Connector assemblies for connecting tubulars and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995891-B2
Application number	US-201715784129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

Some connector assemblies include a female connector having a sidewall extending between first and second ends to define an interior channel, the sidewall having a cylindrical inner surface, and a plurality of lugs extending from and disposed circumferentially along the inner surface, and a male connector having a sidewall extending between first and second ends to define an interior channel, the sidewall having a cylindrical outer surface, and a plurality of lugs extending from and disposed circumferentially along the outer surface, wherein the male connector is configured to be coupled to the female connector such that the sidewall of the male connector is received through the first end of and into the interior channel of the female connector, and at least one of the lugs of the male connector is disposed between at least one of the lugs of the female connector and the second end of the female connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector assembly for connecting a first tubular to a second tubular, the connector assembly comprising:
a female connector having:
a sidewall extending between a first end and a second end to define an interior channel, the sidewall having a cylindrical inner surface, the second end configured to be coupled to the first tubular; and
a plurality of lugs extending from and disposed circumferentially along the inner surface; and

a male connector having:
a sidewall extending between a first end and a second end to define an interior channel, the sidewall having a cylindrical outer surface, the second end configured to be coupled to the second tubular; and
a plurality of lugs extending from and disposed circumferentially along the outer surface,

at least one of (1) two lugs from the plurality of lugs of the female connector being (a) spaced from one another over a circumferential distance that is substantially equal to or greater than a width of at least one of the two lugs of the female connector, and (b) longitudinally offset relative to one another, or (2) two lugs from the plurality of lugs of the male connector being a) spaced from one another over a circumferential distance that is substantially equal to or greater than a width of at least one of the two lugs of the male connector, and (b) longitudinally offset relative to one another, and at least one of (1) the two lugs from the plurality of lugs of the female connector, or (2) the two lugs from the plurality of lugs of the male connector are in contact with one another,
the male connector being configured to be coupled to the female connector such that:
(1) the sidewall of the male connector is at least partially received within the interior channel of the female connector, and
(2) at least one of the lugs of the male connector is:
(a) disposed between at least one of the lugs of the female connector and the second end of the female connector, and
(b) in contact with the at least one lug of the female connector.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the male connector is configured to be coupled to the female connector such that each of the lugs of the male connector is:
disposed between at least one of the lugs of the female connector and the second end of the female connector; and
in contact with the at least one lug of the female connector.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the male connector is configured to be coupled to the female connector such that each of the lugs of the female connector is:
disposed between at least one of the lugs of the male connector and the second end of the male connector; and
in contact with the at least one lug of the male connector.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein, for at least one of the female connector and the male connector, a thickness of at least one of the lugs decreases along the lug in a direction from the second end and toward the first end.

5. The connector assembly claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the lugs of the female connector includes a mating surface configured to contact at least one of the lugs of the male connector when the male connector is coupled to the female connector; and
the mating surface is angularly disposed at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the female connector.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the lugs of the male connector includes a mating surface configured to contact at least one of the lugs of the female connector when the male connector is coupled to the female connector; and
the mating surface is angularly disposed at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the male connector.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lugs of the female connector has a width, measured along a circumference of the inner surface, and a length, measured in a direction aligned with a longitudinal axis of the female connector, that is smaller than the width.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lugs of the male connector has a width, measured along a circumference of the outer surface, and a length, measured in a direction aligned with a longitudinal axis of the male connector, that is smaller than the width.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein, for the female connector, the lugs extend along the inner surface of the sidewall a collective circumferential distance that is approximately 75% of a circumference of the inner surface.

10. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein, for the male connector, the lugs extend along the outer surface of the sidewall a collective circumferential distance that is approximately 75% of a circumference of the outer surface.

11. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the female connector includes a bevel extending from the inner surface of the sidewall, the bevel being inclined along a direction from the first end of the female connector toward the second end of the female connector and relative to a longitudinal axis of the female connector, the bevel configured to contact the outer surface of the first end of the male connector when the male connector is coupled to the female connector.

12. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sidewall of the female connector tapers in thickness at the first end of the female connector, or the sidewall of the male connector tapers in thickness at the first end of the male connector.

13. The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking member having one or more tabs;
each tab of the one or more tabs including a first portion having a first
width, and a second portion disposed between the first portion and a
free end of the tab, the second portion having a second width that is smaller than the first width;
the locking member being configured to be coupled to the female connector or the male connector such that, when the male connector is coupled to the female connector, each of the one or more tabs contacts at least one of the lugs of the female connector or at least one of the lugs of the male connector.

14. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the female connector is coupled to the first tubular; or
the male connector is coupled to the second tubular.

15. The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first tubular is a riser, a drill pipe, a casing, a choke line, a kill line, or a hose, and the second tubular is a riser, a drill pipe a casing, a choke line, a kill line, or a hose.

16. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the male connector is configured to be coupled to the female connector at least by:
inserting the first end of the male connector through the first end of the female connector and into the interior channel of the female connector such that at least one of the lugs of the male connector extends longitudinally beyond at least one of the lugs of the female connector; and
rotating the male connector relative to the female connector such that the at least one lug of the male connector is:
disposed between the at least one lug of the female connector and the second end of the female connector; and
in contact with the at least one lug of the female connector.

17. A method for connecting a first tubular to a second tubular, the method comprising:
coupling a male connector to a female connector,
the female connector including:
a sidewall extending between a first end and a second end to define an inte

Assignees

• Transocean Sedco Forex Ventures Ltd

Inventors

• Kozicz John
• Mccormick Craig

Classifications

• F16L37/252 Primary

  the male part having lugs on its periphery penetrating into the corresponding slots provided in the female part · CPC title