1. A watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping, the pipe joint comprising:
a first and second length of inner metal carrier pipe, each having an inner end connected to a metallic expansion joint and an opposite, outwardly extending end, the first and second lengths of metal pipe being surrounded by an envelope of bonded foam insulation, the foam insulation, in turn, being surrounded by an outer protective jacket, and wherein the outwardly extending end of each of the first and second lengths of metal carrier pipe projects beyond an end of the envelope of insulation and beyond an end of the jacket to form an exposed, joining end, the joining ends of the inner pipes being sealingly connected in a piping string to form a continuous fluid conduit for conveying high temperature fluids;
a flexible sheet material surrounding but spaced radially apart from the inner ends of the inner pipes and the metallic expansion joint, the sheet material being capable of being axially expanded and contracted, the sheet material having opposing outer extents which are joined to the respective outer protective jackets of the respective first and second lengths of inner metal carrier pipe thereby defining a closed and watertight bellows interior; and
a layer of high temperature insulation surrounding the inner pipe ends and the metallic expansion joint within the closed bellows interior;
the insulation, flexible sheet material and outer protective jacket forming a water tight encasement for the metallic expansion joint, the flexible sheet material being compressible on itself while allowing the inner carrier pipe to compress the metallic expansion joint.
2. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein a metal end cap is welded to each outwardly extending end of each of the inner carrier pipes at a point which encapsulates the layer of high temperature insulation, to thereby provide a water proof end closure and a stand alone pipe joint which can be installed in a run of bare or field insulated piping.
3. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein a metal water stop is welded to each of the carrier pipes at a predetermined point along the length thereof within the layer of surrounding high temperature insulation.
4. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein the foam insulation is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foams and polyisocyanurate foam.
5. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein the protective jackets are formed from a synthetic polyolefin.
6. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet material takes the form of a tubular bellows, and wherein the tubular bellows is electrofused at either of the opposite extents thereof to the respective protective jackets of the respective inner carrier pipes.
7. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein the lengths of insulated piping being joined are part of a pipeline conveying steam, hot water or other hot fluids.
8. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 6, wherein the layer of high temperature insulation surrounding the inner pipe ends and the metallic expansion joint within the closed bellows interior is a layer of high temperature flexible foam.
9. The watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint for high temperature insulated piping of claim 1, wherein the insulated piping is run through a tunnel which is exposed to flood intrusion.
10. A method of coupling lengths of insulated piping used to form a high temperature fluid conveyance system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a pipeline comprised of a plurality of lengths of high temperature insulated piping which are joined together in continuous fashion;
installing a stand-alone watertight, expandible and contractible pipe joint within the pipeline at a desired location, the expandible and contractible pipe joint comprising:
a first and second length of inner metal carrier pipe, each having an inner end connected to a metallic expansion joint and an opposite, outwardly extending end, the first and second lengths of metal pipe being surrounded by an envelope of foam insulation, the foam insulation, in turn, being surrounded by an outer protective jacket, and wherein the outwardly extending end of each of the first and second lengths of metal carrier pipe projects beyond an end of the envelope of insulation and beyond an end of the jacket to form an exposed, joining end, the joining ends of the inner pipes being sealingly connected in the piping string which forms a continuous fluid conduit for conveying high temperature fluids;
a flexible rubber bellows surrounding the inner ends of the inner pipes and the metallic expansion joint, the bellows being capable of being axially expanded and contracted, the flexible bellows having opposing outer extents which are joined to the respective outer protective jackets of the respective first and second lengths of inner metal carrier pipe thereby defining a closed and watertight bellows interior; and
a layer of high temperature insulation surrounding the inner pipe ends and the metallic expansion joint within the closed bellows interior, whereby the insulation, bellows and outer protective jacket form a water tight encasement for the metallic expansion joint.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the lengths of high temperature insulated piping in the pipeline also comprises a metal inner carrier pipe surrounded by a layer of bonded foam insulation which, in turn, is surrounded by an outer protective jacket.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the foam insulation which is used to surround the inner pipes is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foam and polyisocyanurate foam.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the protective jackets are formed of HDPE.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tubular bellows is electrofused at either of the opposite extents thereof to the respective protective jackets of the respective pipe lengths.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the lengths of insulated piping being joined are part of a pipeline conveying steam at a temperature of 250\xb0 F., or greater.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An image decoding apparatus provided with a decoding device which decodes the input coded data of an image for generating an image data, comprising:
first to N-th (N is an integer more than 2) image format conversion devices for generating and outputting first to N-th images after converting said image data into predetermined image formats.
2. An image decoding apparatus comprising:
first to N-th decoding devices which convert input first to N-th image coded data for generating and outputting first to N-th image data by decoding said first to N-th image coded data; and
first to N-th image format conversion devices for generating and outputting first to N-th image data by converting any of said image data from among said first to N-th image data into respective predetermined image formats.
3. An image decoding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image decoding apparatus comprises a distribution control apparatus for distributing any of the image data among first to N-th image data respectively to first to N-th image format conversion devices, in response to a request of said first to N-th image format conversion device.
