Patent ID: 7360604

Claim:
An expander system for radially expanding a tubular element having an unexpanded portion of a first inner diameter, the expander system including an expander movable between a radially retracted mode and a radially expanded mode, the expander being operable to expand the tubular element from said first inner diameter to a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter by movement of the expander from the radially retracted mode to the radially expanded mode thereof, wherein the expander includes a contact section, said contact section having an expanded mode and a retracted mode, wherein of the diameter of said contact section in said retracted mode is larger than said first inner diameter, and wherein said contact section is arranged to prevent axial movement of the expander through the unexpanded portion of die tubular element when the expander is in the radially retracted mode, and wherein the expander includes an expansion surface extending in axial direction and being operable to move radially outward so as to expand the tubular element during movement of the expander from the retracted mode to the expanded mode thereof, said expansion surface being of varying diameter in axial direction.