Collapsible wiring conduit for downhole linear actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797205-B2
Application number	US-201514906463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A collapsible wiring conduit can provide an extendable and retractable wired connection between moving components in a downhole tool, such as components moved relative to one another by a linear actuator. The collapsible wiring conduit can include links, hinges, stoppers, and wiring. The hinges can couple the links to one another. The links can be coupled end to end by the hinges. The stoppers can prevent the hinges from opening to or beyond a predetermined amount, such as preventing the hinges from opening to a 180-degree orientation. The wiring can be routed from link to link along the collapsible wiring conduit. In some aspects, the hinges are hollow, and the wiring is routed from link to link through the hollow hinges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible wiring conduit, comprising:
a plurality of links hingedly coupled together in a series, the plurality of links being movable in an longitudinal direction between a collapsed condition and an extended condition and being shaped for supporting wiring for traversing a variable longitudinal length in a downhole tool;
a plurality of hinges, each hinge in the plurality of hinges coupling a link of the plurality of links with an adjacent link in the series of the plurality of links; and
wiring that is routed link-to-link along lengths of the plurality of links, wherein at least one hinge of the plurality of hinges is hollow to receive the wiring through the hollow hinge.

2. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 1 , wherein at least one hinge of the plurality of hinges comprises:
an opening through a first link of the plurality of links; and
a post projecting from a second link of the plurality of links, the second link being adjacent the first link in the series, the post being engaged in the opening so that the first link and second link are rotatable relative each other.

3. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 1 , wherein at least one hinge of the plurality of hinges comprises:
a first opening through a first link of the plurality of links;
a second opening through a second link of the plurality of links, the second link being adjacent the first link in the series; and
a post or pin extending into the first opening and the second opening.

4. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of stoppers, each stopper of the plurality of stoppers arranged for constraining a hinge of the plurality of hinges in the extended condition from opening beyond a predetermined amount.

5. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 4 , wherein at least one stopper of the plurality of stoppers comprises:
a first flange extending from a first link of the plurality of links; and
an interfering feature of a second link of the plurality of links, the second link being adjacent the first link in the series and hingedly coupled with the first link by a hinge of the plurality of hinges, the interfering feature comprising a second flange extending from the second link or a recess in the second link, the interfering feature arranged to engage the first flange in interfering engagement to prevent the hinge from opening the predetermined amount.

6. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined amount comprises a position at which links are 170 degrees apart.

7. A downhole assembly, comprising:
a linear actuator;
a first object and a second object positionable between a first distance apart and a second distance apart in an axial direction by the linear actuator;
a collapsible wiring conduit coupled at a first side with the first object and at a second side with the second object, the collapsible wiring conduit comprising:
(i) a plurality of links hingedly coupled together in a series, the plurality of links being movable within a housing in the axial direction between a collapsed condition and an extended condition; and
(ii) a plurality of hinges, each hinge in the plurality of hinges coupling a link of the plurality of links with an adjacent link in the series of the plurality of links; and
wiring that is routed from link-to-link along the plurality of links so as to couple the first object and the second object in the collapsed condition and the extended condition for at least one of power transmission or data transmission;
wherein at least one link of the plurality of links has a length greater than an inner diameter of the housing so as to constrain the link from rotating past a perpendicular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing when the link is moving into the collapsed condition from the extended position.

8. The downhole assembly of claim 7 , wherein the collapsible wiring conduit further comprises:
(iii) a plurality of stoppers, each stopper of the plurality of stoppers arranged for constraining a hinge of the plurality of hinges in the extended condition from opening to a predetermined amount.

9. The downhole assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first object further comprises a first structure shaped to constrain the first side of the collapsible wiring conduit from rotating past a perpendicular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing when the first side of the collapsible wiring conduit is moving into the collapsed condition from the extended position.

10. A downhole assembly, comprising:
a linear actuator;
a first object and a second object positionable between a first distance apart and a second distance apart in an axial direction by the linear actuator;
a collapsible wiring conduit coupled at a first side with the first object and at a second side with the second object, the collapsible wiring conduit comprising:
(i) a plurality of links hingedly coupled together in a series, the plurality of links being movable within a housing in the axial direction between a collapsed condition and an extended condition; and
(ii) a plurality of hinges, each hinge in the plurality of hinges coupling a link of the plurality of links with an adjacent link in the series of the plurality of links; and

wiring that is routed from link-to-link along the plurality of links so as to couple the first object and the second object in the collapsed condition and the extended condition for at least one of power transmission or data transmission;
wherein the housing comprises:
a first section sized to accommodate the plurality of links in the collapsed condition;
a third section sized to accommodate at least some of the links in the extended condition, the third section having a smaller inner diameter than the first section; and
a second section tapering between the first section and third section.

11. The downhole assembly of claim 10 , wherein at least one link of the plurality of links has a length less than an inner diameter of the housing.

12. A collapsible wiring conduit, comprising:
a plurality of links, each link of the plurality of links comprising (i) a post having a passageway extending through the post, (ii) an opening, (iii) a flange, and (iv) a recess;
a plurality of hinges, each hinge of the plurality of hinges associated with a pair of links from the plurality of links, the hinge comprising the post of one of the links of the pair being aligned within the opening of the other of the links of the pair; and
a plurality of stoppers, each stopper of the plurality of stoppers associated with a hinge of the plurality of hinges and the pair of links associated with the hinge, the stopper comprising the flange of one of the links of the pair being aligned within the recess of the other of the links of the pair;
wherein the plurality of links are arranged to support wiring routed through at least one of the passageways of at least one of the posts of at least one of the plurality of links for connecting objects positioned a variable distance apart within a downhole tool.

13. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 12 , wherein each link of the plurality of links further comprises the post positioned at a first end of the link and the opening positioned at a second, opposite end of the link.

14. The collapsible wiring conduit of claim 12 , wherein each hinge further comprises a clip engaged with the post of the one of the links of the pair, the clip positioned through a notch in the other of the links of the pair for securing the post within the opening.

15. The collapsible wiring con

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Lee Shao Hwa

Classifications

• E21B17/20 Primary

  Flexible or articulated drilling pipes {, e.g. flexible or articulated rods, pipes or cables} · CPC title

• F16L3/015

  using articulated- or supple-guiding elements · CPC title

• E21B17/023

  Arrangements for connecting cables or wirelines to downhole devices · CPC title

• E21B41/00 Primary

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