Tubing interconnection system with different size snap ring grooves
OwnerKenneth J. Carstenseninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A threadless interconnection system for sections of pipe as provided by a male/female interconnection in which the male member and female members have mating tapered surfaces providing both the camming action for inset snap rings that engage concurrently upon assembly of the interconnection. The tapered section includes angles which assure that snap rings are precentered within tolerances before being gradually opened during the assembly process, while also providing a metal-to-metal seal after assembly. Sealing is facilitated by composite seals that include O-rings arranged with compatible actuator and backup rings so as to avoid destruction of the O-ring geometry because of bending, flexure and torsional forces.
Claims14
In a tubing connection system wherein the connection comprises an interconnecting outer collar about a pair of unthreaded tubing section ends, the collar and tubing when assembled having contiguous overlapping lengths that include a number of matching circumferential grooves forming opposing groove pairs on assembly, and a number of circumferential snap rings, each disposed in a different one of the matching groove pairs and having inner and outer circumferential surfaces, the combination comprising:
- a nose end angled section on the outer side of each tubing section, the angle starting from the nose end at a radial position that is within the inner circumferential surface of a snap ring displaced to its maximum extent in the collar;
- an outer ramp section on each tubing section disposed between the nose end angled section and the closest adjacent matching groove of the tubing section and providing a low angle transition therebetween;
- and
- an inner length of the collar having a ramp section mating with and engaging the ramp section of the tubing to provide metal-to-metal contact when the connection is assembled.
An O-ring combination for sealing against fluid flow between two engaging concentric surfaces, one of which has an internal concentric groove having substantially parallel sidewalls, comprising:
- an elastomeric O-ring disposed in the groove against one of the sidewalls, and having a diameter sufficient to provide ring compression against the opposite engaging surface;
- an actuator ring of non-metallic material having a face engaging the interior surface of the O-ring in the groove, the actuator ring having an angled face on the side opposite the O-ring;
- and
- a backup ring of incompressible material disposed between the actuator ring and the second of the sidewalls, the backup ring having an end face engaging the second sidewall and an angled opposite face engaging the angled face of the actuator ring in mating relation, the backup ring including an angled circumferential separation.
A system having a plurality of sections of unthreaded, interconnected pipe, comprising:
- a plurality of collar sections interconnecting adjacent opposing ends of successive pipe sections, wherein the pipe sections and collar sections have constant diameter opposing surfaces including a series of spaced apart matching grooves and inserted expandable rings interposed in both matching grooves along the constant diameter sections, the pipe sections tapering at a low angle nose end having precentering angles for the expandable rings;
- O-ring seal means disposed in the pipe sections between each outside end of the collar and the closest adjacent expandable ring in the series in each pipe section;
- multi-element seal means disposed in the collar between the nose end of each pipe section and the closest adjacent expandable ring for that pipe section;
- and
- the collars and pipe sections having mating ramp sections providing metal-to-metal contact between the nose ends of the pipe sections and the expandable rings.
An unthreaded, non-welded connection for tubing sections comprising:
- a female member having an interior surface including a substantially constant interior diameter length including at least two circumferential grooves of differing axial length and different snap rings disposed therein having axial lengths fitting within the associated grooves but not smaller grooves;
- a male member fitting within the female member and having a constant exterior diameter length mating with the substantially constant interior length of the female member at full insertion and including circumferential grooves matching the grooves in the female member and receiving the snap rings at full insertion, the male member having a nose end with a comer diameter fitting within the inner opening of snap rings received in the female member grooves regardless of off-center positioning, and a ramp section from the nose end to the constant diameter region;
- the female member including an inner surface defining a ramp section opposed to and engaging the ramp section of the male member at full insertion to provide metal-to-metal contact;
- and
- at least one multi-element O-ring device disposed in the female member inner surface in association with the ramp section, the O-ring device comprising a circumferential groove in the female member and an O-ring, intermediate ring and backup ring disposed side-by-side in the groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.