Tubular device and actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9163615-B2
Application number	US-201213584342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

A tubular device including a tubular having a continuous wall and a substantially constant inner radial dimension and an outer surface that varies in radial dimensions configured to lessen a reduction in a longitudinal dimension of the tubular in response to radial expansion of the tubular in comparison to a reduction in the longitudinal dimension of a constantly-dimensioned-inner-and-outer-radially-surfaced-tubular made of a same material as the tubular.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A tubular device comprising a tubular having a continuous wall and a substantially constant inner radial dimension over a longitudinal portion of the tubular and an outer surface that varies in radial dimensions over the longitudinal portion, the longitudinal portion being configured such that a rate of reduction in a longitudinal dimension of the longitudinal portion in response to radial expansion of the longitudinal portion is less than a rate of reduction of a longitudinal dimension of a constantly-dimensioned-inner-and-outer-radially-surfaced-tubular made of a same material as the tubular.

2. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the rate of reduction in the longitudinal dimension of the longitudinal portion is actually a growth in the longitudinal dimension of the longitudinal portion.

3. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal portion has a negative Poisson's ratio.

4. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the continuous wall of the longitudinal portion defines a fluid tight barrier.

5. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface includes pyramidal-shaped-protrusions.

6. The tubular device of claim 5 , wherein the pyramidal-shaped-protrusions are oriented in at least one of rows and columns on the outer surface.

7. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the continuous wall varies in thickness due to the outer surface varying in radial dimensions.

8. The tubular device of claim 1 , wherein the constant inner radial dimension defines an inner surface that is smooth.

9. An actuator, comprising:
the tubular device of claim 1 ; and
a hollow cylindrical member positioned radially of the tubular device being attached to the tubular device at a first longitudinal location and not attached to the tubular device at a second longitudinal location such that radial expansion of the actuator causes actuational relative movement between the tubular device and the hollow cylindrical member at the second longitudinal location.

10. The actuator of claim 9 wherein the hollow cylindrical member has a tubular shape.

11. The actuator of claim 10 wherein the hollow cylindrical member has a positive Poisson's ratio that is different than a Poisson's ratio of the longitudinal portion.

12. The actuator of claim 9 wherein a Poisson's ratio of the longitudinal portion is negative and a Poisson's ratio of the hollow cylindrical member is positive.

13. The actuator of claim 9 wherein the hollow cylindrical member has walls of substantially constant thickness.

14. The actuator of claim 9 wherein the hollow cylindrical member is made of the same material as the tubular.

Assignees

• Williams Jeffrey Charles
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Williams Jeffrey Charles

Classifications

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• F03G7/0645

  Clamping, fixing or crimping parts · CPC title

• F03G7/06324

  increasing or decreasing in volume · CPC title

• F03G7/0614

  using shape memory elements · CPC title

• F03G7/06114 Primary

  using the thermal expansion or contraction of solid materials · CPC title