US 11,530,599 B2Granted

Unibody bypass plunger and valve cage

AssigneeFlowco Production Solutions, LLC

InventorsGarrett S. Boyd, Mitchell A. Boyd

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A bypass plunger combines a unitary or one-piece hollow body-and-valve cage, retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion of the hollow body using a threaded retaining nut secured by crimple detents. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during ascent. Other embodiments include clutch assemblies using canted-coil springs with split bobbins, and valve stems surfaced to achieve specific functions. Combinations of these features provide enhanced performance, durability and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost, due primarily to the simplicity of its design.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A bypass plunger, comprising:

a monolithic hollow body extending from a first end to a second end, an opening being formed at the first end, a valve cage having a valve seat being formed at the second end;
and
a dart valve that is reciprocatingly mounted within the valve cage, wherein the dart valve includes a valve stem and a valve head, a sealing face being formed on an end of the valve head opposite the valve stem, wherein the sealing face is configured to seat against the valve seat of the valve cage;
and
a retaining nut having screw threads provided on an outer surface of the retaining nut and that is configured to retain the dart valve within the valve cage, wherein the retaining nut is secured to the valve cage by at least one crimple that comprises a radially inwardly deformed portion of the valve cage that bears against the screw threads;
wherein when the bypass plunger is in a fully assembled configuration, the opening at the first end of the monolithic hollow body allows fluid to enter and/or exit an interior of the bypass plunger.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/581,301Filed 21 Jan 2022 · continuation
Priority: 20 Feb 2015
Published: US 2022/0145736 A112 May 2022
Granted: 20 Dec 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

E21B 43/123
Gas lift: gas lift valves
E21B 34/08
In wells: responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained
E21B 43/121
Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells: lifting well fluids
F04B 47/12
Pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for raising fluids from great depths, e.g. well pumps: having free plunger lifting the fluid to…

Family

Application62/118,575Us provisional application · filed 20 Feb 2015
Application15/048,491Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Feb 2016
Application16/361,651Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Mar 2019
US 10,273,789 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Apr 2019
Application17/362,563Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jun 2021
US 11,105,189 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Aug 2021
US 2022/0145736 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 May 2022
US 11,434,733 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0245417 A1Published application
US 2019/0218896 A1Published application
US 2021/0342295 A1Published application
US 11,530,599 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.