Locking clutch for downhole motor
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorsJames Edmond Beylotte, Lance D. Underwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking clutch to selectively transmit torque from a stator of a downhole tool to a rotor of the downhole tool includes at least one locking pawl disposed upon the rotor, wherein the at least one locking pawl comprises a load path, at least one pivot axis, and a mass center, wherein the at least one locking pawl is biased into an engaged position by a biasing mechanism, wherein the at least one locking pawl transmits force from the stator to the rotor along the load path when in the engaged position, and wherein centrifugal force urges the at least one locking pawl into a disengaged position when the rotor is rotated above a disengagement speed.
Claims22
A locking clutch to selectively transmit torque from a stator of a downhole tool to a rotor of the downhole tool, the clutch comprising:
- at least one locking pawl disposed upon the rotor, wherein the at least one locking pawl comprises a load path, at least one pivot axis, and a mass center;
- wherein the at least one locking pawl is biased into an engaged position by a biasing mechanism;
- wherein the at least one locking pawl transmits force from the stator to the rotor along the load path when in the engaged position;
- and
- wherein centrifugal force urges the at least one locking pawl into a disengaged position when the rotor is rotated above a disengagement speed.
A method to selectively transmit torque from a stator of a downhole drilling motor to a rotor of the downhole drilling motor, the method comprising:
- locating a clutch between the stator and the rotor, wherein the clutch comprises at least one locking pawl rotatable about a pivot axis between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
- rotating the at least one locking pawl from the engaged position to the disengaged position through centrifugal force when the speed of the rotor exceeds a disengagement speed;
- rotating the at least one locking pawl from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the speed of the rotor falls below the disengagement speed;
- and
- transmitting torque from the stator to the rotor of the downhole drilling motor through a load path of the at least one locking pawl when in the engaged position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.