Connection between wellbore components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745802-B2
Application number	US-201514611941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2015
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A connection between two wellbore components includes a male portion with sets of male formations formed on an outer surface and male knobs disposed around the outer surface. A female portion has mating sets of female formations formed on an inner surface thereof, with each set separated by a female gap and female knobs disposed around the inner surface. Each male gap is wider than each female formation and each female gap is wider than each male formation. The male and female portions can be mated together in a manner whereby the male sets occupy female gaps and the female sets occupy the male gaps and, thereafter, the male portion is rotatable in a counterclockwise direction relative to the female portion to interconnect the male and female formations, thereby preventing axial movement of one portion relative to the other portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connection between two wellbore components, comprising:
a male portion having a plurality of sets of male formations formed on an outer surface thereof each set separated by a male gap;
a plurality of male knobs disposed around the outer surface, each knob adjacent a set of the male formations;
a female portion having a plurality of mating sets of female formations formed on an inner surface thereof, each set separated by a female gap;
a plurality of female knobs disposed around the inner surface, each knob adjacent a set of the female formations;
wherein each male gap is wider than each female formation and each female gap is wider than each male formation and wherein the male and female portions are constructed and arranged to be mated together in a manner whereby the male sets occupy female gaps and the female sets occupy the male gaps and, thereafter, the male portion is rotatable in a counterclockwise direction relative to the female portion to interconnect the male and female formations, thereby preventing axial movement of one portion relative to the other portion;
wherein further clockwise rotation is prevented by contact between at least one male knob and an adjacent female knob;
wherein after rotation, a knob gap is formed between the at least one male knob and a second adjacent female knob; and
a tab being constructed and arranged to be inserted into the knob gap to prevent clockwise rotational movement of the female portion relative to the male portion, the tab being constructed of a material having a first yield strength and the plurality of male and female knobs being constructed of a material having a second yield strength, the first yield strength being less than the second yield strength.

2. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the knob gap has a width substantially equal to the male and female gaps.

3. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tab is located on a tab holder, the tab holder constructed and arranged to hold and separate a plurality of tabs substantially similar to the at least one tab, thereby facilitating their insertion into mating knob gaps formed in the connection.

4. The connection of claim 3 , wherein the tabs, when inserted are retained in the knob gaps, each tab being retained on a first side by a female knob and on a second side by a male knob.

5. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the first yield strength is 110 ksi and the second yield strength is 135 ksi.

6. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the female portion is a cementing head.

7. A wellbore component having a tubular body, comprising:
a male portion having a plurality of sets of male formations formed on an outer surface thereof, each set separated by a male gap;
a plurality of male knobs disposed around the outer surface, each knob adjacent a set of the male formations;
a female portion having a plurality of mating sets of female formations formed on an inner surface thereof, each set separated by a female gap;
a plurality of female knobs disposed around the inner surface, each knob adjacent a set of the female formations;
wherein each male gap is wider than each female formation and each female gap is wider than each male formation, wherein the male and female portions are constructed and arranged such that an identical male portion of a separate wellbore component can mate with the female portion and an identical female portion of a separate wellbore component can mate with the male portion,
wherein the male and female portions are located at opposite ends of the same tubular body.

8. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the female portion is located on a first tubular body and the male portion is located on a second tubular body for connection to the first body.

9. A method of making a connection between two tubular members, comprising:
providing a male portion having a plurality of sets of male formations formed on an outer surface thereof each set separated by a male gap and having a plurality of male knobs disposed around the outer surface, each knob adjacent a set of the male formations;
providing a female portion having a plurality of mating sets of female formations formed on an inner surface thereof, each set separated by a female gap and having a plurality of female knobs disposed around the inner surface, each knob adjacent a set of the female formations;
wherein each male gap is wider than each female formation and each female gap is wider than each male formation;
mating the portions together in a manner whereby the male sets occupy female gaps and the female sets occupy the male gaps;
rotating the male portion in a counterclockwise direction relative to the female portion to interconnect the male and female formations, thereby preventing axial movement of one portion relative to the other portion and thereby forming a plurality of knob gaps between each male and an adjacent female knob, the knob gaps substantially equal to the male and female gaps; and
inserting at least one tab into at least one of the plurality of knob gaps, wherein the at least one tab is constructed of a material having a first yield strength and the plurality of male and female knobs are constructed of a material having a second yield strength, the first yield strength being less than the second yield strength, whereby each tab is retained on one side by a male knob and on an opposite side by a female knob and the male portion is prevented from clockwise rotation relative to the female portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein there are a plurality of tabs mounted and spaced along a tab holder in a manner to facilitate the insertion of each tab in a corresponding knob gap.

11. The method of claim 10 , further including rotating one of the portions in a manner whereby the rotational forces take place between both sides of the tabs and one side of each knob adjacent each tab.

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Morrison Jeffery
• Wood Kevin
• Giroux Richard Lee

Classifications

• F16L37/244

  the coupling being co-axial with the pipe · CPC title

• E21B17/046 Primary

  with ribs, pins, or jaws, and complementary grooves or the like, e.g. bayonet catches · CPC title