Subsea coupling
AssigneeAker Subsea AS
InventorMatthew H Tibbitts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A subsea female coupler has a body defining a socket for the reception of a probe of a male coupler. The socket includes an annular shoulder and, outwardly of the shoulder, a part-conical seat which tapers towards the interior of the socket. An annular seal is disposed to provide radial sealing between the socket and the probe and is positioned in the annular shoulder. A metal retainer in the form of a securing ring, which has a bevelled rim for abutment with the seat, provides sealing between the region of the seal and the exterior of the body of the coupler. The retainer has a screw-threaded periphery for engagement with a complementary thread on the interior of the socket. An inner ring liner fits within the retainer and has a flange for abutting the seal.
Claims12
A subsea female coupler comprising a body defining a socket for the reception of a probe of a male coupler, the socket including:
- an annular shoulder and, outwardly of the shoulder, a part-conical seat which tapers towards the interior of the socket,
- an annular seal, which is disposed to provide radial sealing between the socket and the probe and is positioned in the annular shoulder, a retainer, which has a bevelled rim for abutment with said seat, to provide sealing between the region of the annular seal and the exterior of the body of the coupler, and which has a screw-threaded periphery for engagement with a complementary thread on the interior of the socket, the retainer serving to maintain the annular seal in position, and
- an inner ring liner which fits within the retainer and is positioned to abut the annular seal.
A subsea female coupler comprising:
- a body defining a socket for the reception of a probe of a male coupler, the socket including an annular shoulder and, outwardly of the shoulder, a part-conical seat which tapers towards the interior of the socket;
- an annular seal, which is disposed to provide radial sealing between the socket and the probe and is positioned in the annular shoulder;
- a retainer, which has a bevelled rim for abutment with said seat, to provide sealing between the region of the annular seal and the exterior of the body of the coupler, the retainer serving to maintain said annular seal in position;
- an inner ring liner which fits within the retainer and is positioned to abut the annular seal, said retainer having an inwardly directed flange and defining with the inner ring liner an inner annular recess bounded by said inwardly directed flange;
- and
- a secondary annular seal accommodated in said inner annular recess.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.