Seal retaining configuration and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12460753-B2
Application number	US-202217992367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 22, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A seal retaining configuration including a tubular member having a plurality of grooves that are a portion of a chord of the tubular member. Retainers are engaged with the chords to retain a seal. Further, barriers are adjacent the retainer and the seal. A tubular system including a first tubular comprising an inside diameter surface of a diameter D 1 , a second tubular including a first outside diameter surface of diameter D 2 smaller than D 1 and a second outside diameter surface of diameter D 3 , being greater than D 2 and lesser than D 1 . The inside diameter surface includes a first groove, and a second groove to accept retainers. A seal having an inside diameter smaller than D 3 and an outside diameter at least as large as D 1 is disposed between the first and second tubular members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seal retaining configuration comprising:
a tubular member comprising a body and an inside diameter surface;
a plurality of grooves extending from the inside diameter surface into the body of the tubular member, at least one of the grooves being a portion of a chord of the tubular member that intersects the body of the tubular member;
a first retainer engaged with a first groove of the plurality of grooves;
a second retainer engaged with a second groove of the plurality of grooves;
a first perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier disposed adjacent the first retainer;
a second perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier disposed adjacent the second retainer; and
a seal retained between the first perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier and the second perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier, the first and second antiextrusion barriers configured to resist extrusion of the seal.

2 . The configuration as claimed in claim 1 , wherein another of the plurality of grooves other than the at least one groove of the plurality of grooves being circumferential of the tubular member.

3 . The configuration as claimed in claim 1 , wherein another of the plurality of grooves other than the at least one groove of the plurality of grooves is a chord of the tubular member that intersects the body of the tubular member.

4 . The configuration as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first groove is part circumferential of the tubular member.

5 . The configuration as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second groove is part circumferential of the tubular member.

6 . The configuration as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity in either the first or second barrier or both is a plurality of discontinuities.

7 . A tubular system comprising:
a first tubular comprising a body and an inside diameter surface, the inside diameter surface being of a diameter D 1 ; a second tubular composed of a material, comprising:
a first outside diameter surface of the material of the second tubular of diameter D 2 , disposed radially inwardly of the of the first tubular inside diameter surface when assembled, and
a second outside diameter surface of the material of the second tubular of diameter D 3 , being greater than D 2 and lesser than D 1 , D 3 ranges from about 0.125 to about 0.5 inches larger than D 2 ;
a first groove in the inside diameter surface of the first tubular; a second groove in the inside diameter surface of the first tubular; a seal having an inside diameter smaller than D 3 and an outside diameter at least as large as D 1 ; a first seal retainer engaged with the first groove; a second seal retainer engaged with the second groove; a first perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier disposed adjacent the first retainer to resist extrusion of the seal; a second perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier disposed adjacent the second retainer; and the seal retained between the first perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier and the second perimetrically discontinuous antiextrusion barrier.

8 . A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first seal retainer is a snap ring, spiral ring, or C-ring.

9 . A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the wherein the second seal retainer is a snap ring, spiral ring, or C-ring.

10 . A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first seal retainer includes a pin.

11 . A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second seal retainer includes a pin.

12 . A method for assembling the tubular system as claimed in claim 7 comprising:
sliding the first tubular inside diameter surface D 1 over the second tubular second outside diameter surface D 3 ;
positioning the first tubular inside diameter surface D 1 radially outwardly of second tubular first outside diameter surface D 2 ;
disposing the first retainer in the first groove;
stretching the seal over second tubular second outside diameter D 3 ;
inserting the seal into the first tubular inside diameter surface D 1 , adjacent the first retainer; and
disposing the second retainer in the second groove.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the disposing of the first retainer is stretching the first retainer over the second tubular second outside diameter D 3 and inserting the retainer in the first groove.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the disposing of the second retainer is stretching the first retainer over the second tubular second outside diameter D 3 and inserting the retainer in the second groove.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the disposing of the first retainer is by inserting the retainer through a first opening in an outside diameter surface of the first tubular that is aligned with the first groove and urging the retainer into engagement with the first groove.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the disposing of the second retainer is by inserting the retainer through a second opening in an outside diameter surface of the first tubular that is aligned with the second groove and urging the retainer into engagement with the second groove.

17 . A borehole system comprising:
a borehole in a subsurface formation; a string in the borehole; and a tubular system as claimed in claim 7 disposed within or as a part of the string.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Doane James
• Shaikh Farhat

Classifications

• E21B17/02

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

• E21B33/129

  with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B2200/01

  Sealings characterised by their shape · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• F16L21/02 Primary

  with elastic sealing rings between pipe and sleeve or between pipe and socket, e.g. with rolling or other prefabricated profiled rings (F16L21/06, F16L21/08 take precedence; if adjustability is essential F16L27/00) · CPC title