Laminated and composite impregnated cutting structures for drill bits

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bit body having a longitudinal centerline, an end face region, and a peripheral gage region;
• at least one preformed laminated cutting element installed on at least a portion of the end face region of the bit body and extending generally radially outward toward the peripheral gage region of the bit body, the at least one preformed laminated cutting element comprising:
• at least one first segment having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• and
• at least one second segment having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix;
• the at least one first segment and the at least one second segment being generally radially juxtapositioned in contact with each other in a preselected alternating fashion in partial mutual radial overlapping relationship and oriented at an acute angle with respect to an imaginary reference line extending from the longitudinal centerline of the bit body outwardly toward the peripheral gage region of the bit body and wherein a rotationally leading portion of the at least one preformed laminated cutting element is exposed.

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bladed-type bit body having at least one blade structure extending therefrom;
• and
• a cutting element installed on the at least one blade structure;
• the cutting element comprising at least one first segment having a preselected overall configuration and being of a preselected nominal thickness secured to the at least one blade structure of the bit body, the at least one first segment comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• the at least one first segment being disposed lengthwise on the at least one blade structure to expose at least one lengthwise-extending edge of the at least one first segment;
• and
• the at least one first segment being located at a preselected distance from and at a preselected orientation with respect to an imaginary reference line extending generally coincident to a major axis of the at least one blade structure;
• the cutting element further comprising at least one second segment comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material, the at least one second segment having essentially the same preselected overall configuration as the at least one first segment, having a cross-section of essentially the same nominal thickness as the at least one first segment, having an exposed lengthwise edge, and being positioned in an end-to-end arrangement with respect to the at least one first segment.

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bladed-type bit body having at least one blade structure extending upwardly therefrom, the at least one blade structure having a major axis along which the at least one blade structure extends between a radially innermost end and a radially outermost end;
• and
• at least one preformed laminated cutting element installed on the at least one blade structure comprising at least one first segment juxtapositioned with at least one second segment;
• the at least one first segment having a preselected overall configuration and a length and being of a preselected nominal thickness, the at least one first segment comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• the at least one second segment having a preselected overall configuration and a length and being of a preselected nominal thickness, the at least one second segment comprised of a continuous-phase solid matrix material;
• and
• wherein the at least one first segment and the at least one second segment of the at least one preformed laminated cutting element are each disposed in mutual, substantially parallel contact over a majority of their respective lengths, with their respective lengths at an acute angle to the major axis of the at least one blade structure and with ends thereof exposed on a rotationally leading edge of the at least one blade structure.

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bit body having a longitudinal centerline, an end face region, and a peripheral gage region;
• at least one preformed laminated cutting element installed on at least a portion of the end face region of the bit body, the at least one preformed laminated cutting element comprising:
• at least one first segment having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• and
• at least one second segment having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix;
• the at least one first segment and the at least one second segment being generally radially juxtapositioned with each other in a preselected alternating fashion, the at least one first segment and the at least one second segment each being generally arcuate in configuration and oriented generally circumferentially about the longitudinal centerline of the bit body.

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bit body having a longitudinal centerline, an end face region, and a peripheral gage region;
• at least one preformed laminated cutting element installed on at least a portion of the end face region of the bit body, the at least one preformed laminated cutting element comprising:
• a plurality of first segments each having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• and
• a plurality of second segments each having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix;
• the plurality of first segments and the plurality of second segments being generally juxtapositioned with each other in a preselected alternating fashion wherein each segment of one of the first and second pluralities of segments has at least one segment of the other of the first and second pluralities of segments in contact with a side thereof and at least another segment of the other of the first and second pluralities of segments in contact with an end thereof.

A rotary-type earth-boring drill bit for drilling subterranean formations, comprising:

• a bit body having a longitudinal centerline, an end face region, and a peripheral gage region;
• at least one preformed arcuate laminated cutting element installed on at least a portion of the end face region of the bit body, the at least one preformed, arcuate laminated cutting element comprising:
• a plurality of first segments having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix of at least one material impregnated with at least one particulate superabrasive material in at least a portion thereof;
• and
• a plurality of second segments having a preselected overall configuration, having a preselected nominal thickness, and being comprised of an essentially continuous-phase solid matrix;
• the pluralities of first and second segments being generally circumferentially juxtapositioned in contact with each other in a preselected alternating fashion about the longitudinal centerline of the bit body.