Ball seat having segmented arcuate ball support member

An apparatus for restricting flow through a well conduit, the apparatus having a run-in position and a set position, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a longitudinal bore and a first seat engagement surface disposed on an inner wall surface of the bore;
• a seat in sliding engagement with the first seat engagement surface, the seat having a first seat position when the apparatus is in the run-in position and a second seat position when the apparatus is in the set position;
• an arcuate member disposed below the seat, the arcuate member being operatively associated with the seat and in slidingly engagement with a second seat engagement surface disposed on the inner wall surface of the bore, the arcuate member having a first arcuate member position when the apparatus is in the run-in position and a second arcuate member position when the apparatus is in the set position, the arcuate member comprising
• a plurality of longitudinal slits defining a plurality of segment members having gaps disposed there-between, each of the plurality of segment members being movable so that each of the gaps are variable such that movement of the arcuate member from the first arcuate member position to the second arcuate member position reduces the gaps;
• and
• a plug element adapted to be disposed into the bore to restrict fluid flow through the bore and the well conduit and to cause the seat to move from the first seat position to the second seat position and to cause the arcuate member to move from the first arcuate member position to the second arcuate member position, the plug element contacting the seat and the arcuate member to provide support to the plug element.

An apparatus for restricting flow through a well conduit, the apparatus having a run-in position and a set position, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a longitudinal bore and a seat disposed within the bore, the seat having a first position when the apparatus is in the run-in position and a second position when the apparatus is in the set position, the seat comprising an arcuate member, the arcuate member comprising
• at least two segment members disposed adjacent each other defining an initial gap between each other thereby separating the at least two segment members when the arcuate member is disposed in the first position and a set gap between each other when the arcuate member is disposed in the second position, the set gap having a seated distance measured across the set gap between adjacent segment members and the initial gap having an initial distance measured across the initial gap between adjacent segment members, the set distance being less than the initial distance;
• and
• a plug element adapted to be disposed into the bore and landed on the seat to restrict fluid flow through the bore and the well conduit and to cause the arcuate member to move from the first position to the second position thereby providing support to the plug member landed on the arcuate member,
• wherein the arcuate member is a c-ring comprising a plurality of segment members, two of the plurality segment members comprising end segment members defining a c-ring gap and each of the plurality of segment members comprising initial and set gaps between adjacent segment members,
• wherein each of the plurality of segment members are connected with each other by a support member disposed along an outer wall surface of each of the plurality of segment members, and
• wherein the support member comprises a wire threaded through an opening disposed perpendicular to the outer wall surface of each of the plurality of segment members.

An apparatus for restricting flow through a well conduit, the apparatus having a run-in position and a set position, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a longitudinal bore and a seat engagement surface disposed on an inner wall surface of the bore;
• an arcuate member slidingly engaged with the seat engagement surface, the arcuate member having a first position when the apparatus is in the run-in position and a second position when the apparatus is in the set position, the arcuate member comprising
• a plurality of longitudinal slits defining a plurality of segment members having gaps disposed there-between, each of the plurality of segment members being movable so that each of the gaps are variable such that movement of the arcuate member from the first position to the second position reduces the gaps;
• and
• a plug element adapted to be disposed into the bore to restrict fluid flow through the bore and the well conduit and to cause the arcuate member to move from the first position to the second position,
• wherein each of the plurality of segment members are connected with each other by a support member disposed along an outer wall surface of each of the plurality of segment members, and
• wherein the support member comprises a wire threaded through an opening disposed perpendicular to the outer wall surface of each of the plurality of segment members.