# US 11,905,802 B2 · Ring latch locking shaft coupling for bi-directional loading

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- Number: US 11,905,802 B2
- Document ID: US11905802B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/731,680
- Filed: 2022-04-28
- Published: 2023-11-02
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-28
- Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Inventors: Casey Laine Newport; David McManus; Steven Andrew Lovell; Andre Joseph Bernier
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905802B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/128: {Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives}
- E21B 17/02: Couplings; joints {(expandable couplings or joints E21B43/106)}
- E21B 17/046: with ribs, pins, or jaws, and complementary grooves or the like, e.g. bayonet catches
- F04B 9/02: the means being mechanical
- F04B 47/06: having motor-pump units situated at great depth
- F04D 13/021: {containing a coupling}
- F04D 13/086: {the pump and drive motor are both submerged}
- F04D 13/10: adapted for use in mining bore holes
- F04D 29/0405: {joining shafts, e.g. rigid couplings, quill shafts}
- F04D 29/044: Arrangements for joining or assembling shafts
- F04D 29/054: Arrangements for joining or assembling shafts
- F16D 1/02: for connecting two abutting shafts or the like
- F16D 1/108: having retaining means rotating with the coupling and acting by interengaging parts, i.e. positive coupling
- F16D 1/116: the interengaging parts including a continuous or interrupted circumferential groove in the surface of one of the coupling parts (circlips for retaining hubs on shafts F16B21/18)
- F16D 2001/103: {the torque is transmitted via splined connections}
- Y10T 403/57: Distinct end coupler
- Y10T 403/7033: including a lock or retainer
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An electrical submersible pump assembly comprising a first section and a second section with an outer housing and a drive shaft. A coupling assembly comprising a coupling, a thrust pin, and a retainer ring mechanically couples the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft. The coupling is generally cylindrical in shape with splines formed along the inner surface configured to transfer torque from the first shaft to the second shaft. The thrust pin is installed in a pin bore in the lower shaft and extends into a retainer bore in the upper shaft. The retainer ring is installed between a groove in the retainer bore and a retainer groove on the outside of the thrust pin. The thrust pin is configured to transfer tensile stress from the retainer bore in first drive shaft to the pin bore in the second drive shaft.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pump assembly, comprising:
a first section including a first outer housing and a first drive shaft, wherein the first outer housing is generally cylindrical with an inner chamber and the first drive shaft is generally cylindrical with splines on an outer surface and a retainer bore;
a second section including a second outer housing and a second drive shaft, wherein the second outer housing is generally cylindrical with an inner chamber and the second drive shaft is generally cylindrical with splines on an outer surface and a pin bore;
wherein the first outer housing of the first section is mechanically coupled to the second outer housing of the second section;
a coupling assembly comprising a coupling, a thrust pin, and a retainer ring, wherein the coupling is generally cylindrical in shape with an outer surface and splines formed along an inner surface, wherein the retainer ring is generally a shaped wire wound into a circular shape and installed within a retainer groove within the retainer bore of the first drive shaft, wherein the thrust pin is generally cylindrical in shape with an upper portion, a lower portion, and installed into the pin bore of the second drive shaft;
wherein the coupling assembly mechanically couples the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft;
wherein the coupling is configured to transmit torque from the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft via the splines; and
wherein the thrust pin is configured to transfer tensile stress from the retainer bore in first drive shaft to the pin bore in the second drive shaft.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein a groove on an outer surface of the thrust pin aligns with the retainer groove within the retainer bore of the first drive shaft, and wherein the retainer ring spans from the retainer groove within the retainer bore to the retainer groove on the thrust pin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The pump assembly of claim 2, wherein the retainer ring is configured to install into the retainer groove on the thrust pin from the retainer groove within the retainer bore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the thrust pin is mechanically coupled or releasably coupled to the first drive shaft.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The pump assembly of claim 4, wherein the thrust pin is releasably coupled by a shear pin or a shear mechanism.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer bore includes at least two retaining rings located within at least two grooves within the retainer bore.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second section are selected from a group consisting of a pump section, an intake section, a seal section, and a motor section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the pump assembly is a horizontal surface pump assembly or an electrical submersible pump (ESP) assembly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the pump assembly is an ESP assembly comprising at least one pump section, at least one intake section, at least one seal section, and at least one motor section, wherein the pump section comprises a centrifugal pump, a progressive cavity pump, a piston pump, a rod pump, a turbine assembly, or combinations thereof, and wherein the motor section is an electrical motor or an electrical generator.

