Patent ID: 6966373

Claim:
An inflatable sealing assembly for a flow carrier, comprising: a housing capable of being integrated with a flow carrier to permit an unobstructed flow of a media through an inside of said flow carrier, said housing including an outer wall, an inner wall, and an interior between said outer and inner walls, wherein when said housing is integrated with said flow carrier said inner wall of said housing defines part of said inside of said flow carrier; a compartment in said interior of said housing, said compartment having an opening that provides access to said inside of said flow carrier; an inflatable sealing means having a non-deployed position and a deployed position, wherein in said non-deployed position said inflatable sealing means is stored substantially within said compartment; an inflating means capable of deploying said inflatable sealing means from said non-deployed position to said deployed position, said inflating means positioned in said interior of said housing and operatively connected to said inflatable sealing means; wherein when said inflatable sealing means is in said deployed position said inflatable sealing means is inflated and seals off said inside of said flow carrier; and a sensor means operatively connected to said inflating means, said sensor means capable of detecting a physical condition affecting said flow carrier and of activating said inflating means to inflate said inflatable sealing means upon detection of said physical condition.