Metal end cap seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001216-B2
Application number	US-201615084281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 7, 2015
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A metal end cap seal for sealing against resent invention relates to seals within a fluid system. The metal end caps of the seal include protrusions or nibs on the terminal ends of the caps, providing for reduced friction during installation and use. The seal may also include a base elastomer and an insert elastomer, the base elastomer and insert elastomer having different material properties from one another. The insert elastomer is selected to reduce friction with a sealing surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal comprising:
a base comprising an inner radial surface, an outer surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface;
an upper metal end cap disposed on the upper surface of the base, the upper metal end cap comprising a protrusion of increased thickness disposed on a terminal end on the inner radial surface side of the upper metal end cap with the protrusion raised from the upper surface of the base; and
a lower metal end cap disposed on the lower surface of the base, the lower metal end cap comprising a protrusion of increased thickness disposed on a terminal end on the inner radial surface side of the lower metal end cap with the protrusion raised from the lower surface of the base.

2. The seal of claim 1 , further comprising an insert disposed along the inner radial surface of the base.

3. The seal of claim 2 , wherein the insert is molded into the base.

4. The seal of claim 3 , wherein the base and insert comprise material properties that are different from one another.

5. The seal of claim 4 , wherein the material properties include one or more selected from hardness, stiffness, and glass transition temperature.

6. The seal of claim 2 , wherein the insert comprises a dual durometer material.

7. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions extend radially inward from the inner radial surface of the base.

8. The seal of claim 7 , wherein the protrusions each comprise a chamfered edge.

9. The seal of claim 8 , wherein the insert is disposed between the protrusions.

10. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper metal end caps comprise one or more materials selected from nickel based alloys, copper alloys which are beryllium free, and copper beryllium alloys.

11. A sealing system comprising:
an inner body;
an outer body; and
a seal for sealing against the inner body and outer body, the seal comprising:
a base comprising an inner radial surface, an outer surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface;
an upper metal end cap disposed on the upper surface of the base, the upper metal end cap comprising a protrusion of increased thickness disposed on a terminal end on the inner radial surface side of the upper metal end cap with the protrusion raised from the upper surface of the base; and
a lower metal end cap disposed on the lower surface of the base, the lower metal end cap comprising a protrusion of increased thickness disposed on a terminal end on the inner radial surface side of the lower metal end cap with the protrusion raised from the lower surface of the base.

12. The sealing system of claim 11 , further comprising an insert disposed along the inner radial surface of the base.

13. The sealing system of claim 12 , wherein the insert is molded into the base.

14. The sealing system of claim 13 , wherein the base and insert comprise material properties that are different from one another.

15. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein the material properties include one or more selected from hardness, stiffness or glass transition temperature.

16. The sealing system of claim 15 , wherein the insert portion is a dual durometer material.

17. The sealing system of claim 11 , wherein the protrusions extend radially inward from the inner radial surface of the base.

18. The sealing system of claim 17 , wherein the protrusions each comprise a chamfered edge.

19. The sealing system of claim 11 , wherein the lower and upper metal end caps comprise one or more materials selected from nickel based alloys, copper alloys which are beryllium free, and copper beryllium alloys.

20. The sealing system of claim 11 , wherein the inner body is selected from one of a production tree, a casing hanger, a casing head, a casing string, a tubing hanger, a tubing head, a tubing string, a running tool, a blowout preventer, a valve, and a flange.

21. The sealing system of claim 11 , wherein the outer body is selected from one of a production tree, a casing hanger, a casing head, a casing string, a tubing hanger, a tubing head, a tubing string, a running tool, a blowout preventer, a valve, and a flange.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Puccio William
• Chou Shian Jiun
• Cain David

Classifications

• E21B33/04

  Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads · CPC title

• F16J15/128 Primary

  with metal covering · CPC title

• E21B33/06

  Blow-out preventers {, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers (rotating blow-out preventers E21B33/085)} · CPC title

• E21B33/00

  Sealing or packing boreholes or wells · CPC title