Expandable coupling
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorsPeter Ellington, Iain Cameron Macaulay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable tubular coupling (10) includes first and second thread portions (12,14) each comprising a plurality of inter-engaging teeth (20,22), wherein at least one tooth on the first thread portion (12) engages a corresponding tooth on the second thread portion (14) and the remainder of said inter-engaging teeth (20,22) define respective gaps (32) therebetween.
Claims32
An expandable tubular coupling including first and second thread portions each comprising a plurality of inter-engaging teeth, wherein at least one tooth on the first thread portion engages a corresponding tooth on the second threaded portion and the remainder of said inter-engaging teeth define respective gaps therebetween.
An expandable coupling arrangement for first and second expandable tubulars, the coupling comprising:
- a male thread portion on an end of a first tubular;
- and
- a female thread portion on an end of a second tubular,
- the thread portions having flanks, wherein when the male and female thread portions are engaged, at least one flank of the male thread portion abuts a corresponding flank of the female thread portion, and the remaining corresponding flanks of the thread portions define gaps therebetween.
A method of providing an expanded tubular coupling, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first tubular including a male thread portion on an end thereof and a second tubular including a female thread portion on an end thereof, the thread portions having flanks;
- engaging the male and female threaded portions to form a tubular coupling wherein at least one flank of the male thread portion abuts a corresponding flank of the female thread portion, and the remaining corresponding flanks of the thread portions define gaps therebetween;
- and
- expanding the tubular coupling, whereby relative axial movement between corresponding flanks during expansion of the coupling is accommodated by the gaps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.