### Claim 10

A coupling assembly adapted to connect a first shaft with a second shaft, the coupling assembly comprising:
a coupling cylindrical in shape with splines formed longitudinally along an inner surface;
a thrust pin generally cylindrical in shape with an alignment feature and a retainer groove on an outer surface of an upper portion;
a retainer bore extending into the first shaft comprising a retainer groove and a retaining ring;
a pin bore extending into the second shaft;
wherein a lower portion of the thrust pin is coupled with the pin bore of the second shaft;
wherein the alignment feature on the thrust pin is configured to align the retainer groove on the thrust pin with the retainer groove within the retainer bore; and
wherein the thrust pin is configured to transfer tensile stress from the first shaft to the second shaft by the retaining ring installed between the retainer bore of the first shaft and the retainer groove in the thrust pin.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The coupling assembly of claim 10, further comprising:
a set of splines formed longitudinally along the outer surface of the first and second shafts configured to mechanically couple to the splines within the coupling.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The coupling assembly of claim 10, wherein the thrust pin is threadingly coupled to the pin bore of the second shaft.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The coupling assembly of claim 12, wherein the thrust pin is releasably coupled to the first shaft by a shear mechanism.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The coupling assembly of claim 10, wherein the thrust pin is releasably coupled to the pin bore of the second shaft by a shear pin or a shear mechanism.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The coupling assembly of claim 10, further comprising:
a coupling plate with a through hole installed within the inner surface of the coupling, and wherein the coupling plate is configured to transfer compression loading from the first shaft to the second shaft.

### Claim 16

A system, comprising:
a first section comprising a first housing and a first drive shaft;
a second section comprising a second housing and a second drive shaft;
wherein the first and second housing are cylindrical in shape with an inner chamber, and wherein the first and second drive shaft are cylindrical in shape;
wherein the first housing is configured to mechanically couple to the first housing, the second housing, or combinations thereof;
a coupling assembly comprising an upper shaft, a lower shaft, a coupling, and a thrust pin, wherein the upper shaft is generally cylindrical in shape with splines formed on an outer surface and a retainer bore comprising a retainer groove and a retaining ring, wherein the lower shaft is generally cylindrical in shape with splines formed on an outer surface and a pin bore, wherein the coupling is generally cylindrical in shape with splines formed longitudinally along an inner surface, wherein the thrust pin is generally cylindrical in shape with a retainer groove on an outer surface of an upper portion; and
wherein the coupling assembly is configured to transfer tensile stress from the upper shaft to the lower shaft by the retaining ring installed between the retainer bore of the upper shaft and the retainer groove in the thrust pin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising:
a pump assembly comprising at least one of the first section and the second section, wherein the first and second sections are selected from a group consisting of a pump section, an intake section, and a motor section, and wherein the pump assembly is a horizontal surface pump assembly or an ESP assembly.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising:
a thrust bearing mechanism comprising a dynamic bearing mechanically coupled to the drive shaft and a static bearing mechanically coupled to the housing of the first section or the second section.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the thrust bearing mechanism is configured to transfer tensile stress from the drive shaft to the static bearing coupled to the housing via the dynamic bearing coupled to the drive shaft.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the upper shaft or the lower shaft is the first shaft, and wherein the upper shaft or the lower shaft is the second shaft.