Patent ID: 11898413
Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 12:
13. An expanding and collapsing apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of elements assembled together to form a ring structure around a longitudinal axis, wherein the ring structure is configured to be moved between an expanded condition and a collapsed condition by movement of the plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of elements comprises:
a plurality of support elements, each support element having a first end a second end, and a first contact surface disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the first contact surface comprises a first component of a lock, wherein the first end is coupled to a first hinge and the second end is coupled to a second hinge, and wherein first hinge and the second hinge are configured to move the plurality of support elements between the expanded condition and the collapsed condition by movement of the first end in an axial direction, and by movement of the second end in at least a radial dimension;
a plurality of ring elements configured to be moved between the expanded and collapsed conditions by sliding with respect to one another in a direction tangential to a circle concentric with the ring structure; and
a retaining ring configured to drive the second end of each support element of the plurality of support elements in the axial direction,
wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements is configured to interlock with an adjacent support element of the plurality of support elements via a second component of the lock disposed on a second contact surface of the adjacent support element, and wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements is configured to couple to the retaining ring via a respective lower hinge connection, and wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements is configured to couple to an adjacent ring element of the plurality of ring elements via an upper hinge connection.