide a co-planar, flat support surface for said inflatable plug body, (e) said support platform comprising a plurality of sections rotatably hinged to one another by hinged connections, (f) said plurality of hinged sections having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planar, to provide said co-planar, flat support surface, and (g) said plurality of hinged sections having a plurality of additional configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to one another about said hinged connections whereby said support platform is selectively collapsible to a non-co-planar configuration to minimize the dimensions of the plug assembly.

Claim 12

The inflatable plug assembly according to claim 8, further characterized by (a) an inflatable annular ring seal of flexible, impermeable material being affixed to and extending circumferencially around said substantially hollow, inflatable plug body, (b) an inflation system connected to each of said substantially hollow inflatable plug body and said inflatable ring seal, (c) said inflation system being operable to selectively, individually inflate and deflate each of said plug body and said ring seal.

Claim 13

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body, (b) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them and having a closed surface, (c) said walls being formed from a flexible, impermeable material, (d) a rigid support platform arranged and configured to provide a support surface for said inflatable plug body, (e) said support platform comprising a plurality of sections rotatably hinged to one another by hinged connections, (f) said plurality of hinged sections having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planar, to provide said support surface, and (g) said plurality of hinged sections having a plurality of additional configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to one another about said hinged connections whereby said support platform is selectively collapsible to minimize the dimensions of the plug assembly, (h) a plurality of thread-like, flexible, generally inelastic connector elements, each secured at one end to said first wall and at the other end to said second wall and extending generally perpendicular to said walls through the cavity of the chamber formed between said walls, (i) said ends of said connector elements being secured to said walls in a finely distributed pattern over substantially the entire surface of the walls, (j) whereby said connector elements prevent the walls of the plug body, when inflated, from separating from each other a distance greater than the length of said connector elements.

Claim 14

An inflatable plug assembly, which comprises (a) a substantially hollow, inflatable plug body, (b) said plug body being formed from first and second opposed walls defining a cavity-forming chamber between them and having a closed surface, (c) said walls being formed from a flexible, impermeable material, (d) a rigid support platform arranged and configured to provide a support surface for said inflatable plug body, (e) said support platform comprising a plurality of sections rotatably hinged to one another by hinged connections, (f) said plurality of hinged sections having an expanded configuration in which all of said sections are co-planar, to provide said support surface, and (g) said plurality of hinged sections having a plurality of additional configurations in which the plurality of said sections are rotated with respect to one another about said hinged connections whereby said support platform is selectively collapsible to minimize the dimensions of the plug assembly, (h) a plurality of thread-like, flexible, generally inelastic connector elements, each secured at one end to said first wall and at the other end to said second wall and extending generally perpendicular to said walls through the cavity of the chamber formed between said walls, (i) said ends of said connector elements being secured to said walls in a finely distributed pattern over substantially the entire surface of the walls, (j) whereby said connector elements prevent the walls of the plug body, when inflated, from separating from each other a distance greater than the length of said connector elements.