Mechanical Lock with Pressure Balanced Floating Piston
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsDavid L. Nevels, Louis M. Gambertoglio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Parts that need to be retained against relative movement are held with at least one collet that is captured in a groove with sleeve that acts as a piston. The piston is exposed to tubing pressure on opposed ends to be in pressure balance despite variations of pressure in the tubing. When it is desired to allow relative part movement to actuate the tool, one of the ports to the piston is isolated from the other and pressure drives the piston in a downhole direction. This releases the collet and drives a sleeve in an opposite direction to actuate a tool. The parts can be optionally rotationally locked.
Claims20
A pressure actuator assembly for a subterranean tool, comprising:
- a mandrel having a passage therethrough and upper and lower end connections for attachment to a tubular string that extends to a predetermined location;
- an actuating member selectively locked to said mandrel and relatively movable with respect to said mandrel when unlocked to actuate the tool;
- a lock member exposed to balanced pressure in said passage from spaced passage locations, said lock member retaining said actuating member to said mandrel until said lock member is selectively moved by unbalanced pressure reaching said lock member from said passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.