Pipes and tubular conduits – Repairing – Patches
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2003-10-14
Hook, James (Department: 3752)
Pipes and tubular conduits
Repairing
Patches
C138S097000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manhole lining techniques, and more particularly to a pipe liner bag everting nozzle and a pipe lining method using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an underground pipe, such as pipelines and passageways, becomes defective or too old to perform properly, the pipe is repaired and rehabilitated without digging the earth to expose the pipe and disassembling the sections of the pipe. This non-digging method of repairing an underground pipe has been known and practiced commonly in the field of civil engineering. The pipe lining method utilizes a tubular pipe liner bag made of a resin absorbent material impregnated with a hardenable resin, and having the outer surface covered with a highly air-tight plastic film. The tubular pipe liner bag is inserted into a pipe to be repaired by means of a pressurized fluid such that the pipe liner bag is turned inside out as it proceeds deeper in the pipe. Hereinafter, this manner of insertion shall be called “everting”. When the entire length of the tubular liner bag is everted (i.e., turned inside out) into the pipe, the everted tubular liner is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe by a pressurized fluid, and the tubular flexible liner is hardened as the hardenable resin impregnated in the liner is heated, which is effected by heating the fluid filling the tubular liner bag. It is thus possible to line the inner wall of the defective or old pipe with a rigid liner without digging the ground and disassembling the pipe sections.
Specifically, in the foregoing pipe lining method, one end of a pipe liner bag
201
is folded out, for example, as illustrated in
FIG. 30
, and a folded portion of the pipe liner bag
201
is fixed over the outer periphery of an upper end of a top collar
202
installed on the ground. Then, water is poured into the folded portion of the pipe liner bag
201
from a water supply hose
203
to evert the pipe liner bag
201
with the water pressure. Consequently, the pipe liner bag
201
is inserted into a pipe line
250
through a manhole
251
.
However, the conventional pipe lining method illustrated in
FIG. 30
involves passage of the pipe liner bag
201
, which has a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the pipe line
250
, through the manhole
251
, the opening of the manhole
251
is almost closed by the pipe liner bag
201
particularly when the pipe line
251
has a large diameter, so that an operator cannot enter the manhole
251
for inspection or the like during the lining operation. Also, the pipe liner bag
201
inevitably includes a portion which does not serve for lining the pipe line
250
(a portion of the pipe liner bag
201
which extends from the pipe line
250
to the ground through the manhole
251
), and this portion is wasted, thus causing a problem from an economical point of view.
To solve this problem, a method of installing a cylindrical pipe liner bag everting nozzle
204
on the bottom of the manhole
251
, as illustrated in
FIG. 31
, has been proposed in view of economies. Specifically, the illustrated method involves inserting a guide tube
206
, having one end attached to a top collar
205
installed on the ground, into the manhole
251
; fixing the other end of the guide tube
206
to a guide tube fixing end which is open to one end of the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
204
; passing a pipe liner bag
201
into the guide tube
206
and the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
204
from the ground; folding out a leading end portion of the pipe liner bag
201
and fixing the folded portion to a pipe liner bag fixing end which is open to the other end of the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
304
; pouring water into the folded portion of the pipe liner bag
201
from a water supply hose
203
to evert the pipe liner bag
201
into a pipe line
250
with the water pressure.
However, even in the foregoing improved method, the guide tube fixing end of the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
204
has the same diameter as the pipe liner bag fixing end, so that the guide tube
206
having a larger diameter is required as the pipe line
250
is larger. Therefore, as illustrated in
FIG. 31
, the opening of the manhole
251
is almost closed by the guide tube
206
, thereby preventing the operator from entering the manhole
251
for inspection or the like during the lining operation.
In addition, when the pipe liner bag
201
is everted using an elbow-shaped pipe liner bag everting nozzle
207
which is bent at 90 degrees as illustrated in
FIG. 32
, the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
207
has a larger height dimension H. For passing the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
207
through the opening of the manhole
251
, the height dimension H must be smaller than the opening diameter D of the manhole
251
(H<D). Also, a diameter d of the pipe liner bag fixing end of the pipe liner bag everting nozzle
207
is limited by the height dimension H, applications of this type of pipe liner bag everting nozzle
207
are limited to pipe lines having small diameters.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the problems mentioned above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe liner bag everting nozzle which allows the operator to access a manhole during a lining operation, and a pipe lining method using this pipe liner bag everting nozzle.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a pipe liner bag everting nozzle includes a guide tube fixing end for fixing one end of a guide tube, and a pipe liner bag fixing end for fixing a folded end of an uneverted pipe liner bag passed through the guide tube, wherein the guide tube fixing end has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the pipe liner bag fixing end.
Also, in the first aspect, a method of lining a pipe uses a pipe liner bag everting nozzle which includes a guide tube fixing end for fixing one end of a guide tube, and a pipe liner bag fixing end for fixing a folded end of an uneverted pipe liner bag passed through the guide tube, wherein the guide tube fixing end has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the pipe liner bag fixing end. The method includes the steps of installing the pipe liner bag everting nozzle such that the pipe liner bag fixing end opposes an opening of a pipe line to be lined, drawing a guide tube fixed to the guide tube fixing end of the pipe liner bag everting nozzle substantially vertically to the ground, everting a pipe liner bag fixed to the pipe liner bag fixing end with a fluid pressure into the pipe line, and hardening a hardenable resin impregnated in the pipe liner bag with the pipe liner bag being pressed onto an inner wall of the pipe line.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a pipe liner bag everting nozzle includes a guide tube fixing nozzle for fixing one end of a guide tube, a pipe liner bag fixing nozzle for fixing a folded end of an uneverted pipe liner bag passed through the guide tube, and a closer plate for coupling the guide tube fixing nozzle to the pipe liner bag fixing nozzle in an air tight structure, wherein the guide tube fixing nozzle has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the pipe liner bag fixing nozzle.
Also, in the second aspect, a method of lining a pipe uses a pipe liner bag everting nozzle which includes a guide tube fixing nozzle for fixing one end of a guide tube, a pipe liner bag fixing nozzle for fixing a folded end of an uneverted pipe liner bag passed through the guide tube, and a closer plate for coupling the guide tube fixing nozzle to the pipe liner bag fixing nozzle in an air tight structure, wherein the guide tube fixing nozzle has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the pipe liner bag fixing nozzle. The method includes the steps of installing the pipe liner bag everting nozzle such that the pipe liner bag fixing nozzle opposes an opening of a pipe line to be lined, drawing a guide tube fixed to the guide tube fixing nozzle of the pipe liner bag ever
Aoki Hiroyuki
Endoh Shigeru
Kamiyama Takao
Yokoshima Yasuhiro
Hook James
Knobbe Martens & Olson Bear LLP.
Shonan Gosei-Jushi Seisakusho K.K.
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