US 6,981,525 B2
Tubular insulating apparatus and method
Alan David Foxton, Aberdeen (United Kingdom)
Assigned to Subsea 7 BV, Rijswijk (Netherlands)
Filed on Nov. 08, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/983,528.
Claims priority of application No. 0326118 (GB), filed on Nov. 08, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0103393 A1, May 19, 2005
Int. Cl. F16L 9/14 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 138—112 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tubular insulating apparatus for insulating a first tubular within a second tubular, the apparatus comprising: at least one pair of substantially rigid spacer members adapted to provide support for the first tubular within the second tubular, wherein the substantially rigid spacer members are longitudinally spaced apart within the apparatus; an inner insulating member suitable for substantially surrounding the outer circumference of the first tubular between the pair of longitudinally spaced apart spacer members; a substantially resilient member associated with an outer most face of the inner insulating member wherein the inner insulating member and substantially resilient member are helically arranged in order to allow tensile and compressive stresses caused by a bending moment acting along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus to be substantially relieved.