Stop collar with interior lock elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11384606-B2
Application number	US-201916689646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Nov 20, 2019
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A stop collar includes an annular body and a gripping member. The body includes an outer surface and an inner surface. The body defines a window extending from the outer surface to the inner surface. A portion of the inner surface has a diameter that decreases proceeding toward an axial end of the body. The gripping member is positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface. The gripping member is at least partially aligned with the window when the stop collar is in a first state. The gripping member moves toward the axial end of the body when the stop collar actuates into a second state. A diameter of the gripping member decreases as the gripping member moves toward the axial end of the body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stop collar, comprising:
an annular body comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the body defines a first window extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, and wherein a first portion of the inner surface has a diameter that decreases proceeding toward a first axial end of the body; and
a first gripping member positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface, wherein the first gripping member is at least partially aligned with the first window when the stop collar is in a first state, wherein the first gripping member moves toward the first axial end of the body when the stop collar actuates into a second state, wherein the inner surface of the body defines an intermediate shoulder in the first and second states, and wherein a diameter of the first gripping member decreases as the first gripping member moves toward the first axial end of the body.

2. The stop collar of claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member is substantially C-shaped and is biased radially-outward.

3. The stop collar of claim 1 , wherein the body defines a second window radially-therethrough from the outer surface to the inner surface, and wherein the second window is circumferentially-offset from the first window.

4. The stop collar of claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member is configured to be moved toward the first axial end of the body by a setting tool that accesses the first gripping member through the first window.

5. The stop collar of claim 4 , wherein a second portion of the inner surface has a diameter that decreases proceeding toward a second axial end of the body, and wherein the stop collar further comprises a second gripping member positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface, wherein the second gripping member is at least partially aligned with the first window, wherein the second gripping member is configured to be moved toward the second axial end of the body by the setting tool, and wherein a diameter of the second gripping member decreases as the second gripping member moves toward the second axial end of the body.

6. The stop collar of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate shoulder is between the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and wherein the intermediate shoulder protrudes radially-inward.

7. The stop collar of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate shoulder protrudes radially-inward farther than the first gripping member when the stop collar is in the first state, and wherein the first gripping member protrudes radially-inward farther than the intermediate shoulder when the stop collar is in the second state.

8. The stop collar of claim 7 , wherein the first window extends through the intermediate shoulder.

9. The stop collar of claim 8 , wherein the first window exposes a gap between the first gripping member and the second gripping member.

10. The stop collar of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the first gripping member defines a recess, wherein the first gripping member is configured to be moved away from the first axial end of the body by an unsetting tool that accesses the recess of the first gripping member through the first window, and wherein the diameter of the first gripping member increases as the first gripping member moves away from the first axial end of the body.

11. A stop collar, comprising:
an annular body comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the body defines a first window extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, and wherein a first portion of the inner surface has a diameter that decreases proceeding toward a first axial end of the body, and a second portion of the inner surface has a diameter that decreases proceeding toward a second axial end of the body;
a first gripping member positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface, wherein the first gripping member is substantially C-shaped and biased radially-outward, wherein the first gripping member is at least partially aligned with the first window when the stop collar is in a first state, wherein the first gripping member moves toward the first axial end of the body when the stop collar actuates into a second state, wherein the inner surface of the body defines an intermediate shoulder in the first and second states, and wherein a diameter of the first gripping member decreases as the first gripping member moves toward the first axial end of the body; and
a second gripping member positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface, wherein the second gripping member is at least partially aligned with the first window when the stop collar is in the first state, wherein the second gripping member moves toward the second axial end of the body when the stop collar actuates into the second state, and wherein a diameter of the second gripping member decreases as the second gripping member moves toward the second axial end of the body.

12. The stop collar of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate shoulder is between the first gripping member and the second gripping member, wherein the intermediate shoulder protrudes radially-inward farther than the first gripping member when the stop collar is in the first state, and wherein the first gripping member protrudes radially-inward farther than the intermediate shoulder when the stop collar is in the second state.

13. The stop collar of claim 12 , wherein the first gripping member is configured to be moved toward the first axial end of the body by a setting tool that accesses the first gripping member through the first window, and wherein the second gripping member is configured to be moved toward the second axial end of the body by the setting tool that accesses the first gripping member through the first window.

14. The stop collar of claim 13 , wherein the first window extends through the intermediate shoulder, and wherein the first window exposes a gap between the first gripping member and the second gripping member.

15. The stop collar of claim 14 , wherein the setting tool is positioned at least partially within the gap when the setting tool moves the first gripping member and the second gripping member.

16. A method for actuating a stop collar, comprising:
sliding the stop collar along an outer surface of a tubular, wherein the stop collar comprises:
an annular body comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the body defines a window extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, wherein the inner surface of the body comprises a shoulder proximate to the axial end, and wherein a portion the inner surface defines a diameter that decreases proceeding toward an axial end of the body; and
a gripping member positioned at least partially within the body and in contact with the inner surface, wherein the gripping member is at least partially aligned with the window; and

actuating the stop collar from a first state to a second state, wherein the gripping member moves toward the axial end of the body when the stop collar actuates from the first state to the second state.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising connecting a setting tool to the stop collar, wherein connecting the setting tool to the stop collar comprises introducing an arm of the setting tool at least partially into or through the window such that the arm is adjacent to the gripping member, and wherein the stop collar is actuated from the first state to the second state using the setting tool.

18. The method of claim 17

Assignees

• Innovex Downhole Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Kellner Justin
• Cuffe Chris

Classifications

• E21B17/02

  Couplings; joints {(expandable couplings or joints E21B43/106)} · CPC title

• E21B17/16 Primary

  Drill collars · CPC title

• E21B23/03 Primary

  for setting the tools into, or removing the tools from, laterally offset landing nipples or pockets · CPC title