Power transmission line section
OwnerKevin W. Wall, Jeremy S. Nicelyinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power transmission section particularly adapted for use in a downhole drilling system. A drive shaft is pivotally connected to input and output end connection members with pivot balls therebetween to allow pivoting of the shaft ends relative to the input and output end connection members. A plurality of ball segments having one spherically-curved surface are provided at each end of the drive shaft to engage with the input and output connection members and to transmit torque between the shaft ends and the input and output end connection members, regardless of the angular variation between the drive shaft longitudinal axis and the longitudinal axes of the input and output end connection members.
Claims10
A rotational power transmission line section comprising:
- a) an input component for connection with a source of rotational power that provides torque, the input component having a central axis, and an output component for connection with a driven member to provide torque to the driven member, the output component having a central axis;
- b) a connecting drive shaft having a longitudinal axis and extending between and rotationally interconnecting the input component with the output component for transmitting torque between the input component and the output component, wherein the drive shaft is connected with each of the input component and the output component by a ball joint to allow swiveling motion between the drive shaft and each of the input component and the output component and to allow angular deflection of the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft relative to the longitudinal axes of each of the input and output components;
- and
- c) a plurality of ball segments circumferentially distributed about and received in respective V-shaped, axially-extending, peripherally-disposed outer end regions at each end of the drive shaft and received in respective circumferentially disposed inner surfaces of each of the input and output components for transmitting rotary motion between the drive shaft and the input and output components, wherein the ball segments each have a flat upper surface that faces an inner surface of a respective input or output member, a flat lower surface for contact with a first flat, axially-extending surface of a respective ball-segment-receiving region at an axial end of the drive shaft, a flat first side surface for contact with a second flat, axially-extending surface of a respective ball-segment-receiving region at an axial end of the drive shaft and that is angularly disposed relative to the first end surface of the drive shaft, and a convexly-curved second side surface opposite to the flat first side surface for surface-to-surface contact with a respective concavely-curved inner surface of an end component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.