Continuous sampling drill bit

A drilling assembly comprising:

• an outer tube;
• an inner tube received within the outer tube, the inner tube and the outer tube cooperating to define an annular space;
• and
• a drill bit having a central axis, the drill bit comprising:
• a shank defining an inner bore;
• and
• a crown having a cutting face and an outer circumferential surface, wherein the crown defines an outer operative circumference and comprises:
• a core-receiving slot in communication with the inner bore of the shank;
• at least one peripheral slot in communication with the inner bore of the shank, the at least one peripheral slot being within the drill bit and positioned radially between the core-receiving slot and the outer operative circumference of the crown, wherein the at least one peripheral slot is spaced radially inwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the crown, and wherein at least one peripheral slot extends axially from the inner bore of the shank to the cutting face;
• at least one face channel, wherein each face channel of the at least one face channel extends between and is in fluid communication with the core-receiving slot and a respective peripheral slot of the at least one peripheral slot;
• and
• a base portion positioned within the core-receiving slot, wherein the base portion defines a breaking surface, wherein at least a portion of the breaking surface, or a plane tangential thereto, is oriented at an oblique angle to the central axis,
• wherein the at least one peripheral slot is configured to receive fluid moving in a distal direction toward the cutting face of the crown, and wherein the at least one face channel is configured to deliver fluid from the at least one peripheral slot to the core-receiving slot, and
• wherein the shank of the drill bit is threadedly coupled to the outer tube.

A drill bit having a central axis, the drill bit comprising:

• a shank defining an inner bore;
• a crown having a cutting face, wherein the crown has an outer circumferential surface, wherein the crown comprises:
• a core-receiving slot in communication with the inner bore of the shank, wherein the core-receiving slot is at least partly defined by at least one longitudinally extending internal wall;
• at least one face channel, wherein each face channel of the at least one face channel extends between and is in communication with the core-receiving slot and the outer operative circumference of the crown, wherein the face channel comprises a pair of side walls, wherein the pair of sidewalls of the face channel extend to and intersect the at least one longitudinally extending internal wall at the cutting face of the crown;
• and
• a base portion positioned within the core-receiving slot, wherein the base portion defines a breaking surface, wherein at least a portion of the breaking surface, or a plane tangential thereto, is oriented at an oblique angle to the central axis,
• wherein the at least one face channel is configured to receive fluid flowing distally along the outer circumferential surface of the crown and deliver fluid from the outer circumferential surface of the crown to the core-receiving slot.