Method and apparatus for retaining a soft seal in an integrated flapper mount, hard seat, spring housing surface controlled subsurface safety valve

A subsurface safety valve apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a spring housing comprising first and second ends, wherein at least a portion of the second end exhibits a generally conical shape;
• a non-metallic sealing ring concentrically located around the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing, the non-metallic sealing ring comprising a flanged end having at least one notch;
• a retainer ring adapted to retain the non-metallic sealing ring around the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing;
• and
• a flapper connected to the second end of the spring housing, the flapper operable to rotate between an open and closed position, the flapper further operable to seal against the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing and the non-metallic sealing ring when the flapper is in the closed position,
• wherein the non-metallic sealing ring is configured to move up and down the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing.

A method of sealing the central bore of production tubing against fluid flowing from a wellbore towards the surface, the method comprising:

• (a) attaching a safety valve assembly to the production tubing, the safety valve assembly comprising:
• a spring housing having a lower portion that exhibits a generally conical shape,
• a non-metallic sealing ring concentrically located around the generally conically-shaped portion of the spring housing, the non-metallic sealing ring comprising an upper flanged end, wherein the lower portion of the spring housing further comprises at least one concentric slot capable of receiving the upper flanged end,
• a retainer ring adapted to retain the non-metallic sealing ring around the generally conically-shaped portion of the spring housing, and
• a flapper connected to the lower portion of the spring housing, the flapper operable to rotate between an open and closed position;
• (b) providing a gap between the upper flanged end and the at least one concentric slot of the lower end of the spring housing;
• (c) placing the safety valve assembly and the production tubing in a wellbore;
• and
• (d) closing the flapper such that the flapper seals against the generally conically-shaped portion of the spring housing and the non-metallic sealing ring thereby substantially preventing fluid from flowing from the wellbore towards the surface through the central bore of the production tubing.

A subsurface safety valve apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a spring housing comprising first and second ends, wherein at least a portion of the second end exhibits a generally conical shape;
• a non-metallic sealing ring concentrically located around the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing;
• a flapper connected to the spring housing, the flapper operable to rotate between an open and closed position, and
• a gap between an upper end of the non-metallic sealing ring and a bottom side of the second end of the spring housing, thereby allowing the non-metallic sealing ring to move along the generally conically-shaped portion of the second end of the spring housing without compressing the non-metallic sealing ring.