4. An image decoding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said first to N-th image coded data is input through a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.
5. An image decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image decoding apparatus comprises:
an image synchronizing signal generation device for generating and outputting a first vertical image synchronizing signal used for outputting said image by any one of the image format conversion devices among said first to N-th image format conversion devices; and
first to M-th (M: an integer equal to N1) image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting devices for generating and outputting the second to the N-th vertical image synchronizing signals respectively in synchronization with said first vertical image synchronizing signal by said image format conversion devices other than said one of the image format conversion device.
6. An image decoding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first to M-th image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting devices comprise:
a counter for generating any one of said second to N-th vertical image synchronizing signals generated and output respectively by said first to M-th image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting devices; and
a counter control device for controlling the operation of said counter based on said first vertical image synchronizing signal.
7. An image decoding device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said image format conversion devices among said first to N-th image format conversion devices generates an image converted into a format composed of 1920 pixels in the horizontal direction and 1080 lines in the vertical direction, and at least one of said image format conversion devices generates an image converted into a format composed of 720 pixels in the horizontal direction and 480 lines in the vertical direction.
8. An image decoding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said decoding device and said first to N-th image format conversion devices are formed on the same semiconductor integrated circuit substrate.
9. A semiconductor device comprising:
a decoding device for generating an image data by decoding input image coded data, and for storing the thus generated image data in an externally installed memory device;
a decoded data reading device for reading said image data stored in said memory device in response to an inputting decoded data request signal and for outputting as the decoded data;
an image synchronizing signal generation device for generating and outputting a first horizontal image synchronizing signal and a first vertical image synchronizing signal;
an image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting device for generating and outputting a second horizontal image synchronizing signal and a second vertical image synchronizing signal, which is synchronized with said first vertical image synchronizing signal;
a first image format conversion device for generating a first image by converting said input decoded data signal into a predetermined image format, and for outputting said first image after synchronizing with said first horizontal image synchronizing signal and said first vertical image synchronizing signal; and
a second image format conversion device for generating a second image by converting said inputting decoded data signal into a predetermined image format, and for outputting said second image after synchronizing with said second horizontal image synchronizing signal and said second vertical image synchronizing signal.
10. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first decoding device for generating a first image data by decoding input first image coded data and for storing the generated first image data in an externally installed memory device;
a second decoding device for generating a second image data by decoding an input second image coded data, and for storing the generated second image data in an externally-installed memory device;
a decoded data reading device for reading said first or second image data stored in said memory device in response to an inputting first decoded data request signal and for reading said first or second image data stored in said memory device in response to an inputting second decoded data request signal and for outputting multiplexed decoded data prepared by multiplexing said first or second image data;
a distribution control device for distributing said multiplexed decoded signal to a first decoded data signal corresponding to said first decoded data request signal and a second decoded data signal corresponding to said second decoded data request signal;
an image synchronizing signal generation device for generating a first horizontal image synchronizing signal and a first vertical image synchronizing signal;
an image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting device for generating and outputting a second horizontal image synchronizing signal and a second vertical image synchronizing signal;
a first image format conversion device, which outputs a first decoded data request signal for generating a first image by converting said input decoded data signal into a predetermined image format and for outputting said first image after synchronizing with said first horizontal image synchronizing signal and said first vertical image synchronizing signal; and
a second image format conversion device which outputs a second decoded data signal for generating a second image by converting said inputting decoded data signal into a predetermined image format, and for outputting said second image after synchronizing with said second horizontal image synchronizing signal and said second vertical image synchronizing signal.
11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein at least said decoding device, said image synchronizing signal generating device, said image synchronizing signal generating and synchronization adjusting device, said image format conversion device, and said second image format conversion device are formed on a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate.
12. An image decoding method for decoding an inputting image coded data and for generating an image data comprising the steps of:
generating a first horizontal image synchronizing signal and a first vertical image synchronizing signal;
generating a second horizontal image synchronizing signal and a second vertical image synchronizing signal which is synchronized with said first vertical image synchronizing signal;
generating a first image by converting said image data into a predetermined image format and outputting the generated first image after synchronizing said first image with said first horizontal image synchronizing signal and with said first vertical image synchronizing signal; and
generating a second image by converting said image data into a predetermined image format and outputting the generated second image after synchronizing said second image with said second horizontal image synchronizing signal and with said second vertical image synchronizing signal.
13. An image decoding method comprising:
generating a first image data by decoding an inputting first image coded data;
generating a second image data by decoding an inputting second image coded data;
controlling the distribution of said first and second image data to their request sources;
generating a first horizontal image synchronizing signal and a first vertical image synchronizing signal;
generating a second horizontal image synchronizing signal and a second vertical image synchronizing signal synchronized with said first vertical image synchronizing signal;
generating a first image from said requested first image data by converting into a predetermined image format and outputting said first image after synchronizing said first image with said first horizontal image synchronizing signal and said first vertical image synchronizing signal; and
generating a second image from said requested second image data by converting into a predetermined image format and outputting said second image after synchronizing said second image with said second horizontal image synchronizing signal and said second vertical image synchronizing signal.