Mechanical stepper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021277742-A1
Application number	US-202016811156-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mechanical stepper and method of incrementally actuating a device. An insert is placed within a housing. The housing has a cavity and a stepper sleeve located within the cavity. The stepper sleeve includes a first stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a first equilibrium diameter and a second stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a second equilibrium diameter less than the first equilibrium diameter. The insert including a first protrusion. The insert moves through the housing, and motion of the insert through the housing is incrementally restricted by changing a diameter of the first stop member and a diameter of the second stop member via the first protrusion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of incrementally actuating a device, comprising:
placing an insert within a housing, the housing having a cavity and a stepper sleeve located within the cavity, the stepper sleeve including a first stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a first equilibrium diameter and a second stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a second equilibrium diameter less than the first equilibrium diameter, the insert including a first protrusion; moving the insert through the housing; and incrementally restricting a motion of the insert through the housing by changing a diameter of the first stop member and a diameter of the second stop member via the first protrusion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein incrementally moving the insert through the housing further comprises:
forming a first contact between the first protrusion and the second stop member with the stepper sleeve in a first position within the cavity; moving the insert in a first direction to move the stepper sleeve from a first position to a second position within the cavity via the first contact; moving the insert in the first direction to move the first protrusion past the second stop member; moving the insert in the first direction to move the first protrusion to contact the first stop member; moving the insert in a second direction to move the stepper sleeve back to the first position via a second contact between the first protrusion and the second stop member; and moving the insert in the first direction to move the first protrusion past the first stop member.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the stepper sleeve to the second position collapses the first stop member from its equilibrium position and moving the stepper sleeve to the first position allows the first stop member to expand back to its equilibrium position.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the cavity further comprises an expanded region and a restricted region, wherein the first stop member is in the expanded region when the stepper sleeve is in the first position and is in the restricted region when the stepper sleeve is in the second position.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the first protrusion past the first stop member places a second protrusion into contact with the second stop member.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the first stop member and the second stop member out of alignment with the first protrusion to move the insert without moving the stepper sleeve.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the insert due to a force applied to the insert.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the insert with respect to the housing opens a port to a flow passage.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein movement of the stepper sleeve and of the first stop member and the second stop member causes a motion of the insert.

10 . A mechanical stepper, comprising:
a housing having a cavity on an inner diameter surface; a stepper sleeve within the cavity, the stepper sleeve including a first stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a first equilibrium diameter and a second stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a second equilibrium diameter less than the first equilibrium diameter; and an insert within the housing and movable with respect to the housing, the insert including a protrusion; wherein the insert moves incrementally through the housing via interaction between the protrusion on the insert and the first stop member and the second stop member.

11 . The mechanical stepper of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first stop member and the second stop member is a C-ring.

12 . The mechanical stepper of claim 10 , wherein the first stop member is in its equilibrium position when the stepper sleeve is in a first position within the cavity and is in a collapsed position when the stepper sleeve is in a second position within the cavity.

13 . The mechanical stepper of claim 12 , wherein the cavity further comprises a expanded region and a first restricted region, wherein the first stop member is in the expanded region when the stepper sleeve is in the first position and is in the first restricted region when the stepper sleeve is in the second position.

14 . The mechanical stepper of claim 13 , wherein the cavity further comprises a second restricted region, wherein the second stop member is in the second restricted region when the stepper sleeve is in the first position and is in the expanded region when the stepper sleeve is in the second position.

15 . The mechanical stepper of claim 10 , wherein the insert further comprises a grooved track for rotating the first stop member and the second stop member out of alignment with the protrusion.

16 . The mechanical stepper of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a port, wherein a force applied to the insert moves the insert with respect to the housing to uncover the port.

17 . A mechanical stepper, comprising:
a housing having a protrusion on an inner diameter surface; an insert within the housing and movable with respect to the housing, the insert including a cavity on its outer surface; and a stepper sleeve within the cavity, the stepper sleeve including a first stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a first equilibrium diameter and a second stop member having an equilibrium position defined by a second equilibrium diameter greater than the first equilibrium diameter; wherein the insert moves incrementally through the housing via interaction between the protrusion on the housing and the first stop member and the second stop member.

Assignees

• Doane James Christopher
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Doane James Christopher

Classifications

• F16H27/02

  with at least one reciprocating or oscillating transmission member · CPC title

• E21B43/12 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B34/14 Primary

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B34/06 Primary

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title